The Dartmouth 09/28/15

VOL. CLXXII NO. 115

SUNNY HIGH 76 LOW 59

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

The Dartmouth Staff

SPORTS

FOOTBALL HOME DEBUT IS VICTORIOUS PAGE W2

OPINION

SHARMA: AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PAGE 4

ARTS

“BLACK MASS” BORES WITHOUT BULGER PAGE 8

READ US ON

DARTBEAT A GUIDE TO THE PERFECT FLITZ CHEWS WISELY FOLLOW US ON

TWITTER @thedartmouth COPYRIGHT © 2015 THE DARTMOUTH, INC.

AD will not hold rush

Dari Seo ’16 confirmed SA VP

By KATIE RAFTER

Dari Seo ’16 was confirmed as the new Student Assembly vice president last Friday after members of the General Assembly voted in favor of his appointment in a near-unanimous decision, although only 57 percent of the General Assembly, or 42 members, were present.

One Assembly member present abstained from voting.

The Student Assembly constitution outlined the procedure for appointing a vice president in the case of vacancy but was unclear on whether two thirds

of all Assembly members must confirm a vice presidential appointment, or simply two thirds of Assembly members present at the time of the vote. For this confirmation vote, however, two thirds of the entire Assembly was not present, but the number of members did constitute a quorum, which the Assembly defines as half its members.

Referring to the constitution’s statement that “a majority of the membership constitutes a quorum for any official Assembly business,” Student Assembly president SEE SEO PAGE 5

IFC sees second vacancy since spring

By CAROLINE BERENS The Dartmouth Staff

Citing the feeling that Greek life was no longer a good fit for him, Interfraternity Council vice president John Comerci ’16 stepped down from his position after his recent disaffiliation from his fraternity, Psi Upsilon, Comerci wrote in an email.

“He decided for his own reasons to disaffiliate from Psi U, and in doing so he chose to

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

step down from the IFC as well,” IFC public relations and outreach coordinator James Verhagen ’16 said.

Comerci has served as IFC’s vice president since last spring.

IFC presdient Sam Macomber ’16 did not disclose Comerci’s specific reasoning or motivation for disaffiliating from Psi U, but said the IFC SEE IFC PAGE 2

KATELYN JONES/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Alpha Delta fraternity, which was derecognized last spring, will not accept new members.

B y PARKER RICHARDS The Dartmouth Staff

Ending several months of speculation, Alpha Delta fraternity’s chairperson Lionel Conacher ’85 confirmed Sunday that AD will not accept a rush class this year.

AD’s board of directors — all newly elected — voted not to recognize any rush processes that occur this fall, Conacher wrote in an email.

Last spring, both former AD president Ryan Maguire ’16 and former alumni advisor John Engelman ’68 said they hoped to accept a full class of new members this fall, although they were not certain such an action would be feasible.

Maguire did not respond to requests for comment over the weekend and Engelman, who left his post as alumni

advisor to AD, redirected comments to his successor, John Pepper ’91 Tu’97.

Pepper redirected requests to comment to Conacher, citing time constraints.

Conacher was not available for further comment due to time restrictions.

Interfraternity Council president Sam Macomber ’16 wrote in an email that since AD is no longer recognized by the College it is not within the purview of the IFC to comment on the matter.

College spokesperson Diana Lawrence also cited AD’s separation from the College, and declined to comment.

It is unclear how or if the elimination of one of Dartmouth’s 14 fraternities will affect the rush process for other men on campus.

Of the 353 men who joined

fraternities last fall, 37 joined AD, the largest rush class of any organization. Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity took 36 new members, Psi Upsilon fraternity accepted 35 and Beta Alpha Omega and Chi Heorot fraternities accepted 34. No other fraternity had more than 23 new members in the fall of 2014, according to the Greek Letter Organizations and Societies office.

AD was also the College’s largest fraternity at the time of its derecognition. Roughly 70 former members of the house in the Classes of 2016 and 2017 are also left without a formal Greek affiliation following its derecognition, according to GLOS. Numerous fraternity presidents either directed requests to comment to the IFC or did not respond to requests seeking comment.

