VOL. CLXXIII NO.13
PARTLY CLOUDY
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Panel discusses potential of renewable energy
STUDENTS AIM FOR ACTION
HIGH 22 LOW 8
By ZACHARY BENJAMIN The Dartmouth Staff
PAULA MENDOZA/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
SPORTS
COLUMN: HANK AND FISH TALK GAMBLING PAGE 8
Students gather for Asian-American Students for Action meeting at Casque and Gauntlet.
SOLOMON: THE EDUCATED MAN’S BURDEN PAGE 4
ARTS
PREVIEW: ‘SWAN LAKE’ AND PANEL PAGE 5
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SEE ENERGY PAGE 5
Q&A with environmental activist Bill McKibben
By ALEXA GREEN OPNION
About 150 Dartmouth students and Upper Valley residents gathered in Filene Auditorium yesterday evening to hear a discussion about transitioning to a fully renewable energy fueled world by the year 2050. The panel featured four panelists who discussed the possibilities of transitioning to renewable energy on national, state, local and individual levels. Mark Jacobson, a Stanford University professor of civil and environmental engineering, spoke via Skype about
The Dartmouth
Bill McKibben, a leading environmental activist and author on climate change and policy, visited Dartmouth yesterday, endorsing Bernie Sanders’ campaign. McKibben is the Schumann distinguished scholar of environmental studies at Middlebury College and founder of the international environmental organization, 350.org. What motivated you to speak
to Dartmouth and Upper Valley community members about Sanders?
BM: Well, you know. New Hampshire has a lot of leverage, so you know, students in this part of the country want to take part in political activity. They always are going to be engaged. This is a very, very unique part of the country. You have a chance of making a difference, so that is why it is great. And candidates come to Dartmouth, too — it speaks to the kind of students you’ve got.
What do you think the role of students is in the upcoming election?
BM: Students should first stay interested. It should be noted that Bernie is the oldest candidate — he’d be the oldest president ever elected. This is interesting because his support seems to be coming from the youngest people. And so, I think that students are already playing a big role and will play a bigger role particularly as the next couple of weeks go on. New Hampshire is a state with a lot of colleges. Students actually take
initiative if they get out on voting dates, like Super Tuesday, or if they spend a day or two campaigning on the phone. They’re the most powerful people in the United States. In your opinion, why is Sanders the best candidate in the upcoming primaries and presidential election? BM: The thing that I know most about SEE Q&A PAGE 2
2016 First-Year Trips Directorate announced
By NOAH GOLDSTEIN The Dartmouth Staff
The directorate for the 2016 Dartmouth Outing Club First-Year Trips has been announced, with director Josh Cetron ’16 and assistant director Anna Gabianelli ’16 heading the group tasked with welcoming the class of 2020 to campus. In an email sent to campus yesterday morning, the DOC announced that Kate Dumanian ’18 and Abby Reynolds ’17 will serve as the outdoor logistics coordinators, while Apoorva Dixit ’17, Victoria Nelsen ’17 and Ka-
tie Zhang ’16 will serve as Trip leader trainers. Alisa White ’17 will serve as the sustainability coordinator and Edel Auh ’18 will serve as the safety coordinator. Doug Phipps ’17 will serve as the outreach coordinator and Kate Bullion ’16 will act at the Klymbing Kroo captain. Kristen Chalmers ’17 will be the Oak Hill Croo captain and Mark Widerschein ’17 and Carly Amon ’17 will be the Lodj Croo captains. Julia Dressel ’17 and Coté Auil ’18 will act as the Hanover Croo captains. Andrea Price ’16 and Jake Lyon ’17 will serve as the Grant Croo captains. Dan Pham ’16 and Shannon Cleary ’16 will act
as the Vox Croo captains. Applications for the positions were sent out in December, Nelsen said. The leaders found out their individual positions on Monday and who their fellow leaders would be on Tuesday. When picking members for the 2016 Trips directorate, Cetron said he and Gabianelli looked at two main factors in applicants: how an applicant’s skils, traits and experiences would fit in with others on the directorate as well as the ability to both believe in the value of the program and think about the way the program can continually improve.
