VOL. CLXXIII NO.131
MOSTLY SUNNY HIGH 79 LOW 61
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
The Dartmouth
ARTS
Q&A WITH PHIL OLSON ’79 WRITER PAGE 8
ARTS
SIMON PEARCE STAYS CLOSE TO UPPER VALLEY PAGE 8
ARTS
FILM REVIEW: ‘HELL OR HIGH WATER’ PAGE 7
OPINION
SZUHAJ: IN DEFENSE OF FRATERNITIES PAGE 4
The basement of Rockefeller Hall was abuzz Sunday with alternating periods of loud chatter and complete silence. Attendees waited anxiously for the arrival of Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand ’88, “Friday Night Lights” and “Nashville” actress Connie Britton ’89, Democratic Rep. Ann McLane Kuster ’78 and New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan. The panel, organized by the
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New Hampshire branch of Hillary for America, addressed the presidential race, women’s rights, Hassan’s senate race and Kuster’s representative race. In her speech, Kuster reflected on being a member of one of the first graduating classes at the College that included women. Touching on issues relevant to college campuses, Kuster directly stated the need for the country to talk openly about sexual assault. Kuster then introduced SEE HILLARY PAGE 3
Service and spirituality centers focus on mission shifts after split By JULIAN NATHAN The Dartmouth
The William Jewett Tucker Center and the Dartmouth Center for Service have added programs to better focus on their respective missions since the two organizations split in June 2014. According to a statement given by
Dartmouth’s Board of Trustees in the summer of 2014, the purpose of the change was to allow the Tucker Center to focus on religious life and spirituality while the Center for Service focuses in support civic engagement and community SEE SERVICE PAGE 2
HOLLYE SWINEHART/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Bill Clinton advocates on Hillary’s behalf, discussing policy and record
By MELANIE KOS The Dartmouth
In a campaign stop for Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton in Alumni Hall yesterday, former President Bill Clinton discussed economic and climate policy and criticized the divisive rhetoric of the election. In addition to supporting Secretary Clinton’s bid for president, Bill Clinton lauded President Obama’s accomplishments in office, such as economic growth
and expanded health care coverage. He said that the United States just passed through its 79th month of job growth, and that Hillary was the only candidate with a sensible economic plan, and that she can build up the country’s infrastructure. Clinton also addressed America’s social climate and the Republican presidential campaign, though he never referred to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by name.
“I don’t like ‘Make America Great Again’ because I know exactly what it means,” Clinton said. “It means, ‘vote for me and I’ll give you the country of 50 years ago and put you back up on the social totem pole.’ It is exactly the wrong message.” Clinton ended his speech on campus yesterday with a one-liner from a friend living in Texas that he believes describes this SEE BILL PAGE 2
DALI Lab moves and hires new staff members By ALEENA VIGODA
FOLLOW US ON
Bill Clinton advocates Hillary Clinton’s policies
Speakers for Clinton emphasize values in election By ALEXANDRA STEINBERG
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Dartmouth
Filled with past projects, innovative technology, bean bag chairs and replicas of Salvador Dali’s famous mustache, the Digital Arts Leadership and Innovation Lab has been a hub of experiential learning and
problem solving since 2013. Recently, the lab moved locations to a new, expanded room in Sudikoff Hall and hired additional staff members. Student workers in the DALI Lab are paid to design and develop technology tools for real world projects. There is a year-long waitlist
for new projects, which include partnerships with faculty, non-profit organizations, government agencies and startups. Lorie Loeb, the executive director of DALI Lab and a research professor in the computer science department, hopes that the new space will increase the
capacity of students who can work in the lab, as well as the number of projects the laboratory can sustain. Loeb said that the old space, a former research lab for graduate students, did not suit all the program’s needs. The new space, paid for by the computer science department and the Dean’s
Office, is designed with a startup-like environment that makes it a “creative, fun, safe space for students to work and hang-out,” Loeb said, adding that “the look of and feel of the space is critical to the success of [DALI’s] work.” SEE DALI PAGE 5
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
South Fairbanks Hall Bill Clinton visits the College fosters new missions FROM BILL PAGE 1
FROM SERVICE PAGE 1
leadership. The two organizations now function independently of one another, though both still reside in South Fairbanks Hall. Dividing the Tucker Foundation took two years so the College could carefully coordinate many steps of the transition, Tucker Center multifaith advisor Leah Torrey said. This allowed both organizations to ease into their new independent roles. “I’m glad that we took enough time to be certain that this [change] wasn’t rushed,” Torrey said. Tucker Center Dean and chaplain Rabbi Daveen Litwin said that the decision would give the Tucker Center the opportunity to “[develop its] particular mandate.” When asked to describe the mandate of the Tucker Center, Torrey said that the Center “[allows] students to talk about their values and how those values function in different situations.” Tucker student employee Dan Korff-Korn ’19 explained that he envisions that the Tucker Center will become a place where students can confront large ethical problems facing the campus community on issues such as social life. The Tucker Center continues to run many of the programs formally offered through the Tucker Foundation, including multi-faith conversations and “Voices of Faith” discussions each fall. The Tucker Center has also implemented new programming, including “Walks Clamantis” for Dartmouth sophomores and graduate students. Each week, this program asks a student to lead a tour of campus locations with personal meaning for themselves, often leading to discussions about struggles with mental health, relationships and
academics. In addition, through a new “Speed Stories” program, the Tucker Center will collaborate with the Thought Project and Global Village Living Learning Communities and the Office of Residential Life to host professors in Occom Commons. As part of this program, professors will share their world views and will explain how those views developed in college and graduate school. Director of the Center for Service Theresa Ellis ’97 , said that the division has allowed the Center to sharpen its focus on civic engagement and leadership. The Center for Service also continues to run many of the programs it ran under the Tucker Foundation. On Oct. 20, the Center will hold a program titled “Breaking the Mold,” in which alumni and other speakers involved in civic service careers will share their experiences with interested students. The Center also plans to host lunch events for students to meet with experts in service-oriented careers such as public health. The Center for Service has also developed new programming, Ellis said. This term, the Center has partnered with Student Affairs to make service opportunities based in the Upper Valley available to students through OrgSync, an online platform available to Dartmouth undergraduates. Among the organizations listed on OrgSync are the Upper Valley Humane Society and Habitat for Humanity, she said. Despite the split, the two centers jointly held an open house at the beginning of the term. Both Litwin and Ellis indicated that future coprogramming is likely because the new missions still overlap. “Both centers still share the value of healing the world and making it a better place” Litwin said.
CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
election. “If you don’t want somebody to drive the truck off the cliff, do not give them the keys,” Clinton said. He followed up by saying that if Hillary Clinton is given the keys, she’ll “open the back, put everybody on [and] drive us to a new mountaintop.” Yesterday’s event kicked off with a performance by the Dartmouth Aires and several speakers, including Martha Hennessey ’76, a Democrat running for State Senate, and Colin Van Ostern Tu’09, the Democratic nominee for Governor in the state of the New Hampshire. Hennessey shared stories of her time at the College and commented on the difficulties she faced as a member of the first class of women at the College. “One of the things that I’ve learned is that it won’t always be easy as a woman walking into a room full of men, but it will be rewarding in the end,” Hennessey said. “I graduated forty years ago, and we still haven’t had a female president. This time, we’re going to.” Van Ostern said three words
won him over for Hillary: “debtfree college.” Prior to Van Ostern’s candidacy for governor, he worked with College for America, a “school dedicated to the idea that students could get a degree without going into debt.” Van Ostern was raised by a single mother, and he owed $30,000 after college, which was his motivation for first becoming first chief marketing officer and now serving as senior advisor of the nonprofit. “Success is about helping others succeed,” he said. Students, faculty, staff and community members were in attendance at the event and gave various reasons on why they decided to attend. Jennifer West ’20 , an attendee and member of the College Democrats, said she was interested what Bill Clinton had to say about the important issues facing college students, since this event was catered to a younger crowd. Tyler Baum ’20 echoed West, saying he attended the event because he was interested in hearing Bill Clinton’s speech, but identified as being on the “Never Hillary train.” “I’ve come here with an open mind,” he said. “I’ve heard he’s a great orator.” Michael T. Brown II, an area co-
ordinator at Colby-Sawyer College who attended the event, said he is a Hillary supporter, who wanted to meet Clinton and hear him speak. “[Dartmouth] is really close, just right up the road, so I figured, why not?” Brown said. Jim Heffernan, an English professor emeritus at the College, and Nancy Heffernan live in the area and attended Clinton’s speech in support of Hillary Clinton. “We loved Hillary from the start,” Nancy Heffernan said, recalling the Clintons’ visits to Hanover in 1992, when Bill Clinton first ran for president. Jim Heffernan said he introduced Bill and Hillary Clinton during these visits. Tiffanie Wen, a journalist who recently moved to New Hampshire from California, sees New Hampshire as a very important voter state. “Now that I’m in living in West Lebanon, I wanted to get involved,” she said. Looking forward, Clinton also stressed the need for unity after the election season. “One of the things I think we have to do once this election is over is not to treat the people on the other side of this great divide the way they and their candidate have treated us.”
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
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Connie Britton and politicians campaign for Clinton
KATE HERRINGTON/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF HOLLYE SWINEHART/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Democratic Representative Annie Kuster, left, discusses the election. FROM HILLARY PAGE 1
Gov. Hassan who mentioned New Hampshire’s achievements and her desire to continue that record on the federal government scale if elected U.S. Senator. “My race comes down to whether we are going to take the New Hampshire way of doing things to Washington. That’s when people work together across party lines as we have here in New Hampshire to get things done for middle class families and for small businesses,” Hassan said.
