The Dartmouth 04/06/15

VOL. CLXXII NO. 53

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

S&S sees little change under alcohol ban

LIGHT RAIN HIGH 45 LOW 34

By kelsey FLOWER The Dartmouth Staff

MELISSA VASQUEZ/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

SPORTS

WOMEN’S RUGBY GAINS VARSITY STATUS PAGE SW2

MEN’S LACROSSE FALLS TO NO. 11 YALE OPINION

CHAMSEDDINE: A DIFFERENT KIND OF BREAK PAGE 4

ARTS

AIRES TRAVEL TO CHINA OVER INTERIM PAGE 8

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The first weekend under the thumb of Dartmouth’s new hard alcohol ban saw increased precaution but little in terms of incidents, students and campus security officials said.

Safety and Security received no unusual reports about social events, Safety and Security associate director Keiselim Montas said. Throughout the course of the weekend, one student overall was found in possession of hard alcohol, Montas said, when Safety and Security

Safety and Security only found one student in possession of hard alcohol this weekend.

SEE MDF PAGE 5

Michelle Obama honors Kaya Thomas’ iPhone app

B y Hannah Chung The Dartmouth Staff

When she was young, Kaya Thomas ’17, creator of the iPhone application “We Read Too,” said she was thrilled when she first discovered a book with another black girl on its cover. When she began to read the book, however, she said that she was heartbroken to discover the story was about a girl who got pregnant, became a stripper and dropped out of school.

Thomas said the difficulty in finding books with characters with whom she connected led her to develop the iPhone application “We Read Too” last summer, which currently has over 2,000 users. The application features literary works written by authors of color with characters of color that do not conform to racial stereotypes, she said. First Lady Michelle Obama honored Thomas for her work during the “Black Girls Rock Award Show,” which aired on the BET Network last night.

Thomas said that she struggled to find books with characters who were both similar to her in appearance and did not fall into racialized tropes. The books that she did find had young black characters as juvenile delinquents, high school drop-outs or drug abusers.

“I just could not relate to that because I was thinking, ‘I’m a nerd’ and that was not my life story,” Thomas said. “So I was wondering why there aren’t books with characters like young black girls who love

“Move It Challenge”promotes fitness among faculty, staff B y ERIN LEE

The Dartmouth Staff

The Wellness at Dartmouth office has launched its second annual “Move It Challenge” for faculty and staff this week with a series of kick-off walks for community members. The eight-week event, which takes places from April 6 to May 31, encourages participants to log at least 37,500 steps per week to promote personal health, director of health promotion and wellness Melissa Miner wrote in an email

to read.”

Thomas said she began reading when she was two years old and has been an ardent reader ever since. She noted that her parents, emphasizing the importance of education, constantly bought books for her.

Her difficulty to find books with relatable protagonists persisted until her teenage years. When Thomas was in high school, with better access to the internet and mastery of SEE APP PAGE 3

MISSION IMPROVABLE

interview.

“It’s a great program that can help nudge all of us to find ways to be more active within our day,” she wrote.

The wellness office offered the teambased program for the first time in 2014 to College employees and spouses, she said.

Over 1,600 people participated last year, logging a total approaching nearly 800 million steps, according to the program’s website. Miner wrote that she could not

KATELYN JONES/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

SEE MOVE IT PAGE 2

The improv comedy group “Mission Improvable” performed at Collis After Dark.

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

PAGE 2

DAily debriefing The Vermont House of Representatives’ ways and means committee approved a tax package last week that will include an excise tax on sweetened beverages, a removal of sales tax exemptions for dietary supplements and increased tobacco taxes. In total, the new taxes are expected to raise roughly $22 million for health care spending, VTDigger reported. The tax on sugary drinks will be set at a half-cent per ounce and will include drinks sweetened with both added sugar and artificial sweeteners, but will exclude milk products, 100 percent juices and any beverage sweetened with maple syrup. The measure was supported by the committee’s Democratic leadership with a set of Republicans opposing the measure. Rep. Adam Greshin (I-Warren) also opposed, citing the tax’s estimated $810,000 implementation cost. Republican opponents questioned the law’s ability to achieve its aim of reducing obesity. Tina Zuk, a leader of the Alliance for a Healthier Vermont, told VTDigger that while her organization had desired a 10 percent tax on sugary drinks, it was pleased to see legislators addressing the issue. The bill must now go before the Vermont House and the Vermont Senate.

New Hampshire’s Medicaid billing system is nearing completion after a decade of work — seven years more than intended — and a long serious of hiccups, the Concord Monitor reported yesterday. The system was originally approved in 2005 and was expected to cost $60 million. The system was planned to launch in 2007. In reality, the project took 10 years and $91 million to complete and is finally up for federal certification this month. Xerox is the contractor managing the system, the cost of which was largely covered by the federal government. Issues involved delays in payments to doctors and hospitals as well as New Hampshire’s shift from a fee-for-service model to a managed care system. The state will be eligible for roughly $6 million in back payments from the federal government if the system is approved, money that is already being worked into the Department of Health and Human Services budget.

