Parent Trip

Home Stretching

THANK YOU FOR RUNNING Mary Cleary Kiely's wonderful essay on stay-at-home parents ["Home by Choice," January].

Having seen dozens of friends agonize over how to sustain careers in some fashion as they become parents, I was intrigued to learn how this group of Dartmouth graduates is coping with the conflicting demands of work and family. I have yet to make such decisions myself, but I cannot imagine wanting to give any less than 100 percent of my effort and attention to either my career or my (eventual) children—and in that I know I am not alone.

I suspect economic, technological, and demographic trends will help those of us who are fortunate enough to have good educations in resolving the inevitable clash between working and parenting. A few years out of the full-time labor force here or there may seem more and more like a non-event as Americans increasingly live and work well into their 70s and 80s. And who could have predicted the staggering spread of wide-area networks and home fax machines? Telecommuting may not resolve the feeling of isolation that many full-time parents apparently feel, and childcare may still be necessary to accomplish any work that requires serious concentration, but the infobahn sure beats the autobahn if you're trying to shave a few hours a week in commuting time to spend it with your kids.

Though many of us believe we are irreplaceable at work, the dismaying fact is that there's usually another doctor, lawyer, dentist, teacher, horsetrainer, or reporter on tap to fill in when we're not around. It is in the end only our families—spouses, parents, and children—to whom we are truly, uniquely irreplaceable. We can all hope that a humane workforce of the future will recognize both of those truths.

75222.2 106@COMPUSERVE.COM

I EMPATHIZE WITH PARENTS STRUGgling with multiple responsibilities. One reason I choose to work full-time outside the home is so I can serve as a role model for my children. I assume that they will need to integrate career and family responsibilities in their own adult lives. And as my children enter into adolescence, I want and need to spend more time with them. It may be easier to begin to integrate career and family responsibilities when the children are young.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

Racism's End

THE EXCERPT OF DINESH D'Souza's End of Racisn treatise which you printed reads like the efforts of a pampered child with overindulgent parents: sounds impressive until measured by the light of reality. While it is nice that you chronicle the achievements of Dartmouth graduates, giving magazine space and credence to D'Souza's intellectual babble does us all a disservice. Greater editorial discretion on your part would be appreciated.

73652.1647@COMPUSERVE.COM

A BREATH OF FRESH AIR FINALLY filtered through the radic-lib PC fog when the DAM excerpted D'Souza's book. Congratulations, and here's to more of the same.

Multiculturalism, with its constant carping criticism of "the West" and/or "Eurocentrism," is conveniently blind to rapine, slavery, exploitation, genocide (or any other inhumane condition called out) present in the other, "favored" cultures.

How does a multiculturist answer the questions of why Hutu vs. Tutsi...Moslem vs. Hindu...lroquois vs. Erie...Chinese vs. Tibetans.. Toltec vs. Aztec, etc. to cite only a few instances of slaughter of the opposites?

Is each such inhumane example the result of Eurocentrism, or is each a manifestation of the culture involved? If the latter, then what's the answer to the question, and how does the culture involved differ from "the West" in the guilt ascribed by the multiculturist to "the West"?

It is hoped that the liberal education at Dartmouth instills knowledge and understanding of unvarnished, historical truth—not a slicked-up, glossed-over version of any culture studied. Show the warts and blemishes as well as the beauty marks.

PITTSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA

AS A FACULTY MEMBER IN A PROfessional school at the University of Michigan, I am quite familiar with but less intimately involved in the vicissitudes of political correctness on campus than are my colleagues in the humanities and social sciences. Nevertheless, I am continually fascinated by PC, sometimes encouraged, and not infrequently appalled by its influence on thought and speech, not to mention logic.

As such, I found the excerpt on multiculturalism from Dinesh D'Souza's book in the January issue of DAM of great interest. D'Souza articulates his case in a most compelling manner; but precisely because it is only one side of die story, readers are left with an unbalanced perspective on the full intellectual terrain. Would DAM please be so kind as to commission a rejoinder by one of D'Souza's critics?

KWARNER@UMICH.EDU

IMAGINE MY SURPRISE TO FIND AN article by hate-mongering Dinesh D'Souza in my college's official magazine. When did the Review pull off this coup, taking over the official organ of the College?