Hassan cited bi-partisan Medicaid expansion and increased employment as examples of her record in New Hampshire. She then talked about Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, describing him as someone who sees “cruelty as sport.” Hassan also discussed how her opponent, incumbent Republican Sen. Ayotte, supported corporate special interests and Trump. Hassan noted that Ayotte only began to withdraw her support for Trump after seeing the recently released recordings in which Trump was
heard making reference to sexually assaulting women and realizing that was not “politically popular.” Hassan suggested that this was a trend in Ayotte’s campaign, expanding on Ayotte’s past views and policies and their implications for students and women’s health. Hassan closed by emphasizing inclusivity in shared prosperity, what she referred to as “American and Granite State” values. “Please get out there and vote,” Hassan said. “I hope you vote for me. And please do everything you can to convince your fellow students and citizens to vote, too. This is a critical election.” Sen. Gillibrand spoke next, recalling her time at Dartmouth as an Asian Studies major and a tennis and squash player. She turned to the importance of students in this election, challenging them to have uncomfortable conversations with loved ones voting for candidates whose values run counter to their own. Gillibrand then introduced Britton, her foreign study roommate in Beijing, China, noting Britton’s United Nations Ambassador position and her willingness to fight for women’s rights. Britton started her talk off lightly, telling the audience, “I’m gonna sit down because we’re all gonna have
a chat.” “In my opinion, the greatest She then discussed aspiration threat to democracy is apathy, parand how her aspirations and the ticularly in this election,” Britton said. formation of her values began at “It’s very easy to feel beleaguered and Dartmouth. Britton also stressed let down by our process. I think we that all of one’s aspirations, such as have to all stand strong against that selecting a partner and deciding on and know that we are all citizens in a a career path, are influenced by the democracy, and that is a great gift and outcome of this election. a great right and a great responsibility. “Take a risk using your voice, see So everybody do what you need to what happens, see if you actually can do, get people out to vote.” create the world that you want,” said The event itself put a spotlight Britton. on the election and turnout, featurIn a question and answer session, ing many campaign advertisements an attendee who identified himself including Clinton-Kaine posters, as a “young conservative” asked Clinton Anti-Trump posters stating the panel what “Love trumps they would say “It’s very easy to feel hate” and “Vote to him to get Democrats. Stop beleaguered and let him to consider Trump.” Stuthe “other side.” down by our process. dent volunteers G i l l i b r a n d I think we have to all for the campaign responded by scurried up and asking if he sup- stand strong against down the aisle ports clean air that and know that asking attendees and clean water, to get involved we are all citizens equal pay for in the campaign, equal work and in a democracy, and through phone a woman’s abil- that is a great gift and banking, canity to make her vassing or signing own decisions a great right and a “commit to vote” about abortion great responsibility. cards. and contracepMost So everybody do what in the packed tives. After he responded “yes” you need to do, get auditorium were to each ques- people out to vote.” Dartmouth stution, Gillibrand dents, but a few pointed at him audience memand said, “Vote bers also came Democrat” and to Dartmouth “You need to -CONNIE BRITTON ’88 just for the event. vote for Maggie, Well over half of and you need to vote for Hillary, the audience was female. period.” She emphasized that the Casey Smith, a senior majoring in current Republican candidate did political theory and Middle Eastern not share the student’s values. studies at Wesleyan University, travGillibrand also mentioned the eled to Hanover with four friends to Statue of Liberty’s signifi cance attend Sunday’s event. in American history, adding that Lawrence Abu-Hammour ’19 Trump’s views on “building walls” attended the event with a camera in and banning Muslim entrance into hand, acting as a freelance photograthe country are antithetical to the pher for Dartmouth Undergraduate values embodied by the Statue. Admissions. He came to the event Hassan also answered the ques- in hope of meeting Sen. Gillibrand tion with an emphasis on compro- and learning more about the other mise. speakers. Britton also told the questioner Abu-Hammour, who comes from that “you’re not betraying your a Muslim family, discussed how the party” by voting on your values. “hateful rhetoric from the other party A female Dartmouth student is unacceptable,” and said it affects asked about being a woman in the him as a youth. workforce and gender roles. Alex Lopez ’15, an organizer for Kuster urged the student to get the event, spoke about how this elecmore involved in politics in order to tion is a choice between “progress “change the dialogue” and be able to or aggression.” He also mentioned pass laws that would impact women, how close the presidential race and including those related to sexual as- the Senate race between Hassan and sault. The U.S. Representative then Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte were, took a moment to say that what was which he deemed surprising “seeing said by Trump in the tapes recently who our competition are.” released was unacceptable. Julia Cohen ’18 said that GilliWhen asked about voter turnout brand’s response to the conservative in an interview following the event, student’s question resonated most Britton reiterated the emphasis on with her: “This [election] goes bevalues, regardless of what party the yond party lines, it’s about morality candidate represents or what gender and what you care about as a person.” they are.
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
STAFF COLUMNIST BEN SZUHAJ ’19
STAFF COLUMNIST MERCEDES DE GUARDIOLA ’17
In Defense of Fraternities
The Importance of Failure
Debunking the unfair assumptions about fraternity life.
