VOL. CLXXVI NO. 7
SUNNY HIGH 49 LOW 29
OPINION
ELIAS: THE EARLY DEATH WISH OF JOURNALISM PAGE 4
ZEHNER: THE GRAY DYNASTY PAGE 4
ARTS
REVIEW: ‘THE INVENTOR’ IS A NEAR MISS ABOUT AN AMERICAN FRAUD PAGE 7
REVIEW: ‘APOLLO 11’ IS COMPELLING, EVEN WITHOUT EMBELLISHMENT PAGE 8
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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Influenza cases on Alexis Abramson to be next campus spiked over dean of Thayer School winter term B y KYLE MULLINS
The Dartmouth Staff
If you were stricken with the flu this winter, you were not alone on campus. Dick’s House diagnosed 63 cases of the flu in 2019 — over double the number of any of the previous three years — according to director of clinical medical services Ann Bracken. There were 23 cases of influenza in the winter of 2018, 29 cases in 2017 and 18 cases in 2016, according to
Bracken. Bracken cautioned that the numbers only reflect the winter and that there may be more cases this spring. The cause of the spike in cases is unclear. According to the Office of Institutional Research, the number of students on campus this winter was only marginally higher than previous years. 3,731 students were enrolled, compared to 3,714, 3,595 and 3,634 for the previous three winters. SEE FLU PAGE 3
Agosto named Amherst dean of students B y ANNE GEORGE The Dartmouth
Senior associate dean of Student Affairs Liz Agosto ’01 will leave the College on June 9 to become the dean of students at Amherst College. Her replacement has not yet been named. Agosto first came to Dartmouth in 2007 as program coordinator for the Collis Center and became senior associate dean in 2014. Regardless of which position she held at the
College, Agosto said that her role has always been “to amplify the voice of students, particularly those who feel like they can’t on their own.” Agosto said that her new position at Amherst will be more involved in overseeing residential life; religious and spiritual life; and conduct and case management. “I love my role at Dartmouth and I love the work that I am doing,” she said. “The Amherst position came up, and SEE AGOSTO PAGE 5
HILARY BOVAY/COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS
Alexis Abramson, a Case Western Reserve University professor, will be the next dean of Thayer.
B y THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF For the second time in its 150year history, the Thayer School of Engineering will be led by a woman. The College announced today that Alexis Abramson, a Case Western Reserve University engineering professor and former Department of Energy scientist, will become dean of the school on June 17. Abramson replaces Laura Ray, who served as interim dean of the school starting in the fall of 2018 when then-dean Joseph Helble became College provost. A mechanical engineer specializing in sustainable energy technology, Abramson has been on the faculty of Case Western since 2003, and since 2013 has
served as director and co-director of the Great Lakes Institute, a program at Case Western that focuses on energy sustainability. From 2011 to 2013, Abramson worked for the Department of Energy as chief scientist and manager of the Emerging Technologies Team under the Obama administration. Since 2018, she has served as an advisor to Breakthrough Energy Ventures, an energy innovation program launched by Bill Gates to combat climate change. Abramson’s appointment follows a series of major developments at Thayer, as the engineering school — which shares the west end of campus with the department of computer science, the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship
and the Arthur L. Irving Institute of Energy and Society — undergoes a $200 million physical expansion that began in December. Abramson’s selection comes as Thayer has in recent years become a leader in educating female engineers. In 2016, Thayer became the first research institution to award more engineering bachelor’s degrees to women than men. The first woman dean of Thayer, Elsa Garmire, served in that role from 1995 to 1997. Abramson was selected by a 12-person search committee chaired by Thayer professor Eric Fossum. A full story will be published in the near future.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Free speech executive order raises questions on campus no threat or use of “force” and the “orderly processes of the College are The Dartmouth Staff not deliberately obstructed.” Last month, President Donald In an e-mail statement to The Trump signed an executive order Dartmouth, College spokesperson aiming to promote free and open Diana Lawrence wrote that the debate on college campuses. A group of executive order reaffirmed the College’s conservative student activists, including commitment to these principles, saying Dartmouth College Republicans that Dartmouth has “long encouraged” president debate and dialogue J o s h u a “Institutionally, even in situations Kauderer ’19, that are “difficult [Dartmouth] is in was invited or disagreeable.” to witness the a good place ... so The statement did signing of the long as it lives up not address what, order, which if any, substantive took place on to its principles of effects the executive March 21. order would have community and its The order on Dartmouth’s prinicples on dissent emphasizes campus. the need for and free speech.” Laura Beltz, colleges to a policy refor m uphold and program officer at f o l l o w t h e -JOSHUA KAUDERER ’19, the Foundation for p r i n c i p l e s DARTMOUTH COLLEGE Individual Rights in of the First Education said that REPUBLICANS PRESIDENT the order will require Amendment and directs private colleges to 12 agencies adhere to their stated to work with rules regarding free the Office speech. of Management and Budget to “Dartmouth does promise its ensure that colleges and universities students free expression, and it seems receiving federal funding are acting like the order will hold private schools in accordance with the law and their to those promises,” she said. own policies regarding free speech on Kauderer said that the act “is not campuses. very specific.” He added that because The College’s Freedom and of the large number of agencies named Expression of Dissent regulations in the act, actual implementation of state that Dartmouth “prizes and its principles may be difficult. Beltz defends the right of free speech” and similarly said that the impacts “will “fosters and protects the rights of depend on how the various federal individuals to express dissent” as long agencies carry out the order,” which as the exercise of this right does not still remains to be seen. “deny the same rights to any other However, Kauderer said that individual.” The policy adds that the act may have a “hortatory” protest and demonstration “shall not effect by signaling that the Trump be discouraged” as long as there is administration cares about the state of
B y ANDREW CULVER
free expression on college campuses. Speaking to the necessity of the order, Kauderer said that generally “conservative ideas are welcomed on campus,” citing the fact that the College Republicans are able to host conservative speakers and exist as a club. “Institutionally, [Dartmouth] is in a good place… so long as it lives up to its principles of community and its principles on dissent and free speech,” Kauderer said. He added that the greater threat to diverse discourse on campus comes from a sort of “self-censorship,” as conservative students are hesitant to share their views in the classroom out of fear that they would be “deemed offensive to other students.” Despite Kauderer’s perspective, the College received a “red light” free speech rating from the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education last year because of its “Acceptable Use Policy,” which FIRE claimed might ban categories of speech entitled to First Amendment protection at a public university.
