Letters to the Editor

Reason ... Not Emotion

TO THE EDITOR:

Since the Dartmouth Alumni Trust advertisement appeared in the February issue of the Alumni Magazine, there have each month been several alumni writing to express their dismay at the existence of such a group. I would like to suggest that a more positive view of the Dartmouth Alumni Trust is in order.

Support for the Alumni Fund is second nature for most alumni, bound up with loyalty to the institution which shaped an important part of our lives. We ordinarily feel no need to look beyond the ties of loyalty in order to analyze why we give. But gentlemen, just as our business in Dartmouth was learning, so now our business in giving is, ultimately, not sentimentality, but quality education for today's undergraduates.

The alumnus who refuses to give out of pique because of opposition to any change which he does not personally approve is, as an earlier letter writer pointed out, like a spoiled child unwilling to play the game except by his own rules. But equally to be deplored is the alumnus for whom loyalty alone is sufficient justification for giving, whose view never lifts from the immediate act of giving to the more distant use of the funds given.

Dartmouth is unquestionably changing, and each alumnus undoubtedly has his own views as to the net results. One conclusion is inescapable, however: Certain of these changes are substantive and, for better or worse, tomorrow's Dartmouth will be different in its nature from Dartmouth as it recently was.

To cite one example, today's Dartmouth is increasing its enrollment by one-third, and ensuring less cohesion by requiring that, after freshman year, all members of a class not be on campus at one time. Dartmouth also imposes a quota on women, a discriminatory practice which, when eliminated by legal or social pressures, seems likely to lead to an increase in the undergraduate student body to 5,000-6,000. Like many other of my contemporaries, I chose Dartmouth explicitly because it was both a college and small enough to possess a distinct sense of community. It seems highly unlikely that my children will be able to base a decision to attend Dartmouth on these grounds.

Those who view the changing Dartmouth wiht enthusiasm or equanimity are fortunate. Those who do not face a dilemma. To cease participation in the Alumni Fund is in one sense to cut oneself off from a Dartmouth which most alumni cherish. But to continue support for the Alumni Fund is to ensure, as one "votes" approval of recent changes with one's dollars, that the nature of Dartmouth will in fact become that which present trends suggest.

For those alumni who have reduced or terminated their support for the Alumni Fund as a means of "voting" disapproval of current trends, the Alumni Trust offers a positive and potentially satisfying alternative to sitting on one's hands'. And with this year's Alumni Fund concluded, I believe it would not be amiss to suggest that whether one contributes in the future to the Alumni Fund, the Alumni Trust, or not at all, reason rather than emotion ought to govern the determination of one's choice of contributions in a world with numberless competing needs.

American EmbassyAPO, San Francisco, Cal.

Symbol Search

TO THE EDITOR:

Since the College discontinued the use of the "Indian Symbol," Dartmouth has been without a suitable symbol. The "Big Green" is not an adequate substitute. Efforts to find a new symbol have been initiated this fall term, under the auspices of the Green Key Society.

In order that the search for a new symbol be fair, it is necessary to canvass the entire Dartmouth community for suggestions. This includes the student body, faculty, administration, staff, and, of course, the alumni throughout the country and the world. We welcome and desire alumni suggestions in our quest for a symbol that can be easily identified with Dartmouth and the Dartmouth Experience.

The symbol that we are searching for would be representative of Dartmouth through purpose and design. It should create a universal sense of identity and pride through its originality, and lend itself to caricature.

College President John G. Kemeny recently stated, "I was very happy to hear that Green Key has taken the initiative to come up with a proposal for a new symbol for Dartmouth College. It is good to see students play such a constructive role, and I hope that there will be as wide participation as possible, so that we may reach a broad consensus."

We sincerely hope that the members of past classes will demonstrate the kind of enthusiasm which makes Dartmouth the unique institution that it is by giving this project their attention and submitting their ideas.

Further details concerning selection procedures can be obtained from respective Alumni Clubs. Class Presidents and Class Secretaries. Suggestions should be mailed to Green Key Society, Hinman Box 5060, Dartmouth College Hanover, New Hampshire 03755.

President, Green Key Society

Hanover, N.H.