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'First Things'...First?

In the November issue of First Things, the monthly compendium of all things religion started by the late Fr. Richard Neuhaus in 1990, the editors surveyed and ranked more than a hundred American universities and colleges by religious life and hospitality to religion on campus. The journal used a combination of publicly available information and “student polling and systematic conversations with students, graduates, faculty, and chaplains” to arrive at the rankings and descriptions contained within the thirty-six-page article. First Things has a small circulation but is held in remarkably high regard by those interested in social conservatism and the interaction between religion and society in the modern West.

So how did our College come across in this month’s exhaustive and objective analysis of the religious condition? Not well. No, one could go so far as to say that the young men and women of First Things think very poorly of us indeed. The editors were kind enough to include a colorful listing of the top 5 “Schools in Decline, Filled With Gloom”, wherein our very own College on the Hill ranks third, sandwiched between the depravity of Gonzaga and the hedonism of Azusa Pacific University. This particular rating is never explained in the article proper, but the authors go to great lengths to assure their readers that a conscientious methodology.

I hesitate to give too much more space to what was obviously only a very cursory glance at Dartmouth’s culture, but like any good Christian publication, First Things has sagely placed their authoritative analysis behind a pay wall. Dartmouth is “an Ivy League university that insists on calling itself a college”. Conservative students and alums are given credit for resisting “the dominance of postmodern academic liberalism”, but the “one student” cited bemoans the libertarian nature of the “conservative faction” here (As an aside, I’m almost positive I’ve met this one anonymous student. Life of the party, I assure you). The final word on the very brief subject: “A religious student will get some peer support in efforts to resist political correctness, but not much in the way of Christian fellowship.”

Now, why this should warrant a ranking of “In Decline, Filled With Gloom”, I couldn’t say. Nor can I speak to the anonymous student’s lack of fulfillment amongst his libertarian peers. But having been to lectures and dinners at Aquinas House with the Catholics, Shabbat dinners with the Chabadniks, and innumerable scenes of fellowship in our College’s fine fraternal organizations, this critic can lay your fears to rest. It may not be as sunny and pious as those colleges that pay for advertisements on the pages of First Things, but we in Hanover have not sunk into despair quite yet.

This Just In: ‘13s Still Worst Class Ever

 

At least three ‘14s touched the fire and at least five rushed the field, according to the Daily D this morning. Seems there are some feisty freshmen this year. Good to see the old traditions haven’t failed yet.

Kim Blitzes Campus

Well, at least it’s not telling us to not touch the fire or rush the field for once.

Dear Students,

The moment you matriculated to this College you became a member of the Dartmouth community. This is a lifelong membership, and you should not underestimate how much you will gain from it in knowledge, experience, and friendship.

Traditions like Homecoming invigorate this sense of community and have helped maintain it year after year (a point that is more than apparent in this recent Dartmouth YouTube video: http://bit.ly/bqJV1P). These traditions, however, are threatened when members of our community, whether they are students or alumni, engage in dangerous and harmful behavior, including binge drinking and sexual assault.

Be safe this weekend. If you choose to drink alcohol, please do so in moderation. Be proactive about seeking help for anyone you think might need it.

Do not hesitate to call Safety and Security at 603-646-4000 for assistance, even if you are not sure it is necessary.

Look out for one another. Together, we can ensure Homecoming is safe and enjoyable for everyone.

Sincerely,

Jim Yong Kim
President

Egyptian High Court Bans Police from Campus

The Egyptian High Court has recently affirmed its decision that the permanent stationing of police on university campuses is unconstitutional, rejecting a government appeal on the ruling.

While the government may still cite emergency measures to supersede the law, this decision comes as a relief to social rights groups who claim that said police presence was intended to stifle political protest of the rule of Egyptian President President Hosni Mubarak, who has held authoritarian rule of the country for nearly 30 years.

Given that H-Po has no particular penchant for the restriction of political discourse, nonetheless this Egyptian cure would no doubt come as a welcome resolve if assumed by the College. Take the hint, Hanover!

Finally

Some art that Dartmouth students can truly appreciate!

Affirmative Action and Public Perceptions

A study by researchers at Clarkson University, the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, and the May Group Family Fund found that independent observers will value a company lower if told that the top executives are African-American graduates of a prestigious university than if they are white graduates of the same university. This racial disparity in perceptions goes away when the universities are less prestigious or it is stated that admissions are race-blind.

