VOL. CLXXII NO. 78
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Alpha Delta’s derecognition appeal denied
RAIN SHOWERS HIGH 68 LOW 54
By Parker Richards The Dartmouth Staff
ANNIE DUNCAN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
SPORTS
BASEBALL FALLS AT IVY CHAMPIONSHIP PAGE SW2
OPINION
SIMINERI: LANGUAGE AND POWER PAGE 4
ARTS
“GETT” AN ISRAELI MASTERPIECE PAGE 8
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The College has denied Alpha Delta fraternity’s appeal of its derecognition, College spokesperson Diana Lawrence wrote in email on Friday. AD had until Monday, April 20 — the same day its derecognition came into effect — to appeal the decision. The appeal came before provost Carolyn Dever, AD alumni advisor John Engelman ’68 said. Dever denied the appeal after reviewing it for roughly three weeks. According to Lawrence, the appeal process included
A May 28 zoning hearing will determine if members can live in Alpha Delta fraternity.
SEE AD PAGE 3
Dartmouth’s 43rd powwow attracts visitors from the region
B y Bob Wang
In the early hours of Saturday morning, the Green transformed into a bustling, communal space for Native Americans students at Dartmouth to celebrate the 43rd annual powwow. With the scent of frybread and bison burgers wafting across the Green, vendors showcased their handcrafted artistry, performers danced in traditional regalia and flags hung to honor Native tribes. A two-day event spanning Saturday and Sunday, Dartmouth’s pow-
wow is the second largest student-run powwow on the East Coast. This year’s student powwow committee consisted of 23 freshmen and sophomores headed by co-presidents Kohar Avakian ’17 and Maggie Seawright ’17, who began planning the event early last fall. The co-presidents said they felt confident that powwow is an asset that increases awareness of Native American culture as a part of the Dartmouth community. “Powwow is a good way to foster understanding and future dialogue, as well as being a celebration of the
Native community.” Seawright said. Seawright said that powwow is not only a show, but also a “deep celebration of tradition.” “It’s a celebration of resiliency and the fact that we are still here, acknowledging one another,” she said. “It’s beautiful to see the solidarity and the presence of Native people from all over the nation.” Seawright and Avakian said because powwow is a meaningful cultural experience for those in the community, attendees should be aware of Native traditions.
Businesses report little change following hard alcohol ban By EMILIA BALDWIN The Dartmouth Staff
Most Hanover businesses report little to no change in revenue since the College’s hard alcohol ban went into effect on March 28. Hanover town manager Julia Griffin said that though she expected of-age students to turn to town businesses instead of drinking hard liquor at fraternities, she has yet to hear of this happening from town
businesses, adding, however, that she is more likely to hear from businesses during difficult times than when there is an uptick in sales. Though she has not heard from any of the bars or restaurants in town, Griffin said that she expects an increasing number of students over 21 years of age to go out for drinks at local establishments, including Molly’s Restaurant and Murphy’s on SEE TOWN PAGE 5
“First and foremost, [come] with the upmost respect for the event,” Seawright said. “There are some cultural norms that you don’t want to break.” For instance, Seawright said that taking photographs at the event without the permission of those being photographed would be culturally insensitive. Avakian said that having respect for the dancers and “knowing whose space it is” shows appreciation for the SEE POWWOW PAGE 2
WHY YOU GOTTA BE SO RUDE
KATELYN JONES/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
The Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals perform “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
PAGE 2
DAily debriefing Rep. Annie Kuster, D-New Hampsire, discussed affordable housing with officials and advocates last week, committing to solve the issue of federal rental subsidies set to expire across the country, the Valley News reported. Affordable housing complexes like Pine Tree Lane Apartments in West Lebanon could be affected if the subsidies expire, among 60 complexes across the country. More federal rental subsidies in New Hampshire are expected to end in the next five years. Kuster said she aims to work with other members of Congress who represent rural areas to address the impending problem, according to the report. Upper Valley nonprofit Twin Pines Housing Trust, the affordable housing developer managing Hanover’s Gile Hill project, has approached the company that owns Pine Tree Lane Apartments to see if the owner might sell the complex. New Hampshire’s state budget may cut funding important to the solar energy industry in the state, though the industry is growing in New Hampshire, the Concord Monitor reported. The state House is moving to cut $50 million from the renewable energy fund, which provides rebates for solar panel installments for residents and businesses, in its budget plan. The fund is also fed by utilities, which pay if they do not purchase the required credits of renewable energy. It has given about 1,500 rebates to residents over its past six years of operation. A national solar energy company, SolarCity, is coming to the state as another, ReVision Energy, is expanding within New Hampshire. Applications for solar rebates by state residents have grown in recent years, as the technology has also become cheaper, according to the report. New Hampshire officials and advocates met last week to discuss the state’s increasing levels of heroin and prescription drug abuse, part of a New Hampshire Forum on the Future series, the Concord Monitor reported. Politicians, police and advocates said growing addiction in the state must be addressed through collaborative measures for prevention and treatment. New Hampshire saw more than 300 deaths from drug overdoses last year and the number of overdoses in 2015 is expected to be higher, according to the report. Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) budgeted funds for increased treatment of substance abuse for residents on Medicaid but the funding was later taken out in the House’s budget.
