Anne K.Albright ’83
Garvey E. Clarke ’57
Crystal Crawford ’87
James Crawford ’58
Karen Christina Francis ’84
Amy J. Gillenson D'76
Robert K. Goodwin
Virginia Rice Kelsey ’61S
Otho Kerr ’79
Ralph Manuel ’58
Joseph D. Mathewson ’55
Margaret Hall Pence ’79
Ross Robbins ’55
James Senger ’78
Precious Stargell ’85
Stuart Lord, Sara Jane Steinberg '91, Josene Steinberg,
Rabbi Boraz, Isabelle
Steinberg, Sheryl Kalis,
Max Steinberg,Adam Steinberg '91
Two decades ago, the concept of a Jewish Center was conceived by alumni and Dartmouth. Its purpose was to establish a Center for Jewish Life that would be a resource of the highest quality in order to provide a meaningful Jewish experience for students on one of the finest liberal arts campuses in the world. In November of 1997, through the hard and diligent work of the College under the Presidency of James Freedman, the extraordinary support of the Alumni, including the Alperin Family, members of the Upper Valley Jewish community under the leadership of Mort Wise, and the vision and generosity of Steven Roth Class of 62 and Tuck 63, the Roth Center became a reality.
This past April, Dartmouth Hillel became one of sixty such Hillels to meet Hillel International's Standards of Excellence, thus earning its first ever accreditation. This achievement is due, in significant part, to our Board of Directors, under the leadership of Jevin Eagle, our current Chair Amanda Salzhauer, and being part of the Tucker Foundation under Dean Stuart Lord. Most importantly, it is because of the committed students who make Jewish life at Dartmouth College one that is full of vitality. These students are part of a rich, ongoing history where Friday night meals and services are student organized. Students lead trips to Eastern Europe and to Israel in order to understand their past, their present, and their future. They have forged cooperative alliances under the Student Life Initiative, which established a dining facility where Jewish, Islamic, and Hindu students could observe their dietary laws through the Dartmouth Dining Service at the Pavilion. This is a student centered Hillel where students assume the mantles of leadership, engagement, and empowerment.
On a hot, July afternoon, I heard someone enter the Roth Center and arose from my office to greet him. I saw a man, well dressed, staring at the Green Banner that bore the name "Dartmouth Hillel." We introduced ourselves and of course the man I am referring to is Stuart Cable. He seemed to be in awe, as I was five years earlier, of this sacred space. We spoke for about twenty minutes. The last two minutes are more of an unconscious blur because at about the eighteen minute mark, he informed me of the true purpose of his visit. I still have not recovered completely. But this was made possible because of the deep commitment that students, alumni, and the College have made to nurture Jewish life at Dartmouth College.
I have talked with Stuart Cable and Josene Steinberg about her late husband, Michael, Zichronah Livrachah, may his memory be for a blessing. He was a mensch in the finest sense of our tradition. He was a loving husband and devoted father, an outstanding lawyer with a keen intellect, and a man dedicated to the Jewish people and community. It is so fitting that the rabbinic endowment bears his name and I am humbled to serve as the Michael Steinberg '61 Rabbi of Dartmouth College Hillel.
In July of 1998, I became the Rabbi of Dartmouth College Hillel and the Upper Valley Jewish Community. On September 23rd of that year, President James Wright was installed as the Dartmouth College's 16th President, succeeding President James Freedman. In his inaugural address, he spoke passionately about the vision of Dartmouth. It was one that celebrated diversity, pluralism, and community within the halls of the academy. He spoke eloquently of moving beyond tolerance to one of engagement between peoples of different faiths and backgrounds so that everyone in the Dartmouth community could learn and grow from one another. He was and is a man who not only lives by that principle but practices it with extraordinary humility and ease. He is as comfortable at a Rosh Hashanah service as he is at an evening Feast that celebrates the Islamic holiday of Ramadan. He is at home in citing the Bible as he is the Koran. What an honor it is to serve under his leadership and guidance. It gives me great pleasure to now introduce President James Wright.
[Ed: These remarks were delivered by Rabbi Boraz at a celebratory service on October 10, 2003.]
Dean Stuart Lord with run participants
Despite a huge rainstorm, the '07 Run and Rally 5k Run/Walk was a great success. The 5k run/ walk, which took place on September 23, 2003, attracted 223 runners/ walkers and over 80 volunteers for the event. While the event was a freshmen orientation event mainly for members of the Class of 2007, many upper-class students also participated. The event, which helped raise money for Dartmouth Habitat for Humanity and served as the first introduction of the Foundation to the first-year students, was held in conjunction with the Tucker Open House. "We were a little worried that because of the bad weather, we weren't going to have a big turn out. Instead, everyone that showed up seemed to be really excited to run for such a great cause and thought that a little rain only made the even that much more meaningful," stated Johanna Willer '04,Tucker Civic Intern.
The '07 Run and Rally, which replaced the DarCorp Service Day, was organized by a team of student interns and committee members. Johanna Willer '04, Jeffrey Coots '04, and John Urban '05, organized the program from its inception. The purpose of the event was to generate interest, enthusiasm and excitement within the first-year students for service while raising money for the building of a new Dartmouth Habitat House.