Vermont’s House of Representatives approved a plan last week to merge the state’s 272 school districts into a set of larger districts that must have at least 1,100 pupils apiece, the Valley News reported. The controversial law will attempt to merge all schools into districts that must offer pre-kindergarten through 12th grade education and will put a cap on total school spending by 2019. The homestead property tax rate in the state will increase from $1.515 to $1.525 per $100 of assessed property value under the bill, which will generate an additional $16 million for the state’s Education Fund. School spending will be capped at 2.95 percent. Some of that money will go toward $620,000 incentive packages for each school district that undergoes a merger. Legislators debated further issues, including reducing the total number of school districts from 272 to 15 statewide, implementing a stricter cap on school spending and the hazy nature of the process that districts will be put through if the bill is enacted into law.

— COMPILED BY PARKER RICHARDS

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

The April 3 article “Molly’s balances nostalgia with appreciation for the new” originally stated that Molly’s margaritas previously costed $2.50. The previous price was actually $2.

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

Health challenge promotes exercise FROM MOVE IT PAGE 1

offer an estimate of participation for the 2015 challenge, as registration is still ongoing.

Ted Bush, a technical writer for Geisel Medical School’s bioinformatics group, was the captain of last year’s winning team. He said that he contributed nearly 2.25 million steps to his team’s overall total by playing squash, lifting weights, doing Kung Fu and biking, among other physical activities.

Bush said that he is participating in the challenge again this year, but is doing so alone. He said that the rest of his team was reluctant to sign up again because of the significant time commitment, which at times involved two workouts a day.

Participants in the program receive a pedometer or a $10 discount on an activity device from the college computer store to record their steps, Miner said. Individuals or teams who meet the weekly goal of 37,500 steps are entered into prize drawings each week for Alumni Gym memberships, training sessions at Zimmerman Fitness Center and Fitbit wireless activity tracking devices, among other prizes.

The top three teams or individuals will receive prizes, as well as the three most-improved teams and individuals.

Miner explained that the changes to the challenge this year reflect feedback from past participants. She said that improvements include smaller team sizes, different pedometer devices, the option to participate individually and a simplified weekly step goal.

“I think we have a community aroundhere in the Upper Valley that is really supportive of these kind of athletic events and community things. Dartmouth has been making pretty good efforts towards preventative health.”

- ANDREW CONNOLLY, GEISEL SCHOOL OF MEDICINE PROFESSOR Bush said that one of the reasons the members of his former team did not want to participate this year was that the prizes for winning the challenge were “underwhelming.” He noted that he thought there was less enthusiasm

about the program this year from the faculty and staff, which he attributed to less advertising.

Geisel neurology professor Andrew Connolly said that he has not signed up for the challenge and was not aware of the details of the program, but thought it has a good chance of being successful.

“Anything like this is positive,” he said. “I think we have a community around here in the Upper Valley that is really supportive of these kind of athletic events and community things.

Dartmouth has been making pretty good efforts towards preventative health.”

Connolly cited Dartmouth Health Connect, a Hanover primary care organization targeted specifically to College employees, as a successful health care initiative started by the College to benefit its faculty and staff.

He added that he has participated in Fitness and Lifestyle Improvement Program courses run by the athletic department to increase health awareness and general fitness in the community, including teaching an alpine skiing course at the Dartmouth Skiway the previous year Campus leaders, wellness office staff and student athletes will lead walk/run events from April 7 to 9 in the Hanover area to kick-off the event.

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

PAGE 3

“We Read Too” application promotes diversity in literature FROM APP PAGE 1

electronic devices, she said she was able to find books online that featured people of color.

“It was uplifting to know that they are there, but then I thought ‘OK, how do I give people access to them?’” she said.

When she arrived at Dartmouth, she said that she discovered documentaries and blogs about technology and computer coding and how people of color were using these skill sets to enact social change. Thomas said that she realized then that she could make her idea of creating an accessible book list featuring people of color a reality through coding.

Thomas began work on an application that would allow the public to access information on literary works by and for people of color while working as an intern at Time, Inc. last summer.

“I would go to work then would come home and work on my app and couldn’t sleep — that’s what I would do,” she said. “I just wanted this app to be out there. I had parents who bought all those books for me, but not everyone does.”

After two months of consulting online resources and using skills she acquired from introductory computer science classes, she was able to finish creating the app.

“We Read Too” provides two lists of books, one for children and one for young adults. The lists are organized in alphabetical order with information about each book, brief descriptions and a link to the Amazon page where one can purchase the book. Users can also

search by title or author.