Well, I will not be renewing my subscription to the magazine at this time. I will also reconsider financial commitments for the College. This issue alone will make recruiting minorities difficult. I will not voluntarily support a racist undertaking with my dollars.

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN

The Alumni Magazine is editoriallyindependent of the Dartmouth administration and does not serve as the College's official organ.

Grad Programs aContender

YOUR "ON THE HILL" PIECE ON Why We Are #1 January] lacks journalistic rigor, so I am writing to correct the record.

You write: "Dartmouth—excepting its well regarded three graduate schools—has never been a major contender in general graduate studies. Dartmouth is a contrast to the elite universities where the big-name professors do research on corporate or government contracts and graduate students do the teaching."

First, Dartmouth, of course, has three professional schools (Thayer, Tuck, DMS) that offer professional degrees. Graduate degrees (Ph.D., M.A., M.S.) are offered through the College Arts & Sciences Offices of Graduate Studies. Nine College departments offer Masters or Doctoral degrees and the Graduate Studies Office is also responsible for the Ph.D. programs in Thayer and DMS.

Second, many of us involved with graduate education at Darmouth believe quite strongly that we are a "major contender" and work hard to improve the size and quality of our Ph.D. programs.

Finally, Dartmouth faculty do lots of research supported by government and corporate grants and contracts. I dare say that Dartmouth would not tenure a faculty member who is not actively engaged in scholarship and who does not seek funding for her/his research.

The statements in your article, intentionally or not, are deceptive and encourage alumni to develop false beliefs about graduate studies, graduate student teaching and funded facultyresearch at Dartmouth.

DEAN OF GRADUATE STUDIES

Unfair to Ave

IT IS SAD THAT AFTER A LONG HlAtus, your "Dr. Wheelock's Journal" columnist chose the unhappy occasion of the death of Ave Raube '3O to renew his sourgrapes commentary on the Ernest Martin Hopkins Institute. The comments, as one would expect, take the form of anonymous innuendo ("a Boston alumnus pointed out," "some think," etc.), which is what I guess passes for argument at the College these days.

Wheelock's main gripe seems to be the intrusive presence of alumni who are presumably not just content to send money, no questions asked, of which Ave was a "ringleader."

Years ago, Ave, deeply concerned by the takeover of the College by the cultural left, took the initiative with other alumni to form an independent organization to try to protect and preserve the ideals of a liberal education at Dartmouth. Today, the Hopkins Institute is a vibrant, rapidly growing organization with more than 3,000 alumni supporters. Among our supporters are many of the College's most substantial donors, who are nevertheless concerned about the College's direction.

Because of the apparent blackout on favorable coverage of Hopkins in the Alumni Magazine, your readers may not know of our outstanding program of campus lectures and debates, that feature nationally prominent figures, and are attended by standingroom only crowds of students and faculty, addressing topics that otherwise don't get discussed on today's illiberal campuses.

We are one of only a few alumni organizations officially recognized by the College. Our innovative freshmanweek program "What Is a Liberal Education, and How Can I Get One at Dartmouth," is in sharp contrast to the College's own programs, which are directed to instilling political correctness in students. We meet regularly with senior College officials and Trustees to discuss issues in a cordial but forthright manner.

LEXINGTON, MASSACHUSETTS

AVE RAUBE IS REFERRED TO AS ONE of the Hopkins Institute's "ringleaders," a word which usually pertains to unlawful acts, and his loyalty to the College seems questioned. You may be making the error of equating loyalty to the College with approval for some of the distressing things that are going on there nowadays. His willingness to serve Dartmouth students in this way speaks volumes for his loyalty to the College, and his passing should be referred to with regret.

PENSACOLA, FLORIDA

WHO is "DR. WHEELOCK," WHO speaks ill of a recently deceased Dartmouth alumnus, Avery Raube? During his lifetime, Avery brought his class alumni fund contribution percentage from 20 percent to 100 percent for 40 years, raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for Dartmouth; he spread the Dartmouth word and spirit throughout corporate America in his work as director of the Conference Board; and he encouraged countless highschool and prep-school students to enter Dartmouth, thereby multiplying his contributions to Dartmouth.