President of the Dartmouth College will likely not “solve the problem it’s Democrats Gigi Gunderson ’21 trying to address.” said that while she sympathizes with Aside from issues of free speech, conservative students’ position as an the order also includes provisions “intellectual minority” on campus, she aimed at educating students and does not view the families about the executive order “I think it’s an costs and benefits of as a potential education. executive order that is higher solution. It also attempts to “I think it’s trying to get a larger increase access to an executive cultural issue, which information about order that is federal student trying to get at is that oftentimes loans and payment a larger cultural conservative students options. issue, which is Kauderer said this that oftentimes feel like their voices aspect of the order c o n s e r v a t i ve are not welcome.” is often overlooked, students feel like but “it’s nice that the their voices are President is looking not welcome,” -GIGI GUNDERSON ’21, out for this core she said. issue.” DARTMOUTH COLLEGE Gunderson Gunderson said e c h o e d DEMOCRATS PRESIDENT that while the order’s Kauderer in language on student saying that the debt and financial order is “really transparency was vague” and “it’s going to be differently “great,” it failed to address “underlying implemented on every campus.” causes” of problems regarding access Gunderson added that the order to higher education.
APRIL SHOWERS BRING COLLIS FLOWERS
CORRECTIONS Correction appended (April 1, 2019): In the online article “Agosto to Leave Dartmouth for Amherst College,” the article incorrectly stated the year Agosto joined the College staff and her first position. The online version of the article has been updated to correct the error and is reflected in today’s newspaper. We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
ARYA KADAKIA/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
With the arrival of spring, bright sunlight shines on the Collis Center.
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
PAGE 3
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Dick’s House administered vaccines to over 2,000 students this fall Bracken said that influenza A had been more common this year New Hampshire Bureau of nationally. However, she added that Infectious Disease Control chief “last year, we had more B in the Beth Daly said that last year’s flu spring, so maybe we will have more season was the worst in several B [going forward].” years, with more cases and over 60 According to Bracken, Dick’s deaths statewide, H o u s e the highest on “Because we had so administered record. This year’s flu vaccines many people with season, however, for 1,265 is comparatively positive flu tests, we undergraduate mild. students and really felt that we “This year was 662 graduate not as severe so far needed to make the students in the as last year,” Daly test have no charge fall. She added said. the vaccine so that we could She cautioned was “fairly that the season make decisions about effective” this is not over yet rooming patients.” year nationally, and that there “more so than has been a bit last year.” of an increase in -ANN BRACKEN, DIRECTOR S h e recent weeks that noted, however, OF CLINICAL MEDICAL is “concerning.” that the number B r a c k e n SERVICES AT DICK’S of vaccines suggested that part HOUSE administered of the increase in only ref lects cases diagnosed students who may have been due to a change in were vaccinated by Dick’s House, so policy at Dick’s House that removed students who were vaccinated with the $45 charge for a flu test. their local physicians or by other “Because we had so many people medical facilities were not counted. with positive flu tests, we really felt Bracken said she was also unable to that we needed to make the test have determine the effectiveness of the no charge so that we could make vaccine on Dartmouth’s campus in decisions about rooming patients,” particular, because the data available Bracken said, citing concerns about to Dick’s House is limited. However, patients in the infirmary spreading she estimated that roughly half of the flu accidentally. students diagnosed with the flu had She also pointed out that not been vaccinated. sometimes “clusters” of diseases In February, the month with the show up on college campuses, such most cases, Dick’s House tested 76 as the outbreak of hand, foot and students for the flu, 38 of which mouth disease in the fall of 2018 and tested positive, Bracken said. a 2002 conjunctivitis outbreak that “We typically test if it’s not clear she said was so severe the Centers why [a] person is so sick, if the for Disease Control and Prevention student really wants to be tested, became involved. but primarily if we’re debating on According to Bracken, all but one whether we’re going to treat or not,” of the diagnoses this year have been Bracken said. the influenza A strain of the flu virus. Some students who tested positive One case was influenza B. were prescribed antiviral medication. The CDC states on its website However, not all students were that virtually all flu outbreaks are treated if the window for treatment caused by either influenza A or B had already closed, if the student viruses, as influenza C infections are did not want to take medication or typically more mild and influenza D if the student was “generally healthy only affects cattle. and [didn’t have] chronic health FROM FLU PAGE 1
ADRIAN RUSSIAN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Dick’s House saw 63 cases of the flu since the beginning of 2019 — a marked increase from previous years.