Amarachi Ihionu ’17 said this application could be a gamechanger for children of color. She noted that currently, children and young adults find it difficult to discover books with characters that they look up to and who look like them. She said that her favorite part of the application is the ability for users to add their own books to the lists.

Brendan Murphy ’14 Th’15 said that the “We Read Too” app was helpful in selecting books to buy as a gift for his girlfriend’s younger sibling. He added that the app has a great idea behind it that was well-implemented.

During the development process, Thomas said an obstacle was realizing that she could not include all the features she envisioned for the initial version and needed to scale down for her first release.

“All those great ideas you have, you can build upon later,” she said.

Thomas said that she wants to develop an Android version and add more genres such as adult fiction and poetry. She also hopes to further expand the existing application by potentially adding features such as a wish list, a user space and access to library catalogs, as well as make content available inside the app.

Thomas added that computer science and technology are more accessible than they are often perceived to be and said she encourages those with great ideas to take initiative.

“Even if you take two intro courses, you can still bring ideas to life,” Thomas said.

HOPPY EASTER

JESSICA ZISCHKE/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Eggs were scattered on the Green Easter morning.

KATELYN JONES/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Kaya Thomas ’17 designed “We Read Too,” an app with reading lists featuring characters of color who defy steretypes.

THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

PAGE 4

Contributing Columnist reem chamseddine ’17

The Dartmouth Opinion STAFF

A Different Kind of Break

Opinion Asks

Every student should participate in the alternative spring break program.

As the second week of the term begins, the planning of spring interim getaways is well behind us. From the beaches of Florida to Dartmouth Outing Club trips and weeks spent at home visiting family and high school friends, students spend their week away from the College in a variety of ways. While I do not think that the College should dictate what students do during their free time, I believe the Tucker Foundation’s Alternative Spring Break program is an opportunity that every student should take advantage of at least once during their time at the College.

Each year, Tucker organizes six ASB trips, with frequent destinations including Denver, the Dominican Republic, Washington, D.C., Florida and West Virginia. The program also includes a trip that works alongside Habitat for Humanity in a different location each year. Each trip is centered around issues of community service and social justice, including homelessness and the political discussions surrounding migrant workers. According to Tucker’s website, some of the program’s aims are to “provide opportunities for meaningful service that introduce students to domestic and international social justice issues” and “engage participants in meaningful dialogue and reflection on these experiences.” The trips last for much of the spring interim and attract about 70 participants each after a fall application and selection process. Tucker also offers need-based financial assistance, making the trips affordable for those who wish to participate.

It’s understandable why the programs may not at first seem like the ideal spring break option, as many often feel that all they need after winter-term finals is rest and relaxation. Contrary to what one may think, though, ASB trips are not always typical volunteer experiences that require hours of purely physical tasks — if such is understandably not your cup of tea.

ASB trips offer the opportunity to learn about various issues that many volunteer experiences do not address. Although there are several community service projects in the Upper Valley, students generally participate in them while balancing classes and other commitments, significantly limiting the amount of time they

can devote to these projects. Furthermore, volunteer opportunities are more often than not about giving direct service, such as mentoring or cooking. The ASB trip, on the other hand, is an immersive experience. Participants engage in activities throughout the day, and do so with fellow students interested in similar social justice issues. The West Virgina ASB, for example, focuses on environmental justice. Additionally, these trips are not limited to providing direct service. The schedule combines service, education and policy events. On my ASB trip exploring the issue of homelessness in Washington, D.C., we volunteered at various food banks, attended workshops on the rising costs of rent and met with community organizers. The experience was holistic and thorough — I doubt that I would have truly learned about the roots of homelessness had I been engaging in direct service once a week over a term. Of course, direct service can be valuable — but when given alone, it is the “band-aid” solution. Local communities will always require direct service if it is not coupled with greater systemic change. In order to address the problems in a community, education about the existing policies is necessary.

ASB trips also provide a change of pace that I believe we all need between academic terms.

Although the trips are busy, they include daily time for discussion and reflection. Students get to engage each other intellectually, through conversations that include discussions on racism in the United States or questions about religion and faith. A faculty or staff advisor accompanies the trip and provides facilitation for these discussions. Participants get a chance to think more deeply about their values, about social justice and perhaps their future plans to create change in the community around them.

Tucker’s program manager for service trip Adam Knowlton-Young explained in an email that one of the goals behind the ASB trip is exploration of life’s meaning and personal self-reflection.

The trips do not only leave the students with a better understanding of themselves — these trips also guide their goals and purposes before starting a new academic term.

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Given the implications of “Moving Dartmouth Forward,” what is the role of an undergraduate advisor? Should they be responsible for strict enforcement of new College policies, or should they prioritize other goals?

