VOL. CLXXIII NO.61
SUNNY HIGH 60 LOW 29
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Assembly debate focuses on Greek life
Last 23 years of Assembly candidates see gender disparity
By SAMANTHA STERN The Dartmouth Staff
candidates. The last seven years have not merely been an exception to a more balanced rule. Since 1993, Dartmouth has seen 87 men run for president, compared to just 18 women, representing a ratio of nearly five-to-one. In that same time period, the College has seen three times the number of male presidents to female ones: 18 male and six female. This adds up to 24 presidents over a 23 year period:
This year’s first debate for Student Assembly presidential and vice presidential candidates focused on the Greek system, although questions also addressed the candidates leadership experience and initiatives. The Greek Leadership Council hosted the event last night in Collis Common Ground with around 40 students in attendance, moderated by chair of the Greek Leadership Council Austin Welch ’17 and GLC public relations chair Becca Rodriguez ’17. All six presidential candidates and the four vice presidential candidates attended the debate. Shiv Sethi ’17, Ben Packer ’17, Sean Cann ’17, Nick Harrington ’17, Aaron Cheese ’18 and Joby Bernstein ’17 are running for Student Assembly president. Nathan Busam ’17, Sally Portman ’17, Menaka Reddy ’18 and Timo Vaimann ’17 are campaigning with Cann, Harrington, Cheese and Bernstein, respectively. The moderators failed to mention early on that candidates could respond to one another’s comments, and, as a result, the debate consisted primarily of unopposed statements. Some candidates expressed dismay regarding the theme of the debate. Bernstein said that the College faces many more pressing issues than Greek life. He does not believe that Student Assembly should intervene in managing Greek life on campus, given that there are already committees designed to serve the interests of affiliated students and maintain the integrity and unity of
SEE CANDIDATES PAGE 2
SEE DEBATE PAGE 3
SPORTS
MEN’S RUGBY BEATS PENN STATE PAGE 8
OPINION
BUSAM: A FUTURE WE CANN BELIVE IN PAGE 5
SETHI: DEFINED BY WORK, NOT TITLES PAGE 5
ARTS
EXPLORING THE ANIMATION STUDIO PAGE 7
ALUMNA Q&A: KIMBERLY MARABLE ’05 PAGE 7
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By ZACHARY BENJAMIN The Dartmouth Staff
In light of this week’s Student Assembly debates and this weekend’s upcoming elections, candidates and their platforms have been at the center of many campus conversations. But less has been said about the gender imbalances that have characterized Student Assembly elections over the past few years — and indeed, as a trend throughout its history.
For the second year in a row, there are no female candidates running for Student Assembly president. No female candidate who was not a write-in has run since 2013, and the College has not had a female student body president since 2009. In the election cycles from 2009 to 2015, 18 men have run for president, compared to seven women — a gender ratio just under threeto-one. This year’s ballot drives that ratio even higher, with six male candidates and no female
Dartmouth alumni seek national, state political offices By JOSEPH REGAN
The Dartmouth Staff
New Hampshire’s status as a swing state and key primary state during election season allows students at the College a view into political activities beyond the undergraduate experience. Many students choose to get involved in politics both on campus and as alumni. Most recently, Colin van Ostern Tu’09 and Mark Connolly ’79 threw their
hats into the governor’s race in New Hampshire, while four current United States senators and three current state governors hail from the College on the Hill. One hundred and seventy College alums have served in the United States Congress. Fourteen have served as New Hampshire state senators and 27 serving in the House of Representatives for New Hampshire. Fourteen alumni have gone on to become governors of
New Hampshire, while an additional eight have served as governors of states beyond New Hampshire. Matt Trojan, the communications director for the Van Ostern campaign, referred to Van Ostern’s experience as an employee of Stonyfield, marketing director for Southern New Hampshire University, and an elected member in 2001 of the Executive Council of New Hampshire. Trojan said that Van Ostern’s interests devel-
oped while an employee of the Tuck School of Business, when he decided to become a student there as well. Van Ostern’s interest in politics is rooted in the economy and business, Trojan said, and how to best move New Hampshire forward. In a statement from his campaign, Connolly recalled his time at Dartmouth as a for mative experience. Connolly’s career in public service began when he was a sophomore at the College,
when he commuted to Concord as a state representative. Government professor Brendan Nyhan, who focuses on the U.S. government, said that he hopes that the gover nment department inspires students to go on to public service and participation in public life, just as is the case with Van Ostern and Connolly. “We aren’t training anyone how to run a campaign. SEE POLITICS PAGE 6
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
Women make up 17 percent of presidential candidates since 1993 FROM CANDIDATES PAGE 1
the extra person comes from 1993, which held a second election after the first elected candidate resigned almost immediately during a scandal. Elections planning and advisory committee chair Derek Whang ’17 had no comment on the broader trend, though he said that in last year’s election EPAC was slower and less consistent in reaching out to the community, which might have contributed to the low number of candidates that year. At the same time, gender imbalances also exist within elections for Student Assembly vice president. From 1993 to 2015, 50 men and 18 women ran for vice president. Of those, 14 men and nine women won, a slightly lower mento-women ratio than for the presidency. In the last several years gender enrollment has been near equal — since 2013, the difference between the number of men and women in one class has not exceeded 24, and the number of years where men are the majority is equal to the number of years they are a minority. Going back to 1993, the pattern remains similar. Though there were a number of years in the early 1990s when there were significantly more men per class than women, the gender balance has remained mostly equal. The greatest disparity between men and women as a percentage of the class body was about 10 percent for the Class of 1996. Women are not merely running in fewer absolute numbers — they are underrepresented both in the number of candidates running and the number
elected. The trend of gender disparity is not one that is limited to Dartmouth’s campus, but appears at many levels in the United States government and other student governments. Government professor Deborah Brooks wrote in an email that studies suggest that disproportionate numbers of female officials in national politics are likely the result of fewer female candidates running, not due to differences in media coverage or gender stereotyping. However, this still leaves unanswered the question of why so few women have chosen to run. Others have pointed to structural issues in the U.S. election process as a potential answer. Cynthia Terrell, founder and chair of Representation2020, which seeks to raise awareness about issues of women in politics, said that factors such as voting systems and recruiting practices could keep women out of politics. Terrell highlighted the importance of having discussions about intentionally recruiting women to run if one seeks to lower the gender imbalance in elected positions, especially on college campuses. Though she acknowledged the importance of seeking the “best and brightest” to run, she also said it is important to keep structural barriers against women in mind. Lindsay Bubar, a political consultant and director of the Southern California program of Emerge California — a group dedicated to training Democratic women to run for office — said that one reason there are fewer female officials
MEMOIR, JOURNALISM AND COMICS
PAULA MENDOZA/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Cartoonist Sarah Glidden discussed her work yesterday in a talk sponsored by the Leslie Center for the Humanities. Glidden is known for her graphic novel “How to Understand Israel in 60 Days or Less.”
