Time for Change?
Note: The following results are based on responses from two surveys. 561 students responded to the first survey and 340 responded to the second.
By Iris Liu, The Dartmouth Staff
Published on Friday, February 22, 2013
Change is not something that is typically greeted with open arms. This year in particular has seen many administrative overhauls, from modifications to the College’s alcohol policy to the appointment of the College’s new president to a revamped Collis (which is rumored to have an ice cream bar). Almost all were met with some degree of hostility, although I’m sure we’ll appreciate the new Collis in the long run. That said, we at The Mirror wondered whether there might be changes that the student body would actually appreciate.
As typical Dartmouth students, we are never short on grievances. The gym is too far, carrying packages back from Hinman is a chore, FoCo is always a gamble — the list goes on. Without concrete evidence, however, our first world problems are about as tangible as your Tinder matches from 79 miles away.
We set out to collect cold, hard data from an anonymous survey of all four classes. After all, change can be difficult to materialize if not driven in a specific direction. This survey aims to encapsulate and attach depth to the breadth of the student body’s opinions. Some of your answers were expected. Others, however, took us by surprise. Frankly, the responses least-commonly voiced turned out to be some of the most thought-provoking.
For example, nearly one-third of respondents thought the College would be better off without a Greek system, a sentiment one might not expect to hear in day-to-day conversations. Approximately the same proportion of people indicated that the College would benefit from an entirely coed Greek system. Our analysis didn’t consider the extent to which these two positions overlapped, but the possibility provides an interesting thought for discussion.
On a more light-hearted note, when asked to choose what building project the College should tackle next, students overwhelmingly opted for a dining hall on the North end of campus. Perhaps my absolutely disastrous sleep habits make me biased, but I personally think the 1902 Room direly needs a bathroom. My all-nighters are terrible enough without having to walk all the way to Novack after my fourth Americano. Anyhow, at least I agree with the rest of you all when it comes to how frequently I would use our hypothetical DDS delivery service. Imagine having chicken tender quesos delivered to you rather than having to trek through the Arctic tundra to get to the Hop. Absolutely revolutionary.
In any case, the results of this survey are yours to interpret as you please. We hope that they serve at least as reminders that seemingly unquestionable “truths” of dear old Dartmouth are still always up for debate. Perhaps this is a sign that change at Dartmouth needs to be more student-driven. After all, College administration comes and goes, but it’s the student body and campus culture that endure.
Disclaimer: If any of these changes emerge into actual projects, I’m demanding commission.
The D should have included the question “Do you support the Dimensions show being removed?” Show admin REAL data, not that bullshit they’re hiding behind.
By ‘13 on Feb 22 | 2:43 pm