VOL. CLXXIII NO. 15
MOSTLY SUNNY HIGH 35 LOW 21
MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016
The Dartmouth
SPORTS
BASKETBALL WINS AGAINST HARVARD PAGE SW2, SW3
OPINION
SHARMA: OUR NETOWRKING PROBLEM PAGE 4
ARTS
STEPHEN HOUGH PERFORMS PAGE 7
72 participate in games
Gender-inclusive houses extend bids By CHLOE JENNINGS
Gender-inclusive fraternities the Tabard, Phi Tau and Alpha Theta are in the process of extending bids for the winter term. Additionally, Panarchy and Amarna undergraduate societies have seen new members join this term. All houses accept new members during each term and the recruitment processes vary between houses and tend to be informal, Greek Inclusive Greek Council president Veri di Suvero ’16 said. The presidents of the gender-inclusive fraternities confirmed that their systems are much less formal than Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council recruitment. Out of the gender-inclusive fraternities, five students have accepted bids from Alpha Theta so far. Tabard has not held rush yet this winter, di Suvero said. Phi Tau holds long-term rush, meaning prospective members can join at any time throughout the term. The Alpha Theta numbers reflect a decrease from fall to winter recruitment numbers that is consistent with decreases seen by both Panhell and the IFC. Last term, Alpha Theta extended 15 bids, although not all of them accepted their bids. Nevertheless, this downward
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trend is not universal among gender-inclusive houses: for example, Phi Tau’s recruitment numbers remain more or less consistent throughout the year, di Suvero said. In terms of gender-inclusive rush, Alpha Theta’s process is the most similar to IFC and Panhell rush, di Suvero, who is also Alpha Theta’s recruitment chair, said. Individuals rush during the first two weeks of the term. Some are then extended a bid and must decide whether or not to accept it over the next four terms. Alpha Theta president Noah Cramer ’16 said that the rush process lasts for two days. Potential new members can show up either day and are not required to participate in both days of rush, he said. “The first half is just sort of hanging around, and the second half we tell some silly stories about house history, and we give a little house tour, and then the next day we give out bids,” Cramer said. Cramer said this process has remained the same for the past few winters as well as this past fall. Phi Tau uses a process of rolling rush, so that anyone at any time can come to Phi Tau and put their name in a rush SEE INCLUSIVE PAGE2
COURTESY OF THE DARTMOUTH WOMEN’S RUGBY TEAM
Participants at the Winter Special Olympics skied and snowboarded despite less snow.
By PAULOMI RAO The Dartmouth
Volunteers and participants began this year’s 14th annual Annual Upper Valley Winter Games, a part of the Special Olympics, to the sound of the “March of Olympians” at the Dartmouth Skiway on Saturday. With the anthem, the torch and athletes streaming in, Jim Beattie ’76, director of the games, describes the opening as a highlight as everyone’s excitement shines through. Seventy-two athletes along with dozens of sponsors and spectators from
across New Hampshire and Vermont gathered to watch athletes participate in varying levels of skiing and snowboard competition. The lack of snow from warmer temperatures this year resulted in some events being cancelled and 40 to 50 fewer athletes competing. Started by Pete Bleyler ’61 and the Dartmouth Club of the Upper Valley in 2003, the regional winter games were started to provide athletes with intellectual disabilities an additional competitive experience, Mary Conroy, Special Olympics staff liaison for the games, said.
Generally, there are three major events each year — the winter games, a spring track meet and a fall bowling tournament — that draw participants from nearby towns including Claremont, Bedford, Concord and Franconia. This year, the games were to include varying levels of skiing, snowboarding and snowshoeing events, but some were cancelled due to lack of snow and proper conditions. “The area that we used on Saturday is under snowmaking so even if they don’t SEE OLYMPICS PAGE 3
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MLK slam poetry event works with young writers By MEGAN CLYNE
The Dartmouth Staff
For the first time, the Young Writers Project partnered with the College’s Institutional Diversity and Equity office to host a poetry slam and writers workshop on social justice issues. They aimed to provide people with a forum to write
about issues that concern them, whether they be socioeconomic, justice or gender related, vice president of the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity Evelynn Ellis said. Twenty people attended the event, which was held on Sunday afternoon in One Wheelock. Anyone from middle school to college could brainstorm and
perform at the poetry slam. Ellis said that her office began planning for the event, held as part of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebrations, about a year ago. She added that her office had to negotiate a large number of factors and logistics in planning the event. For example, to make the event accessible to a
larger age range, Ellis and her team had to choose a time that fit into school-aged children’s schedules — avoiding weekdays where parents were not always available to transport them. After young writers showed interest in this event, the IDE contacted the Young Writers Project who agreed to the partnership, Ellis said. The Young
Writers Project is a nonprofit based in Burlington, Vermont that focuses on confidencebuilding and communication skills through writing for young people. Sarah Gliech, director of the Young Writers Project, said that when the IDE reached out to SEE SLAM PAGE5
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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DAILY DEBRIEFING Taiwan’s first female president, Tsai Ing-wen LLM ’80, was elected into office in a landslide win on Jan. 16. She is the second Cornell University graduate to become the president of Taiwan, The Cornell Daily Sun reported. Her election comes as the Democratic Progressive Party won control of the legislature, an important shift in the country’s political climate. Her electoral campaign advocated for the reform of governmental and juidical institutions in order to improve education, economic growth and communication between the public and government. Until 2015, Columbia University was the only Ivy League school without a center for teaching and learning. The Columbia Spectator reported that the Graduate Workers at Columbia, a group of graduate students who petitioned to unionize, criticized the University for not providing adequate teaching training. Since opening last semester, the Center for Teaching and Learning will expand its programs to promote the growth of teaching strategies in the classroom and online. With financial support from the central administration, the center will improve its programming by offering workshops, interactive events and resources for faculty and graduate students. The John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University received a $15 million gift to fund a new cybersecurity project at the school’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, The Harvard Crimson reported. This gift brings the Kennedy School’s capital campaign to a total of $485 million, $15 million short of its $500 million goal. The new cyber-security project seeks to address digital threats to national security. The donor said he made the gift in response to what he perceives as an increased threat of cyber attacks on the United States. Harvard suffered a cyber attack last summer that prompted the entire community to change their passwords. - COMPILED BY PAULA MENDOZA
CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016
Panarchy, Amarna also recruiting FROM GENDER PAGE 1
book. If their bid is accepted, they can join the house at any time during the next four terms. There is not one designated day or “bid day” on which they must decide whether to join, di Suvero said. The Tabard also hosts rush on a rolling basis, although they have not accepted any members so far, she added. Because all of the houses have such different rush processes, the GIGC does not officiate over a community-wide rush process, di Suvero said. Rather, the council extends a series of “meet the gender inclusive Greeks” events and works to increase campus visibility on gender-inclusive Greek houses as an alternative to Panhell and IFC rush. Panarchy and Amarna are not part of the GIGC, but they are gender-inclusive undergraduate societies who have also accepted new members this term. Panarchy president Sam Van Wetter ’16 said Panarchy works under a rolling membership system. “We don’t have any kind of formal recruitment or rush or membership processes, so we are constantly adding new members when people
come to our open meetings,” he said. Panarchy has accepted new members this term but does not keep track of numbers, he said. “The secret is that everyone’s a Panarchist, they just might not know it yet,” Van Wetter said. Van Wetter said that becoming a Panarchist involves coming to meetings, joining the listserv and simply declaring oneself a Panarchist. “If you start hanging out at the house you’re definitely a Panar-
chist,” Van Wetter said. “Otherwise we don’t really concern ourselves with labels.” This fall, 32 total students were offered bids at gender-inclusive Greek houses. Last winter, 11 students accepted bids between the Tabard, Phi Tau and Alpha Theta, and eight new members joined Amarna. Van Wetter is a member of the Dartmouth staff.
PAPER ON THE WALL
FAITH ROTICH/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Art exhibits fill the walls in the Black Family Visual Arts Center.
MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016
Special Olympics sees lower participation
and food preparation. “The experience is pretty incredget much snow, the Skiway can usually ible,” P.J. Bigley ’17, the student lay out snow and get it set up for us,” volunteer coordinator for the event, Beattie said. “But for cross country said. “There is this entire network of skiing, which is around the pond, alumni in the Upper Valley that work there really wasn’t enough snow to to put this event together. It was great set up the proper tracks, so it had to to be a part of something where the entire Dartmouth community can be cancelled.” Fewer teams decided to partici- come together.” Women’s crew team captain pate in the games this year because of poor ski conditions, Beattie said. Caroline Allan ‘16 echoed a similar Many coaches looked to give their perspective. “I’ve been volunteering at the athletes more practice time before competing resulting in 40 to 50 fewer event for four years and I’ve only athletes participating than usual, he have awesome experiences,” Allan said. Regardless, the events continued said. “It’s great to spend the morning with my entire team cheering on such as planned. For the first 10 years of the games, amazing athletes.” For most volunteers, the opporBleyler led the games’ organizing committee that did everything to tunity to see athletes compete and prepare for the event, including receive medals is what motivates them to keep helping soliciting sponout each year. sorship, run“The ning the events “Through sports, our and organiz- athletes learn winning one thing that this ing the volunand losing, how the game separates event from so teers, Beattie said. As time is played between the many other SpeOlympics passed, Upper lines, and if you think cial events is the stuValley citizens filled in various about it, these are all dent volunteers the energy responsibilities things that make a great and they bring,” Beand leadership employee.” attie said. “They positions. come out excited “ W h e n and cheer and someone dethat really lends cides that they - MARY CONROY, SPECIAL a whole different aren’t going OLYMPICS STAFF LIAISON flavor towards to continue to FOR THE GAMES the entire day. help run the We are very apevent, they usupreciative of the ally find someDartmouth stuone who will dents who get shadow them for a year so others can step aside,” up at seven or eight on a Saturday Beattie said. “Sometimes people will morning to go help us out.” Each year, the organizing comcome the first year grudgingly, but after they try it out and see what it’s mittee looks to bring a local Olympic all about, they come back excited for athlete back to share their experience. On Saturday, Tim Caldwell ’76, an the next year.” Over the past few years, a strong American cross-country Olympian, pipeline of people have volunteered to spoke to the opening ceremony be a part of the event. Beattie said that crowd. “The Olympian athlete’s impact is he hopes that the same participation will continue to grow in future years. incredible,” Beattie said. “Yesterday “The easiest way to recruit vol- an athlete said she really loved what unteers is to contact one person,” Tim Caldwell had to say. She was Beattie said. “In general, a lot of times inspired.” Conroy said that the Special that’s teams or affiliated fraternities and sororities. If you have one or Olympics’ impact is not limited to two contacts they pull the rest of the one weekend. “A person with an intellectual disgroup together for you.” This year, the majority of volun- ability is twice as likely to be employed teers came from Dartmouth sports if they participated in the Special teams, including the rugby, football, Olympics,” she said. “Through baseball, crew and volleyball teams, sports, our athletes learn winning to help with various parts of the and losing, how the game is played program. In addition, members of between the lines, and if you think Greek houses, including Kappa Delta about it, these are all things that make Epsilon, Psi Upsilon and Chi Gamma a great employee.” Epsilon, sent several volunteers to assist with activities such as clean-up Bigley is a member of the Dartbeat staff.
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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TATE RAMSDEN MEMORIAL RECEPTION
FROM OLYMPICS PAGE 1
PAULA MENDOZA/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Students attended a memorial reception for Tate Ramsden ’17 who died at the end of December.
President Hanlon invites you to
Open Office Hours For Students:
(Paganucci Lounge in ’53 Commons) Monday, January 25th, 5-6 pm
For Faculty and Staff*: (Parkhurst 207)
Meetings are held on a first come, first serv served basis
Friday, January 29th, 3-4 pm Check www.dartmouth.edu/~president/officehours for any changes *Please note that these Office Hours are now open to Staff
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
PAGE 4
MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016
STAFF COLUMNIST HANSA SHARMA ’19
STAFF COLUMNIST STEVEN CHUN ’19
Reining in the Networking
Hot Chocolate and Low Expectations
We should not forget the value of genuine relationships.
Winter term can be just as enjoyable as any other.