Otho Kerr, a member of the class of 1979, a Director at Oppenheimer and Company in New York, and chairman of the Tucker Foundation Board of Visitors, learned the importance of community service work as a child: each of his family members was involved in some aspect of social service, and he considered it natural to want to help out members of society less well off than himself. Today, he continues to hold those values. In addition to his relationship with the Tucker Foundation, he works with Volunteers of America, PAX Anti Gun Violence Organization, and teaches Sunday school. He has also co-founded the Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship, an organization in Harlem dedicated to creating opportunities, through jobs and mentoring, for under-resourced youth.When asked for advice to give to seniors in particular, he encouraged the class to follow their instincts, certain that the nourishment of passions will ensure happiness. Kerr has managed to follow his own advice through the years: supplying opportunities for the under-privileged, providing services for the less fortunate; he is one of the many manifestations of the Tucker Foundation's mission; he is the motivation for all Dartmouth students to remember that the real rewards in life stem from reaching others.
While many college students volunteer, working tirelessly to assist others in need, few students know how to address social needs at their roots and to advocate for social change.
The mission of COMMUNiversITY, a program within Dartmouth Community Services at the Tucker Foundation, is to empower students and community members to find ways to link service, public advocacy efforts, and academic work and to enable coalition building between disparate groups in the community and the college. COMMUNiversITY is a free, non-credit course that engages Dartmouth students and a diverse group of community members in a focused dialogue about issues facing the Upper Valley, and develops concrete, collaborative strategies for responding to those issues. The course meets weekly and includes visits from guest speakers from community agencies and coalitions as well as from local and state government.
Last winter COMMUNiversITY focused on affordable housing needs in the Upper Valley. Some students who learned about the issues moved on to volunteer and paid part-time positions in community agencies. Others galvanized students to form a Hanover canvassing and awareness campaign to get out the vote for a town meeting resolution that committed town land for affordable housing use for the first time in thirty years. The resounding success of the vote is a tribute to the power of town and gown working together to create change. In the spring students and community studied youth support, and contributed to the developing idea of a "kids café" in White River Junction, VT. This fall, COMMUNiversITY is focusing on local food security and agriculture. Student leaders hope to learn about the needs of the local hungry and of local growers, and to forge new solutions.
Casey Cramer
The Dartmouth football team has begun a new community outreach effort with the creation of the "Game Day Buddies" program. During each of the five home games, the team will host children from various groups in the Upper Valley and treat them to a day of activities and football. The first children to be invited were from the Big Brother, Big Sister program waiting list at Lebanon In Service To Each Neighbor (L.I.S.T.E.N.), a local multi-service community agency. Each of the participants was paired with a Dartmouth football player as a special game day buddy. The children donned a Dartmouth football jersey corresponding to the number of their game day buddy. They were given a facilities tour and a chance to speak with Coach Lyons and watch the team's highCasey Cramer light film. At halftime, the children were introduced at midfield and participated in the "Punt, Pass, and Kick" competition. After the game, they were guests of their game day buddy at the Friends of Dartmouth Football tent and had the opportunity to visit with the players and get autographs and pictures. All of the participants took a group photo to be autographed and sent to the children as a keepsake of the day. "I am very excited about having Game Day Buddies this year," said senior tight end Casey Cramer. "Because my dad was a football coach, I grew up around football and I understand just how much of a positive influence we, as older athletes, can be to these kids." Game Day Buddies is part of a new advising collaboration between the Dartmouth Athletic Department and the Tucker Foundation, with leadership from the CHAMPS program at DCAD and from the Jaeger Civic Internship at Tucker, named in honor of former Director of Athletics Richard Jaeger. The Game Day Buddies program continues the football team's longstanding commitment to community service. During the past 10 years, the team has spoken to children at many local elementary schools, participated in the "Big Green Readers Program" and visited area hospitals, including the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth. "Game Day Buddies will be a good opportunity to give back to the community and that is really what our program emphasizes," added Cramer. "We came up with this idea last season after a decision to get more involved in the Upper Valley and saw this as a great way to share what we love, which is football, in an environment that will be inspirational and also fun for these kids."
In the Spring of 2002,William Jewett Tucker Foundation established the Lester Granger `18 Award. Lester Granger's distinguished career includes working as a teacher, coach, social worker and youth counselor; he was best known for serving as the Executive Director of the Urban League for twenty years.A veteran of World War I, Mr. Granger was asked by President Roosevelt to be the Special Advisor to the Secretary of the Navy on Negro Personnel, and was nationally known for his leadership in eliminating racism and his attention to issues of poverty. In 1947, Mr. Granger received the Navy's Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, and also was awarded the President's Medal for Merit from President Harry S.Truman. He became the first African-American to be nominated as President of the International Conference of Social Work. In retirement, Mr. Granger taught at the college level as well as serving as a trustee for several colleges and non-profit organizations. He remained an enthusiastic member of his Dartmouth class and actively participated in alumni activities. He received an honorary degree from Dartmouth in 1946.The staff of the Tucker Foundation felt that Mr. Granger's accomplishments made him uniquely suited to have this award named in his honor, and we are delighted that new generations of Dartmouth alumni will now know about his significant contributions to the community.
