The Dartmouth 11/03/16

VOL. CLXXIII NO.143

RAIN HIGH 48 LOW 37

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Bernie Sanders campaigns for Clinton

Milo Yiannopoulos brings conservative university tour to Dartmouth

By EMMA DEMMERS The Dartmouth

OPINION

DEATH TO POLITICAL ADS PAGE 7

OPINION

ONCE UPON A POLITICAL MEME PAGE 7

OPINION

WHO’S THE PUPPET?

PETER CHARALAMBOUS/THE DARTMOUTH

Conservative speaker Milo Yiannopoulos spoke Tuesday night about Greek life, political correctness and gender at an event co-hosted by The Dartmouth Review and College Libertarians.

By PETER CHARALAMBOUS The Dartmouth

Milo Yiannopoulos, a technology editor for Brietbart News and conservative speaker whose appearances have been cancelled by other universities citing concerns over a hostile environment and safety, spoke

to a Cook Auditorium on Tuesday as part of a stop on his tour. Cosponsored by the College Libertarians and The Dartmouth Review, the lecture was titled “In Defense of Hazing.”

Yiannopoulos’ views on issues such as free speech and feminism as well as his embrace

of Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump have led to cancellations. Villanova University, University of Miami, the University of Maryland and Florida Atlantic University have all canceled his appearances due to high security costs and concerns.

Tuesday afternoon, Senator Bernie Sanders spoke at a campaign rally in Alumni Hall to a crowd of several hundred people, endorsing Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and urging students to vote on Election Day. New Hampshire Congresswomen Annie Kuster and Governor Maggie Hassan opened for Sanders.

Both also encouraged students to vote on Nov. 8, and stressed the significance of this election cycle.

Sanders condemned Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump for his behaviors toward women.

“This is the year 2016, and we have come too far in this country to elect a president who brags about his sexual assaults,” Sanders said in his opening remarks.

Acknowledging Trump’s billionaire status, Sanders criticized private funding for campaigns, which he and Clinton are proposing to end with by publicly funding elections instead.

He also expressed fear of the country moving toward an oligarchal society, noting that large businesses and wealthy individuals can influence elections by donating large sums of money.

“In New England, we have this crazy notion that one person means one vote,” Sanders quipped.

Sanders also emphasized the need to make college more affordable for all, asking audience members to raise their hand if they had college debt – most

SEE YIANNOPOULOS PAGE 2

SEE SANDERS PAGE 3

PAGE 6

OPINION

FUTURE GLOBALIZATION PAGE 6 READ US ON

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Finances, campaigns New Montgomery fellow topic of Town Hall specializes in geomorphology

By KRISTINE JIWOO AHN The Dartmouth

Around 70 faculty, staff and community members gathered in Spaulding Auditorium yesterday for a town hall, where Executive Vice President Rick Mills and Senior Vice President for Advancement Robert Lasher ’88 spoke about finances and campaigning

at Dartmouth.

During the question and answer session, Lasher and Mills addressed questions about College President Phil Hanlon’s plan for reallocating a portion of funding from nonacademic to academic areas within the next four years. They said this reallocation is SEE BUDGET PAGE 3

By FRANCES COHEN The Dartmouth

This fall’s Montgomery Fellow, University of Washington environmental science professor David R. Montgomery, who is of no relation to the program’s benefactors, recently began his term at the College. He specializes in geomorphology, the study of the evolution of various

planets’ topographic features and is a recent recipient of the MacArthur Foundation’s Genius Grant.

David Montgomery refers to himself as a “geomorphology generalist,” working across disciplines within geomorphology. He does, however, maintains a focus on fluvial geomorphology.

As both a scientist and a writer of several popular sci-

ence books, Montgomery’s work in multiple disciplines appealed to the Dartmouth community.

Montgomery’s published work includes award-winning book “The Rocks Don’t Lie: A Geologist Investigates Noah’s Flood,” which explores the relationship between faith and science, looking across SEE MONTGOMERY PAGE 2

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

Homecoming bonfire expected Speaker lectures ‘In Defense of Hazing’ to have exceeded budget

By MELANIE KOS The Dartmouth

The total cost for this year’s Homecoming weekend bonfire will likely go over budget, said Eric Ramsey, the Homecoming and bonfire committee chair. Ramsey, who is also the associate dean for student life, attributed this increase in spending to the hiring of third-party security and variable building costs, such as scaffolding and timber, that may increase year to year.

