This is the article that I’ve wanted to write for almost a year.
I’ve put it off for so long because I don’t like being controversial for the sake of stirring the pot. The Mirror is also generally not a beacon for social change, so I hope you’ll forgive my temporary hat switch. I have a lot of opinions and ideas on right and wrong, but I’ve never been one to readily share them, except perhaps in the classroom or among my close friends. I have written for The D for nine trying terms at Dartmouth, and this is the first time that I am expressing any personal commentary on the challenges the College has faced — and is still facing.
I recently visited Dartmouth for the first time in a long time, and I think that distance may have allowed me to see its flaws more clearly than ever. Being away has made me realize how easy it is to lose sight of the big picture and waste time on all the wrong priorities. That being said, I am still unapologetically in love with my school. The closer I get to graduation, the more thankful I am for every term. My purpose here is not to point out all of Dartmouth’s problems, because I think op-eds, forums, Bored at Baker, online media and public demonstrations have made clear what they are. Rather, my goal is to point out that the way we respond to them is inherently unproductive.
Very bad things happen at Dartmouth. Sexual assault, hazing scandals, discrimination and racial tension are among many issues that the College needs to make dramatic progress on. Trivializing these issues or disregarding that they are real only makes them worse. But some segments of campus go to the opposite extreme, responding to the obstacles faced by our community with complete outrage every time something goes wrong. This is not to say that the aforementioned issues are not worth getting mad over. They certainly are. But when the only emotion you bother expressing in the face of adversity is sheer anger, your theory of how change will happen quickly becomes nothing more than angst. Many believe that if we get on Facebook, log in to Bored at Baker, stand up at forums, post extreme comments on The D’s website and yell about how angry we are, someone will start paying attention.
I’m not buying it. Given the conversations I’ve had with my peers, I don’t think everyone else is either. My problem with the extremity of reactions on campus is not the passionate recognition that things need to change, because in a lot of ways, I think that aspect is awesome. Even if you don’t agree with everything said, it’s good that some Dartmouth students are willing to point out problems like the Greek system’s flaws and how certain segments of our community rarely interact.
The problems arise when all anyone wants to do is point out the flaws in the most extreme ways and then not offer any constructive options to make real changes. When you yell about how messed up the Greek system is and declare it the source of all evil, you’re not only not coming up with a solution – you’re also alienating everyone who has anything positive to say.
I don’t know anyone who is affiliated who thinks that the Greek system is flawless, but I also know that if you tell someone in a sorority or fraternity that these institutions are horrifying entities, he or she will tune you out. Then the cycle just exacerbates itself.
The inefficacy of extreme reactions fits into other aspects of Dartmouth’s recent discourse, including the discussions surrounding race, religion and identity. I personally have had a hard time taking a stance on the racially charged incidents of the past year, but not because I am apathetic or unaware. I felt like I was being forced to choose a side in this highly dramatized conflict, and I wasn’t sure where I stood.
Identity has always been a very fluid thing for me — I am white and from the suburbs of the Midwest, but I also grew up Middle Eastern in the years immediately following Sept. 11, which resulted in my fair share of exposure to intolerance at a young age. This is not to say that my own experience makes me an expert on those of others — sympathy and empathy are different, and I don’t claim to know anything about anyone else’s life. I’m just saying that I don’t think I fit nicely in a box, so I have a hard time identifying with any discussion that assumes I do. It’s possible for self-aware and interested young people to recognize that they are both a part of the problem and the solution.
The last thing I would advocate for to deal with our culture of angst is more inorganic forums, op-eds and Facebook statuses that aim to shock people out of complacency. Structured conversations have their place and virtues, but what we could really use is something more informal. I believe the “work hard, play hard” mentality so ingrained in our culture plays a large part in why people perceive Dartmouth students as uninterested in the issues confronting us. It took me going on an off-term with 17 students who shared my intellectual and academic interests to realize how little time I had spent on campus talking about the things that I actually felt were important.
We don’t bother having the hard conversations with the people who know us and understand where our perspectives come from. In not bothering, we do a huge disservice to our community, because these are the people who are most likely to have an influence on the way we think. Individuals who choose to make their race, religion, or politics defining personality characteristics are arguably doing something powerful, but their perspectives may not relate to all of campus. When I make an effort to discuss the things that matter with friends and acquaintances who know me on other levels, though they might not agree with everything I say and vice versa, at the very least they’re willing to listen.
Dartmouth’s problems can’t be solved by simply talking it out, but when a large chunk of campus chooses to avoid the hard subjects, only the people with the biggest and loudest voices are heard. If you have another idea of how Dartmouth should be, speak up. Who knows what kind of change an afternoon KAF conversation may spark.