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at various levels of government is an “ambition gap” between men and women. Noting that she was speaking broadly, she said that many women feel that their talents can be better applied outside of political office. Combined with societal sexism and lack of mentoring opportunities, this can lead to fewer women running for office, she said. Bubar noted that when women run for office, they tend to succeed at similar rates as men, which suggests that differences in the number of male and female officials are because of a lack of female candidates. To get more women running at all levels, there needs to be more training and mentorship for women, she said. At the college level, this kind of support could come from professors or other leaders on campus, she said. Whang said that EPAC, which is in charge of organizing elections to Student Assembly and Class Councils, has not specifically tried to garner candidates from any particular group. Instead, they are focused on upholding their guidelines to hold free and fair elections, he said. Any outreach efforts would have to be done through affinity groups on campus, he added, not directly through EPAC. One reform Terrell highlighted which she said could be applied to college campuses is using instant-runoff
voting, in which voters rank candidates in their order of preference. After a round of voting, if no candidate has received a majority, the least popular candidate is dropped from the ballot and their votes redistributed to the second-choice candidate of their voters. This continues until a candidate receives a majority.
EPAC adopted an instant-runoff voting system in 2005. In 2011, they replaced it with a winner-take-all approval voting system, in which voters can vote for multiple candidates on a single ballot. During the time in which instant-runoff voting was in place, four male candidates and two female candidates were elected as president.
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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Greek Leadership Council hosts debate FROM DEBATE PAGE 1
the Greek community, including the GLC and its five Greek sub-councils. Student Assembly should not devote its resources and time to issues concerning Greek life, Sethi added. The governing body is supposed to represent both affiliated and unaffiliated students and candidates should not spend an entire debate rehashing a topic that is already so frequently a topic of dialogue at Dartmouth, he said. Packer disagreed, underscoring the importance of holding a debate on Greek life. Rather than answering the moderators’ questions, he used the debate as an opportunity to share his largely anti-Greek opinions. Packer also told students to refrain from voting for him. “I just want my voice to be heard,” Packer said. Greek houses constitute a “network of exclusive groups organized into a hierarchy,” he said. Packer said that Greek affiliation frequently limited a person’s social circle, as they surrounded by people with similar beliefs. He proposed that Greek organizations become
completely open and co-ed. The main objective of the Greek system is “to systematically translate certain characteristics into social capital,” Packer said. “Certain people benefit from it, they like it, they will continue to do so, that’s how it works.” When asked what the role of a Greek house is, Reddy responded that each organization has its own personality and mission for what it wants to achieve on campus. The function of a Greek house can and should vary from student to student, Bernstein said. For some, a Greek house might entail going to dinners with other members, while for others, a fraternity might be an outlet for community-building, he added. A lack of diversity and inclusivity are the biggest problems with the Greek system, Cheese said. While he acknowledged the importance of scrutinizing the system and recognizing the issues, he added that he understood there are tangible ways to fix the problems. Student Assembly should raise SEE DEBATE PAGE 6
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
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FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
COLUMNIST DOROTHY QU ‘19
VERBUM ULTIMUM THE DARTMOUTH EDITORIAL BOARD
Guilty Pleasures
A Troubling Trend
Although terrifying, we should engage in internet comments. During a time in which politics dominates many aspects of our lives, from protests to everyday conversations, it’s nice to take a step back and appreciate the little things in life. And newspapers like The New York Times just don’t cut it. I have had this realization after coming across the “Trending” section on Facebook. This shows the most popular articles on Facebook, personalized to each used based on factors like location and what you have liked. When people share a post or write out their thoughts to an audience of Facebook friends, they need to feel strongly about their convictions. If the heart of news lays in published work, the soul can be found in the comments. Indeed, comments are the best way to gauge how real people feel about hot topics. Here are some recent examples of these comments. One article titled “Indra Nooyi, CEO of PepsiCo was quoted in an article as saying that she dislikes being called ‘sweetie’ or ‘honey’” in a business environment” received hundreds of comments. Many of the Facebook users who shared this article were supportive and could relate to feeling patronized and belittled with similar terms in professional settings. However, most were dissatisfied individuals who showed what can politely be described as disdain for Nooyi’s stance. One post read, “Hey, Sweetie.... Good luck with that, babe! Whether you take an implied pleasantry as an inferred offense is your feminist business, not mine, honey. I don’t work for you, cuddles. Nor do I kowtow to your self-importance.” Another expressed surprise at the mere fact that the CEO of Pepsi was a woman and “all the sodas didn’t taste like sandwiches,” while another expressed support for her, noting how frustrating this could be in a professional setting. Another popular headline was “Princeton, New Jersey: Photos Surface of Teens Playing Drinking Game With ‘Jews vs. Nazis’ Theme.” The story contains an image of Princeton High School students at a party
