VOL. CLXXII NO. 95
PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH 76 LOW 49
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Rebecca Biron College reinstates housing policy appointed Dean of the College By PRIYA RAMIAH The Dartmouth Staff
SPORTS
JOE PURRITANO ’16 CHOSEN IN MLB DRAFT PAGE 8
OPINION
VERBUM: SUMMER IS STILL A TERM PAGE 4
ARTS
PLENA LIBRE PLAY TO FULL GREEN PAGE 7
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Spanish and comparative literature professor Rebecca Biron will be the next Dean of the College, Provost Carolyn Dever announced Monday. Biron will assume the role on July 1, 2015. Biron will oversee new residential communities and the professors directing them. She will also work on issues of student inclusivity and diversity in addition to providing leadership in admissions and financial aid strategic planning, according to a College press release. A faculty member since 2006, Biron previously served as associate master of Pearson Residential College at the University of Miami, living in a residence hall where she worked on programming, leadership and advising for the students. She will work with the six house professors selected in May to plan the new residential community program over the next year. Changes to the Dean of the College position announced in April dictated that the next dean would be a tenured faculty member. Reorganization of the division has focused the role more on the direction of academics at the College, including integrating academics in student life beyond curricular learning. Biron’s appointment as Dean of the College is for a four-year term. She will continue to teach after she assumes her role as Dean. Interim Dean of the College Inge-Lise Ameer will take on her new appointment as vice provost for SEE BIRON PAGE 5
ANNIE DUNCAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Under a reinstated College policy, former members of Alpha Delta fraternity can no longer live in the facility.
B y ANNIE MA AND MICHAEL QIAN Dartmouth students may not live in a Greek Letter, undergraduate or senior society facility that is not recognized by the College, Interim Dean of the College Inge-Lise Ameer wrote in a campus-wide email announcing the reinstatement of a policy that had been in place until 2011. Announced on Monday, June 22, the policy went into effect on Thursday,
June 25, the first day of summer term. In the campus-wide email, Ameer cited concerns over student health and safety as primary reasons behind the policy’s reinstatement. Ameer said that this reinstated policy was previously in effect for many years prior to 2011, when it inadvertently ended as the College transferred residential life information from print to online. Ameer said in an interview
with The Dartmouth that she currently does not expect the policy to affect any facilities besides Alpha Delta fraternity. The College derecognized Alpha Delta fraternity as a student organization in April, following allegations that the fraternity branded new members. The College did not find the fraternity responsible for hazing, but did find the organization to be in violation of the code of SEE POLICY CHANGE PAGE 3
DOC Strips sees largest participation in history B y REBECCA ASOULIN The Dartmouth Staff
Last Sunday while looking for a spot on the Connecticut River to start a three-day flatwater kayaking trip, Kimberly Son ’17, her three trippees and co-leader found themselves accidentally trespassing on a private farm. Son, whose group did eventually find a starting point, said she left the trip with 25 mosquito bites and personal satisfaction from re-engaging
with the outdoors. Around 200 sophomores participated in this year’s Dartmouth Outing Club’s Sophomore Trips, making it the largest group to participate in the three-day outing trip since it began in 1999, Max Saccone ’17, one of the three Strips directors said. Around 120 students participated in last year’s Strips, he said. This year marked the first time Strips ran during interim rather than during the summer term, Saccone said.
