Just what season is it?


Although a few months have passed since TheSing-Off, weren’t The Aires terrific to watch? Incredibly talented young men! All the more exciting to realize Wayne Davis’ son Nate ’14 was one of them. The Davis family attended the grand finale, “our one brush with Hollywood.” In mid-December the group sang at the White House for nearly five hours as part of a series of private holiday parties held by President Obama.


One time class vice president Ben Wilson is a candidate for a trustee position on the Alumni Council. Ben was a member of the varsity football and track teams. After graduation he attended Harvard Law School and founded a mentoring program to foster academic success by minority college students. Ben is managing principal of Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., the nation’s largest environmental law firm. He litigates extensively in federal and state courts, advises clients in complex business negotiations and is lead counsel for major corporations and government agencies. Ben serves on the boards of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co. and the Environmental Law Institute. He is an adjunct professor at Howard University Law School. Trustee balloting will take place online and by mail from March 14 through April 11. Be sure to vote!


Campus facilities are rapidly changing. On October 1, 2011, the first-ever night game in the 130-year history of Dartmouth football was played under the new lights at Memorial Field. Thompson Arena has been renovated and ground has been broken for the construction of a new varsity softball facility in the southeast corner of the Chase Field complex. Adjacent to the Medical School, the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center housing a variety of research and teaching spaces opened this past fall. For many of us, however, the most startling change is that Thayer Dining Hall has been revamped into the Class of 1953 Commons, with seating for more than 1,000. Reportedly it offers “great tasting food, made to order, at eight state-of-the-art serving stations” as well as “a wide range of menu choices, including a fantastic salad bar, a Woodstone hearth oven, a broad selection of vegan and vegetarian options, kosher, halal, local, organic, international and specialty items.” Guess this generation will never know the charm of Blue Ladies or experience the mystery of chicken fingers.


The Dartmouth, as an independent organization, does not receive any funding from the College. The newspaper, in addition to its sales, is funded largely by contributions to the Vox Clamantis Fund. The fund has begun awarding need-based grants to staff members to assist students who are interested in committing time to the newspaper, but who may be restricted by their need to finance their education. The paper’s goal is to assist current staffers and to attract a broader group of students who may not have been previously able to devote time to The Dartmouth.


To report your news I need to hear from you. All types of mail welcome.


—Val Armento, 227 Sylvan Ave., San Mateo, CA 94403; val.armento@alum.dartmouth.org