in which they are organizing cups in the shapes of a swastika and a star of David for a game of beer pong. One student, Jamaica Ponder, uploaded the image in order to inspire administrative intervention. One user was thrilled about this, reveling in the fact that this story came out of “Ultra Ultra liberal Princeton where they tried to ban the Republican Party.” This commenter also expressed his enjoyment about flaunting his support of Ted Cruz all throughout Princeton, which he calls a “bastion of liberal hypocrisy,” a “circus” that should be renamed “Sandersville.” Another similarly inclined user went on to argue that the game was purposefully offensive, that “That’s the point.” They go on to argue that although Princeton claims to promote tolerance, they only do so when they agree with what the person is saying. They assert that if, “The administrators at this school are not about free speech. They are about ‘non inflammatory culturally sensitive rhetoric.’” These commenters characterize a particular conservative attitude that liberal leaning people and institutions are riddled with hypocrisy and seek to silence any dissenting opinions. They are pushing back against what is often characterized as a wave of excessive political correctness. These commentators point out a real issue — the “battle” with political correctness in America — and I say fight it! Here are your comrades Where have they been hiding? In the bowels of the internet, but now you can communicate with them through a relatively respectable medium. Prepare your arms and ready yourselves for battle! I urge readers to explore their own Facebook news feeds and to not shy away from the wonderful comments that come attached to them. Sites like the New York Times, CNN, Fox News, Yahoo, or whatever your news source of choice is, provide far too narrow perspectives. Engaging might often seem futile, but comments sections provide a rich space for engagement. Read these comments to expand your mind and/or tolerance. Get to know the real America.
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Student Assembly has been consistently unrepresentative of the students themselves.
This weekend, the Dartmouth under- are just better known on a campus at which graduate student body will have the chance the Greek system dominates social life. Still to decide which of their peers will represent others would say that this pattern represents them in Student Assembly for the upcoming power being passed down within a group year. The two most talked-about races, for of people that comes from the traditionally president and vice president, involve six popular factions of student life. Whatever and four candidates this year, with each vice the cause may be, it seems that the highpresidential candidate aligning themselves est positions in Student Assembly, a body with a presidential one. In the past, The that is ostensibly supposed to represent Dartmouth’s editorial board has endorsed a all students, are more accessible to a very candidate. Two year’s ago we abstained from particular type of student. doing so. As this year’s election approaches, Whether or not this trend will continue we have chosen to do so again. Instead, in the future remains to be seen. Like we we want to discuss some of the troubling noted above, there are no women running trends in Student Assembly elections and for president this year. As far as affiliation, the future of our student government. two presidential candidates are unaffiliated, Anyone who has witnessed a student two are affiliated with fraternities, one is election, from first grade through graduate affiliated with a suspended gender-inclusive school, would agree that they are in many fraternity and the last was a part of a now ways solely popularity contests. Student derecognized fraternity. One vice presivoters focus less on issues that may impact dential candidate is unaffiliated, two are their day-to-day lives and more on voting for members of sororities and the fourth is their friends or people affiliated with a fraterthat come off as cool nity. So, although this or popular. In reality, “Whatever the cause year’s election may well this exists in almost any may be, it seems that continue the established election in some form trend of representatives or another, and is an the highest positions who are Greek-affiliated, issue we do not have a in Student Assembly, a it also presents the distinct solution for in this one possibility that an unafarticle. What is trou- body that is ostensibly filiated student will claim bling, however, is the supposed to represent one of the positions. fact that in recent years, We are frustratthe popularity contests all students, are more ed with this lack of frusthat are Student As- accessible to a very tration. The candidates sembly elections have themselves are frustrated yielded winners that p a r t i c u l a r t y p e o f with Student Assembly. seem to follow some student.” In an April 14 article, specific, and disturbone candidate claimed ing, patterns including that “Student Assembly is a lack of diversity and a lack of representa- unequipped to tackle the problems facing tion of various kinds of students. Dartmouth today.” Another president and First off, no woman has held the Student vice president pair cited a need for increased Assembly presidency since Frances Vernon transparency and liability from a Student ’10. This year’s ticket doesn’t feature a Assembly which has failed to provide both single woman running for the top office, nor in the past. Still another pair state on their did last year’s. In fact, since 1993 women website that Student Assembly needs to have made up only 17 percent of the total focus more on specific goals rather than candidates for president. lofty ones like drafting a Bill of Rights. One could hardly call this representation All of these points and others made by the when women currently make up half of the candidates drive home the fact that the mastudent body. This lack of representation jority of our community — including those extends beyond gender, however. Five of running to join the organization — think the past six Student Assembly presidents that the way Student Assembly operates have been affiliated. In the past three ad- needs to change. Despite calls for change, ministrations, four out of the six presidents the people in charge of this body for the and vice presidents were members of the last half decade have been similar in many same fraternity, Alpha Delta. With roughly regards. To be clear, we are absolutely not 50 percent of Dartmouth students involved advising people to vote or not vote for canin Greek Letter organizations, once again a didates strictly based on whether or not they huge portion of the student body is going are affiliated or the gender with which they unrepresented. If past outcomes are to be identify. We are simply asking that people used as an indicator for future outcomes, consider that Student Assembly members then it seems like the best way to get elected should be representative of the students they president of Student Assembly is to be a represent, and that this election shouldn’t man affiliated with a Greek house. Shocker. belong to certain students strictly based People may point to any number of rea- on their membership to particular social sons to explain these patterns. They could groups. say that unaffiliated people or women just don’t run as often as affiliated people and The editorial board consists of the editor in men. Others might say that affiliated people chief, both executive editors and the editorial chair.