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
Powwow hosts vendors,dance contest FROM POWWOW PAGE 1
people who committed their time and effort to the event. Don Barnaby, a member of Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation, returned this year as master of ceremonies. Other members of the head staff included arena director Roger White Eyes, head man dancer Taylor Keen, head woman dancer Leah Hopkins and host drum Mystic River, a northern drum group. Barnaby said that powwows have led him down the right path and away from corrupting influences. “It saved my life,” Barnaby said. “When I set my drink down and went into the circle, I set my spirit free and all it wanted to do was dance. Dancing is more important to me than drinking and drugging.” Barnaby said that to him, powwow is a celebration of song and dance. “We sing and dance for those who cannot sing and dance,” he said. “Powwow, to me, is medicine. I come to powwow to feed my spirit.” This year’s powwow showcased the smoke dance, a special performance unique to Northeastern tribes. Since Dartmouth was built on Abenaki territory, Barnaby said he hoped to bring more awareness
to the communities that are native to the area. “I’m always respectful of the territory I’m in, to give them the recognition and proper respect that their people are alive and well,” he said. Barnaby also said that powwow is about education. “There is still a stereotype surrounding [Native Americans],” he said. “It brings awareness that we are still here.” Former College President John Kemeny founded the Native American Program in 1971. The first powwow was held in 1973 at Storrs Pond. As the event grew larger, it moved to the BEMA and finally to the Green, where is it still held today. Kimonee Burke ’18, co-president of Native Americans at Dartmouth and member of the powwow advertising committee, said she feels that powwow plays an important part in raising awareness of Native Americans in the Dartmouth community. “Everything in NAD is completely public,” Burke said. “I feel that it’s a group people forget about a lot. It’s assumed we’re a very exclusive group, which just isn’t the case.” Native Hawaiians Kalei Akau ’18 and Heidi Ahn ’18 said they both felt that they found a home away from
home here at Dartmouth through NAD. “The Native community is one of the biggest reason why I decided to come to Dartmouth,” Akau said. “Even though I’m not necessarily Native American, NAD is a place that is really inclusive of all cultures, indigenous or other cultures in general. They allow me to express my Native identity.” The powwow began with the blessing of the granite early Saturday morning. The blessing of the granite is a ritual in which the ground, in this case the Green, is made sacred. Ahn said that even though the blessing was not organic to her culture, she felt connected because she saw many similarities with Hawaiian cultural ceremonies. Native American culture feels like a “sister culture” to her Hawaiian heritage, she said. “It brought me back to my culture,” she said. This year’s event is estimated to cost over $20,000, Avakian said. NAD, The President’s Office, Special Planning Events Committee, The Native American Alumni Association of Dartmouth College and the Native American Program helped sponsor the powwow.