conditions,” Bracken said. than Tamiflu and is associated “ T h e i r i m mu n e s y s t em i s with less nausea, recently became competent and they can usually get available and was chosen by several better [without treatment],” Bracken students. However, it is not covered said of the latter category. by all health insurance plans and The most common antiviral costs twice as much. medication prescribed was Tamiflu, “When people’s health insurance but Bracken said that because ... help defray the costs, people might Tamiflu can cause nausea, some choose that,” Bracken said. students are She added that less likely to “People should still the College’s health take it. insurance plan “ Ta m i f l u be taking precautions: covers Xofluza. might reduce washing their hands, Despite the the duration higher number staying home when of the illness,” of cases, Bracken Bracken said. they’re sick and they said the infirmary “The evidence can actually still get at Dick’s House is about a half a was able to offer day to a day … vaccinated.” beds to students If people are who wanted to stay experiencing overnight. -BETH DALY, CHIEF OF nausea, they “The infirmary m i g h t e l e c t NEW HAMPSHIRE BUREAU was busy — happily not to take the OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE bu s y, ” B r a c k e n medication said. b e c a u s e CONTROL She added that they don’t infir mary traffic want to feel was increased by sicker.” several cases of She also gastroenteritis, a said that a new medication called viral gastrointestinal illness that Xofluza, which requires fewer doses causes diarrhea, vomiting, cramps
and occasionally requires IV fluids to be administered. Danielle Fang ’20 was diagnosed with the flu after being tested. She said she had not been vaccinated for the flu ever before, was prescribed Xofluza, and also took Tylenol and Advil to control symptoms. “I felt like it was pretty bad this year,” Fang said. “There were constantly people getting sick on campus.” She said she felt that there was “always someone” sick with the flu on her floor. Bracken attributed the number of cases to a combination of stress, lack of sleep and exposure to germs. “That’s just the perfect recipe to get sick with the flu,” she said. Daly emphasized that the flu season is not over yet. “People should still be taking precautions: washing their hands, staying home when they’re sick and they can actually still get vaccinated,” she said. “It takes about two weeks for your body to develop the antibodies after being vaccinated. It’s not too late, because we will continue to see influenza activity in our state into May.” Julian Nathan contributed reporting.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
STAFF COLUMNIST CHANTAL ELIAS ’22
STAFF COLUMNIST CALLUM ZEHNER ’21
The Early Death Wish of Journalism Paywalls on digital news sites threaten the accessibility of news.
We all know the feeling — you’re scrolling through Facebook and you find that New York Times article you just have to read. Perhaps it’s about how unlovable Theresa May is, or breaking news that Donald Trump does have terrible cardiovascular health. You eagerly click on the article and BAM! You’ve been hit with the dreaded pop-up: “You have reached your limit of free articles.” Great. The concept of paywalls is not new — the Wall Street Journal has used one since 1997. But as of 2010, their use has greatly expanded throughout the industry. Faced with decreasing print and advertising revenues, publications such as the New York Times have rolled out restricted-access models. A 2016 survey conducted by the American Press Institute found that 77 of the 98 US newspapers with circulations over 50,000 make use of an online subscription model. The majority of these online news sites use the metered system, which allows readers a specified number of free articles before the paywall comes into effect. The gathering of information is not free, nor are many of the ways in which we consume it. People are generally willing to pay in order to remain informed, whether it is paying for the monthly cable bill to watch CNN or the yearly subscription to receive the New York Times. People’s willingness to pay for information, however, does not translate to the online medium. For many, the increased implementation of metered paywalls is an attack on the inclusivity and accessibility of internet information. Evidence collected by API suggests paywalls turn away potential readers. The 2016 study found that while 53 percent
of Americans pay for news, only 26 percent of the American public will begin to pay for a source that they previously used for free. Such a conclusion is not surprising — online access packages are pricey, with a basic New York Times online subscription costing $104 per year. As a journalist, I am of course an advocate for journalists receiving a proper return on their intellectual craftsmanship. I am, however, also a strong believer in the power of the news and in the necessity of information accessibility. The rise of paywalls has taken over the online news experience, and their increased presence restricts against accessible content. A recent study by the Journal of Marketing examines the reduction in news engagement with the rise of paywalls. In comparing the number of unique visitors before and after the New York Times instituted a paywall, the study found that the number of unique visitors decreased by 16.8 percent overall as a direct result of the required online subscription. This is to say that while loyal New York Times readers may pay for the gated content, the inclusion of paywalls is driving away the light readers. The “unique visitors” who might have stayed on the New York Times site if a cost was not involved are more than likely going to migrate to sites without paywalls. Not only are paywalls prohibitive, but they also may not be making as much money for a newspaper as one would think. The same Journal of Marketing study revealed that the New York Times paywall resulted in a significant SEE ELIAS PAGE 6
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The Gray Dynasty Aging is China’s biggest concern.
