Monday, July 16, 2007

The Grand Old Seniors

Courtney Andree; Daniel Linsalata; Andrew S. Eastman; Brendan M. Neff; J. Stethers White

Faster, Alumni Council! Kill! Kill!

Everything is on the table, from reverting to a Board that is wholly appointed to impairing the ability of independent candidates to win a spot on the Board, to a moratorium on elections.

The 1891 Agreement: A Key Excerpt

Editor’s Note: Here, for reference, is the “Constitution of the Dartmouth College Alumni” as it appears in the minutes of the June 24,1891 meeting of the Association of Alumni.

On the Evils of Banality

It’s been quite a task keeping up with the letters, e-mails, blog posts, and articles about this Constitution business. I for one do not pretend to master all the intricacies and minutiae of the document, but I do have one thing to add: this is all so incredibly dull that I can hardly keep my noggin perpendicular to the ground.

Furstenberg Out, Football In

Some of Furstenberg’s accomplishments as Dean make fine fodder for Dartmouth PR and are praise-worthy in their own right. However, Furstenberg will best be remembered for a letter he composed in December of 2000. The letter constituted a gross betrayal of Dartmouth on his part and of the very duties that were included under his job description.

Sustainability Ad Absurdum: What’s This All About?

Casual support for the nebulous goal of sustainability is quite en vogue among large swathes of the campus population, from crunchy Collis rats to sorority girls searching for a feel-good cause to champion.

The Alumni Constitution Fails; A Deserved Death, How and Why

Finally, the battle over the deservedly maligned Alumni Constitution had concluded. If it had been fought as a traditional military campaign, rather than on the pages of various publications and websites, the aftermath would have left the Hanover Plain looking much like the fields of Gettysburg after those bloody July days. Unlike Gettysburg, however, the underdogs emerged victorious, as, on November 2, the College grudgingly and quietly released a press release announcing that the constitution had been soundly defeated in a vote that saw a record turnout of Dartmouth alumni.

The Tim and Adam Show: Low Stakes Poker

Upon the unveiling of the “official” sketch of the “Dartmoose” (a “cool” moose giving a thumbs up with his Dartmouth jersey on), a person in attendance loudly pointed out that moose don’t have thumbs, filling the hall with laughter the rest of the presentation was lost in loud arguments between audience members, accompanied by either cheering or hissing.

Zeta Psi Rising

Thankfully, Dartmouth’s administration has begun to reverse the mistakes of the past, in a deal forged in the waning months of the fall term. In an agreement signed by representatives from the College, the Zeta Psi Alumni Association and Zete’s national organization, the College’s Zete chapter is back on track for recognition by the Fall of 2009.

Fifth Down and Goal to Go; Dartmouth Spoils Cornell’s Title Hopes

The next day the Sunday headline read: “Cornell Tops Dartmouth 7-3 at Finish.” But that was not to be the end of the story.

Serious Applause for Robert Hollander

Though not a religious man, Professor Hollander seems to revere the Comedy to an extent that seems nearly religious. The impulse, though, does not bring out woolly-headed obsession with the poem’s rank in the canon but instead renewed determination to understand the text and enjoy it. Throughout our conversation, Hollander returns most often not to arcane academic disputes but to the popular recitations of Benigni.

Shanghaied!

Editor’s Note: TDR presents the next chapter of “The Dartmouth Conundrum,” a memoir. Some names have been changed, but the events are true.

At some point after I’d left for Hanover, my father got it into his head that I should have joined the ROTC.

James Freedman’s Finding the Words: Plenty Already, Thanks

This is not a book about books, but rather an annotated reading list—without the annotation. Title is heaped upon title; context is missing from nearly every pulled quote; and if Freedman had ever engaged with the books he read, the reader doesn’t know it.

The Secret of Activism

I have an idea, which I call my “secret,” which is really the secret that underpins all truly idealist, know-no-boundaries activism. What are we waiting for? As ever, I’ll lead the way.

The Last Word

You can get more with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.
—Al Capone

Barrett's Mixology

The Orange Blossom Shackle

Three parts Bourbon.
Two parts orange juice.
One part triple sec.

Mix with ice in a pitcher.