The fact that students are now challenging and/or mocking aspects of “diversity ” should be a big glue to college administrators sensitivity programs have “jumped the shark”.

For instance, Dartmouth Student Andrew Shanahan humorously reviews the plight of the short on campus:

Dartmouth has a problem — too many tall people. There are times when I look around ’53 Commons or an athletic event and realize that I have no hope of seeing the trays of broccoli stir-fry or the probably unfortunate sports game because I’m trapped in a mob of humans of gargantuan size. The worst part about this abundance of seemingly herculean people occurred to me when I was home for the summer. I always considered myself tall until I came to Dartmouth. After being home for an entire term, hanging out with my standard-sized buddies and my unexceptionally tall family, I again came to that conclusion. Enter fall term. Recent athletic encounters and conversations with friends at school reminded me that, alas, I am of but average stature. I say conversations as well because the real change in my mindset from home to Dartmouth comes from the anxiety-producing responsibilities, status-centered accolades and persistent posturing that dictate our lives in this competitive environment. That, and all the super tall people.

In my experience, the college application process notwithstanding, high school life lacked the infatuation with applications and auditions that Dartmouth has latched on to. From orientation onward, students are encouraged to apply to myriad organizations with shockingly low acceptance rates. You go from being the successful, Ivy-bound collegian to getting rejected from a cappella, Ski Patrol, club sports and performance groups so that your taller compatriots can bask in the glory of Dartmouth’s extracurricular universe…..

I realized I had fully bought into the “bubble” when I found that I had convinced myself to look at events happening on campus as the most important things in the world. That being a tour guide, in a frat or on a team mattered more than anything, and each success or failure had the potential to make me completely content or dismally depressed. I’m growing to realize that the competitions, posturing, victories and defeats all mean as much as you want them to — which means that life at Dartmouth can mean virtually nothing or define a person’s entire being. I think that we need to take a collective step back from competitiveness and stature-seeking and take life a little less seriously. Instead of trying to stand on your toes to see eye to eye with the people you think are impressive, take a seat, enjoy yourself and care less.