Letters

Mystical Selection

As a fan of mysticism, I was pleased and surprised to learn that there is a mystical quality to the Eleazar Wheelock succession (Inauguration of the 14th president: "The spirit of Eleazar Wheelock . . . transmitted through his successors," September issue). I would like to suggest how Dartmouth can put this to good use in the selection of future presidents.

For centuries, the theocratic ruler of Tibet, the Dalai Lama, has been chosen on the basis of correct selection of the late Dalai Lama's effects from among a collection of articles. This is interpreted as a sign that the young boy tested is the reincarnation of the recently departed ruler. Since we have two objects traditionally transferred, the Wentworth Bowl and the Flude Medal, the stage is set for a mystical selection of future presidents.

Upon death or resignation of a reigning president, the spirit of Eleazar is set free to roam, seeking residence in a qualified individual. Search committees need only locate qualified individuals and ask them to choose two articles from a collection of 18th-century memorabilia, including the bowl and the medal. The collection should be large enough to reduce the likelihood of the wrong person making a correct selection by chance. However, if we are to be completely mystical, we should bear in mind that there are no accidents. In the event of a tie, the applicants will choose from a collection of documents composed of the charter from George III and several clever forgeries.

Judging from the troubles experienced by my father in a search for a new president for the University of lowa, the method described here will be a great saving in time and effort.

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Political Thinking

James D. Regan '74, judging from his letter in the September issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE, is either very confused or deliberately misleading his readers when he refers to himself as a "conservative" (moderate or otherwise). It is my guess that he is a product of the very liberal atmosphere which, until recently, dominated most student education in this country for the past 25 years.

Regan's attack on Jeffrey Hart certainly belies his statement that he is a conservative. For many years, Professor Hart was truly a Voxclamantis in deserto. He and Professor Colin Campbell, chairman of the Economics Department, have been bulwarks of conservative thinking against the great majority of their peers at Dartmouth at a time when the political and economic positions of these two men were anathema to the then current academic fashion.

When Mr. Regan writes that Professor Hart

"invariably appears to be out of his depth when he strays into the political arena," he reveals a lot about his own so-called conservatism. Professor Hart is one of the most astute and re- spected syndicated columnists in the country, and thank goodness his long-expressed ideas are now becoming those of the majority of American citizens, as evidenced by recent elections.

The Dartmouth Review, which Professor Hart aided and abetted, is a much-needed paper to give alternative views to those expressed by the past administration's publications. As Professor Hart has written, "The Dartmouth Review is not another student newspaper. It is something new on the American campus a witty, brightly readable, and often tremendously exciting conservative weekly. It has, in fact, begun to make a big difference." I urge all of the alumni body to send money to help this fledgling effort which expresses the opinions of an ever larger body of political thinking which is finally finding expression on campuses across the country.

Sunapee, N.H.

[See related story in "The College" in this issue. Ed.]

Little Bug Considered

In the June issue, in the article entitled A Dull Little Bug Imperils the College Grant," the statement is made that "spraying was never considered a viable option," In contrast, an article in the August issue of Pulp & Paper magazine entitled "Quebec Launches Big Budworm War" states: "Quebec will quadruple the acreage and budget of its spruce budworm spray program to counteract a sudden jump in infestation, the province announced. Spraying will extend to 1.9 million acres making it one of the largest budworm spray programs in North America and will be funded by a C$7-million budget. By contrast, New Brunswick scheduled 4 million acres for spraying in 1980, while Maine earmarked 1.6 million."

Are we doing the right thing for the Grant, when we don't even consider the program of our neighbors? To not even consider is not what I'd call an intelligent approach to the problem!

Franklin Lakes, N.J.

[ With all due consideration, two Dartmouthbiologists, John Schultz and William Reinerscontend that spraying is indeed an alternative a bad one compared to selective harvesting. Cutting and removing trees in infested areas quicklyeliminates the food supply of the budworm andthereby the budworm itself, they say, whileevidence suggests that even prolonged sprayingfails to suppress the budworm as effectively.Moreover, spray pesticides may pose hazards forthe budworm's natural predators, including people. Authorities in Maine and Canada, with vastly greater timber stands to worry about, arereluctant to order massive cutting programsbecause of the sheer size of the undertaking andbecause of currently depressed prices in the pulpmarket. Although they agree with it, Schultzand Reiners did not participate in the College'sdecision to harvest rather than spray in theGrant. Ed. ]

New Breed

Bitterly ironic is the only term which, in my view, adequately describes the comments of Professor Stephen Nichols (French and Italian, comparative literature) in the September issue of the ALUMNI MAGAZINE ("Whole New Generation"). According to Professor Nichols, the College faces a major challenge in recruiting and retaining "a whole new generation of professionally committed scholars." However, if "Dartmouth remains underexploited intellectually," as Professor Nichols asserts, it is an undeniable consequence of the close-mindedness of tenured professors such as Stephen Nichols.

As a French major, I encountered many of Professor Nichols' so-called "new breed of professor." As I understand it, Professor Nichols personally recruited several of these professors. For the most part, this "new breed" displayed enthusiasm for and dedication to their profession, and their retention would do much for the quality of instruction at Dartmouth.

Unfortunately, tenured positions at the College, especially in the French Department, are a rare commodity. Worse still, the attainment of a tenured position by one of the"new breed" usually involves the subjugation of the very qualities which supposedly set the"new breed" apart from the average professor. Conformity, rather than originality of thought and method, is emphasized by tenured professors and, as a result, becomes incorporated into the system. Those who choose not to conform, such as a David Schupe [Robert Shupp?] or a Henry Buckley, are methodically and ruthlessly removed from the departmental structure. Those who are tenured despite their non-conformity, such as a John Rassias, are scorned by their close-minded compatriots and are effectively distanced from the department's decision-making processes. Finally, those who must conform, and all junior faculty members must do so to some degree, are often burdened with bitter and less than fulfilling educational experiences.

Professor Nichols correctly identifies a major problem which plagues the College. Dartmouth desperately needs the type of professor envisaged in his remarks to the Alumni Council. Ironically, Professor Nichols is a textbook example of the "old breed" of tenured professor which currently dominates the College's departmental structures. Under their tutelage, the "new breed" are soon integrated into the old, or are denied tenure regardless of their outstanding qualifications. The Alumni Council should take heed of this situation. As long as the narrow and rigid views of the "old breed" continue to dominate undergraduate education at Dartmouth, the problem of retaining new and innovative professors will surely get worse before it gets better.

Arlington, Va.

Like Avedon?

Plagiarism at one time was grounds for dismissal from Dartmouth. With the publication of Jeffrey Nintzel's photographs ["All the president's people," September issue], the ALUMNI MAGAZINE now seems to endorse plagiarism and pay for it as well. I have never before encountered such blatant, shameless copying of an established artist's style and work. I think it only proper and just that the ALUMNI MAGAZINE publish a portfolio of Richard Avedon's photographs. This will underscore once again the difference between imagination and imitation.

I hope Nintzel will refer to Kipling the next time he is moved to try to copy Mr. Avedon: "They copied all they could follow but they couldn't copy my mind, and I left 'em sweating and stealing a year and a half behind."

Dallas, Tex.

[Jeffrey Nintzel replies: Strong words indeed. But I fear that Mr. Wilson is basing his incorrect conclusion on a superficial comparison between Mr. Avedon's work and my own. The tradition of full-figure portraiture against a blank background is as old as photography itself. I felt the style to be an appropriate one for the specific project on Dartmouth administrators. Certainly the reference to Avedon is there, for the informed viewer to recognize and appreciate (there are references to other photographers as well) But certainly my aim in making the series of photographs that I presented was almost diametrically opposed to what I see to be Avedon's concern in his work, and this would be obvious in any comparison between the images. I did not set out to make "fake Richard Avedon photographs." Certainly no one would accuse the photogaph below of being a "blatant and shameless ..." etc., although it shares certain stylistic similarities.]

More People

Please cancel my subscription to the ALUMNI MAGAZINE - retroactive to June 1925! Any special article which portrays "All the presidents people" and which omits Bob Kaiser and Frank Logan must have passed through the hands of at least a half dozen Rip Van Winkles! The major error, however, is difficult to understand. I trust some explanation can be made.

Norwich, Vt.

[Robert Kaiser '39 and Frank Logan '52 are codirectors of the Bequest and Estate PlanningProgram, which was founded by none other thanFord Whelden. That program has brought Dartmouth over $l00 million, and it seems fair tosay that all three men are among the president'sfavored people. Ed.]

Boola's Way

I have just examined the statement of income of the Yale Club of New York City wherein Dartmouth graduates are welcome and are members. The figures point to a healthy approach to life namely, the members are spending less on cigars, less on valet service, and more on squash, gymnasium, and baths. If Dartmouth men are anything like this predominantly Yale group, then we will all be around for a long time to boost our institution.

New York, N.Y.

The ALUMNI MAGAZINE welcomes comment from itsreaders. For publication, letters should be signed anaaddressed specifically to the Magazine (not copies ofcommunications to other organizations or individuals).Letters exceeding 400 words in length will be condensed by the editors.