According to Western news media, China the decline of China’s competitiveness in presently faces a large number of problems. manufacturing, with a smaller labor pool News stories are constantly awash with leading to higher wages for employees and a reports concerning the pollution in Chinese decline in the sector’s profitability. As a result, cities, political and religious repression manufacturers in China may shift operations and government corruption, among more. to more profitable locations, such as Vietnam But there is one issue in particular that and Mexico. will seriously threaten By 2050, China will have China’s success within 330 million people over the “Even as a nation of the next thirty years: age of 65, leaving fewer Demographics. Even as 1.3 billion people, younger people to provide a nation of 1.3 billion China will soon lack a for an increasing elderly people, China will soon population. In 2013, only lack a sufficient number sufficient amount of three percent of people had of citizens to support its citizens to support its a commercial pension. The economy. The country vast majority of seniors economy.” is aging quickly, and have to rely on support from the repercussions of this either their families or the should be a grave concern state. Thus, many workingfor Beijing. age Chinese are tasked with caring for four The decline in population growth is not grandparents, two parents and however unique to China. Generally, as economies many children they themselves may have. develop, families have fewer children The government too will struggle to support and people live longer, curtailing further seniors, with an expected state pensions deficit population expansion. Japan comes to mind of $130 billion by 2020. as an example. But China’s situation can be Almost all developed Western nations explained in part by one of history’s most have declining birth-rates and aging egregious attempts at social engineering — the populations. But some countries, like the infamous one-child policy. United States, have largely Enacted in 1979 to dam alleviated the issue through population growth, the “Immigration is by far immigration. Immigration policy kept the country’s the simplest way to is by far the simplest way fertility rate artificially to remedy, if not cure, low for the better part remedy, if not cure, China’s population woes, of 40 years. As a result, China’s population providing a regular source current estimates suggest of working-age people woes...” that China’s fertility rate capable of filling those — the average number of gaps left by the native children born per woman Chinese population. It — is between 1.18 and 1.6, has historically been far below the replacement level fertility rate controversial to take in foreigners — the of 2.1. Although the two-child policy replaced practice has been deliberately non-existent. the one-child policy in 2016, fertility figures Beijing possibly sees the intake of many show no sign of improving. After the two-child foreign workers as a last resort. This is a policy’s introduction, there was only a brief missed opportunity. uptick in the fertility rate before it continued Make no mistake: China’s economy is still its downward trend. This is because changing growing rapidly and may well continue to policy does not change people’s mindsets do so for the next decade or so. But in the about having children. And doubling the next few decades, the ghosts of the one-child amount of money spent on child-rearing, due policy will come back to haunt China, and to additional housing and education costs, social and economic upheaval will result. would be too expensive for some parents. With the potential for hundreds of millions The Chinese population is expected to of pensioners to require support, and an begin shrinking by around 2029, resulting inadequate workforce to provide that support, in less domestic consumption and output. China’s aging population is a problem that A shrinking workforce will also expedite requires immediate action.
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
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THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
FYSEP to expand with help of $13 million in alumni donations B y ELIZABETH JANOWSKI The Dartmouth Staff
Major changes to Dartmouth’s First Year Student Enrichment Program will soon be underway, according to an announcement made at a recent capital campaign event for the College. FYSEP — a pre-orientation program designed for first-generation and low-income students — will expand its programming from five days to four weeks beginning in August 2020. The expansion of FYSEP will be funded by $13 million in alumni
contributions, $10 million of which were donated by A. George “Skip” Battle ’66. FYSEP director Jay Davis ’90 said he was eager to begin making improvements to FYSEP’s programming. “The five days that FYSEP currently has have been a powerful period of time to develop a sense of belonging and a sense of community support, which is incredibly important,” Davis said. “What’s harder to do in that amount of time is to prepare students for the academic transition here and to have them be able to be ideally as fully
Agosto oversaw FYSEP FROM AGOSTO PAGE 1
the idea was exciting. It really was just a fortuitous moment for another growth opportunity, and I am ready for the next step.” Agosto added that one of the highlights of her time here was the creation of the First Year Student Enrichment Program, which is a peer network meant to help first-generation college students navigate the Dartmouth experience. As a first-generation student herself, Agosto described the program as one she wishes she had access to when she attended Dartmouth. “In 2009, a group of students decided that FYSEP was a program they needed, and they created it with a very limited amount of support from the College,” she said. “I was lucky enough to be asked to lead that charge.” When Agosto first worked with the program in 2010, 27 first generation students participated. Since then, the program has grown and has helped more than 100 students from the class of 2022. Agosto also explained that she is also proud of the strides the College has made against sexual violence through her involvement with the Dartmouth Bystander Initiative and Dartmouth’s Student Presidential Committee on Sexual Assault. “There is a lot of work to do, but we have invested so much time and energy,” Agosto said. Executive chair of SPCSA Paulina Calcaterra ’19 said that Agosto’s guidance has been invaluable.