A friend of mine recently argued that you cannot be both a brother in a fraternity and a good runner. While I’m not here to dissect the scrupulous grind of long-distance running or the singular focus it requires, I raise the topic for a point: There is a particular lifestyle associated with being in a fraternity, and that lifestyle, at least to my friend, is counterproductive to athletic achievement, at least with regards to running. I disagree. We hear the crazy stories all too often. Fraternity X did this, Fraternity Y did that. Those stories spread with lightning quickness, not necessarily because they are true but because they are exciting and provocative. That’s just the way news works. Rarely do we focus on the times a fraternity did something right. Instead, we shine the spotlight on the “wrongs” to entertain us. I’m here to shift the focus. The idea that membership in a fraternity requires a specific, inflexible lifestyle is a lie. Membership in a fraternity is less like working a job, where one has a specific, largely unchanging set of duties to perform on top of a hierarchy of superiors to answer to, and more like getting into college. With fraternities, once you make it through a difficult screening process, you are in and free to contribute to the richness and diversity of the community in more ways than one. This oppportunity to have your voice heard is one of the biggest features of fraternity membership that is overlooked in discussions about fraternities. Even critiques of the Greek system must admit that being in a fraternity gives you the chance to meet new people, make new friends and have new experiences. But what many of those same critiques fail to see is that being in a fraternity not only helps you expand your circle of friends and your interests but also helps you to define more deeply who you are and what you value. Some of my favorite conversations have taken place with people who pursue entirely different interests in their free time than I do, and I take pleasure in explaining my interests to them and hearing about theirs. Being surrounded by people with different interests allows me to understand my own with greater precision and newfound appreciation. For lack of a better analogy, a fish can spend its whole life swimming around without knowing what water is — but take a fish out of water and it’ll notice the dif-
ference. That’s not to say that being in a fraternity is like being a fish out of water. I personally have found the fraternity space to be incredibly warm and hospitable. But should that really be a surprise? After all, we’re talking about the communities that open their doors to campus every weekend and provide a safe social space for free for practically everyone — sorry ’20s — regardless of who a guest is or whom they may know. I struggle to think of another example equal in scale or consistency to the weekly hospitality demonstrated by the Greek system. At this point, you may have noticed the Keystone-shaped elephant in the room, so I will just come out and say it: You do not have to drink to be part of a fraternity. You get out of fraternity life what you put into it, and more often than not what brothers end up putting into it is a zeal and excitement that is not reliant on alcohol. But that, like much of the rest of what I’ve discussed, simply gets at the larger point: Greek life gets judged unfairly. Not enough is made of the fundraising efforts or the community service while too much is made of the intermittent controversies a few of Dartmouth’s many fraternities have become embroiled in. It’s indicative of our society as whole — a society that has increasingly indulged its desire to be entertained by politicians rather than be responsibly governed by them — that we dramatize the activities of fraternities while simultaneously condemning them. At its heart, a fraternity is a brotherhood, a tight-knit group of guys who externally may appear to be most commonly linked by the social events they put on — but that is only because the parties are the most visible aspect of fraternity life. Internally, members are linked by something much more meaningful, something difficult to describe but forged in the exchange of life stories, in the long hours spent studying in Novack, in the times when things weren’t going well and you needed a brother and, yes, in the occasional party. Call that something “brotherhood.” Call it friendship. Call it whatever you like, but do not call it detrimental to success. Do not decry it as a hindrance to your goals. At the bare minimum, a fraternity is a support system — one that requires time and energy, yes, but also one that gives back far more than it takes.
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ISSUE NEWS EDITOR: Alexa Green, NEWS LAYOUT: Amanda Zhou, TEMPLATING EDITOR: Jaclyn Eagle SUBMISSIONS: We welcome letters and guest columns. All submissions must include the author’s name and affiliation with Dartmouth College, and should not exceed 250 words for letters or 700 words for columns. The Dartmouth reserves the right to edit all material before publication. All material submitted becomes property of The Dartmouth. Please email submissions to editor@thedartmouth.com.
