Week In Review

Sunday, August 5, 2007

Trustee Changeover

At its June 2007 meeting, the Board of Trustees elected a new Chairman and a new Charter Trustee while reelecting Leon Black ’73 and Jose Fernandez ’77 to second terms. Charles “Ed” Haldeman Jr. ’70 will succeed William Neukom ’64 as Board Chair. Neukom is currently a partner at the recently merged law firm K&L Gates. He worked at the Seattle-based firm Preston, Gates & Ellis before joining his law partner’s son, Bill Gates, as Chief Legal Officer at Microsoft. Haldeman is the President and CEO of Putnam Investments, a Boston-based mutual funds company. An economics major at Dartmouth, he went on to receive an MBA and a JD from Harvard. Haldeman, along with his wife Barbara, donated $10 million in 2004 to name the new Haldeman Center next to Novack.

Med School Profs Represent

Two professors at the Dartmouth Medical School recently won awards from the National Institutes of Health. The award, called Method to Extend Research In Time, or MERIT, was awarded to both Dr. Charles Barlowe and Dr. Ron Taylor. MERIT awards provide financial support for research that spans a ten year period. Dr. Barlowe, a Professor of Biochemistry and the Dean of Graduate Studies at the College, has been researching intracellular transport. His work has helped scientists understand how proteins travel through cells, which can clarify how hormones work. Dr. Taylor, a Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, has been working on cholera. His work focuses on developing better vaccines and treatment for this deadly disease which is still a major problem in much of the world.

Portman ’78 leaves White House

In mid-June, President Bush appointed former Iowa Representative Jim Nussle ‘46 to the position of White House Budget Director. This move followed the resignation of former Budget Director Robert Portman ‘78. Portman, a former Ohio congressman, has said that he will most likely pursue the governorship of Ohio in 2010 or a senate seat in 2012. Claims have been made that Portman resigned from his position to prevent his ties to the Bush administration from becoming a negative influence in his future political campaigns. Republican strategist Ed Rollins puts Portman’s decision in Godfather lingo, saying that it is time to “go to the mattresses.” “You need someone in the budget office who’s more than willing to go into combat [against the Democrats].” Apparently, Portman is not that someone.

High Art versus Hair Art

The Hood Museum recently purchased a portrait of Dartmouth College’s namesake William Legge, second Earl of Dartmouth. The portrait was painted by the renowned artist Pompeo Batoni, and was purchased by the College in an auction at Sotheby’s in London. The portrait, a true masterpiece and an essential part of the rich history and heritage of the College, will go on display at an undisclosed date in the future.
The portrait of Lord Dartmouth stands in stark contrast to another piece of art recently acquired by the College—you guessed it, the motley strands of human fiber dangling about in the Baker-Berry library. Wenda Gu, the “artist” that masterminded this exhibit, uses his work to “unite humanity and encourage international understanding”—or: Hair-i-tage. Perhaps the College’s heritage would be better served by celebrating its history, as Batoni’s portrait does, rather than denigrating its library.

The Season of Strange Fruit

Strange Fruit, an Australian-based arts company, performed Swoon! on the Dartmouth Green on Wednesday, June 27. The rare, cloudless weather created optimal conditions for the four dancers to gracefully balance and glide on their thirteen foot poles, with the sky as their only background. These larger-than-life-sized finger puppets attracted crowds of students and locals who happened to walk past the Green. The first five minutes of each performance captivated onlookers with the allusion of danger created by the performers. The audience soon grew restless, however, as they realized the performance lacked a story-line. Swoon! is part of The Hopkins Center’s Summer of the Arts festival, which also included the performance of Ovid’s Metamorphoses on the Green (see page 13).

The 1891 Society: Dartmouth’s Twisted Sister

Riding on the wave of recent alumni dissatisfaction, a group of alumni calling themselves the 1891 Society recently published an open letter to the Dartmouth Administration regarding the machinations of the Alumni Council and the Board of Trustees to water down, if not sink, the tradition of Alumni governance at Dartmouth. The message was loud and clear: we’re not going to take it. The letter recalls the history of the 1891 Agreement—which establishes parity among the elected Alumni Trustees and the appointed Charter Trustees—and cites the fact that this accord has been in place for 116 years without alteration. It ends dramatically, stating in clear terms that if alumni governance is hindered by altering the parity established in 1891 at Dartmouth, the 1891 Society and all of its members will suspend all financial contributions to the College: “No Donation Without Representation” is the Society’s rallying call.

The letter was originally published as an ad in The Dartmouth and was traced back to Robert Reed ‘49 of Texas. Mr. Reed declined to comment on the makeup of the Society or the size of its membership, simply saying that it was created “a few months ago” and that its membership contained a “growing number” of alumni. Though the size of the Society is unknown, the fact remains, that the willingness of alumni to withhold funds from their beloved alma mater powerfully expresses their dissatisfaction with the College.

Food Court Larry Passes On

The lovable Larry “Food Court” James passed away on June 12th, 2007 due to cancer only one year after retiring from the Dartmouth Dining Service. As the face of DDS during his seven year tenure as food court manager, Larry’s passing came as a shock to The Dartmouth Review and campus as a whole. He hid his illness from the Dartmouth student body, choosing instead to confide in a few coworkers and family members about his condition. While we will never hear “Food Court” Larry say “Hello friend” ever again, we are sure he will find many friends to greet and be greeted by where he is now. R.I.P. Larry.

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