Strips co-director Victoria Nelsen ’17, who worked alongside co-directors Saccone and Cedar Farwell ’17, said that the dropout rate was lower than past years probably due to the change in timing. She noted that out of an initial 300 sign-ups the Strips directorate placed 250 sophomores on a trip, with 15 dropping out before last weekend. More students dropped out than expected, however, with 40 students deciding not to attend last weekend with Strips
starting on that Sunday, she said. In past years, schoolwork and the start of midterms often leads students to decide not to participate, Nelsen said. This year, the directorate expected higher turnout as schoolwork would be a nonissue and students had already made travel plans to return to campus early for their Strips. The timing of this year’s Strips allowed the directorate to make two bigger changes, Nelsen said. She said the
group could organize a leader overnight stay at the Class of 1966 Lodge, which she said created more opportunities for bonding than past years’ leader dinner. “It was my favorite part because I was working handson with people,” Nelsen said. Strips also included an expanded final day of programming at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge, she said. Programming included contra dancing and two speakers, associate writing SEE STRIPS PAGE 2
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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DAily debriefing The Vermont Digger reported that two-thirds of homicides in Vermont last year were related to domestic violence, according to data from the Vermont Domestic Violence Fatality Review Commission. The 2014 report, published this week, is created by a 17-member commission including representatives of victims, the medical community and local government divisions such as the Agency of Human Services. Domestic violence factored into slightly more than half of the total 248 homicides of all adults over the last two decades, according to the report. According to the report, firearms also played a role in the majority of domestic violence related homicides over the last 20 years. The next most common cause of death in domestic violence-related homicides was blunt trauma, followed by stabbing. A recently passed law allows judges to remove firearms from the homes of anyone who has been served with a “relief from abuse” order. The purpose of the law is to keep guns away from people who are likely to escalate a domestic altercation. The firearms are to be kept in law enforcement storage lockers. Assistant Attorney General Carolyn Hanson, a member of the commission, said the commission will look at ways to encourage use of the storage policy. Over the first six months of 2015, a record breaking 30 cases of drug overdose have been reported in Burlington. In all of 2014, 37 total cases were reported and 34 were reported in 2013. Within this trend, The Vermont Digger noted a sharp rise in the number of heroin overdoses in the area. The trend can be seen as part of larger national shift. Investigators attribute the rise to the potent synthetic opiate called fenatyl, which drug users are likely to overdose on. Cheaper and easier to produce than heroin, it can be used to dilute products. When used by “indiscriminate consumers,” it can be easy to overdose when the dosage is not adjusted. —Compiled by Michael Qian AND Priya Ramiah
Corrections We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
Strips changes allow for new components FROM STRIPS PAGE 1
professor Jennifer Sargent and director of Religious and Spiritual Life at the Tucker Foundation Rev. Nancy Vogele. Nelsen said the weekend went more smoothly than expected, with no medical calls and virtually no “hiccups.” The weather — although it rained lightly on Sunday and more heavily on Tuesday — was agreeable for the remainder of the program. The program runs similarly to the Dartmouth Outing Club’s FirstYear Trips, the program that inspired Strips, with small groups of students led by two student leaders, Saccone said. Students participated in 24 different trips including canoeing, climbing and hiking. Son said that, like First-Year Trips and other DOC offerings, Strips is a great opportunity to enjoy the outdoors. She noted that sophomores are more comfortable than first-years. Son, who led a First-Year Trip and participated in one as a first-year, said that first-years are often scared and spend a lot of the trip asking advice. “It’s a whole other dynamic,” Son said. “It’s not upperclassmen introducing incoming freshmen, but everyone’s on a more equal level. I’m just like another trippee, but one who
had the gear.” Saccone said that Strips aims to have minimal distinction between leaders and trippees. He noted, like Son, the different power dynamic on Strips compared to trips with upperclass leaders and a “bunch of starry eyed freshmen who are not sure of what’s going on.” Son noted that Strips was an opportunity to reengage with the outdoors. “I have been on six terms, after a while it gets to be a grind with so many classes, so fast that I stopped doing things I loved like being outdoors,” Son said. “It’s great to have another experience that reminds me of why I love Dartmouth so much.” Doug Phipps ’17, who worked as a Strips outdoor logistics coordinator alongside Apoorva Dixit ’17, said that the large size of Strips gives sophomores a unique chance to meet new people. Alex Lochoff ’17, outreach coordinator, said that in his position he reached out to various student groups to bring in students who do not necessarily engage regularly with the DOC. He noted that Strips personally offered him the chance to practice outfitting trips and working on logistics involved with the outdoors, a career path he is interested in pursuing.
He noted that Strips offers students an opportunity to connect with different people and to break out of established groups. “Being with a random group of people for a handful of days hopefully sets you up to immerse yourself in different social groups over sophomore summer,” Lochoff said. Saccone said that Strips, the largest gathering of the Class of 2017 between matriculation and graduation, offers sophomores the chance to reorient themselves at Dartmouth. Strips gives students the opportunity to “branch out and meet new people and to be a little bit uncomfortable in a situation you’re not normally in.” He said that the day at the Lodge, many students found themselves looking around and not recognizing many of their peers in the crammed main room. “Everyone thinks that they know everyone, but you end up in friend groups or with people from your major,” Saccone said. “It was really cool to see people interacting with people they probably would not have met otherwise.” The eight-person directorate also included safety masters Emmanuel Hui ’17 and Joe Minichiello ’17. Nelsen and Phipps are former members of The Dartmouth staff.
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
PAGE 3
Ameer, alumni and students discuss policy change FROM POLICY CHANGE PAGE 1
conduct. The allegations occurred when the fraternity was already on probation for alcohol violations. “I want to make clear that we’ve been trying to talk to the AD brothers about moving out, and when Dartmouth previously derecognized organizations, what became [Beta Alpha Omega fraternity] and what became [Phi Delta Alpha fraternity], they all had to move out too,” Ameer said. “I know people feel like it’s a big deal, but it’s happened before, and I’m just worried about a derecognized organization, and they were derecognized because of very bad behavior.” Ameer said that she knows many students affiliated with AD see the policy announcement as a surprise, but added that she does not view it that way. In April, the College notified AD of its derecognition and stated that members living there would have to move out to comply with Hanover ordinances, which state that no more than three unrelated people may live together in the same building. Prior to derecognition, the fraternity was exempted from this ordinance as a College-recognized facility. In May, former AD president Ryan Maguire ’16 said that while the College gave members until April 20 to move out of the house, many elected not to do so. Also in May, John Engelman ’68, AD alumni advisor up until its derecognition, 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. Ameer said if students do not abide by the policy, they would be subject to the College’s standard judicial review process. She said, however, that she would hope to first talk to the involved students and encourage them to move out. “I don’t want to go down this path, those particular students have had enough of all that, but at their own creation,” she said. “I’d rather them do the right thing and live in the residence halls, which the majority of them are doing, and I’m grateful for that.” Engleman said that because the property and facility are not owned by the College, the organization will still be able to use the building for meetings and social events despite not being able to live there. Engleman said that AD recently appealed to the Hanover Zoning Board for an exemption from the ordinance despite not being recognized by the College, but that this effort was denied in May. He said that AD plans to appeal this decision, adding that Hanover would allow members to continue living in the facility until the entire process concludes.
He said that the organization’s zoning appeal would likely be rendered moot by this new change in policy, which prevents students from living in AD regardless of the town’s appeals process. Engelman added that he believes the rationale of concern for students’ safety does not make sense. Many apartments and houses where students choose to live off campus, he said, are not equipped with essential safety features that he said are present in AD. “If the administration were really concerned with health and safety, they should take a look at some of these places,” Engelman said. “We are very concerned with health and safety and the Alpha Delta house is equipped to take that seriously.” Engelman also criticized the timing of the announcement, which was made the Monday following the conclusion of Reunions and the reunion giving program. Many AD alumni, he said, played key roles in organizing the Reunions program and provided leadership for the giving programs. “It’s clearly not a decision they made overnight, but they still waited to announce it,” Engelman said. “I don’t think, necessarily, that alums would have withheld donations, but it seems with the timing that the College was thinking that way.” Former AD member Gordon Driscoll ’17 said that while the former members expected they would have to eventually move out of the house, they did not expect the decision to come so close to the start of summer term. “The thing is, we found out three days ago,” Driscoll said. “They’re taking our home from us, almost.” As of Thursday, those initially planning on living in the house over
the summer had obtained either on- or off-campus housing and had moved out in compliance with the new policy, Engelman said. Driscoll said that members will still utilize the space, and that he did not expect the ruling to affect former organization’s sense of brotherhood. He said that while the space held significance, it did not define the fraternity. “The College doesn’t have the power to tell us not to hang out there,” Driscoll said. “You’ll see us
on the porch, on the lawn, but we’ll definitely be abiding by the ruling.” Several Greek houses that are currently recognized by the College have been derecognized in the past. In 2001, the College derecognized Zeta Psi fraternity for the publication of sexually explicit internal newsletters. Beta Theta Pi fraternity was derecognized from 1996 until 2010, when it re-emerged as the current Beta Alpha Omega fraternity. Phi Delta Alpha fraternity lost recognition from 2000 to 2004 due to
a series of infractions involving substance use, theft and an unapproved rush process. The College, however, formally acknowledged Phi Delt as a “colony” starting in early 2003. Colony status grants a probationary period during which a house must show that the it can meet College expectations. In 2003, though still formally unrecognized, Phi Delt was allowed to hold a rush process and host social events. Students, however, could not live in the house.
HELPING OUT
KATELYN JONES/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Students discuss a volunteer opportunity during yesterday afternoon’s Tucker Foundation summer volunteer fair.
hopkins center for the arts $10
tue & wed
JUn 30 & JUL 1 8 pm
THE MOORE THEATER
PILOBOLUS Dartmouth students, we’re saving a seat for you! Any unsold student holds will be released to the public at 1 pm on Mon Jun 29. Don’t delay – go to hop.dartmouth.edu or call 603.646.2422 This wildly creative company’s dance performances are filled with athleticism, humor and optical illusion. Program includes a work choreographed to the music of pop band OK Go, as well as Sweet Purgatory, set to lush Shostakovich.
sUmmer free for aLL show thu
JUL 9
5:30 pm
free
DARTMOUTH GREEN*
C.J. CHENIER & THE RED HOT LOUISIANA BAND With his masterful accordion and soulful voice, Chenier is “the heir to the Zydeco throne, an unparalleled party starter.” – Billboard Free Pre-show Dance Class: Jul 9 • 4:30 pm • Dartmouth Green Dance Floor *If it rains, concert moves to Spaulding Auditorium, and dance class moves to the Hop Garage at the noted times.