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THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
PAGE 3
Alpha Delta plans its next steps post-derecognition FROM AD PAGE 1
“careful consideration” by the reviewers. The future of the fraternity is uncertain for the moment, former AD president Ryan Maguire ’16 said. The Town of Hanover contacted AD in relation to possible zoning violations at the house, and a hearing to resolve the issue is set for May 28, Maguire said, adding that “so much is up in the air.” Engelman said that the house is “absolutely” considering the possibility of continuing to operate as an unrecognized organization, as Zeta Psi fraternity did for part of its 2001-2011 period of derecognition. “When the College revoked AD’s recognition, they thought that the 105 members of the fraternity were somehow going to scatter to the fringes of the campus and fade into the background, and they didn’t really understand the nature of a fraternity or a brotherhood,” Engelman said. “I think it’s going to continue to exist as long as it can, as long as it meets the needs of its members, and as I say, it can continue either as a recognized fraternity or as a derecognized fraternity.” Both Engelman and Maguire said
they hope that AD will eventually be re-recognized, as Zete, Beta Alpha Omega — formerly Beta Theta Pi — and Phi Delta Alpha fraternities were after periods of derecognition ranging from two to 12 years. “I think it is in the best interests of the College for the fraternity to be recognized, and quite frankly, I think it’s in the best interest of the fraternity for the College to recognize it,” Engelman said. It is not clear if AD will attempt to form a class of new members in the fall. Engelman said the fraternity would like to have new members, although the matter will not be decided until other issues are resolved. “We fully expect that by that time, we will have a better answer of what we’re going to be doing moving forward,” Maguire said. A likely issue at the fraternity’s May 28 zoning hearing could be the number of people currently residing in the house. While the College gave members of AD until April 20 to move out of the house, many elected not to, Maguire said. “Some of the brothers who were living in the house have moved out, but there’s still a substantial number living internally within the house under the advisement of our zoning and land use attorney — in the
meantime until we clear up whatever issues we may have with town zoning laws,” he said. The zoning hearing will also help determine if AD will be able to
“I think it is in the best interests of the College for the fraternity to be recognized, and quite frankly, I think it’s in the best interest of the fraternity for the College to recognize it.” - JOHN ENGELMAN ’68, AD ALUMNI ADVISOR house members over the upcoming summer term, Maguire said. AD’s derecognition followed allegations of branding new members, first reported by the news and gossip website Gawker in late March, which prompted the College to confirm its extension of the fraternity’s suspension, which was due to expire this term.
In addition to the branding incident, vice president for public affairs Justin Anderson highlighted a three-year history of disciplinary violations — including hazing, serving alcohol to minors and hosting unregistered parties — along with the announcement of the extension. The fraternity’s suspension began last September in relation to incidents during the winter and spring of 2014. AD’s appeal focused on a variety of issues both with the initial charges against the house and with the adjudication process surrounding derecognition, Maguire and Engelman said. The fraternity included numerous supporting documents in its appeal, Engelman said, including a complaint about one member of the Organizational Adjudication Committee, which initially heard the case, who the fraternity felt was “biased against the Greek system in general,” Engelman said. Engelman said he did not recall the committee member’s name. Additionally, the fraternity’s appeal documents included information about its path going forward and a series of emails between Maguire and the office of judicial affairs. “We spoke mostly about how we
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felt that the sanction of derecognition was not appropriate,” Maguire added. Since derecognition, AD has been focusing on its philanthropic efforts, Maguire said. AD raised $20,644 for cancer research as part of the Relay for Life campaign, the highest amount raised of any group. Alpha Xi Delta sorority, the next largest fundraiser, raised $5,690. “I think that’s adding value to the Dartmouth community,” Engelman said. While some alumni have considered withholding donations from the College due to the derecognition, Engelman said the fraternity does not support that stance. “Most of the AD alumni I know have a strong commitment to the College and a strong commitment to the fraternity, and none of the people I’ve talked to are inclined to change those commitments,” he said. Engelman also said many AD alumni have increased their donations to the organization to support its current efforts following derecognition. AD’s attorney George Ostler ’77 did not respond to requests for comment.
