Brief Zywicki Update

IvyGate has obtained a more complete transcript of Mr. Zywicki's remarks, as well as his responses during a Q&A session, from the educational conference which took place at the John William Pope Center in Raleigh, NC last month.

In addition to being frankly inarticulate, Mr. Zywicki displays a level of self-righteousness more commonly associated with the Gatorationist International students on hunger strike. Read his words and judge for yourself.

It's all after the jump -- and if you're the kind of person who's interested in this, you definitely know who you are. If you're not, ignore this post.
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The Battle Over Hanover

The Battle Over HanoverEven as potential messiah Robert Haines is out polishing his bad-boy resumé and exploring the "acceptable boundaries between people," darker clouds are massing on Hanover's horizon.

Remember when Dartmouth's Board of Trustees voted to pack itself, leading some journalists ("journalists") to go so far as to declare the death of Dartmouth? Well, not if some crotchety, well-heeled alumni and their lawyers have anything to say about it. According to the Dartmouth, the Association of Alumni has filed an injunction to stop the Green putsch while there's still time.

Not everyone in the Association is on board, though. For instance, there's Association President Bill Hutchinson who says:

"I think legal action against the College at this time is probably one of the worst things the Association could do,"

But Frank Gado (D '58), a member of the Association Executive Committee and liaison to the legal eagles, is so clearly raring to go:

"Honestly, everybody on our side wanted to avoid a lawsuit," he said. "We wanted to avoid going to court, but we wanted respect for alumni rights."

Honestly? Admit it, Gado, you live for this shit. Of course like all legit lawsuits and grassroots movements, funding is provided by anonymous, shadowy backers. Gado explains:

That is really not our concern - whose funds," Gado said. "I have deliberately chosen not to inquire who is funding this. The Association is the client."

Over at Save Dartmouth, Adam Rabiner (D' 88) comments: 

It smacks me as sour grapes or being a sore loser to change the rules at this point and disenfranchise all alumni because the candidates that the alumni governance committees have selected are not winning.

Yeah, sour grapes... why does that phrase seem so suddenly apt?

After the jump -- the article from the D

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R.I.P. Dartmouth College (1769-2007)

R.I.P. Dartmouth College (1769-2007)

It's all over, folks. Dartmouth is done. On September 8 all the lights went out in Hanover as Ed Haldeman, Chair of the Board of Trustees snuffed the candle of democracy once and for all. By adding eight (unelected) charter trustees to its membership, the Board has ensured it will never again be troubled by the niggling complaints of semiconductor tycoons and former Reagan speechwriters.

Nah, just kidding. Dartmouth's still kicking, though things will never be as self-determined as they used to be. Yet I feel like as long as wikipedia pages like this one continue to be well-maintained, Dartmouth is going to be alright.

The response in the meantime from alumni has been vitriolic, to say the least, since naturally every step away from the 1891 constitution is a step into hell. One alumnus ominously comments in our inbox, "This stinks of Russia circa 1905. Sooner or later, there is going to be a catastrophic reckoning," and threatens to withhold donations, "until democracy is reinstated."

After the jump: dueling strongly-worded letters to alumni (I know, I know -- why aren't these thrilling documents before the jump?)

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The People’s United Front to Save Dartmouth

The People's United Front to Save DartmouthWSJ editorial page writer Joseph Rago (D '05) begins his profile of embattled Dartmouth trustee T.J. Rodgers with some dubious praise for the unsung heroics of yacht-less millionaires:

Some men of his means and achievement buy a yacht, or turn to philanthropic work, or join other corporate boards. Mr. Rodgers went back to school: He became a trustee of his alma mater, Dartmouth College--and not a recumbent one.

Still Mr. Rodgers comes off as a likeable and capable figure at the center of a fiercely-fought controversy over trustee alumni representation, a controversy which has lately spilled beyond the nativist-angst-filled pages of the Dartmouth Review and invaded both the op/ed section of the Wall Street Journal as well as the advertising pages of the New York Times (see right). Two groups, Committee to Save Dartmouth College and Vote Dartmouth, have set up websites devoted to the issue, one of which publishes the contact information of every Dartmouth trustee. Its blog invokes the civic wisdom of P Diddy: "Vote or die!" They've even got one of those highly-effective online petitions going. "Dear Dartmouth," the rest of the world wonders, "What the hell is going on?"

UPDATED 9/8: The Board of Trustees has decided to add eight charter trustees (i.e., unelected by alumni) to its membership, in effect packing itself. The D has the story. Also, see Joe Malchow's excellent account at Joe's Dartblog.

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