hop.dartmouth.edu • 603.646.2422 • #hopkinscenter$5
Dartmouth college • hanover, nh $10 for Dartmouth students
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
PAGE 4
Guest Columnist Richard Clapp ‘77
Verbum Ultimum The Dartmouth Editorial Board
Divest From Fossil Fuel
Summer Term is Still a Term
Dartmouth must take a stand on climate change by divesting. Last week Pope Francis became the latest to add his voice, and moral authority, to the environmental call to action. Climate change is the number one threat to human health over the coming generations. It is a public health calamity. The consequences of a warming environment and unstable climate are already observable in New England, with more severe allergy seasons, worsening childhood asthma and extreme weather events all taking their toll on the physical and mental health of communities across the region. Fossil fuel divestment is one of the tactics being used to shift our energy production to more renewable and sustainable methods. Ultimately, we have no choice — it is only a matter of time before we must make these changes. Divestment aims to speed this timetable up and can provide funds for investment in renewable alternatives to fossil fuels. The impacts of climate change on health in parts of the United States, such as the droughtstricken Southwest, and around the world are even more severe than in New England. The World Health Organization estimates that globally climate change is currently causing tens of thousands of deaths per year and between 2030 and 2050 “is expected to cause approximately 250,000 additional deaths per year, from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhea and heat stress.” In May and June, a heat wave, the seconddeadliest in India’s history, caused 2,500 deaths. Another deadly heat wave is currently underway in Pakistan. Global temperature rise will inevitably result in more frequent and longer-duration heat waves in many parts of the world. And those most severely affected, as Pope Francis and others have pointed out, are vulnerable populations in the global South. The public health community is already focusing on climate change with Georges Benjamin, the executive director of the American Public Health Association, recently describing it as “the greatest environmental crisis we face in our lifetime.” He further noted, “nothing gets people’s attention quite like a threat to one’s
own health.” Many now accept that the fundamental cause of the current rapid change in the global environment is greenhouse gases produced by fossil fuel extraction and combustion. The scientific consensus has been expressed in the various reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, most recently in the 2014 Fifth Assessment Synthesis Report. This report concludes, “Continued emissions of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes in all components of the climate system. Limiting climate change will require substantial and sustained reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.” An “all hands on deck” approach is needed to accomplish this. This is what the Alumni for Dartmouth Divestment urged, in support of concerned Dartmouth students, in an April open letter to College President Phil Hanlon, the Board of Trustees and the Advisory Committee on Investor Responsibility. Fossil fuel divestment is only a part of the larger societal response that is needed in order to move to safer and more sustainable means of energy production and use. We must also promote energy efficiency, green buildings, smarter grids involving clean sources of energy like solar panels and wind, public transport and light rail trains, more walking and biking pathways and healthy cities programs. Some of this is already happening at Dartmouth and in the Upper Valley, but we need to do more. Divestment of Dartmouth’s endowment fund’s investments in fossil fuel companies will provide leadership by sending a signal to many other stakeholders and institutions that are considering similar steps. Thirty-five years ago, colleges, churches and other institutions assumed a similar leadership role by divesting from companies operating in South Africa during Apartheid. We need to step up and join the many institutions in the United States and around the world that are divesting from fossil fuels and investing in renewable and sustainable alternative sources of energy. The health of present and future generations depends on it.
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Katie McKAY, Editor-in-Chief
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REBECCA ASOULIN, Executive Editor
Michael qian, Day Managing Editor PRODUCTION EDITORS ISAAC GREEN, Opinion Editor GAYNE KALUStIAN, Sports Editor SARA MCGAHAN, Arts Editor GRACE MILLER, Dartbeat Editor KATELYN JONES, Photography Editor
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ISSUE
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
NEWS EDITOR: Priya Ramiah.
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.