According to the Undergraduate Finance Committee’s 2016-17 allocation, the budget for the Homecoming bonfire this year was $33,362. In the 2015-16 year, the bonfire committee was allotted $32,750, and in the 201415 year, $31,800.

In addition to having Safety and Security officers, Hanover Police officers and Hanover firefighters present at the bonfire, the College hired 10 security officers from Green

Mountain Concert Services to help monitor the night.

“Safety and security is our main priority, so we’re going to pay what we need to keep the event safe,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey said that this year, Homecoming weekend was scheduled closer to Halloween to allow for the completion of Baker Library Bell Tower’s restoration. However, this later date also presented some challenges, including colder weather and rain.

The kerosene and flares used ensured that the bonfire would still light — even if the inclement weather continued throughout the night — although it took longer to light in comparison to previous years.

Although the bonfire occurs rain or shine, the bonfire committee has a contingency plan to cancel the event and reschedule it for the next night, or disassemble the bonfire, in the case

of severe and potentially dangerous weather, Ramsey said.

The overall construction of the bonfire has remained consistent over the past 13 years that Ramsey has been with the College. The procedures have only had minor tweaks, and the rain did not change anything related to the construction budget this year.

Dartmouth Yacht Club and Physical Education Ski director John Brady, who helps to oversee the bonfire construction, said that the bonfire timber was delivered last November, and thus material costs were not affected by this Homecoming weekend’s rainy weather. He also said costs related to the amount of kerosene, flares, nails and tools used were the same as any other year.

As of press time, Ramsey said the bonfire committee had not yet determined the exact costs of constructing and lighting this year’s bonfire.

Scientist to speak with student groups and housing communities FROM MONTGOMERY PAGE 1

landscapes and cultures. He also coauthored a book with his wife, biologist Anne Biklé, titled “The Hidden Half of Nature: The Microbial Roots of Life and Health,” which focuses on the role of microbes in transforming the way we see nature and ourselves.

While at the College, Montgomery continues to work on several written projects. He is writing a new introduction for a re-release of “The Living Soil by Lady Eve Balfour,” originally published in 1943. Montgomery is also working on a book of his own to be released next spring about the future of farming, in addition to cowriting several articles with Biklé.

Montgomery said he has especially enjoyed the faculty house visits in which he has been able to participate. Working closely with the newly-launched housing communities, this year’s fellows will participate in intimate visits to house professors’ homes for informal conversations with students, Director of the Montgomery Fellows program Klaus J. Milich said.

With personal interests that span a diverse range of topics — his books have focused on topics from the history of farming to microbes to the relationship between science and

religion — Montgomery said he has appreciated the opportunity to speak to small groups of students on these various interests.

The faculty house visits are “a nice supplement to the traditional way we view education in college,” Montgomery said.

He added that he finds that these informal conversations with the professors, whom students normally interact with at “arms-length,” are a great addition to the formal classroom interactions with faculty.

Outside of the classroom, Montgomery has also been playing his music for students and faculty as well as working on new music. He is in two bands: High Noon and Big Dirt.

Montgomery has so far thoroughly enjoyed his time here in Hanover, staying in the Montgomery House with his wife and their dog.

He has especially appreciated the opportunity to spend time at a smaller institution compared to University of Washington’s student body population of 40,000.

“It’s a lot more intimate, you can meet people and it’s a lot less hectic than being in Seattle on a huge campus, so it’s a really nice change of pace for me in that regard,” he said.

The Kenneth and Harle Mont-

CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.

gomery Endowment was established in 1977 with the aim of bringing distinguished individuals to Dartmouth.

These individuals are designated Montgomery Fellows and, staying for various amounts of time, the fellows and their families live in the Montgomery House, overlooking Occom Pond.

Milich said the aim of the endowment is “to bring to campus true luminaries from all walks of life — from literature, from the arts, from music, from politics — and to give our students the opportunity to meet with these luminaries on a formal or informal basis.”

Past fellows include Yo-Yo Ma, William Fulbright, Gerald Ford and John Updike. This year’s fellows include artist Eric van Hove, awardwinning actress and performing artist Rhodessa Jones and Booker Prizewinning novelist Salman Rushdie in summer 2017.

The recently re-vamped nomination process for Montgomery Fellows consists of a questionnaire that any member of the Dartmouth community can fill out. Two members of the community must fill out the nomination questionnaire for the same person in order for a candidate to be considered.