This tends to support what opponents of affirmative action have been saying for years, that the population at large assumes any minority at a prestigious school using affirmative action did not get their by talent alone; unfair to the minorities who did and have to suffer lower expectations come hiring season, but it seems like the logical result of such a policy. Then again, when did logic ever stop anyone from implementing a good old fashioned social engineering project?

D.R.F.C. Celebrates 60th; Crushes Brown

The Dartmouth Rugby Football Club held its 60th Anniversary today with alumni and friends of the club flocking to the Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse. Along with an Alumni vs. Tuck game, the dedication of the “1959 California Touring Side Scoreboard,” and a D.W.R.C. game against Yale, the D.R.F.C. 1st and 2nd XV both enjoyed victories over Brown, the 1st XV dominating with a 107-5 final score and the 2nd XV winning handily at 22-5.

Young Cons’ Newest Vid

It’s always fun when the Young Cons, Josh Riddle ‘12 and David Rufful ‘12, release a new song and video; partly because the beat is catchy and the lyrics are amusing, partly because you can read outraged comments on YouTube, yet the Young Cons continue on unfazed. This video is their sixth, Master of My Destiny. Enjoy!

Blitzjack Meets Sexual Assault Commentary

The following blitz was apparently sent from the PRFORM blitz account to all '14 women during Orientation, before their first weekend out at the frats. Attached was a song titled "Out of Control" written for us Dartmouth students, which we've uploaded.

>From: PRFORM

>Date: 24 Sep 2010 18:23:31 -0400

>Subject: blitzjack

>To: (Recipient list suppressed)

Welcome to Dartmouth, we are glad you are here

Prepare to surrender what you hold most dear

Your money, your time, what is it you ask?

You will find out, once this school we unmask.

What you think of this place is not what it seems

You may see the lines, but not what's in between

They tell you we're great, just fun and games

But some of us are not so friendly and tame.

What they will take, you will never get back

Your world that was white will now become black

Beneath the lies is the worst of crimes

For which recovery will take quite some time.

Out of Control (5:58)

In this author's opinion, the song and poem raise some strong points and very powerful, and it's clear whoever wrote it has felt a lot of pain. The message, however, seems better directed at all of us, and not toward unwitting 14s who hadn't experienced our culture just yet. I hope the good will behind this gesture isn't too drowned out by the delivery or strength of the message, which is undoubtedly shocking to many.

Update 9/30/2010 11:10 AM: This blitz was sent to 13s, under a gmail account named "Expecto Petronus," on September 29th. It may or may not have been sent by the same person; there's no easy way to tell.

Compassion and the "Mosque" Controversy

In the third grade, I was the only Asian kid in my class at Hoben Elementary. Sometimes, I would have conversations like this:

DJ: “Konichiwa!!!!”

Me: “Hi, DJ.”

DJ: “No speekee English. Ching-ching!!! Tofu!! Ka-Powww!!! What did I just say?”

Me: “You said you didn’t understand English and ‘tofu’.”

Please don’t get me wrong: Elementary school, with its naps and snack times and easy friendships, held some of the happiest years of my life. Conversations like that angered me, but I don’t blame DJ or carry some deep grudge. The reasoning is simple: Most of it wasn’t malicious, and it’s just what kids do when they see unlike-Trust me, it happens all over the world.

But as I got older, I noticed people became less inclined to do those bothersome things.

Lazio Drops out of NY State Governor's Race

Rick Lazio has withdrawn his name from the race for Governor of New York State. And so Andrew (don't call him Andy) Cuomo's sole challenger with be Crazy Carl Paladino. Though Cuomo once held a monumental lead, it has been dwindling of late.

Jump to Dartlog's previous coverage of the NYS gubernatorial race here.

Indians Punch Past Pioneers, 21-19

There’s nothing like a thrilling victory. The Indians got one yesterday when they took down Sacred Heart after trailing at the half 12-7. Dartmouth scored 14 unanswered points in the third quarter to take a lead that they held to a nail-biting finish when Sacred Heart missed a field goal wide left with less than a minute left. The Indians are off to their best start on the warpath in thirteen years.

