The Mirror 01/17/14

MIRR ROR OR JANUARY 17, 2014

CAN WE GET MUCH HIGHER? // 2 STRIKING A BALANCE // 3

DARTMOUTH: AN EVOLUTION? // 4 AND THE OSCAR GOES TO... // 6 WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE // 8 TRACY WANG // THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

2// MIRROR

EDITORS’ NOTE

CAN WE GET MUCH HIGHER?

TRACY WANG//THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

This week, we took a deeper look at social issues that Dartmouth has confronted (namely, Lohse-pocalypse) and how the College has handled and learned from them. As two juniors (?!) having lived through many less-than-flattering Dartmouth headlines, we have had a lot of time to reflect on our very own social problems and successes.

We’re both members of the fairer sex, and have experienced our fair share of difficulties navigating fraternity culture.

We’ve watched Dartmouth’s admissions yields fluctuate after controversies, and we’ve wondered whether cracking down on newly affiliated women wearing Minnie Mouse costumes in Collis solves any of Dartmouth’s deeper problems.

But we’ve also been lucky enough to experience the extremely positive social outlets that Dartmouth has to offer.

One of us is affiliated, and the other isn’t. Erin sings for the Dartmouth Decibelles, and Marina competes in the Mock Trial Society, and both of us have traveled with these groups so much that they feel like family. We’ve both spent too many hours to count in Robinson Hall working on this paper, and we’ve acquired an incredible community as a result of that. In short, Dartmouth has surrounded us with people we couldn’t live without.

The social scene at this school has undeniably faced its share of criticisms, many of which have been both accurate and necessary. We have no doubt that more challenges will present themselves in the years to come, but we also have no doubt that the incredible things about Dartmouth — its people and its potential to create communities — will continue to push us forward.

Feel free to blitz us anytime at mirror@thedartmouth.com with Overheards, questions, compliments or concerns.

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MIR ROR ERIN LANDAU MIRROR EDITORS MARINA SHKURATOV EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LINDSAY ELLIS PUBLISHER CARLA LARIN EXECUTIVE EDITORS

MICHAEL RIORDAN STEPHANIE McFEETERS

OVER HEARDS

By AMANDA WINCH and HAYLEY ADNOPOZ I remember standing outside my childhood home two years ago, trying desperately to turn some of the anxiety I felt about my transition to college into excitement. I was cramming unnecessary amounts of clothing into the back of my family’s Suburban (or rather, guilting every other member of the Winch family tree into doing the heavy lifting on the grounds that I was “moving far, far away”). While most of the things (realistically, about 30 percent) I had packed were “absolute essentials,” I allowed myself to bring one box of nostalgic items from high school that would remind me of a sweeter, simpler time. I even brought my high school yearbooks — all four of them. Aggressive.

Even though I undoubtedly looked super hot with experimental dreads and braces at age 16, in the past few years I’ve realized that I haven’t thought back about those dusty old times. Not even for a good laugh.

I can’t help but wonder why I have forsaken my high school self so insistently when, upon leaving my home to start my new Dartmouth experience, I didn’t think things could get much better than they had been for the past four years. And it was an easy thing to think. For some of us, high school was a time when friendships had long histories, boyfriends didn’t care if you were good at pong and balancing six clubs with a varsity sport and AP classes seemed like child’s play. How could things possibly get better?

My mother used to tell me I was a big fish in a small pond. For a while, the saying just seemed like a weird, metaphorical way of making me feel better about myself until I realized how readily it applied to my high school existence. I grew up in a town that was three square miles and went to public school with the same 100 kids, from

’16 Girl: I can’t believe they tried to just stop rush.

I mean, isn’t that illegal?

Blitz overheards to mirror@thedartmouth.com

diapers to diplomas. That is a small pond. Excruciatingly small, actually.

As for the big fish part, it’s fairly easy to be popular in a group of friends you’ve had since you were two years old. Even if they don’t particularly like you, it’s not like they have any viable alternative “fish” to serve as your replacement. Quite literally knowing everyone and their mother can certainly become tiresome ... particularly if you happen to date their sons. But it draws you into a network of people who have seen you grow up and will (hopefully) support you as you get older. To put it in numerical terms, how can 18 years of friendship with people at home possibly compare with just four short years here?

Dartmouth kids are smart. Hayley and I know that. Everyone knows that.

Academically speaking, we’re two little fish surrounded by the academic sharks of our generation. It would be pompous, however, to think that Dartmouth students floated through high school academics on a cloud of straight-As while their fellow students slaved away over a burning textbook to match our natural genius.

The rigorous course loads and short terms at Dartmouth make it a challenge even for those of us who skated through high school. No matter how hard we drag our heels, the information learned in classes doesn’t slow down. Plus, you’re left with disgusting feet. Remember when we covered a book in a month instead of a week?

Which brings us back to Amanda’s dreadlocks and braces thing. While that might not have been a stellar hair and teeth moment, the years that would follow were some of the best for the bod. Now, we would like to preface this section by saying that we are both proud NARPs who still take

In the hallway outside the scholar studies offices in the stacks: “Does it count for the Dartmouth Seven if I have sex with someone in your office?”