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
PAGE 4
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
Staff Columnist CAROLINE HSU ’18
CONTRIBUTING Columnist NICOLE SIMINERI ’17
A Different Dimensions
Language and Power
Dimensions of Dartmouth could be enhanced for all participants. I had a lot of fun when I visited Dimensions of Dartmouth as a prospective student last year, and I enjoyed my stay and first introduction to campus. I was lucky enough to have a thoughtful and attentive host who took the time to show me around and answer any question I had about being a student. Now that I am on the other side, though — I hosted a few students this year, as did many of my friends — it is clear that Dimensions does not provide every prospective student with such a meaningful experience. One distinct attribute of Dimensions, as opposed to prospective student events at many other colleges, is that the program is largely student-run. Although the College hosts events and panels for prospective students, a large part of a prospective student’s experience is dependent on his or her host. By allowing prospective students to see campus through the eyes of current students, rather than those of admissions officers, prospective students can get a raw, unfiltered look at the College — at least, that is the idea. Unfortunately, as I and many others have noticed, this is not always the case. The freedom that we are given often ends up backfiring. Students — and Dartmouth students in particular — are busy. We juggle extracurriculars and fastpaced classes, and midterms loom around every corner. With such busy schedules, host students often leave their hostees to entertain themselves — something I have personally witnessed. If the prospective student is lucky, his or her host will leave him or her in the hands of reliable fellow students. This can, understandably, be rather jarring for the prospective student, who has no understanding of the campus. Of course, hosts should not compromise their academics for the sake of entertaining their guests. To fix this, then, we must change the system, perhaps by making the hosting application more rigorous and extensive — thereby ensuring that only students who truly want to host and are willing to sacrifice their time do so. I have also noticed that many students are unwilling to talk about the negative aspects of the College during Dimensions. The enthusiasm
and pride that Dartmouth students are known for is a large part of why I was drawn to the school, and I myself will take any opportunity to gush about how great it is. There are, however, undeniable issues with the College that prospective students should know about before making the big decision, such as the prevalence of sexual assault and problems regarding socioeconomic and racial diversity on campus. While we as host students should try our best to sell the College’s positive aspects, I think it is more important that the students have a wellrounded and honest idea of what Dartmouth is truly like, rather than an image that life at the College is a perfect one. Dartmouth is a great place to be, and trying to hide the problems that might exist here is doing all of us a disservice. Students should be more open about talking about all of the issues that prevail here, both the positive and the negative. I also thought it unusual that only the third Dimensions weekend featured the much-hyped Dimensions show, and the final weekend, in general, seemed to have had more planned activities and events for prospective students than the first two. This irregularity in programming across Dimensions weekends should not exist. While the details of each weekend’s programming may at first seem like a trite issue, I believe it is essential we offer a balanced weekend to each prospective student. A prospective student’s experience should not depend on which dates he or she is available, and everyone deserves an equal opportunity for a fun experience, regardless of which Dimensions they attend. While Dimensions is an incredibly enjoyable and informative experience for most prospective students, some are not so lucky. Whether it be due to an inattentive host or a lack of planned events, some students end up feeling neglected or without anything to do. Current students should be attentive hosts who are not afraid talk honestly about our campus’ issues. Dimensions is a crucial part of Dartmouth, and we should try to make it as great as possible — our future peers deserve it.
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Political correctness is an important step toward addressing bigotry. In her May 6 column “Incorrectly Po- not “critiques of personal character” — these litically Correct,” Ziqin Yuan ’18 articulated are sexist assessments based on internalized what she sees as the adverse effects of political misogyny and gendered assumptions. correctness, including sheltering individuals Racial bias and heteronormativity are from reality and preventing important dis- likewise glaring problems when it comes to course for fear of repercussion. While these the perception of language. In a 2003 study are important concerns, they divert attention by the University of Chicago Graduate School from what political correctness really means. of Business, job applicants with “AfricanYuan also dismisses how language can — and American-sounding names” were 50 percent does — perpetuate stereotypes and create op- less likely to get called for an initial interview portunities for critics to disregard reclaimed than their “white-sounding” counterparts language and reorient it once again as a tool with identical credentials. The LGBTQA+ of oppression. community also faces heavy discrimination in As Yuan mentions, political correctness re- the workplace. It was only as recently as June fers to being considerate of people’s personal 2014 that President Obama passed Executive backgrounds — including their ethnicities, Order 11246, making it illegal to harass or fire religions, sexualities and genders — and employees of the federal government based speaking in a manner that respects personal on sexual orientation and gender identity. Of identifications. Ideally, all people should aim course, as we have seen throughout history, for such a level of awareness and respect in being granted legal equality on paper does all interactions. In a country like the United not necessarily translate into reality — if this States, where countless groups have his- were the case, there would be no post-civil torically been marginalized and oppressed, rights movement and women would have long such respect is critical — especially because been receiving equal pay for equal work. oppression is not a thing of the past, but Attacks on political correctness also crerather a palpable part ate a disturbing of minority groups’ “Political correctness, however, space where the every day experiences. gains that minoris also about being open to The evidence of this ity groups have having your language critiqued is everywhere, from made can quickly the riots in Baltimore and corrected to reflect the b e ove r t u r n e d . to the multiple dem- needs of those around you. The n-word was onstrations that have Everyone has said problematic used historically by taken place on campus. things in their life, which is a white individuals Political correct- result of the society in which to oppress African ness, however, is also we live and not necessarily a Americans and to about being open to reflection of one’s character.” maintain a racist having your language status quo. The critiqued and corAfrican-American rected to reflect the needs of those around community has since reclaimed the word, reyou. Everyone has made problematic state- serving it as their own and reorienting it to give ments in their life, which is a result of the a sense of empowerment. The LGBTQA+ society in which we live and not necessarily community has similarly reclaimed the word a reflection of one’s character. What counts, “queer,” transforming what had once been however, is how people choose to respond a degrading and dehumanizing insult into to being informed of the negativity within a word that reflects pride in one’s personal their statements — and political correctness identity. I likewise hope that women will one underscores this critical point. By attacking day reclaim the many derogatory terms that political correctness and associating it with have been used against us. When individuals the stifling of intellectual conversations, it outside of these groups use reclaimed terms becomes all too easy to forget this simple and because they do not care about being “politinecessary component of political correctness. cally correct,” they disempower marginalized Yuan also voices her concern that people communities. will “hide behind” political correctness “to These are not just words — they reflect shut down critiques of personal character.” significant gains for historically oppressed Yet, some critiques are, in fact, discrimina- communities. Attacking political correcttory. A 2014 study conducted by Fortune ness downplays the importance of language Magazine, for example, found that women in perpetuating oppressive structures and are significantly more likely than their male discriminatory ideas. Of course, avoiding counterparts to be given negative feedback important discussions about such issues also in performance reviews — when women perpetuates bigotry. If people remember that lead, they are described as “bossy, abrasive, political correctness is not just about respect, strident and aggressive,” and they are called however, but also about being open to learn“emotional and irrational” when they object. ing, then political correctness does not stifle A similar study in Business Insider revealed but, rather, facilitates necessary discussions. the same disturbing trend. I have personally Language is power, and political correctexperienced this bias. A 2014 study by the ness is about reorienting language away from Columbia University Business School found a traditional power hierarchies and toward similar gender bias in employment, with em- social awareness and respect. By changing ployers often “choosing the less qualified male language, we can change minds — and by over a superiorly qualified female.” These are changing minds, we can change lives.
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
PAGE 5
Hanover businesses do not see increase in hard alcohol sales
ELIZA MCDONOUGH/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Clockwise from top left: The bars at Molly’s Restaurant, Candela tapas bar, the Canoe Club and Salt Hill pub, all of which are popular amongst students. FROM TOWN PAGE 1
the Green. Griffin said that she is also apprehensive about a possible increase in attempts to obtain alcohol with fake identification, though bar owners could likely handle this issue should it arise. “Hanover bar owners are pretty savvy with that sort of thing,” she said. Griffin also said that it was too early to tell what the long-term effect of the hard alcohol ban will be on local businesses, since it has only been two months since the ban went into effect. Murphy’s owner Nigel Leeming said that he has noticed little change at the restaurant. “If there’s been an increase in sales, it’s only by a few percentage points,” Leeming said. Leeming added, however, that he has seen a few new groups of of-age students coming in for cocktails since the ban was put into place. He said that it is difficult to track whether student drinking is increasing at the restaurant because the bar has always been popular with both undergraduate and graduate students. Leeming said that though the change has not been noticeable so far, he expects more students to come in for drinks as the hard alcohol ban continues.
Jack Stinson, owner of Stinson’s Village Store, said he has noticed a significant change in his store, which sells beer, wine and other soft-alcoholic drinks. He said that he has seen a massive increase of sales in ciders and spiked sugary drinks. “Woodchuck [hard cider] has always been popular, but other ciders have usually been for those who keep gluten-free,” he said. Stinson also said that drinks such as Mike’s Hard Lemonade have been selling a lot more since the ban went into effect, attributing the change to students’ desire for a more diverse selection of permitted drinks. Stinson said that the sale of beer is harder to track because undergraduate and graduate students have always bought the beverage consistently. “People will get a 12-pack for any Friday afternoon, so it’s hard to say if we’ve been selling more since the new rule,” he said. James Van Kirk, owner of Candela tapas lounge, said that he has not seen an increase in students coming in for drinks at the Candela bar. Van Kirk attributed this to the small size of his bar, which only has eight seats. Though the restaurant has always been popular among older undergraduates and graduate students for creative cocktails, he said
that he originally suspected more underage students would attempt to buy drinks at the spot when he heard of the College’s hard alcohol ban. “We’ve been really strict about IDs since then,” he said. “We ask for a lot every night because we’ve suspected underage students might try and get drinks.”
He also said, however, that he has not witnessed a significant change in younger students coming in for drinks since the ban. Van Kirk said that he does not think students are willing to pay the high price for his restaurant’s cocktails. “My drinks go for eight, nine, 10 dollars,” he said. “Most students aren’t going to pay that to get
buzzed.” Vankirk added that he thought restaurants such as Molly’s and Salt Hill Pub might encounter the issue of underage students more often because they offer cheaper beers and wines. Re p re s e n t at i ve s fo r o t h e r Hanover businesses could not be reached for comment by press time.
RAISE THE ROOF
PREETI RISHI/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Dartmouth’s chapter of Habitat for Humanity held a benefit concert on Friday.
PAGE 6
THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
DARTMOUTH EVENTS TODAY 4:30 p.m. “Breaking Up Is Hard To Do: Europe in Crisis” with Henry Chu of the Los Angeles Times, Rockefeller Center, Room 003
4:30 p.m. “Is the Age of Human Rights Over?” with Elisa Massimino, Haldeman 41
5:00 p.m. “Big Contracts,” DEN Sales Class with Katerina Kekola, DEN Innovation Center, 4 Currier Place, Suite 107
TOMORROW 4:00 p.m. “Homosexuality on Display in 1920s Spain: The Hermaphrodite, Eccentricity and Álvaro Retana,” Rockefeller Center, Room 002
4:00 p.m. “MICA Auroral Sounding Rocket Measurements of the Seeds of Thermal Ion Outflow,” seminar, Wilder 111
4:15 p.m. “User-Centered Security: From Grand Challenge to Technology Transfer,” Carson L02
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
PAGE 7
Powwow: dance, celebration and tradition
DANIEL BERTHE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
On its second day, Dartmouth’s Powwow moved to Leede Arena in case of rain.
PREETI RISHI/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Dancers on the Green capture the attention of passerbys and attendees with colorful dress and performance.
DANIEL BERTHE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
In addition to performance, attendees at Powwow could purchase crafts and traditional foods.
DANIEL BERTHE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Among the dances performed was the Northeastern tribes’ smoke
DANIEL BERTHE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
In the midst of performance, the intensity of each dancer was clear.
PREETI RISHI/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
The College itself is built on Abenaki land, a fact that emcee Don Barnaby said he kept in mind during the Powwow.
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
PAGE 8
ARTS
MONDAY, MAY 11, 2015
“Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem,” an Israeli masterpiece
B y ANDREW KINGSLEY The Dartmouth Staff
In a first for my reviews, let’s begin with a round of “Would You Rather” — would you rather live as Sisyphus, forced to endure eternity rolling a rock endlessly up a hill, or as a wife eternally unable to divorce your abusive and psychologically manipulative husband? “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” (2014) captures what the latter might feel like, with writer, director and star Ronit Elkabetz chaining viewers to a couple enduring a marital hell. In the process, she more than earns the film’s best-picture award from the Israeli Film Academy and Golden Globe nomination, delivering a startlingly intense and moving picture. Shot entirely in a claustrophobic, seven-seat courtroom, “Gett” begins with its protagonist invisible, marginalized out of frame until the men of the court address her. Portrayed master-
fully by Elkabetz, Viviane has a look of suffering etched onto her blanched face from her first shot on camera — the result of years endured in an attempt to win a divorce from her unflinching husband, Elisha (Simon Abkarian), who insists that she is his burden from God and will not consent to the divorce. In Hebrew, “Gett” means a divorce document under Jewish religious law. To an American audience, a divorce between a couple that hasn’t lived together or spoken with each other for four years might seem like a no-brainer. But in the film’s orthodox Jewish society, where even the word “woman” is practically a slur, Viviane is treated as an hysteric that only Elisha can cure, and his consent is needed for the marriage to be dissolved. Over the course of the film, Viviane returns to marital court nearly once a month for five years, gradually grinding her husband down by perseverance. She speaks with a voice rusted
by pain, wearied by years of crying into a vacuum of sympathy. When speechless, the small manipulations of her hair and feet — quiet, defiant marks of her enduring femininity — become her language. And it is her eyes, hardened and piercing like diamonds, that distill and focus her repressed pain, threatening to erupt. Martyrized by lengthy close-ups, Viviane is lofted to Joan of Arc status, led on by twin Gods of righteousness and freedom that she may never meet within her lifetime. In her portrayal of her protagonist, Elkabetz gives an epic and searing performance comparable to Shakespeare’s “King Lear” in its raw volatility and stamina. Pour on judges, Viviane will endure. Of course, pour on they do. Unable to force Elisha into a divorce, merely to delay his decision, the judges invite a number of external witnesses to offer their opinions on the marriage. Arriving in the courtroom, this band of
clowns brings comic fresh air into an otherwise stuffy setting, offering pointless exercises in biased mud slinging. The film’s men, clouded by religious dogma, see Elisha as a saint and Viviane as ungrateful and frenetic. The women, tethered to reality, understand her plight, arguing that “a caged dog had a better life.” These individuals only increase the intensity of debate, yet affect no decision. Beyond these testimonials, the film masterfully translates the absurdities Viviane endures. The inept clackings of a stenographer nibble at the toes of her sanity, and the tragicomic accusations of the judges go right for the jugular. As time progresses, the viewer becomes numb to the film’s title cards, which mark the months and years of Viviane’s wait — they begin to play out like a cruel joke, once funny but now curdled from abuse. Like a nesting doll, the film unveils cruelty after cruelty as Elisha vacillates over his decision,
torturing Viviane like Tantalus with the fruit of freedom. Eventually, the film becomes near abuse, translating Viviane’s pain by forcing the audience to swallow concentrated doses of her decades-long trauma. Thankfully, the film’s relentlessness goes beyond the simple “f*** the patriarchy” sentiments of many feminist films. Viviane would never say that — when men define your entire ontology, your words are worthless. It is only her determination, her exhaustive playing of their game, that succeeds. There are no rallies and no bullhorns in “Gett,” just the monomaniacal will of a woman hellbent on happiness. And in her 12-round emotional cagematch, Elkabitz delivers a knockout film worth entering the ring for. Rating: 10/10 “Gett: The Trial of Viviane Amsalem” played at the Hopkins Center on Friday night at 7 p.m.