While I think that undergraduate advisors can do more to be vigilant about violations of College policy by students on their floor, they are still students. It is understandable that they would not report a friend or a very apologetic resident, particularly given the stringent consequences that can come with violating the hard alcohol ban.

Increasing the responsibility of undergraduate advisors, including requiring each to do rounds on “likely drinking nights,” may make students less likely to make risky decisions, but only if there is stronger enforcement of undergraduate advisors reporting violations.

In order to ensure that undergraduate advisors report violations of College policy, I believe that community directors or faculty oversight of residential buildings would be the most effective way forward.

— Reem Chamseddine ’17 Although this might be an unpopular opinion, I believe that undergraduate advisors should be responsible for enforcing the hard liquor ban. It is a fundamental aspect of a undergraduate advisor’s job to ensure that his or her residents are both safe and abiding by the rules set forth by the College.

As long as they do not violate anyone’s privacy, undergraduate advisors should try their best to make sure that their residents are not violating any College policies.

— Caroline Hsu ’18 I already find it strange and a bit discomfiting that students are paid to befriend other students, though this is not an undergraduate advisor’s primary job. I think the reason I am uncomfortable with this relationship that hinges on one student’s job requirements is that it seems to be a

poor substitute for adequate mental health facilities at the College.

For similar reasons, I think that an undergraduate advisor’s role with regard to the new alcohol policy laid out in the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” plan would be a poor substitute for thorough monitoring — and even a sign that the policy’s implementation will be difficult.

I also think that asking undergraduate advisors to be closely involved with enforcing the more punitive aspects of “Moving Dartmouth Forward” would alienate them from their peers, which is a burden that should not fall on any student worker.

— Emily Sellers ’15 An undergraduate advisor should not be required to be the proverbial “long arm of the law.” They should not be viewed as a proxy for College authority, as an extension of Safety and Security or as drones of the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” policy.

There is a significant danger to students conflating their undergraduate advisors — who work within the bounds of a program of mutual respect and guidance that has proven effective — with College administrators. It greatly compromises the integrity and efficacy of the undergraduate advisors program.

Moreover, in many cases having undergraduate advisors police their residents could result in almost laughable situations.

How is a 19-year-old sophomore undergraduate advisor, for example, supposed to be able to walk into a 21-year-old senior’s room and tell her with any sort of authority to put down an illicit handle of Jack Daniels? The younger undergraduate advisor cannot and likely will not — and the College should not expect the undergraduate advisor to do so.”

— Aylin Woodward ’15

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

PAGE 5

Student opinion mixed after first weekend without hard alcohol FROM MDF PAGE 1

officials were responding to a call in a residence hall.

Montas said that officers “came upon something, investigated and found hard alcohol.” He emphasized, however, that officers were not there “looking for it,” adding that they never randomly check students’ rooms. Montas also rejected rumors that Safety and Security officers will be searching through the trash cans of Greek organizations looking for discarded handles of hard alcohol, calling the idea “preposterous.”

Chi Gamma Epsilon social chair Shaun Sengupta ’17 said that in his opinion, the hard alcohol ban did not decrease the amount of fun students had at their tails event this weekend and that attendance was high.

He added that while the fraternity did take extra precautions due to the new rules, their guests understood that those rules had to be followed so that if Safety and Security visited, there would be “no infractions on any front.”

Such extra precautions included ensuring that people stayed in one designated tails area and not opening the basement until the registered tails event ended at 11 p.m., Sengupta said.

“We made sure things were very punctual and pretty much followed what we registered with the GLOS office point by point,” Sengupta

said. “We made sure that 100 percent of the rules were followed.”

The ban will not deter the fraternity from hosting larger events this spring, such as their annual Green Key weekend Gammapalooza concert.

“We’re going to still have that big event regardless and just be more attentive to the rules,” Sangupta said.

Other social chairs declined or did not return requests seeking comment.

Student co-chair of the social event management group, entrusted with examining the College’s alcohol policy in relation to expectations for student social events, and member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity Taylor Watson ’16 said that he personally enjoyed the weekend more than previous weekends.

“One of the things that I feel like happened over the weekend was that events in general were a little more relaxed, a little more focused on people over the drinking,” Watson said. He said that he thinks that this trend will continue.

Watson said that as an example, when he drinks a mixed drink it is “more of a commitment to being out for the rest of the night.” When he drinks a cider or beer, however, he feels like he can go back to his room or resume studying later on.

Regarding fraternities hosting social events, Watson said he thinks that the only big difference is the

stricter punishments for social event chairs if someone — even over the age of 21 — brings hard alcohol to an event and is caught

by Safety and Security, as they can be suspended for one term. Social

“I look at the venues in which girls can consume alcohol, and I feel like there’s a double standard with the way the punishments work.