“[Agosto] is very supportive of all of SPCSA projects and ideas, and even informally, she is always available to give us her perspective,” Calcaterra said. “I am really happy for her because I think she will make a great dean of students at Amherst and I think she will be a leader at the institution. She has been a big part of my time here and is probably the staff member that I am closest to and feel the most connected to.” Student Assembly vice president Nicole Knape ’19,who regularly works with Agosto, also added that Agosto genuinely cares about the student experience. “Dean Agosto reached out to [Student Assembly president] Monik Walters ’19 and I the moment we won the election and wanted to talk about our goals for the year, which I thought was really incredible,” Knape said. “She has always made herself an available resource and has advised us from both the perspective of an alumnus and an administrator.” Agosto said she will be using her last term at Dartmouth to help ease the transition within the department and say goodbye. “I am in a weird in-between space of knowing this will be a great opportunity, but this has been my home for more than a third of my life, considering undergrad and working here,” she said. “Change hasn’t been easy and I would urge the community to continue to care for each other and the space. I have learned more from the students than I think that I have given them, so I want to say thank you.”
prepared to thrive academically, so that’s one of our goals now.” While Davis said that it is too early to comment on specific activities planned for the expanded program, he suggested that the four-week span will allow FYSEP to offer a wider array of activities and workshops focused on community building and identity exploration, as well as a significant expansion of its preparatory academic courses. As an example, he proposed that future FYSEP students may have the opportunity to participate in a variety of simulation courses aimed at familiarizing themselves with college-level writing techniques or STEM-based learning over the course of several weeks. This would replace the two simulation class periods that FYSEP students currently participate in. During these periods, students have the opportunity to take practice multiplechoice exams and develop strategies to engage with professors. Additionally, Davis noted that the overlap between the four-week program and summer term will allow students to sit in on an actual college course and interact with current students. The extended duration of the program will also yield more free time between sessions, he said. “The current iteration of FYSEP is intense, and we cram as much as we can into it,” Davis said. “Students also need space to reflect and to connect with each other, and I think we’ll feel a bit less pressure with this expanded program.” According to Davis, preliminary work on the program has begun, with faculty
and first-generation student focus groups currently being consulted to gather feedback. Battle — who grew up in a poor, rural town in Rhode Island and was the first in his family to attend a fouryear university — emphasized the importance of making a Dartmouth education accessible to students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. “It’s getting tougher and tougher for kids of modest families to be able to handle the cost of an elite college,” Battle noted. “I think about how many great young men and women out there have the capacity of flourishing in a highly advanced academic institution, but the costs are just extremely high. So it makes sense to do anything that can be done to help these students.” Upon graduating from Dartmouth, Battle held various managing positions at Arthur Andersen LLP and Andersen Consulting LLP, served as the CEO of Ask.com, and currently sits on the board of directors for companies such as Netflix and LinkedIn. Battle stressed that he will leave the use of his funds up to the discretion of FYSEP’s coordinators. “I have a lot of confidence in FYSEP’s team,” he said. “They’ll figure out what the right thing to do with the money is.” FYSEP students Sunpreet Singh ’20 and Yazmin Ochoa Flores ’21 both stressed the impact of the program on their experiences at Dartmouth. “I think [FYSEP] is extremely important to us because it’s given me, and I think a lot of students, a really
good community to turn to,” Ochoa said. “We’re coming from a different background than most of the students here … and I know that even if I didn’t get really close with some of the people I met [during FYSEP], it’s still a lot easier to talk with them because I know we’ve shared these experiences.” Singh similarly noted the significance of the FYSEP community in easing his transition into Dartmouth. “[FYSEP] has been a huge support for me, and the fact that they’re getting this opportunity to expand is really exciting because it’s already so awesome, but this will give them even more opportunities to improve,” Singh said. Singh also expressed hope that the funds would be used to address issues such as food insecurity among lowincome students or help these students afford textbooks and other academic resources. With improvements to FYSEP on the horizon, Davis emphasized that the program will reaffirm its commitment to helping first-generation and low-income students succeed at Dartmouth. “We’re really excited about the opportunity to even better prepare these amazing young men and women to take advantage of the opportunities Dartmouthhas,”Davissaid.“Dartmouth is a better place because these students are here, so the better prepared they are to thrive here, then the better the overall community will be.” Singh is a former member for The Dartmouth Staff.
COURTESY OF JAY DAVIS
The FYSEP program will expand from five days to four weeks beginning in August 2020.
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THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
DARTMOUTHEVENTS
MUD SEASON
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
CECILIA MORIN ’21
TODAY
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Lecture: “Global Entrepreneurship and Period Poverty,” talk by government professor Deborah Brooks, sponsored by the Dickey Center for International Understanding, Haldeman Hall, room 41.
6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Dance: “Master Class with Camille Brown Dancers,” sponsored by the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Straus Dance Studio.
TOMORROW All Day
Exhibit: “Dartmouth Library 250th Exhibit: ‘Curriculum Vitae,’” Baker Library Main Hall.