Although it may be unpleasant, failure is what comes to define us. In my past three years at Dartmouth, my we’re facing the same issue: it can take nearly absolute favorite moments have been when a month to see someone at Dick’s House or I’ve failed. Let me explain. one of the few private practitioners in town. Failure can have many different meanings: I believe that one of the main reasons for the doing poorly on a test, failing out of a course, rise in mental health issues is the mindset that losing friends, getting dumped or disappointing college is the only way to succeed in life and a loved one. Maybe for you, it means something show your value. To come back to my original else entirely. Regardless, I see failure as a fact of point, it’s become so ingrained in us that we life that is intrinsically personal and painfully have to succeed — a success that if often, if not intimate. For me, failure has all of these mean- always, contingent on college — that we don’t ings and many more. Some failures I haven’t even consider failure an option. And ultimately, yet had to face, and I’m glad for that. But at the it’s a mindset that sets us all up for failure. same time, my time at Dartmouth wouldn’t be We are all going to fail in life sometimes. the same — or even as worthwhile — without We’re going to fail regardless of how you dethem. fine it, and we’re all going to feel sad, lonely, As college students, we’re often so preoc- miserable and alone at some point in our lives cupied with doing well on a test or being the because of it. But after that moment arrives, best at whatever we do that it is easy to forget we have to either pick ourselves back up or about the importance of failure. Since we just sit down in the proverbial dirt and never were children, we have been told we absolutely get up again. That is the lesson we need to let need to go to college because, otherwise, we ourselves learn at college: how to fail. will be essentially worthless. Many of us have Why do I consider that lesson an essential crammed extracurriculars into our lives at every part of some of my best moments at Dartwaking second because if we don’t go to that mouth? Because when we fail here, we’re one intermural underwater basket-weaving lucky enough to have an incredible support class, we’re absolutely, no way, ever going to system that helps us get back up. When I’ve get anywhere in life. Gone are the days when failed — whether it be the moment I realized merely getting a Dartmouth degree would be I was probably going to fail a class and had a enough to earn a good job — now, you need complete breakdown in my advisor’s office, or to have a 4.0 GPA and citations in every class, the time I was cheated on and had to find out even if everyone else has them, too. Most of from someone else, and everything in between the time, being number one feels like the only — I’ve found friends and support that I never way we’re ever going to go on to anything. knew were there. Even if it doesn’t feel like it, Some have called our generation narcis- people here want you to succeed. You will not sists or babies, an asalways find such support out sessment that I don’t “But after that moment in the real world, or even at entirely agree with. other colleges. Unlike the generations arrives, we have to Our close community, that have come before either pick ourselves from the students to the facus, we are entering ulty, makes Dartmouth truly the workforce with back up or just sit down special, and finding that supthe student loan debt in the proverbial dirt port has made my time here crisis breathing down extraordinary. It can be absoour necks, questioning and never get up again.” lutely terrifying to try to find whether there are even support here, and sometimes jobs for us at all. On it can feel like you’re alone. top of this, graduates But if you do try to reach out, will enter a tougher job market than before the you will eventually find someone here that will economic crash in 2008. Meanwhile, though help you get back up, whether it’s a friend, an the technological breakthroughs of the past advisor or even that teacher you only took one century have made life easier, they have also led class with. to increased job automation and outsourcing. Failure may be inevitable, but it does make The upcoming presidential election likewise us better people. It helps us realize what’s really does not bode well; who knows where the important in life. Moreover, it shows us that United States will be after the votes are tallied what we thought mattered the most may not next month? There’s a sense of despair in this matter that much at all. In my time here, I’ve country and around the world as the challenges learned that there isn’t one path for everyone, that face us grow. and that the best path for some may not include Given this mess, it’s not surprising that men- college at all. I’m not advocating for constant tal health issues are increasing across colleges failure — we’re all incredibly lucky to be here nationally. It’s estimated that this generation and we shouldn’t waste the opportunity. But is more stressed and anxious than any other, at the same time, Dartmouth is a place where and colleges are overwhelmed by the demand you can fail and still get back up. Dartmouth for mental health services on their campuses. offers a myriad of opportunities to its students, According to a survey by the Association for and, as odd as it may sound, failure is one of University and College Counseling Center them. Directors, for instance, 95 percent of college So take the time, while we’re still at college counseling center directors surveyed said the and not yet in the real world, to practice falling number of students with significant psychologi- down: it’s the only way to ever learn to get back cal problems is a growing concern in their center up. And trust me — getting back up does get or on campus. In Hanover, New Hampshire, easier.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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DALI Lab relocates and adds staff FROM DALI PAGE 1
The DALI Lab is a highly sought-after student employer. Between 55 and 65 students apply per term and only 20 percent of interested applicants are accepted. Currently, 5 percent of all Dartmouth students work at DALI Lab during their time on campus, and with the new space, this number is expected to increase significantly. Patrick Xu ‘17 , a computer science major, joined the DALI Lab his junior fall. He was accepted after his third consecutive term applying to the program. Xu is a student staff member in the Core Student Leadership Team originally drawn to the DALI Lab’s focus on building and developing technology. “Building things like mobile apps and websites is the aspect of computer science I was most drawn to, but something that’s not really offered in the curriculum,” Xu said. “Classes are more about theory than application, and the DALI Lab is the only place on campus that offered the hands-on approach I was looking for.” With increasing numbers of students majoring in computer science, there has been a greater need for well-designed, well-developed
technology tools. The DALI Lab provide some leadership training allows students to build on the such as workshops or retreats skills they learn in the classroom to combine the computational and think creatively about ideas aspect of DALI Lab with manageand problem-solving. ment. Loeb said Lobel’s previous, By understanding the value of non-technical experience in the human-centered design methods, outdoors and park services brings students in the a completely DALI Lab can “Classes are more different perapply effective spective to the user interface about theory than majority of and user expe- application, and the the lab’s staff. rience designs This difference, DALI Lab is the only taught in the Loeb added, classroom to re- place on campus that will be an asal-world needs. offered the hands-on set toward inOver two dozen teracting with majors and mi- approach I was looking businesses and nors are repre- for.” partners of the sented by stulab. dents working Cur-PATRICK XU ’17 in the lab. rently, the DALI In addition Lab partner s to expanding its with Deloitte’s physical space, head of innothe DALI Lab has hired a new vation and the Deloitte Neuroscilab administrator and project ence Institute to demonstrate the manager. Erica Lobel , the new relationship between neuroscience project manager and a graduate of and business models. Carleton College, will help guide The lab also works with “Treaindividual project managers within sure Hunt,” a mobile game startup each project group to help them that combines geo-caching with stay focused and keep deadlines. scavenger hunts in a Pokemon Additionally, the lab is in the Go-esque building and playing app process of hiring a new design that allows users to create a hunt, resident. Lobel said she hopes to and players to participate in one.
THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
DARTMOUTHEVENTS TODAY 4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.
“Computation Assisted Design of Crystalline Protein Assemblies,” professor Christopher Snow, Colorado State University, Steele 006
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
“Drug Courts: Justice Meets Treatment,” Tina Nadeau, NH Superior Court Justice, Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center
6:30 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
“East LA Interchange” (2015), attended by director Betsy Kalin, Silsby 28
TOMORROW
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
“Investing in Women: The Global Policy Imperative,” Melanne Verveer, Georgetown University, Haldeman 41
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
“Unfamiliar Slaves and Understated Homoerotics,” professpr Julia Prest, Rocky 003
5:45 p.m. - 7:15 p.m.
“Writer’s Debt” Conference by professor Angie Cruz, University of Pittsburgh, Rocky 002 RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, October 18, 2016
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 With 66-Across, crisp serving with pâté 6 Gush forth 10 Australian gem 14 Mountains between Europe and Asia 15 Singer Guthrie 16 Bring on board, workwise 17 Enjoy to the max 18 Mug for the camera 20 Govt. assistance program 21 “Holy smokes!” 22 Hot spot 23 Pitch in 27 Battery post 29 Aggressive poker words 30 Some iTunes downloads, briefly 32 Queen __ 33 Road problem needing patching 36 Catcher’s protection 37 Do the slightest thing 39 Aware of 41 Voice of Carl Fredricksen in “Up” 42 “What’s up, __?” 43 iPhone, e.g., briefly 44 HOW THIS IS TYPED 48 Shoulder wrap 50 What the winning quarterback may do as time runs out 53 Contemptible sort 55 Prosecutors, for short 56 Seine season 57 Theatrical “Good luck!” 59 “Really, bro?!” 61 Was sorry for 62 Grand soirée 63 Super Bowl party bowlful 64 Chianti and cabernet 65 Paradise 66 See 1-Across
DOWN 1 Granola kin 2 Error remover 3 Rita Moreno or Gloria Estefan 4 __-ray Disc 5 Snake that bit Cleopatra 6 South Pacific island nation 7 Shrimp kin 8 Fraternal club member 9 Misfortunes 10 “Terrific ... not!” 11 Lounge with keyboard music 12 Video game spots 13 Dixie general 19 Remote batteries 21 Stimulated, as one’s appetite 24 Scoop up, as salsa with a chip 25 Starting on 26 Meat markets 28 Cry of fright 31 Cents 34 Attacked 35 All __ sudden 36 Pfizer rival 37 Plant that is poisonous to livestock
38 Rowlands of “The Notebook” 39 Crooks may have fake ones 40 “You lie!” 43 Company car, e.g. 45 Lack of vim and vigor 46 Colorful flower parts 47 “Caught that movie last week”
49 Detectives follow them 51 Singer with the albums “19,” “21” and “25” 52 Sotomayor colleague 54 Senate aide 57 “I’m freezing!” 58 Young fellow 59 Fake it 60 “__ goes there?”
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
PAGE 7
Mackenzie’s ‘Hell or High Water’ delivers in an unexpected way By SEBASTIAN WURZRAINER The Dartmouth
“Hell or High Water” may not be for everyone, but I think that’s honestly for the best. David Mackenzie’s newest film is strange, uncompromising, beautiful, confounding and frankly a breath of fresh air in a year full of films that have failed to live up to expectations. Perhaps this disappointing year was the key to “Hell or High Water”; I had no expectations for it, so I never assumed it would be one of the best films I’ve seen so far in 2016. The film’s plot revolves around brothers Toby (Chris Pine) and Tanner Howard (Ben Foster) who plot to rob the various branches of Texas
Midlands Bank in an attempt to stop the foreclosure of their ranch. Jeff Bridges plays Marcus Hamilton who, along with his partner Alberto Parker (Gil Birmingham), plans to catch the bank robbers before they can commit another crime. The film is laced with subplots involving Toby’s family, Marcus’s impending retirement and the brothers’ dead mother. And yet this is not a movie about story but instead a movie about moments. Moments of beauty, moments of pain, moments of violence and moments of ennui. “Hell or High Water” reminded me more than anything of the very best of Cormac McCarthy’s writing, and that is undeniably high praise. Capturing the essence of McCarthy’s writing is
tough work because his style embodies a distinct sense of strange emptiness and ghostly beauty. But director David Mackenzie and screenwriter Taylor Sheridan have somehow tapped into that style’s cinematic equivalent. The dialogue is functional, not fashionable, and the characters are quiet, not expressive. For some people, this manner of storytelling may lack appeal, and I’ll admit that if every film I watched were told like this I’d probably go a little stir crazy. But every once in a while, it’s refreshing to see a filmmaker eschew many of the safeguards of modern cinema. While the characters remain partially shrouded in mystery for the film’s entirety, the actors all manage
to bring an impressive gravitas to the story despite the limited amount of dialogue they are provided. Bridges is, of course, excellent, though no one would expect anything less from him. Foster is also surprisingly good, bringing humanity to a character who would otherwise be incredibly easy to hate. Pine’s performance, however, is the best by a mile. The character of Toby, the more straight-laced of the two brothers, should be the most boring character in the film. But Pine brings a depth and maturity to match Bridges and Foster; he surprised me more and more with each passing scene. The fact of the matter is that Chris Pine has been associated for years with the character of Captain Kirk, who he plays flawlessly. But in many respects, Kirk is the exact opposite of Toby, who is far more introspective and brooding. One wouldn’t expect Pine to make the transition so seamlessly, but I think with this film he proves himself to be a truly excellent actor. One scene in particular relies entirely on Pine’s ability to hold the audience’s attention, and he somehow manages to never drop the ball. A few weeks ago I watched “Don’t Think Twice” in a theater and saw a trailer for “Hell or High Water,” and I realized it was being advertised as some sort of exciting heist thriller