It’s kind of pinning blame onto girls and our consumptive behaviors.”

- arielle gordon-rowe ’18 chairs of Greek houses met with the Greek Letters Organization and Societies last Tuesday night to discuss changes to the SEMP policies, several social chairs confirmed. Notable among the rules is that only one type of alcohol, either beer and cider or wine and champagne, may be served at a social event, though this regulation had been in place prior to the ban.

Even if an event were dry or the social chairs were unaware of the alcohol being brought in, they can still get in a lot of trouble, Watson said. However, Watson

SMOOTH LIKE JAZZ

TIFFANY ZHAI/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

The Michael Blume Trio performed a jazz set in One Wheelock over the weekend.

does not think that this will make social chairs significantly less likely to host social events, especially in regards to stable events that occur annually.

“I don’t see anything is going away because of the higher risk,” Watson said. Instead, he said social chairs are more likely to ensure that students do not bring hard alcohol to events.

The SEMP policy, Dartmouth’s policy on how organizations can serve alcohol at approved events, is now outdated because it contains several technicalities about serving hard alcohol at events. While Watson said the policy is generally updated every five to seven years, the new committee working to update the SEMP policy is different because it has more student involvement than usual, Watson later clarified in an email.

The group is composed of students, faculty and staff, and is currently researching ways to move forward with the new policy.

The group is looking at what other schools are doing and what Dartmouth has done in the past, Watson said.

Watson said that the committee is trying to balance “individual safety and freedom with the goals of student organizations with responsibilities that those organizations need to maintain to themselves and campus in general.”

Of 12 students surveyed by The Dartmouth on Sunday, five

said that they did not experience a change in the social scene this week.

Merritt Losert ’17 said while the alcohol served at tails was different, there was not a different mood or atmosphere.

Still, several students noticed a different social dynamic due to the hard alcohol ban.

“It’s definitely caused a lot more undercover parties in rooms,” Tara Simmons ’17 said. “Kids are drinking alone in their rooms instead of going out to tails.”

Arielle Gordon-Rowe ’18 said that she thinks the hard alcohol ban has made it more difficult for women to congregate in nonmale dominated social spaces. For example, she said while it is easy to receive beer at a fraternity, if girls drink wine in a dorm room they are more likely to be caught and written up by Safety and Security.

“I look at the venues in which girls can consume alcohol, and I feel like there’s a double standard with the way the punishments work,” Gordon-Rowe said. “It’s kind of pinning blame onto girls and our consumptive behaviors.”

Gabrielle van den Hoek ’18 said while there she felt a change this week, she is not sure if it will last all term.

“Everyone’s cautious right now because no one’s been caught yet,” she said. “People are waiting for the first people to be caught to see how [the College] handles it.”

PAGE 6

THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

DARTMOUTH EVENTS TODAY 4:00 p.m.

Special microbiology/immunology department seminar, Borwell, Room 658W

4:00 p.m.

“Management and Learning for Future Energy Systems,” Thayer School of Engineering, Cummings 200

4:30 p.m.

“Fresh Fruit, Broken Bodies: The Hiddenness of Migrant Farmworkers,” Rockefeller Center, Room 003

TOMORROW 4:00 p.m.

“Student Office Hours” with College President Phil Hanlon, Parkhurst, Room 207

4:30 p.m.

“Poverty and Progress in the 21st Century,” with Neal Wolin, former Deputy Secretary of the Treasury, Haldeman Center, Room 041

5:30 p.m.

“Multi-Faith Conversations: Seeking Spirituality in College,” Tucker Foundation, Room 105

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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

PAGE 7

Godchaux stresses the importance of routine and voice FROM INTERVIEW PAGE 8

For example, “Dead Like Me” is about an 18-year-old woman who is trying to figure out what her life is now that she’s dead. As crazy as it is now to write a television show and receive instantaneous reactions, even then in the early 2000s, I could tell that this is a show that affected people and got them thinking about how they’re living their lives, so it’s satisfying to know that you can have some kind of impact on people’s lives even though it’s just a short television show.

Do you have a routine when you’re writing or a specific place you go to work?

SG: I just sold a show to USA [Network]. It’s actually set at a fictitious university. It’s called “College.” I just handed in the second draft for that, and my routine has been to write at a place I have in Santa Monica, [California], where my desk faces west toward the ocean. I wake up at the same hour every day, and I approach it as if I were going to a job. I get up and sit at that desk and I don’t leave it until I’ve had a productive day. I try to keep regular hours. A lot of writers say they’re writing. A lot of writers when they’re taking walks, having lunch or talking to other people, they sort of convince themselves that they’re working hard. But the fact is that for me, you’re not really writing unless you’re writing. You’re actually writing.