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Seminar: “The GenX Exposure Study: Investigating Exposure to Newly Identified PFAS in NC,” lecture by Dr. Jane Hoppin, North Carolina State University, sponsored by the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Auditorium G.
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Pets: “Visit from Winston, VT Therapy Dog,” sponsored by the Student Wellness Center, House Center B.
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Lecture: “Is Time Running Out to Stop Climate Change?” by Kyle White, PhD, Michigan State University, sponsored by the environmental studies department, Haldeman Hall, Room 41.
7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Performance: Grammy-nominated jazz singer Jazzmeia Horn, sponsored by the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Spaulding Auditorium. FROM ELIAS PAGE 4
reduction in engagement metrics, including visits, page views and duration per visitor. This translates into decreased advertising revenue. T h e A P I re p o r t s i m i l a rl y concluded that there is no convincing evidence that paywall revenue can make up for lost print readership and advertising revenues. I care deeply about the survival and success of journalism, and that is why I worry that strict and expensive paywalls are a self-
destructive tool for news outlets. As a compromise, I believe a more lenient paywall — a higher cap on free articles and a cheaper digital subscription — will be vital for the continued popularity of online news sites. Ultimately, news outlets must be cognizant of those who cannot afford expensive subscriptions, and they must consider the ramifications of those lost readers. News is an extremely powerful tool, and it must remain accessible to the general public.
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TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
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Jazzmeia Horn’s performance will be a moving addition to jazz history B y Elizabeth Garrison The Dartmouth Staff
On Wednesday, Grammy-nominated Jazz singer Jazzmeia Horn will be performing at the Hopkins Center of the Arts at 7 p.m. in Spaulding Auditorium. With her impressive vocal chops and irresistible stage presence, Horn’s performance promises to be memorable. Horn catapulted to international stardom after winning the prestigious Thelonious Monk Institute International Jazz Competition in 2015. Her debut solo album, “A Social Call,” achieved critical success and received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Jazz Vocal Album. At the 2018 Grammy awards ceremony, Horn dazzled audiences with her showstopping performance of “Moanin.” At only 28 years old, she is a musical force to be reckoned with. Hopkins Center for the Arts publicity coordinator Rebecca Bailey commented on Horn’s broad range of stylistic
capabilities and said that she was “blown away that someone in their mid-twenties could have the depth of artistry that [Horn] has in jazz.” According to Dartmouth’s Barbary Coast Jazz Ensemble director Taylor Ho Bynum, Horn’s music exemplifies a historical tradition of improvisational jazz vocalists. He added that he hopes that Horn’s performance will inspire audiences to dive into this rich history. “I love [music] recordings ... but there is something about seeing improvised music live that is really crucial to understanding how [jazz] works —falling in love with it and appreciating it,” Bynum said. “My dream would be that someone goes to hear Jazzmeia Horn ... and goes back and listens to Betty Carter, Sarah Vaughan, Claudine Myers and other artists in this tradition.” Similarly, Bailey said that she hopes Horn’s performance will encourage a greater appreciation for jazz, a musical genre she feels people tend to shy away
from. “People perceive jazz as being very cerebral, like poetry,” Bailey said. “[So] we try to look for artists who can jump over that misconception through their performance style or the material that they choose.” In an email statement, Horn described her personal connection with jazz music. “Jazzmeia is a name that was given to me by my grandmother who started a tradition of music also at an early age,” Horn wrote. “I like to think that I am continuing a legacy, a family tradition. I am not sure who I would be without my music.” Horn added that she uses music as a form of self-expression and as a way to connect with others. “I use my art as a form of healing and bringing about social awareness,” she wrote. “While I am singing to my audiences, I am releasing tension and healing my own self and I hope that that, too, resonates with listeners and
audiences.” According to Bailey, by bringing Horn to campus, the Hopkins Center hopes to expose students to diverse voices and foster an appreciation for African and African-American cultures. “We just want to make sure that we bring dynamic artists who represent who America is now, and American voices [in] its many facets,” Bailey said. “She is part of this very strong slate of artists who we’ve had this year who relate to the African diaspora or the African American experience.” Bynum added that African American artists are essential to American culture. “Without the contributions of black music and arts, there would not be American art, full stop,” Bynum said. “It is not a separate stream we need to bring or cultivate, it is an integral part of it.” Furthermore, Bynum said younger audiences only know jazz music “as
almost exclusively a concert music, where it’s all cleaned up and proper and you’re supposed to sit in a chair and listen” rather than knowing the “risk, excitement and joy” of the genre, something he believes Horn could expose younger generations to. As for Horn’s hopes for her performance, she said she wants to encourage inspiring musicians to pursue their passion and find their voices. “Never give up,” Horn wrote. “Not everyone is going to care about your music in the same way that you might. [But] if you have an idea that you think is bad, stick with it and see it through! Take care of yourself as well as your music!” Finally, Horn reflected on her goals for her musical legacy. “I hope that my legacy would be one where I have used all of my creativity and art to raise awareness of injustice in the world and to encourage inner peace and self-love.”
