Even as a majority of the College resided outside of Hanover during the summer, the College has undergone a whirlwind of activity ranging from real estate purchases to a debate over a luau-themed party.
Tragic beginning
The summer began on a tragic note when Jenica Rosekrans '00 suddenly died from a meningococcus bacterial infection during Senior Week in early June. Nicholas Calamari '01 was subsequently diagnosed with a non-fatal infection.
The College Health Services Director strongly recommended summer students receive the vaccine for the deadly strain that hit the College. On the first day the College offered free vaccination for summer students, nearly 1,000 students sought immunization from the virus.
Theme party controversy
Alpha Chi Alpha fraternity and Delta Delta Delta sorority quickly became the center of campus attention when they jointly planned a luau-themed party for the weekend of August 13.
Tri Delt had promoted the party over BlitzMail and encouraged students to dress "Hawaiian-style."
Controversy spread after Omar Rashid '00, president of the historically Latino fraternity Lambda Upsilon Lambda, labeled the party idea as "unacceptable" and an act of "bigotry" and "racism" in a BlitzMail message to various students and administrators.
Despite the mounting attention, no formal protest was held against the organizers.
Few students interviewed by The Dartmouth considered the theme offensive, but the party was subsequently canceled by the two Greek houses.
In the Coed Fraternity Sorority Council's official statement, it regretted the incident, but praised the efforts of communication among the involved parties to resolve the sensitive issue.
The luau theme had been compared to last fall's ghetto-themed party, an event that garnered criticism for making light of people who live in poverty-stricken neighborhoods.
College property purchase
During the first week of August, the College's purchase of 19 Hanover properties, including 15 residences, home to about 100 undergraduates, sparked some concern over the College's role in the lives of off-campus students.
The land purchase includes apartments above Caf Buon Gustaio and the house on East South Street, commonly referred to as the "Crack House" by students.
According to Director of Real Estate for the College Paul Olsen, the Trustees' Initiative did not prompt the College's decision to make the real estate purchase. But Olsen added that the land could potentially play a role in the future.
The students who held leases in the newly repurchased real estate received letters notifying them that no leases will be renewed, much to the dismay of students currently living there.
"These properties are already being used by students, and to all appearances the students who live there are very happy," John Webb '01, a Crack House resident, wrote in an August 11 editorial to The Dartmouth.
Olsen said the College currently has no specific plans for the properties while Dean of Residential Life Martin Redman told The Dartmouth that students should not view the process as the first step in bringing students back on campus.
SA debates condom distribution
The Student Assembly revisited plans to increase the availability of condoms and increase student awareness about where to acquire condoms. The issue was raised despite the abandonment of similar discussions by Assembly executives in 1998.
According to an Assembly BlitzMail poll, 78 percent of sophomore students said they both supported condom vending machines in bathrooms as well as a condom awareness day.
Crunchless housing
For the first time in several years, the College did not face a Fall term housing crunch. Last fall marked one of the worst housing crunches in the College's recent history. Several students were housed in study lounges converted to dormitory rooms.
Coca-Cola, drink of choice
The College officially announced that the Coca-Cola company has won the rights to distribute its product in College dining halls and vending machines. The decision affirmed the results of a Student Assembly poll in which two-thirds of voters chose Coke over rival Pepsi-Cola.
Green Card and DASH merge
Starting this fall, Hanover Green Card and DASH merged to create a new student ID that can be used to purchase items both on and off campus.
The new "Dartmouth Card" have been issued to all incoming students in the fall and will contain the accounts already on the current student ID, such as the dining and discretionary accounts.
