Privilege is everywhere at a school like Dartmouth — in our recently announced $5.7 billion endowment, in the names of the buildings around campus and in the students themselves. People casually wear Canada Goose Jackets and Patagonia sweaters, and many of them have summer homes. A fifth of the students here come from families in the top one percent of earners in the United States, and if you are not part of this fifth — as most of us are not — there are times when you feel out of place.
Money and power are complex issues that persist throughout a person’s time at Dartmouth and beyond, but they often get swept under the rug in order to provide the easier, more comfortable story. This week, the Mirror attempts to tackle the concepts of money and power by bringing lesser-told stories to the forefront. We take a hard look at Dartmouth’s history with appropriation of Native culture and whether perceived monetary benefit plays a role in students’ major selections. We look into the experience of first-generation students at the College, and we even offer some tips for how to save money on campus. We know that these problems are not easily solved, but we hope that by telling these stories, we can begin to work towards making a difference.