Review: ‘The Inventor’ is a near miss about an American fraud B y Willem Gerrish The Dartmouth Staff
HBO’s new documentary “The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley” chronicles the rise and fall of Elizabeth Holmes, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur whose company, Theranos, claimed to revolutionize the world of blood testing. Spurred by an intense desire for wealth and fame, Holmes devised a way to carry out complex blood tests — the sorts that usually require an uncomfortable venous draw — with only a drop of blood obtained through a finger prick. The problem she and her company encountered, though, was that they simply couldn’t get the process to work. Terrified of failure and obsessed with her own legend, Holmes lied and connived to keep Theranos afloat, deliberately misrepresenting the abilities of her company. “The Inventor” dutifully tracks these events with straightforward documentary reporting, but it fails to fully delve into the fascinating character of Elizabeth Holmes or her web of deceit, resulting in a film that lacks intrigue
and coherence. Ten years ago, I might have loved “The Inventor.” Even now, I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it — Holmes’ story is such an interesting saga of tech boom idealism and surreptitiousness that it was impossible for the documentary to lose my attention. However, the plethora of truly extraordinary documentaries released in recent years have raised the bar. I’m talking about films like “Free Solo,” “Icarus” and “Citizenfour” documentaries that stand out for distinctive qualities in filmmaking and reporting that have given the documentary the status of a major cultural art form. In each of these movies, the directors go beyond merely telling a true story. “Free Solo” contains phenomenal cinematography and captures what might be the single greatest athletic achievement of all time while taking a closer look at the personal life and character of Alex Honnold, the climber the documentary follows. “Icarus” breaks the seal open on a major doping scandal with international implications. “Citizenfour” documents the escape
of Edward Snowden, replete with the tension and immediacy of following a fugitive in real time. These are high-stakes documentaries made with passion and verve. “The Inventor” is no such film. At the heart of “The Inventor” lies a person so megalomaniacal and remorseless that she could sustain a whole score of documentaries, books and feature films. But director Alex Gibney fails to get close enough to Elizabeth Holmes, leaving me with the impression that I was watching her walk around in a cage at the zoo rather than getting an intense investigative analysis. And while I don’t believe that investigation is necessary for the success of a documentary — simply pointing a camera and recording an event can often be enough to create a powerful moment — Holmes’ story is one that requires more than the facts. She is a figure of intense mystery, cloaking herself, her company and her voice in a finely-crafted patina of Silicon Valley genius. Elizabeth Holmes fancied herself the next Steve Jobs, and she would stop at nothing to achieve that level of fame and
recognition. She’s a person I want to know more about. It’s not enough to share just the facts and lies, or talk about her black turtlenecks and her deep voice and her blue eyes and simply leave it all on the table. The documentary only shows the façade without giving a tour of the building within. Indeed, one of the central problems with “The Inventor” is that it is too concerned with the facts. Gibney tracks every detail of Theranos’ rise and fall, using interviews with former employees to reveal what the working environment was actually like behind all that tinted glass. It’s as if he is trying to prove to audiences that Theranos was a highly dysfunctional company, a fact that viewers are already inclined to believe from the start of the film. The reason for this is that “The Inventor,” unlike documentaries such as “Icarus,” is not the first raconteur of its own story. That position goes to John Carreyrou, the Wall Street Journal reporter who first broke the news of Theranos’ deceit and fraud with a series of articles beginning in 2015. Since then, Carreyrou has
written an entire book on Holmes and Theranos entitled “Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup;” ABC’s 20/20 has covered the story; and countless other media publications have picked up and regurgitated the facts of Holmes’ lies. Thus, in order to become an important or impressive work of documentary filmmaking, “The Inventor” had to do more than just repeat what I can read anywhere on the Internet — something it failed to do. As I mentioned, I think “The Inventor” could have succeeded had it probed into Holmes as a distinct individual with qualities both impressive and terrifying. She is a highly intelligent young woman with extraordinary powers of persuasion and image-crafting who kept a failing company afloat for over a decade by lying through her teeth. That’s a story worth telling. I want to know more about the riveting woman with unblinking eyes and a deep baritone voice who convinced George Shultz and Henry Kissinger SEE “THE INVENTOR” PAGE 8
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
TUESDAY, APRIL 2, 2019
Review: ‘Apollo 11’ is compelling, even without embellishment or analysis but rather by the awe and wonder of what it captures on camera. The Dartmouth Staff Miller made the brave and powerful In my review for HBO’s “The decision to craft his documentary mostly Inventor,” I wrote about the varying out of footage that already exists, using necessities of documentary art, focusing film taken at the time of the Apollo 11 on the balance launch in July of between pure 1969, including recording and “The 70mm film some astonishing critical analysis. is nothing short of 70mm shots only I acknowledged discovered wondrous — the shots recently that some by Miller’s documentaries are so sweeping, production team o n l y r e q u i r e vibrant and crystalline and the National the deft eye of Archives. This observance, while that it was hard for me 70mm film is others, such as to believe they had nothing short “The Inventor,” wondrous — been captured almost of need an extra layer the shots are so of insight and 50 years ago.” sweeping, vibrant analysis to fully and crystalline that succeed. Todd it was hard for Douglas Miller’s me to believe they extraordinary new had been captured documentary “Apollo 11” succeeds almost 50 years ago. Using this footage with such simplicity as a documentary gives Miller the ability to imbue the entirely composed of recorded moments film with a cinematographic splendor, and devoid of any analytical imposition. bringing a distinct level of visual As such a work of art, it is a marvelous elegance to a movie otherwise primarily testament to the sheer power of concerned with the beauty of truth. observance, carried not by narrative As director and editor, Miller had the
B y willem gerrish
‘The Inventor’ falls flat FROM “THE INVENTOR” PAGE 7
to serve on the board of Theranos, impressed Stanford chemist Channing Robertson enough to get him to quit his job as a chemical engineering professor to join her company and engaged in a romantic relationship with her COO, Rawesh “Sunny” Balwani, who is almost 20 years her elder. Her power over these men alone is enough to conjure up ideas of Shakespearean female dominance, and that’s just one chapter in her story.