Take advantage of Sophomore Summer both in and out of the classroom. Four years, twelve terms, thirty six class- munity to engage outside the classroom and es, one hundred and twenty weekends and to show our love for the unique opportuone glorious sophomore summer. That is all nities our remote campus provides. Here the time most Dartmouth students get here. at Dartmouth we’re more than academic The question is how automata, as we culto make the most tivate a wide variety of it. The tempta- “During the summer, the of passions and intion this summer appeal of the layup is all the terests. The adminis obvious — take greater, but we encourage istration ought to the easier course our fellow sophomores to recognize that as load and enjoy the still challenge themselves this one of the strengths summer with your term.” of its student body. friends. It’s posWhen the classes sible to lose sight of with A- medians and the fact that summer very little homework term is still a term, one of only 12 we get. fill up and the classes that are known for While taking two layups and concentrating being more challenging barely have enough on drinking, hiking, swimming or tanning students to fill the first row of seats, we are does have a certain appeal, we ought to proving the administration right. still respect this term for what it is — one Academic rigor, when seen correctly, of our quickly dwindling opportunities to is not about the median grades in classes take classes from the world-class professors and grade deflation, but instead should be here. focused around whether students are be Many of us face the choice each term ing challenged by and engaging with the between a challenging class that genuinely material they are studying. We must push interests us and the so-called layup, a course back against complacency and anti-intellecthat often has little work and students can tualism. We must challenge ourselves, even choose to engage during the term that w i t h m i n i m a l l y. “While the classroom is not some might referDuring the sum- the only setting in which we ence when calling mer, the appeal of for increased “acalearn and grow, it is a crucial the layup is all the demic rigor.” place for us to do so.” greater, but we en We should take courage our fellow advantage of each sophomores to still of the approximately challenge themselves this term. This is a 36 classes we have the opportunity to take term to enjoy, like every term should be, here and not throw away any on courses and it is certainly a time for class bond- we do not have interest in or engage with ing, adventure and fun, but it’s also a time — not even during sophomore summer. where we should be learning and growing Each of us have worked hard to get here. professionally and academically. While the classroom is not the only setting The focus on academic rigor on campus in which we learn and grow, it is a crucial this year has forced us all to think critically place for us to do so. So have fun this term, about what academically is strong at Dart- adventure this term, cross of items on your mouth and what is lacking. This editorial 15X bucket list, but also remember the board believes that one of Dartmouth’s value of engaging in the classroom as well greatest strengths is our ability as a com- as outside of it.
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
Biron discusses restructured role FROM BIRON PAGE 1
student affairs on July 1. Ameer was selected for the newly created position in April. Though her goals are “pretty general,” Biron said, they align with the organizational change in the Dean of the College role. “My main goal is just to be an effective liaison between academics and student life,” she said. Biron said that she believes that the Dean of the College division has always been strong, but that the restructuring of the dean’s role allows for a clearer focus. The Dean of the College’s role prior to this restructuring was “getting far too big and unwieldy for one person to do,” she said. Biron also emphasized that having a faculty member serve as dean is “radically important for keeping the educational mission of the College front and center in every aspect of student life.” Her experience at the University of Miami showed her that residential college systems allow the entire institution to benefit from the knowledge that students bring with them that may not be directly related to classroom learning, she said. “A house system allows us to take advantage of what the students bring to the community,” she said. “And to think of all of us together as a learning community will end up providing a rich resource for everyone.” Biron added that she hopes to work with the new house professors to “enhance” the plans that they already have. She also added that she hopes to “keep an experimental attitude in the forefront” of the
implementation of the residential system. “This is a community effort, and everybody is going to get to participate,” she said. Biron stressed that there are already existing opportunities for “co-curricular learning,” such as the Dartmouth Outing Club, various service and leadership programs and the Greek system. She said that her work will consist of determining how to bring these existing outlets into a more productive coexistence. “In an ideal universe, what we want Dartmouth students to have is a transformative experience that prepares them for lifelong learning and leadership,” she said. “A baseline requirement for that is inter-group, inter-cultural communication skills and learning how to really activate respect across social differences.” Biron said that, in general, the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” policy initiative, which called for the residential house system’s implementation, aligns with her goals to improve communication between student groups and create more of a “24-7 learning community.” “Where there is student resistance to [“Moving Dartmouth Forward”], or student resistance to anything in terms of organizational change, I would just want to encourage everybody to recognize that all of us want to make the residential learning experience here deeper and more fun for everyone,” she said. Dever said that Biron’s experience with students, including in a residential college setting, will be a great asset to the College. “She’s well known, experienced, combines the very best of the schol-
ar-teacher model at Dartmouth, and she’s a really well respected member of our community,” Dever said. Biron will play a very strong role in the shaping of the residential college system, Dever added, as the system is still in its design stages with new house professors having been appointed recently. The professors’ visions for each of their respective house communities will be developed with Biron’s help, she said. “Biron is going to be really critical to the development of these discussions,” Dever said. “We need houses that are each unique, but that are connected strongly and with a kind of shared purpose that means consistency for Dartmouth students across their experience, regardless of which house they’re in.” Ashneil Jain ’15, a member of the selection committee and comoderator of the Paleopitus senior society, said that Biron will have a unique role in defining her own obligations within her role’s areas of importance, such as the residential system. “She has a unique position in the middle of the triangle of students, faculty and administrators,” Jain said. Committee member and Thayer School of Engineering professor Solomon Diamond said that while the selection committee collected information and recommended names, it was Dever who made the final decision. “In my view the process was fairly conducted, all candidates were taken very seriously, and the committee handled the process with a high level of professionalism,” he said.