If there’s one thing the Indians are lacking, it sure isn’t a ground game. With the Monster from Massachusetts, Junior tailback Nick Schwieger ‘12, out of action with flu-like symptoms, freshmen running back Dominick Pierre proved an able replacement, dashing for 110 yards and a pair of trips to the promised land. QB Connor Kempe ‘12 threw sixteen completions on thirty attempts, including four completions to senior Tim McManus ‘11 to surpass 2,000 passing yards in his career.

This is Dartmouth’s best start in over a decade and the first time the team has won consecutive victories since many on campus were in middle school. The Indians face off in their Ivy League opener against the 24th ranked Penn Quakers (1-1)in Pennsylvania this upcoming Saturday. This will be the most challenging test the Indians have faced thus far. Penn has an extremely stout defense led by senior defensive back Jon Saelinger who earned National and Ivy Defensive Player of the Week honors in Penn’s victory over Lafayette thanks to three interceptions. Notably the Quakers only allowed eight first downs, 19 yards rushing and 168 yards total offense; in addition, they had four takeaways and held Lafayette to less than a yard per rush on average, an intimidating set of figures but one to be expected from last year’s #1 defense amongst FCS schools (they are currently number one this year as well). The good news is that the Quakers’ offense appears to be anemic, having scored only 29 points overall.

Go get ‘em, Indians. Wah-hoo-wah!

President Kim Alters View on Humanities

As reported by the Daily D, President Kim's speech at Convocation, held on Tuesday, was a far cry from remarks made previously in an interview with the Washington Post. Rather than disparage the humanities, Kim praised their value, calling for students to learn from his mistakes. “Don’t make my mistake of not engaging in [the humanities] until after you graduate...Embrace the lifelong task of becoming a better thinker,” he said.

President Kim, who aroused suspicions last year as to his commitment to the liberal arts, also spoke of the benefits of the humanities in his Presidential lecture in July, in which he stated, "You can map many of these traits, habits of the mind, on the course work that we are already doing, especially in the humanities and arts — others as well — but especially I think in courses in the humanities."

What remains unclear is whether Kim's statements come from a genuine interest in the humanities or a desire to appease those who remain concerned about his long term goals for the college. Indeed, Kim's introduction of a master of health care delivery science program last year sounded alarms for many and raised doubts about his commitment to the liberal arts.

Read the full text of President Kim's Convocation speech here.

Breaking Up is Hard to Do

Everyone remembers how exceptional support was for Barack Obama in 2008 from college students. Now many are having second thoughts, even if support for the President is still higher amongst the young—and less world wise—than amongst other demographics. College Republicans managed to capture that growing apathy perfectly with this delightful little video.

They probably could’ve saved on production costs if they’d just played this oldie.

Indian Football Opens With a Win

Now that's more like it.

 
The Indians overcame an 11-point halftime deficit to storm back with 34 unanswered points in the second half to smash Bucknell 43-20. Junior running back Nick Schwieger rumbled to 216 yards and two touchdowns in the first season opening victory Dartmouth has had since 2005 when the Indians defeated Colgate 26-21 in Hanover.

The Indians are 1-0 and go up against 8th ranked University of New Hampshire Sacred Heart next in the home opener. Wah-hoo-wah!

Finally, a Rally for the Rest of Us

Because the account two weeks ago of Glenn Beck's populist revival received so many comments, I couldn't help but take note of an upcoming event that is sure to gain traction. Even as it seems that our nation's public discourse could not get lower into the mud, a bright light appears on the horizon.

The inimitable duo of Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert will be keeping it classy on the National Mall on Saturday, October 30 with twin gatherings: Stewart will preside over the Rally to Restore Sanity, while Colbert's stage persona will lead the satirical March to Keep Fear Alive.

From the Wall Street Journal's "Speakeasy" blog:

On his show, Stewart spouted a number of slogans to promote his event, including "Take it down a notch for America." He also promised pre-made signs for attendees to wave around, with signs ranging from "9/11 was an outside job," to "Got Competence?" and "I disagree with you, but I'm pretty sure you're not Hitler."

Watch the videos below, too. Thank goodness for these guys. How did it come to be that two of the most level-headed and mature current-events commentators on TV today are on Comedy Central?