Panhellenic council will review policy recommendations

B y PARKER RICHARDS The Dartmouth Staff

More sober monitors, contact lists for campus resources and an increased focus on peer-to-peer assistance could be staples of Panhellenic Council policy if a new set of recommendations is fully ad-

opted, Panhell vice president of public relations Allison Chou ’17 said.

Existing door duty policy that calls for both fraternity and sorority representatives at each co-hosted event, coupled with every affiliated student’s Dartmouth Bystander Initiative training,

means that the policy will fit into a larger framework of sexual misconduct prevention measures, Chou said.

“If these policies are ultimately passed and show great results, the hope is that other organizations in the Dartmouth community might follow suit,” she said.

The policies have in large part been voluntarily enacted by individual sororities already, but Panhell will still vote on the sexual misconduct agenda put forward by Panhell’s summer executive board, Chou said.

“A lot of the houses already had versions of this

in place, and this was just to help them develop something more comprehensive, and if they didn’t have something in place, to put it in place,” Panhell’s summer vice president of research and policy Mercedes de Guardiola ’17 SEE PANHELL PAGE 3

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

PAGE 2

DAily debriefing According to a poll released by Castleton Polling Institute on last Wednesday, Vermonters rank the economy as one of the most important issues, followed by taxes and government spending and drug addiction, the VTDigger reported. The poll also indicated support for the legalization of marijuana, the consolidation of school districts and the creation of an ethics commission. The report also showed that people older than 65 were most likely to report that the economy was the most important issue. The numbers showed a slight increase in support for the legalization of marijuana in the state.

First-term senator Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) is opposing the Republican proposal of a federal budget bill to defund Planned Parenthood, after the release of controversial videos that led to the Executive Council in New Hampshire blocking state funding from five clinics, the Concord Monitor reported. While Ayotte opposes the legislation in light of a possible government shutdown following debate over the bill, she has also made it clear that she does not support Planned Parenthood in any way. Democrats have accused Ayotte of using her vote against the legislation to “cover up her deeply unpopular position on blocking access to women’s health care.” Ayotte is also working with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.) to reauthorize the U.S. Land and Water Conservation Fund, which is set to expire at the end of this month. The potential end of the fund that supported hundreds of New Hampshire projects since 1965 is causing alarm among New Hampshire senators, as Shaheen called out the Republican leadership for “flatly [ignoring]” the program.

Despite the death of David Hodges Sr., the 84 year-old owner of the Pine Tree Lane and Beechwood apartments in West Lebanon and president of The Hodges Companies, Twin Pines Housing Trust, a nonprofit developer of affordable housing in the Upper Valley, will still be able to purchase the two apartment complexes, the Valley News reported. The nonprofit sought to purchase the buildings after Hodges announced to residents that rental assistance would end in December so that the housing could remain an affordable option. Yet while the USDA Rural Development in Vermont and New Hampshire program completed the preliminary underwriting of the mortgage loan needed for Twin Pines and their purchase, Lebanon attorney Eric Janson, who is not affiliated with the case, said that the deceased’s heirs would need to consent that the pre-existing contract is binding and in the best interest of the estate.

— COMPILED BY JOYCE LEE

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

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

IFC will hold new elections FROM IFC PAGE 1

fully stands behind Comerci.

“We are in total support of his decision and are grateful for his service,” Macomber said. “[Comerci] was a great member of the IFC and the Greek system will miss his involvement, but we know he will make incredibly meaningful contributions wherever he chooses to devote his time and energy.”

Macomber emphasized that Comerci has been in communication with the IFC regarding his decision and is “very much in good standing” with both the council and his fraternity.

Comerci likewise expressed gratitude for his time with the IFC’s leaders and spoke of his wishes for its future, saying that he is looking forward to seeing what the council accomplishes this coming year.

The process of replacing Comerci will begin promptly, Macomber said. Verhagen said fraternity presidents have been notified of the upcoming transition.

Verhagen said presidents of member house organizations will nominate candidates from their organization as they see fit. Members of the IFC will vote on these potential replacements along with

chapter presidents at a meeting.

Macomber said the meeting will likely take place next week.