The Granger Award is presented annually by the Tucker Foundation to a Dartmouth College graduate whose commitment to public service has been exemplary. In determining the Award's recipient, we seek a graduate who has exhibited leadership and innovation in meeting community needs and benefiting an under-served population.A nominee's service may be either in a voluntary or professional capacity. At the discretion of the Selection Committee, the Granger Award may be conferred upon more than one person.
Ms. Ellis graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Religion. In 1997, she began her career as a Research Associate with The Policy Studies Association conducting research regarding effective organizational practices in public school reform. As Director of Research for Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, she spearheaded a $500,000 grant study of community-based coalition organizations.
During her time in Washington D.C., Ms. Ellis actively participated in Literacy Volunteers of America--National Capital Area, serving as Chair of the organization's Board of Directors. Under her guidance, the program and services offered grew from an annual operating budget of $60,000 to $500,000.
In 2000, Ms. Ellis left Washington to create The Harbinger Partners, a non-profit organization located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Through The Harbinger Foundation, Ms. Ellis has created a new model for charitable grant-making organizations, which work to match corporate ideals, resources and employee skills of Boston's technology-rich businesses with non-profit foundations seeking technology-driven solutions to community-based issues.As a result, she was named one of Boston Business Journal's "40 Under 40" in October 2002, for her work as founder and Executive Director of The Harbinger Foundation.
Ms. Ellis received her award on Tuesday October 7, 2003 at a presentation in Filene Auditorium.
Michael Stern holds a B.A. from Dartmouth College (Class of 1959), as well as an M.B.A. from the Amos Tuck Business School (1960) and a J.D. from New York University School of Law.
Mr. Stern committed himself to public service and the enrichment of New York City youth by founding The Big Wood Foundation in 1987, a not-for-profit grant-making program focused on advancing youth education in New York.
The sponsorship of "I Have a Dream", by the 1989 class led to the creation of the Graduate Achievement Program (GAP) in 1991. The after-school program currently operates in 3 New York City high schools to encourage inner-city junior high and high school students to complete high school and seek higher education through community mentoring, counseling and financial support.
The following year, Mr. Stern conceived the Youth Employment Summer (YES) program, an outgrowth of the Graduate Achievement Program, providing motivated high school juniors and seniors with professional summer internships. The YES program celebrated its ten-year anniversary in 2002.
In 1994, Mr. Stern and fellow 1959 classmate C. Ferries played critical roles in the establishment of Dartmouth Partners in Community Service (DPCS) to provide Dartmouth undergraduates interested in pursuing community service during an off-term with assistance and mentoring. DPCS received a Points of Light Award from the Corporation for National Services and the Points of Light Foundation in 2000.
Mr. Stern has served as a board member of several programs and corporations including:The Valley a youth program at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City; the Education Foundation for Fashion Institute of Technology; Human Resource Administration for New York City; Children's Aid Society and the Dartmouth College Film Studies Program. He received his award on Tuesday, November 4, 2003 at a presentation in Dartmouth 105.
Leigh Heeter
Leigh Heeter '04 is a Psychology and Women and Gender Studies double major, from Kansas City, Missouri. She is a chair of the Tucker Foundation's Little Kids LEAD mentoring program, as well as a member of the Dartmouth Decibelles. She is also the Philanthropy Chair of her sorority, Kappa Kappa Gamma, and is a two-time DOC Trip Leader.
During the winter 2003 term, Leigh worked as an intern at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, as part of the Dartmouth Partners in Community Service program.
Leigh was recently awarded a Tucker Fellowship to continue her HIV/AIDS advocacy work in Cape Town, South Africa during the summer 2003 term.
During my internship with the San Francisco AIDS Foundation, I learned a great deal about HIV/AIDS and the impact that this epidemic is having on millions of human lives. Through researching new outreach programs and training to be an operator on the California AIDS Hotline, I became familiar with all of the relevant statistics--infection rates, treatment rates, and death rates. Undeniably, the numbers are shocking, disheartening, alarming; they reveal the frightening magnitude of this epidemic. Much more important than all of this knowledge, however, was the experience I gained while working on the Hotline--learning a little bit about what it is like to live with this disease, to face all of the treatment issues, prejudices, and taboos that come with an HIV-positive diagnosis.
For ten weeks, I worked as an anonymous phone operator. Some people called because they were worried that they had put themselves at risk for HIV infection, and wanted to know where they could be anonymously tested. Some called simply because they knew that their lifestyle was putting them in danger, and wanted to know how to better protect themselves. And some called because they were walking out of a testing clinic, having just been given the news that they were HIV-positive, and didn't know where else to turn. Every day that I worked on the Hotline, I dealt with heartbreaking situations.These were situations that neither I, nor anyone else, had the ability to "fix." More often than not, I had to hang up, take a deep breath, remember that I had done my best and provided all the help that I was able, and then simply let go.