’14 Girl: I have this lifelong passion of making children’s songs out of popular raps.

KELLEY LIN//THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

the time to exercise and stay healthy.

But there was a time when we weren’t NARPs, and we didn’t have to bribe ourselves with a Tender Queso at the Hop to put in 20 percent effort on the elliptical for half an hour. That time was, you guessed it, high school.

Though club sports are a great outlet for those of us unwilling to let go of our varsity days — and an excuse to wear athletic clothes everywhere – students that aren’t quite Division I caliber may have a harder time staying in tip-top shape.

“I totally peaked in high school,” people say jokingly while cramming for a midterm or waiting for that guy from last night to text them back. But we can’t help wondering if we are the only ones who realize that the thought is not so silly, especially when trying to squeeze into our high school jeans or trying to remember a time when we could say, “Never have I ever pulled an all-nighter for schoolwork.”

No? Just us? Well then, maybe you’re all lying to yourselves. Or maybe you just had a rough go of it in high school. Regardless, at least for us, there was a lot of comfort in the familiarity and success that those four years provided.

College can be really scary, and made scarier by the fact that you don’t always know who to talk to about your fears. That being said, we would never go back. It was truly a sweeter and simpler time, but college has been a time to grow up, to order 2 a.m. pizza and to take risks. It’s a time for making mistakes, figuring out what works and what doesn’t and learning. Learning cool, job-oriented stuff for sure, but learning even more about yourself.

Bearing that in mind, we have decided we haven’t plateaued just yet. We have a little farther to climb before we reach our peak.

’16 Guy: I don’t even know this guy, I just hooked up with him.

Collis employee when the power went out: Don’t worry, DDS can always take your money.

’14 Girl: I have never applauded in an X-hour before. I’m not about to start now.

MIRROR //3

TRENDING @ Dartmouth FRESH SNOW

STRIKING A BALANCE

JIN LEE//THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

By MAGGIE SHIELDS At Dar tmouth, discussions about the outside world often fall behind our busy course loads and extracur ricular activities. The issues that we so actively isolate ourselves from here in Hanover, however, can permeate the bubble and directly impact our lives at Dartmouth. The recent American Studies Association boycott of Israeli academic institutions, as well as President Hanlon’s rejection of the boycott, brought issues of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into campus discussion, as did the protest of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has emerged once more a hot topic for the student body, but not all students believe the dialogue surrounding it is a diverse one.

The nature of the discussions that occur on campus, facilitated and moderated largely by Jewish student organizations, creates an environment that does not accurately reflect the polarized and complicated nature of the conflict.

For those who advocate alternative solutions, back the creation of a Palestinian state or are unsure of their stance, there are fairly limited venues in which an even dialogue can occur.

For the most par t, student groups such as Hillel, J Street U and Al-Nur — the Muslim Students Association at Dartmouth — control campus conversation about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Asher Mayerson ’15, president of Hillel, said these conversations likely take place in such a setting because the students who join such groups are most passionate about discussing the conflict in the Middle East. While the College’s chapter of Hillel maintains a neutral stance on the issue, J Street U advocates firmly for a U.S.-sponsored two-state solution.

Al-Nur does not have a political stance on the issue, but the group’s president Hamza Abbasi ’16 said that several Muslim students participate on their own by attending discussions sponsored by other groups. Al-Nur also works with students’ family members who live in the region or are personally affected by the conflict.

“The main rhetoric [of Al-Nur]

is praying for a peaceful solution, the countr y or the world. Most “I would say that since I’ve been not a specific political solution,” students in J Street U have fairly at Dartmouth, we have not had a Abbasi said. similar opinions on the issue, he group that has many of the aims Madeline Cooper ’16, co-chair said, and such agreement inevita- of [Students for Justice in Palesof J Street U and member of Hillel, bly limits discussion. tine],” she said. “They definitely said she believes the current conAla’ Alrababa’h ’14, who is re- represent a different voice than versation surrounding the issue is starting Dartmouth’s chapter of groups that are already on campus productive. Cooper said the parStudents for Justice in Palestine, including J Street U.” ticipation of students with varied said that he too is frustrated by the The campus dialogue also views, and particularly students limited pro-Palestinian representa- crosses over into academic setwho have been directly touched tion on campus. As a Jordanian, tings, since the College of fers by the conflict, fosters interesting Alrababa’h said he was impacted classes that cover different aspects and stimulating dialogue. by the Arab-Israeli conflict grow- of the conflict. Yet even these aca“It is woning up because demic settings do not always porderful to have of his coun- tray the multi-faceted nature of the “I DEFINITELY FEEL students who tr y’s political issue. Felicia Jia ’16, for instance, THAT THE PALESTINIAN involvement in said her experience taking classes have experie n c e w i t h VIEW IS NOT ADEQUATEĥ the region. on the Middle East at Dartmouth some of the “I defi- has at times been colored by the LY REPRESENTED ON issues — what nitely feel that opinions and backgrounds of her they have to the Palestinian professors.

CAMPUS.” add to the view is not adJia said that in one of her conversation equately rep- classes, a focus on Israeli histor y is really invalur e s e n t e d o n created an environment in which able,” she said. campus,” he the Palestinian narrative was adWhile other said. “While I dressed in a secondar y way. While Jewish and Muslim campus ordid participate in forums by groups Jia does par ticipate in campus ganizations focus discussion on like J Street [U] and Dartmouth discussions about the conflict, she specific political solutions, DartStudents for Israel, those groups echoed Povich’s dismay at the lack mouth Students for Israel sees do not meaningfully represent the of balanced conversation. itself as an “ally to Israel” and Palestinian point of view.”

“I feel like in a way I don’t fully aims to educate students about Cooper said she is excited about fit in in J Street U,” she obser ved.

Israel through speakers such as the revival of Students for Justice “Obviously I feel like my opinions Olmert. Dartmouth Students for in Palestine, as it creates a new will be welcome, but they have an Israel president Michael Klein ’14 forum for discussing the conflict agenda. I don’t feel completely explained that the group tends to while allowing more voices to join comfortable, I guess, with this shy away from the larger political the conversation. organization.” discussion model used by J Street U. Some students on campus argue that though Dartmouth has forums available for discussing the conflict, there is an inherent bias in classes and the discussions currently taking place.

While participating in Birthright, a program that sends Jewish young adults to Israel to learn about their histor y and culture, Steven Povich ’16 said he became interested in the conflict as well as keenly aware of the pro-Israel bias inherent in Birthright.

When Povich returned, he said he wanted to learn more about the conflict and subsequently became involved in J Street U, an organization he was drawn to because of its relatively balanced perspective.

Yet Povich also said that he often feels the dialogue at DartSASHA DUDDING//THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF mouth, including within J Street U, Members of Al-Nur par ticipate in Ramadan, an annual month-long fast is not as polarized as it is around that many Mulisms par ticipate in as one of the Five Pillars of Islam.

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HEAT WAVE?

I wore a skirt yesterday. It’s January.

DANCING ACROSS CHINA Have you seen Jake Gaba ’16’s video yet?

It combines panda costumes and dance moves, so it’s our personal treasure.

BADLY DRAWN GIRL Mindy Kaling’s comic strip from her days at Dartmouth is making an epic comeback, and a Dartmouth alum hitting the pages of Buzzfeed is always cause for celebration.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS It’s that time of year when all your artsy friends won’t stop arguing about whose performance was most tear-jerking and which original screenplay inspired them to realize their life goals.

PERDIDO This mildly phallic structure was recently erected behind the Fayerweather dorm cluster.

RUSH

Dartmouth: A

By TROY

In the fall of 2012, when my hiking one trippees and I embarked on our perilous trek across the Dartmouth golf course, we took advantage of the opportunity to interrogate our trip leaders about secret Dartmouth knowledge. We listened intently as the upperclassmen explained the Dartmouth Seven, how to pronounce Leverone and the whereabouts of Canadian ground fruit. But much to our chagrin, our trip leaders met our curiosity about the Greek system with reluctance, as Andrew Lohse ’12 had been featured in the infamous Rolling Stone article just months before.

Unwillingness to discuss Dartmouth’s Greek life didn’t last long, however, and I was confronted with it immediately upon my return to campus for orientation. I descended headlong into impassioned campus discussions about hazing in Dartmouth’s fraternity system. In retrospect, my prior week roaming ’round the girdled earth was the first, and possibly the last, time I was able to escape the omnipresence of Greek life at Dartmouth.

The coming week will mark two years since Lohse published “Telling the Truth,” his op-ed in The Dartmouth that accused Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity of widespread hazing and ignited the now-familiar firestorm surrounding Dartmouth’s social scene. The anniversary allows us to reflect on the two-year-long debate. What has changed? What hasn’t changed? Will Dartmouth continue to pursue solutions to hazing issues, or are Lohse and his controversy fading from the forefront of our preoccupations?

Before examining the current state of affairs, it’s worth noting that the College is no stranger to scandals stemming from Greek organizations. A quick search of The Dartmouth’s archives offers, in addition to acute nostalgia, a glimpse into the sordid pasts of our Greek houses.

In 1996, Beta Theta Pi fraternity was derecognized following a series of incidents in the early ’90s, one of which included the kidnapping of a member of Chi Gamma Epilson fraternity.

Not to be outdone, in 2000, Phi Delta Alpha fraternity was derecognized for four years following a fire that its members were accused of starting in Chi Gam’s basement.

More recently, Zeta Psi fraternity was derecognized in 2001 for eight years after what was dubbed “The Zetemouth” scandal. Long before Lohse, the discovery of Zete’s tasteless newsletter denigrating a number of female students thrust Dartmouth into national news, earning the College considerable negative publicity.

Even after the commotion of 2001 subsided, difficulties with Greek organizations persisted. In fact, at one point in 2004, a total of eight Greek organizations were simultaneously under investigation by the College while four others were serving time on social probation.

In light of the Greek controversies in Dartmouth’s tumultuous past, we must examine what, if anything, makes the Lohse incident stand out and how campus has since responded.

According to Alex Olesen ’14, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the last two years have brought necessary but not revolutionary steps toward progress.

“In the wake of the Lohse controversy, Dartmouth as a campus had an opportunity to affect change on a very malleable Greek system,” Olesen said in an email. “While I think there has been great progress concerning important issues about sexual assault and inclusivity, there is still some work to be done.”

According Anna Noreuil ’16, Dartmouth’s obsession with the Lohse scandal reveals more about its timing than its importance.

“Our fixation on Andrew Lohse and the Rolling Stone article is more nearly a function of their relevance to our time at Dartmouth than their gravity relative to other scandals over the last 20 years,” she said.

Some upperclassmen on campus, however, argue that the Lohse scandal did have farreaching benefits for understanding of the impact of hazing. According to a member of the

Class of 2014 in Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority, bringing the issues of hazing to light ensured that they would be discussed and better understood. Students also now better understand the effects of hazing, she said.

Susie Kim ’15, a member of Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority, suggested that the controversy has affected the way we approach even the most benign activities within Greek organizations.

“Because of the negative publicity Dartmouth received,

everyone got the sense that we needed to be more covert about things we previously considered harmless,” she said. “If anything, it forced any activities that could be construed as hazing behind closed doors.”

For underclassmen who weren’t on campus in the winter of 2012, change brought about by the Lohse incident took a different form. Alex Moushey ’16 was accepted to Dartmouth as a transfer student shortly after the publication of the Rolling Stone article. Though Dartmouth was always his first choice, Moushey said the controversy made him less confident about his decision to attend the College.

“Even after I committed, I questioned my decision to attend, because the only thing my friends seemed to know about Dartmouth was that it’s the Ivy League school that drinks and hazes,” Moushey said. “It’s difficult to not take your friends’

An Evolution?

PALMER

opinions into account when deciding where to go to college.”

On the administrative front, Safety and Security director Harry Kinne said that little has changed over the last two years. Despite heightened awareness, Kinne said that there has been no significant shift in the number of reports to Safety and Security or the number of Greek houses under investigation. The only modified practice, he said, is the introduction of random, unannounced walkthroughs that allow Safety and Security officers to inspect residences and Greek organizations

of the Class of 2016. “But I still question the effectiveness of the policy in actually reducing the incidence of hazing, sexual assault or even underage drinking.”

Another change implemented to control underage drinking was the Greek Leadership Council’s new freshman policy, which went into effect on Aug. 30, 2013. Members of the Class of 2017 could not enter Greek houses for the first six weeks of term.

Beyond the confines of Safety and Security’s offices on Rope Ferry Road, the College’s published policy on hazing has evolved over the last two years. The student handbook for the 2013-2014 academic year incorporates significant additions to the section, which tripled in length from the previous year. The College’s definition of hazing now lists explicit examples of hazing practices, including requiring new members to wear costumes, participate in “gallon challenges” and submit to branding.

New subsections include suggestions for positive new member activities that build solidarity without endangering members’ safety or self-esteem. Such recommendations were absent from earlier versions of the handbook, showing an increased focus on hazing since Lohse.

Commending the effort of student leaders, Kinne acknowledged that cooperation between Safety and Security and Greek Letter Organizations and Societies is essential for longterm progress. Since the Lohse scandal, the administration, Safety and Security and student advocates have come together to fight the abuses brought to light, he said. “[Safety and Security] is cognizant of when pledging is going on, and we must work closely with GLOS to ensure the safety of the students,” Kinne said. “But Greek organizations have stepped up to the plate in terms of handling the issues of hazing and sexual assault.”

Olesen agreed that the past two years have been characterized by a strong relationship between Greek houses and the administration.

“Leaders of Greek organizations spend a lot of time interfacing with the College administrators to come up with ideas to make their houses as safe as possible for members and guests,” he said. “That’s one aspect of this responsibility that goes unnoticed but plays a huge role in the weekly happenings in Greek houses.”

In addition to policy changes, the revelations of two years ago may also be interpreted as having manifested themselves in the slight decline in Dartmouth applications for the Class of 2017, with an over 12 percent decline in the number of early applications and a 3 percent decline in the total number of applications. In fact, Dartmouth was the only Ivy League school to report an increased acceptance rate for that year.

ALEXANDRA DALTON//THE DARTMOUTH STAFF PHOTO COURTESY OF ROLLING STONE MAGAZINE

without notice. Until September 2012, walkthroughs were only permitted during registered events.

The random walkthrough policy was initially suggested by the administration in 2001, following the derecognition of Zete. However, marked resistance from the student body paired with particularly verbose op-eds in The Dartmouth hailing the establishment of an Orwellian state immobilized the administration.

While the Lohse scandal brought issues that had been swept under the rug back into the forefront of campus dialogue, some students questioned the efficacy of changes enacted in the past two years.

