Thursday, June 2, 2005
Volume 25, Issue 14

TDR Interview: Peter Robinson '79

Peter Robinson '79 is one of Dartmouth's two new Trustees. Running for one of two seats in a six-way race against four establishment-backed candidates, the Hoover Institution fellow and former Dartmouth Review correspondent earned the support of nearly half of alumni.

TDR Interview: Todd Zywicki '88

Todd Zywicki '88 is one of Dartmouth's two new Trustees. A petition candidate running against determined opposition from the College establishment, Mr. Zywicki garnered the support of 45 percent of alumni.

Missing the Basics

To better judge the life of the mind at Dartmouth—the quality of both students' knowledge and their education—we designed a quiz to evaluate students' familiarity with the Western canon.

Students Ignorant of Western Culture: Poll Shows Need for Core Curriculum

While not "scientific" per se, the results represent a disturbing trend in the knowledge base of the typical Dartmouth student.

Two Roads Ever Diverge in a Wood: A Call for a Core Curriculum

Study the great works of the West and you will come to see that they are both the ground of the mæurs, practices, and institutions around you, and their best criticism.

Dr. Platt's Proposed Curriculum

Dr. Michael Platt's ideal course of study, with an emphasis on the classics.

The Path of Least Resistance

Though Dartmouth's core curriculum has been long abandoned, the College claims that its system of distributive requirements will provide a sufficient, broadly-based background in the foundational thoughts of the West, the cornerstone of a true liberal arts education. Yet, as seen below, this is not necessarily the case.

The Hollow Curriculum

A student could follow the program below and meet all the "Requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Arts" as outlined by the Organizations, Regulations, Courses book distributed by Registrar.

English Department: Then and Now

The English department has abdicated its responsibility of teaching freshman writing at the College, allowing its professors to instead pursue narrower specialties.

Sustain This!

...arduous research, various secondary sources, and a little forest prayer have sufficed to give a somewhat less muddled picture of the gentleman who made "life energy" a household phrase and what it means to be Dartmouth's brand-new environment czar.

Mugabe: Out of Africa

You won't hear about Zimbabwe's plight from its people. Ordinary citizens are too busy either fleeing or scrambling for food; approximately 3 million have left for surrounding countries, while, of those that remain—nearly half, or over 5 million—are on the verge of starvation.

The Hill Winds Know Their Names

In honor of Memorial Day, the names of Dartmouth alumni who died in the service of their country since the Civil War are printed below.

One Good Thing About the French

As a better means of staying in shape, Guiliano proposes little things: walking instead of driving, walking up the stairs instead of taking the elevator, getting a case from the fridge yourself instead of pounding the table and screaming for beer.

Letters to the Editor

A Contented Alumnus; Panda House's Credit Problems; How to Get Fired From the Daily Dartmouth Without Even Trying; In Your Hart, You Know He's Right; The Blog-O-Sphere Responds

The Last Word

Liberal education is the necessary endeavor to found an aristocracy within democratic mass society.

—Leo Strauss

Barrett's Mixology

Alcohol has long been a useful fixture in international business, precisely because it dissolves boundaries of language and custom.