Word: jewett
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: during 1990-1999
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57's decision to randomize the housing lottery for the class of 1999 is highly problematic, and its implications for both the House system and the College are deeply troubling...
first, neither the administration nor the House Masters have demonstrated any attention to students opinion. The Undergraduate Council has found that 81 percent of students oppose randomization in its recent poll; the Independent survey found an even higher number opposed; and over 200 students signed a letter asking Jewett, incoming Dean Harry Lewis, and the house masters not to Insititute this plan. None of this seems to mean anything to the administration, which has a foolishly single-minded commitment to diversity...
While exposing students to a variety of life experiences is a worthy goal, there is no evidence that it will be furthered by randomization--people will continue to befriend those who are like themselves. In fact, representation of ethnic minorities will be compromised under the Jewett plan, as their members will be dispersed, depriving them of the ability to easily band together and thus maximize their impact on other students' lives. Such a diaspora can only hinder the "learning from each other" that Jewett claims to promote...
While the tendency to manage students life without students input is disturbing, perhaps more so is the timing of the announcement. Jewett, of course, is a lame duck who will retire this summer; he should not be making a decision that will affect the College long after he has left. His doing so leaves no one to take responsibility for this action, and cynically protects Lewis' well--cultivated reputation for concern for students needs...
...saying that this conspiracy theory is any more true than one of Oliver Stone's, but in political disputes the appearance is often as significant as the reality. Dean Jewett's claim that he delayed the decision until the end of the semester in order to listen to as many voices as possible may be entirely true. But that won't help relations with students who feel that the administration deliberately suckered them...