While it was necessary for me to learn to distance myself from some of these situations, that does not mean that the conversations were easy to forget. My time working on the Hotline, experiencing how this disease affects people on a personal level, strengthened my resolve to help fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is for this reason that I chose to travel to Cape Town, South Africa, this summer to work for the Treatment Action Campaign--an organization that strives to provide education and outreach programs to prevent new HIV infections; to make good, affordable treatment a reality for all South Africans affected by HIV; and to combat the belief that an HIV-positive diagnosis is a "death sentence." There are currently an estimated 5.2 million people living with HIV/AIDS in South Africa. The HIV/AIDS prevalence rate among adults is 19.94%--nearly one-fifth of the adult population (as compared to 0.061% of the U.S. adult population). While I could continue to do HIV and AIDS advocacy work here in the United States, I feel very strongly about volunteering in a country where, not only is the epidemic far more widespread, but also the organizations that are working to combat it are more seriously understaffed, under-funded, and in need of volunteers.
During my internship at SFAF, I spent a significant amount of time researching the ways in which HIV infection affects women, specifically. Through this research, I learned about the ways in which gender dynamics often work to place women at greater vulnerability for acquiring the virus, as well as at a heightened disadvantage for receiving timely and effective treatment. As significant and worrisome as these problems are within the United States, it has reached the level of a major health crisis in Africa. There, especially, women are particularly susceptible to a number of social, cultural, and economic factors that prevent them from securing the prevention information and treatment that they need. It is for this reason that I have chosen to work specifically with the Treatment Action Campaign's Women's Health Issues Coordinator on a number of projects aimed at educating women about HIV prevention and providing them with better treatment options.
The HIV/AIDS situation in South Africa is critical. Drug therapies exist that can extend the life of a person with HIV, make him or her more comfortable, and reduce the chances of mother-to-child transmission. Unfortunately, however, these treatments simply are not available to the vast majority of the South African population. I am eager to work with the Treatment Action Campaign in their fight not only to prevent new HIV infections, but also to provide better treatment options for all South Africans who are affected by this disease.
"Rachel reaching"
As we watched the SEAD III high school students depart from campus one last time this summer, the scene brought many tears to the eyes of students, staffers, and mentors alike. The previous day had marked the graduation of the first class of students to fully complete the Summer Enrichment at Dartmouth (SEAD) program. The students had traveled to Hanover for two weeks each of the last three summers for the program that strives to, among other things, expand the students' conception of what is possible and get them to aspire to a post-secondary education. Now it was time to wave goodbye one last time as the buses pulled out of sight, headed to Boston, Philadelphia, and Canaan, NH.
At least for me, it was comforting to know that the farewell we were all experiencing at the time wasn't as permanent as it first seemed. We would all be in touch with many of the students throughout the next year. Staffers would be emailing and calling students to check up on their progress in the college application process. SEAD mentors would be continuing the relationship that had been built since the first summer. One school, Mascoma High School, is so close that pizza-parties or outdoor activities could be planned to bring everyone together a few times throughout the year. Keeping in touch with the students is one aspect of SEAD that reinforces what is learned during the summer programs.
In the first year, SEAD I, students participate in a curriculum that focuses on English, math, and computer sciences. Career awareness and outdoor education are also a part of the first year. Most importantly, SEAD I students are matched up with a mentor, a Dartmouth sophomore, who individually works with them and tutors them while they are on campus. The second summer, SEAD II, is focused more on student empowerment. Students gain the skills through research projects and hands-on community service that allow them create positive change in their own lives and in the communities where they live. SEAD III, their final summer, is focused on college preparation. Students take SAT prep classes, write college essays, fill out the common application, and complete mock college interviews.
In all, between 200 and 300 Dartmouth students, mostly sophomores, help out in some way with SEAD each summer. They act as mentors, meal preparers, or sponsor activities that the SEAD students participate in. "SEAD was a central part of my sophomore summer," says Ali Kelley '04. "I feel that I have gained so much from the interactions I've had with the SEAD students. It was hard to see them go." Ali was a SEAD mentor her sophomore summer, staff member her junior summer, and is currently doing most of the planning for the Mascoma High School activities planned throughout the year. As a result of the initial success of SEAD, the program is currently expanding to more high schools from around the country.
Leaving Kittery, Maine
In the summer of 2003, 26 college students (almost half of them from Dartmouth) biked across the country from Kittery, Maine to Vancouver, BC to raise funds for, and awareness of affordable housing issues in the United States. The cyclists cruised over 4,000 miles and fundraised about ten dollars for each mile that they covered. Along the way, participants took "days off" to help out on the construction site building homes with families in need and supplied grassroots housing organizations with small donations. Altogether the effort disseminated information to hundreds of people along the route and raised almost $40,000 to help the Dartmouth College chapter of Habitat for Humanity reach its goal of building another student fundraised and built house in the summer of 2004. It was a tiring (but fun!) trip across the country and the Bike and Build participants declared that the experience was life changing. One of the riders (Mats Lemberger '06) stated: "Being exposed to the kindness of interested people along the way, listening to their thoughts and feelings about affordable housing, and in return sharing with them our own, was one of the memorable and rewarding experiences of Bike and Build."
