Sphinx Foundation

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A) EDUCATION: DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, NORMAL OPERATIONS OF THE FOUNDATION IN 2021 WERE GREATLY IMPACTED. MOST OF THE NORMAL ACITIVITIES WERE EITHER SUSPENDED OR CONDUCTED ON-LINE. THE CAMPUS WAS CLOSED FOR MOST OF 2021. NORMALLY, THE FOUNDATION CONDUCTS FORMAL ANNUAL COURSES ON DARTMOUTH AND SPHINX HISTORY AND TRADITIONS FOR INCOMING UNDERGRADUATE MEMBERS. THE COURSES ARE NORMALLY CONDUCTED IN THE SPHINX BUILDING AND OVERSEEN BY ALUMNI MEMBERS. THEY COMBINE LECTURES AND ORAL REVIEW SESSIONS WITH READING ASSIGNMENTS. THERE ARE NORMALLY THREE SESSIONS PER ACADEMIC QUARTER (EXCLUDING SUMMER) AND INCLUDE GUEST LECTURES. UNDERGRADUATE MEMBERS TYPICALLY MAKE EXTENSIVE USE OF THE SPHINX FACILITIES WHICH INCLUDE THE LIBRARY AND STUDY STATIONS. MOST OF THESE ACTIVITIES WERE SUSPENDED DUE TO THE PANDEMIC. DURING 2021, ALUMNI MEMBERS AND GUEST LECTURERS WERE NOT ALLOWED ON CAMPUS. UNDERGRADUATE MEMBERS WERE NOT PERMITTED TO GATHER IN GROUPS. THE FOUNDATION MAINTAINS THE BUILDING'S WIRELESS AND HIGH-SPEED CONNECTIVITY TO ENSURE THE SPHINX BUILDING PROVIDES THE STRONGEST SUPPORT FOR UNDERGRADUATE ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES. THESE FACILITIES WERE USED EXTENSIVELY TO PROVIDE VIRTUAL GATHERINGS (ZOOM), AS WELL AS TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITIES. GENERAL ACTIVITIES OF UNDERGRADUATE MEMBERSHIP IN SPHINX INCLUDE EXTENSIVE PEER DRIVEN LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT TAKE PLACE IN THE SPHINX BUILDING CONTINUED ALBEIT IN MUCH SMALLER GROUPS. THESE INCLUDE INFORMAL ACADEMIC DEBATE AND DISCOURSE, FULFILLMENT OF GROUP LEADERSHIP ROLES, GROUP GOAL SETTING AND PLANNED ACTIVITIES, BASIC BUDGET MANAGEMENT, AND INTERACTION WITH COLLEGE OFFICIALS. THE SPHINX FOUNDATION ORGANIZES AND SUPPORTS PUBLIC LECTURES AND PARTNERS WITH THE COLLEGE'S CONTINUING ALUMNI EDUCATION PROGRAMS WHEN REQUESTED AND APPROPRIATE. IN YEARS PAST THE FOUNDATION HAS SUPPORTED THE 'HILL WINDS SOCIETY', A DIVERSE GROUP OF UNDERGRADUATES SELECTED TO BE 'AMBASSADORS' TO THE VISITING ALUMNI BODY. THE HILL WINDS SOCIETY WAS FOUNDED IN 2008 AND CONSISTS OF MEMBERS SELECTED ON THE BASIS OF CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT, COMMUNICATION SKILLS, LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL AND AN INFECTIOUS DARTMOUTH SPIRIT. UNFORTUNATELY, DUE TO THE PANDEMIC THIS PROGRAM WAS SUSPENDED IN 2020 AND 2021. THE FOUNDATION EXPECTS TO FUND IT AGAIN IN 2022.

B) COMMUNITY SERVICE: IN 2017, THE FOUNDATION INITIATED AND SPONSORED A RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IN THE COLLEGE'S GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT FOCUSING ON THE POLITICS AND LAW PROGRAM. THE FOUNDATION HAS CONTINUED TO FUND THE FELLOWSHIP EACH YEAR SINCE. IN 2021, THE PROGRAM IN POLITICS AND LAW PROVIDED OPPORTUNITIES AND RESOURCES FOR DARTMOUTH STUDENTS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH IN POLITICS AND LAW, ESPECIALLY SOCIAL SCIENCE PERSPECTIVES ON LAW AND LAWMAKING. THE PROGRAM FUNDED STUDENT FELLOWSHIPS TO SUPPORT RESEARCH CONDUCTED OUTSIDE OF CLASS; RESEARCH EXPENSES, SUCH AS SURVEYS, EXPERIMENTS, PURCHASING DATA, INTERVIEWS; AND CONFERENCE EXPENSES FOR STUDENTS TO ATTEND ACADEMIC CONFERENCES TO PRESENT THEIR WORK AND FUNDS FOR GUEST SPEAKERS TO TRAVEL TO DARTMOUTH, SPEAK TO CLASSES, AND MEET WITH STUDENTS. THE FOUNDATION ALSO SUPPORTS THE HISTORICAL ACCOUNTABILITY STUDENT RESEARCH PROGRAM AT THE RAUNER SPECIAL COLLECTIONS LIBRARY AT DARTMOUTH'S BAKER LIBRARY. THE PROGRAM OFFERS SEVERAL STUDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES TO ASSIST DARTMOUTH STUDENTS IN EXPLORING RAUNER'S COLLECTIONS AND CREATING ORIGINAL CONTENT BASED UPON PRIMARY SOURCES. THE DYNAMIC PROGRAM OFFERS AN OPEN-ENDED SCOPE FOR PROJECT TOPICS AND IS DEDICATED TO ALLOWING UNDERGRADUATES THE OPPORTUNITY TO RESEARCH ISSUES OF DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION IN DARTMOUTH'S HISTORY. THIS PROGRAM MOST CLOSELY FULFILLS THE FOUNDATION'S COMMITMENT TO FURTHER KNOWLEDGE OF THE HISTORY AND TRADITIONS OF DARTMOUTH. THE FOUNDATION HAS UNDERWRITTEN THE OPERATION OF A STUDENT AND VISITOR INFORMATION BOOTH ON CAMPUS FOR THE PAST SEVEN YEARS. FOUNDATION MEMBERS AND COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS PROVIDED INFORMATION ABOUT DARTMOUTH AND THE GREATER DARTMOUTH COMMUNITY TO OVER 3,000 VISTORS FROM THE US AND 22 COUNTRIES.

C) HISTORICAL PRESERVATION: THE SPHINX BUILDING, ORIGINALLY CONSTRUCTED IN 1905, IS LISTED ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES. IT IS THE ONLY BUILDING SO LISTED ON THE DARTMOUTH CAMPUS. THE STRUCTURE IS THE OLDEST POURED CONRETE BUILDING IN THE UNITED STATES. THE FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO ENSURING THAT THE BUILDING CONTINUES TO QUALIFY FOR INCLUSION ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES AND MAINTAINS ITS PLACE IN AMERICAN HISTORY. THE FOUNDATION IS COMMITTED TO PRESERVING THE BUILDING AND ITS ROLE IN SUPPORTING THE EDUCATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE ACTIVITIES OF ITS MEMBERS. THE BUILDING ALSO SERVES AS THE DEPOSITORY OF THE SPHINX FOUNDATIONS HISTORIC DOCUMENTS AND ARTIFACTS.