VOL. CLXXI NO. 121
SUNNY
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2014
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Committee considers alcohol policy changes
SO SKETCH
HIGH 76 LOW 50
By parker richards
JEFFREY LEE/THE DARTMOUTH
THE MIRROR
DISASTER AT DARTMOUTH PAGE M4
WHAT’S COOKING? PAGE M3
OPINION
VERBUM ULTIMUM: PLEDGING TO CHANGE
A student works on her drawing assignment on a lawn near Massachusetts Row.
Groups detail Tucker split B y Pooja singhi
As the Tucker Foundation prepares to split into two centers by next fall — one focused on religious and spiritual life, the other on community service — working groups are busy determining details of the division. Last fall, then-interim
provost Martin Wybourne convened a task force that suggested dividing Tucker, a recommendation the Board of Trustees approved at its June meeting and announced July 9. Three recent reviews of the Tucker Foundation stated that it should change its structure, and discussion
of the issue came to a head last summer alongside discussions of Right Rev. James Tengatenga’s selection as dean, whose appointment was revoked following comments he made on homosexuality. Two working groups SEE TUCKER PAGE 5
The “Moving Dartmouth Forward” presidential steering committee will likely propose amendments to alcohol policy as part of its recommendations to reduce harmful behaviors at the College. The committee’s research follows changes in alcohol policy at peer institutions, including approaches that ban hard alcohol, prohibit drinking games and encourage open doors at social gatherings in residence halls. The committee, convened by College President Phil Hanlon in May to examine high-risk drinking, sexual assault and inclusivity, is expected to present recommendations to the Board of Trustees in January. Committee chair English professor Barbara Will confirmed that it will likely suggest changes to the College’s alcohol policy in a Thursday email. During a closed meeting with Greek organization leaders on Sept. 16, Hanlon and Board of Trustees Chair Bill Helman urged a reevaluation of student drinking, adult oversight of social spaces and freshman safety. At the meeting, which came several days before the Intrafraternity
Council announced its decision to eliminate fall pledge term, Will brought up the idea of an “open door policy,” which would mandate that a room’s door remain open if a large group of people were in the room simultaneously. When asked to comment on innovative alcohol policies at other universities, Will noted in an email that some schools have banned hard alcohol on campus. “This might be seen as innovative depending on how it is enforced,” she wrote in an email, citing Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College and Stanford University as examples. She declined to comment further due to the committee’s ongoing work. Several of Dartmouth’s peer institutions — including Bates, Bowdoin, Colby and Stanford — prohibit hard alcohol at registered campus events. Swarthmore College established a ban in August. Bowdoin’s ban prohibits all liquor with an alcohol content higher than 10 percent in college residences, as well as drinking games like pong and flip cup. SEE POLICY PAGE 5
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SPORTS
CROSS COUNTRY TO FACE TOP TALENT IN BOSTON PAGE 8
Handbook clarifies Unaffiliated men talk community marijuana policy B y LUCIA Mcgloin
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Though New Hampshire has legalized medical marijuana , use at Dartmouth is still prohibited. The College is constrained by federal regulations that classify any use of the drug as illegal — regulations that if broken could mean a loss of federal funding, including grants and financial aid. As a result, Dick’s House and Student
Accessibility Services assist students who have been prescribed the drug to find alternative treatments or off-campus housing. In a recent change, the student handbook now specifies that medical marijuana is not permitted on campus and details the federal laws that mandate its prohibition, interim Dean of the College IngeLise Ameer announced in
SEE MARIJUANA PAGE 5
Five men reflected on community, pressure to rush and what it means to identify as “unaffiliated” in a panel Thursday night. Organized by the Inter-Community Council, the panel came a day before the start of Interfraternity Council recruitment. Nate Goss ’16 opened the panel by sharing his experiences with the Ledyard Canoe Club where he said many unaffiliated students became his “role models.” He cited an uneasiness about
fraternity environments as motivating his decision not to rush, noting that while “bad things” happen all across campus, he did not feel comfortable being associated with a space where negative activities could occur “beyond his control.” Goutham Kandru ’16 said the Frisbee team allowed him to get to know upperclassmen. He said that the fact that the captain knew everyone by name after the first day of practice demonstrated the warmth of the team. While he said he did not feel unwelcome at frater-
nities, Kandru said he never spent a lot of time in those spaces and thus decided not to rush. He also cited dues, which can amount to hundreds of dollars per term, as something to consider when deciding whether or not to participate. Finding “the right people” does not always happen immediately, Samuel Kernan ’14 said, noting that he enjoyed meeting people through the Dartmouth Outing Club, the organic garden and the Multi-Faith SEE PANEL PAGE 3