“Ultimately, what helps us make our decision is how best the team will work together, so not necessarily any one particular person and their traits, but rather the combination of traits, skills and experiences across different individuals that are going to be working together, because this is a highly collaborative process,” Cetron said. He said that he was happy about the diversity of the directorate, as it includes members from the classes of 2016, 2017 and 2018. “We’re always looking for ways to SEE TRIPS PAGE 3
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
PAGE 2
DAILY DEBRIEFING A Springfield man was driving southbound on Interstate 89 on Friday when he veered off the road, hitting a guardrail and rolling over several times, the Valley News reported. When police arrived at the scene of the crash, they could not find the driver and authorities suspected he had been ejected from his car or left the scene with someone else. Police later returned to the scene and tracked his footprints to a trail nearly a mile off of the travel lane. About 10 hours after his vehicle had crashed, authorities found him lying on the ground, unconscious and suffering from hypothermia. He was taken to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and is reportedly in stable condition. According to the Valley News, a wooden two-story building burned to the ground early Saturday morning down the street from Lebanon High School. Lebanon Fire Chief Chris Christopoulos called the fire “suspicious,” as the vacant building lacked heat, power and signs of a normal ignition source. Firefighters put out most of the flames within 15 minutes, and then extinguished the fire fully with the help of Lebanon Public Works employees. As of now, the police department has no clear leads as to who or what may have caused the fire. Manchester police arrested three men in possession of over $35,000 worth of drugs during a raid early Tuesday morning, the New Hampshire Union Leader reported. The men attempted to flee the Lake Avenue apartment where the trafficking operation was based but were stopped by officers posted outside. Authorities seized 510 grams of fentanyl, 78 grams of heroin, 40 grams of cocaine and 20.6 grams of crack cocaine.
- COMPLIED BY ANNETTE DENEKAS
CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
McKibben discusses Sanders FROM Q&A PAGE 1
is climate change. And on that issue, Bernie has been absolutely the most forward person in all of Washington for the last many years. He has been in the lead on every single fight — he’s done Exxon, the Keystone Pipeline, you name it. So, I think there’s no doubt that he’s the best candidate on that note. What do you think the biggest challenge facing environmental protection is today? BM: Climate change is not only the biggest environmental question, but the biggest question facing the whole world. Because, everything that happens to the climate, even as related to how well its systems are working, makes us ask the questions: Are we going to have enough food and resources that people can afford? Are we going to have countries facing conflicts as resources diminish? These are issues that everyone has taken for granted, and now we are depended upon to worry about them. We found out today that 2015 was the hottest year ever, and I think that is a reminder for just how much work we have to do to fast track this solution. What do you think that stu-
SEAMORE ZHU/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Environmentalist Bill McKibben gives speech at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
dents can do to address climate change?
Sanders’ biggest issue in the race?
BM: I think, and I’ve always said this for a number of years, that your individual actions today can be put in that field of generally “fighting our fight.” The most important thing that individuals can do is not to be an individual. Join with others in these big groups to combat climate change, like 350.org, because that is what it will take to change our politics enough to get actual difference.
BM: I think the biggest issue for Bernie Sanders in the race is just whether he can hold on, whether people know about him. In Iowa and New Hampshire, they’re beginning to see [his narrative] . They’re coming into really seeing Senator Sanders. It will just be interesting to see after Iowa and New Hampshire and people in the rest of the country have time to figure out where they want to be, and what a wonderful character he is.
Who or what do you think is
SEE Q&A PAGE 3
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
McKibben talks climate change FROM Q&A PAGE 2
Why should the candidates take environmental issues and climate change into account on the campaign trail and in office? BM: They should take it into account
in office because it’s a challenge to world leaders. They are going to have to deal with climate change. It will be the next biggest issue for the next three presidents. Candidates should take it into account on the campaign trail because it is also a player in politics. The Republican party is so absorbed with the oil that they want to protect,
which makes them vulnerable on the campaign trail because wherever they go to speak, they are going to be talking about climate change a lot. Most Americans are no longer comfortable with the ignoring of science. Considering national concerns about oil change, the Dow dropped 500 points resulting from American fears and low oil prices. BM: That’s right! Energy is in the center of so much that happens in our economy and our political life. I see that you have spearheaded the resistance to the Keystone Pipeline and launched the fastgrowing fossil fuel divestment movement. How do you think that type of climate awareness can be echoed on Dartmouth’s campus? BM: I was very glad to see a bunch of Divest Dartmouth students at my talk, and I think their work is going very well. I think that the students are helping Dartmouth moving forward at a fast pace. And I think it is only a matter of time before people like the Rockefellers say, “We can’t afford to ignore the planet.”