“The controversy over the Rolling Stone article gave the administration the necessary momentum to change the policy and permit random walkthroughs,” said an affiliated member

If history is any indicator, however, these declining numbers may not be a cause for concern. Memory of the 4.6 percent drop in applications in 2001 — the year of Zete’s derecognition — was effectively erased after applications doubled in the 10 years that followed. And this year, Dartmouth witnessed a 6.7 percent rise in early applications for the Class of 2018, perhaps a sign that the College is bouncing back from the negative press.

Maggie Seawright ’17 said that though she was aware of the Lohse incident while considering Dartmouth, it ultimately did not impact her decision to apply.

“I read the Rolling Stone article, but I had never been to campus before so I waited until visiting to make my decision,” she said. “When I did visit, everyone was absolutely wonderful.”

Looking back on the events of the past two years, change seems gradual, though maybe upheaval never has been characteristic of our small college in the far reaches of New Hampshire. And the College’s 244-year history suggests that the slow pace shouldn’t be surprising ... lest the old traditions fail.

6// MIRROR

AND THE OSCAR GOES TO...

By ERIN LANDAU AND MICHAEL RIORDAN

In light of yesterday’s Oscar nominations announcement, The Dartmouth’s resident awards experts, executive editor Michael Riordan ’15 and Mirror editor Erin Landau ’15, ruminated long and hard on who will win, who will be snubbed and who should claim a naked statuette on March 2. It’s been a pretty good year for movies, but as usual, all the great ones were released in the past three months. With instant classics such as “Diana,” “Machete Kills” and “A Madea Christmas,” we think it’s safe to say that the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had no shortage of choices. In a stunning twist, “American Hustle,” “Gravity” and “12 Years a Slave” led the nominations, sweeping the major categories. In case you need helping winning your fraternity Oscar pool or decorating thematically for your awards party, here are our picks for the big show:

Best Picture: “American Hustle” “Captain Phillips” “Dallas Buyers Club” “Gravity” “Her” “Nebraska” “Philomena” “12 Years a Slave” “The Wolf of Wall Street”

ERL: For this category especially, what I want to win and what will end up winning are extremely disparate.

If “Her,” the true best film of the year, rose up from its indie roots to grab the gold, I would be ecstatic. This film knocked the wind out of me — its brilliant portrayal of an unlikely romance felt both fresh and poignant.

In reality, “American Hustle,” with its star-studded cast and well-developed plot, will probably take home the coveted prize.

Best Director: David O. Russell for “American Hustle” Alfonso Cuaron for “Gravity” Alexander Payne for “Nebraska” Steve McQueen for “12 Years a Slave” Martin Scorsese for “The Wolf of Wall Street”

MXR: What an interesting, diverse line-up — but I’m disheartened by the omission of Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine,” a film that I thought masterfully toed the line between comedy and tragedy. It wouldn’t shock me if “American Hustle” topples presumed frontrunner “12 Years a Slave,” which missed some key technical categories, like cinematography and score — a potential sign of weaker than expected support. “Gravity,” a technical marvel, is in a distant third.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Christian Bale for “American Hustle” Bruce Dern for “Nebraska” Leonardo DiCaprio for “The Wolf of Wall Street” Chiwetel Ejiofor for “12 Years a Slave” Matthew McConaughey for “Dallas Buyers Club”

MXR: It looks like a rare picturedirector split may happen again this year, since Cuaron seems poised to be recognized for his visually dynamic thrill ride. Somehow, Spike Jonze missed out for directing “Her,” and I was surprised to not find “Captain Phillips” filmmaker Paul Greengrass in the final five. My vote would go to Russell, who has established himself as a major director in the past few years, but voters may be content to recognize him in the original screenplay category, where he’s also nominated.

Best Actress in a Leading Role: Amy Adams for “American Hustle” Cate Blanchett for “Blue Jasmine” Sandra Bullock for “Gravity” Judi Dench for “Philomena” Meryl Streep for “August: Osage County”

MXR: Who knows what will happen in this category? Voters strayed from their usual path and ignored top stars like Tom Hanks and Robert Redford, instead opting for younger actors.

In a tight race, Dern may stand out as the veteran of the pack, but the over-performance of “Dallas Buyers Club” in the nominations may point to a McConaughey triumph. Despite its relatively large nomination haul, I’m skeptical that DiCaprio, however overdue, can prevail over performances in better-liked, more accessible films.

ERL: This category is truly anybody’s guess. In what I believe will be the closest race of the awards, due to Dern’s relative age and prestige with Academy members, he is the dark horse most likely to take home the Triple Crown. Bale’s nomination came as somewhat of a surprise, and I personally don’t think this was his most powerful performance (see: “The Fighter” (2010)). DiCaprio was brilliant, but “The Wolf of Wall Street” is so universally repugnant that he won’t be taking home his first this year. I believe that Ejiofor’s performance stands out the most — his portrayal was one-part thoughtful and three-parts charismatic, leaving you so drawn in by his story that you could feel his every loss as though it were your own. Now that is acting.

MXR: Adams did it! In a last-minute surge, she catapulted ahead of Emma Thompson, who most Oscar followers predicted for “Saving Mr. Banks.” As the only actress in the category without an Oscar, Adams could prove to be Blanchett’s main competition. Streep, who will be sitting on the sidelines this year, can take comfort in her 1,098th nomination. But really, voters, this is an easy choice: Blanchett deserves another Oscar.

ERL: The beauty of the best directing category is that the laymen aren’t really sure what a director does, other than say “cut!” and look through an oversized lens. In reality, these geniuses do some of the most tiresome and thankless work in the industry, and they deserved to be praised for their efforts. For me, Cuaron performs his work masterfully and has gone without recognition for far too long. By far the most mainstream of his films, “Gravity” effectively turned space into a character, simultaneously powerful, relentless and unforgiving.

Since Scorsese has won, McQueen is too young and Payne is too alternative, Russell seems to be the most likely choice.

ERL: 2013 wasn’t the strongest year for the ladies, to be honest. This year’s female nominees are some of the Academy’s most tried and true. Dame Dench is British, established within the Academy and universally loved by most humans, so she automatically has a leg up. Streep has actually been nominated for every film she’s been in since the dawn of time, but I have a feeling this time she won’t bring it home.

Adams is too young, too new and her performance not powerful enough to hold up to the likes of Bullock and Blanchett. Since Bullock spent most of her time floating in space, I think Blanchett is the obvious win.

Our credentials: Riordan is a former child actor. Instead of developing a debilitating drug addiction at a young age, he abandoned his promising career path for a life of reading, writing and editing. He follows awards shows to relive his glory days and watches nearly every film released for awards consideration.

Landau is an industry insider who has spent years living in the City of Angels. Absorbing all she could from her Academy father, Landau spent her childhood reading scripts and trying desperately to sneak into various premieres in Westwood, Hollywood and other star-studded locations.

MIRROR //7

COLUMN

WHAT HAVE WE DONE? IN CASE

By SEANIE CIVALE and AMANDA SMITH YOU WERE WONDERING

COLUMN

By

KATIE SINCLAIR

In our previous column, we were so overjoyed about finally making it back to campus after our nationwide flightmare that we forgot to mention how we got here.

When we checked in at Lihue Airport, Island Air told us that President Barack Obama and his family were flying out of Honolulu soon, which meant the plane would be grounded for about an hour if we didn’t hustle over to the gate and board early.

The plane was grounded for three hours.

We missed our connecting flights. We were not present for the first two days of winter term. We are behind in our classes. We are jet-lagged. We keep greeting friends with “aloha.” And we are 100 percent in denial that winter is no longer coming ... it is here.

Amanda: Speaking of denial, I left my car on campus over winter break knowing that it would face six long and lonely weeks of snow, ice and freezing temperatures while I got intensely burnt on the sunny beaches of Kauai. Once I returned to campus, I refused to confront the fact that I might have to dig my car out of a mountain of snow. Or chip ice off of the windshield with a CD case. Or risk having what little remaining gas there was in the tank freeze.

I allowed myself to believe that I did not have a car, and therefore I did not have a problem. This worked for one week and three days.

Then along came the fourth day, and a friend asked me to borrow said car to drive to an interview. I agreed and handed off the key with a “good luck!” Meaning good luck at your interview, but more importantly, good luck figuring out my car. To be fair, I did give a warning that there might be some snow to dig through or some other vague wintery problem to deal with. It was both. My car would not start.

I grew up in the suburbs of Detroit, where snow is plentiful during the winters and dead car batteries are not uncommon.

I’ve witnessed my dad successfully jumpstart a vehicle several times. But despite all of this, I never paid attention. Not once.

I had no idea what to do.

In the end, it took the help of Siri, some jumper cables, another car that actually worked, a friend and a desperate phone call to my father to get the car up and running again. So, despite the initial hiccup, it was a good day. I turned 22, made it to my 9L X-hour on time and learned how to jumpstart a car ... which ended up being a really good thing, because it died again. Though I am currently ignoring that problem, I’ll

now know when to deal with it when the time finally comes.

Seanie: My current big insecurity, which apparently I’m airing to the public right now, is that I am a terrible blusher. It happens to me in high-pressure situations as well as times when there’s absolutely no reason to be blushing.

I use the word “blushing” because it sounds kind of natural and charming and not at all like the alarming thing that happens to my face when I get shy or embarrassed. My blushing is its own phenomenon, maybe something of an accomplishment. The average person would have to hang upside down for a very long period of time to achieve such a hue. Regardless, there is something so horrible about being forced to admit that you are completely embarrassed and don’t feel at all chill about it.

It happened for the first time this term when I arrived back on campus and went to meet a professor to see what I’d missed.

I think it was some combination of the cold, my frazzled nerves because I really don’t like flying and the fact that I had heard good things about this professor and hoped he would like me. But I was instantly afflicted with The Red, and there has been no going back since.

When this used to happen to me freshman year (when I tried to participate in enormous English classes that had intimidating English majors seated together by frat), I looked “blushing” up in the search for a cure for my humiliating plight. I found that blushing is probably a fight-or-flight response and harbored the brief hope that my affliction is actually evolutionarily advantageous.

My blushing has run rampant this term.

The worst was probably when I was semicold-called in class the other day. In the four-second span after the prof said my name, I began to look like Spider-Man or the inside of a grapefruit. To minimize my exposure, I shrouded myself with my hair, in the style of Samara emerging from a TV in “The Ring” (2002). It remains unclear if this method is successful.

On an entirely irrelevant note, the time has truly come for us to take the swim test.

Apparently the polar bear swim doesn’t count, and we just received an urgent notice from our dean saying the pool is closed in the spring. And we would really like to graduate one of these days.

Farewell, frosty friends.

Yours, Lucy & Ethel

In case you were wondering, the coldest recorded temperature on Earth was minus 135.8 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 93.2 degrees Celsius for the metric folk among us. No, this was not in Hanover, though that may be hard to believe given our current state of affairs.

It was on the East Antarctic Plateau on Aug. 10, 2010, which is the middle of winter down there in the Southern Hemisphere.

As we are in the throws of January, other cold adventures often spring to mind as I don my hideous knee-length brown North Face parka and trek to the Life Sciences Center. On these long expeditions, when I barely make it past Novack and feel like I can’t make it any further, it helps to imagine myself as Sir Robert Peary reaching the North Pole or Edmund Hillary ascending Mount Everest.

Speaking of Everest, did you know that 80 percent of fatalities that take place on the mountain occur on the way down?

Logically, this makes perfect sense — on the trek back, you’re tired, it’s getting dark, it’s cold and oh yeah, you’ve probably run out of most of your oxygen since you’re 29,000 feet above sea level. This means you’ll need supplemental oxygen to stop your brain from building up fluid and exploding inside your head.

So be skeptical whenever someone says, “It’s all downhill from here.” What they really mean is that you may have achieved your highest goals, but there’s still a pretty good chance that you’re going to slip, fall into a crevasse and die anyway.

The more I learn about Everest, the less inclined I am to climb it. This is partially due to the discovery of the brainexploding thing (or high-altitude cerebral edema, if you want to get technical). But the other problem I have with Everest is that it’s not particularly adventurous anymore. Sure, it takes, like, a month, and you spend most of it cold and unable breathe very well, but there are ladders and fixed ropes and Sherpas who help carry your stuff and make sure you don’t fall into that crevasse on the way down.

After watching countless Netflix documentaries on these climbs, I have realized that I will never be as badass as Sherpas, who are the first ones to climb the mountain in the spring and the ones who climb up again to save those idiots who get stuck. They should be celebrated way more than Edmund Hillary. But I have not spent my life at extremely high altitudes and lack the genes that would make me less susceptible to altitude sickness.

Luckily for me, Dartmouth is not like

climbing Everest, and if it seems to you like it is, then I think you’re doing something wrong. Dartmouth is not some slow, hypoxic trudge. It is cold, but most of the time I do not fear brain explosions.

We have left the less intense first week of term behind, which means that there are actual papers and problem sets to do. As usual, I am behind in my reading, but that is because I am waiting for my textbook to get here. Most of my books are currently on reserve at Dana, which is too far a trip to attempt because I really don’t want to slip and break something important. I would gladly trade in-depth knowledge of the electron transport chain for four functioning limbs.

Despite the hubbub, rush has and will consume precious hours but this is winter, so things should be chiller (no pun intended). While it seems too early to think of midterms, I just checked my syllabus and have one next week. But after that, things should calm down again. Maybe I will go skating on Occom Pond for the first time and finally complete the Polar Bear Swim when Winter Carnival rolls around.

When choosing your expeditions, think outside the box. Everest is unoriginal.

Aspire to be the first one on Mars or the first one to develop a cost-effective solar panel. Or just get an A in Chem 5 and go to the gym three days a week. You don’t have to risk death to go on a good adventure — though when it gets really icy, going to the gym could actually threaten your life.

On further thought, I think my ideal expedition would be the Ancestor’s Trail.

I first discovered this walk’s existence when perusing an issue of Smithsonian Magazine, which my family subscribes to only because I interned there last summer and my mom is supportive. The walk is meant to simulate the evolution of humans from single-celled life. Along the way, you encounter different groups of hikers meant to represent the appearance of chimps, dinosaurs and the labyrinthodont, ever yone’s favorite common ancestor of land-dwelling vertebrate.

The trek is not hard. You walk 14 miles (or 22.5 km, since it’s in England) from Kingston Saint Mar y, which is in the southwestern not-quite-Cornwall part of England, to the coast. The path is pretty much flat — you only gain 1,000 feet total.

Maybe I’ll go this August, if I continue to be unemployed. Unlike Antarctica, I hear England is nice that time of year.

8 // MIRROR

WINTER SURVIVAL GUIDE

By LUKE McCANN

SONGS TO WAKE UP TO: “Work B**ch” by Britney Spears — If ever there were a modern-day prophet walking among us, it is undoubtedly Britney Spears. You want a hot body, you want a Maserati? You better work. You want above the median in your history seminar, you want to grab the attention of the cutie you saw at FoCo last night?