The Tucker Foundation has sent four Dartmouth College 9/11 interns to Public School 126 in Southeast Manhattan in an attempt to provide emotional and academic assistance for students affected by the tragedy of September 11, 2001.
Dason Watson '04 and Caroline Kerr '05 spent the winter of 2003 at the predominantly African American and Latino school assisting 6th and 7th grade students in math, language arts, science and history. During a typical day, they followed their students to each of their classes and offered extra help both in the classroom setting and in after-school tutoring sessions.They entered the school instantly eager to determine how exactly they could help academically and emotionally, and they ultimately delighted in the curiosity and confidence they ignited in the students during their three months as teachers, confidantes, and friends.
Caroline, for instance, remembers a certain 6th grade boy who was repeating the grade for a second time: His father was not a part of his life, he didn't receive enough attention at home, and he seemed to be getting lost in the school's busy shuffle. She began to work with him one on one. He was, of course, initially excited for the attention, and her assurance that he could perform academically lifted his achievement immediately. He wouldask Caroline to sit next to him during tests just to boost his confidence. He would find her after classes to initiate tutoring sessions. On the last day of her time there, she received an email from the boy declaring that she was the best teacher he had had, ever. The email, the boy, the entire experience, made her begin to redefine what it meant to be a good teacher.
Dason recalls the last day of his time with the students as a heartbreaking experience. He went out before class to buy bags of Doritos and cookies and made sure each child got at least something. He was sad to leave the kids, not only because he could see tangible indications of their improvement, but because he became better through each of his interactions with them. He became more sensitive; he smiled more; he considered his weaknesses and strengths more closely and more honestly.
There were rough moments, of course: students who seemed to make it their day's work to interrupt any academic progress, mornings when the volunteers wanted to just fall back into their beds. However, the content of the relationships that the volunteers built, the improvement that they prompted in students who might have otherwise fallen through the cracks, the growth that they could ultimately recognize in themselves, will always provide the volunteers with immeasurable satisfaction.
W. C. Raj Dalit was a renowned lecturer and social activist who came during the Fall of 2002. He spoke on the need for social reform in India, tying it into his own work to end the caste system.
Mohammad Mahallati was a former Iranian Ambassador to the United Nations. Ambassador Mahallati spoke on Islam and the relations of the US and Iran in the present day. His amazing personal experiences in addition to his ambitious scholarly accomplishments made for an enlightening talk.
Why War/Why Not? was a debate between two Dartmouth professors, Alan Stam of the Government Department, and Ronald Edsforth of the History Department, over pros and cons of waging a war with Iraq. Both professors were leading experts on foreign and domestic policies and delivered a top notch debate to a packed auditorium.
The Terrorism debate consisted of a panel of nationally recognized experts designed to evaluate and discuss the US's approach to the War on Terror. It consisted on Robert Leicht, a former Army Special Forces colonel and attaché to the CIA, Ned Lebow, a government professor who served on several national security boards, Daniel Byman, former analyst for the CIA, and Ronald Green, a Dartmouth religion professor and nationally renowned ethicist.
In 1963, President John F. Kennedy envisioned a domestic volunteer program modeled after the newly established Peace Corps. During the following year President Lyndon B. Johnson declared a "war on poverty" and signed the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964 creating Volunteers In Service To America (VISTA) and realizing President Kennedy's vision.
In an effort to bolster domestic community service during the 1990s, President William J. Clinton developed Americorps and merged Americorps and VISTA under the National Community Service Trust Act.
Americorps*VISTA members dedicate one year to domestic non-profit organizations with the focus of working on poverty related issues in an indirect service capacity. There are currently over 40,000 Americorps volunteers working in every state of the union. Among other things, the Americorps*VISTA professionals at the Tucker Foundation work advising student groups working on poverty-related issues and expanding current programs addressing education and poverty. Kyle Chambers and Beth Halpern join such notable VISTA alumni as: Senator John Rockefeller, Ray Magliozzi, and Justice Paul H. Anderson.
Dear Jay,
Who knew a team (not a group but a team) of undergraduates, graduates and Bill from Dartmouth could touch and change so many young people's lives. I cannot believe it took me 3 years to figure out that all of you have such an impact on my life. As you can tell by now, I got home safely. I didn't do anything else at home but go straight to the computer and type this letter to you all. On the limo ride, I wrote this piece of literature to you, showing my love and thanks to you all. As memories from the past flashed through my head, more tears came running down my cheeks. There aren't enough words in the dictionary to describe how I feel about all of you. You all played a huge role in my life. To be able to affect someone (myself) so much must have the gift to change the world. All of you have such humanitarian hearts that you are willing to spend nine days with group of high school students, when you could of done something else. I will never forget the time I've spent at Dartmouth, and the time that I've spent with all of you.You guys have a special place in my heart that I'll never forget. I am mesmerized by all of you.All the work you put into this program shows the compassion that you guys had for us.