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New directorate discusses future plans
Cabin and Trail. As outdoor logistic coordinator, make sure the program as a whole her role will consist of creating derepresents lots of different diverse scriptions for the trips and managing the food for each components of trip, she said. the student body “I think it’s our S h e and the Dartadded that trips mouth commu- responsibility to shaped her nity,” Cetron empower leaders to Dartmouth exadded. perience, which Prior to be- lead really awesome is why she apcoming direc- trips.” pplied for the tor of the Trips Trips directorprogram, Ceate. tron served as -VICTORIA NELSEN ’17, Ceton a trip leader, worked on sup- 2016 TRIP LEADER TRAINER said that comparing this year’s port Croos and directorate to was a Lodj Croo last year’s is not very useful. While captain alongside Gabianelli. Nelsen, who has been involved the past will inform the current with trips since her first-year, said directorate’s decisions, the focus will that what she really loves about trip be on the things the new directorate leader training is how interactive it will be able to create in a new way this year, he said. is. “At this point, what we’re really “I think it’s our responsibility to empower leaders to lead really awe- looking forward to is what we’re going to be able to do now and next some trips,” she added. Reynolds has been a trip leader and moving forward,” Cetron said. two times — for the class of 2018 and for the class of 2019 — and is also Nelsen is former member of The Dartmouth a leader within the DOC sub-group staff. FROM TRIPS PAGE 1
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
PAGE 4
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION STAFF
STAFF COLUMNIST IOANA SOLOMON ’19
Opinion Asks
The Educated Man’s Burden
Do you think Dartmouth does enough to help us find internships and jobs? If not, what more could they be doing? While we can’t fix the D-Plan’s many pitfalls, we can make the most of our off-terms using the various resources available to us at the College. Unlike other educational institutions, Dartmouth prioritizes life after graduation. From matriculation to commencement, we are exposed to a variety of opportunities, from internships and fellowships to entry-level positions. The College not only facilitates our employment search, but also promotes our professional development. In any given week of the term, we receive countless emails from the Center for Professional Development. We are given the chance to rework our resumes, polish our networking skills, and meet alumni from a host of industries — all within the confines of Hanover. Although we often take such events for granted, it is incumbent upon us to maximize our time at the Dartmouth. By taking advantage of opportunities in the present, we can better plan for our future. -Sarah Perez ’17, Opinion Editor
“Unlike other educational institutions, Dartmouth prioritizes life after graduation. From matriculation to commencement, we are exposed to a variety of opportunities, from internships and fellowships to entrylevel positions.”
“It would be beneficial, however, if Dartmouth took the low-cost measures to invite more people from outside of corporate sectors.”
The Center for Professional Development has a lot of great opportunities to learn about how to interview, build resumes, draft cover letters and much more. However, it’s no secret that the real meat of the matter is corporate recruiting. Obviously, companies pay a lot of money to facilitate corporate recruiting, and thus there is a conveniently filtered process to find employment in finance, banking, consulting, etc. If you’re not interested in that sort of thing, you’re mostly left with a bunch of job postings on Dartboard. That isn’t to say that Dartmouth isn’t providing a lot of access to great employers outside of finance and big business, but that the access isn’t nearly as direct. In truth, it’s not really Dartmouth’s fault that companies in fields such as journalism or film aren’t fronting cash to hire the next crop of prime candidates. Nor can we really expect Dartmouth to start paying for those employers to come recruit. It would be beneficial, however, if Dartmouth took the low-cost measures to invite more people from outside of the corporate sectors. The success of Dartmouth’s alumni network is built on a foundation of pride, innovation, diligence, intelligence, and, most importantly, nepotism. Let’s give our students better access to that last one so they can start changing the world sooner! -Billy Peters ’15
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THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
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Misconceptions about the developing world perpetuate harmful stereotypes. It is 9 p.m. on a Saturday night. You keywords found in the headlines of Africaare back home for break, so instead of related news this past year. Unsurprisingly, going to a frat party or cramming for a the investigation concluded that Western midterm, you sit down on the couch to media is guilty of biased or partial coverage. watch TV with your family. You pet your Analysts found discrepancies in coverage dog and grab another bite of the Chinese throughout 2015. Western media outlets food you just ordered. Everything seems focused on Ebola, sports events and migrajust fine, quite pleasant even, until you tion crises. In contrast, the local media did turn your attention to the screen and not see these as major headlines. Instead, hear the melancholic piano soundtrack. A regional newspapers zeroed in on trade, woman’s grave but saccharine voice asks the Nigerian election and the Burundi you to sponsor a child by donating to some crisis. Furthermore, the report compared non-governmental organization. Her pleas frequently-used words across Western and accompany video footage and photographs African media outlets. Western reporters of barefoot, skinny African children with harped on “death,” “crisis,” “refugees” and tears in their eyes. “attack.” In contrast, local news sources These types of advertisements