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
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GUEST COLUMNIST JONATHAN BUSAM ’17
GUEST COLUMNIST SHIV SETHI ’17
A Future We Cann Believe In
Defined By Work, Not Titles
Sean Cann ’17 and I want to make changes you actually care about. My friends call me Nathan, and I am humbled to be Sean Cann’s vice presidential running mate. I first met Sean during Green Key our freshman year. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of working with him to positively evolve Juggling Club and Collis Governing Board, two organizations he now leads. He is brilliant and empathetic, and he gets thing done. I am confident that Sean Cann has all the foundations necessary to lead our student body with excellence. In his April 14 column “How We Can Fix Dartmouth,” Nick Harrington ’17 described his campaign plans to fix Dartmouth, and I was moved by his eloquence in defining the campus climate. In using such phrases as, “Parkhurst has traded the Dartmouth of today for the Dartmouth of tomorrow,” and, “Our student body is less a community and more a collection of peer groups,” he captured a sentiment many on campus may be feeling. Our campaign agrees that there is much opportunity for growth in the Dartmouth community. However, our plan of action is realistically more achievable than those proposed by other campaigns. We’re going to do two things — accomplish five highly specific goals and make Student Assembly data-driven. Making such changes as creating a student Bill of Rights are certainly great accomplishments, as is Harrington’s promise to “ensure that Dartmouth’s problems serve as a catalyst not for resignation and division, but rather, for reevaluation and change.” But, as we detailed on our website, we think there are more effective ways to improve student life. We are tired of hearing pitches about “increasing discussions” and “pursuing initiatives.” We are tired of extensive promises and few perceivable accomplishments. Rather, we want to see Student Assembly translate its approximately $45,000 of funding and its mission to make student life as good as possible into concrete, constructive action that meets students’ desires. I believe our campaign can do this. We are not politicians, and we have almost no previous involvement in Student Assembly — but we bring results to the table. Between the two of us, we have created new student organizations and companies, out of which even came a smartphone app for Dartmouth students; we have helped run Living Learning Communities; we have implemented improvements throughout campus, including an entire umbrella checkout system in Collis; we have coordinated events that hundreds of students have attended, and, through clubs, we have managed hundreds of thousands of dollars to improve student life in the best ways we possibly can. Although Harrington believes “we cannot afford to waste time” letting outsiders into Student Assembly, I believe Sean will be a breath of fresh air as the Student Assembly president. With this experience, we would like to propose a complete, pragmatic simplification of Student Assembly. Let’s stop throwing lofty words around. Let’s instead focus on specific and highly achievable goals. In pursuit of this, we plan to use Student Assembly’s resources to give back to campus by accomplishing five
goals: creating a clear weekly events schedule, adding laundry hampers to every laundry room, making standing desks available to students, installing covered bike racks and purchasing softer toilet paper that can be used by all of the Dartmouth community. Our five specific goals are drawn from data we have collected, largely from the Improve Dartmouth website. We also plan to collect data of our own. Sean and I are only two people, and we cannot understand the perspectives of all students and student groups on campus alone. In making decisions for Student Assembly and in interacting with the administration, we believe that it is crucial that evidence guides our decisions. Hence, we will make Student Assembly data-driven. We will collect this information through three methods: Pulse, one-question surveys and a Student Advisory Board. Pulse, a webbased program currently being developed by a group of Dartmouth students, is a datacollection technique that incentivizes students to take surveys about various issues. We believe that Student Assembly should not make any important decisions without having extensive information on the topic. We will work with the Pulse team to gather hard evidence of student views and desires, which we can then present to the administration and use to base our own decisions on. Aside from Pulse, long surveys are not well received. This is why we will include a confidential one-question survey along with the weekly events schedule to gauge student opinion on topics of interest, such as the new housing system and the hard alcohol ban. In addition to this quantitative survey data, we will also collect qualitative data by creating a Student Advisory Board consisting of a group of about 10 to 12 students to represent various segments of the student body. Working together with this Student Advisory Board, we will discuss important topics and hear student opinions on big issues. All of the current campaigns recognize that there are issues with Student Assembly that need to be addressed. The vast majority of students have no idea what Student Assembly even does. These issues are rooted in the fact that our Student Assembly is far too complicated and vague. If you want a Student Assembly that proposes lofty and vague promises and doesn’t deliver, don’t vote for us. If you want a Student Assembly that attaches big words to simple ideas, don’t vote for us. If you want a Student Assembly that continues as usual, don’t vote for us. However, if you want a Student Assembly that takes a careful look at what students actually want and that achieves very straightforward goals, I strongly believe that Sean and I are the best candidates for the position. Because sometimes it’s frustrating when your student leaders are having high-level meetings and intense discussions behind closed doors, when all you want is softer toilet paper. It’s time for change. It’s time to simplify. Yes We Cann. Thank you for taking the time to read this, and we deeply appreciate your consideration when voting this election cycle.
