Letters to the EditorROTC Remembered Sir— I just finished reading your excellent piece on the military in the Oct. 21 issue of The Dartmouth Review. It covered a time period dating back to when my grandfather served as a drummer boy in the Civil War, right through my own period of service in World War II, followed by my Dartmouth years ( l945-49), then my return to work at Dartmouth 1962-l974, and now my retirement here since l987. Therefore I could relate to practically every paragraph in your account. It is an extraordinarily fine piece of writing. I can't speak for the Civil War period, but from the l940's on you have certainly nailed it right on target. It is a story of patriotism winning over the dark side of American political life as it evolved on campus. Much of the story, especially in the later years, does not endear one to those college administrators and liberal-minded professors who attempted to besmirch the honor of those who chose to serve their country. Unfortunately, we see it still lingering on at the College today.I clearly recall the S.D.S., the decline of the ROTC program, the misguided faculty vote to remove the program from the campus, the college professor who egged students into taking over Parkhurst while he sneaked out the back door when the state police entered the building and carted the miscreants off to a month in jail. However all those plaques around the campus that are mentioned in the Review stand as a lasting testament to the courage of those who answered their nation's call. Those plaques will be around for a long time. Thanks again for providing an accurate and scholarly account of that unfortunate part of Dartmouth history that many of us veterans, who are also alums, feel badly that it had to happen at our school. Sincerely yours, Against the New Alumni Constitution Sir— On my way into this weekend's Alumni Association meeting in Hanover, I was handed a flyer from two current students describing me and the Trustee candidates I've supported over the past few years as "narrow", "reactionary", and "alarmist." Oh, my! I am an admirer of James Wright. He has served Dartmouth well as an outstanding history professor, as Dean of Faculty during my time as an undergraduate, and for nearly a decade now as its President. But I take issue with something I've heard him say several times over the past year; that we must "heal divisions" within the Alumni. Such divisions represent a strong difference of opinion on the future of Dartmouth, and they are healthy. We should not ignore these differences as invalid. It is valid to question whether Dartmouth is growing a little too quickly. It is valid to argue to keep the swim team. It is valid to say we need a Speech Department at Dartmouth. My support for the College will never be contingent on winning any of these arguments, nor on the outcome of this weekend's Alumni Association election, nor on the next Trustee vote. My support for the College will always be contingent on having a real voice, and not a token voice, as a Dartmouth alumnus. The proposed Alumni Constitution brought forward at this weekend's meeting would dilute that voice to irrelevance. I will never question the intentions or dedication of the members of the Alumni Governance Task Force. I know how much work has to go into any document as obtuse, bureaucratic, and incomprehensible as their draft constitution. I should since I work for the U.S. Senate. Sometime over the past several years, countless committees, and endless meetings, the Task Force has gone horribly wrong, and produced a document that would seem designed to alienate any Alumnus seeking real involvement in the future of Dartmouth. I don't think we need sweeping reform of our Alumni governance structure. Instead, I would recommend a few modest changes:
Finally, I would like to again thank the members of the Alumni Governance Task Force for listening to the sharp criticism directed at them this weekend, and for their continued dedication to Dartmouth.
Sir— Your excellent paper had a very interesting article on February 1 and then again on June 12 written by Joseph Rago called "Interrogating the SLI." In it, there is shown evidence that Sandy McCulloch, Trustees Board Chairman, recommended the phasing out of the fraternity system at Dartmouth. I don't believe Sandy was ever a member of a fraternity when he was a student. Whether he was or not, he certainly never cared about the system. I believe Sandy was also against the ROTC at Dartmouth. A possible explanation of that was a terrible tragedy, which occurred in his family in Rhode Island years ago. One night, his son, who was on alcohol or drugs, broke into a neighbor's home in the middle of the night and began destroying things in the living room. The neighbor, a retired WWII army officer, came downstairs with a .45 automatic. When he had to ascertain what was going on in the dark, Sandy's son supposedly attacked him. The neighbor shot him, not knowing who he was. As a result, I wouldn't blame Sandy if he developed an aversion to alcoholic beverages, either. Sincerely, Where's Soap When You Need It? Sir— I have just received to October 7 issue of the Review and found it the best so far, in my humble opinion. I particularly liked the articles related to Noah Riner's speech. I was also impressed by the letter to the editor written by Sarah Chaudry, 07. Is this an example of how "special" the new generation of classes are, of the results of diversification, or of the "civilizing effect" on Dartmouth students by the presence of women on campus? (Of course, we had "potty mouths" in my day, too, but I don't recall any of the all male student body committing that sort of language to paper.) Letter From the Phi Delt Black Hole Editors Note: The following missive was found taped to the screen of the computer on the editorial desk at the Review office early one Friday morning. Make of it what you will. Sir— I have been informed by an unimpeachable source close to various higher-ups that I have not been doing enough Hanging Out at the office, or, for that matter, "work," broadly defined. I can attest that these soils are beyond my control. Not only has my pituitary gland begun to secrete worldwaroneflyingase, an enzyme responsible for sloth, and happily, amazing sexual prowess, but I have also been captured by Algerian blackguards who have clapped me in irons in their hold. The ship is currently stationed outside Detroit. Nightly I am tortured by their relentless entreaties for me to blog various good-to-know tidbits. It was only through intense flattery that I managed to get this to your desk. Mea Culpa. Yrs., P.S.: I am planning a top-secret escape so damn impressive that I have already optioned the script to Mirimax. I plan to drop at least (!) 5% of my profits in TDR's turgid coffers… |
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