Besides the program’s brand new home page and nomination process, Milich said they are trying to vary the length of the residencies of various fellows, adding in more short-term visits.

FROM YIANNOPOULOS PAGE 1

Furthermore, stops of the tour at DePaul University, Rutgers University, the University of Minnesota and University of California at Los Angeles have been met with protests.

With the exception of a free speech activist who agreed with many of Yiannopoulos’ views, Tuesday’s event at the College saw no large-scale protests against Yiannopoulos.

Sandor Farkas ’17, the editor-inchief of The Dartmouth Review, and Brian Chen ’17, president of College Libertarians, opened the event.

“The purpose of college is the pursuit of truth,” said Farkas, explaining that voices like Yiannopoulos’ help create a political dialogue on campus.

The cosponsors of the event clarified that The Dartmouth Review and the College Libertarians neither endorse nor condemn the views and positions expressed by Yiannopoulos.

Following the introduction, a short video documenting some of the protests that have occurred at Yiannopoulos’ events as well as a soundbite of Hillary Clinton was played. As the video ended, Yiannopoulos entered the auditorium to applause. Dressed partially in black football gear and sporting gold-rimmed aviators as well as thick eyeblack, Yiannopoulos greeted the crowd with comments and jokes about the current election.

Calling Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton a “walking corpse,” Yiannopoulos noted the possibility of Donald Trump, who he often referred to as “daddy,” winning the election.

Yiannopoulos used Trump’s masculine characteristics as a springboard to the lecture’s focus on hazing.

During his lecture, Yiannopoulos praised Greek life on campus, noting how Greek life instills a sense of masculinity in students. He stressed the importance of this masculinity by quoting author and social critic Camille Paglia, who said “If civilization had been left in female hands, we would still be living in grass huts.”

Yiannopoulos criticized the feminist movement, which he described as a “nasty, man-hating cult.”

Yiannopoulos said that men have been and will continue to be responsible for the majority of hard labor in world.

“Finding a woman willing to be a construction worker is as likely as finding an attractive feminist,” he said.

Using the example of the new Ghostbusters movie which starred a predominately female cast, Yi-

annopoulos noted that the forced feminization of popular culture has harmed artistic development.

Ghostbusters, which he described as “the most unfunny movie in the last 20 or 30 years” served an example of this issue, as it prioritized social changes such as a female cast over cinematic value. Yiannopoulos recently made international headlines and was removed from Twitter for his scolding criticism of Leslie Jones, a major actor in Ghostbusters. He noted that television and movies now portray men as “bumbling idiots.”

Hazing has been used to condition men in indigenous groups, Yiannopoulos said. Similar to how sports teams bond by being pushed to the limit in practice, members of Greek houses grow closer by enduring hazing.

“There is a very small window when men can be men,” said Yiannopoulos, adding that Greek life is integral to that manliness and blaming hazing bans on female college administrators. Yiannopoulos claimed that putting women in charge of policies regarding hazing “is like putting Hitler in charge of a museum of Jewish antiquities.”

Yiannopoulos also referred to Andrew Lohse ’12, who he referred to as “Andrew Loser.” Lohse, whose experiences were detailed in a 2012 Rolling Stone article entitled “Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy,” brought criticism to not only Dartmouth’s Greek system but also hazing processes in colleges across the county.

“Fraternities are one of the few male institutions that capture masculinity, and they deserve to be protected,” Yiannopoulos said.

Yiannopoulos then reenacted popular hazing rituals for the crowd, drinking a bottle of yellow liquid labeled as urine, enduring waterboarding, simulating being hit by a bat and being sprayed with a cream.

Yiannopoulos ended his lecture by displaying a picture of soldiers storming the beaches of Normandy in World War II captioned “Collegeage men leaving their safe spaces.”

After his lecture, he opened the floor for questions, addressing issues such as the possibility of Marxism in the form of political correctness, the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock, the Second Amendment and the loosening of relations with Cuba.

After the event, members of the College Libertarians as well as The Dartmouth Review remained for a meet and greet with Yiannopoulos.

“As far as I know, everyone was safe and some people were exposed to some new ideas,” Farkas said.

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

PAGE 3

Former Democratic presidential Campaigns and candidate urges students to vote financial investment discussed in town hall FROM BUDGET PAGE 1

MORGAN MOINIAN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

Sen. Bernie Sanders, Rep. Anne Kuster and Gov. Maggie Hassan endorsed Hillary Clinton and stressed the importance of voting in front of an audience of hundreds on Tuesday afternoon.

FROM SANDERS PAGE 1

of the students in the room did.

He emphasized the importance of higher education, and pointed out that part of Clinton’s plan is to address the “crisis of student debt” by refinancing their student loans.

Many attendees expressed excitement at seeing Sanders speak in person, despite his loss to Clinton for the Democratic nomination.

“I really want to see him speak about Hillary, especially after the tough primary,” Amauri Ross ’19 said as he stood in line for the event.

Jonathan Gliboff ’20, while not

a Sanders supporter, also enjoyed hearing him speak, citing his charisma and genuine concern for issues affecting students.

The event was the second of the day for Sanders, who spoke at another rally for Clinton earlier at Plymouth State University in Plymouth, NH.

necessary because the College’s primary revenue sources — such as increasing tuition, federal funding for research and endowment returns — are currently under significant pressure. This funding reallocation probably means that some current College positions will be gone in a few years, Mills said.

Lasher said that Hanlon’s push for an annual budget reallocation requires people to think about and assess what their departments are spending money on and, consequently, how to reduce inefficiencies.

Mills also discussed the United Way campaign, a nonprofit community-centric organization that supports 31 organizations throughout the Upper Valley. This year, Mills and the Dartmouth United Way team set a goal of raising $275,500 by December and attracting 200 first-time donors.

He also reminded the audience of Dartmouth United Way’s new volunteer policy, through which College employees can take a day of paid time off to volunteer for a United Way-supported nonprofit agency.

“The new policy allows people in our community who may not feel like they can financially support the organizations to contribute in a different way,” he said.

Lasher then spoke about Dartmouth’s upcoming campaigns, which he said are meant to gather community values into a coherent mission. He spoke about the various aspects of campaigning that the administration needs to con-

sider: purpose of funds, window of return, audience, integration or independence, goal size, participation and the role of major community-wide events such as Dartmouth’s 250th Anniversary in 2019.

“Campaigning is about telling a new story about your institution — where it’s coming from and where it’s going,” he said. “A campaign is an opportunity for individuals to act collectively and see the power of what we can all do together.”

Lasher noted that everyone has a different way to be philanthropic.

“Big donations aren’t the only contributions that count — service and expertise are just some of several others,” he said. “Each person has his or her own story with Dartmouth, philanthropic priorities and vision, so we really try to begin the conversation of how they want to impact Dartmouth.”

There will be three more town halls this school year to talk about more specifics of future advancement campaigns, along with other issues.

One audience member asked how Dartmouth will decide to approach, sustain or discontinue its investments if new investments do not generate adequate returns.

Mills responded, saying that assessing investments is complicated. “ D a r t m o u t h t h e o re t i c a l l y makes investments for the purpose of education,” he said. “But since we’re an academic institution, the process of assessing investments is more complex and subjective.”

The next town hall is scheduled for 12 p.m. on Jan. 11 in Spaulding Auditorium.

THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS

PAGE 4

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

DARTMOUTHEVENTS TODAY 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Reading with poet Gregory Pardlo, winner of the 2015 Pulitzer Prize for Poetry for his collection, “Digest,” Sanborn House Library

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

The Pitch, “shark-tank” style competition hosted by DEN and DALI, Filene Auditorium, Moore Building

7:00 p.m. - 10:00

“The Deep Blue Sea,” directed by Carrie Cracknell, Loew Auditorium, Black Family Visual Arts Center

TOMORROW

3:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

“What Are Moral Reasons?” professor Stephen Darwall, Yale University, Thornton Hall 103

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

“Bridget Jones’s Baby,” directed by Sharon McGuire, Loew Auditorium, Black Family Visual Arts Center

8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

“Intimate Apparel,” Theater Department MainStage Performance, directed by Tazewell Thompson, Moore Theater, Hopkins Center RELEASE DATE– Thursday, November 3, 2016

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Workbench gadget 6 Antlered beast 10 Glasses, in ads 14 Popular depilatory 15 Campaign staffer 16 Rochester’s bride 17 Part of the soft palate 18 Lady of the knight 19 Concussions generally aren’t visible on them 20 Goal for some college-bound students 23 “What was __ was saying?”

24 Tie __ 25 Rat Pack member 29 Growing concerns?

33 Like a used hibachi 34 Record-setting slugger in the Japanese Baseball Hall of Fame 38 General on a menu 39 Gadgets 40 One of 34Across’ 2,170 41 Ocular organs of cephalopods, say 43 Aspirin target 44 Nocturnal carnivore 45 Perambulates 47 Piece of cake 51 Poet’s contraction 52 Period needed to fulfill a request ... and a hint to words hidden in three long puzzle answers 58 Homey 59 Pack firmly 60 “__ making this up” 61 Spigot issue 62 Site with tech reviews 63 Trilateral trade agreement, briefly 64 Tag line?

65 Grinder 66 Speed units

DOWN 1 Mötley __ 2 Fiery flow 3 Bleu hue 4 Placate 5 Beseech, as a deity 6 Anti-DWI gp.

7 Venetian valentine message 8 Ones in charge, for short 9 Sixth-day Christmas gift 10 Workshop 11 One who likes to light up?

12 “__ go bragh!”

13 Chooses, with “in” 21 Two-front, as a Coast Guard rescue 22 Divans 25 Trunk piece 26 Put a value on 27 Words before “Yeah, you!”

28 Brubeck of jazz 30 Like much of New York 31 Company with a longtime travel guide

32 They often have guards 35 Self-help letters 36 Super-duper 37 1959 Ben-Hur portrayer 39 Let out gradually 42 Use an Enigma machine, say 43 “Black Swan” Best Actress Oscar winner

46 Bad bottom line 48 “No prob!”

49 Origami staple 50 Reason to trot 52 Corrida beast 53 Israeli weapons 54 Until 55 Scoop 56 Suffragist Lucretia 57 RR station predictions 58 Govt. health org.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

PAGE 5

THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

PAGE 6

STAFF COLUMNIST DANIEL FISHBEIN ’19

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST CRISTOFORO COPPOLA ’19

Who’s the Puppet?

Globalization is on the Ballot

In redefining Clinton’s words, Trump has created a new dialogue.

In the third and final presidential debate, Clinton called Trump a puppet. He retaliated by telling her that he was not a puppet, but that she was one. In changing the definition of this word to strike at Clinton, Trump inadvertently gave viewers a glimpse into his strategy during the entire election.

While Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders, the face of the populist left, has spoken frequently about his distaste for Trump, it seems as if the two can agree on at least one thing: Clinton belongs to the establishment. In Trump’s view, the powers-that-be in Washington — those which both Trump and Sanders have had so much success campaigning against — are pulling the strings behind Clinton’s campaign. She is so beholden to these political puppet masters that she will do anything — even if it is illegal — to please them. To him, Clinton cannot be trusted because she does not control her own actions.

In Clinton’s view, Trump is the puppet of his own ego. Like Clinton, Trump cannot control himself — not because he has to answer to higher-ups but rather because he cannot control his desire to bring attention to himself. His past actions, brought to light by recent media coverage, capture his egocentric attitude. As he said on the Access Hollywood bus, he will literally put his hands anywhere to get what he wants.

Trump lacks the prim and proper mannerisms of conventional politicians, doing anything his own hunger for power tells him to do.

Trump and Clinton thus use the term “puppet” to insult each other in different ways. While Trump derides Clinton for her connections with the establishment, Clinton derides Trump for his seemingly total lack of self-control.

This distinction between how Clinton and Trump view a “puppet” can shed light on the different strategies they have employed so far in the election. Clinton has been the Democratic Party’s favorite 2016 presidential candidate since President Barack Obama’s primary victory in 2008.

She, far more than Trump, can rest on her

laurels, and unlike Trump, she can rely on the institutions which brought her oh-soclose to a nomination eight years ago to bring her to victory.

Trump, on the other hand, knows that he needs to shake things up. It’s as if he’s a football team down big at halftime. To pull off the upset victory, he needs to come out with a playing style that the opposition cannot anticipate. No one, even though it has been more than a year into Trump’s bid for presidency, really knows how to handle him because his strategies are so unprecedented. Every bombastic, factually incorrect and offensive statement he makes only seems to gain him new support.

To win the election, Trump knows he needs to change the conversation. He needs to define the terms: in his own words, he needs to tell Clinton that it is in fact she who is the puppet. Facts and knowledge are both on Clinton’s side. She has an insurmountable lead among people holding college degrees. Intellectuals favor her. The politically correct culture we live in — the one Trump frequently spits in the face of — favors her.

To beat Clinton, Trump needs to reject conventional wisdom. He needs to create a Trump-dominated, alt-right world where his will dictates what’s important, where he can define the facts, where politically correct culture bows down to the white supremacy and patriarchy of the past. From accusing Obama of being Kenyan to claiming that Clinton founded ISIS, Trump has used his willpower to turn what he says into what his supporters see as fact. Trump has worked to change the national discourse from one of tolerance and diversity to one where darkness surrounds our country — a country that we need to “Make Great Again.”

Without facts, the political establishment or prevailing cultural norms on his side, Trump has already turned his slim chances of winning the Republican nomination into an opportunity to win the presidency itself.

To do so, Trump has rejected the definitions used by Clinton and political elites, using his bravado to make his own.

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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.

We cannot isolate ourselves through this upcoming election.

Historical elections will take place this seem to become increasingly prevalent. Yet month, not only in the United States. In condemning globalization as the source of France, Les Républicains will choose the all evil is dangerous rhetoric. candidate to represent them in the 2017 Globalization is not perfect, of course, but presidential election. Barring any surprises, it is very undervalued. It has spurred prosperthis candidate will likely be the next French ity and innovation, lifting nearly one billion president, especially considering the cata- people out of extreme poverty in the past 20 strophic ratings of current President François years. It has encouraged cultures to embrace Hollande of the French Socialist Party and each other and reduced conflicts by creating the fact that Marine Le Penn of the National economic interdependence. In Europe, a Front’s extremism makes it difficult for her continent that was once ravaged with centuries to win a general election. of near-constant warfare, In Italy, Prime Minister “Condemning globalization now constiMatteo Renzi has called tutes the largest trading for a constitutional refer- globalization as the bloc in the world. endum, which has been source of all evil is Most of us were born fiercely opposed by the in a globalized world and Populist Party. The re- dangerous rhetoric. thus take for granted the sults of this referendum Globalization is global political consensus will decide the fate of his against racism, businessgovernment. Since it is not perfect, of es’ ability to collaborate currently one of the few course, but it is very with others around the moderate and seemingly world and our capacity to stable governments in undervalued.” travel freely. These ideas Europe, a chaotic Italy, have become pillars of especially after the Brexit vote in Great Britain, our societies. But even pillars, if shaken by a could lead to increasing instability. And in the large enough force, can fall.

U.S. our presidential election is on Nov. 8.

Globalization is too beneficial to outright These political face-offs all have something reject and too important to allow to fail. Yet in common. Instead of a battle between the there is always room for improvement. Instead traditional left and right, these elections now of being reactionaries, political leaders should pit internationalists against nationalists. Poli- be visionaries. For instance, it’s cowardly to call ticians who see in globalization the possibil- the Trans-Pacific Partnership the “gold stanity to prosper while cooperating with other dard” and then disapprove of it once the tide countries are competing against those who turns, as the Democratic Party’s presidential want to build walls and succumb to national candidate Hillary Clinton has done. Instead interests. of complaining about job loss, we should Nowadays, internationalists are unpopular, find ways to reintegrate workers who have and it seems much easier to criticize global- lost their jobs due to foreign competition or ization than to praise it. After all, some may discuss how to fight global tax evasion. These say, the trade deals are rubbish, immigrants initiatives require an increase in cooperation are taking our jobs and the only way our lives among countries, not a sharp decrease. will improve is if we take our country back.

When we vote in November, we must I wonder if this narrative originated from remember to think of our election in the the electorate that, suffering from economic context of world politics. It is not wise to vote unease and terrorist threats, projected its based on a candidate’s likability; we must fears onto politicians. Or was it the other vote based on what they represent. We are at way around? Were the a pivotal moment in hispoliticians the ones who, “It is not wise to tory, and our choices will after noticing people’s have global consequences vote based on a anxieties, saw an opporbeyond our generation tunity to win elections by candidate’s likability; and beyond. What sort convincing people that of future do we want for we must vote they could solve all their ourselves and our chilwoes through nationalist based on what they dren? Do we want one agendas? in which countries look represent.”

Whatever the origin, it inward and desperately now seems en vogue for try to protect their own politicians in the Western interests by blackmailing world to jump on the anti-globalization band- each other, or do we want one in which we wagon. Only a few months ago, Republican think less of ourselves as individual nationParty leaders talked about free trade as if states and more as nations united? It wouldn’t they were describing one of the Ten Com- take much for the interconnected world we mandants. Yet now they openly criticize trade have helped to construct after World War II to agreements. Within Les Républicains, the crumble. The dismantlement of Europe and American Republicans’ French counterpart, the election of Trump could have disastrous we see the same phenomenon as party lead- consequences on the ambitious internationalers become more aligned with the National ist project we started more seventy years ago Front, France’s far right-wing party.

— a project that still has potential. Before you It’s easy to construct a nationalist narra- cast your vote, think of this election’s global tive as economic instability and terrorism consequences.

THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

PAGE 7

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST SOFIA STANESCU-BELLU ’20

STAFF COLUMNIST SARAH PEREZ ’17

Death to Attack Ads

Once Upon a Political Meme

Political ads do not foster meaningful connections with constituents.

For the last few weeks, I have been unable to open a YouTube video without seeing an attack advertisement for or against New Hampshire Sen. Kelly Ayotte. I can’t watch Buzzfeed in peace without seeing, yet again, why I should or should not vote for the Republican senator. If the purpose of those ads was to sway my opinion, they fell short by a wide margin. Regardless of where I stand on the political spectrum, being inundated with pointless ads isn’t going to make me more likely to vote in a certain direction — if anything, it will make me incredibly annoyed at hearing the same propaganda over and over again. Why are billions of dollars spent each election cycle on pointless ads that have been proven to only slightly, if at all, sway the election in a candidate’s favor?

An extremely cheesy video featuring dramatic music, unflattering pictures of a candidate and a somber voice describing said candidate’s numerous flaws is a complete waste of money. Political attack advertisements lack effectiveness because they are placed on almost every media platform and because they portray the political candidates as monsters. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, good old-fashioned television — you name it, and it’s probably filled with political ads. The ads are obviously intended to reach a specific demographic, but the constant torrent of ads is just not effective. A recent study concluded that political attack ads do more harm than good because they promote a general distrust of the United States government. The tendency of such advertisements to paint political candidates as nefarious crooks intent on ruining America in order to pad their pocketbooks exacerbates voters’ distrust of government.

Instead of suffering through the incessant negative advertisements, people like me, who are sick of seeing presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump bash each other in commercials, immediately press the “SKIP AD” button or change the channel. Prospective voters may even decide to not vote to spite the candidates whose ads they couldn’t escape for two months, if not more. In both cases, the advertisement is not effective because the viewer avoids it altogether and sticks to his or her own opinions about which candidate is better. In the worst-case scenario, he or she don’t vote at all. Ads simply don’t buy votes.

It’s time for campaigns to reverse a long tradition of political attack advertisements and head in a new direction. Maybe attack ads were effective 30 years ago, when fewer people distrusted the government and ads weren’t as pervasive as they are now, but the times have changed. We live in a world where human interaction is becoming increasingly limited. Our lives are revolving less and less around meaningful human interaction and more around fleeting experiences on our devices: likes on Instagram, stories on Snapchat and friends on Facebook. Political attack ads are just another example of

impersonal interaction. Instead of the candidates making an effort to campaign across the country and truly interact with voters, they are content with hiring some filmmaker to create a short video where they critique their opponent.

Frankly, I don’t want to hear why one candidate is worse — I want to hear what makes the other one better. I want to hear about the positive changes a candidate has accomplished and how they want to enact change during their time in office. Telling me that so-and-so got millions of dollars from an oil company doesn’t tell me why I should vote for the other candidate; it just tells me that their opponent is corrupt.

Maybe that is a good enough reason to not vote for someone, but have we really gotten to a point where we’re only voting for a candidate because their opponent has done some shady business deals?

Look at Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Regardless of your political views, we all can agree that Sanders really challenged the norm this election cycle and managed to connect with his voters. As a result, he won a lot of support from demographics usually underrepresented in the voting pool. Yes, he did spend the most on ads this election cycle, but his support was largely based on his vision and charisma, on his effort to connect with a marginalized group that candidates often fail to relate to — not on the ads he aired. Clinton and Trump both spent around the same amount as Sanders on ads, but their support base is volatile and both candidates have an issue connecting with the general public. If they were to have dropped out of the race before the primaries, their support would not have stayed with them, whereas Bernie’s is still going strong because he was able to polarize the country.

I would like the candidates to show the public why they should be elected, and that’s not going to be done in a political attack ad. It’s done at campaign rallies, in town halls and in meetings with individual people — it’s a genuine effort to get to know their constituents and demonstrate to them that they have the skills, the passion and the drive to do what needs to be done to make their lives better.

It’s time candidates stopped treating Americans like a herd of sheep that will immediately swing its vote after seeing a short, biased digital ad. Ads, especially attack ads, are impersonal and ineffective, and the billions of dollars spent on them would be much better used elsewhere. Candidates should make an effort to interact more with voters and show them that they, too, are human — that they’re relatable and not just another rich person living in a gilded cage. Meaningful interaction is what will make a difference in an election.

Candidates, it’s time to stop with the political ads and move toward genuine human connections with voters. It’s exhausting to watch ad after ad of impersonal statements in a world built on the impersonal.

Our right to vote is not a laughing matter.

In less than a week, voters will head to exactly was I laughing at? It was a little the polls to elect the next President of the disconcerting when I couldn’t find an United States and leader of the free world. answer.

Halloween may have been spooky, but for I still don’t have a definitive answer. many the scare factor will increase exponen- But I do have a hunch. As millennials, tially on Nov. 8. Indeed, entrusting either we’re well accustomed to political satire, a misogynist Muppet or from Saturday Night a sleazy career politi- “Bone was an easy Live to Stephen Colcian with the nuclear to the most inane target for the internet. bert codes is enough to give internet memes. We’ve a nyo n e n i g h t m a re s, Before finishing his been taught to laugh at myself included. I am that seems bequestion about energy anything disappointed with our yond the bounds of our options on both sides of policy, he had already control, especially the the aisle. In a country of become a sensation in political process. Makover 300 million people, ing jokes about Bone’s I am aghast that we’ve the meme world.” remarkable similarity somehow narrowed it to a teddy bear is way down to Donald Trump more fun than thinking or Hillary Clinton. about the implications That being said, a rant regarding the — positive or negative — of the upcoming breakdown of American democracy is not election. valuable for you as a reader or for me as Not only is this warped coping mechaa writer. l will talk instead about the real nism entirely maladaptive, but it also hinstar of the 2016 presidential race: Ken ders our development as educated citizens.

Bone. For those who missed the second By entertaining ourselves with election presidential debate, Bone was an undecided memes, we can easily ignore what candivoter tapped by Gallup to pose a question dates are saying on the debate stage, probto the candidates. Sportlematic or otherwise, as ing a red IZOD sweater, “But then I got to well as the implications glasses and a perfectly for our future. Most indithinking — what manicured moustache, viduals who purchased a Bone was an easy target exactly was I Bone look-alike sweater for the internet. Before probably couldn’t tell laughing at? It was finishing his question you the first thing about about energy policy, he a little disconcerting the policies of either had already become a candidate. They almost when I couldn’t find sensation in the meme certainly couldn’t tell an answer.” world. you that Bone’s question Bone’s iconic sweater was related to energy sold out within hours policy. But who cares? of the debate. Trevor Halloween was right Noah of The Daily around the corner, they Show hailed him as a “one-man basket of needed a costume and Bone provided a adorables.” An anonymous Twitter user perfect opportunity. No big deal, right? shared a similar sentiment, describing Wrong. I, like many others, will vote Bone as “looking like the human version for the first time next Tuesday, and I’d like of a hug.” to offer up some advice. As much as we’ve On its face, this is all in good fun. Bone, been persuaded that this election is a joke, a concerned citizen, asked the candidates it really isn’t. The stakes are just as high — a question on a national maybe even higher — as stage and got his 15 min- “By entertaining they were four or even utes of fame. Nothing eight years ago. ourselves with wrong with that, right?

Your vote, regardless Maybe, but I’d at least election memes, we of which candidate it is like to dig a little deeper. for, will have ramificacan easily ignore I don’t think Bone tions for the future of our is just another internet what candidates are country, and especially meme. He’s certainly saying on the debate for the future of the joining an illustrious LGBTQIA, female and crowd: the ‘Ehrmagerd’ stage, problematic or minority communities. girl, the Dos Equis guy otherwise, as well as Your vote, regardless and even Grumpy Cat. of which candidate it is But unlike these, Bone is the implications for for, will have ramificaa symptom of something our own future.” tions for the future of greater. our country. This isn’t a I laughed at his dorky, laughing matter, no mathorn-rimmed glasses as ter what the Internet tells much as the next person. For a time, I’d at us. It is incumbent on us to ensure that our least crack a smile at anything related to democracy doesn’t devolve into bread and Bone. But then I got to thinking — what circuses, or, in our case, pizza and memes.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 2016

THE DARTMOUTH

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