My friends often joke that I spend more time days on campus. socializing in the KAF line than I do actually But, an environment of friendly competition getting my order. KAF London Fogs are just as can take a toll. Instead of succumbing to the addictive as good company, and unfortunately, networking frenzy, we should instead focus on our my friends have a point. In these first few weeks of personal development. With so many places on winter term, I’ve become increasingly dependent campus labelled as “facetimey,” it can be hard to on my phone calendar. Previously, it was just a find a spot for deeper, one-on-one conversations. tool to keep track of midterms and vacation With New Hampshire winter in full swing, days. Now, it’s also littered it becomes even more difficult with lunch and coffee dates. As to venture off-campus in search Dartmouth students, we often of solitude. Midterms, deadfeel pressure to balance work- “While it can be lines and corporate recruiting ing hard with playing hard. make breaking out of “the healthy to share But, maintaining this balDartmouth bubble” near imance isn’t necessarily conducive interests and possible. With opportunities for to fostering meaningful rela- career aspirations professional development and tionships. It’s easy to fall into personal enjoyment densely with our friends, the networking trap, interactcompacted into a 10-week ing with our peers simply out we must be term, it often feels like there of convenience or in hopes of careful not to aren’t enough hours in a day. getting ahead. In the face of such a reality, the While it can be healthy pass up potential old adage, “Do what you love, to share interests and career friendships for love what you do,” becomes aspirations with our friends, especially relevant. But, what we must be careful not to pass professional happens when every opportuup potential friendships for connections.” nity seems like something you professional connections. In might fall in love with? the midst of a 10-week term, it To avoid feeling overbecomes hard to remember the whelmed, we must set realistic last time we grabbed a meal with someone just expectations for ourselves, both inside and outside for the sake of enjoying their company. Likewise, the classroom. Perhaps the key to balancing our it becomes even more difficult to recall the last social lives with academics is being deliberate time we enjoyed a meal alone. with our time. We should be trying to do things Even with the plethora of career resources for the right reasons. available to us, it’s easy to fall into a rut. We obsess Obviously, we should maximize our time over resumes, cry over cover letters and collect at Dartmouth and capitalize on opportunities business cards like Pokémon cards. Although for personal growth. However, our personal Dartmouth is a great place to build a profes- connections shouldn’t hinge on professional sional network, it’s an even better place to foster obligations. We should take time to reach out to lasting friendships. At the end of four years, it people just for the sake of getting to know them. won’t matter how many “connections” we have If we really want to live on the edge, maybe we on LinkedIn if we don’t have true friends to could try discussing something different over back them up. For many years, Dartmouth has Collis pasta — something beyond the realm of attracted students who want to make a differ- the best professors or job opportunities. Truth ence by collaborating, not competing. Perhaps be told, we can learn a lot by just chatting and this explains our desire to meet other students, not doing a cost-benefit analysis of every single reach out to alumni and make the most of our conversation. Leave that for an economics class.
Winter is the season of doing nothing. numbs boredom and sadness. Winter is Squirrels, hedgehogs, bears and even a kind undoubtedly a less-than-cheery season for of lemur recognize this and go into long pemany, and our inability to keep busy may riods of hibernation. In his article “In Case have something to do with it. of Blizzard, Do Nothing,” David Dudley But fear not! Instead of succumbing to writes, “A snowstorm rewards indolence our fear of free time, I suggest we use winter and punishes the go-getters, which is only as an opportunity to get back to the basics. one of the many reasons it’s the best natural The extravagant distractions of the fall and disaster there is.” Winter term can feel like spring terms can be substituted for simpler, a 10-week blizzard, but with an intense less eventful times. If we expect every winlineup of classes and extracurriculars to ter’s day to be a bonanza of excitement, we accompany it. And, due to some great evowill certainly be disappointed. lutionary tragedy, we It’s a well-docdo not hibernate. “Parties don’t need more umented phenomIn fact, despite the enon that birth rates pitfalls of the season, than three people and a spike nine months Dartmouth students night-out doesn’t actually after severe blizseem to believe they zards. In the face of can beat nature. I, have to be spent ‘out.’ Snowzilla or winter too, thought I could Winter isn’t about going storm Jonas, dating outlast the season. It sites have detected above and beyond — as was a terrible idea. a huge spike in ac Living in Ha- we’re so used to doing tivity in New York. nover removes the Enjoying the com— it’s about being good barriers that a city pany of a significant — or really civili- enough.” other is perhaps the zation in general classic winter activ— provides. We are ity. under few illusions But enjoying as to how miserable winter isn’t the sole Mother Nature can providence of lovmake our lives. However, even those in ers — it’s simply matter of getting used to population dense, urban areas feel the no-frills fun. Parties don’t need more than heat — or lack of. Snowzilla, also known three people and a night-out doesn’t actuas “Make Winter Great Again,” made this ally have to be spent “out.” Winter isn’t very clear as it pummeled the East Coast about going above and beyond — as we’re last week. so used to doing — it’s about being good Despite our best efforts, we are always enough. If you can hit that “just-enough at the mercy of the seasons. And yet, we mark,” then you should be satisfied. remain determined to maintain our densely One of the deadliest winter activipacked schedules. ties is shoveling. T h e c o l d , h a rd Nearly 100 people truth is that the only “Winter is a time for a die each year in thing we should little low-level hedonism. fruitless attempts be “go-getting” is to beat back winter. another f lannel. Between 10 and 20 percent The cold and exerIt’s not just incon- of people nationwide suffer tion of shoveling venient to fight the the heart, from mild Seasonal Affective stresses winter but futile sometimes leading as well. Each and Disorder. Bearing this in to cardiac arrest. every time, we’re Perhaps there’s mind, the best thing we can some almost certainly message in going to lose. The do is just get by. Stay inside this tragedy. Avoid battle goes beyond e n t a l s h ov e l and weather the storm doing m mindlessly moving ing — the act of between countless whatever makes you happy.” expecting g reat events. Instead, we things out of a derive satisfaction dreary winter day. from a precise calStay inside and culus, weighing the weather the storm burdens of winter against the joys of overdoing whatever makes you happy. Winter is achieving. If the math works out for you, I a time for a little bit of low-level hedonism. tip my furry, plaid hat at you. But for many, Between 10 and 20 percent of people it doesn’t — and that’s okay, too. nationwide suffer from mild Seasonal Af This is not to say that being confined to fective Disorder. Bearing this in mind, the dorms and classrooms is a pleasant expebest thing we can do is just get by. rience. At best, it’s a valuable assessment Dartmouth students like being good at of our mental well-being. A fundamental things, including having fun. But, winter question accompanies the winter season: presents a wonderful opportunity rarely What do we think about when there’s less afforded to the students here — to be deto do? It’s no secret that a hectic schedule cidedly mediocre and enjoy it.