Comerci’s spot is not the only current vacancy in the IFC. Chase Gilmore ’16, the IFC’s former president, left the president spot vacant when he stepped down from his position last spring when his fraternity, Alpha Delta, was derecognized by the College.

In Gilmore’s absence, Macomber — formerly a treasurer — assumed the role of president of the council, while then-secretary Dan Pham ’16 took on the role of treasurer, leaving his former position open. According to the IFC Executive Board online listing, Pham is currently IFC treasurer and secretary.

Macomber said the secretary position will also be filled through the election of nominees from member organizations. He said current IFC members may run for the position if they wish, and then the vacancies they leave will be open to nominated candidates.

Macomber said in the interim between Comerci’s departure and replacement, the other members of the IFC will collectively fulfill his duties.

Though Comerci is the second

IFC executive to depart since the new executive board took their positions in the spring, Macomber remained firm in his emphasis that the IFC has still been effective and successful in its responsibilities.

“I think that the IFC remains devoted to providing the best possible Greek experience for students at Dartmouth,” Macomber said.

Verhagen explained how, even when Gilmore disassociated from the council, he still remained an active voice from an advisory position. He also said Comerci worked steadily with the IFC through the spring. He said these two instances have, despite the frequent transitions, given the council sufficient stability.

“I think that there’s been enough continuity to make us an effective council,” Verhagen said.

Verhagen said he is not sure whether or not Comerci will remain involved in the IFC through a similar advisory position.

Macomber said that Comerci was an asset to the council and reiterated that the entire IFC supports his decision.

“We did love having [Comerci] as part of IFC,” Macomber said.

“He did a great job, and we fully support his decision.”

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

PAGE 3

Panhell policy may include sober monitors, other best practices FROM PANHELL PAGE 1

said.

The recommendations mandate that each sorority maintain a “safety sheet” including contact information for the house’s president, vice president and risk manager, any members with emergency medical or first aid training, Safe Ride, Safety and Security, the DartmouthHitchcock Medical Center, Hanover Police and a variety of College health service offices, and that the sheet be placed by each main entrance and exit, in each bathroom and at the door exiting the house’s basement.

“It reflects the trend in Panhell and hopefully soon in the [Interfraternity Council] of adopting best

practices that already exist,” Greek Leadership Council accountability chair Taylor Watson ’16 said.

Similar safety sheets have been used at Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity — where Watson is affiliated — for some time, he said.

The main change in the recommendations is the requirement that sororities dispatch one to two sober monitors to each party, formal or tails event that they host or co-host, regardless of its location. The sober monitor would be limited to one drink per hour and would be drawn from house officers with experience with risk management and sexual assault prevention, de Guardiola said.

The policy mandating that the sober monitor be limited to one

CHIPOTBAE

drink per hour is intended to ensure that the duty does not seem like a punishment for members, she said.

“We want people to volunteer for this with the aim of helping their own community,” she said. “One drink in an hour is not going to impair you.”

College policy dictates that all parties or tails events already have four sober members of the hosting house on hand, including two members assigned to door duty and two to bar duty, Watson said.

The main addition in Panhell’s recommended policy shift is the presence of sorority members at events hosted by houses at which they are not members, he said.

Watson said that it is likely that many fraternity leaders might not notice the sober monitors, and would likely not be bothered by the policy shift.

“The rationale is just to better equip houses with the tools and the basic training that will help them respond to any incidences of sexual assault that might happen to any member of a house,” Chou said.

A major component of the recommendations was the designation of a risk manager at each sorority, Chou said. Since each house’s management structure is unique, some

houses do not have an official risk manager, with duties that might come under the risk manager’s portfolio instead being divided up between officers, she said.

While some houses will still not have an official risk manager, they are now highly encouraged to des-

“The rationale is just to better equip houses with the tools and basic training that will help them respond to any incidences of sexual assault that might happen to any member of a house.”

- Panhellenic council vice president of public relations allison chou ’17 ignate one official who can assume that capacity for events and will be required to do so should the policies be officially adopted by Panhell,

Chou said.

The recommendations were meant to be a primarily voluntary device through which sororities could standardize their policies, de Guardiola said.