I could go on and on. I might be able to write a book on this subject but I won't. I guess what I've been trying to say is, thank you, thank you, thank you, and thank you so much.You guys mean the world to me. What you guys have done for me is just unspeakable. If only there were more people like you guys, this world would be a better place for all of us. I encourage you all of you to keep on doing what you are doing. Because what ever it is, I know that it will impact not just your life, but others as well. What is Vimul without you guys? I can't answer that question because I don't have to, with people like you! There is no need to answer it. It answers itself.The farmer needs seeds to grow crops. He or she also needs water and good soil to grow his crops.You guys are farmers; you helped us plant our direction toward a higher education.You gave me good soil to grow in. Now, I'm ahead of the other crops. It is time for me to grow and soon it will be harvest time.That's when we can celebrate. I hope this letter doesn't bring you to tears. If so, cheer up.When you're down, return to this letter and let it remind you of all you have done.You are special in so many ways. If I could take a picture of this whole week, then I would see a picture of college students working hard, night and day, to make a difference in high school students' lives.You have made a difference in my life.You made me whole and I could never forget that. I'm not going to say goodbye because it means that we won't see each other again.That is not true. I'm going to make an effort to see all of you one way or another. I did the Vi dance as another way of saying I promise.
Experiential exploration of genocide. Laborious physical service work. Cultural immersion abroad. So many different themes. One project.
At the end of this past summer, Dartmouth Hillel took thirteen students and three staff members on its second annual Cross Cultural Service Project to Poland and Belarus. The purpose of the project was three-fold and exceeded the expectations of all.
The team experientially explored the idea of mass genocide and human response to such a horror by visiting sites and speaking with people closely connected to the tragedy of the Holocaust. The trip began in Poland where the group traveled to Krakow to visit the once vibrant Jewish quarter. During the day in the area, the team made an extremely emotional visit to the concentration camp, Auschwitz-Birkenau, the fate for so many Jews during the Holocaust. Both the Jewish and non-Jewish participants felt the experience resonate at the deepest levels of humanity. After traveling into Belarus, the team interacted with a Holocaust survivor who detailed his miraculous escape and gave the group signs of hope and motivation for their work in Belarus.
The service work in Belarus consisted of restoring a Jewish cemetery in a village, Indura, which once hosted a vibrant Jewish community of ninety percent. Today, no Jews live in Indura and the cemetery lay in disrepair before the team's arrival. The group exceeded its expectations and completely enclosed the 900 foot perimeter of the cemetery by erecting wrought iron panels. In order to restore the cemetery, the group up righted about seventy-five gravestones, removed massive amounts of trash, and cut away most of the overgrown weeds. Although the group worked extremely hard, all of this work could not have been completed without the generous help from the community.
Working with the community allowed for the group to immerse themselves within the culture. Homestays were conducted in order to gain greater insight into the lives of these villagers. Through these experiences, the group determined that although the village may not have been wealthy in material goods, it was extremely rich in the heart. Through meeting with local university students, the group experienced further cultural immersion. During these encounters, Belarusians and Americans learned different perspectives about Belarusian culture, economics, politics, religion and social life. Friendships were formed that will transcend the short time spent in Eastern Europe.
All of these themes, along with having a dynamic and inspiring group, made the experience one that all of the participants will remember for their lifetimes. It is the hope of all involved that the project will continue for successive years in order to engage as many as people possible.
"I have never before felt so excited at times, so drained by work. I wish
to spend more time here and the other night I could hardly get to sleep because
though my body was tired, my mind was thinking of people in the camp . . . I
want to leave knowing that I made some small difference here . . . It's early,
but I could see some type of international work in my future . . . I think that
Kakuma will, or at least has the potential to be, one of those road marks in
my life, one of those signs I won't forget, and one that may even shift my direction,
motivation and speed."
-Spring 1998-Kakuma Refugee Camp, Kenya
This journal entry above, written while I was on a Tucker Foundation fellowship in my junior year of college, was something that spoke to me as I applied to graduate school for international relations in the fall of 2001. In an application process that forced me to reflect upon the numerous experiences that had shaped my life up to that point, Kakuma was near the top. Although the fellowship's impact was clear, my journey to the refugee camp was never certain until the moment I finally stepped onto the small 15-seat UN plane for the three-hour flight to northwestern Kenya.
While taking part in the Dartmouth Foreign Study Program in Nairobi during the previous two months, I had visited numerous offices in order to find some way of volunteering in humanitarian relief during the upcoming spring term. After literally a few dozen phone calls and appointments I finally received some verbal commitment from Lutheran World Federation (LWF), which directed Kakuma refugee camp. This was possible not because of any skill that some naive college junior possessed, but that thanks to the potential of a Tucker grant, I could work for the organization and yet pay for all of my expenses.
