Too many empty seats
By Bill Sjogren, Lyme, NH
Published on Monday, April 9, 2007
To the Editor:
I certainly agree with Philip Kenol '10 that current undergraduates should get priority at College events ("Filling Seats the Right Way," April 6). I confess that, as an outsider, I have attended many of these Dartmouth events such as the Green-grown Pilobolus Montgomery lecture this past Wednesday, and the three nights with Budd Schulberg '36, screenwriter/author/boxing analyst/raconteur nonpareil, in honor of his film society award a couple of years ago.
However, at these two in particular, I must admit to some shock as an alumnus and College advocate at the lack of turnout by the resident Dartmouth community. I noted very few, if any, undergraduates in attendance, in less than half-filled auditoriums (Dartmouth Hall 105 and Loew Auditorium in these cases). If we squatters had not been there, the attendance would have been nil, and the lack of support and intellectual curiosity for some truly fine people is achingly and embarrassingly apparent.
I thank Dartmouth for opening its doors to me! I encourage all of the undergraduates to cross those transoms less trod.