Panhell will review the recommendations and discuss them further following fall recruitment, Chou said. Thereafter, a vote of sorority presidents may occur to officially adopt the measures, she said.

“From what we understand, the women in the Panhellenic community are willing and able to offer their time and effort for the greater good, and that’s exactly what these policies are aiming to do,” she said.

Chou said the recommendations were “well thought out” and represented a positive change for the Panhellenic community.

The policy recommendations do not represent major shifts in Panhell policy or College sexual misconduct prevention policy, de Guardiola said. Instead, they are part of a much broader set of policies that have been implemented over a long period of time to make Greek spaces on campus safer, she said.

“A lot of little changes together can help the bigger picture,” she said.

The President’s Office invites you to nominate individuals for an honorary degree The Council on Honorary Degrees is soliciting nominations for honorary degree recipients at Commencement 2016.

PREETI RISHI/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

Students waited in line to purchase Chipotle burritos delivered to campus.

Free Flu Shots!

Students, Faculty & Staff October 5 - 9, 2015 Schedule An Appointment @ www.dartmouth.edu/~health/ Sponsored By: Dartmouth College Health Service & Office Of Human Resources

Dartmouth seeks nominations to honor individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the arts and humanities, the sciences, industry, or public service in the broadest sense.

Nominations received by October 16, 2015, will be considered for June 2016 Commencement. Please email your nomination(s) and a statement explaining why you believe the nominee merits an honorary degree to Holli.D.Weed@Dartmouth.edu or to Holli at HB 6001.

Following review of the nominations, the Council will forward its recommendations to the President and Board of Trustees for their consideration and final approval.

Your suggestions for honorary degree candidates are highly appreciated.

If you would like more information about the nomination process, please do not hesitate to contact Bill Lotko, Chair, Council on Honorary Degrees, at William.Lotko@Dartmouth.edu, or Mimi Simpson, Executive Director in the President’s Office, 646-0348, or at Marion.B.Simpson@Dartmouth.edu.

THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

PAGE 4

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

CONTRIBUTING Columnist STEVEN CHUN ’19

CONTRIBUTING Columnist HANSA SHARMA ’19

The ’19 Perspective

Supporting Affirmative Action

Because we’re outsiders, ’19s offer a unique and new take on Dartmouth.

Being an outsider has come into vogue. Donald Trump — praise be His Hairness — is largely in contention for the 2016 Republican presidential primary because he is an outsider who does not play by the rules. Hillary Clinton’s massive pre-election-cycle support has been checked by her image as a political insider and the baggage that such a label implies. In American culture, it appears we have come to value an outside opinion — and with good reason. Outsiders are seemingly free from systemic bias and can instead offer a fair, objective evaluation of an organization. If nothing else, they can provide a new point of view, not steeped in tradition or how things have always been done. This is the great — if only — advantage of being a ’19. We have an outside perspective. I may have called the Choates “Ko-ates,” and I may carry my room key on a lanyard, but I also come from outside of the Dartmouth bubble.

For most intents and purposes, this makes me practically useless. I am still floundering in the rising waters of this new college life. For example, I started this piece with a quotation — now deleted by my editors, as you can see. I am still a foreign object in the student body. Yet, it surely will not take long for this institution’s many support systems to sterilize and suture the opening my class’s presence has caused. In that interim, however, we bring a shock of new and valuable information. Dartmouth can be a very insular institution, and while this much is true of most colleges, its location and intensely social culture makes this reality especially salient here.

So, each new class becomes a report from the front. Right now, we ’19s are probably the best metric with which to measure how Dartmouth is managing its image and its social reality. The College has seen its applications drop in the past few years — and yet here we are, the Class of 2019. We are proof that something worked. In my case, it was the Dimensions of Dartmouth program — honestly, keep that up. I saw enough people call their parents and commit on the spot during Dimensions to know that it works. I am certain, however, that we are also proof that the College still has much work to do.