film. If you go into the movie with that expectation, you will be disappointed. Even in its most intense and brutal sequence, “Hell or High Water” feels far more tragic than exciting. But like I said, this film simply isn’t for everyone, and I have no doubt that some people will walk out frustrated by the misdirection of the advertising. If you walk into “Hell or High Water” expecting it to be quiet, contemplative and rather haunting then you might be surprised by how much you like it. That being said, while I thoroughly admire the filmmaking on display, I found that I felt a little hollow inside when I left the theater. The film seemed to focus so much on its distinctive style that it failed to really hit me on an emotional level. The ending especially didn’t provide me with a feeling of closure, though I think that may well be the point. And perhaps avoiding an emotional connection with the audience is also what the director was going for. But frankly, I have a hard time truly loving a film without some level of emotional investment, so instead I must just admire “Hell or High Water” from afar. I don’t imagine it will be very difficult — after all, there is a great deal to admire. Rating: 8/10
PRESIDENTIAL AIRE
HOLLYE SWINEHART/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
The Dartmouth Aires perform before former president Bill Clinton’s speech.
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
PAGE 8
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2016
Alumnus Q&A: Phil Olson ’79, comedy writer and playwright By EMMA GUO The Dartmouth
Phil Olson ’79’s award-winning career in comedy began unexpectedly. After graduating from Dartmouth with a degree in mathematics, Olson received an MBA from the University of Chicago and initially pursued a career in real estate. It was only then that he discovered his love for comedy writing. Olson went on to write and perform with The Groundlings, an improvisational and sketch comedy theater whose alumni include Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig. Olson has written 13 original screenplays and 15 published plays with over 350 productions worldwide, nine of which have been published by Samuel French. His next play, “A Nice Family Christmas,” will open in seven cities this year. At Dartmouth, you played football, ran track and majored in math. What brought on the transition to playwriting and screenwriting? PO: After business school, I was in commercial real estate development in Florida when one of my tenants asked me if I would act in one of their industrial films. I had never acted before, but I figured
it would be a good time, and it would be on the weekend. When I showed up on set, it turned out that they never had any written scripts, so I had to improvise the scenes. They kept asking me back week after week since I could write the scenes on the fly. I really enjoyed doing that, so from there I got into a sketch comedy group in Florida, performed in a bunch of plays and eventually moved to Los Angeles to write screenplays. Now I write and produce plays full-time, and my business experience has really helped in terms of advertisement, actor hiring and public relations.
What would you say is the most difficult aspect of writing a script or putting on a play? PO: Last year, I was producing one of my “Don’t Hug Me” musicals in Minnesota, and a week before we opened, one of my actors — my general manager, Ross — had a heart attack, died, was brought back to life and went into a coma for eight days. Then, two of the other actors dropped out because it was such a traumatic experience for them. So I lost three of my actors six days before the show opened. But of course, the show must go on. I ended up having to recast three of five actors with six days
to go and four rehearsals. And we did it — we pulled it off for Ross. As for writing, they say you never finish a play; you just abandon it. Writing is all about rewriting — you don’t come out with a finished product (at least I don’t). The hardest part about writing is the first draft, and the second hardest part is the second draft. When I finish the first draft of a play, I do a reading of it in front of an audience. After the reading, I’ll sit on the stage and ask the audience questions: What worked, what didn’t? Usually the first and second drafts are really painful for me because I miss so many things that make a good story — conflict, high stakes, character wants and needs. Even though I’m aware of all the elements of a good story, I don’t always start there, so I do several readings of my plays, taking shots from audiences all around the country, editing along the way. I noticed that your “Don’t Hug Me” plays are set in Minnesota, your home state. Would you say that your upbringing there in some way inspired the setting or events of the play? PO: Yes, that’s exactly right. They say to write what you know, and I grew up in an emotionally reserved
Scandinavian household in Minnesota. My father would tell us that he was the Norwegian who loved his wife so much that he almost told her. The closest we ever came to hugging was that awkward shoulder hug. Eight of my plays and musicals are about my Scandinavian upbringing, and five actually have “Don’t Hug Me” in the title. My play “A Nice Family Gathering” is about a man who dies and comes back to his family’s Thanksgiving dinner with a mission: to tell his wife of 35 years that he loves her. It’s a story that I wrote after my father passed away. I also have a play, “Mom’s Gift,” in which I combine my Minnesota upbringing with my Dartmouth background. It’s set in Minnesota, but the main protagonist is a Dartmouth graduate. She majored in math, like I did, then got an engineering degree from MIT, so she’s a lot smarter than I am. I wrote “Mom’s Gift” for my mother, after she passed away, and I would love to have Dartmouth put on a production one day.
Can you tell me a bit about yo u r e x p e r i e n c e i n Th e Groundlings? PO: That was a great experience. I went through every level of the program and had the good fortune
to write and perform with Maya Rudolph and a lot of really talented comedy actors and writers. That’s where I learned how to create characters and write three-minute short stories. The Groundlings actually produced my play “A Nice Family Gathering,” which played in 120 cities around the world. I would highly recommend going into The Groundlings for any Dartmouth graduate that moves to Los Angeles to pursue acting and comedy. How would you say your Dartmouth experience has shaped who you have become as a person? PO: Well, I grew up in a very vanilla environment — wholesome, Midwestern. There wasn’t a lot of diversity. Dartmouth was a real eye-opener for me in that there were so many people from different backgrounds with different interests and opinions. And I really had to adapt quickly. I would say that Dartmouth really helped me learn the skills that you need to be able to work with people from all types of backgrounds. Also, being involved in football, track, fraternity life and Casque & Gauntlet allowed me to meet a lot of very interesting and funny people, which has really shaped my comedy writing.
Simon Pearce maintains deep ties with Upper Valley, Dartmouth By ZACH CHERIAN The Dartmouth
For Simon Pearce, glassblowing is about the connection between art and place. “I believe when you’re doing anything creative like making glass or pottery, the surroundings and where you live have a pretty big impact,” Pearce said. “That’s why I would never set up shop in an industrial area or a [place with a] factory sort of feeling. I think the surroundings actually play an important part even though you can’t directly connect [glassblowing and location].” Pearce’s eponymous company, Simon Pearce, opened its original location in Quechee, Vermont in 1981. The Quechee location boasts not only Simon Pearce’s main glassware store, but also a glassblowing workshop with live demonstrations and a high-profile restaurant where reservations need to
be made well in advance. When settling on a location, Pearce had certain priorities in mind. “I was looking for somewhere with three things that I was not prepared to compromise on. One was somewhere beautiful to work and raise a family, the second one was somewhere we could do a good retail business, and the third one was somewhere we could make electricity,” Pearce said. “The mill in Quechee fulfilled all the things we were looking for.” Twenty years ago, Simon Pearce opened a location in Hanover to expand the business, but despite the expansion and the perfect location in Vermont, Simon Pearce experienced several hiccups. After Hurricane Irene, the company had to rebuild everything in Quechee. Even the Hanover location, which was originally a boutique in the Hanover Inn, had to pick up and move house when the Inn remodeled.
“It’s proved to be a good move. We’re growing busier and busier, and sales in this spot continue to grow,” store manager Mike Vermeulen said, crediting the College and DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center for the location’s growth. “But probably the biggest part is our local clientele.” Right now, Simon Pearce’s Upper Valley stores are busily preparing for the holiday season, and the Hanover location is gearing up for more customers come December, the most profitable time of the year besides Commencement. An additional source of revenue has been Dartmouth students using Simon Pearce for their wedding registries, Vermeulen said. “The area has been very good to us,” Pearce said. “We have a lot of local business, and we have quite a lot of people who come for summer vacations and so on.” In addition, the restaurant in the Quechee location has long been an
Upper Valley favorite for both the food and the experience. The restaurant started serving lunches but could not cover costs, so it expanded into dinner service as well. “It’s become an important part of the mill because the mill is really a destination,” Pearce said. “People will bring friends on a Saturday or Sunday to watch the glassmaking and have lunch. The idea of the food was to make it more of a destination.” But the company has more in mind than profit. Besides being a popular store, Simon Pearce is also an important educational institution for the art of glassblowing. “We don’t have a formal apprenticeship because what we found is that people learn differently,” Pearce said. “When we hire somebody to learn the trade of glassmaking, we put them with a skilled glassmaker, and they have to learn to bring what we call the ‘bits,’ like a foot for a wine glass,
a stem for a wine glass, a handle for a pitcher. So they learn to gather, and they learn to handle the glass, and then they start to learn to blow the glass.” Pearce said that on average, proficiency is possible within a few years. As the company grows, Simon Pearce has no doubts about staying in the Upper Valley. “I can’t imagine us ever not being in the mill. We love it here, we’ve had a wonderful experience here,” Pearce said. According to the marketing department at Simon Pearce, there are multiple upcoming times to meet members of the Pearce family and celebrate the release of Pearce’s new book, “Simon Pearce: Design for Living,” in the next few weeks. Andrew Pearce, one of Pearce’s sons, will be on location in Hanover on Oct. 22. He and his father will both attend another release party at the main Quechee store on Nov. 12.