- Sep 22, 2013
- 4,956
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During the late 1990s, Dartmouth College (Hanover, New Hampshire) was trying to renovate its social life when the Administration/Trustees suggested that the fraternity system be dismantled and reinvented as a more coffee-house style social atmosphere.
Dartmouth had a rich tradition of fraternity life and while there were news-stories of wild goings-on and unruly forms of hazing and even some questionable manifestations of exclusivity/racism in its earlier more formative years, the students generally looked at frat-parties and frat-life and favorable and cathartic, a way to unwind after a long week of rigorous Ivy League academics.
Suddenly, perhaps because America itself was changing radically (in the late 1990s, as Clintonian consumerism was about to give rise to new millennium form of liberal media/Facebook/consumerism), Dartmouth's administration decided to revolutionize social life on campus and make it more 'art-friendly' rather than 'club-oriented.'
Not all the students were happy with this recommendation, and compromises were struck so that aspects of frat-culture would be maintained while this new 'coffee-house vision' of student-life would be allowed to take shape in certain 'dominions' on campus. It's intriguing to note how this late-1990s collegiate sociology is an illuminating 'engram' of 21st Century (e.g., 'TrumpUSA') media/society metaphysics.
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"I can't believe the administration here is willing to completely change the social life atmosphere just to promote art and cafe-aesthetics. We students are not adapted for this new 'vision' of coffee-house intellectualism! We want old-school ale and cider on Homecoming Weekend autumn parties celebrating the Harvest, not pseudo-intellectual coffee-house gatherings made to evaluate the consumerism-culture impact of Christian art in online auctions. How will such a change affect student diaries at this small but prestigious school?"
"When I was growing up, I enjoyed watching Saber Rider cartoons, about valiant galactic helmeted knights championing democracy by dealing with the schemes of sinister minds/warlords. I developed in me a special appreciation of socialization concerns (e.g., McCarthyism) in America as well as an admiration of friendship as it related to modern traffic (e.g., MTV's The Real World). Now that I'm in college, I worry that this interest in 'art-intellectualization' of otherwise 'youthful pedestrian joviality' will somehow 'stiffen' etiquette."
TRUMP: Consumerism was conceived really in the 1980s.
CARTER: Yes, and then it took 'shape' in the 1990s.
TRUMP: In the 21st Century, it really exploded.
CARTER: Yes, Facebook, WikiLeaks, Microsoft became hallmarks!
TRUMP: Everyone appreciated the archaeological value of Consumer Reports.
CARTER: It's the students who will steer this new 'ship.'
TRUMP: Yes, students watch culturally-symbolic films and appreciate folklore.
CARTER: It's the students who will shape consumerism etiquette!
TRUMP: I wonder how the college campus 'scene' in the '90s will shape today.
CARTER: Sure; kids in the '90s loved using Netscape Navigator to surf.
TRUMP: Yes, Netscape was the first real 'social trophy' in Internet traffic.
CARTER: Now, Internet traffic is nearly synonymous with American idealism.
TRUMP: Commerce/traffic has affected the way we conceive of happiness!
CARTER: Maybe that's why America wanted a capitalism-diplomat to lead.
TRUMP: I'm certainly that; I ran a casino in Atlantic City (among other things!).
CARTER: Hail to the Era of Digital Debates...
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Dartmouth had a rich tradition of fraternity life and while there were news-stories of wild goings-on and unruly forms of hazing and even some questionable manifestations of exclusivity/racism in its earlier more formative years, the students generally looked at frat-parties and frat-life and favorable and cathartic, a way to unwind after a long week of rigorous Ivy League academics.
Suddenly, perhaps because America itself was changing radically (in the late 1990s, as Clintonian consumerism was about to give rise to new millennium form of liberal media/Facebook/consumerism), Dartmouth's administration decided to revolutionize social life on campus and make it more 'art-friendly' rather than 'club-oriented.'
Not all the students were happy with this recommendation, and compromises were struck so that aspects of frat-culture would be maintained while this new 'coffee-house vision' of student-life would be allowed to take shape in certain 'dominions' on campus. It's intriguing to note how this late-1990s collegiate sociology is an illuminating 'engram' of 21st Century (e.g., 'TrumpUSA') media/society metaphysics.
====
"I can't believe the administration here is willing to completely change the social life atmosphere just to promote art and cafe-aesthetics. We students are not adapted for this new 'vision' of coffee-house intellectualism! We want old-school ale and cider on Homecoming Weekend autumn parties celebrating the Harvest, not pseudo-intellectual coffee-house gatherings made to evaluate the consumerism-culture impact of Christian art in online auctions. How will such a change affect student diaries at this small but prestigious school?"
"When I was growing up, I enjoyed watching Saber Rider cartoons, about valiant galactic helmeted knights championing democracy by dealing with the schemes of sinister minds/warlords. I developed in me a special appreciation of socialization concerns (e.g., McCarthyism) in America as well as an admiration of friendship as it related to modern traffic (e.g., MTV's The Real World). Now that I'm in college, I worry that this interest in 'art-intellectualization' of otherwise 'youthful pedestrian joviality' will somehow 'stiffen' etiquette."
TRUMP: Consumerism was conceived really in the 1980s.
CARTER: Yes, and then it took 'shape' in the 1990s.
TRUMP: In the 21st Century, it really exploded.
CARTER: Yes, Facebook, WikiLeaks, Microsoft became hallmarks!
TRUMP: Everyone appreciated the archaeological value of Consumer Reports.
CARTER: It's the students who will steer this new 'ship.'
TRUMP: Yes, students watch culturally-symbolic films and appreciate folklore.
CARTER: It's the students who will shape consumerism etiquette!
TRUMP: I wonder how the college campus 'scene' in the '90s will shape today.
CARTER: Sure; kids in the '90s loved using Netscape Navigator to surf.
TRUMP: Yes, Netscape was the first real 'social trophy' in Internet traffic.
CARTER: Now, Internet traffic is nearly synonymous with American idealism.
TRUMP: Commerce/traffic has affected the way we conceive of happiness!
CARTER: Maybe that's why America wanted a capitalism-diplomat to lead.
TRUMP: I'm certainly that; I ran a casino in Atlantic City (among other things!).
CARTER: Hail to the Era of Digital Debates...
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