First-years can be like bloodhounds — or at the very least, determined pugs. We will, inevitably, try to find the most valuable extracurriculars. We will, inevitably, try to find the best classes. We will, inevitably, fail in some regards. But which classes see massive enrollments tells us something about the word on the street. The Class of 2019 is full of very different individuals, yet the movement of the herd tells us something. If my first-year peers are any indication, students still set a course for economics majors and finance jobs very early on. Clubs pine for new members each fall, which means that ’19s are a valuable resource as well as a metric of which extracurriculars are in vogue. The ultimate frisbee team certainly saw a good showing and the poker society’s free buy-in required several extra tables to be set up. As any club leader could tell you, every fall first-years are a transfusion to replace outgoing seniors. It is a good thing, then, that first-years are universal donors. We can pretty much be molded into anything and everything that this college needs. Hopefully, and more importantly, we will also bring something new — a class starting out within the post-“Moving Dartmouth Forward” paradigm. Ideally, we will show that the revamped pre-matriculation alcohol and sexual assault programs worked. More realistically, we may be proof that more work is needed. Either way, it is valuable information.

As first-years, we will not be outsiders for long. The College does its best to make us feel included, and older students do an excellent job.

For better and for worse, the Class of 2019 will soon become Dartmouth insiders. This is not a bleak future — I do not believe we need to reject the culture of the College en masse. I simply hope that we have brought something new, something useful. We enter college as the turmoil over Greek life across the nation rises, and maybe because of that will be a more reform-minded class. Maybe our economics majors will have art history minors.

Maybe will lower the numbers on sexual assault and relationship violence. Of course, none of this is guaranteed. But I hope that — innocent and unlearned as we may be — our doe-eyes envision a better future for Dartmouth.

212 Robinson Hall, Hanover N.H. 03755 • (603) 646-2600

Katie McKAY, Editor-in-Chief jessica avitabile, Executive Editor

Justin levine, Publisher luke mcCann, Executive Editor

Laura Weiss, Managing Editor CHARLIE RAFKIN, Managing Editor PRODUCTION EDITORS emily albrecht, Opinion Editor carson hele, Opinion Editor MADDIE BROWN, Mirror Editor MAGGIE SHIELDS, Mirror Editor henry arndt, Sports JOE CLYNE, Sports KATIE JARRETT, Assistant Sports MAYA PODDAR, Arts

Editor Editor Editor Editor

amelia rosch, Arts Editor chris leEch, Dartbeat Editor JESSICA ZISCHKE, Dartbeat Editor Kate HErrington, Photography Editor alex moushey, Multimedia Editor

jasmine sachar, Managing Editor BUSINESS DIRECTORS JASMINE XU, Finance & Strategy Director AMY CHANG, Finance & Strategy Director hayden karp-hecker, Advertising Director Addison Lee, Advertising Director Andrew Zhu, Operations & Marketing Director katherine healy, Design Director ALISON GUH, Design Director Robert Neuhaus, Technology Director

ISSUE

NEWS EDITOR: Hannah Hye Min Chung, TEMPLATING EDITOR: Elyse Kuo.

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.

Race-based affirmative action is crucial toward facilitating diversity.