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Rally to Restore Sanity
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Tea Party

The Colbert Report	Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
March to Keep Fear Alive
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes 2010 Election Fox News

Interesting Perspective on the Ground Zero Mosque Controversy

In light of the ongoing Ground Zero Mosque controversy, a quote from President Dwight D. Eisenhower on the opening of a Washington D.C. Islamic Center in 1957:

I should like to assure you, my Islamic friends, that under the American Constitution, under American tradition, and in American hearts, this Center, this place of worship, is just as welcome as could be a similar edifice of any other religion. Indeed, America would fight with her whole strength for your right to have here your own church and worship according to your own conscience. This concept is indeed a part of America, and without that concept we would be something else than what we are.

Shameless Self Promotion

Up on the Voice blog once more.

Thoughts on Glenn Beck and "Restoring Honor"

Just got back to the house in DC from several hours on the Mall at the Glenn Beck camp revival known as "Restoring Honor." It was a bizarre experience. Quite aside from all else that's been said about it, the one thing that struck me was how amateurish and random the whole production was.

Take Ivy, Take Two

Back in this past year's Book Review issue I wrote about the phenomenon of Take Ivy, the Japanese campus style book from the 1960s.

I was lucky enough to get my hands on an original from Japan but those who weren't are in for some good news. Brooklyn-based powerHouse Books [their styling, not mine] is re-releasing the book, now with English translations. You can pre-order it here. It might just come in time to take up to school for fall term.

In the meantime, keep yourself occupied with an interview of a Dartmouth '68 who graced the pages of the book twice and is full of Hanover memories.

Schwartzman on NY's Gubernatorial Race

Dartmouth Review week editor and prolific Dartlog contributor Adam Schwartzman has a post up over on the Village Voice's Running Scared blog about the Republican contenders for New York's governorship and the vitriolic words flying out of upstate challenger Carl Paladino's mouth towards Long Island's very own Rick Lazio.

Paladino has jumped on Lazio's employment at Wall Street mainstay J.P. Morgan and accused him of being "Joe Lobbyist". Wait, is Paladino really claiming that business experience is a bad thing? To be fair, If Lazio is proven to have engaged in corrupt behavior then there's not much to say in his defense. However, if his largest crime is having worked downtown (rather than upstate, where Paladino hails from), then it would seem that Paladino's populist pandering is far off base.

Not that it really matters - it seems as if Andy Cuomo is going to win handily.

I know, I know - the Village Voice is a lefty rag. But do the right thing and head over there.

Administrators Cite Dubious Reasons for Improved Rankings

The newly released 2011 US News & World Report College and University Ratings bring an improved standing for Dartmouth: while the school maintains it's #1 ranking in "Best Undergraduate Teaching" for the second year in a row, it has jumped to #9 in "National Universities," up from #11 in 2010.

In an interview with the Daily D, Provost Carol Folt cited smaller class sizes as one of several reasons for Dartmouth's increased position. However, just a few short months ago the D offered plenty of coverage on what seemed like the college's likely response to the economic downturn: a permanently increased class size, beginning with the class of 2014. According to Dean of Admissions Maria Laskaris in a December interview with the Daily D, "I think it wouldn’t just be for one year, the decision would be to increase the size of the student body more long-term.”

With the new rankings out, all of this seems swept under the rug and the college is more than happy to extol the virtues of its dedication to a small class size. How is it that we were never informed of the final word regarding this "extensive discussion," as President Kim put it? More likely than not, a decision was made, as seems to be the modus operandi of the school these days, without consulting the student body in a meaningful way.

A call to the Office of the Dean of Undergraduate Students revealed no information on the size of the class of 2014; the office cited a constantly shifting number of newly matriculating students and no available estimates as to their total number. It can only be assumed that if the college has indeed increased class size, they have chosen to keep the final decision incredibly quiet and only the Review is left to cry foul at this unfortunate administrative contradiction.

McChrystal Heads to Yale

Yale University has recently announced that General Stanley McChrystal, who was recently dismissed by President Obama due to disparaging comments made in a Rolling Stone article, has joined the school's faculty as a the teacher of a graduate-level seminar on leadership.

McChystal, who tendered his resignation on June 23 and subsequently retired from the military, will teach at the newly-formed Jackson Institute of Global Affairs. According to the university, the four-star general's class will be available to both undergrads and graduate students.