Feingold ’17, Rude Mechanicals take on namesake show
B y JOSH KOENIG
The Dartmouth Senior Staff
This weekend, The Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals — the College’s student-run Shakespeare troupe — took to Fahey Courtyard to premiere three performances of their spring production, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Avery Feingold ’17, the group’s president and a two-year member of the troupe, reflected on the performance, the group’s choice to perform outdoors this spring and the near-inclusion of a reference to Netflix in the student performance. It’s sometimes said that Shakespeare is hard to make accessible to College students. Do you work to modernize your shows, or do you let the works speak for themselves? I think that we definitely deal with those issues a lot, and we think a lot about how much are we trying to make this accessible versus how much are we trying to be true to the text. We try not to edit the text — we do cut it every time we do a show, because very few college students want to sit through two and a half hours — but we try to stay fairly true to the original text. In [A Midsummer Night’s
Dream], we used an iPhone, and we entertained at one point the idea of using Netflix — we’re always thinking creatively. I think anachronism is always kind of a funny thing that can be used in moderation in Shakespeare especially. When you bring in a very modern element that seems out of a place you can add a nice joke to it. [A Midsummer Night’s Dream] is nice because it kind of transcends time and place in some ways, so we were able to just kind of roll with it.
What was the rehearsal process like this spring? What were some of the challenges that arose? We started right from the first week — we had already auditioned at the end of last term, so we knew who was playing what parts — and we came and we got together and we read through it. We had the script cut by the end of spring break, and that was kind of the defining step. We talked about what vision we had for it, what kind of theme we wanted to set to it. We talked about different locations that could be possibilities. And then from that point on, it was a matter of getting together and blocking individual scenes. At first we mostly worked three to four hours
every weekend day, Saturdays and Sundays, and then once it got closer to show time we would start having more regular weekly rehearsals.
The Dartmouth Rude Mechanicals is an entirely student-run group. What’s the direction process like?
For the last three years, you’ve done shows outdoors in the spring. Is that a tradition? How did you select Fahey Courtyard as this year’s location, and where else did you consider?
We co-direct all of the shows, so everyone is involved in the direction process. Whenever someone has a creative idea, they present it and we generally try it out. If people like it then we’ll stick with it or if there are conflicting ideas then we’ll talk as a group about them, and sometimes we’ll have to sit down and have a bigger conversation about whether we like the general direction this is going, whether it’s consistent. We don’t really have a set director. We have a position that is our artistic director, which varies in seriousness from term to term, anywhere from someone who breaks ties in the event of an equal vote to someone who has an entire vision for a show that we kind of stick to, but that requires a lot more work on that person’s part.
I don’t know if it’s a tradition. I’ve only been in the group for two years — I know that in the last three years we’ve done the BEMA, and then Kemeny Courtyard and now Fahey Courtyard. Using outdoor spaces is fun, and it draws people in who wouldn’t even necessarily expect to be going to a show. That was something I especially loved about “As You Like It” in Kemeny Courtyard last spring. I think Fahey really spoke to us [this year] because it’s a very dynamic space, with a lot of different uses and possibilities with a balcony, with pillars, and we had different creative ideas of how to utilize that space. And it also presented a nice stage front. Often though I think the outdoor space comes partially as a fact that outdoor spaces are better than indoor spaces because the indoor spaces we can get are usually suboptimal.
How do you think the performances of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” went this weekend? I was — I wouldn’t say surprised, but I was very pleased with how [the performances] went on the whole. It
was very hot all three days, and I think especially Sunday the heat really got to us. I found it personally at least hard to stand still on the brick barefoot — I was hopping back and forth. But...it was still dynamic. I think we really enjoyed having an audience there, and we fed off of their energy really well...We had really active, engaged audiences that were a pleasure to perform for and that really motivated us and helped us perform better. As spring draws to a close, what are you looking forward to most for next year? I think personally, what I’m looking forward to is seeing people audition for the group. That’s always my favorite, when [students]... come out and audition and we get to welcome new talent and see new talent. I think something that Dartmouth has down to a tee is the experience of being welcomed into a group, and that’s something that gives me the most pleasure...And we’ve got this incredibly talented and incredibly enthusiastic group of new members this year that have so much potential to put energy and do great things for this group. This interview has been edited and condensed.