You better work.

“Suenos Dulces” by Thunderheist — A modern twist on the classic “Sweet Dreams” by the Eurythmics, this new mix features hip-hop verses over an infectious electronic beat. The song sounds like the artists just stepped out of a time machine, and this was the song they were bumpin’ when they landed here in 2014. When your friends see you bopping your head and murmuring in the corner, it won’t be weird — they’ve been singing “Suenos Dulces” to themselves all day, too.

“Pumpin Blood” by NONONO — It’s all in the title. This is the song you need to get the blood pumping and force you out of your blanket cocoon. With a catchy beat, cute, whistling hipsters and lyrics that are just hoarse enough to keep you from really understanding them, “Pumpin Blood” forces you to get started. “***Flawless” by Beyonce — Again, everything

about this song is right there in the title. If you haven’t heard this song yet, I recommend you take a seat before you press play. If you make this song your alarm tone, get ready to greet the day by telling everyone you “woke up like this.” Someone compliments your hair? You woke up like this. See your crush in Baker lobby?

Tell them you woke up like this. Guaranteed to make you feel like royalty for the rest of the day, this song will put an absolute stop to any obstacle in your path.

WINTER FASHION MUST-­HAVES: Texting Gloves — The severe weather may be enough to halt Dartmouth’s electricity and most on-campus facilities, but that doesn’t mean it’s going to stop your Twitter feed or your mom’s incessant texting you. When you’re outside in every piece of clothing you can put on, aside from a ski mask, these gloves will make sure the precious inches of skin on the tips of your fingers are still protected.

Gone are the days of rushing indoors to send a blitz or getting frostbite while calling EBAs at 2:10 a.m.

(Not Bean) Boots — Let’s be real. Bean Boots are the black North Face fracket of footwear. There’s a severe lack of individuality that comes with them, and there’s probably something out there that does their job just as well, if not better. Please reach out of your comfort zones — venture outside of Bella and Indigo to purchase a quality shoe.

Color — It’s easy to feel great in your black boots, black jeans, black sweater and black coat. But sometimes you have to look good to feel good, and the best way to do this is by adding a splash of color. Try a funky scarf or exuberant socks or pretty much any little piece of color to make sure you stand out in the crowd.

Attitude — While not technically a clothing item, your attitude is by far the most important thing you’re going to walk out of your room with in the morning.

Whether you’re wearing boots with tights or sweatpants with a matching sweatshirt, just know that you look amazing in it. You shouldn’t just walk on campus, you should strut. If people aren’t going to think you look good, you have to make them.

MOVIES TO CUDDLE UP TO: “Fargo” (1996) — The harsh North Dakota winter depicted in this Coen brothers’ movie is eerily similar to New Hampshire weather, and the 10-foot snow banks on either side of the roads made me flash back to the darkest moments of 13W. The story follows a pregnant police detective solving a murder (classic), and what it lacks in kind or friendly material it makes up for in accents.

“Clueless” (1995) — Can you imagine an ultimate movie list that doesn’t include this timeless classic? Ugh, as if! This movie is a time capsule that will transport you back to being a 17-year-old rich kid living in The Valley (those were the days, am I right?).

“Barbarella” (1968) — If held at gunpoint and asked to describe this film in a single word, I’d probably have to make peace with God. In several words: beautiful, cheesy, over the top, unbelievable and perhaps the greatest film I’ve ever seen. Nearly 50 years old, it’s a futuristic, space-age tale of an oversexualized heroine who has to save the Earth. You know, the usual. “Barbarella” also comes complete with less-than-believable special effects and oversized ray guns.

“Harold and Maude” (1971) — A romantic cult classic that starts with two people who meet at a stranger’s funeral. From there, they fall in love, steal a police motorcycle, relocate a tree they think needs to be saved and engage in a handful of other shenanigans. A far cry from being a cookie-cutter romantic comedy, “Harold and Maude” is a story that will truly make you believe that love can transcend every obstacle life throws at it. Oh, and did I mention it’s about love between an old woman and a young man? I didn’t? Oh. It’s not creepy, I swear.

DRINKS TO KEEP YOU WARM:

Black Coffee — A simple yet effective option for our no-nonsense readers. If you prefer a drink that gets the job done without looking like a Pinterest project, stick to the basics. Warms you up, wakes you up, no hassle, no frills.

Mexican Hot Chocolate — Not your average watered-down Nestle mix. Thicker, more chocolatey and often made with cinnamon or vanilla, there really isn’t a better option when you crave a little hot cocoa. Serve this with churros on the side, and your winter night is complete.

Winter Lemonade — If looking out your window at the gray mounds of slush on the street leaves you longing for summer, this drink may be just what you need. It’s the perfect way to stay cozy in your room while dreaming of being somewhere warm.

Butterbeer — This real-life Harry Potter favorite is simple to make and gives you a magical feeling. Butterbeer is a butterscotch treat great for any theme party or for making you feel like a kid again.