September 22, 2011 issue

College opens its 242nd year; President Jim Yong Kim tells students optimism is "a moral choice"
During 2011 Convocation, President Kim (in photo, right) said that Kul Gautam '72 (middle) "has witnessed firsthand some of the worst atrocities of the last half century, and yet, his optimism and hopefulness for a better world have never been stronger." Kim told the incoming students, "Nurturing the optimism of your spirit is your task. Indeed, it is your duty."

Gautam, who used his leadership role at UNICEF to help save the lives of millions of children, told the students in his address, "You made the right choice in coming to this small college. ... My own greatest satisfaction in life has been that [my] Dartmouth education helped me not just to become a successful professional, but also to help our fellow human beings..."

Student Body President Max Yoeli '12, (far left) urged students to maintain their intellectual curiosity and to measure career success in something more than financial terms. "Harness the ambition and potential that brought you to Dartmouth, and have the courage to apply that to what you define as success," he said.

Read more about Convocation and watch the speeches.

The 1,115 members of the Class of 2015 come from 46 states, 37 countries
"I came here not only for the academic reputation but because of the community—everyone is so welcoming," says Jay Keating '15 of Bronxville, N.Y. See a profile of the Class of 2015.

The first academic lecture for the '15s, delivered by Professor of Economics Douglas Irwin, focused on the book The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy. Read more.

Dartmouth hosts Republican presidential debate October 11
All the major candidates are expected to attend the debate, which begins at 8 p.m. ET and will be broadcast by Bloomberg television and Washingtonpost.com. Moderated by journalist Charlie Rose, the debate will focus on the U.S. economy. More than 150 students have volunteered to help run the debate.

Learn more at the debate website.

At 5 p.m. ET on the day of the debate, Dartmouth Trustee and political journalist Morton Kondracke '60 will lead a panel discussion with journalists David Shribman '76 and Joseph Rago '05 as well as Professor of Government Linda Fowler and Tuck School of Business Associate Dean Matthew Slaughter. The panelists will be analyzing the state of the primary race and taking questions from the audience. It will be broadcast live on Dartmouth's website.

Music professor Michael Casey, appointed to the new James Wright Professorship, teaches computers to listen

President Kim's op-ed in The Washington Post: "Battling high-risk drinking on campus"

Alumni Council names 2011-12 Dartmouth Alumni and Young Alumni Award recipients

A cappella group the Dartmouth Aires is competing on NBC's Sing-off
The show is broadcast on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET.