MIR ROR 1.31.2018
COLLABORATION BUILDS THE BRIDGE | 3
YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT: DDS AND KAF | 4-5
DOGGY BUSINESS: ACADEMIC PERSPECTIVES | 6-7 TANYA SHAH/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
2 //MIRR OR
Editors’ Note
Next Zuckerberg or Spiegel? STORY
MICHAEL LIN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Dartmouth is a liberal arts college. Most of us are working towards a bachelor of arts degree. We are working towards one day being able to frame our diploma written in a language dead for almost a thousand years (don’t you read Latin?) and hang it up on our wall in the prestigious office we will obviously all occupy. No matter what major we choose, or career plans we have, choosing to attend Dartmouth as an undergraduate is choosing a liberal arts education. For a campus filled with students of the “arts,” it never comes as a surprise to hear that three out of your four closest friends have secured jobs on Wall Street post-graduation — and the other one at a consulting firm in D.C. There are a myriad of stereotypes of the typical Dartmouth economics major: a preppy, Sperry-wearing student that can just as easily quote Adam Smith as they can rap along to Post Malone. These students come to Dartmouth to be robustly trained in the liberal arts school of thought. To leave and hopefully apply what they’ve learned of the liberal arts and be the founder of the next big startup, the next big investment banker, human-centered designer or finance giant. We come to Dartmouth to learn how to be the next leaders in society. In this issue the Mirror has decided to look at our Dartmouth experience with another type of green in mind: money. So, let’s get down to business, shall we?
follow @thedmirror 1.31.18 VOL. CLXXIV NO. 171 MIRROR EDITORS MARIE-CAPUCINE PINEAUVALENCIENNE CAROLYN ZHOU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF RAY LU PUBLISHER PHILIP RASANSKY EXECUTIVE EDITOR ERIN LEE PHOTO EDITORS TIFFANY ZHAI SABA NEJAD
By Jacob Maguire
D a r t m o u t h a t t r a c t s s o m e or consulting. opportunities. students for its business-friendly, “I’m currently interviewing and “Going with other DEN members entrepreneurial culture and there is planning for future opportunities,” to Seattle and San Francisco was an no better place to look for evidence Thomas Cornew said. “We’ll see eye-opening experience,” Quigley of Dartmouth students’ keen what happens.” said. “It helped me see what my life business sense. A prime example is Unlike the Cornew brothers, could look like down the road.” the Cornew C o n n o r Q u i g l e y Entrepreneurship on campus b r o t h e r s . “We founded the ’21 and Cameron c o m e s i n s eve r a l fo r m s. Fo r Thomas Roller ’21 have not example, Dartmouth’s campus Cornew ’18 company in seventh ye t f o u n d e d a ny boasts entrepreneurial ventures and his twin grade out of necessity. companies of their that are nonprofits. Lily Zhang ’18, b r o t h e r, own, but, as members an engineering major, is involved E d u a r d I fixed a broken iPhone of the Dartmouth with Dartmouth Bikes, a not-forC o r n e w because I really E n t r e p r e n e u r i a l profit organization on campus ’ 1 8 , h ave in Residence that repairs, rents and refurbishes wanted one, and then Network started L i v i n g L e a r n i n g bicycles for students. Founded in their own I started fixing phones Community, the two 2011 and overseen by the Office of business st-year s are on Sustainability, Dartmouth Bikes also for my parents’ friends fir together their way towards regularly hosts educational sessions on campus, and the company careers in business. about bike repair methods. Zhang, Lone Pine Quigley joined who applied to join Dartmouth Bikes grew.” Re pair s, t h e D E N L L C her sophomore year, initially found an iPhone because he wanted out about the organization through r e p a i r t o l e a r n a b o u t one of the education sessions. -THOMAS CORNEW ’18 c o m p a n y. entrepreneurship. “Business isn’t really the focus Lone Pine “I don’t think of [Dartmouth Bikes], but we just Repairs t h a t I t h o u g h t happen to run it like one,” said is an e n t r e p r e n e u r i a l l y Zhang, emphasizing that Dartmouth evolution before I came to Bikes aims to break even between of Quick Fix iPhones, which they Dartmouth,” Quigley said. “Being its income and expenses but not founded in 2007 in the Silicon Valley p a r t o f D E N necessarily turn community where they grew up. has been really a profit. “We’re “We founded the company in interesting. It’s “Business isn’t more focused seventh grade out of necessity,” definitely changed on sustainability really the focus of Thomas Cornew said. “I fixed a my perspective.” and service than broken iPhone because I really S i m i l a r l y , [Dartmouth Bikes], the business wanted one, and then I started fixing Roller decided to but we just happen aspect.” phones for my parents’ friends and become a member According to the company grew.” of DEN because to run it like one. Zhang, the six Now, the company is an official h e w a n t e d t o We’re more focused current inter ns business entity in the state of New i n c r e a s e h i s at Dartmouth Hampshire, Cornew said, and he and knowledge about on sustainability Bikes specialize his brother now use an automated business-related and service than the in different areas. system for scheduling appointments, issues. She encourages rather than doing so manually like “ I t h o u g h t business aspect.” students to they did in high school. I would always apply when In addition to running Lone Pine g o a b u s i n e s s the application Repairs, which they are in the process s c h o o l , a n d -LILY ZHANG ’18 process starts later of selling to a group of sophomores Dartmouth has this year. at Dartmouth, the Cornew brothers no undergraduate “Being an intern are currently working alongside business school, so is about more than economics professor Bruce Sacerdote this was the next best thing,” Roller just fixing bikes,” Zhang said. on a startup company that focuses said. “DEN is fledgling and rapidly “It’s about working with other on mining e x p a n d i n g, a n d interns, scheduling appointments, materails alumni are really b r a i n s t o r m i n g a n d s o l v i n g “I thought I would a n d invested in it. Now sustainability-related problems. Our i m p r o v i n g always go to a business is definitely a good business model definitely requires a m i n i n g to be a part of horizontal leadership structure.” school, and Dartmouth time practices it.” As for her future plans, Zhang has no undergraduate As members of wants to pursue a career that abroad. Thomas DEN, Quigley and is related to sustainability and business school, so C o r n e w, a Ro l l e r r e g u l a rl y engineering. mechanical [DEN] was the next p a r t i c i p a t e i n “Incor porating human need engineering best thing. DEN is community dinners into design is essential,” she said. m a j o r, i s with their peers. “If I go into business, I want to do c u r r e n t l y fledgling and rapidly D E N a l s o h o s t s something that is responsible and u n s u r e expanding ... Now is s p e e c h e s w i t h ethically necessary.” whether he students, alumni and Because entrepreneurship can and Eduard definitely a good time faculty at the Tuck be challenging, Cornew has several Cornew, an to be a part of it.” School of Business words of advice for students who wish economics and plans student to start their own entrepreneurial major, will trips for aspiring pursuits. c o n t i n u e -CAMERON ROLLER ’21 e n t r e p r e n e u r s “Be resourceful, and don’t be with this several times per afraid to fail,” Cornew said. “Also, business year. Over winter make sure to ask for help when you venture after break, Quigley went need it. No one alone has all the g r a d u at i o n on DEN-sponsored answers.” or pursue more traditional job trips to Seattle and San Francisco opportunities in business, finance to learn about various business Roller is a member of The Dartmouth.
MIRROR //3
Collaboration Builds the Bridge: Tuck Bridge STORY
By Annie Farrell
American motivational speaker we got so much out of the program … among other things, and wholly and author Earl Nightingale once you are not going to get a ton out of evaluate the company. Each group tweeted, “Your problem is to bridge the the program if it is not intense because then presents its findings to a panel of gap which exists between where you there is just so much to learn,” Shukla industry executives and Tuck faculty and gets constructive feedback. are now and said. the goal Classes are taught “You really … get feedback from yo u i n t e n d “I thought Tuck Bridge by notable members the best, and I think that’s what’s really t o r e a c h . ” would be a really of the Tuck faculty, special,” Shukla said. “The capstone Fo r m a n y including business project is the culminating experience students at fantastic way of not a d m i n i s t r a t i o n that shows how far you’ve come.” Dartmouth, only exploring the p ro f e s s o r L e s l i e T h e mu l t i - ro u n d bu s i n e s s their goals Ro b i n s o n , w h o simulation and capstone valuation i n c l u d e s a business field but was named one project are just two aspects of Tuck c a r e e r i n also getting some of business news Bridge that promote personal career business, but website Poets and development among participants. credentials ...” the College Quants’ 40 best Tuck Bridge also offers networking does not offer bu s i n e s s s c h o o l opportunities, LinkedIn profile a business professors under the tutorials and résumé reviews -PUJA DEVI ’19 m a j o r . age of 40 in 2017. throughout the program. Fo r m a n y Robinson returned “As someone who doesn’t know students, the from teaching in much about the business world, it was Tuck Business France specifically important to know how to present Bridge program serves as the “bridge” to teach at Tuck Bridge in December. [myself] and not only build [an] image, towards a career in business. Having courses taught by Tuck but [know] how to use it to connect Tuck Bridge is operated by professors is one of the key reasons with other people,” Devi said. Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business why undergraduates are attracted to Natalie Cantave ’16 served as a marketing intern for Tuck Bridge and and caters to liberal arts students who the progam. wish to develop fundamental business “I just felt really respected and recalls learning valuable marketing skills. The program is not limited to valued to be given that much time skills during her internship that she Dartmouth students — rising juniors from a professor that teaches MBA applies to her current marketing job in the greater through graduating seniors from any students,” Devi said. Boston area. college or university are eligible to In addition to Tuck C a n t ave ’s apply. Tuck Bridge is offered three faculty, Tuck Bridge “The kind of inter nship times a year: as two four-week-long provides participants collaborative consisted sessions in the summer and one with guidance from of research three-week-long session in December. Tuck MBA student community ... [Tuck and social Students accepted to the program live c o a c h e s t o h e l p Bridge] builds is very m e d i a the life of a real MBA student, for a participants with their student-focused, it projects couple weeks at least. learning experience. geared to Puja Devi ’19 participated in Tuck Tuck professors and is really community market the Bridge this past December. Devi MBA students are centric ...” program to decided to apply to the program available throughout her peers. after becoming interested in business the entire program Of the skills during sophomore summer. She to answer questions -RUSHIL SHUKLA ’20 Cantave looked to Tuck Bridge to equip her participants may have. recalls with the skills needed to pursue her Shukla explained obtaining newfound interests. how MBA student “I thought Tuck Bridge would coaches were helpful resources through her internship, she flagged be a really fantastic way of not only f o r u n d e r g r a d u a t e s t u d e n t s. gaining a greater sense of confidenc, exploring the business field but also Tuck faculty and MBA student communication and creative skills as getting some credentials and gaining coaches are especially integral key takeaways from her experience. at least some sort of hard skills that to assisting participants navigate Tuck Bridge has many aspects would prepare me for internships the two culminating components that make it a productive means for and a job after of the program: students to achieve their business goals, g raduation,” “Classes ... moved at the multi-round but the one overarching aspect of the Devi said. business simulation program that makes it successful is Tuck Bridge a really fast pace ... I and the capstone an emphasis on collaboration. Tuck c u l t i v a t e s think that’s how we valuation project. Bridge is a collaborative program at these business The multi-round its core. The liberal arts and business skills among got so much out of the business simulation worlds join forces to develop practical participants by program.” c h a l l e n g e s skills in participants, groups of students maintaining a participants to work together to tackle challenging busy schedule compete in teams projects and undergraduate interns, t h r o u g h o u t -RUSHIL SHUKLA ’20 to grow a business MBA students and Tuck faculty ally the program. using Markstrat, a to ensure the program runs smoothly. Participants are digital marketing Collaboration builds this bridge. enrolled in a simulation. The “I think after the program I can say total of six core courses and several simulation puts what participants with 100 percent certainty that business additional sessions throughout the learn throughout the program in is definitely in the future for me,” program. Classes convene six days perspective by testing their abilities Shukla said. “The kind of collaborative a week, leaving only Sunday free of to market and target products to community … [Tuck Bridge] builds is very student-focused, it is really activity. consumers. Rushil Shukla ’20 also participated The capstone valuation project community centric and I think it is a in Tuck Bridge last December and tasks groups of participants with community that really cares about each appreciated the academic rigor the evaluating a company of their choice. other. That came across in the program program provided. Groups use the skills they learn as something I was really attracted to.” “Classes … moved at a really throughout the program to analyze fast pace and I really enjoyed that a company’s income statement, cash Cantave is a former member of The personally because I think that’s how flow statement and balance sheet, Dartmouth senior staff.
ADRIAN RUSSIAN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
The Tuck School of Business offers the Tuck Bridge program for undergraduates.
4// MIRROR
You Are What You STORY
Dartmouth Dining Services LOCATIONS: Class of 1953 Commons, Collis Café, Courtyard Café, Novack Café, housing community snack bars, food truck HOURS: vary based on location SIGNATURE ITEMS: Foco cookies, Hop "bobs," Collis pasta, Collis sushi, Hop salads, Collis smoothies, General Tso's chicken PAYMENT OPTIONS: DBA, meal swipes or credit CONS: expensive, lower quality?
Before King Arthur Flour and Novack Café opened as dining options in Baker-Berry Library, only Baker existed on Dartmouth’s campus. Studio art and engineering professor Jack Wilson is an architect who previously worked in the College’s planning office. Wilson told the story of Baker-Ber r y’s conception, explaining that in the 1980s Baker library underwent a reconfiguration, adding Berry to the existing library. The special collections library, previously housed in Baker, moved to Webster Hall, now Rauner Special Collections L i b r a r y. T h i s allowed for more space to accommodate the merging of library computing services and the former Kiewit Computing Center building, located where Carson Hall now stands. The lobby of Baker used to feature a card catalog for locating books, but with the advent of online cataloging, the College decided to use the space to feature exhibition cases. Even with the new exhibition space, there was still concern that the space was being underutilized. The conception of the first café in the library, Novack, provided a new service to students, faculty and staff. The space in the library that is now occupied by KAF used to be a newspaper reading room and was attached to the periodicals room which is still there today. John Tunnicliffe, managing director of the King Arthur Flour Company who oversees KAF’s Norwich operations and
Baker-Berry café, explained how KAF came to the library. Upon seeing the success of Novack Café, Dartmouth sought to meet the increasing need for food services in the library, with KAF becoming a permanent library resident in 2013. With the presence of a food option other than Dartmouth Dining Services, one would assume that there would be competition between the two entities. “We certainly value what Novack does, but in terms of what we offer and the product we offer, we’re not necessarily looking outward to what the other of ferings are on campus,” Tunnicliffe said. David Newlove, associate vice president of business and hospitality at Dartmouth, who manages DDS, said that DDS and KAF do not compete. DDS is solely in charge of costs and passing on the budget to the senior administration. He added that while KAF functions as a typical business w i t h normal hours and vacations, D D S is open year round for the undergraduate community and during interims for the athletes and others still on campus. Although the two entities claim to have no competition with each other, students tend to have a preference. On campus, KAF
By
presents a wide a quality drinks wit from hot choco shots to chamom chocolate milk. pastry and sandw a large variety o c u p c a k e s, h a croissants, brioc and apple sandw agree that altho KAF draws a lo receives positive not to be outco offers a diverse options as well, Café, Collis Café Commons, Nova bars in the hous Students have q of opinions on concerning pric how they could b For example, ’18 said KAF g bang for her buc “I feel like if to be paying f coffee I might as KAF],” Swineha I remember I pa the Hop the othe that it was more plain coffee at K Like Sw Naruk
café’s hig “I think KAF but so is DDS if y she said. “If KA more options for then I would enj On the hand, such as Chloe So
Lines at King Arthur Flour in Baker-Berry Library can be long, especially after class perio
MIRROR //5
Eat: DDS and KAF
y Tina Lin
assortment of high th a menu ranging olate to espresso mile lemon tea to Likewise, KAF’s wich menu also has of items including m and cheese che rolls and brie wiches. Many will ough constrained, ot of business and e reviews. DDS, ompeted by KAF, selection of food , with Courtyard é, the Class of 1953 ack Café and snack sing communities. quite a spectrum DDS and KAF cing, variety and be improved. Hollye Swinehart gives her a bigger ck. I’m already going or an expensive s well pay for it [at art said. “Because aid for a coffee at er day and thinking e expensive than a KAF.” winehart, Yumi ke ’20 favors the food options offered at KAF, citing that the food was “better quality;” however she does acknowledge the gh prices. is way overpriced, you go to the Hop,” AF started selling r meals, like soups, joy KAF more.” there are students on ’21 who prefer
ods end.
the options at DDS over the specialty pastries and drinks offered at KAF. “I prefer DDS because I feel like I eat at the healthiest at DDS places such as Foco,” she said. “I do think that KAF is pricey because I’m on the 10 and have less DBA. I would enjoy KAF better if they had a line for people who just want to buy something already prepared.” There appeared to be a consensus among the students interviewed that prices at KAF are high but the quality of food is also high. Common complaints among students who preferred DDS over KAF stem from the long lines. The lines discourage those who, like Son, just want to buy an alreadyprepared item. Students who prefer KAF enjoyed the quality and freshness of their products, and especially the convenience of its location in the library. “I come to KAF because the food is fresher and there’s more drink options as opposed to Novack and I also think their staff is way nicer at KAF,” Swinehard said. “I think KAF has better quality food besides Collis and it’s very convenient.” Students’ preference of KAF is not surprising their role as a major bakery in the area. “We want to present the students with the highest quality product we can produce — coffee, pastries, sandwiches,” Tunnicliffe said.
From the student responses, it seems that KAF has successfully stayed true to its intent. When asked about how KAF decides which products to sell on campus, Tunnicliffe responded, “We’ve always listened to student feedback, that’s really important to us.” When I asked specifically about why KAF removed the curry chicken salad and sandwhich from their menu, he said, “It really came down to a production issue and just time. It may come back but we really have to take a step back.” Students also notice other ch a n g e s t o dining option menus on c a m p u s. Fo r example, the Hop menu recently has received negative feedback from some students; however, after many requests, the Hop decided to bring “bobs” back onto the menu. With regards to the long lines at KAF and whether they’re looking into ways to shorten them, Tunnicliffe said, “We commit to opening Window 2 on weekdays from 10:30 a.m. until around 2 p.m. as demand dictates.” DDS does offer a large variety of foods at their different locations on campus, but students are generally satisfied with the quality of the foods at KAF. With implicit competition, there does not seem to be one food option dominating another. There are students going to both DDS and KAF, and it seems to all come down to personal preference.
King Arthur Flour LOCATIONS: Baker-Berry Library and Norwich, Vermont HOURS: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends SIGNATURE ITEMS: hot chocolate, brie and apple sandwiches, chocolate milk, ham and cheese croissants, cupcakes PAYMENT OPTIONS: DBA and card, cash CONS: long lines, expensive, limited offerings
Swinehart is a former member of The Dartmouth Senior Staff.
NAOMI LAM/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF GRAPHICS BY JE SEOB JUNG/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
6 //MIRR OR
Doggy Business: Academic Puppy Perspectives FEATURE
By Laura Jeliazkov Tuck Geography
Another day at the office. Fido the yellow lab saunters over to the plush blue mat he occupies in the corner of the geography office. Flops down. Contemplates all of his toys. They are strewn every which way — into data analysis, nonprofit work, urban planning, policy, international development, service-oriented work, product design and even academia. Which ones to play with today? There’s a map up on the wall but he does not know any of the capitals. Perhaps instead he could teach himself the country capitals; yes, he has been meaning to do that for some time now. The humans walk in and out and talk and laugh. Fido can only listen to their chatter for so long. They talk and talk and talk about global problems — but never seem to talk about policy solutions.