Empty titles don’t make a candidate, real experience does.
One doesn’t become a leader because of of personal stories and experiences. I would the titles they possess. One becomes a leader like to talk about how I gave a talk to over a through the work that they do. At Dartmouth, 1,000 freshman during their orientation last we have lots of opportunities to hold all sorts year and had multiple students come up to of titles across the many groups and clubs me and connect with me afterwards. of which we are a part. More often that not, In the various roles I have played on this the reality is that we do not even compete or campus, I have had the honor of representing challenge ourselves that much to gain these Dartmouth to the outside world of potential titles. I would even go so far as to say that it applicants, to first-year students navigating required more effort to have a leadership role this space and to queer students for whom in my high school than it does at Dartmouth. this space was never designed. I have had In my experience, Dartmouth students are organizations trust me to make events hapelected to a position based on their ‘past posi- pen — to take real action. The positions I tions.’ This logic would be credible, if there have held on this campus are not empty: were a real connection between possessing for each position I have been held accountthe title and doing the job. Unfortunately, at able, either by freshmen or queer students our college, it is completely possible to hold or prospective students or Greek-affiliated a position and yet have no real experience students. My experiences have connected me — and the Student Assembly is the epitome to this college and to the various groups that of this situation. Our past president, Frank comprise it. My goals, as you may have seen Cunningham ’16, boasted that he had 366 on the posters around campus, are simple: days of experience and used this point to to make Student Assembly accountable, to argue that he knew what would be the best develop real support systems to help students for our community. Clearly, his actions during as our curriculum becomes more rigorous, the #BlackLivesMatter protests last spring to not only have the voices of affiliated and subsequent, students heard but to bring shallow apologies together those who are unaf“So to make a proved otherwise. filiated, to focus on post-college Once again, we claim like fellow life in terms of careers and will hear how this job opportunities, and finally campus is divided, presidential to ensure that international and there will be candidate Nick students, who form a strong 9 elaborate plans to to 10 percent of our student build bridges. Once Harrington did in his body, have their voices heard. again, campaigns article yesterday that So to make a claim like fellow will be full of false presidential candidate Nick promises and big we ‘cannot afford to Harrington did in his article words that aim to waste time bringing yesterday that we “cannot afprovide a beautiful ford to waste time bringing mask to the unin- an inexperienced an inexperienced leader up to spired and lacking leader up to speed’ is speed” is completely baseless efforts of those who and misleading. are running. If we completely baseless I would argue that my diwould really like to and misleading.” verse experiences have allowed talk about experime to make a greater impact ences, I would like on the College and the lives to talk about how I of students than any chief of have been involved in Pride since my sopho- staff for what has historically been the most more year on this campus. About how this ineffective organization on this campus. If year, as co-chair for this amazing commit- you would like to see change, I would suggest tee, I was a part of extending Pride to be a choosing somebody who actually has expetwo-week long event that will be running this rience working towards that change across from April 23 to May 6. I would talk about several Dartmouth communities; somebody how I have been a undergraduate advisor who is actually part of different organizations for freshmen for the past two years and am on this campus and can empathize with varibetter connected to the issues of first-year ous groups and promote diverse solutions to students on this campus from social pressures various issues — whether it be a fragmented and expectations to academic stress and time community, issues of sexual assault, mental management. I would like to talk about how, health or academic stress, anxiety and social as a tour guide, I often must answer questions expectations; somebody who has been at about Greek life to prospective students and both ends of programming — planning and their families. I see the subsequent shock on acquiring funds, as well as extending funds their faces when they hear that at our school, and sponsorship to existing organizations. 60 percent of Dartmouth students are affili- Therefore, when voting during this camated in what are, in their minds, drinking clubs paign, I only urge you to not ask what empty and hubs of sexual assault. I would like to titles and positions various candidates have talk about how, as the summer treasurer for held, but instead ask two questions. What the Greek Leadership Council, I was able to actions have they taken that can ground their encourage more events in Greek houses cen- claims? And, how connected are they really tered around bringing the ’17s together, from to the various communities on this campus panels and talks to barbecues and sharing that they claim to be able to bring together?
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FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
Two alums running for NH governor Debate also addresses housing communities FROM POLITICS PAGE 1
We study politics like bacteria in the petri dish,” Nyhan said. “At the same time, students have many opportunities to see the human side of politics, being in New Hampshire with all the officials who come to campus. They make the topics of study seem more real and achievable.” Nyhan also remarked that he often speaks to students interested in getting involved in politics and policy through campus programs such those run by the Dickey Center for International Understanding or the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy. Last term, candidates including John Kasich, Chris Christie, Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton all came to Hanover for campaign events. Jonah Cohen ’19 said that being able to get involved with campaigns during his freshman fall was a special opportunity. “I think the ’19s are uniquely
positioned to be involved in politics,” he said. “I got to be involved in the fall, and I can imagine getting a job as the 2020 election gears up right upon graduation.” As a volunteer for the Sanders campaign, Cohen campaigned door-to-door, posted on social media and joined the Bernie Sanders campaign group on campus. “It was interesting to see all the sides of how a campaign works, not just the broader, macro stuff you read about in The New York Times,” Cohen said. He said hopes to get involved in Clinton’s campaign in the future. Once every four years during an election is not the only way Dartmouth students can get involved. David Tramonte ’18 is currently interning for Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker through a program run by the Rockefeller Center. Tramonte was also a FirstYear Fellow, another program offered through the Rockefeller Center. First-Year Fellows work in Washington D.C. on public
policy issues in a fellowship with individual Dartmouth alumni. Tramonte credited his experience there as what motivated him to want to intern in government. He also stated that a public policy course he took freshman winter “on a whim” encouraged him to pursue more opportunities to become politically involved. As a FirstYear Fellow Tramonte worked on nuclear non-proliferation policy as the Iran Nuclear Deal was being negotiated. “Public policies, in my opinion, are case studies that matter,” Tramonte said. “It is problem solving that will benefit the public.” Having gone from Washington to the state level, Tramonte thought he noticed some differences between the two. “When I was in Washington there was a lot of partisanship and stagnation, at the state level it is more practical issues that you are dealing with,” Tramonte said. “It’s about the most pragmatic solutions to problems.”