are covered “growth,” “trade,” “economy” quite common, and the NGOs running and “market” far more. While this differthem probably have good intentions. Yet, ence may seem relatively innocuous, such such ads contain a dangerous flaw. The a discrepancy distorts our view of Africa people featured in them are almost always and the rest of the world as a whole. African women and children. They are Finally, we cannot ignore the failure always portrayed as helpless. We come to of developmental assistance programs know them as poor, starving and longing throughout the region. Such initiatives fall for Western compassion. These ads, just short because we treat the developing world like travel volunteer programs, perpetu- as completely undeveloped. When the ate harmful stereotypes United States Agenabout developing Afri- “We must rework cy for International can nations. Development hires our perception of the Debunking such misAmerican contractors conceptions is relatively developing world. We to build infrastructure easy — not all African must recognize damaging in poor communities, nations are part of the it forgoes opportunideveloping world. Africa stereotypes and make ties for local employis not just a vast stretch of it a priority to educate ment. When we simrural landscape, desert or ply donate clothing ourselves and others. rainforest. The continent or shoes (think the boasts diverse cultures, Current events beyond ever-popular TOMS political systems and so- the realm of Western shoes), we ruin local cioeconomic structures. markets. We can locate countless society aren’t just a series It is incumbent urban centers, fully- of disasters and crises.” upon us to consider equipped with modern the consequences of transportation systems our actions. When a and skyscrapers, throughout the continent. truck full of goods arrives in a poor vil That being said, poverty and political lage, people either use the free items or conflict are real issues in Africa just like sell them for prices below market price. anywhere else. But contrary to popular Either way, local businesses and merchants belief, the African continent is not a mael- suffer. When we visit countries as volunstrom of social ills. Not everyone who calls teers, painting schools or teaching locals Africa home walks barefoot, wears tattered how to use an iPad, we get something to clothes and lives in a mud hut. Moreover, put on our resumes. Sadly, the people on it’s not as if they lack access to technology the other side of the exchange, the people and education. Many African communi- we’re supposed to be helping, actually get ties face incredibly tough problems and very little in return. humanitarian crises. However, actually It is difficult to distinguish between probdoing something and realizing this are two lematic stereotypes, biased media coverage different things. We shouldn’t be making and failed humanitarian policies because sweeping generalizations about an entire these issues are linked. We must rework our continent. perception of the developing world. We The issue at hand is deeper and more must recognize damaging stereotypes and complex. The stereotypes we fuel harm make it a priority to educate ourselves and those around us. They inhibit global inte- others. Current events beyond the realm gration and undermine the formation of of Western society aren’t just a series of tolerant, diverse communities. As Ameri- disasters and crises. Above all, we must stop cans, we aren’t the only ones to blame. pigeonholing the developing world into the Western media coverage as a whole plays mold of the perpetual victim. To do this, a major role in shaping our perceptions. we must abandon our self-righteousness. In its Foresight Africa 2016 report, the We are not parents raising children, or the Brookings Institute analyzed the top 50 rich feeding the poor.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
PAGE 5
150 students and community members attend energy panel FROM ENERGY PAGE 1
the possibility of transitioning on a national scale to rely solely on renewable energy sources — primarily water, wind and solar power. Jacobson recently completed a study that says it is possible for the United States to transition to a fully renewable energy economy by the year 2050. Jacobson cited several statistics about the harmful effects of air pollution. He said that air pollution kills between four and seven million people prematurely each year and costs around $25 trillion annually, while global warming will cost $17 trillion a year by 2050. To respond to this, the world should move towards electrifying their energy systems for all fuel purposes, using technologies like photovoltaic solar panels, onshore and offshore wind turbines, geothermal energy and existing hydroelectric power structures, he said. “These are all drastic problems that require immediate and drastic solutions,” Jacobson said. World energy demands are expected to reach 19.5 terawatts a year by 2050, Jacobson said, though the process of switching to electric power sources would reduce this to 11.8 terawatts by virtue of the increased efficiency of renewable energy sources compared to fossil fuels. Using about 50 percent wind power, 40 percent solar power and 10 percent other sources, the United States would be able to meet their national energy demands, he said, while also freeing up usable land in the process. Though some critics of renewable energy have raised concerns about the intermittent nature of wind, water and solar energy, Jacobson said this would not be an issue. Using a model of projected wind and solar patterns for the years 2050 to 2055, combined with estimates about energy demand in the same years, Jacobson found that renewable energy sources were capable of matching energy demands. The switch would also lead to a projected net gain of 22 million jobs, Jacobson said, helping to boost the economy. Ideally, 80 percent of U.S. energy would be generated by renewable energy sources by 2030, Jacobson said, with a full transition by 2050. This would reduce carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere to below 350 parts per million by the year 2100, significantly more optimistic than current predictions and in line with levels from the eighteenth century. Clay Mitchell, environmental policy and sustainable energy professor at the University of New Hampshire, discussed energy policy and climate change for the state of