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MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016
PAGE 5
Slam poetry addresses social justice older people to become more aware of how they presented their ideas, look the project to involve local community for ways to articulate their ideas more members in the College’s Martin Luther clearly and have more impact. King Jr. Day programming, they were The workshop prior to the event happy to form a partnership. was a time for the six performers to Ellis echoed a similar sentiment, brainstorm their ideas. The writers saying that the goal of the event was to worked individually and then paired off make the Martin Luther King Jr. Day in groups of two to celebrations even discuss their writing, more inclusive by “I like to perform, but Ellis said. including younger Ellis also perit definitely takes me formed people. at the event, Because individ- some prompting. It’s and discussed her uals of many ages not usually something work with a young use Young Writers writer. She said that Project, the top- I just go and do.” working with someics students write one so young was a about vary widely. transformative exWhile drug abuse -JULIA ANDERSON, perience for her. She and romance may LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL said it encouraged affect seniors, for exher to look at her SENIOR ample, Gliech said writing in a more that these topics open, less guarded are not appropriway, and approach ate for the younger her writing with a children to write and hear about. new perspective. The Young Writers Project requires Gliech said that she was glad they writers to be respectful, Gliech said, to decided to host a workshop, and was use language that’s inclusive of everyone thrilled by all the quality writing probut also have the freedom to write about duced in under 60 minutes. She also whatever is most important. said that what characterizes these events Gliech said that including younger is good energy, and that this year was children in the poetry slam was ulti- no exception. mately a major benefit, as it enabled Julia Anderson, a senior in high FROM SLAM PAGE 1
school who is a member of the Young Writers Project and performed at the poetry slam, said she was delighted to hear that there was going to be a local event in Hanover since most events are farther away in Burlington. “When I heard they were having an event nearby, I was super excited, and said sign me up,” she said. Anderson said that these events are great spaces to think, write and perform outside of her normal comfort zone. “I like to perform, but it definitely takes me some prompting,” she said. “It’s not usually something I just go and do.” Anderson said that she is in supports this event and the opportunity it affords, and she hopes that the Young Writers Project will come back to Hanover and visit more often. Another performer, Reed Kuivila ’19, played a song on the piano in honor of King and to celebrate the young writers. “I’m loving seeing such young children writing,” Kuivila said. Ellis said that the poetry slam aimed to provide a space for people to express their thoughts about issues that concern them. “We were hoping that people who had something to say and wouldn’t otherwise say it would be able to say it here,” Ellis said.
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Racial Bias and Racial Anxiety: Prospects for Building Positive Relations Between Diverse Groups
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DARTMOUTH PUBLIC LECTURE SERIES, WINTER 2016
PAGE 6
THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016
DARTMOUTHEVENTS TODAY 10:00 a.m.
“Helping the Global Poor Through Entrepreneurship,” Magatte Wade and Michael Strong, Class of 1930 Room, Rockefeller Center
5:30 p.m.
“Drawing on Dip Pens,” cartoonist Jon Chad, Room 21, Baker Library
7:00 p.m.
Argentine Tango Practice, no experience necessary, P.E. credit available, Sarner Underground
TOMORROW 12:30 p.m.
“Eric Aho’s Ice Cuts,” University of Vermont professor Kathleen Osgood, Hood Museum of Art
4:00 p.m.
“The Future of Digital Learning: A View from the Liberal Arts,” Joshua Kim PhD, Borwell 658 West, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
4:15 p.m.
“Opportunities and Challenges of Social Media in Personal and Societal Well-being,” Munmum De Choudhury, Kemeny 008
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
MONDAY, JANUARY 25, 2016
PAGE 7
‘Joy’ (2015) is too busy to find its core, features usual suspects By Andrew Kingsley The Dartmouth Staff
David O. Russell returns with his usual suspects — Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, who co-starred in “Silver Linings Playbook” (2012) and “American Hustle” (2013) — for another hyperactive, improvisational dramedy in “Joy” (2015). The film is loosely based on the real life story of Joy Mangano, the New Yorker mom turned inventor and entrepreneur known for her household designs such as the selfwringing Miracle Mop and no-slip Huggable Hangers. In true Dickensian fashion, Joy must juggle her mother Terry (Virginia Madsen) who’s addicted to soap operas, her ex-husband Tony (Edgar Ramirez) who still lives in her basement, her nihilistic father Rudy (Robert De Niro) who feeds on his children’s failures and her two children, all while trying to construct her mop empire from scratch. Her house resembles a retirement home for her family, who fester in self-consuming
pity. They haunt Joy like waking nightmares and use her as life support to sustain their worthlessness. They are the one thing Joy cannot reinvent, and her tenacity to create seems to stem from the immutable human detritus around her. Since childhood, Joy’s imagination has been her beacon steering her through the maelstrom of divorces, caregiving and debt. Buoyed by the American dream rhetoric of her grandmother Mimi, Joy pursues her Miracle Mop idea after cutting herself sweeping up a shattered wine glass. Through grit, humiliation and a sizeable donation from Rudy’s new girlfriend Trudy (Isabella Rosselini), who brings a parodic ferocity to Joy’s Roald Dahl-esque family, Joy lands a pitch at home shopping network QVC (that’s quality, value and convenience, as the film emphasizes.) When Joy finally escapes the claustrophobic intensity of her home life and enters the QVC temple of consumerism, the film lights up. Neil Walker (Bradley Cooper) gives Joy a tour around headquarters, a veri-
table Willy Wonka factory of prod- stage, constantly circling around ucts, revolving television stages and the same moments of triumph and dolled up hosts (including an early failure at an increasingly dizzying Joan Rivers, played by none other clip. Joy’s business only exists in than her daughter Melissa Rivers). In extremes; either she’s smashing sales this marketing Mecca, Joy becomes records or filing for bankruptcy. Russell’s distinctively the high priest, frenetic camera breaking sales “In this marketing and narrative feel records with ill-suited and luher maternal, Mecca, Joy becomes personalized the high priest, rid, leaving no pitch for her time for the film product, the breaking sales records to breathe. One moment Joy is Miracle Mop. with her maternal exhaling in a facThe incanpersonalized pitch descent dynatory bathroom, mism of this for her product, the the next she is sequence en- Miracle Mop.” behind bars for invading the faclivens the film’s tory’s plant. The lugubrious centrifugal force cynicism like the QVC equivalent of a prizefight of Joy’s demise throws the film off — much like Russell’s 2010 film, its axis of Joy’s success and relegates “The Fighter.” However, it feels like her ultimate triumph to a rushed a commercial break, as after Joy is footnote of a denouement. Unforhurled right back into her oppressive, tunately, the end feels like where the rock-bottom milieu. real story could have begun, with Joy It is this manic turbulence that at the top like a regal godmother, makes the film a QVC revolving running her empire with the mag-
nanimity of a Mother Theresa. Much like her Oscar competitor Cate Blanchett in “Carol” (2015), Lawrence commands the spotlight with her precocity and elan, so that time away from her feels like time lost. Yet Russell has typecasted her as the desperate, volatile, yet tenacious young woman in his last three films. Much like Rudy, Russell has pigeon-holed his cinematic daughter (granted to much acclaim) until her performance feels formulaic. “Joy” perhaps marks the moment when Russell’s style has become too overwrought, or at least overworked. Much like Joy did to her parents, Lawrence should leave her filmic family of Cooper and Russell and explore other territories and return to projects like “Winter’s Bone” (2010) in which she had nothing to lose. With her Russell and Hunger Games trilogies now complete, “J-Law” will, I hope, explore new territories different from the ones that made her a household name. Rating: 7.5/10
The Harlequins perform musical revue in Bentley Theater By William Tackett The Dartmouth
This past Saturday an ensemble of students known as The Harlequins performed a self-produced musical revue in the Bentley Theater. Aptly titled “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Bentley” (a reference to the Stephen Sondheim musical “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum”), the revue was an intimate affair in which the cast, solo or in pairs, sang selected numbers from classic musicals such as “Grease” (1971), “Sweeney Todd” (1979) and “Seussical: The Musical”(2000). The Harlequins are a student group that produce and perform their own shows. Three students, Virginia Cook ’18, Virginia Ogden ’18 and Nicholas Vernice ’18, resurrected the recently less active group two weeks ago after Katelyn Onufrey ’15, the 2015 president of the group, handed them the reins. The performers chose their own songs. The group required performers to select pieces from the musical theater genre, Vernice said. They began auditioning and rehearsing for the show a week before the performance, performer Haley Reicher ’17 said. Regarding the choice of the revue for mat, Ver nice said, “The Harlequins had previously hosted musical theater cabarets and thus decided that reviving that tradition would a fitting tribute to the group’s past, as well as an
affirmation of its reestablishment on campus.” The branding of the event as a “cabaret” denoted a formal setting, but in reality the event was casual, attendee Ellyn Golden ’17 said. “When I heard the word cabaret, I kind of thought 1920s,” Golden said. “I don’t know I thought everyone would be really dressed up or something and very over the top showmanship, but it was definitely more chill than that.” The revue adopted a minimalistic style with performers in simple black clothing and chairs and a couple of phones and a wine glass serving as the only props. The conservative set allowed for the essence of the songs to shine through unfettered. This way, with the songs in their purest form, the full emotional impact of each song could be achieved. Still, the select props used served a stylistic purpose. “I really enjoyed the songs that had props more than the songs that didn’t have props,” Golden said. “Like I loved Doug Phipps’ song when he was sitting on the chair and there was more acting involved.” The inclusion of these professional additions reminded the audience that these songs function as part of larger musical theater shows, Golden said. The performance interspersed sad, heavy songs with more lighthearted numbers. Vernice and Eliana Kaplan ‘19 performed a humorous rendition of “Suddenly,
Seymour” from “Little Shop of Horrors” (1982) which balanced the emotions of “For Good,” the bittersweet good-bye from “Wicked”(2003). The dejected “Grease” song, “Hopelessly Devoted to You” matched the playful “Notice Me, Horton” from “Seussical: The Musical”, in which performers Matthew Treiber ’18 and Jaclyn Pageau ’18 put a modern spin on the song’s lyrics with the Horton character (Treiber) unable to look up from his phone. “I’m not super into musical theater but I loved hearing Dartmouth kids get up and sing really well,” attendee Abby Reynolds ’17 said. “It was kinda fun trying to recognize some of the Broadway plays.” After Treiber delivered a rendition of the moving song “I’ve Been” from the Brian Yorkey musical “Next to Normal”(2008), Reicher lightened the mood with her rendition of “As We Stumble Along” from “Drowsy Chaperone”(1998). As Reicher took the stage, the lights shifted to the pit, where she placed her stool and, wine glass in hand, launched into the number in a state of faux intoxication. As she stumbled along, she elicited laughs from the audience with her acting (at one point she entered the audience and confidently threw her arm around an audience member) and lyrics like “Barely knowing right from right / nor left from wrong.” Many of the audience members knew the performers personally. “The Harlequins pulled off
a professional and entertaining cabaret performance that showcased musical theater talents off the mainstage,” audience member Anna Gottardi ’17 said. “Accompanist Andy Roninson shone as usual, and Virginia Ogden and Nick Vernice worked magic behind the scenes to craft such a successful show in the two short weeks since the club’s revival.”
While some who attended were very familiar with the pieces performed, that familiarity was not needed to enjoy the show, Reynolds said. “I didn’t really know what it was going to be when I came, but one of my friends was performing in it and she would have liked the support,” Reynolds said. “So I came and I thought it was great.”
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
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Pianist Stephen Hough performs, teaches master class By Nalini Ramanathan The Dartmouth
Last week renowned British concert pianist, writer and composer Stephen Hough visited Dartmouth. In addition to performing a concert at the Hopkins Center for the Arts on Saturday, Hough taught a piano master class and attended a dinner and discussion the day before. Hough gave two 45 minute master class lessons to two first year piano students. Students involved in Dartmouth’s music department, as well as many other students, faculty members and residents of Hanover observed. Attendees filled Faulkner Hall to capacity seating, while a few stood near the back walls and aisles. Andrew Liu ’19 played Schumann’s “Symphonic Etudes” (1834), a set of more “wild” studies by the German composer, Hough said. Although Hough had not played this study personally, he gave some advice on the general expression of the piece, suggesting that Liu emphasize more of Schumann’s ecstaticism, who he insisted was on the “right side of crazy,” while also warning that he not overemphasize the sustaining pedal on the piano. Christina Bae ’19 played the first movement from Prokofiev’s “Sonata
No. 4, in C minor” (1917), a somber piece played rather infrequently in the piano world, Bae said. Bae noted that this uncommonness, as well as the very different style of Prokofiev’s sonatas, led her to choose this piece for her master class lesson. Hough said that he had not heard this piece before, but suggested that Bae make more of a “shrieking” sound while maintaining an even tone. Both Liu and Bae said that this sort of advice focused on expression is typical of master classes, while their regular teachers typically focus on technique. Nevertheless, many of the observers of the master class found something unique about Hough’s teaching. Selma Bornstein, a resident of the Hanover area who had watched the master class, said that Hough was “generous in his approach as a teacher,” noting in particular his sense of humor during the master class and his very “sensitive” nature. In the question and answer portion after the class, Hough emphasized that one shouldn’t feel any guilt about restarting practice after a long break, but rather view practice as a way to re-engage with music. And to those who worry that it is too late to get started with their passions, or were somewhat unproductive in their
COURTESY OF ROB STRONG
Stephen Hough leads a piano master class with Andrew Liu ’19.
younger years, Hough said, “We are what we are. Every day is a fresh start.” On Saturday at 8 p.m. Hough gave a concert at the Hop that lasted approximately two hours, followed with a post-performance discussion. Noting that his pieces this season were “much more severe” than those of his last season in his post-performance discussion, Hough began with Schubert’s “Sonata in A minor, D. 784” (1839), a piece with a lot of frantic jumps, dissonance and somber tones. The piece was composed by Schubert near the end of his life. In his post-performance discussion, Hough said that this sonata was “very severe,” with absolutely “no light in the piece.” Hough then followed with “Prelude, Chorale, et Fugue, Op. 21” (1884) by 19th century Belgian composer César Franck. Program annotator Richard E. Rodda said Franck presents a “meeting of sacred and profane” that continues a theme of tension found throughout Hough’s selections while also presenting, as Hough noted in his post-performance discussion, a transition from the dark to the light. After the intermission, Hough began with a piece he wrote himself, entitled “Sonata No. 3 (Trinity)” (2015). Commissioned by The Tablet, a Catholic weekly review, Hough wrote
this particular piece using the 12-tone technique, part of an abstract movement in music called serialism, which focuses on the use of structure. Hough noted in the program that he uses this structure to represent the dogma of the Catholic church, using “rules which can liberate and enslave.” The piece, like Franck’s, uses this contrast between warm, familiar chords and sharp arpeggios and dissonance, to express this same sense of tension. Unlike the other pieces in his performance, which are memorized, Hough makes sure to read the music while playing this piece. In the postperformance discussion, Hough said that he does this to create a distinction between himself as a composer and himself as a performer, although he also said that this piece is much more random and much less intuitive than the other pieces he plays. Following this, Hough presented two pieces by Franz Liszt, a popular musician who in his time was famous for his glittery waltzes. The first was “Valses Oubliées No. 2” (1881-1884) a series of waltzes written in the Austrian composer’s later years. Yet despite the bright nature of these Viennese waltzes, there is a sense of age in these pieces. As the waltzes begin to halt, Hough twitches with the music as if he is fall-
ing, mirroring the age of the composer himself. Yet the music began to get brighter, despite this remaining theme of tension, as he transitions to Liszt’s “Two Transcendental Etudes” (1852) presenting a more operatic theme, both Hough and Rodda said. In his encore, Hough played two pieces markedly brighter than those of the rest of his performance. Hough began with Edward Elgar’s “Salut d’Amor, Op. 12” (1888), a gentle, romantic piece typically played by piano and violin duos. His second encore, a selection from Ludwig Minkus’s ballet score for “Don Quixote” (1869) also felt much lighter. Hough said the piece was easy to dance to. This change in theme represents Hough’s varied repertoire. “I love playing everything,” Hough said in the post-performance discussion. Many attendees were pleased with the performance and post-performance discussion. Jessica Tong ’17 and Rebecca Philip ’19, both self-proclaimed fans and pianists, said that they liked the discussion, saying that they appreciated hearing that a world-class pianist struggles with the same issues that students do. Praising him for his sense of humor and his musical talent, many were glad to see Hough come to Hanover despite the inclement weather.
COURTESY OF ROB STRONG
Stephen Hough leads a piano master class with student Christina Bae ’19 in Faulkner Auditorium at the Hopkins Center.