Who is "Dr. Wheelock," who professes to know what Ernest Martin Hopkins would think of the Ernest Martin Hopkins Institute? I knew Ernest Martin Hopkins, and at his invitation lived my entire senior year, free of charge, at his house in the chauffeur's quarters. I admired his open, above- board, outgoing, manly personality, and I admired his willingness to encourage vigorous debate on any subject. For example, President Hopkins hired Professor John Mecklin when Mecklin left the University of Pittsburgh because his free speech had been constrained. Professor Mecklin said that at Dartmouth for the first time in his teaching career he felt he had complete academic freedom. I can tell you that President Hopkins would never, from behind a pseudonym, have called a Dartmouth alumnus like Avery Raube a "ringleader" for exercising his right to disagree on policy matters.

To paraphrase Senator Bentsen, I knew Ernest Martin Hopkins, and "Dr. Wheelock" is no Ernest Martin Hopkins!

I did not know Eleazar Wheelock, but this I know, and know full well, "Dr. Wheelock" is no Eleazar.

BRONXVILLE, NEW YORK

IT IS PERMISSIBLE TO VOICE ANY opposition of a view held by another, but to try to smear the work of a dedicated alumnus as Ave Raube is disgusting. He devoted much of his life, wisdom, and wealth to supporting the College. Soon after his death it is wrong to impugn his motives or try to assert that the Hopkins Institute is other than a body attempting to put Dartmouth back into the position of excellence in the academic community it once had.

A cheap shot. Shame.

BRIDGEWATER, MASSACHUSETTS

We considered Ave Raube a friend.Although we had no intention of maligninghim, the "ringleader" reference certainlygives that appearance, and we apologize.

Wrong Millennium

I HAVE NOTICED IN SEVERAL Recent alumni publications, including the DAM, the class of 1999 referred to as the "last class of the millenium" ["War and Remembrance," December]. Since the new millenium will not begin until January 1, 2001, the "last class of the millenium" will be the class of 2000, not the class of 1999.

SCHOPLER@HULAW 1 .HARVARD.EDU

SOME UNINFORMED PEOPLE apparently believe that the class of 2000 will be the first class in the next century.

When you count to 100, you start with one, not zero. The first year in the calendar ran from 1 AD to 2 AD, not from Zero to One. The first year in the twentieth century was the year 1901, the last year in the twentieth century will be the year 2000, and the first year in the twenty-first century will be the year 2001.

The class of 2000 will have the distinction of being the Last Class In This Century and as such should be accorded proper respect. As with the class of 1900, we might call them "Oughty Oughts" or, depending upon their behaviour, "Naughty Oughts."

NANTUCKET, MASSACHUSETTS

IF A MILLENNIUM IS A PERIOD OF one thousand years, the third millennium will begin on January 1, 2001. No?

IRVINE, CALIFORNIA

Yes, and duly noted. Nonetheless, nextSeptember we plan a cover story on the classof 2000 and the kind of education it will needfor the next century. It may not be millennialjournalism, but we'll scoop the major media.

I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY utter dismay at the item "Science Posters Make Me Sweat" ["On the Hill," September] in which the author actually uses her inability to understand students' science projects as a unifying theme. The article implies that readers—alums of the College—are also scientificially illiterate, and that they find this fact not alarming but amusing.

Might I respectfully suggest that the next time DAM sees fit to cover a poster symposium or other science event, it send a reporter who is able to comprehend and report usefully on the topics presented?

MFELLEY@HKUSUA. HKU.HK

Beleagued

REGARDING THE CLAIM IN THE January "On the Hill" that the 1970 football team "was the best in the history of the Ivy League": What is wrong with the 1925 team? It was ranked number one in the country.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

The Ivy League wasn't established until1954. Well leave it to you to determinewhether 1970 or 1925 was the best team inthe history of Dartmouth.

Blowfish UpdateThe January issue contained a letter to the editor from Alison Chaiken'83, who spotted a Dartmouth sweatshirt on Darius Rucker, lead singer ofthe rock group Hootie & the Blowfish.Ms. Chaiken wondered if there wasany Dartmouth connection.As the Daily Dartmouth notedlast summer; the sweatshirt was afavorite of Mr. Rucker's until he woreit out.The Alumni Magazine has senthim a replacement.—Ed.