New Hampshire. Currently, New as an energy distribution method, Hampshire is a net exporter of Hogarty said. In place of steam, energy, he said, with most energy the College hopes to move towards generation coming from natural using hot water, which is a more gas, nuclear energy and renewable efficient substance, she said. energy. “We’re feeling very bullish about Mitchell, however, believes that complete transformation for Dartthe state is currently underutiliz- mouth’s energy system,” she said. ing renewable energy resources, Thayer School of Engineering especially wind professor Soloand solar. He “These are all drastic mon Diamond criticized caps discussed his on solar energy problems that require home, which is generation, say- immediate and drastic fully supported ing that a proby renewable posed 75 mega- solutions.” e n e r g y. T h e watt cap would walls have doumake up only - MARK JACOBSON, ble studs with 0.0008 percent gaps and high of current an- STANFORD UNIVERSITY levels of cellunual electricity PROFESSOR lose insulation, generation in he said. The New Hampseams are well shire. sealed to prevent heat leakage, the “You would think that the solar walls have triple rubber seals and industry is trying to bankrupt utili- the windows are made with triple ties the way it’s discussed,” he said. panels. With the most efficient solar An air source heat pump provides panels, Upper Valley residents heat for the house, while the hot would only need 2,390 square feet water heater is electric and highly of roof paneling, or 4,600 square insulated, he said. The house also feet on flat ground, Mitchell said. features heat transfer systems for the Mitchell also discussed public water and ventilation, he added, reattitudes towards climate change, especially among political independents. He cited a study showing that while levels of concern about climate change remain fairly consistent over a period of time among Democrats and Republicans, independents’ levels of concern will vary day-to-day, correlating positively with changes in temperature. Change in New Hampshire will require grid modernization, renovations of old buildings and concerted efforts from state residents to influencing the state legislature, Mitchell said. Vice president of campus planning and facilities Lisa Hogarty discussed Dartmouth’s current energy consumption patterns and proposed changes. The College currently uses steam for heating and cooling, electricity for lights, computers and other electric needs and fuel for transportation and backup generators, she said. It inputs 3.6 million gallons of No. 6 fuel, 3.1 megawatts of electricity and 6 million gallons of makeup water. Sixty-five percent of consumption comes from fuel oil, 25 percent from electricity and 10 percent from other sources, she said. In 2008, then College President Jim Wright put out a formal pledge to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In 2014 the College met the first part of its target, reducing emissions by 20 percent, Hogarty said. Further targets have been set for 2020 and 2030. In the future, the College hopes to transition away from using No. 6 fuel as a power source and steam
ducing energy costs. Outside, solar panels generate power for the house. In total, the house comes within five percent of zero net energy production, he said, offsetting the increased costs of building the house. After the panelists’ presentations, the floor opened up for questions. One audience member asked if it would be wiser to wait before installing solar panels, in anticipation of future price decreases. Mitchell responded that the loss of government incentives for installations in the future would offset the reduced prices. Another member of the audience asked Jacobson about structural market barriers against environmentally efficient energy sources. Jacobson discussed how different states provide different incentives for green energy. Florida, for example, has low levels of incentives, and California has higher ones. Mitchell mentioned that energy subsidies to fossil fuels mask the true cost disparities between current energy sources and green alternatives. In an email, Hanover town manager Julia Griffin wrote that the goal of the event was to raise awareness
of what a zero net emissions future would look like, and to serve as a precursor for Hanover’s own efforts to transition to such a system. Larry Litten, an audience member, said that he chose to attend the event because of its focus on civic duties for reducing emissions. He liked that the event focused on both the micro and macro levels of the issue. Another audience member, Jonathan Chaffet, said that while he arrived late to the event, he thought the parts he saw were very exciting. He attended to learn more about sustainability. Bobbi Dagger, a Woodstock, Vermont resident in attendance, said she came to learn more about the added value of energy efficient additions to home, which she can use in her capacity as a real estate agent. She said she found the event “fascinating.” The lecture was sponsored by the Sierra Club Upper Valley Group, Energy and Climate-Upper Valley, Donella Meadows Institute, NextGen Climate, Sustainable Hanover, the Office of Sustainability at Dartmouth and the Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley.
PAGE 6
THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
DARTMOUTHEVENTS TODAY 1:30 p.m.
“Feed-Forward Techniques in Digitally-Controlled Buck Converters,” Sarah Pasternak, Cummings 105
4:30 p.m.
“Rising Fences: Migrants, Borders and a New Frontier for Ethics,” Joel H. Rosenthal, Filene Auditorium
7:00 p.m.
“Swan Lake,” by choreographer Dada Masilo, Moore Theatre, Hopkins Center for the Arts
TOMORROW 3:30 p.m.
“Dark Matter in the Cosmos — Are We Close to Discovery?”, Brown University Professor Savvas Koushiappas, Wilder 104
4:00 p.m.