Fortunately, Holmes’ story now lies in the hands of Adam McKay, the brilliant and biting director behind “The Big Short” and “Vice.” McKay is slated to direct a dramatized version of Carreyrou’s “Bad Blood,” with Jennifer Lawrence cast as Holmes. I have a feeling that McKay, with his sharp wit and penchant for grandeur, will explore the territory that “The Inventor” failed to uncover in its bland treatment of this towering tale of modern fraud.
daunting task of assembling thousands of hours of found footage into a cohesive, affecting and entertaining feature-length film. To make it even more difficult, he eschewed all narration and interviews, so that he could not tie the footage together with voiceovers or explanations that ease the singular identity of the film. In the face of all these challenges, Miller did a remarkable job, creating an hour and a half of engrossing documentary art, accented by a resounding score by Matt Morton and some crafty editing. In one of Miller’s most unique and incredible moves, he gives the viewer information on the background of Apollo 11’s three astronauts — not by stilted narrative explanation but by a fleeting collection of videos and images. As mission commander Neil Armstrong suits up, Miller shows us a quick collection of photos of Armstrong throughout the years, followed by pictures of Armstrong with his wife and kids and footage of his exploits as a test pilot. This all flashes on the screen in a matter of seconds, bookended by shots of Armstrong’s placid face in preparation for spaceflight, rendering the experience like that of Armstrong reflecting on the memories that brought him to the precipice of one of the most important voyages in human history. Miller repeats this process for both Lunar Module pilot Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Command Module pilot Michael Collins, establishing the notion of personal history without bogging the film down in hackneyed retrospection. It’s an extraordinary move of directing and editing, and for that decision alone I am inclined to heap praise upon Miller. But it’s not just that one scene that evidences Miller’s impressive directing. He created visual and aural transitions that are deft to the point of subtlety, including a still shot of the towering Saturn V rocket that
becomes a child’s model in the backseat indicate the general level of tension and of a car as spectators gather to watch anxiety for each astronaut, serving to the launch. Later on, during a shot show the audience much more than any of Aldrin spinning a radio in zero lame description could ever tell them. gravity while playing the song “Mother This detail comes roaring back later in Country” by John Stewart, the audio the film when, after finally landing on blends from the garbled quality of the the moon, Armstrong’s heart rate is 156 original footage to the pristine sound BPM. of actual musical overlay as Miller Ultimately, what truly sets “Apollo uses the song to highlight a montage 11” apart as a work of documentary of the crew returning home to earth. filmmaking is its utter reliance on These transitions that basic tenet are clean and of the craft: effortless, allowing “In one of Miller’s the idea of the what is essentially a most unique and “documentary,” cobbled-together in the purest sense incredible moves, tapestry of footage of the word. It’s a to feel cohesive he gives the viewer film that serves to and intentional. document, record information on the Miller also and observe and makes smart use of backgorund of Apollo leave that on detail to accent the 11’s three austronauts screen to speak film at appropriate for itself. The lack — not by stilted m o m e n t s. of narration and During scenes of narrative explanation interviews allows important rocket but by a fleeting the film to never maneuvers where stray from its f u e l , ve l o c i t y collection of videos intense obsession and timing are and images.” with observation, of the utmost putting it in a importance, unique class of Miller puts these parameters on screen, nonfiction work that succeeds without showing fuel levels, rocket speeds and the need for a written narrative. It countdowns. These allow the audience reminds me of “An Oral History of to recognize the precision and tension the Contemporary World,” a legendary of moments such as the lunar landing, book-that-never-was composed of carried out with just about the last drop conversations heard and assembled of fuel remaining. It lends a sense of by a homeless Greenwich Village drama and intrigue to events that have writer named Joe Gould. Journalist already been recounted thousands of Joseph Mitchell wrote about Gould times in media and literature. in two famous pieces for ‘The New To speak more to Miller’s stunning Yorker,’ determined to find Gould’s amount of detail, I want to mention manuscript of pure documentary art, one of my favorite small decisions only to discover that the book didn’t Miller made for the film: inclusion of actually exist. “Apollo 11” is the type the astronauts’ heart rates, including of documentary that “An Oral History” their pre-launch levels of 110 BPM for could have been — a work predicated Armstrong, 99 BPM for Collins and on truth and defined by the powers of 88 BPM for Aldrin. These heart rates observance.