The Tuck office is quite the standard affair, Tatiana remarks to herself every day. The desk faces the wall and has the window to the left — good, diffuse lighting; not too much distraction. Pragmatic. High bookshelves line the wall behind the desk chair. They are filled with neatly stood books and picture frames and trophies — as if to say, “Yes, these are my accomplishments, admire them, but they are in my past; I am looking to the future, and to all the accomplishments to come.” The books on the shelf are straight, the back in the chair is straight, the stacks of paper on the desk are straight. Everything is prim, proper and in order. Tatiana the poodle fulfills her duty and is prim, proper and in order. This is why she is allowed in the Tuck building. Though — wait. She tilts her head thoughtfully at the potted plants hanging from the window sash. The long, pointed tendrils have grown rather long. They cascade down the windowpane, fall even below the sill, almost to the ground … But no. This is not a successful aberration. It is no more than a suggestion — a sniff — of the savagery that may exist beyond these four walls. Tatiana puts her nose back on her paws.
Visual Art
Earth Science
Thera is a white labradoodle with black smudges. The black smudges, though, are not her own. She emerges from the recesses of the Black Family Visual Arts Center every afternoon in a cloud of charcoal dust. Smudges of charcoal are on the pair of pants and clogs walking beside her and the pair of hands holding her leash as well. Thera walks slowly, considerately, because her pull on the leash has to be balanced against a homemade ceramic sloshing with that evening coffee. Her mind is on something else, anyways: her mind is on the futures of her human artists. She considers how she might be able to wangle the chance — pull some puppy eyes — for their artistic debuts. Hair of the walking pair is in every which direction; eyes are glazed over with that screen of lost imagination. Are person and dog even of this world? They walk together, but separately, into the unknown. Or just into the Hop for some food, and then back into BVAC to stay late finishing that art project.
Terry the mutt stretches back against the windowpane in the warm office of an earth sciences professor. Branches dripping with snow wave in the air behind him, against a backdrop of sky bluer-than-blue. He — and the owner’s desk — is pressed as close to the window as can be, short of just leaning out and reaching to embrace the tree. His bored gaze spans the room. He takes in the bookshelves in their tilted disarray, the desk with its scattered papers of coffee-stain rings, the bizarre assortment of stickers and comics and photos pasted up on the wall … all those photos of the Stretch. And owner messed up the colors again, Terry notes. Those pants and that shirt certainly don’t match. And he really should get a haircut. Oh well; at least no one but the squirrels will see when they go on their afternoon hike. That’s not too embarrassing.
MIRROR //7
Engineering Leika is still a puppy, but she sure acts the sage. She struts around Thayer with an unparalleled air of regality. Her fur is in place; her gaze is level and direct. This gaze conveys such deep and intrinsic understanding of the conversations of the engineers in and around the office … But, show her her tail and her behavior, frankly, suggests otherwise. This side of her, though, she does not have much time for; there is too much to be done. She has the integrity of her owner’s profession to preserve: for (Leika must not be the only one to notice this) she is an exception amongst an engineering faculty consisting of overgrown schoolboys with grey hair hanging in their eyes, who enjoy Legos and tools. This, now, is not a task to be taken lightly. The puppy may still be there in her, but it can wait until that fifthyear bachelor’s of engineering degree is complete. She is happy to sit in Couch Lab all the way until then.
The dogs portrayed in this piece are fictitious. No identification with actual dogs (living or deceased) is intended or should be inferred.
Computer Science Little Fluffy is the star of the show. He fits right in with all the doohickeys and thingamajigs lying around the DALI Lab. He camouflages in. And boy does he love to play with those toys. The students love to play with him, too — they pick him up and toss him around a lot, just like they do with ideas. Nothing is too crazy; nothing is too out of the box. They let their imaginations run wild when they play with Fluffy. Fluffy loves this. He loves the days he spends in the lab. Everything is free, everything is shared. There is tea, and coffee, and a fridge, and a dishwasher … But mostly, Fluffy just enjoys running in between all of the legs at those standing desks. He plays a game to guess who is going to get tired, and sit down, first. Maybe he should design an app for that.
8// MIRROR
Bump: Ricky Taboada ’19, progression toward tomorrow STORY
By Timothy Yang
Just before last winter term, Ricky Taboada ’19 cofounded a company called Roden AI with his friend, Tyler Burnam ’19. Roden AI is an app that allows users to record a journal entry on tape and view analysis captured by the app’s facial expression sensing software. Users will be able to not only see how they are feeling at the moment but also get a better sense of how they are doing emotionally as a whole. “You can kind of see, while all these entries are being created, what you are feeling at that time,” Taboada said. Taboada co-created the app with Burnam during the Yale Healthcare Hackathon hosted by the Yale School of Medicine. After three intensive days of hard work, Burham and Taboada took first place. Reflecting upon the experience, Taboada said that while the project was challenging and balancing it with schoolwork was difficult, the experience was rewarding. It was even more worthwhile when they put the app on the Apple App Store. “We decided it was a really cool idea — we wanted to pursue and see if we can make something out of it, so we did,” Taboada said. “It was a progression.” Taboada’s journey into the world of computer science has undergone several progressions. Before he entered Dartmouth, Taboada wasn’t
considering studying computer science helps Taboada to understand the world at all — his goal had always been to go of logic and widens the field of law he to law school. It was through one of can specialize in. his first-year trippees that sparked his “Usually [when] you think of law interest in computer science. He took school, you think of English majors Computer Science 1, “Introduction or you think of maybe philosophy,” to Programming and Computation,” Taboada explained. “But I think his freshman year and decided that he that the perspective I think you get liked the subject. from science — T his initial that you have affinity ignited an “Usually [when] you to be so logical, enthusiasm that think of law school, that you have has been with him to understand, since. His passion you think of English like I said, f o r c o m p u t e r majors or you think of all the facets science comes from a position maybe philosophy. But of both intrinsic and — I think it’s I think that the perpractical factors. invaluable.” “I l i k e spective you get from H i s [computer science] long-term goal — it’s tough, you science ... I think it’s is to combine know, the courses invaluable.” practical are tough … but applications it really teaches f r o m you to think very -RICKY TABOADA ’19 technology into logically and law. Futureteaches you to seek oriented as he solutions,” he said. is, Taboada “In addition to having a skill that’s referenced a lecture he recently pretty marketable, and the job prospect attended that talked about how trust is good.” is being created by technology right Taboada said he enjoys the process now (such as how Uber creates trust of solving problems by building upon between customers and drivers) and logic that computer science offers. how, for example, computers could Complementing his future goal to still be specifically made for judges so that attend law school, computer science rulings will be more impartial. He looks
forward to incorporating computer science into law. “I think there’s a lot of room for automation in law,” Taboada said. Taboada took several more computer science classes after Computer Science 1 and began working at the Digital Arts, Leadership and Innovation Lab. “[In DALI], you get to build real things that go out into the world, and there [are] a lot of experiences in the lab and ... a lot of resources,” he said. “I think that actually makes Dartmouth very unique. When you think of computer science you think of a tech school; you might think of Stanford [University] or [the Massachusetts Institute of Technology], but I think DALI gives Dartmouth a really interesting perspective and something ... that I don’t think any other school has,” he said. The first company Taboada worked with for DALI was software company CBORD, which created the Dartmouth GET Funds app. This second project involved an educational protein builder game that one of the Dartmouth professors requested to help visualize protein research. Taboada is now working on his third project with REX, a company that provides an online platform where homeowners can list their homes.
To Taboada, though, the most meaningful work he has done so far using computer science is the internship he completed this past fall. At Leidos, an American defense company that held a government contract to build a simulator to help train U.S. Navy personnel in submarine operation, he marveled at the diverse experiences of the people who work there. “Going into that internship training, it was at a point [where] you know you kind of need to actually practice computer science to be confident and I was at that point,” Taboada said. “So it was nice to go in there and be surrounded by non-student engineers who have a lot of experiences.” Taboada confessed that the internship was challenging, but it has helped him a lot in developing of not only computer science skills but also work ethic. Progressing through his path in computer science, Taboada has become more and more involved in computer science and all of its applications. He is looking forward to a future in which automation and machine learning are prevalent and everything is associated with computer science. “I think the 21st century is definitely the century of big tech and big data,” Taboada said.
IT’S ANOTHER COLD WINTER DAY, DON’T YOU SAY?
RAY LU/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
On some cold winter days, snow blankets campus, and students and faculty alike bundle up. Baker-Berry Library offers a warm place to study.