Writers tend to be a notoriously lazy group. You have to incur the

kind of discipline to make sure you’re not throwing your time away. I wake up every morning and try to work hard every day. I don’t listen to music. I do my best not to go on the internet. I do my best not to get distracted.

How much time per week do you spend writing?

SG: I probably spend five to six hours a day, Monday to Friday.

I don’t write that often on the weekends unless I’m on a deadline.

For television writing, you have to get the script in on time.

Someone described television as a compromise between art and running out of time.

Do you normally go into these writing sessions with an idea that you’ve previously thought of ?

SG: I do keep a pen and pad on my night table and as things wind down the night before, I do try to keep distractions at a low level.

When I wake up I try not to look at email. I know that the first thing I want to do is try to get to the flow of writing.

Have any of your episodes b e e n b a s e d o n re a l - l i f e experiences?

SG: I try to steal from everything I can. I try to be a brilliant thief about other people’s lives and what I read and I’ll try to make it my own. There’s a famous line from Truman Capote where he defends writing about his friends and he says, “Well if they didn’t want me to write about it, they shouldn’t have done it.” I feel that’s

sort of how I feel about writing.

Sometimes you have to make a

“The fact is, if you can’t write, if you don’t know how to structure a story, then you’re probably not going to last very long. If students are seriously interested in a career in television writing, they should write a great script. They should have an arsenal of scripts at the ready so that when someone does consider them, they can hand out a script that tells a great story, that’s wellwritten. It’s always going to be your best calling card — a terrific script.”

-Stephen godchaux ’81

choice between writing about other people’s lives including your friends and your family or not. I often choose to write about

it. I kind of change things and change names to protect the not so innocent. I’ve certainly stolen from everyone’s lives if they’re interesting, and I certainly steal from my own.

Besides “College,” do you have any other upcoming projects?

SG: I’m writing the film adaptation of a famous novel called “The Moviegoer” by Walker Percy. It won the National Book Award for fiction in 1962 and I’m writing the film for a movie producer who wants the rights to that. It’s a beautiful novel set in my hometown of New Orleans. A lot of people have tried to adapt this book and failed and I’m hoping that I can crack it.

And is there anything you do in your free time?

SG: I try to play tennis as often as I can to keep myself from going crazy. I think it’s important that things don’t fall apart sitting at the computer all day. Writing, especially when you’re not on a writing staff, is solitary stuff, so I try to make sure that I don’t isolate myself and continue to live my life so that I have experiences from which I can write. A lot of writers hole themselves off and turn into recluses, and it’s not a particularly healthy lifestyle, so I make sure I remain engaged and hang out with my friends and laugh and do things that keep the engine alive.

What advice would you give to students who are interested in a career in television writing

or producing?

SG: At the end of the day, your biggest weapon as a writer is your mind. Just do what you can at school to equip yourself with the kind of mind that’s going to turn you into a fond writer, meaning analytically someone who writes well. Work on the craft of writing while you’re in college. God knows to read a lot of good writing. It’s not just any writing, but expose yourself to all the terrific writers who are out there. And when you feel like you have something to say, actually write.

A lot of young people come out here thinking that they’re just going to waltz their way into a job, and in some instances that will work because this is a business where friends do hire friends.

They love young people on writing staffs. They want to hear that 20-something voice, that shift in cool iconic. But the fact is, if you can’t write, if you don’t know how to structure a story, then they’re probably not going to last very long.

I f s t u d e n t s a re s e r i o u s l y interested in a career in television writing, they should write a great script. They should have an arsenal of scripts at the ready so that when someone does consider them, they can hand out a script that tells a great story, that’s well-written. It’s always going to be your best calling card — a terrific script. Some people can charm their way into a job, but if it’s not on the page, then you’re less likely to get hired.

This interview has been edited and condensed.

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” kills with thrills and blood spills B y andrew kingsley The Dartmouth Staff

What immortal hands or eyes can keep framing James Bond’s famous fearful symmetry? Bond, after all, has nearly become a genre in himself, from his offshoots in Jason Bourne from the Bourne films and Jack Bauer in the television series “24” (2001), making it more difficult to innovate within this iconic genre. Matthew Vaughn, the director of “Kick-Ass”(2010) and “X-Men: First Class” (2011) brings a new and youthful exuberance to the dated spy framework with his “Kingsman: The Secret Service” (2014) and dusts the cobwebs off Bond’s aged suit.

The film centers around Harry Hart (Colin Firth), a posh member of the eponymous British spy organization the Kingsmen, who enlists the thuggish and tempermental underdog Gary “Eggsy” Unwin

(Taron Egerton) as his entry for the Goblet of Fire-esque competition for the chance to fill the open seat at the Kingsmen’s round table. Meanwhile, the two must thwart the plans of internet mogul Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) to control the globe’s population by distributing his free WiFi implants that can turn users from websurfing zombies and into homicidal maniacs.

As Hart himself says, “I always felt that the old Bond films were as good as the villain.” Ever since “Pulp Fiction” (1994), Samuel L. Jackson has been canonized as the pithy and debonair sidekick, so this prototypic role fits poorly within the classic villain mold.

Valentine, the Steve Jobs turned global crusader, lacks the wicked core of classic Bond villains like Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) in “Goldfinger” (1964). His slasher sidekick Gazelle (Sofia Boutella)

brings the razor sharp, cutthroat edginess, but Valentine is too dulled by his “Dr. Evil” ineptitude to be a strong villain.

“Kingsman” is part of a new wave of postmoder n action films, including “Guardians of the Galaxy” (2014) and “Seven Psychopaths” (2012) that use self-reflectiveness and subversive humor to mock their predecessors in a harmless “wink-wink-nudgenudge” style. It takes the Bond martini, shakes it in an affectionate tribute, then stirs it, adds some lemon zest and sets the whole thing on fire. Vaughn has clearly seen too many spy films for his own good, but he gives them a transfusion of modern relevance with parodic excesses, like a Swedish princess asking for anal sex and enough wide-eyed puppies for even the most caninephilic viewer.

Some may find fault with the grotesque and hedonistic violence,

but director Quentin Tarantino made “Kill Bill” (2003) and “Django Unchained” (2012), and critics lauded both of those. So sit back, be exploited and enjoy the firework display of exploding heads and the dense, skeletal crack of knocked-out teeth. Brawls are ballet, as Firth pirouettes through a Kentucky church, pulping the congregation like a spiffy, spectacled tornado. The camera revels in a crucifix-wielding Firth, who’s come a long way from stuttering King George VI in “The King’s Speech” (2010) or sensual Johannes Vermeer in “Girl with the Pearl Earring” (2003). The incongruency of a gallant Firth impaling a churchgoer with a cross has been well calculated for comedic punch. Vaughn has a love affair with murder, holding shots of stabbed and sliced skulls like kisses from death.

Although it quietly reinforces

conservative stereotypes in the end, including the eradication of the only black character and reinstatement of traditional heterosexual relationships — away from the homoerotic tensions between Eggsy and Harry — the liberal and unabashed bloodbath washes away any need for messages. This is atavistic, visceral filmmaking that goes for your gut while trying to bust it. Vaughn loves his film to the point of fetish, delighting in his Candyland of one-liners, full circles and body counting, and we share that amusement. So grab your popcorn and soda, or perhaps some tea, slip into your pajamas or smoking jacket and experience the fun of a filmmaker having the time of his life.

Rating: 9/10 “Kingsman: The Secret Service” played at Spaulding last Friday at 7 P.M.

THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

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ARTS

MONDAY, APRIL 6, 2015

Aires travel through China during spring interim

B y amelia rosch

The Dartmouth Senior Staff

While many students took advantage of the spring interim to escape Hanover’s frigid temperatures and travel to tropical climates or catch up on Netflix’s newest offerings at home, the 20 members of the Dartmouth Aires spent their break in China in a combination of singing and sightseeing.

Brian Chalif ’16, who managed the tour, said that the original idea for the trip came during his freshman year, when the third season of NBC’s “The Sing-Off,” in which the Aires competed and ultimately finished second, was shown in China. He said that after the show aired, the group received offers to perform in China that, in the end, did not pan out.

“This summer, I wanted it to finally happen,” Chalif said. “I began working on it, and eightmonths later we went to China.”

During their tour, the Aires visited Beijing for three days, Shanghai for two days and Hong Kong for six days. Chalif said that the locations were chosen based on places that members of the Aires had expressed interest in traveling to and where the group had connections with alumni. He said that the group had between

one and nine shows in each city, in addition to sightseeing and several visits to local schools, particularly elementary schools, where they performed and spent time with the students. The shows ranged from charity events to a performance at the birthday celebration of an alumnus.

“It was hard to plan the schedule ahead of time since we’re not from the area.

The travel times, the traffic, can be worse at certain times of day. It’s hard to know without being from there.”

-brian chalif ’16, AIRES tour manager David Clossey ’16, the group’s business manager, said that while the Aires have travelled internationally before, with locations including Aruba, Costa Rica and Italy, this spring’s trip was unique.

“It was an incredible experience

for us,” Clossey said. “We usually have our winter tour on the East Coast, but independently we had the opportunity to go to China. It was a wonderful opportunity.”

Chalif said that organizing the tour was “a logistical nightmare.”

He said that this trip differed from the Aires winter interim period tours, which tend to be on the East or West Coasts and have established venues at which the group performs, such as alumni clubs and other colleges.

