Re: Dartmouth Only Ivy to Abstain from Signing Letter Against Trump Administration Funding Cuts
Dear President Beilock,
Your strategically worded letter to our community hides neither the cowardice nor the foolishness of your refusal to stand in solidarity with your peers against government attacks on higher education.
This is no time for semantics. Reflection itself is not capitulation but your refusal to stand up against attacks on higher education absolutely is. Reflect all you like but take action while doing it. Make no mistake, the AACU’s unified “call for constructive engagement” IS itself taking action. Furthermore, signing it precludes none of the other steps you are taking. So why embarrass us on a national and global stage by making Dartmouth a hold out?
If your strategy is appeasement, just say that. Do not hide behind a false moral high ground and the pretense of reflection.
Trust in higher education cannot be restored by attempts to dismantle it. Wield the institutional power our beloved college on the hill has invested in you. This is the only path to doing better.
Sincerely,
Kirsten Ford (Murray) ’07
Kirsten Ford is a member of the Class of 2007. Letters to the Editor represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.