Landing on a dirt runway in the barren desert on the outskirts of a camp for 70,000 refugees from more than seven countries, I did not know what to expect. And perhaps that uncertainty was good, because no one at the UN or LWF office there expected me either. Over the next few weeks I spent time with the social services program, ultimately volunteering as a caseworker alongside two Kenyans, Eucabeth and Karanja. Together with refugee staff, we responded to community concerns, and never knew what to expect on a day-to-day basis. We talked to a Sudanese man with leprosy, met with Somali elders about a youth who eloped with his lover and was now at risk of being killed, carried out a non-food item assessment, visited an Ethiopian boy who had broken his leg when hit by a UN vehicle (I still wish I had done more to help), or learned about a person's house being burned down.
Overall, while we, and I in particular, could not do much, I think the best service we provided was being available to listen to people's stories. They spoke of the past they could never forget, losing their homes, seeing family members killed, and fleeing across the border into Kenya. Or we heard about their present concerns, whether it be assault and rape, being shot at by local bandits, or merely having enough food until the next distribution. Specific images come back to mind, but one that might best sum up the experience is that of a woman, clutching a baby in one arm while banging on the gate of the UN compound with her other fist, demanding more food to adequately feed her child.
While I did not think about it at first, it was difficult to re-enter the United States and my senior year of college. I struggled to come to terms with my experience, my former life, and all of the opportunity and privilege that existed in my hometown and at Dartmouth. While I had been at Kakuma for only two months, there were refugees who had lived in the camp for over seven years, and most are still there today. It took me many months to more fully digest my experience in the refugee camp, and I often continue to think back about my time there.
The Tucker fellowship also influenced me after graduation from college. After my senior year, I decided to go abroad again, and it was with that desire that I found myself teaching in the Marshall Islands for one year. After returning to a stint as a consultant to charitable foundations (and finding that type of career was not for me) I was drawn back to what I knew I enjoyed deep within my heart, work involving people. As a case manager for the International Rescue Committee's office in Boston, I was daily focused on the multitude of challenges that immigrants face when coming to our country. After welcoming refugees directly off the plane I assisted with housing, employment and education, not to mention the more basic issues like shopping for food and getting around a new city. It was here at the IRC that my Kakuma experience came full circle, as I helped to resettle more than forty of the "Lost Boys", young Sudanese men who had been in the very refugee camp that I visited three years before.
My hope with this writing as to convey, in some sense, the value of the Tucker Fellowship experience, and I would enjoy speaking further to anyone interested about Kakuma, or the Tucker Fellowship in general. Please feel free to email me anytime at suss@alum.dartmouth.org.
Left to right: Shirley Gramling, Beth Halpern,
Tracy Dustin-Eichler, Kyle Chambers
AmeriCorps* VISTA Member, Community Service Coordinator
Beth Halpern was born and raised in La Grange, Illinois. She completed undergraduate work at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin majoring in psychology and a double minor in Spanish and Anthropology. Beth volunteered for Habitat for Humanity International in Americus, GA for 4 months; spent some time studying international development in Ecuador; spent much of her time in college participating in and leading volunteer activities. Beth came to the Tucker Foundation at Dartmouth College as the community coordinator to serve as her year as an Americorps*VISTA volunteer.
Volunteer Program Assistant
racy Dustin-Eichler is a native of New Hampshire but has just relocated to the Upper Valley from Boston. In Boston,Tracy was pursuing a graduate degree at Harvard as well as working with undergraduate students engaged in community service through Harvard's Phillip Brooks House. Prior to attending Harvard, Tracy served as an AmeriCorps member teaching Environmental Education in the Berkshires, and has led volunteer high school trail crew projects in Virginia,West Virginia and Wyoming. Now at Dartmouth,Tracy is excited about helping the students improve the quality of service they provide to the Upper Valley while maximizing the educational benefits of their service experiences.
AmeriCorps*VISTA Member, Program Assistant
Kyle graduated from Dartmouth College in June, 2003 as a philosophy major.This past summer he was a leader with the SEAD program. After spending this academic year as an Americorps*VISTA volunteer with the Tucker Foundation, he plans on returning to school in order to pursue a career in medicine. From time to time Kyle can be seen helping coach the 1st-year Men's Rugby team and also training for triathalons. Kyle is a native of Idaho.
Dreytser Program Director, Dartmouth Hillel
Rachel Shlensky Dreytser graduated from DePaul University/Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies with a degree in Jewish Studies in Spring 2003. At DePaul she was the President of Hillel, part of the University Ministry and the Multi-cultural committees. Throughout her college years, she helped Hillel grow from very few active students and a couple of activities a week to hundreds of active students and programs every day. Not only was she active in the Jewish community, but was very committed to educating and bringing different faiths together. From her active leadership at DePaul, she won the Outstanding Leadership Award. Six months ago, Rachel married David Dreytser who joins her at Dartmouth.
Administrative Assistant to the Chaplain
Shirley Gramling joined the Tucker staff in October after completing 20 years in the U.S. Air Force as a chaplain's assistant. She holds a B.A. in Liberal Studies from the College of St. Joseph in Vermont, and a M.A. in Public Administration from Bowie State University. Shirley was born in Windsor, and raised in Woodstock,Vermont, and is thrilled to be back home in New England.