PRIYA RAMAIAH/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
talking to people of all ranks. He regularly attends College President students’ awareness on the frequency Phil Hanlon’s office hours, he said. Audience members were allowed of sexual violence, high risk drinking and hazing, Harrington said in to ask questions. One student inregards to Greek life. The Assem- quired about how the candidates see bly’s main role is to keep students the Greek system evolving to support informed on these practices and to activist groups on campus. Given destigmatize any norms associated the social clout held by fraternities and sororities, the student inquired with bystander initiatives, he said. Welch and Rodriguez asked as to how houses could mobilize the Reddy if she would enforce the masses to promote activist causes reinstatement of Alpha Delta and and improve the campus climate. All Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternities candidates were asked to respond to at Dartmouth, both of which were the question. Harrington recommended invitderecognized by the College within ing activist speakers to educate memthe past year. She said she would eventually sup- bers within Greek organizations. One way members can support port the return of the two fraternities. The fraternities’ misdemeanors activism is by endorsing Dartmouth’s should have been used as a learning divestment campaign, Packer said. That activism was being framed opportunity for their members, she in the context said. the Greek “The Univer“Certain people benefit of system was a sity [sic] had a really good op- from[the Greek system], problem, Reddy To imply portunity to set they like it, they will said. that Greek orits standard of how they expect continue to do so, that’s ganizations are on our campus Greek organiza- how it works.” with the purtions to behave pose of being themselves, and activist organiinstead of do- -BEN PACKER ’17, zations discreding that, they its the efforts just completely STUDENT ASSEMBLY shut down the PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE of groups that were founded houses,” Reddy at Dartmouth said. with an explicit Packer supactivist agenda, ported their return under the condition that they she added. Ches Gundrum ’17, who atopen as gender-inclusive houses that tended the debate, said that she was anyone is welcome to join. The candidates’ also responded surprised that a lot of the questions to questions on the recently created were not about the Greek system. Iain Edmundson ’19 attended housing communities. Harrington said that Student Assembly can help the debate both because he was ensure that students have autonomy interested to hear the candidates’ in shaping the character and social views on Greek life and to support his swim teammates Bernstein and spaces within the six houses. Cheese and Reddy refrained from Vaimann. While he felt Packer made a giving concrete examples of how they would engage with the housing number of insightful points, he communities if elected. They will also thought that Packer’s desire to address the communities “in due radically reform the Greek system is unrealistic. Many students came time,” Cheese said. Sethi said Student Assembly to Dartmouth with the expectation should aid in the building of alter- of Greek life, and while the system native social spaces. In addition to should be improved upon, it should communities found in Greek life, not be completely done away with students can also participate in events it in its present form, he added. A second and final debate, hosted like BarHop and others hosted by by The Dartmouth and moderated the Collis Governing Board. If elected, Sethi would also hold by managing editor Sara McGahan discussions and panels open to the ’17, will be held today at 4 p.m. in public. The topic of these discussions Collis. Voting for Student Assembly would be determined by weekly president and vice president, Class student polls, he said. “Whatever your opinions are, Council members and representathey’re worth discussing,” he told tives for the Committee on Standards and the Organizational Adjudicaaudience members. When questioned about his expe- tion Committee will begin at 8 p.m. rience working with administrators, Saturday night and will last for 24 Bernstein said that he is comfortable hours. FROM DEBATE PAGE 3
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
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Arts Explores: BVAC animation studio, a hidden gem By KAINA CHEN
The Dartmouth Staff
Tucked away in a corner on the second floor of the Black Family Visual Arts Center, the animation studio serves as a place for the imaginative and creative to stretch their minds. Film and media studies professor Jodie Mack has created a studio unlike the typical blackboard-lined classroom with rows of desks. “It was the most incredible classroom that I’ve ever been into; it really left a huge mark on me,” Ellie Peterson ’15 said. In the animation studio, a large table wrapped in brown craft paper occupies the center of the room, facilitating group discussion and welcoming doodling. “The animation studio is a really inviting space and very well decorated,” Kwaii Bell ’16 said. “You can tell that Jodie has put her personal touch on the room.” In the back of the room, fuzzy pipe cleaners keep colorful, purple and lime green striped curtains together. These curtains frame shelves filled with canvas boxes brimming with various supplies — from glue sticks to tissue paper. Chevron-patterned pink-and-green bulletin boards line the walls. Computer workstations line the perimeter of the room. In one corner hangs a mobile of paper cranes, their wings fluttering each time the door lets a breeze inside.