Over my four years at Stuyvesant High School the University of Michigan Law School on the in New York City, I had exactly three African basis of reverse discrimination. The Court ruled American classmates. Although not as extreme, that the school’s inclusion of race as a component the demographic breakdown for the Class of in the admissions process was constitutional, and 2019 profile highlights the racial disparity found in her opinion on the case, then-Justice Sandra throughout selective institutions and encompasses Day O’Connor wrote that “the Constitution does a much broader issue — the lack of opportunity not prohibit the law school’s narrowly tailored available to those who need it the most. Affirma- use of race in admissions decisions to further a tive action is a necessary tool for creating equal compelling interest in obtaining the educational opportunity education for all races alike — not benefits that flow from a diverse student body.” only for its historical background, but also for the If more minority students are admitted to implications it holds for the future. certain universities, students are more likely to Affirmative action was enacted to accomplish interact with different races, avoid resorting to the longer-term goals of the civil rights movement. stereotype and gain a deeper understanding Although the Civil Rights of different cultures and Act of 1964 sought to al- “Affirmative action is backgrounds. Moreover, leviate the struggles facing a necessary tool for studies demonstrate that many African Americans, creating equal opportunity race can correlate with significant gaps in profes- education for all races alike socioeconomic class, so afsional fields remained. This action positively — not only for its historical firmative led President Lyndon B. affects both demographic Johnson to sign an execu- background, but also for spectrums. Whenever an tive order in 1965 for the the implications it holds for affirmative action prousage of affirmative action the future.” gram has been eliminated programs to bridge these from a university, minority gaps. Decades later in 2011, enrollment has significantly decreased and led 65 percent of African American high school to a supermajority of one race. When affirmagraduates now immediately enroll in college, tive action was removed from the University of along with 63 percent of Hispanic graduates, California system, for example, the number of compared to 69 percent of white students. We black first-year admitted students enrolled at its have made significant progress from 1964, where Berkeley campus declined by approximately 40 African Americans comprised only five percent percent, while the percentage of Hispanic admitof undergraduate students. ted students fell by almost the same amount. This Numbers aside, affirmative action is part of was also the case at Rice University, where half a legacy of progressive social action in the U.S. the number of African American and almost oneRacial tensions are one of the United States’ third fewer Hispanic students were enrolled the fundamental issues. Our nation’s history is irre- immediate year after the elimination of affirmavocably stained by slavery and its ramifications. tive action. The elimination of affirmative action Affirmative action is a soluin these universities has tion — at least in part — to led to a rise in a racially “Affirmative action these problems. It provides homogenous culture that the formerly-deprived with programs have often is misrepresentative of the opportunity to fulfill a been criticized for American society, which version of the American practicing unfair reverse is a changing mosaic of dream. In addition to our discrimination and various ethnic groups unfortunate history of racial dismantling the ideals of a and socioeconomic classtension and struggle, the meritocracy.” es. By actively seeking U.S. also has a tradition of to include minorities, academic excellence. The institutions serve to enrich Puritans brought to America a work ethic that the educational experience for all. allowed them to eventually thrive in the face of Affirmative action programs have often been adversity and establish an educational foundation criticized for practicing unfair reverse discriminathrough the likes of Harvard and Yale Universities tion and dismantling the ideals of a meritocracy.

— not to mention our own home, Dartmouth. Since its inception during the Civil Rights era, These institutions serve as pinnacles of global however, affirmative action has done nothing education even today. Given how important more than to include those who have always been education is to the American tradition, it is only excluded from this very notion of meritocracy. fitting that races that had been subjugated before Originally serving as a means to compensate for a can now have truly equal access to them. history of racial injustices, affirmative action has The contemporary focus of continuing af- transformed into an instrument to better prepare firmative action now rests on the principle of students for a dynamic and diverse society. diversity. Following the legal precedent established Though Dartmouth has no known plans to by the 1978 Supreme Court case Regents of the abandon affirmative action, we clearly still have University of California v. Bakke, the Supreme an issue with diversity. Roughly half of our Court has continually ruled in favor of increas- campus self-identifies as white, and the recent ing diversity. While the Court ruled that racial switch to “need-aware” financial aid admisquotas were unconstitutional, it allowed race sions for international students certainly does to be used as a factor for admission in hopes of not inspire confidence. As a College, we cannot creating a diverse student population. This was become complacent — we must remain vigilant challenged in the 2003 Supreme Court case in ensuring that Dartmouth is an inclusive and Grutter v. Bollinger, when Barbara Grutter sued welcoming campus for all.

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

PAGE 5

Seo received near-unanimous vote from Assembly members FROM SEO PAGE 1

Frank Cunningham ’16 said executive members of Student Assembly reviewed the constitution and decided to interpret this to mean that they required the approval of two thirds of the quorum to confirm Seo’s appointment as vice president.

“Since we had a quorum present, we could move forward with legislative matters,” Cunningham said.

He said that while the event was meant to begin at 4 p.m. on Friday, he waited to begin until enough Assembly members were present to form a quorum so that the vote would be legitimate.

All Assembly members apply for their positions and must be appointed by Cunningham, who also appointed Seo. The Assembly is planning on releasing a statement explaining the vote and a statement from Seo in the next few days.

Cunningham said that he took the process seriously because he wanted to make the best decision for the College.

“No president has had to do this, and this has been a experience that I don’t take lightly,” he said.