Courtesy of Lars Blackmore
Rebecca Biron, a comparative literature and Spanish professor, hopes to emphasize community building as Dean of the College.
PAGE 5
KICK-OFF BARBECUE
KATELYN JONES/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Students eat dinner at a Afro-American Society kick-off summer barbecue.
PAGE 6
DARTMOUTH EVENTS TODAY 6:00 p.m. Shabbat service, Roth Center for Jewish Life
7:00 p.m. “Still Dreaming” (2014), film screening, BFVAC, Loew Auditorium
9:30 p.m. “Public Astronomical Observing,” free event, physics and astronomy department, Shattuck Observatory
TOMORROW 2:30 p.m.
“Webster Cottage Museum Visiting Hours,” Every Wednesday and Saturday, Webster Cottage, 32 North Main Street
7:00 p.m. “Minions” (2015), advance film screening, Hopkins Center, Spaulding Auditorium
7:00 p.m. “Timbuktu” (2015), film screening, BFVAC , Loew Auditorium
THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
PAGE 7
Rogerson ’89 discusses Plena Libre performs to packed Green his film “Still Dreaming” B y hallie huffaker The Dartmouth Staff
B y sara mcgahan The Dartmouth Staff
Hank Rogerson ’89 and Jilann Spitzmiller ’89 have been making films together since they met at Dartmouth over 30 years ago. Their newest documentary, “Still Dreaming” (2014) chronicles a group of elderly actors living at a home for retired Broadway performers who put on Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” The film will screen at the Hopkins Center this Friday followed by a question and answer session with Rogerson and Spitzmiller.
What kind of films did you make while you were at Dartmouth? HR: I took filmmaking courses at Dartmouth and I made mostly fiction films. My senior year, I collaborated with Jilann and another classmate on a video yearbook, in which we documented the senior class all during senior year. In a sense, that was Jilann and I’s first documentary working together. So I did a little bit of fiction, and I did a little bit of nonfiction.
What draws you specifically to documentary filmmaking? What inspired you to direct HR: I work in both fiction and nonand produce “Still Dream- fiction, but I think what interests ing”? me the most about documentary HR: [Jilann and I] made a film that is the challenge of capturing the came out a few years ago that was present reality of something and called “Shakespeare Behind Bars” what that present reality says about (2006), and that was about Shake- that person [and] says about that speare being done in a prison. As time and place as it’s happening we were thinking about possible [and how the present reality] says follow-ups to that idea, a funder something about humanity that actually said to we can all tap us “what about into and conS h a k e s p e a r e “I work in both fiction nect to. It’s an being done at and nonfiction, but I incredibly chalan old folks lenging medihome?” That think what interests um to work in, was an idea that me the most about because you are really struck us documentary is the in the moment as interesting of now where and a comfort- challenge of capturing you are trying able follow-up the present reality of to figure out to our other what’s happenfilm. I think too something,” ing right here that Jilann and and what am I I — we met -Hank Rogerson ’89 filming, but you at Dartmouth are also think— we made ing about what films together it means to the at Dartmouth, and we have made whole story, what it means down films since Dartmouth, so we have the line, what you have to follow been creative partners for over 25 up with, and its about being an years now, and we want to continue observer and listening and showing that into our middle age years and up, and there is a lot of great life into our senior years. So I think lessons with just that. we were also interested, perhaps rather selfishly, in what it’s like to be Why does a film like this apcreative when you get older. This peal to a university audience? seemed like a good film to look at HR: We’ve taken this film to unithat question as a motivation for versities before, and the response making the film. with those students have been engaged and they have been just How did you and Jilann meet as engaged as our best audience. at Dartmouth? People of all ages connect with HR: We actually met during their own elders through this film. [Dartmouth Outing Club First- To lean on a cliché, but old people Year Trips]. We both chose canoe are funny. They say hilarious things trips, but we were on different trips. and they do very funny things and We didn’t become romantically they are uncensored in a lot of involved, as you might say, until ways. The film has a lot of humor, after we graduated, but we were and the film has some heartbreak always friends and we collaborated in it as well. A lot of people come on films together at Dartmouth. away with something. We met on freshman trips and were friends for all four years and then This article has been condensed and married after Dartmouth. edited.
