College Briefs

Dartmouth: Students Decry Image, Allege Racism

Faculty, staff, and students gathered outside Dartmouth Hall Nov. 29 to protest an image published a day earlier in an issue of the Dartmouth Review, the school's student-run conservative magazine. The publication's front page featured a picture of a Native American holding a scalp under the words "The Natives are Getting Restless."

The Review's cover comes in the wake of several incidents on campus deemed offensive to Native Americans as well as statements made by Native Americans at Dartmouth and College President James Wright condemning the incidents.

The rally, titled "Solidarity Against Hatred," drew several hundred people and included speeches by administrators and students.

"My Dartmouth, our Dartmouth, is one that condemns the deliberate mean spiritedness that was demonstrated in the publication released yesterday," Wright told the The Dartmouth, the school's student paper.

Active Dean of the College Dan Nelson applauded the rally for the sense of warmth it generated.

Dan Linsalata '07, editor-in-chief of the Review, told the Associated Press that he was slightly surprised by the response to the picture and subsequent article, which he called a response to "the overdramatic reaction to events this term."

Wright said he would not punish the Review because it has the right to free speech.

Student Groups to Receive Tax Relief

Benedict H. Gross '71, Dean of Harvard College, announced on Dec. 3 that he would reimburse student groups for a controversial new university-imposed tax on student group gift accounts.

His decision comes just four days after he sent an e-mail to the Harvard Crimson saying that "the College cannot reimburse student accounts for the tax."

While many students said they were happy with the decision, some argued that it does not go far enough.

"I think it is great that we are finally getting some traction on it, but I don't think it is the end," said Ryan Petersen '08, speaking to the Crimson. "We need to be sure that the FAS dean and the president of the [University] all realize the discrimination that would be done to undergraduates in our diverse community by the tax's existence."

Undergraduate Council President John Haddock '07 told the Crimson he was not sure if Gross would continue reimbursing the groups in the future.

The tax was announced in September and covers all tax-deductible donations received by Faculty of Arts and Sciences organizations, including student groups. The university plans to tax donations at five percent this year and increase that figure to 15 percent in three years.