Cunningham said at the confirmation that Seo was the first person he thought of to replace former vice president-elect Julia Dressel ’17 following her spring resignation.

“He practices what he preaches, and he is an inspiration to me and an inspiration to Dartmouth as well,” Cunningham said.

Cunningham said he does not think that the lack of a debate before the vote about Seo assuming the role is an issue.

He said he emailed out to campus with information about the event, and after Seo spoke at the confirmation the floor was opened for debate, but no one offered opposition at that time.

“Since no one raised a debate, there was no need to have a debate — the time and the space were both there to have a conversation, and no one raised it,” he said.

Seo said that the fact that no one raised concerns, such as the fact that he and Cunningham were in the same fraternity, shows that the campus has faith in their dedication to the College.

“People can see that what [Cunningham] and I have goes beyond Greek letters,” he said.

Seo said he is excited to start working on policies for this year, now that he is officially confirmed.

“It’s been so much talking up until now, and now that we have the Assembly’s support I’m really looking forward to this year,” he said.

Cunningham and Seo plan to release their fall agenda later this week.

Head of health and wellness for Student Assembly Speight Carr ’16

FALL IS LIFE

PREETI RISHI/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

Students enjoyed the Fallapalooza concert on the Gold Coast lawn.

voted to confirm Seo. Carr said that Seo is the best candidate for the position because he is well-connected and liked on campus and is always willing to tackle problems head on.

“In our narrative this year of trying to make a broader, more inclusive community across campus, I think that [Seo] is the perfect person for the job,” he said.

Echoing Cunningham’s sentiment regarding following the rules for appointment confirmation, Carr said that Student Assembly acted according to the rules of the constitution, because they had a quorum and two thirds of the vote of the present members.

Though no concerns about Seo assuming the role of vice president were raised at his confirmation, Carr said the Assembly discussed the matter previously, and few members expressed dissent.

Carr said that there were no votes against Seo at his confirmation, which speaks to his popularity on campus.

“It is extremely hard to find anything negative about [Seo], he is one of the nicest guys and he works really hard at everything he does,” he said.

KATE HERRINGTON/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Dari Seo ’16 was confirmed as Student Assembly vice president on Friday.

PAGE 6

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS

DARTMOUTH EVENTS TODAY 4:30 p.m.

“Human Dignity: A Constitutional Value and Constitutional Right” with Aharon Barak, Moore Building, Filene Auditorium

6:00 p.m.

Dartmouth Film Society weekly meeting, non-members welcome, Wilson 205

7:30 p.m.

Argentine tango class and practica for beginner and intermediate, Sarner Underground east and west

TOMORROW 10:00 a.m.

“Reverse Engineering Supernovae” with Dan Milisavljevic, physics and astronomy seminar, Wilder 202

4:00 p.m.

“Electromagnetic Ion Cyclotron Waves and Their Effect on Relativistic Electrons” with professor Richard Denton, Wilder 111

5:30 p.m.

“The Versatile Accordion,” book arts workshop seminar, Baker Library, Room 21

midaswestlebanon.com

1 OIL CHANGE

=

We donate $1 to our local food bank for every oil change. Thank you for helping us Drive Out Hunger.

West Lebanon • 5 Airport Road • 603-298-8741

Complete Auto Care • BRAKE REPAIR • OIL CHANGES • TIRES & ALIGNMENTS

• BELTS & HOSES • MUFFLERS & EXHAUST • LIGHTS & WIPERS

6AvailableMONTHS SPECIAL FINANCING at participating shops with approved credit. Minimum monthly payment required. See manager for details

We employ

technicians CA RD

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

THE DARTMOUTH AVERTISEMENTS

America’s Oldest College Newspaper

Bring The Dartmouth into your home.

Design for The Dartmouth! thedartmouth.com | tweet @thedartmouth | Facebook.com/thedarmouth

PAGE 7

THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

PAGE 8

ARTS “Black Mass” bores without Bulger B y andrew kingsley The Dartmouth Staff

With the 2013 arrest and incarceration of Federal Bureau of Investigation fugitive James “Whitey” Bulger, the notorious crime boss of Boston’s Winter Hill Gang, his canonization as a mass criminal and escapee had begun.

