To: Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College: Petition for Change
We, the undersigned students and graduates of Dartmouth, faculty, parents and community members:
Express our unqualified support for the recent protests at the show for prospective students. These protests against sexual violence as well as racism, homophobia, and other forms of prejudice have captured everyone's attention. In spite of predictable backlash, the student protesters courageously took the measures necessary to bring their concerns to light. The subsequent threats of death and rape that they received illustrate the truth of their claims. They now suffer through fear, social isolation, and demands that they be punished.
We applaud the administration's decision to cancel classes in order to address the threatened violence against students, and we oppose any and all demands of punishment for the protesters.
In considering the aftermath of this incident, we must not lose sight of their actual message. Their concerns are the realities of Dartmouth student life. We too have witnessed and experienced them in our own time at the College. We are saddened, but not surprised, by recent events. Significant reforms are needed to change the nature of social life at Dartmouth.
The protesters' values are our values, and their demands are our demands.
Why is this important?
On April 19th, a group of students entered the Dartmouth Dimensions show for prospective students in order to protest against sexual violence and prejudice at the school. They subsequently received threats of violence from other students, in response to which the administration canceled classes. Students and alumni have called for the protesters to be punished, but the problems that gave rise to the protest remain unaddressed. They need our support.
This incident has been covered by the national media:
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/04/24/us/dartmouth-cancels-classes-protest/index.html
Editorial from the Valley News: