VOL. CLXXI NO. 37
SNOW SHOWER HIGH 22 LOW 3
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
Arabic FSPcut forsecond year
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Training addressessuicide prevention
POKER FACE
By Zac Hardwick The Dartmouth Staff
By Jordan Einhorn The Dartmouth Staff
SPORTS
SOFTBALL GOES 0-5 IN FLORIDA PAGE 8
OPINION
ADDRESSING ADMISSIONS PAGE 4
The Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Languages and Literature cancelled its Arabic foreign study program in Tangier, Morocco for the fall of 2014, marking the second consecutive year that the program has been called off due to low enrollment. Department chair James Dorsey announced the decision on Feb. 17 via email, and professors in the department met with students later that day to discuss other possibilities for studying abroad in the Middle East or North Africa. After deans cancelled the
GIVE VOICE PAGE 4
ARTS
‘MONOLOGUES’ TO PROMOTE DIALOGUE PAGE 7
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SEE ARABIC PAGE 2
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In February 2013, 10 administrators, faculty members and advisors gathered to discuss forming a stand-alone suicide intervention program. The effort, coordinated by Dean of the College Charlotte Johnson, set out to create a program that encompassed suicide prevention training, increased community outreach from the Counseling and Human Development Department and developing a website where students, parents and faculty could go to get more information on suicide prevention. One year into the initiative, 25 students gathered in Cutter-Shabazz Hall to participate in a suicide prevention gatekeeper training, sponsored by mental health umbrella organization Dartmouth Cares and Active Minds. The training, conducted by Dartmouth counselors with many members of the Active Minds organization participating, is a part of a larger effort by Dartmouth Cares to eventually train every member of the Dartmouth community in
The Dartmouth Poker Society gave out prizes on Tuesday night.
SEE PREVENTION PAGE 5
Professors collaborate Barros ’96 appointed in Boston to study melancholy B y Kate Bradshaw
B y Miguel Pena
While mingling at a party for incoming faculty in 2007, English professor George Edmondson and German studies professor Klaus Mladek got to talking about melancholy. Seven years later, that conversation has grown into an idea for their forthcoming book, “A Politics of Melancholia,” and earned them a prestigious award and thousands of dollars in funding. Last week, the American Council of Learned Societies an-
nounced that the pair had been selected as one of eight teams of 2014 collaborative research fellows. “We just thought about what figure annoys the left and the right the most,” Mladek said. “That figure is the melancholic because it doesn’t like to enlist in movements, is not hopeful, is not an activist and he annoys pretty much everyone.” The fellowship is designed to support small g roups of huma nities
SEE COLLABORATION PAGE 2
As Boston’s first chief of economic development, John Barros ’96 plans to use his experience working in urban neighborhoods to promote small business growth, job training programs and build a city that is accommodating to residents of all backgrounds. Martin Walsh, the mayor of Boston who took office this January, created the position to equalize growth across the city. The son of Cape Verdean immigrants, Barros grew up in Roxbury, a Boston neighborhood. There, he first became involved in
local politics at age 17 as a member of the board of directors of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, a community-organizing nonprofit focused on neighborhood revitalization. At Dartmouth, he majored in economics and African and African-American studies. He was president of the Afro-American Society and was involved with Palaeopitus senior society, Casque and Gauntlet senior society, the Black Underground Theatre Association and Colors, an organization which aimed to unite students of color. Barros said his time at Dartmouth positively af-
fected his career trajectory. “The Dartmouth community is a community of active students, students who really care about their surroundings and the rest of the world, and there were always conversations and activities that helped us to learn to give back,” he said. Shakari Byerly ’96, a friend of Barros’s who now works at a public policy consulting firm in northern California, said Barros’s selection did not surprise her. She added that she found him easy to work with during their time in the AfroAmerican Society. SEE BARROS PAGE 5
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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DAily debriefing Thyroid cancer has been increasingly overdiagnosed, suggests a new study co-authored by Geisel School of Medicine professor Gilbert Welch, NPR reported. While diagnoses of thyroid cancer have tripled from 1975 to 2009, the mortality rate has remained constant at 0.5 per 100,000 people, the study found. Welch reported that the rapid increase in thyroid cancer diagnoses are byproducts of cautiousness on the part of doctors, that may not benefit patients. Thyroid cancer is typically diagnosed by means of a nodule on the thyroid, often found following a physical exam by a doctor. Surgical treatment of thyroid cancer can injure organs in the throat, affecting the voice and the body’s calcium levels. A team of researchers at The Dartmouth Institute have demonstrated the potential use of social media in capturing opinions on contemporary issues, according to a Dartmouth Institute press release. The research team looked at the Facebook walls of over 33,000 willing participants in order to gauge the opinion of medical professionals on social media by monitoring jokes made about doctors. During the six-month study, both the number of jokes and their receptions were studied in a look at medical-related humor. The study, albeit lighthearted, was done in order to highlight the potential utility of Facebook and other social media-related websites and applications in medical research. Researchers at the Geisel School of Medicine have engineered a device that quickly identifies individuals who have been exposed to exceptionally high amounts of radiation after a major radioactive disaster, according to a Dartmouth-Hitchcock Norris Cotton Cancer Center press release. The proposal seeks to address the problems of hospital overcrowding following such a disaster by identifying the patients most at need for medical attention. Directors of the EPR Center for the Study of Viable Systems at Dartmouth College Harold Swartz, Benjamin Williams and Ann Flood have identified a physically based biodosimetry, one potentially successful method of large-scale radiation detection. Using the device, first responders can study patient enamel and fingernails to identify those who require immediate treatment. A reading can be provided within 10 minutes, which will allow medical professionals to quickly treat those in the most danger.
— COMPILED BY ROSHAN DUTTA
CORRECTIONS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
College fosters collaborative research FROM COLLABORATION PAGE 1
scholars collaborating on research projects, though Mladek said it is unusual for the council to select recipients from the same institution. Of the eight pairs selected as 2014 fellows, Edmondson and Mladek were one of only two groups of scholars chosen from the same institution. Edmondson and Mladek also applied for the fellowship last year but were not selected. The professors said reading the feedback on their first application helped them revise their proposal. “It forced us to go back to the drawing board, revise, make things a little tighter and work out the relationship between melancholia and how it manifests in contemporary America,” Edmondson said. The professors began work in their shared office where, after many back-and-forth discussions, they wrote together on one computer. After hours of writing, Edmondson would revise their work, he said. Mladek would then “deepen” the argument, and the manuscript would go back to Edmondson to craft and mold the arguments. Edmondson joked that the project will be “worth reading” because of Mladek and “readable” because of him. This initial process, Edmondson said, was unproductive, exhausting and occasionally demoralizing. They now meet twice a week to discuss ideas, but either Edmondson
or Mladek is in charge of writing each chapter. Increasing efficiency will allow them to finish the project within the fellowship’s yearlong duration, they said. Edmondson and Mladek said that the political and economic aspects of their work have led them to ask colleagues in different departments for feedback. “They have very different methodologies, they have certain
“As soon as you get institutions in place there is something romantic about not being constrained by those institutions. So we like to think about ourselves as rebels against the system.” - JOHN CAREY, GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT CHAIR
protocols, professional standards and very different ways to answer the same question,” Edmondson said. This type of close cross-departmental collaboration is not uncommon at Dartmouth, he said,
noting that faculty pursue their research interests by establishing strong ties with colleagues in other fields. Though these collaborations often involve links between similar disciplines like government and history or economics, they have also brought together professionals from seemingly disparate fields like government and computer science. Government professor Yusaku Horiuchi said he strongly supports cross-departmental collaboration, which he believes is fostered by the College’s small size. Horiuchi recently worked with history professor Jennifer Miller on a research paper about Japan’s rapid economic growth from the 1950s to the 1970s. Government department chair John Carey said he has worked with economists at the London School of Economics and a Dartmouth computer scientist from the Neukom Institute of Computational Science on research projects. Carey added, however, that he believes that interdisciplinary work often becomes “fetishized.” “As soon as you get institutions in place there is something romantic about not being constrained by those institutions,” he said. “So we like to think about ourselves as rebels against the system.” Although interdisciplinary collaboration can be constructive, Carey said he does not agree that disciplines are inherently constraining. “A Politics of Melancholia” will be published by the end of winter 2017, Edmondson said.
ENGINES FIRING
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Engineering professor Peter Robbie leads a Dartmouth Humanitarian Engineering meeting.
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
PAGE 3
Low interest leads department to cancel Arabic FSP in Tangier FROM ARABIC PAGE 1
program last year due to a low level of interest, the department reopened applications for 2014. Another year of low numbers, however, caused the department to cancel the trip. Logistically, it is more difficult to plan a program after a year’s reprieve, Dorsey said. “There is a momentum that goes with these programs and when it is cancelled, it’s hard to get them going again,” Dorsey said. Department faculty will reevaluate the program, Dorsey said. Aiming to launch a new program for the 2015-16 academic year, AMELL faculty will travel to the Middle East and North Africa to find a potential new location for the Arabic FSP, Dorsey said. In the meantime, faculty are helping students find other ways to study abroad or work in Morocco and other Middle Eastern or North African countries. Previously, students interested in studying in the region have participated in Middlebury College’s program affiliated with the University of Jordan and a Dartmouth-sponsored exchange with the American University in Kuwait. Previous Tangier programs have attracted about nine to 10 students per year, AMELL professor and program founder Jonathan Smolin said. The program is currently for third-
year level Arabic students. The fall 2012 trip was opened to students taking second-year level Arabic. In Tangier, participants took Arabic classes with local teachers for three hours a day, five days a week, and were expected to speak Arabic outside of class. Students used the facilities at the American School of Tangier and the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies. Students in the program stayed in dormitories but shared meals with Moroccan families. In addition to immersing themselves in Moroccan cuisine and culture, students could learn colloquial Arabic, Smolin said. Mary Ivancic ’14, who participated in the Tangier FSP in fall 2012, said she could tie her experience abroad back to her classrooms in Hanover. The Moroccans she met were very open to teaching students on the program about their culture and lifestyle, she said. Ivancic and fellow participant Emily Estelle ’15 both said that Darmouth financial aid allowed them to participate and said they were unsure if they would had been able to study abroad otherwise. Estelle said she appreciated traveling with other Dartmouth students because she could continue developing the relationships she built abroad when she returned to campus, and because the program fit with her D-Plan.
MADISON PAULY/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Students explore the kasbah in Tangier during an Arabic foreign study program in fall 2012.
A HELPING HAND
Great Sociology Courses Offered This Spring Are you looking for the perfect course to round out your course selection?
SOCY 61/WGST 33.5: Women, Work and Family
This course will explore the nature, extent, and consequences of gender inequality in society. Changing gender roles will be examined in relation to class and race, the socialization process, the experience of women in the family, and the experience of women as paid and unpaid workers under both capitalism and socialism. Finally, we shall analyze work and family conflict, looking at gender inequality, consequences for families and employers, policy, and implications for social structural change. Prerequisite: Sociology 1 or 2, (or WGST 10 with permission). Dist: SOC; WCult: W. Smith. 10A hour.
SOCY 79.6: Sociology of the Body
JOSH RENAUD/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Alex Leach ’14 helps promote Eating Disorder Awareness Week.
Can social life exist without bodies? How can attention to the body influence our understanding of social processes of subjectivity, interaction, and practice? This seminar provides an overview of sociological approaches to the body across the study of gender, race, class, (dis)ability, sport, medicine, technology, and more. Students will complete a course-long research project in which they analyze the impact and meanings of bodies in a particular social or media context. Dist: SOC. Coutinho-Sledge. 11 hour.
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
PAGE 4
Contributing Columnist Kyle Bigley ’17
guest columnist Kate Shelton ’14
Addressing Admissions
Give Voice
The ‘Freedom Budget’ fails to properly address admissions concerns. I feel obligated to begin with a disclaimer: I do not know what it feels like to be black, Latino or Latina, Native American or Asian. I do not know what it feels like to be gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender. I do not to know what it feels like to be a woman. I do not know what it feels like to be financially underprivileged. For all my life, I have been a straight, white, middle-class male. Being a part of a group that is often considered representative of “privilege” does not constrain my capacity for sympathy. Yet, while I have not suffered from the same oppression as have other students throughout their lives, my perspective can still provide me with a commitment to justice. It is in this light that I first viewed the “Freedom Budget,” a list of demands from a diverse group of concerned students. While the budget includes a number of commendable proposals with the noble objective of ending sexism, racism, classism, homophobia and ableism, it also contains two oversights in its admissions demands. The first lapse is the proposal to “increase enrollment of Black, Latin@ and Native students to at least 10 percent each.” While the quota for the latter group may be high in proportion to the percentage of Native Americans in the national population, the overarching idea of setting quotas purely on racial grounds warrants scrutiny. If, for instance, Dartmouth established quotas using the criteria of race alone, where would that leave socioeconomic status? A purely racial quota could benefit those who are most insulated from racism and oppression — the wealthiest members of these minority groups. Much like wealthy white students, these students have access to the best schools, resources and environments. They have an admissions advantage relative to the poorer members of each group. In the end, a quota could harm those who need the most protection from oppression. A greater emphasis on both socioeconomic status and race could create more diversity on campus than would these single-minded proposals. But the most glaring oversight is omitting the legacy component of the application process.
If these groups were truly concerned about opening up opportunity to the disadvantaged, they would make a legacy overhaul a prime component of its program. Giving legacy applicants preferential treatment impedes greater opportunity and is highly relevant to concerns of race and class. Legacies constitute a small but significant minority, comprising 14 percent of the last four incoming classes. They receive great advantages. A former Dartmouth admissions officer said to Business Insider, “Legacies do get a bump. We’re taught to be sensitive of if their father or mother went to Dartmouth. Legacies are admitted at twice the rate of other students.” According to a 2011 Harvard University study, parent legacies are 45.1 percent more likely to get into highly selective universities, while a Princeton University study found that legacy status was equal to a 160-point swing on a 1600-point SAT scale. Of course some legacies deserve admission. However, these applicants need advantages the least. Research suggests the strongest correlation between income level and academic achievement of the earners’ children. Children of Dartmouth graduates generally benefit from high levels of economic security and, by association, perform well in school. They should not need a boost. According to Jerome Karabel of the University of California at Berkeley, the favored legacy status was originally a ploy to keep Jews and other minorities out of the Ivy League in the early 20th century. Today it helps attract alumni donations. But those who truly love the College would give regardless of special treatment. “Paying it forward” for the advantages received from a Dartmouth education should be enough of a reward for most alumni. Both a purely racial quota and failing to eliminate preferential treatment for legacies are antithetical to the core principles behind today’s conception of affirmative action, which values diversity because it broadens young people’s horizons. These two flaws in the “Freedom Budget” limit its ability to deliver diversity and widen opportunity at Dartmouth.
Dartmouth needs a space for the voices of self-identifying women. For my first winter on campus since freshman year, I felt thrilled to finally participate in “The Vagina Monologues.” I felt I had been missing an important part of my Dartmouth experience as a woman and feminist. Auditions came for both “Voices,” the new production of monologues written by Dartmouth students, and “The Vagina Monologues.” In “The Vagina Monologues,” I was cast as “The Woman Who Loved To Make Vaginas Happy.” Unbeknownst to me, the monologue often faces criticism because the performer acts out various “moans,” which differ based on minority group. Obviously, these jokes are problematic. As such, leaders of V-February organized a panel this year, “The Vagina Monologues Controversies,” on which I could give my perspective of the monologue. I agreed this type of conversation was important, and I thought I was doing the right thing. Then came “Voices.” I still remember it so clearly. I performed my anonymous, Latina peer’s experience of being groped by a mall Santa. At first, the audience laughed as I demonstrated the author’s embarrassment of waiting to see Santa at 15. When I delivered the line revealing Santa’s inappropriate groping, the room went silent. The excruciating quiet continued as I detailed how her mother refused to believe her when she explained what happened. For the first time, I performed in front of an audience that could not anticipate what I would say. As the room gasped and an unbearable silence took over, my shock at this frightening reaction hit me. I had known it, but a whole room showed me they understood that this story was horrible. This story was, in fact, not funny at all. I left the stage feeling sick, but I knew I had shared something incredibly important. With “Voices” over, rehearsals for “The Vagina Monologues” weighed heavily on me. How could I share the story of the Latina teenager and then openly mock minority women? The “just a play” argument no longer held value. I could not, as a person and a woman, behave as though I condoned the piece. As a survivor of assault like the girl in my “Voices” piece, I could not relate to her in one way and diminish her personhood
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ISSUE
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
NEWS EDITOR: Laura Weiss, LAYOUT EDITOR: Byrne Hollander, TEMPLATING EDITOR: Meg Parson. COPY EDITOR: Claire Park.
SUBMISSIONS: We welcome letters and guest columns. All submissions must include the author’s name and affiliation with Dartmouth College, and should not exceed 250 words for letters or 700 words for columns. The Dartmouth reserves the right to edit all material before publication. All material submitted becomes property of The Dartmouth. Please email submissions to editor@thedartmouth.com.
in another. I could not perform in “The Vagina Monologues” and accept the laughter I would receive. I could not pretend that simply speaking on a panel afterward would cleanse me of the injustice I would perpetuate by speaking derogatory, racist, marginalizing words as a white, straight-passing, cisgender woman. I knew I had to react. I could not continue with the show. Even if I promoted the educational value of discussing the monologue’s problems, I could not comfortably participate, no matter how much I encouraged audience members to attend some panel. I decided to quit the show, still speak on the panel and publicly write about my decision. “The Vagina Monologues” represents a contemporary feminist tradition. The production opened a new realm of discussion for women, for whom talking about their genitalia has long been, and remains, taboo. For many women today, the monologues still symbolize a gateway into a world of women’s empowerment and frank discussion of sexuality, gender-based violence, and women’s bodies. These benefits, however, mask the unfortunate reality of the production, which is a white, cisgender woman’s appropriation of other women’s experiences, particularly those of queer women and women of color. “The Vagina Monologues” had its time in feminist history, but that time has passed. We must examine why we continue to idolize a production built on appropriation. Storytelling holds the most power and truth when the voice comes directly from the source. Rather than continue the tradition of “The Vagina Monologues,” Dartmouth and its community should rally behind “Voices,” a show that captures the various forms of empowerment that self-identifying women find. The women of Dartmouth are diverse, brave and strong. We should extol these students’ telling of their own experiences rather than continue to share stories that have already been rewritten and framed by one person. Dartmouth no longer needs “The Vagina Monologues.” Dartmouth needs a new feminist tradition for the month of February and always, and a space for the voices of self-identifying women. Dartmouth needs “Voices.”
Vox Clamantis
In a recent column (“Room for All,” Feb 20, 2014), Kyle Bigley ’17 claimed that majoring in humanities is valuable in today’s economy. The humanities, he argues, provide people with unique skills that give them an opportunity equal to that of STEM majors to succeed in the job market. Unfortunately, Bigley’s reasoning is riddled with holes. Like other pundits, he cherry picks data that support his argument and does little to test his theory. As a result, he reaches faulty conclusions. This is especially true when he considers the academic backgrounds of the chief executive officers of technology companies. Though Bigley correctly states that “a mere 37 percent [of CEOs] had degrees in computer technology or engineering,” he does not mention how many people in the general population followed the same path. In fact, only 9 percent of college
graduates fit this mold. Moreover, in general, STEM majors are more likely than their humanities counterparts to become CEOs. Bigley’s reasoning is equally faulty when he compares unemployment rates across majors. Instead of looking at a representative array of different majors, he only considers English, information systems and architecture. Based on only these three majors, he concludes that people with humanities degrees have lower unemployment rates. But in doing so Bigley excludes all other areas of study and engages in what statisticians call selection bias, and he gives his own conclusions and little validity. By relying on biased data and overly optimistic assumptions, Bigley arrives at the erroneous conclusion that humanities majors perform just as well as STEM majors in today’s economy. Common sense would seem to indicate otherwise. Matt Steiner ’16
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
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Group aims to train students in prevention FROM PREVENTION PAGE 1
prevention practices. An experiential and interactive program, the training aims to enhance students’ crisis communication skills, knowledge and awareness of suicide warning signs and protective factors and campus resources, according to a campuswide email. During the session, students practiced recognizing early signs and appropriately addressing the situation. “With this training they will know what type of questions to ask, how to be a helper and connect and provide the resources that they need,” said Arlene Velez-Galan, a counselor in Counseling and Human Development. Dartmouth Cares seeks to connect various campus groups that organize around issues of suicide prevention and mental health. The Dartmouth Cares website is expected to launch within the next few months, said Counseling and Human Development director Heather Earle. Plans for a smartphone app are also underway. Active Minds, a national nonprofit that empowers students to speak openly about mental health, seeks to change conversations about mental health on college campuses specifically, said Anna Franklin ’14, co-president of Dartmouth’s Active Minds chapter. At Dartmouth, Active Minds members work to educate the student body about issues related to mental health through films, speakers, student panels and collaborating with other campus organizations, Franklin said. Tuesday’s training was not the first of its kind. Over the past year, all community directors, staff in the Undergraduate Deans Office and most undergraduate advisors have been trained. There are also plans in to train athletic staff, Velez-Galan said. Suicide is believed to be the
second leading cause of death among college students, and nearly 80 percent of college students that commit suicide have never received counseling, according to a 2009 article in Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Dartmouth Cares was prompted to train students by data that showed that students are more willing to come to peers with their problems before they approach adults, Velez-Galan said. Research suggests that students who report feeling suicidal will also report feeling marginalized, feeling like a burden or feeling like they cannot find their niche, Earle said. “That’s why it’s really important for all campus to be involved, because, for example, residential life plays a huge part in students feeling connected to each other,” she said. Earle said that sports teams, residential life and outdoor activities all contribute to suicide prevention. “I think it is a part of suicide prevention to make sure students are feeling wanted and connected to another human being or a group of others,” she said. The University of Pennsylvania has increased its efforts to address mental health issues and suicide prevention on campus after two students committed suicide at the beginning of the semester. Last Wednesday, Penn announced a new Task Force on Student Psychological Health and Welfare to design programs and policies that will improve the quality of student life, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported. Dartmouth Cares will continue its outreach and training in the spring. In April, the group plans on hosting a mental health fair that will coincide with national depression screening day, potentially including therapy dogs. “I think there’s a general trend toward talking about these issues more instead of hiding them under the rug,” Franklin said. “But I think there’s always room for improvement.”
Barros ’96 leads development in Boston FROM BARROS PAGE 1
“He cared about the quality of life for his fellow classmates and Dartmouth overall,” she said. “John will add a lot of value from his experiences at Dartmouth building bridges.” After graduation, Barros started at the Chubb Group of Insurance Companies, where he worked with tech companies. He never lost interest in working with urban neighborhoods, however, and he later returned to Boston to work with the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative. In 2000, he was named as its executive director. He worked there until he entered the Boston mayoral race in April 2013. Though he lost the campaign, Barros said he considered his run successful because he could share his message with Boston voters. As the first chief of economic development — a role housed within the City of Boston’s mayoral office — Barros will oversee agencies like the Boston Redevelopment Authority, consumer affairs and licensing, the small and local business enterprise office, the Boston Employment Commission, jobs and community services and arts, tourism and special events. Barros said the city must support minorities, women and small businesses in addition to entrepreneurs, large contractors and other employment sectors in Boston. “My first priority is to make
sure Boston is working for all of its residents,” Barros said. Drawing on his experience at the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, Barros said he wants to fight the “brain drain” that often hits poor urban centers. He wants to encourage people to stay in their neighborhoods and support them rather than move elsewhere, he said. Issues that currently galvanize Boston, like affordable housing and income inequality, Barros said, can be addressed by improving infrastructure and creating pathways to employment. Considering Boston’s shifting demographics, the city will need to cater to a younger workforce by making efforts to create a more vibrant nightlife, increase business hours and improve public transit, he said. Economics professor Charles Wheelan said that economic development is a fluid term. “Economic development is one of the squishiest terms out there,”
he said. “Just about anything can be construed as economic development.” Wheelan said that urban economic development initiatives can unfold in one of two ways. The first occurs as a zero-sum game, meaning the initiative may be good for the city but does not add national value. This happens when development, in the form of businesses or employees, that could have gone elsewhere is brought instead to the city of interest, he said. The second approach, which Wheelan said is more effective and creates net national development, occurs through programs that increase the productivity of a city’s assets. Examples include skills training, education and improvements to infrastructure such as improved broadband or initiatives to ease traffic congestion. “Probably the worst thing you can do is throw money at businesses,” Wheelan said.
THE DARTMOUTH COMICS
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DARTMOUTH EVENTS
What We’re All Thinking
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
Sonia Robiner ’16
TODAY 4:00 p.m. Physiology and neurobiology seminar, “Understanding the Neurophysiological Basis of Autism Using Pten as a Genetic Model” with Bryan W. Luikart, DHMC Auditorium E
4:30 p.m. “The New Republican” with Alex Castellanos, Silsby 028
7:30 p.m. “The Vagina Monologues,” Spaulding Auditorium
TOMORROW 10:30 a.m. Chemistry colloquium with Liliya A. Yatsunyk of Swarthmore College, Steele 007
4:00 p.m. Physics and astronomy quantum nano seminar, with Marco Miller of Ulm University, Germany, Wilder 202
4:00 p.m. “Polar Vision: Seeing Beyond the Limits,” with Richard Smith Tu’11, Haldeman 031
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
PAGE 7
Rollins Chapel to host ‘Monologues’ to promote dialogue experimental concert
B y DONGJUN SUH
On Thursday evening, the pulsing tones of Phill Niblock’s recorded music will reverberate throughout Rollins Chapel as the audience watches images from Niblock’s “The Movement of People Working” series. Niblock’s layered soundscapes will combine with evocative visuals in a rare audiovisual experiment. The upcoming concert will include two of about 20 films from “The Movement of People Working” series, both of which were filmed in China in 1986 and 1987. The two films have never been shown side by side in any concert before, Niblock said, because he rejects any set pairing between film and music. “There is simply no set film for a concert and no set music for a film,” Niblock said. Niblock is one of few artists who has worked as both a musician and a filmmaker, visiting film and media studies professor Carlos Casas said. Niblock’s works were “almost magical” for his unconventional and experimental use of film and music, Casas said. Instead of in a typical auditorium, Niblock will unveil his piece at Rollins Chapel, since cavernous spaces can create reverberations and different sounds that enrich the experience, Casas said. The work would not have the same impact in a concert hall with fixed seating that soaks up noises, he said. “The sound is a really interactive space,” said saxophonist Neil Leonard, who will perform live at the concert. “Hearing Phill’s music on headphones is nothing like hearing it in a church where the build-up of waves is much
more complicated. The music has a different life and resonance in the church.” Leonard will accompany Niblock’s recorded music during the concert with guest guitarists. Casas said that a place where cultures and faiths cross over is an ideal location for the concert. “Phill’s work is almost like a ritual,” Casas said. “It takes people to another place through its images and music. It’s a hypnotic, introspective experience. You get sort of lost watching these images of people working and listening to the music in the atmosphere of the chapel.” Having no clear form or rhythm, Niblock’s musical experiment is quite unlike other works, Leonard said. The thick mass of tones changes depending on the room and the piece, he said. As a result, Leonard said he must meet the challenge of accurately presenting the “intricate turbulence” found in Niblock’s work. Having performed in locations ranging from small rooms to large churches, Niblock has learned to persistently adjust his music and sounds for his audiences, Leonard said. The two musicians have also visited Dartmouth classes, including a course on sonic landscapes taught by Casas and music professor Theodore Levin. A professor of 27 years, Niblock said that he never enjoyed teaching, but he said he likes exposing students to his work and answering their questions. “Niblock is like a great godfather to a lot of generations of musicians and filmmakers who take him and his work as a guiding light,” Casas said. The concert will take place on Thursday at 7 p.m. in Rollins Chapel.
TREVELYAN WING/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Three students rehearse for Dartmouth’s annual “The Vagina Monologues” performance, which will take place tonight.
B y MARLEY MARIUS Tonight, Eve Ensler’s play “The Vagina Monologues” returns to campus for Dartmouth’s 16th celebration of “V-Week.” The yearly campaign was established in concert with V-Day, a movement launched by Ensler to end violence against women and girls. This year’s “voices” theme for V-February makes the production especially relevant, Center for Gender and Student Engagement assistant director Michelle Hector said. “‘The Vagina Monologues’ holds a very important place in feminist dialogues,” Hector said. “It represents a certain [set of voices] within this greater themes of voices and story-sharing of V-February.” Written in 1996, “The Vagina Monologues” is based off Ensler’s conversations with over 200 women about sex, relationships and violence against women. In the past few years, “The Vagina Monologues” has drawn some criticism, including from within the Dartmouth community, for being outdated and promoting heteronormativity. Because the broader VDay organization prohibits groups from making changes to the play’s script, Hector and director Sandi Caalim ’13 have sought to clarify the work’s message and intentions. “Though I myself have qualms with certain pieces and ‘The Vagina Monologues’ as a whole, I respect that these are people’s stories,” Caalim said. “It is by no means representative of all self-identifying women, but it represents some
voices and has inspired many people.” In each of this year’s 18 pieces, performers will hold large note cards to further underscore that they are presenting the particular circumstances of specific people, Caalim said. As preparations began for the show, Caalim worked to make rehearsals open and engaging, drawing special attention to self-care, self-reflection and conversations among the 23 cast members. “We spent time talking about pertinent and intersecting issues and discussed the pieces that are being performed with regard to some of their problematic and controversial aspects,” Caalim said. Though the “Voices” monologues perfor med on Feb. 12 helped compensate for some perspectives missing in “The Vagina Monologues,” Hector said that there was no sense of competition between the productions. About a third of the women involved with “The Vagina Monologues” also participated in “Voices.” Ultimately, what makes “The
Vagina Monologues” such a compelling production, Caalim said, are the discussions that it starts. Julia Dressel ’17, who is participating in three monologues, said that the production raises topics that people do not like to address. “It makes people uncomfortable when they watch it, and that’s what it’s supposed to do,” Dressel said. “It’s supposed to get people thinking about why they feel so uncomfortable and to talk about the issues presented in the play. The production shares stories that Dartmouth students, and a lot of people in general, normally don’t hear.” Since V-Day’s founding in 1998, colleges and organizations have perfor med “The Vagina Monologues” annually around the world. Serving in most cases as a fundraiser, the play’s profits are typically donated to women’s advocacy groups, Hector said. The CGSE will give the sum of its profits to WISE, an Upper Valley center for survivors of domestic and sexual violence and stalking. The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium.
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS
PAGE 8
SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2014
WEDNESDAY LINEUP
WOMEN’S TENNIS WOMEN’S LACROSSE VS. UMASS VS. UCONN 4 PM 3 PM
Softball drops five games in Florida tournament over weekend
B y josh schiefelbein The Dartmouth Staff
The softball team came back from the Florida International Tournament winless, losing two games to Florida International University and three to the University of North Florida. In the team’s opening tournament last season, Dartmouth went 3-2 and generated 23 runs. This year, Dartmouth only scored nine runs in its five games. The Big Green has played an early season tournament in Florida for the past nine years as a way to gear up for the Ivy League season while escaping Hanover for some sunnier climes. “A Florida trip like this is a great opportunity to get outdoors and play the game before we hit the Ivy League,” head coach Rachel Hanson said. With 12 underclassmen on the 17-person roster, the team has some great potential, pitcher Kristen Rumley ’15 said. Dartmouth fell to FIU (12-3) 3-1 in its season opener on Friday. A tworun home run in the fourth inning by junior Krystal Garcia with two outs made the difference. Earlier in the game, Garcia scored on a wild pitch by Rumley, who would allow just four hits and three walks all game. Rumley’s counterpart, Mariah Dawson, picked up the win after pitching five innings, allowing three hits and one run over five innings. Shelby Graves earned the save, pitching six strikeouts to end the game. Kelsey Miller ’16 put Dartmouth on the board in the top of the fifth, nailing a double to left center that plated Alyssa Jorgensen ’17. The offense could not continue its comeback, however, as two players grounded out, halting the threat of additional runs. A walk-off home run on a full count by freshman Ashia Kerr gave North Florida (13-3) a 4-3 win in the second game of Friday’s doubleheader. Morgan McCalmon ’16 relieved Rumley for the afternoon game and pitched six full innings, allowing four runs and eight hits over six-plus innings. Kerr led off the seventh inning with the walk-off. The Big Green got off to a hot start in the first, scoring twice in the opening half inning. Katie McEachern ’16 doubled down the left field line, scoring Miller. A hit from Mad-
die Damore ’17 to shortstop which scored Karen Chaw ’17 followed. McEachern was stranded at third when Rumley grounded out. The Ospreys responded in the bottom of the first when junior Abby Tewey pounded a two-run double to left. The next inning, North Florida took the lead when Kerr singled, allowing senior Danica Mandarano to score. Miller scored again in the fourth on a double by Damore to tie the game. The contest remained knotted at three until Kerr ended the game in the seventh with the walk-off home run. Dartmouth faced its second double-header on Saturday and was again swept, this time losing 6-2 to FIU and 5-0 to North Florida. The lack of offense again doomed Dartmouth. The Big Green could only manage eight hits over their two games on Saturday. The team surrendered 18. While FIU led 5-0 after three innings, Chaw nailed her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot in the fourth inning. “Everything about this weekend was really exciting,” Chaw said. “It’s really nice to play outside after being inside for a really long time. It’s a nice change from the Hanover cold.” Chaw’s home run was Dartmouth’s only offensive highlight on Saturday. FIU would score once more on a double to push its lead to 6-2. Ashley Sissel ’17 struggled in her collegiate debut, allowing three runs over two-thirds of an inning. McCalmon entered in relief and pitched through the fifth inning, allowing two runs. Alex Jarvis ’16 closed out the game with two scoreless innings. Rumley resumed pitching duties for the second Saturday game, giving up just one hit until the fourth inning. North Florida batters would add one run in three consecutive innings before Thomas hit a two-run homer to finish out the game. The Big Green finished the tournament with a 5-3 loss against North Florida on Sunday. Dartmouth took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first due to a Chaw single that plated Jorgensen. North Florida responded in the bottom of the inning, however, tying the game at one. Rumley continued to pitch for Dartmouth, squaring off against junior Kayla Goff in a pitcher’s duel. However, Rumley lost control in the
fourth and fifth innings, allowing North Florida’s offense to break open the game with two runs. Rumley was pulled entering the sixth, allowing McCalmon and Jarvis to finish the game, splitting time on the mound. The Ospreys added two more in the sixth to push its lead to 5-1. The Big Green’s offense returned
in the seventh, but it was too late for a comeback. Chloe Madill ’17 scored on a sacrifice fly by Brianna Lohmann ’16 to cut the lead to three. Miller brought in Kara Curosh ’14, reducing the deficit to two. Senior pitcher Courtney Radke then stymied Dartmouth’s comeback bid with two strikeouts.
The Big Green will take another five-game road trip next weekend. Dartmouth will also participate in the University of California at Santa Barbara Tournament and the Loyola Marymount Tournament over spring break. Dartmouth’s first home game will be March 25 against University of Massachusetts at Lowell at 4 p.m.
ZONIA MOORE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Last season, the softball team went 3-2 in its Florida tournament. The team started off this season 0-5 in Florida.
HUDDLE UP
MARK WIDERSCHEIN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
The men’s tennis team is ranked No. 41 in the country entering the spring, its highest rank in program history.