Rita Hall, former administrative assistant to the chaplain, has left the college to undertake a teacher-training program. She says that the career change was influenced by her association with the Tucker 9/11 volunteers.We wish her well in this new endeavor.
This past spring the Foundation's Board of Visitors organized a very successful fundraiser. Promising to match all donations up to $20,000, the Board was able to rally our friends to pledge the entire $20,000, for a grand total of $40,000 raised for the Foundation. We were ecstatic with the results. Thanks to all our friends and the Board of visitors for helping the foundation to meet its financial projections.
Under the leadership of Richard Crocker, College Chaplain, weekly chapel services have resumed in Rollins Chapel.While special services, such as the Martin Luther King, Jr. celebration and the Baccalaureate service, have long been held in Rollins Chapel, and while many different student religious organizations use the chapel on a regular basis, there has been no weekly college chapel service for several years. Responding to requests from many people, Chaplain Crocker has begun a brief mid-week service on Thursdays, beginning at 12:30 and ending at 1 PM.
The service reflects the college's Christian tradition and welcomes the full participation of people of all faiths. Consisting of scripture readings, prayers, music, and a brief sermon, the chapel service is providing a new centering opportunity for members of the Dartmouth community. The services are scheduled on Thursdays so as not to compete with the services of local churches, which many students attend.
"Truth and justice what do these words really mean? Are they complementary
or mutually exclusive? I had always believed that they worked hand-in-hand, continually
safeguarding our justice system's place as the best in the world. For all of
the faults of our country, surely the justice system is above the fray of rough
imperfections that characterized modern society. But, I say now that I am not
as certain about it as I once was. My summer at the Legal Rights Center in Minneapolis,
Minnesota served as enlightenment for not only my own sense of ideals, but also
for our collective future." ... " `Guilty.' The word cascaded off the walls of
the courtroom, resonating deeply within my ears. I sat there shocked and utterly
amazed, unable to blink."
-- Jopei Shih '06 DPCS Intern, Legal Rights Center, Minneapolis, MN
"I have taken the government classes, and I have read the books by Gabriel
Garcia Marquez, Mario Vargas Llosa and Isabel Allende (among others) to understand
the corruption and difficulties of Latin American politics, but it was so surprising
to live within it and realize that yes, that all still exists here, even among
the small improvements. It blew my mind to read the newspapers as the government
declared a national emergency, and then to see soldiers on live television shooting
their M-16 rifles (aiming to hit) directly into a line of angry, protesting farmers
in the North. It baffled my mind to read, edit, and comment on the UN document
regarding the country's lack of Human and Sexual Rights improvements in the past
10 years...why? Where were the answers?" ... "I traveled on my own for APROPO
through the many elaborately-rich and heart-wrenchingly poor neighborhoods of
Lima, conducting my own interviews and understanding the viewpoints on contraception,
politics, birth control, and life."
-- Kerri Entin '04 Tucker Foundation Fellow,Apoyo a Programas de Poblacion (APROPO), Lima & Iquitos, Peru
Thus far this academic year 13 Tucker Foundation Fellows and 17 Dartmouth Partners in Community Services (DPCS) Interns have served with domestic and international non-profit organizations (CSOs & NGOs) in leave-term experiences dedicated to broadening their perspectives, strengthening their minds, training their hearts, lifting their spirits, and providing direct service opportunities. Over the past two years approximately 1/3 of qualified applicants have been awarded Tucker Foundation fellowships. In the last five years approximately 1/2 of qualified applicants had been awarded Tucker Foundation fellowships. During most of its history in partnership with the Tucker Foundation, Dartmouth Partners in Community Service funded almost every qualified applicant; DPCS is now accepting only about 3/4 of all qualified applicants. Currently, the student interest in fellowships and internships, and the number of qualified applicants, are steadily increasing. Increased resources are needed to adequately support these truly life changing experiences for students.
More students are sharing their stories of conviction and stories of service with other students and interested faculty, staff, and alumni/ae. They increasingly subscribe to the philosophy that storytelling is a powerful way to teach and inspire. On October 14, the Office of Fellowships & Internships offered a welcome back program for returning fellows and interns. This program was billed as Stories of Conviction...Stories of Service. It was a two-part program beginning with a 4pm talk with Tom Chappell, sociallyresponsible entrepreneur, philanthropist, and co-founder of Tom's of Maine who shared stories from his personal and professional journey through a career devoted to value-centered leadership and it continued at 5pm with Tucker Foundation fellows, Bildner Summer interns, and DPCS interns sharing their transforming experiences with students, faculty, staff, and DPCS alumni/ae. Approximately 40 people attended the event which was held in East Wheelock, Brace Commons. Additionally, the Office of Fellowships & Internships is piloting various strategies to improve debriefing sessions with returning fellows and interns as well as helping them imagine ways to intentionally integrate their learning gained from these fellowships and internships into their current and future academic, co-curricular, and community service experiences.