Piano master class with Stephen Hough, Faulkner Auditorium, Hopkins Center
7:30 p.m.
“Lifted: A Celebration of Unity and Song,” student performance showcase, Common Ground, Collis Center
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
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Masilo’s ‘Swan Lake’ tackles HIV/AIDS crisis, stigmas By JOYCE LEE
The Dartmouth Staff
HIV/AIDS and Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake” (1875-76) hardly seem like two topics that go hand in hand. However, a discussion panel held at the Rockefeller Center on Tuesday, “Global Perspectives on HIV/AIDS,” was presented in conjunction with the U.S. premiere of Dada Masilo’s interpretation of “Swan Lake” at the Hopkins Center. The panel, part of this year’s Martin Luther King Jar. day celebrations at Dartmouth, featured vice-provost for academic initiatives and sociology professor Denise Anthony as the moderator. The panel included global health initiative coordinator at the Dickey Center for International Understanding Lisa Adams, assistant geography professor Abigail Neely and South African dancer and choreographer Masilo. The panel began by introducing Masilo’s version of “Swan Lake.” The ballet features a love triangle involving a homosexual man, the “black swan,” a heterosexual woman, the “white swan,” and a male prince. Masilo’s “Swan Lake” twists the traditional story by introducing themes including homosexuality, social stigmas and HIV/AIDS, as well as incorporating South African dance with the more traditional ballet form. Although Masilo initially did not want to make political work, she said she wanted to do something different and to provoke and challenge herself by discussing the harsh South African realities, including the HIV epidemic. However, many of the effects incorporated into Masilo’s version of the ballet came by chance, she said. One such addition to the performance will be visible in the costumes of the dancers, who will all wear tutus regardless of their genders. Considering the common misconception that men who dance are gay, Masilo said that she wanted to see how the narrative would change if male figures in the ballet actually were gay and dealing with the stigmas attached to homosexuality and HIV/AIDS. “You grow up and realize there are no fairy tales in life but realities,” Masilo said. Adams, who worked in South Africa as a physician and tuberculosis expert, said that it was important to take into account the historical perspective of how the South African government responded to the HIV epidemic, especially considering that South Africa has the highest number of HIV inflicted individuals in the world. “The virus has touched almost
every South African,” Adams said. Adams said that South Africa’s response to the HIV epidemic was unique and disastrous, citing the “silent phase” of the 1980s when the disease first appeared among gay men and then the black community, and the government did little to address the spread of the virus. Adams also said that the government’s response in the late 1990s caused fear and stigma, as regulations required a mandatory 14 day quarantine if someone was suspected of having the disease. “The care provided under apartheid [was] underdeveloped, and it was ultimately a favorable setting for HIV to thrive,” Adams said. Neely, who has worked in rural South Africa, discussed the stigmas attached to HIV/AIDS. She said that the HIV epidemic was believed to be a disease of the poor. She noted that the epidemic hid behind a history of impoverished South Africans’ ill health under apartheid. South Africans believed they became sick not only because of viruses and lack of nutrients, but also because of witchcraft or the
spirits of ancestors, she said. She described the three categories of diseases as understood by South Africans and pointed out that each category required different treatments, including doctors and traditional African healers, known as isangomas. Some South Africans were unwilling to see a doctor for HIV treatment due to stigma and a different understanding of disease, Neely said. Masilo’s “Swan Lake” aims to address this stigma and help audiences grapple with such complex issues, Masilo said. She said she wanted to tackle discrimination and tell the story of her aunt, who died heartbroken after being diagnosed as HIV positive and rejected from her family. “When I was choreographing, a section of the ballet became about that heartbreak for me — that grief and the vulnerability and a rejection from family,” Masilo said. Masilo noted that education can play an important role in eliminating the stigma attached to HIV. She wanted people to realize through
her play that the issues surrounding disease were not only about shame, but also about pain and sadness, Masilo said. Adams said that the stigma prevented people from getting tested, from seeking care and staying on care. People refused to even tell their family members about the disease, Adams noted. Neely said that South Africans’ different understanding of the disease could be another factor in the reluctance to get treatment. She said that a possible solution would be to expand the role of physicians like Adams in villages to treat multiple kinds of diseases. The panel concluded with the idea that the stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS extended to other healthcare issues like birth control, teen pregnancy and other sexually transmitted infections. Masilo said that some nurses would rebuke their patients who came in with stigmatized conditions. She said that beyond education, access to safe and nonjudgmental healthcare was essential to addressing the stigma around HIV/AIDS.
“It was really insightful and really great to see a diversity of perspectives looking at the same issue and the same stigmas,” India Perdue ’19 said. “I really appreciated that all three of them were professionals in their own right who tackled different aspects of the issue, from social to biological and medical perspectives.” Adams, in an interview after the panel, said that she hoped Masilo’s performance would spark discussion among students. “I hope that students who watch the show will take the ideas and themes back to their dorms or their social spaces and join the conversation,” Adams said. “It’s a low hanging fruit that I would hope to see.” Anthony, in an interview after the panel, said that the panel was a good example of the College’s liberal arts education. “Weaving all of these perspectives together is just a great way to show Dartmouth education and show that you can approach an issue from almost any angle,” Anthony said. “Swan Lake” was performed last night and will be performed tonight at 7 p.m. at the Moore Theater.
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS
PAGE 8
SPORTS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2016
THURSDAY LINEUP
No athletic events scheduled
Men’s squash downs No. 9 Drexel, improves to 6-2 overall By MATT YUEN
The Dartmouth Staff
At the last home game of the season, No. 5 Dartmouth sealed the victory against No. 9 Drexel University 6-3, raising the Big Green to 6-2 overall (2-1 Ivy) while dropping the Dragons to 7-4. With the crucial win against Drexel, the Big Green successfully defended its top-8 rank and continued to pave its path to the National Team Championships and the Potter Cup. “Our long-term goal was to get in the top eight, and if we lost it would have been a lot harder to do that,” Matt Giegerich ’19 said. “Now that we won, we’re in a very good position.” 3-0 victories by Dartmouth’s two seniors Kyle Martino ’16 and captain James Fisch ’16 kicked off the competition. The team clinched the overall victory after the Giegerich brothers, Brian Giegerich ’18 and Matt Giegerich, and Glen Brickman ’17 won their matches. However, the overall victory did not af-
fect first seed Alvin Heumann ’18 from giving his all in his match. “I think the highlight was watching Alvin pull out a win at number one,” Brickman said. “It was a really brutal five game match, and he was playing against a really tough opponent. We had already pulled out the team victory, but watching him push so hard was really fun to watch.” This top of the ladder victory speaks volumes about the quality of the Dartmouth team, as Drexel has historically been known for a strong top lineup in comparison to the rest of its ladder. Fisch said that Alvin has completed a difficult task in winning all three matches against Drexel, the University of Pennsylvania and Princeton University while ranked number one. “The fact that we won some matches in the top three, middle three and bottom three is really just promising because it shows that we’re not only a pretty deep team, but we also have some talent at the top that can go the distance,” Fisch
ELIZA MCDONOUGH/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Hank and Fish go broke after visiting a casino, left only with each other.
RIDING THE PINE WITH JOE CLYNE AND HENRY ARNDT
We were running down the road, trying to loosen our loads and we had just one thing on our mind. Ninety minutes from home, we were nearly smack dab in the heart of Belmont and its little slice of heaven on Earth known as the Lakes Region Casino. With just 10 minutes until our encounter with destiny, the car went silent, and we pulled off the highway, panicked and in a cold sweat. We needed to take a breather. We also needed to take advantage of the incredible McPick 2 menu at McDonald’s. $4, a large iced coffee and 970 calories later, we had no choice but to reflect — how had we put ourselves in this situation yet again?
The story of our gambling addiction begins a mere two months ago on a starry night at the illustrious Makasa Sun Hotel & Casino in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. While our friends and family naively believed that we were visiting Africa to spend quality time with dear friends and grow to understand and appreciate a foreign country, we were going for one reason and one reason only — high stakes gambling. It is for that reason that we sat down at a blackjack table with a $5 minimum bet and proceeded to lose every single dollar that we walked in with. Though we left Zimbabwe with no money, we left with something far more precious — a
said. Although the results ended up in Dartmouth’s favor, the team knew that that the victory would not come easily. “We knew it was going to be a tough match especially because they have a very strong top of their line up,” Brian Giegerich said. “They’ve had a few injuries, but when we played them they were at full strength. Because I’m at the bottom of the order, I knew that I was going to have a bit easier of a match, and it was pretty crucial that I win my match.” In addition, the quality of collegiate squash has been improving over the past years. Drexel just barely lost 5-4 to now No. 3 Penn this season, the same score in the Big Green’s loss to the Quakers, which serves as a testament to the Dragons’ skills. “U.S. Squash, in general, has been getting better over the years,” Fisch said. “Each season, we don’t really know what each team will bring. They might have had a really good recruiting
year, or have been training really hard, so Drexel was one of those teams that was threatening to break back into the top eight like us.” Fisch said that the teams in the past used to be more stratified in terms of the quality. There used to be a significant gap between the top eight and the lower ranks. But with improvement in recruitment strategies, coaching techniques and overall popularity of the game, the teams have been moving closer and closer together. Nevertheless, the historic 8-1 win over No.11 Princeton and the extremely close 5-4 loss against then No. 2 Penn had the team’s spirits high going into the match against Drexel. “We had a lot of confidence going in,” Brickman said. “We knew that on paper we were the higher ranked team. So if we played the way we were capable of playing, the way we have been playing leading up to that match, we should have come out of it with a favorable result, and that ended up being the case.”