The few hundred students and community members who crowded the Green Thursday evening cheered as Plena Libre, the four-time Grammy nominated Latin and jazz band, yelled “Are we ready?” several times at the kick off of their concert. The Hopkins Center for the Arts organized the free concert as part of its “Summer Free for All” series that includes three outdoor musical performances and two films. “The idea is to create a real celebration for the arts with fun, easily accessible events,” Hop programming director Margaret Lawrence said. “These events are for everybody, especially people who do not often spend time on campus.” Plena Libre, a group with a 21 year history that includes worldwide tours, aims to revitalize the “Puerto Rican plena style of music” and bring it to a new generation of listeners, according to the band’s website. Founder and bassist Gary Nunez said that he considers the group’s style as a “new version of Puerto Rican music” influenced by its African roots, contemporary sound and inclusion of elements from musical genres like salsa. Dartmouth soloists will open for each of the summer concerts, a decision made
to help integrate Dartmouth students into the events, Lawrence said. Tyne Freeman ’17 opened for Plena Libre on Thursday night. Freeman performed two songs — John Mayer’s “Gravity” (2006) and an original song, both in what she called a “jazzy, soulful” style. Lawrence reached out to her a month ago, after hearing her in a winter master class, Freeman said. Freeman said she was particularly excited about the outdoor venue, as she usually performs indoors with groups like Xado and the Barbara Coast Jazz Ensemble. “It’s going to be a chill vibe and people will be able to hear it as they are walking by,” Freeman said before the performance. “So I’m very excited about the setting.” A dance class, taught and musically accompanied by Plena Libre, preceded the concert on the Green and attracted more than 60 participants. The two other “Summer Free for All” concerts will also be preceded by dance classes. This dance class will help get people up on their feet and moving during the concerts, Lawrence said. Nunez added that the dance class goes along well with the goal of Plena Libre — to help people have fun and get up and dance. The band seemed to succeed in that aim, as many concert attendees danced throughout the duration
of the concert. In addition to Thursday’s concert, C.J. Chenier and the Red Hot Louisiana Band will perform on the Green on July 9 and swing band The Gordon Webster Septet will perform on Aug. 6. “Toy Story” (1995) will be shown on July 23 and “Mary Poppins” (1964) will be shown on Aug. 13 in Spaulding Auditorium. Lawrence said that the “Summer Free for All” series is part of the Hop’s Community Venture initiative that started two years ago to “lower barriers” for those in the Upper Valley through creative programming. She said that College programming coordinates with focus groups who specialize in working with low-income Upper Valley residents and teenagers to generate engaging programs. The initiative builds off ideas from the Hop’s class divide project, a three-year project designed to increase awareness and explore the socioeconomic divide in the Upper Valley through a series of events, she said. For Nunez, his hope is that people will learn more about what “Puerto Rican music is all about” through their concert, he said. “People need to open their hearts to different cultures and different types of music,” Nunez said. “It is a beautiful thing.”
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS
PAGE 8
SPORTS ONE ON ONE
WITH MADISON HUGHES ’15
B y Luke McCann The Dartmouth Senior Staff
In his time away from the Dartmouth Rugby Football Club, Madison Hughes ’15 served as acting captain and played scrum half for the United States national team, the Men’s Eagles Sevens, in the HSBC World Series. For the first time, rugby sevens will be included in the Olympics with the United States officially qualifying for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Games. Hughes has been chosen once again to captain the team for the first sevens showing at the Games. With Hughes on campus to finish his degree, The Dartmouth sat down to discuss rugby, college and his future plans. What were the conditions of qualification? MH: There were three ways we could qualify for the Olympics. The first way was on the series, our tournaments over the year and [to] come in the top four in the world. We came in sixth, so we just missed out on that. The second way was by winning the North American and Caribbean bid to the Olympics, which happened in a tournament down in North Carolina a few weeks ago. We beat Canada in the finals, and that’s how we earned our spot.
I wanted to do. But when I found out I could take a seminar this summer and finish up, it made more sense to do it this way. What will you do differently to prepare for this as opposed to your other international competitions? MH: I think we’ll try and do a lot of the same things that have been working for us over the past six months to a year, just because you don’t want to get to far from what’s working. But at the same time, the Olympics will be a really, really big deal so we’ll be trying to work even harder to make sure that everything is in the right position so we can put ourselves in the right spot come game time. What, if anything, does it mean to play in the first Olympic Rugby competition — to be the first American captain ever at the Games?
Are you going to be seeing the same competition that you saw during the HSBC Sevens World Series?
MH: Rugby was actually in the Olympics 92 years ago, so it was there back in the day, but I really think it’s a new Olympics and a new rugby nowadays. So I think it’s exciting to have rugby back in a world class spot, and it’s fantastic for us and fantastic for U.S. rugby in general. To be the captain of the team, it will just be an absolute privilege to captain them at the Olympics. We’re still a year out, but it will be an incredible thing to do.
