The Possibility of Humor

Very Funny

ROBERT SULLIVAN '75 is ON A roll! His biography of Dr. Seuss in the Winter '91 issue was wonderful, and now he has done it again with "Is Humor Still Possible?" [April]. As halftime show writer for the marching band and editor-in-chief of the Jack-O-Lantern, I have been immersed in satire and Dartmouth humor (or the occasional lack thereof) for the past four years, and I was impressed by both his article and the panel discussion of which he wrote. Humor is, indeed, still possible, and it thrives at the College for those who are willing to look for and accept it.

However, contrary to your story, the Jacko has not selected "new officers, editors, and advisors." It is being managed by the same directorate which was in charge before the summer '91 fiasco. Those responsible for that issue were never officers or editors; they apparendy managed to publish without consent of the advisor, the editor, or the College itself. It was, in the words of one Dartmouth professor, "a hijacking."

At any rate, the Jack-O-Lantern is now proudly nearing the end of its 81st year, continuing in its mission to help make Dartmouth students laugh at themselves—this is harder than you may think—and yes, at each other. And although sometimes it seems as though the atmosphere here can be humorless and stifling, I think Dartmouth is comparatively well-off; having read Dinesh D'Souza's IlliberalEducation over spring break, I cringe to think of how depressing it must sometimes be to attend Michigan or Duke. Sullivan has shown that intellectualism and humor and even sensitivity exist happily at the College.

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

As ROBERT SULLIVAN'S PIECE ON the humor symposium clearly conveyed, we all had a good laugh, but I should have pointed out to Bob that contrary to popular belief, the Maya did not all die laughing (at each other) in ancient times, but they still live on today, being the wild and crazy guys (and gals) that they are, even in the face of great adversity and government repression in Guatemala.

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

ROBERT SULLIVAN WRITES THAT Dartmouth does not have "speech-cleansing" rales such as the University of Michigan rule that was struck down by the courts.

In fact, Dartmouth has had such a rule since long before the coining of the phrase "politically correct." Mr. Sullivan has overlooked Dartmouth's Principle of Community, one of four fundamental rules that all students, upon matriculation, implicitly agree to follow. (The other three rules are the Honor Code, the Principle of Freedom of Expression and Dissent, and the Principle of Equal Opportunity.)

The Principle of Community has been in effect since 1980. It states: "The life and work of a Dartmouth student should be based on integrity, responsibility, and consideration. In all activities each student is expected to be sensitive to and respectful of the rights and interests of others and to be personally honest. He or she should be appreciative of the diversity of the community as providing an opportunity for learning and moral growth."

The Principle of Community intrudes into the private lives of students. It dictates that students must be "sensitive" and "respectful." Is it really the business of the College to require sensitivity and respect? How much sensitivity and respect are required? Who decides?

Morever, the Principle of Community explicitly contradicts the Principle of Freedom of Expression and Dissent, which guarantees the right of free speech to Dartmouth students as long as such speech does not infringe upon the speech of others.

Should sensitivity and respect come before truth? In my copy of Dartmouth's Student Handbook, it does. The Principle of Community is listed before the Principle of Freedom of Expression and Dissent.

The Principle of Community is based upon a misguided and false notion of the purpose of an academic community By placing sensitivity and respect before truth, it denies that sometimes the truth hurts. Preventing the dissemination of opinions even unreasonable or repugnant opinions is unwise in the long run. It prevents us from criticizing them.

Dartmouth ought to eliminate the Principle of Community and rely upon the other three "Principles of the Dartmouth Community," which are more than adequate to protect the rights and ensure the integrity of students.

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

SO WHO'S THE WISE GUY WHO calls herself a "women's humor expert" and says that women hate the Stooges? The Stooges ain't just a bunch of "Pick two-one-two- YOWCH!"es and "You knucklehead- Boink"s and "Hey Porcupine RRRIP! Ow, my hair!"s. There are the great routines like "NIAAAAAA- GRA FAAAALLLLLLS!" and "Aha! Maha!", not to mention learning to sing "Bee-Aay-Bay" at Mildew College or hearing Curly recite "Little Fly Upon the Wall." With the Stooges, our family has had hours of good, clean fan, and has learned lots of great lines. F'rinstance, we convoise with "You talkin' to me? No, I'm talkin' to the fish! Don't call me a fish BOINK!" There are certain situations that call for a few nyucks. We can't believe that this is not women's humor. We must be victims of soicumstance.

EILEEN CARHART CUNIS '78

PLYMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Tug at the Heart

IN THE MARCH ISSUE'S "A CROSS Section of Existence" you quoted Frank Gilroy's incomplete remembrance of the obituary of an executive turned tugboat captain. William W. LeVeen Jr. '61 was my roommate for three years (until I married my current "roomie" and moved to Sachem Village). Everyone—everyone—called him "Jerry." Averyfew of us could get away with "Pig Trousers." He liked Dartmouth, where he knew a majority of students. He loved DKE, where he was president his senior year.

Jerry worked for both Merrill Lynch and White Weld, which he characterized as "high pressure, big bucks, and a bore." He watched the harbor tugs from his Manhattan office, "found his salvation," and signed on as a deckhand in 1974. Four years later he received his mate's and captain's license. Jerry was captain and mate for Moran Towing and Transportation Co., and at one point had as his engineer the lawyer and violinist brother of Dan Tracy '61.

Jerry had planned on attending our 25th reunion in June of '86, but couldn't make it. He died in September of that year. Some of the above is from our Twenty-fifth ReunionYearbook, in which Jerry was also quoted as saying, "Wealth has escaped me but happiness has not."