“I had to do everything, from the basic things like finding all the shows to reaching out to international schools to finding the Dartmouth clubs there,” he said.

Chalif said that resolving the various details and logistics that come with a large group traveling together was the most challenging part of organizing the tour. He said that in addition to ensuring that all the members — several of whom had taken off-terms in the winter — made it to San Francisco and then Beijing, he had to figure out how the group was going to travel between cities once they had arrived in China.

He said that the group chose to use a coach bus as opposed to public transportation, due to their large size and tight schedule, and that due to the language barrier, the

Aires brought along a student who spoke Mandarin to act as their translator.

“It was hard to plan the schedule ahead of time since we’re not from the area,” Chalif said. “The travel times, the traffic can be worse at certain times of day. It’s hard to know without being from there.”

Chalif said that despite the high cost of the trip, especially given the airline and hotel fees, members of the Aires did not need to pay for anything beyond their own meals.

“We do not believe that the tours should be an additional cost for members of the group,” Chalif said. “That’s a big thing for us.”

He said that the tour was funded between donations from alums, money that they made from shows throughout the year, CD sales and a donation from College President Phil Hanlon.

He said that the group started the tour with a strong performance at a 500-person charity event in Beijing. Chalif said that the event raised over $25,000 for two charities, one of which helps the children of migrant workers receive an art education and one of which helps women receive a secondary education.

Clossey said that his favorite part of the tour was performing at Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre

in Hong Kong, an organization that aims to empower those living with cancer. He said that their performance included a song in Chinese for the patients.

“It had an incredible reaction,” he said. “The entire audience started to sing along.”

Chalif said that he also found their performance at Maggie’s Cancer Caring Centre incredibly moving, because the group was able transcend the language barrier and have a connection with the patients. He said that he also enjoyed a performance on their first day in Beijing, when the group performed at a local elementary school, because of the interactions they had with the students.

“I loved working with the kids,” Chalif said. “They were super excited about us being there. They loved it. We loved it. We had a great time.”

Doug Phipps ’17, who said that this tour was the first time he had travelled internationally for the Aires, said that he enjoyed the cultural aspects of the trip.

“My favorite part was probably seeing all the sites and getting the chance to explore the Forbidden City and seeing the different culture,” he said.

Chalif is a member of The Dartmouth staff.

Godchaux ’81 discusses writing, producing for television

B y kourtney kawano The Dartmouth Staff

It’s natural not to have life completely figured out by college.

For Stephen Godchaux ’81, it took several years as a lawyer before he discovered a genuine interest in writing and producing television shows. Now, with more than a dozen television writing credits to his name and a Writers Guild Award nomination for Best Original Television Movie, Godchaux brings new meaning to the phrase “better late than never.”

How did you get into television writing?

SG: I came to Dartmouth knowing that I was interested in literature. I did some writing for The Dartmouth and a literary magazine called

The Campus Magazine, but I graduated thinking I was going to be a lawyer. In fact, I went to law school and became a lawyer. It was still a few years down the road that I decided that I hated being a lawyer. I thought about what I might be good at, and that’s when I stumbled upon television writing.

What was the first job you took once you decided you wanted to quit law?

SG: I wrote a play and applied to the Yale [University] School of Drama as a playwright and, by some miracle, Yale accepted me. I spent three years getting my MFA in playwriting and, when I graduated, I moved to Los Angeles and started writing television scripts. My first job offer, believe it or not, was from “Law & Order”

(1990). It had just won an Emmy for Best Drama, and, because I’m a fool, I did not take that job because I thought that I was funny, so I took a job with a little-known comedy on Fox called “Bakersfield, P.D.” (1993). It was a comedy about six cops in Bakersfield, California.

Naturally, that show was canceled after [17] episodes.

When did you begin to work as a producer for shows?

SG: I continued writing on halfhours for about ten years. The working hours on half-hours are notoriously long and it depends on your boss, but you’re up all night in a writers’ room rewriting a script and after a certain point, I decided to switch over to hourlong shows. I wrote a spec script for “The West Wing” (1999) and

that script landed me a couple of job offers and then, I got lucky

“I could tell that this is a show that affected people and got them living their lives, so it’s satisfying to know that you can have some kind of impact on people’s lives even though it’s just a short television show.”

-stephen godchaux ’81 and a guy who was running a show

called “Dead Like Me” (2003) on Showtime got fired and I was hired to come in and help run and produce that show so that was my first big producing job as the head writer.

What are your favorite aspects of writing for television shows?

SG: I just heard this great line from “Mad Men” (2007) where Don Draper says to the character Peggy, “we’re creative — the least important, most important thing there is.” And sometimes you wonder whether writing scripts for television is an important thing to do with your life. But I find it’s deeply satisfying to create characters and create drama and comedy that are about something.

SEE INTERVIEW PAGE 7