MH: Yeah, the series has the best teams in the world on it, so those are going to make up the bulk of the teams that qualify for the Olympics, and maybe one or two outside that, but those are the teams we’re going to see down the line.
You said as a junior here that reaching the Olympics was one of your goals as a player. You’re now captain the national team and are turning that goal into a reality. Where do you go from here?
Had you originally planned on taking your senior spring off and staying on the summer after graduation?
MH: Well, now we’re looking at medals. Booking our spot in the Olympics was a fantastic first step, but I think now that we’ve done that we don’t want to just turn up at the Olympics to be participants. We really want to be contenders for medals and get the gold. That’s out aim now, and we’ll be doing everything we can between then and now to make it a reality.
MH: No, my original plan was to come back for the spring and take classes. Unfortunately, I had to take a seminar for my major, and I couldn’t make that work with the tournaments
FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2015
FRIDAY LINEUP
MEN’S TENNIS VS. BROWN 2 PM
No athletic events scheduled
Joe Purritano chosen in MLB draft B y Alyssa Jorgensen
For any kid whose favorite scent is fresh-cut grass mixed with a newly opened package of Big League Chew gum, whose idol is Benny “the Jet” Rodriquez from “The Sandlot” (1993) and whose first love was his very first mitt, making it to the big leagues is the ultimate dream. For Joe Purritano ’16, Big Green Baseball’s 2014-2015 season’s deadly designated hitter and RBI leader, the Cincinnati Reds just made this coveted dream a reality. The Reds selected Purritano in the 30th round of the 2015 MLB draft on Wednesday, June 10 . That afternoon, with the end of the draft and the online announcement of the final names of the chosen players, Purritano sat on his couch in his hometown of Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey. Suddenly, he heard his dad scream from upstairs. Soon, his phone “started blowing up” with messages and calls. “I really wasn’t paying much attention to it,” Purritano said with a laugh. “I had some interest from teams, but you never know what’s going to happen.” The moment came as a surprise to Purritano, who said he did not want to get his hopes up due to the unpredictable nature of the draft. It did not, however, come as a shock to his coaches or teammates. Purritano’s three-year career for the Big Green does a lot of the talking for him — he has posted a career batting average of .291 and a career on-base percentage of .374, with 114 compiled hits and 71 total runs scored . Not only did he lead his team in slugging percentage at .500, he also topped several other individual categories with 30 RBIs, five triples, three home runs, and 19 base on balls. “He has a presence in our lineup,” head coach Bob Whalen said. Whalen said that other teams in the league played differently against Purritano, aware of Purritano’s bat speed and ability to generate runs. “They have a tendency to pitch him more carefully and they know that he has a good strike zone discipline,” Whalen said. “This
combination of skills is unlikely and impressive to have all in one guy.” Purritano is known as a leader on the team not just because of his skills, but also due to his energy and drive, Whalen said. “Joe has a big personality, in all the right ways,” Whalen said. “He is a high energy guy. He is a worker. He is the guy that other players look to and follow because he has good, natural leadership skills. He is a really good player, certainly, but he is just as good of a teammate.” Duncan Robinson ’16 , the Big Green’s standout right-handed hurler and Ivy League Pitcher of the Year this season , said Purritano’s character is one of his greatest qualities. Robinson said that Purritano is a hardworking person and leader who does well in the classroom and serves as an example for his teammates on the field. Purritano follows several other D a r t m o u t h b a s e b a l l p l aye r s drafted by the MLB in the past few years. Mitch Horacek ’14, Cole Sulser ’12 and Michael Johnson ’13 were all drafted in 2013. Kyle Hendricks ’12 , drafted in 2012, moved up to the Chicago Cubs’ major league roster last year. Whalen said that the baseball program aims to improve its players over the full course of their careers with the Big Green.
“Our program has a team-oriented approach to everything we do,” he said. “We create competition by getting as many good guys as we can here and we challenge our kids to get better every single day.” Purritano said that the coaching and guidance he has received since joining Dartmouth baseball have helped him improve his game. He said that the number of drafted players in the past few years speaks to the high-quality work Whalen does in developing his players. Purritano is spending the summer playing for the Plymouth Pilgrims in the New England Collegiate Baseball League in Plymouth, Massachusetts. During his time there, he will be grappling with the big decision — to leave Dartmouth a year prior to graduating or to stay for his senior season and re-enter the draft pool next year. “Right now, I honestly don’t know what I’m going to decide,” Purritano said. “I’ve been going back and forth, weighing the costs and the benefits.” To help make the decision, Purritano said he is talking to friends and family, adding that Whalen in particular has been “a great voice of reason.” The decision making process begins between Purritano and the Reds organization begins in mid-July.
ANNIE DUNCAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Joe Purritano ’16 has been the designated hitter for three straight seasons.