Original Article: http://dartreview.com/archives/2005/05/13/the_week_in_review.php
Friday, May 13, 2005
Bicycle Sharing Introduced (Again)
On Monday, the Student Assembly resurrected its infamous Big Green Bike program, a communistic bicycle-sharing program.
Seeking to avoid the problems of past years, the bicycles are in theory only for those who paid a small fee. Beginning this term, students can purchase a key to the bicycle locks for $10. Dartmouth Review staffers have already seen a half-dozen unlocked bikes, so the program is off to a poor start.
Big Black Bikes
The equipment used for Big Green Bikes, worth over $6000, is jet black, a situation we don't expect to be rectified anytime soon. You know what they say: once you go black...
Trippi on Campus
Joe Trippi, who headed up Howard Dean's failed presidential campaign, is scheduled to speak this afternoon in Loew Auditorium about the Internet and politics.
What Vision Would (S)he Bring?
Last week, the Center for Women and Gender brought media reformer Aliza Dichter to campus as its "visionary in residence." Ms. Dichter, an anti-war and anti-corporate activist, proposes the re-regulation of print and broadcast media to require certain viewpoints to be disseminated. For example, she would set aside television channels for left-wing views and require that up to 20 percent of media outlets be financed through non-capitalist means (because capitalism is, of course, evil). While one normally assumes that visionaries have well-developed ideas, a brief discussion proved she was unable to defend her views.
Apparently, though, the College considered a candidate for whom the term "visionary" is even less appropriate. According to the Las Vegas Sun, among the frontrunners for CWG's three-day program was former trans-sexual stripper Andrea Hackett, a self-described "gender professional" who organizes unions for erotic dancers. The only time Hackett, who was previously fired from six jobs in Las Vegas, has visited Dartmouth before, she was "in a kayak, on LSD and going across the Connecticut River listening to Melanie tapes."
Wade Meyer, one of CWG's several full-time employees, told the Sun that his office is "looking for people who are doing work and promoting their vision of a more gender-equitable world."
Fred Bachelder '40, RIP
W. Frederick Bachelder '40 Tu '41 of Fort Salonga, NY, one of The Dartmouth Review's strongest supporters, died Monday at age 86.
During World War II, Mr. Bachelder served in the army before joining partisan units in Africa and Yugoslavia as a first lieutenant in the Office of Strategic Services. For his service, he was awarded three bronze stars and other honors.
Following the war, he assumed the presidency of Testing Machines, Inc., and worked feverishly to develop international manufacturing standards. Notably, he helped adapt both Israeli and Chinese industry to existing standards. Though he stepped down as Testing Machines president in 1997, he remained active in the company.
Mr. Bechelder is survived by his wife, Joan Sullivan Bachelder, his daughters Susan and Sally, his son John, his sister Julia, among many loving relatives.
A memorial was held late this week in Cold Spring Harbor, NY, and he will be buried in a private ceremony in Holyoke, Mass.
Election Reform
The Alumni Association may soon do away with the restrictive rules that govern alumni Trustee elections.
Association President John Walters '62 stated, "We're going to have to do some significant restructuring of those guidelines. Frankly, I would be in favor of more opportunities for open dialogue." He did not state whether or not the new guidelines would allow the candidates themselves to campaign.
The regulations made news this year when Alumni for a Strong Dartmouth, a shadowy organization dedicated to defeating petition candidates Peter Robinson '79 and Todd Zywicki '88, engaged in repeated advocacy that Walters said violated the spirit, if not the letter, of the election rules.
Dean Endorses Socialist
Democratic Party chairman Howard Dean endorsed Rep. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) for the Vermont Senate race on Monday, continuing the Democrats's inexorable slide to the left. Sanders, who formerly had ties to the Communist Party, recently visited Dartmouth to rail against the Bush administration.
No Booze for Berkeley
Fraternities at the University of California, Berkeley, will no longer be able to host events with alcohol, Dean of Students Karen Kenney announced Tuesday. Berkeley "has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to hazing and alcohol abuse," Kenney said.
Review Issues Stolen
100 copies of The Dartmouth Review were stolen from Thayer Hall within minutes of their delivery. A Review staffer left the issues in the mostly-empty lobby of the dining hall and returned two minutes later to find nary a copy around. We knew The Review was popular, but we find it hard to believe that 100 copies would be read quite that fast.
Meanwhile, about 80 copies of the newspaper were removed from Brown Hall minutes after their delivery to student rooms there. The Review's deliverymen discovered the issues outside in a pile of trash.
This Sounds Dull
Next Thursday, comparative literature professor Ayo Coly will make a presentation in 216 Dartmouth Hall called, "From Africans to Afro-French: New Maps of Frenchness and Africanness."
S.A. Dorm Guide
On May 9, the Student Assembly made available its new "dorm guide." With no quantitative comparisons, the guide is little more than a hodgepodge of paragraph-long blurbs about the College's various upper-class dormitories.
Some of the entries are informative; some aren't. An athlete living in Andres Hall wrote that "it is right next to the gym." A bubbly Mid-Fayer resident offers, "Great location if you have a class on Dartmouth Row!"
Thanks for the tips kids.
Internet Television
As part of its ongoing commitment to high technology, the College last week unveiled a new service by which students can watch television over the Internet. Dartmouth's technology office also plans to transmit cable television wirelessly and to offer classroom videos over the Internet.
Bad Papers Spar
The Daily Dartmouth has been in a spat of late with the Dartmouth Free Press, the College funded liberal rag. A recent editorial by the Free Press criticized the Daily D for refusing to correct or explain alleged biases in its stories about homosexual advocates on campus. The Review would like to remind the DFP that it has yet to retract its falsified date-rape story from almost 18 months ago [see TDR 11/17/03].
Smarter Than Ever
The Class of 2009 set a new record for both selectivity and SAT scores, while the admissions yield rate has increased slightly to 50.4 percent. The incoming class has an average SAT score of 1437, five points higher than the average score for the Class of 2008.
This is the last year a meaningful comparison can be made, as the Class of 2010 will be taking a new 3-part SAT worth 2400 points instead of 1600.
Red, White, and Jew
Jewish Students at Dartmouth gathered in Collis Commonground Wednesday to celebrate Judaism in America. Those who attended the event were able to sample Jewish cuisine, and the portions were refreshingly far from stingy. After dinner, guests were encouraged to participate in activities like: "Toss the Kippah on the Manischewitz," "Am I a Jew?" "Who's Who in Jews?" and the showstopper computer game "Jewpardy 350." Despite these attractions, attendance was lackluster when Review reporters stopped by.
Pow-Wow
Last weekend, Native Americans at Dartmouth hosted the 33rd annual Pow-Wow. The event featured Native American dancing and vendors hawking various Indian goods, including a wide assortment of rare animal pelts and peace pipes. Native American cuisine such as (no joke) Doritos and pickles was served at a concessions stand.
Despite a steady rain, the Pow-Wow remained entertaining and dry; the event was moved indoors.
Housing Still Tight
Once again it appears as though numerous sophomores will be living in dorm common rooms next year. Review staffer Thaddeus Olchowski '08, though, has a swank first-floor room.