More Than You Ever Wanted To Know...

About Green Eggs & Ham by an alum of our prestigious institution, the legendary Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel.

Stay classy, Keith Halloran

B@B Back Online

Goodbye work ethic, hello procrastination.

Oh noes!!

Bureaucrat-in-chief Carol Folt writes:

We are pleased to announce the selection of Microsoft Online Services as Dartmouth's primary service for email, calendar, and collaboration tools... The new Microsoft service will replace Dartmouth's "BlitzMail" email system. Although once highly innovative and beloved by many, it is more than 20 years old and no longer meets our needs. We know that Google and its various applications have many supporters. Yet, after careful evaluation, we have decided that Microsoft offers the most secure and best integrated service on the market today. We are confident that it is a robust solution that will allow us to provide modern and protected service to our community.

"Careful evaluation": a euphemism for three years of administrative indecision, overfunded "research committees", and a big, big check from Microsoft to edge out student-preferred Gmail. And so at long last dies one of the most annoying, antiquated, and irrationally beloved parts of Dartmouth. Tour guides will no longer have to utter the moronic phrase "Yeah, blitz is so cool, it's like a mix of email and IM! I never call my friends to plan lunch after 10As, I just blitz them!" with false (or even more disturbingly, not false) enthusiasm to incredulous campus visitors. Sororities, including my own, may collectively freak out as a result of Folt's cautioning us that "Microsoft and Google calendar applications do not integrate with each other."

I for one look forward to being able to view emails with HTML, however.

Two Dartmouth Grads on The Today Show

So it happened yesterday, but Dartmouth graduates Jeff Deck '02 and Benjamin Herson '02 were interviewed on The Today Show. For what, you may ask? These two gentlemen are typo crusaders, men who gallivant about the country searching for typos to correct. They also have a book coming out on August 3rd, The Great Typo Hunt. Its, uh, "theatrical trailer" is posted below.

Man of the Hour: Michael Bloomberg

If you've had a chance to crack open today's New York Times, you'll see the latest in the controversy regarding plans to build a 13-story mosque just two blocks north of the World Trade Center site.

While the plans have garnered opposition from parties as varied as Sarah Palin, New York GOP gubernatorial candidate Rick Lazio, and the Anti-Defamation League, the planned mosque and Islamic community center has recently gained final approval from the city.

With the myriad different views and stances regarding the mosque, it's good to see New York City Mayor (and new buddy of President Kim!) Michael Bloomberg taking a strong position that cuts right to the core of the issue; from the Times:

"'To cave to popular sentiment would be to hand a victory to the terrorists- and we should not stand for that,' the mayor said.

Grappling with one of the more delicate aspects of the debate, Mr. Bloomberg said that the families of Sept. 11 victims- some of whom have vocally opposed the project- should welcome it.

'The attack was an act of war- and our first responders defended not only our city but also our country and out Constitution,' he said, becoming slightly choked up at one point in his speech, which he delivered on Governors Island. 'We do not honor their lives by denying the very constitutional rights they died protecting. We honor their lives by defending those rights- and the freedoms the terrorists attacked.'"

Say what you will about Mayor Bloomberg, a man who has unquestionably attracted his fair share of controversy, but I applaud the Mayor for sticking to his guns in such a delicate debate, particularly when his stance is one that will undoubtedly detract his support from some of the most Bloomberg-friendly demographics- namely religious Jews and conservative Republicans, both of whom have largely been vocal in their opposition to the mosque.

Surprise

Tax reduction thus sets off a process that can bring gains for everyone, gains won by marshalling resources that would otherwise stand idle—workers without jobs and farm and factory capacity without markets. Yet many taxpayers seemed prepared to deny the nation the fruits of tax reduction because they question the financial soundness of reducing taxes when the federal budget is already in deficit. Let me make clear why, in today's economy, fiscal prudence and responsibility call for tax reduction even if it temporarily enlarged the federal deficit—why reducing taxes is the best way open to us to increase revenues.

Take a guess at who uttered these words. Would John F. Kennedy even be among your first ten guesses? And yet in his 1963 Economic Report, JFK said the above.

The message: think past party lines and support practical solutions.

Budget Gap Closing

Say what you want about President Kim, but, unlike his predecessor, he certainly knows how to handle a budget.