This story finds its altarpiece in Scott Cooper’s “Black Mass” (2015). Based on the 2001 book “Black Mass: The True Story of an Unholy Alliance Between the FBI and the Irish Mob,” the film becomes a hagiography to Bulger and his empire, whose puppet strings stretched over all of South Boston from the 1970s to the 1990s.

While Whitey Bulger (Johnny Depp) is the high priest of this murderous mass, the film focuses on his clergymen, the entourage of murderers and pawns who followed him, namely John Connolly (Joel Edgerton), his childhood friend and FBI agent, as well as his brother Billy Bulger (Benedict Cumberbatch), the for mer president of the

Boston Senate. The unctuous, ambitious Connolly lures Whitey into serving as an informant for the FBI, notably on the Anguilo brothers, some of the leading mafia members in Boston. In exchange for informing — not “ratting” as Bulger convinces himself — Whitey receives immunity from the cops, allowing him to murder, extort, racketeer, deal drugs and cheat the lottery while the FBI simply turns a blind eye. Despite the juiciness of Bulger’s prolific career, the film becomes less a biopic and more a detective drama, chronicling the FBI’s pursuit of the Anguilos, while casting the exploits of Bulger and his gang to the periphery of the story.

With the spotlight cast elsewhere, Bulger lurks in the film’s shadows and only rears his skeletal head for a gruesome murder or a covert deal. Like Hannibal Lecter — they even share the same glazed, vacant blue eyes and severe, slicked back hairstyle — his absence only entices us further, exalting his blood-soaked appearances while reinforcing

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2015

NOT JUST BLACK AND WHITE

COURTESY OF GIBSON/MARTELLI

Gibson/Martelli explore the relationship between the virtual and the real in their new exhibit at the Hopkins Center.

his mysterious mythology. If it weren’t for his rigid South Boston straightness, one wouldn’t put cannibalism past him.

BACK TO SCHOOL

PREETI RISHI/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

Theatreworks performed a show based on the “Junie B. Jones” series for local children on Sunday.

As if exhausted by his more typecast roles in the recent flops “Mortdecai” (2015) and “The Lone Ranger” (2013), Depp explodes with ferocity, channeling his oddity into insanity, his sanitary roles into a satanic ringleader. This is not Willy Wonka or Edward Scissorhands. After his son dies of Reye’s syndrome and his mother of old age, the Russian roulette with Bulger’s sanity intensifies. Bulger’s remaining humanity hangs by a thread — he lectures his friend on not soiling the bar peanuts with his dirty fingers then beats a mobster to a pulp — which makes him that much less predictable and, ultimately, more watchable.

The rest of the cast, however, cannot compete with Bulger’s stone-cold intensity, and they become dead weight. Cumberbatch fans will be disappointed by his rather neutered, perfunctory role, which could have provided more insight into Whitey’s etiology from Southie kid to criminal kingpin. Edgerton commands the most screentime — however, in the shadow of Bulger, he just becomes a slimy nuisance of an upstart, a sycophant needing to be “whacked.” Peter Sarsgaard, Kevin Bacon and Adam Scott all make cameos, but they too feel

cursory and only dilute Depp’s presence with their stiffness. Atop it all, the film is structured around FBI interrogations of Bulger’s confidants, lazy narrative crutches which spoon feed plot summary to the audience.

Somehow, with jai alai league embezzlement, a cargo ship filled with munitions and enough strang lings and point blank shootings to sate any sadist, “Black Mass” still feels anemic, too focused on Connolly’s conniving rise to prominence to give Bulger his due.

Eventually a new FBI detective (Corey Stoll) smells something rotten with Connolly and begins digging into the cover-ups, but by then Whitey has surpassed their incompetent backtracking. With a story so immediately cinematic, it’s unfortunate Cooper’s narrative felt so out of focus, failing to wring out more menace or capture the full scope of Bulger’s network.

Bulger’s Massachusetts could’ve been darker, viler and blacker, but it was ultimately watered down by too many white-collars.

Rating: 6/10 “Black Mass” is now playing at The Nugget every day at 4:10 p.m. and 6:40 p.m. and at 1:30 p.m. on weekends.