Although Dartmouth’s men’s squash team has undoubtedly had a successful season so far, things did not start off too strong for the Big Green during preseason. “It’s funny because we started the season at Ivy scrimmages,” Brickman said. “We lost to Cornell and Yale pretty badly, and it was not the start we wanted for the season. That rough start kicked everyone into gear and made everyone realize we had a long way to go before we were where we wanted to be.” But with well-deserved victories over teams inside and outside the top eight, there is no doubt the Big Green has made a statement as a team that can compete with any team in the country. “We beat all the teams that weren’t in the top eight, so it shows that there really shouldn’t be any disputes that we deserve to be in the top eight,” Brian Giegerich said. The Big Green take to the court again against Ivy competitor Cornell University in Ithaca on Feb. 6.
crippling obsession with gambling. Two weeks into winter term at Dartmouth, it was time to feed the beast. Unluckily for your correspondents, the moronic New Hampshire state legislature has imposed rigorous constraints on gaming parlors across the granite state. The powers that be recently rejected a visionary plan to allow casino gambling in-state, so we were forced to find the best alternative — a casino nearly an hour and a half from campus that only allowed a $4 maximum bet and donated all its proceeds to charity. Regardless of the seeming constraints, we were all-in (figuratively of course — we were actually betting $4 at a time, every time, because the minimum bet was also $4). After an all-too-brief respite at the Golden Arches, we made our way directly to the house of chance. It was time to pay the ferryman and cross the River Styx. We were entering the pits of hell. We would be leaving heroes, or we would not be leaving at all. From the moment we walked through the doors, we knew we were outsiders. The house wanted us to lose. Every gambler in the room wanted us to lose. And sad though it is to say, we wanted each other to lose as well. Though the casino had just two rooms and a single blackjack table, it still took us nearly 15 minutes to find our seats. We could sense the electricity in the air as we finally found the nerve to place our first $4 bets. However, we still couldn’t tell whether the current would
reanimate us, saving us from our dull realities, or whether the shock would be too much for our fragile systems, electrocuting us and leaving us paralyzed. Right off the bat, the cards were coming our way. Our false identities as University of New Hampshire students who were double majors in math and economics endeared us to our dealer and our fellow patrons as they sought the advice that only our analytical minds could bring to the devil’s game. As the hours passed, our stacks grew higher and higher. $60 had turned into $100. $100 had turned into $130. We had turned our city into an empire. There was no way we could lose. Suddenly, from the sports bar room adjacent to the blackjack table, strode our worst nightmare. “Denise,” a decrepit old man muttered. “It’s time for your break. I’ll be dealing now.” Our friendly dealer had been given the hook and instead we would be forced to battle against a geriatric incompetent named Walter with all our financial assets on the line. Walter is the kind of dealer that hits blackjack when you have 20, the kind of dealer who doesn’t bust when he’s showing six, the kind of dealer that makes you want to buy insurance. Without the advantage of a friendly dealer, we were forced to grapple against the house using only our own god-given intelligence. We were doomed to fail. Three hours later, we had each lost every cent that we had originally placed
on the table. We had lost $20 more playing craps. We lost $30 more than that playing roulette. After six hours in that godforsaken hellhole, we were down $100 bucks apiece and had nothing to show for it but an order of fries comped by the house in a desperate attempt to keep us at the table so they could keep taking our money. We walked into the casino thinking we could lose nothing but the money in our pockets. We walked out having lost that and far, far more. We lost our money, our dignity and another ephemeral moment of our ever-fading youth, a beautiful glimmer that we will never grasp again. We walked into the casino beautiful Adonises, shimmering and shining in the late afternoon sun, rich as Croesus and proud as Icarus. We left wizened paupers, poorer even in spirit than in material wealth. Perhaps the most precious thing that we lost to the casino is our belief in our own humanity. We are mere beasts, animated not by noble moral impulse nor by conscious rational thought. We scurry like rats in a maze, in a constant pursuit of the next cheap buzz, the next sensual thrill. Our final hope to escape the spinning wheel of pain and pleasure is in our P.E. class, “Relaxation and Meditation.” Perhaps by retreating from the constant physical demands of the body, we will be able to soothe our tortured minds. Perhaps not. Perhaps it is already too late. (Carolina over Arizona, Patriots over Broncos.)