Dean Krishna '01 doesn't just wash dishes for Dartmouth Dining Services, compete on the mock trial team, promote environmental protection as the recycling chair of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity and serve Dartmouth as Student Assembly president. He is also the co-chair of the newest College task force, which will collect student reaction to the steering committee report, helping the Trustees make their final decision on the Initiative this spring.
He said the new task force will oversee the process of student response to the report. This responsibility includes rallying student participation in the feedback process and compiling a factual summary of campus discourse on the recommendations.
"I want students to both feel like they have and actually get a voice in this Initiative process," Krishna said. "And I'm convinced that the Trustees are looking for that."
He said he bases his conviction in the power of student input on the comments and actions of the steering committee members and College President James Wright so far in the process. He said the fact that much of the steering committee report was rooted in student feedback was a good sign for future campus-wide contribution to the process of change.
Krishna said his fraternity experience at Dartmouth has been a formative one for him, but he also has many other interests, including reading left wing literature and following baseball when it's in season -- particularly the Cubs.
Krishna said he has received about a dozen blitzes from students who thought he was a dean of the college during his years at Dartmouth. He said it was only first-year students who had made the mistake.
Krishna is an Environmental Studies Major and hopes to follow Dartmouth with law school, where he plans to pursue either environmental law or civil rights.
But for now, Krishna is immersed in campus culture at Dartmouth. Throughout Winter term, he will be a key player in the continued Initiative process as he balances his dual role of Assembly president and co-chair of the new task force.
He will work with the task force to create a descriptive collection of community response, while also working with the Assembly to devise an analytical reaction to the report with its own recommendations.
Krishna echoed the general campus-wide opinion when he said that after a preliminary reading, he agreed with certain aspects of the report, while not agreeing with others. However, he said he is open-minded to all the responses of the student body.
He said he thought the recommendations that suggested a change in the Greek culture on campus were right on track.
Krishna said he looked forward to certain changes in the Greek system.
He said he is disappointed with the alcohol culture at Dartmouth, and he acknowledged that he did not understand why the concept of "boot and rally" was so pervasive at the College.
He said he thought the report's suggestion of eliminating pledge period was a good idea, based on his positive experience at Sig Ep. He said at his house community service, projects that benefit the house and getting to know older brothers lead to full brotherhood.
Krishna said he had not yet decided what his opinion was on the report's extensive proposed changes to Dartmouth's residential system.
When asked whether he thought his opinions would conflict with his role on the task force, Krishna replied, "I'm entitled to my own opinions and I can listen to the other students as well. That's what I was elected for."
Krishna said he wants to interact with students as much as possible. With that goal in mind, he started holding office at The Big Green Bean in the Collis Center every week night, following the example of his Assembly predecessor, Josh Green '00.