The welcoming environment motivates students to commit their time. “Once you go into [the studio] you can feel [the energy],” James Rhodes ’19. “It’s a place you want to be and spend time.” Currently, one of the animation classes is working on a collaborative music video. Each student is responsible for a segment or layer of animation, and the class will come together to create the final project. For a dancing disposable cups segment, the students are working on enhancing the animation of the cups’ stick-figure appendages and animating mouths for the characters. Students workshopped another segment involving a spinner, throwing out suggestions to “make the viewer feel a little unstable” by animating the spinner to tilt in the third dimension. Typical of any animation assignment, the work is about the details, making it inherently challenging, and requiring time and patience. “The thing about animation is that it’s really time consuming, but the great thing about it is that I can sit in front of my computer and work hours and hours and it never feels like work,” Gage De La Cruz ’19 said. Many students found the animation studio through their experiences with Mack. Zoe Furlong ’14 was more interested in filmmaking than animation before she took Mack’s course.
“Jodie is very memorable and really enthusiastic about animation,” Furlong said. “I really liked her, and she pretty much convinced me to take a course in animation.” Peterson took an animation course after Mack convinced her to “give it a shot.” After taking her first course her senior fall, she “really fell in love with it.” Because of the animation studios relative mysteriousness, many animation students do not start off in an animation classroom. Walker Fisher ’14 designed “Ambiguous: a post-modern masque” that incorporated both animation and theater. Jaki Kimball ’16 has taken animation courses through the computer science department, learning to animate digitally. “I’ve always loved storytelling, and that was part of why I decided to modify my computer science major with digital arts,” Kimball said. Students can incorporate animation with studio art and film in addition to computer science and theater. Jordan Kastrinsky ’16 said that animation challenged him to “think outside of [his] preconceived film knowledge.” “I have really had to work at pushing myself to understand what animation is and how to go about bringing a novel way, at least to me, of storytelling to the screen that doesn’t just involve vérité footage,”
Kastrinsky said. Mack is excited about the growth occurring in the studio. “We have a lot of different elements that provide a unified, liberal arts approach to animation,” Mack said. Mack’s animation classes certainly reflect the liberal arts approach at work. Beyond the creation of animation, topics discussed also include the path from primitive to commercial forms of animation, the history of the industry and the democratization of film.
Yet, beyond a dose of serendipity, getting started in animation requires recognition of the many ways individuals can use their talents to create animation. “I feel [students] are afraid to take animation because they can’t draw, but animation invites all sorts of skill sets,” Mack said. For students who would like to get their feet wet in animation, Film Studies 35, offered in the fall, is a “full on boot camp for different animation techniques” and serves as an introductory class to animation.
SEAMORE ZHU /THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Students are encouraged to expand their creativity in the animation studio.
Alumna Q&A: Actress and singer Kimberly Marable ’05 By SOPHIA SIU The Dartmouth
Kimberly Marable ’05 graduated from Dartmouth with a major in theater modified with sociology. After graduation and a brief internship at Northern Stage, she moved to New York City and has performed in a number of national tours of Broadway productions, including “Hairspray” and “The Book of Mormon.” She is currently performing in her second Broadway show, “The Lion King.” She cofounded and co-directs an organization called Broadway Serves, which coordinates community service projects involving members of the professional theater community. What have you been doing since you’ve graduated from Dartmouth? Can you tell me a little about your theater career? KM: I decided my senior spring that as opposed to being a performer, I wanted to be a producer. I went across the river to Northern Stage and was their company manage-
ment intern for a season after graduating, and that was a very eye-opening experience. I think what I learned most about myself and about how I needed to approach my career by being in Northern Stage was that I have to either do it or not at all. So everything had to be very strategic and I had to make investments in my career, whether it was taking dance lessons or voice lessons or acting classes or sessions with casting directors or making a website — all sorts of things. So that was 10 years ago. Since then I’ve really hit the ground running with auditions, and after a few months was very fortunate to have my first paid job. I had done a few free theater productions, which I guess everybody kind of does. Since then I’ve done about five national tours. What are some of the challenges of being a professional actress? KM: Well there’s many, and I think it really boils down to employment, which I’ve been very, very fortunate to not have that be a huge issue for me, but I know that it is a huge issue
because there are only so many jobs and there are literally thousands upon thousands of people all wanting the same jobs. So I would say in a good way, the challenge is to know who you are as a person and to know what you’re good at and to keep those skills sharp while also gaining new skills and being a well-rounded person and artist. I would say part of the challenge, not in an artistic sense but in a life sense, is saving your money. I’m very thankful that my dad is in finance and when he realized that I actually really do want to be an actor, he was like, “Ok, so how are we going to make this a business and not a hobby.”
Has there been any significant changes to the theater industry since you’ve been a part of it? KM: Well, I think we’re kind of on the cusp of it. The big show that everyone is talking about is “Hamilton,” and I think they’ve done something not new per se, because I know for sure that there are many theater companies and shows across
the country and the world who are telling stories with multicultural casts. The suspension of disbelief is a widely used thing in theater, and we expect the audience and all of us to come to the theater and look at a production and say, “Ok, these are the players who are telling us this story no matter what they look like.” But that being said, I do not believe, until “Hamilton” really, that that has been a presence on the Broadway stage, where principal performers are played by non-white actors. And I’d even go further to say, non-male actors because the presence of female principal roles is lacking as well. So that’s been very exciting to notice, and I really hope that that continues, where we value story-telling for what it is, just telling the human experience no matter what people look like. What inspires you to keep pursuing theater? KM: I like to do it, and that’s a huge inspiration because I think it’s fun and I enjoy it. I get to show other people who may want to do theater as a living that it’s possible
for someone who looks like me to do it professionally. I know that that was important for me when I was growing up. The first show that my parents took me to on Broadway was “Aida,” and just seeing her, the strong, unapologetically black woman. Literally she was the show. She was the title character, and that was super exciting and inspiring and I’d love to be that for other people as well. Also in general, I think theater is a great way for people to experience the human experience without having to go through it themselves. They’re watching it, and it’s a great form of escapism, especially with the climate of the world we live in now. And it can be escapism in the best of ways. You have a fun goofy show about silly things to make us laugh, or we can use it was a lens to reflect what is happening in the world without having to physically go through it. And in both of those senses, I really do believe that theater has the power to change lives and that makes me very happy to participate in it. This Q&A has been condensed for length and clarity.
