At a quiet meeting yesterday evening, Student Assembly members discussed potential formats for an online version of the upperclass face guide Mugshots, which will replace the popular booklet during the 2004-2005 academic year.
This fall will mark the last printing of Mugshots because, Summer President Julia Hildreth '05 said, the project creates a "huge burden for SA" --in costs, use of paper and man-hours of selling time.
Each year, Mugshots sets the Assembly back some $7,000 in printing fees, while sales to students recoup roughly $3,000, and attempts to alleviate those losses have faltered, Summer Vice President Steve Koutsavlis '05 said.
Instead, members will debut a web version intended to replace the faltering Dartmouth Interactive Directory.
At issue for the Assembly is whether freshmen will be included in the new directory. Unlike the DID, Mugshots displays a complete set of upperclass students' pictures, because they are obtained from the College rather than at voluntary photo sessions. The First Year Office has traditionally balked at allowing freshman photos into Mugshots due to the propensity of many students to browse the booklet for social purposes.
In an online version, Koutsavlis speculated that the College might be amenable to freshman inclusion if the website did not allow for a full browsing function. The Assembly intends to allow students to search the guide by categories including hometown, first name and Greek affiliation.
Members also discussed the long-delayed application of DASH to vending machines. Expanding the program beyond its Berry Library test site would cost some $18,000 -- a price neither the College, the Assembly, nor the Coca-Cola Company is eager to pay in full.
In other developments, Hildreth praised the work of Summer Treasurer Ralph Davies '05 and other members on Friday's Block Party, and Koutsavlis floated the need for improved nighttime lighting in areas such as the dirt road to Ledyard Canoe Club and Dartmouth's boathouse.