BARRINGTON, ILLINOIS

Some Stride

"PRESCRIBING THE COLLEGE AS "more at peace with itself than at any point since John Kemeny was president" ["Hitting His Stride," February] certainly paints a rosy picture of Freedman's tenure and perhaps justifiably so. However, I reject the implication that the president's rocky beginnings were caused by student and alumni prejudice towards a Harvard grad. I would counter that Freedman's preconceived notions about Dartmouth's shortcomings led to most of the miscommunication and discontent.

The question I pose, therefore, is simply this: how many years will it take the president to hit his stride during the next Dartmouth crisis?

HINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS

Room View

A S A FORMER DORMITORY RESIdent and a former fraternity member and resident as well, I am neither an unqualified apologist nor a critic of either. The March Editor Agonistes, "Fraternities Should Be Banned" and "Fraternities Should Be Strengthened," as usual, fails to strike the middle ground where the truth lies, but its juxtaposition with "A Special Dorm Update" on more conveniences to be provided to more dormitory rooms caught my eye.

Both the critics and apologists of the fraternities and sororities ("Greek" and non-Greek) make too much of the alcohol issues. Granted alcohol abuse is a serious problem not to be minimized, but when the Greek system apologists continue to bemoan no more kegs" when that issue is really out of the administration's hands with federal restraints on common- source alcohol, and the Greek system critics point mainly to alcohol abuse, they only talk past each other and confirm each other's fears.

In my experience, the greatest flaw in the fraternity system was not uncontrolled exuberance, or non-egalitarianism, so much as the fact that fraternity life could become dangerously claustrophobic especially for those who lived and ate in the same houses. It is too bad that dorm residents now are going to have the same opportunities cable television, breakfast in bed, library research from the dorm room, etc., ad nauseum.

By far the greatest resource at Dartmouth College is the diverse, creative, intelligent student body. It should be the administration's goal to strengthen those aspects of fraternity and dormitory life so as to encourage student interaction to maximize every student's use of that resource, to that end, turn off the TV everywhere, and get everybody out of their fraternities and dormitory rooms.

PORTLAND, OREGON

Nobi esse Much Obliged

IN THE MARCH ISSUE, TED ADAMS '69 strongly reacts to President Freedman's essay "Honest to God Accommodation." Adams bemoans the President's "noblesse oblige argument" in favor of diversity and caps his rejoinder with: "Diversity, whether of politically correct or incorrect variety, as a goal is dumb." Adams's letter shows that the College has a long way to go to achieve its goal of a complete educational experience. Diversity brings important benefits to all: the value of learning to live in a multicultural world, the value of calibrating one's opinions against different (sometimes radically different) viewpoints and life experiences, and the value of respecting and earning the respect of a broad community. The world that will greet Dartmouth graduates requires that the College admit and graduate excellently qualified individuals. Achievement of this output goal requires a diverse student body and faculty.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA

I TRUST THAT TED ADAMS DOES not express the majority opinion of Dartmouth alumni of his era. Certainly he shows no comprehension of the obligations all educators owe to minority citizens in this century.

It has always been my belief that Dartmouth alumni have a somewhat better comprehension of the problems and responsibilities facing us than most college graduates. In my view President Freedman is demonstrating the ability to lead rather than to follow. "Patronizing" is certainly not a word to be applied to his foresighted endeavors.

NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT

I BEG TO DIFFER WITH TED Adams's point that the minorities in this country "will do just fine" being kept outside hallowed Ivy walls.

Consider what has happened to the economically and technologically disadvantaged over the past two centuries in this country, even along the Connecticut River Valley, when the "best qualified" or "most likely to have an impact" have been allowed to run amok.

Looking at the world through chartreuse-colored glasses didn't come to an abrupt end when James O. Freedman hung up his shingle in Parkhurst Hall. The College began its change when John Sloan Dickey kept reminding his charges that they were, in fact, the "stuff' of the institution, which was at least 30 years ago.

Up until then, Dart Coll was the epitome of political incorrectness, home of the creationists, National Rifle Association members, strident anti-feminists, white racists, Christian fundamentalists, et al. Change for the better was inevitable.

When I was a lowly pea-green freshman, one of the upperclassmembers stopped me near the front desk of Baker Library. "Watch out for the charlatans," he said quietly. Several decades have gone by since then. I haven't forgotten this advice. I hate to think that the charlatans are still there, that in the shadows around the Green lurk some Hannibal Lechters of the mind, ready to invade and corrupt new souls.

I guess I would have to agree with your correspondent on one point. He's right; diversity would seem like a "dumb" goal if you were a jackass in the middle of a herd of jackasses.

Box ELDER, MONTANA

Find My Ball

IT IS GENERALLY THOUGHT IN Hanover that the presence of heavy earth-moving equipment in front of the Hopkins Center is for the purpose of laying a new steam tunnel from the heating plant under the Green. This is not the case.

The real reason for those big bulldozers is to try to locate a baseball

lost in that area my freshman year (1922-23). I think it is very thoughtful of Buildings & Grounds to under- take this spirited search, especially as the tragedy occurred two-thirds of a century ago. I do hope they find my ball. "

NORWICH, VERMONT

Keeper's Brother

IF YOU THINK NELSON HAM ["The Gatekeeper," September] made for an interesting story, which he did, you ought to come to Dixfield to meet his brother, Frank.

DIXFIELD, MAINE

Freedman Should Teach

AS THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF THE typical college president expands, lack of accessibility to the students has become an unfortunate consequence in many instances. Certainly President Freedman, despite regular open office hours, has not been immune to criticism that he is remote, inaccessible, and "out of touch" with the student body at Dartmouth. Given the fundamental role of a college president as an educator, what better way for Freedman to interact with students than to teach a class? The president would be a most welcome addition to almost any course in Constitutional history, law, education, or civil-rights legislation. Both he and the students would benefit.

PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY