'Big Three' Go In Different Directions

Yale's announcement last week that it will not follow Harvard and Princeton and abandon its early admissions program (Bloomberg story) could mean a rise in early admission applicants as high as 50 percent next year according to a story in the Yale Daily. ...

From a follow story in today's Princetonian:

The announcement comes as a blow to the college's fellow members of the Big Three, both of which had hoped that their decisions to scrap their versions of the controversial program last fall would open the door to widespread abolishment of early admission.

Where does Dartmouth fit in? The Princetonian story includes this opinion from Jeff Durso-Finley, director of college counseling at Lawrenceville School near Princeton:

"Schools with more volatile matriculation patterns like Dartmouth and Brown can't take the risk by giving up Early Decision."

There's a piece in today's Manchester Union Leader regarding a controversy in New Hampshire's largest city that echoes a longstanding debate in Hanover. The story begins:

"Central High School's Indian head and Memorial High's Crusader are traditional symbols that bespeak strength, not cultural insensitivity, both schools' principals say.

"Principals at the two city high schools disputed a former student's charge that the symbols are hurtful and offensive, arguing instead that each school's symbol has proud roots."

Central's Indian head symbol has its roots in Hanover. From the story:

"Incarnations of the Central High School 'Indian head' logo date back to the 1920s, according to a booklet written by former principal William Burns. The school adopted the symbol as an homage to Dartmouth College, which won the national football championship in 1925."

Central's nickname is, "The Little Green." Dartmouth, of course, long ago abandoned the use of the Indian logo and unofficial nickname.

The Manchester Union Leader story makes reference to the web site hatemascot.com, which says Crusaders refers to a "zealot religious force, often equated to the Nazis in terms of brutal genocide." They aren't going to like that at Holy Cross.

University of New Hampshire wide receiver David Ball has signed with Debartolo Sports and Entertainment in Pittsburgh according to the Rutland Herald. Here's the kicker: That's the same agency that represents Jerry Rice. Ball, you'll remember, broke Rice's career touchdown record last fall in what might be called, "the division formerly known as I-AA." The native Vermonter will also be training with Rice.