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS
PAGE 8
SPORTS
FRIDAY, APRIL 15, 2016
FRIDAY LINEUP
Men’s tennis 3PM
Cycling team hosts home race, finishes fifth out of 42 schools By ASHLEY DUPUIS The Dartmouth Staff
The Dartmouth cycling team once again took part in the L’Enfer du Nord race this weekend, co-hosted this year by the University of Vermont. The team raced in Hanover on Saturday and left its home course to compete in Charlotte, Vermont on Sunday, wrapping up the weekends’ events with a strong finish, claiming third place in L’Enfer du Nord omnium, and fifth place out of 42 schools in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference. After the weekend’s performances, the team rose from second to first place in the Ivy League. On Saturday, the races at Dartmouth consisted of two courses — the Frat Row Criterium and the Bridge to Ridge individual time trials. For the individual time trials in the Men’s A category, David Berg ’16, president of the cycling team, led the Big Green with a 10th place finish. He was closely followed by teammate Ethan Call ’18 who finished 15th. In the Criterium, a closed course, short circuit race, Dartmouth saw two cyclists finish in the top 10, with Call finishing fourth and Berg finishing eighth. On the Women’s A side, graduate student Leslie Lupien, finished sixth in the individual time trials before claiming a fifth place finish in the Criterium. She
also went on to earn second and third place honors in the Criterium sprints. In the Men’s B category, Edgar Costa, an instructor in the mathematics department, finished eighth in the Criterium and fourth in a Criterium sprint. On both the men’s and women’s sides for categories C through E, the Big Green also found success, with numerous top 10 finishes, as well as a first place finish by Wei-Ting Chen Tu’16 in the Criterium and individual time trial of the Men’s E category. L’Enfer du Nord, French for “the Hell of the North,” sees schools from across the East Coast come compete for cycling glory. The race is in reference to one of the oldest professional road cycling races, the Paris-Roubaix, an annual one-day professional race that takes place in Northern France. The race was deemed “Hell of the North” after World War I, when organizers surveyed the route after four years of trench warfare and bombardment. The famous race coincides with Dartmouth’s own version of the race, which the Big Green has been hosting for over 10 years. To put on the race, the team worked with the town of Hanover, the College and the Hanover Police Department. Berg also cited the help of the community volunteers as a key part of the weekend’s operations. The Dartmouth community at large showed their sup-
port, with many coming to watch the famous Frat Row “Crit” take place on Webster Avenue. “I was really impressed by the fan turnout, as well as the number of racers who participated,” Berg said of the days’ races. On Sunday, in the team time trials, top finishers for Dartmouth included the Men’s A which took home fourth, the Women’s A with second, the Women’s C with first, and the Men’s D with first. Members agree that the weekend’s victories were a team effort, complemented by the unity of its members and support from fans and alumni. “I really like the community of the team,” Sophie Connor ’18 said. “We’re all really encouraging of each other, and this weekend especially with everyone who came out to support us we were all really high energy.” Over 20 cyclists represented Dartmouth at the weekend’s events, with racers competing in almost every category. The team’s success is not new to the team who has had a considerably good run, winning Ivy League titles the last three years, as well as taking home the coveted Eastern Conference Championship in 2014. The team has even had its share of professional cyclists. Recent alumna Michelle Khare ’14 started with the team as a new cyclist and in less than two years became a
SEAMORE ZHU/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
After this weekend, the cycling team is in first place in the Ivy League.
U23 national champion. “I’m really excited for this team. I think that we’re in a really strong position financially and in regards to general student excitement,” Berg said. “We have a strong membership that I see continuing for the foreseeable future, and I think our emphasis on development as a team has really shaped that culture.” Both new and experienced cyclists, as well as undergraduate and graduate students race as a part of the team. Some members are varsity athletes in an off-season or seniors finished with their primary sports. As a club team, students run every aspect of team, including schedule organization and fundraising. They also rely heavily on
alumni support and sponsorships with community partners. “[Being apart of the team], has been one of the defining aspects of my Dartmouth experience,” John Lewis ’16 said. “When I look back, it will be some of my best Dartmouth memories because of the people and off-campus experiences. I’m doing something I love with people I love.” Looking ahead, the team has two more weeks remaining in its spring season. Next weekend the team will travel to the United States Military Academy at West Point for the Army Cycling Classic before competing in the Eastern Collegiate Cycling Conference Championship, which marks one of the most important weekends for the team.
Men’s rugby upsets Penn State, draws No. 1 BYU in next round By MATT YUEN
The Dartmouth Staff
In the very first round of the prestigious Varsity Cup invitational tournament, then-No. 50, now-No. 11 Dartmouth’s men’s rugby team upset then-No. 11 now-No.12 Pennsylvania State University with a 30-25 victory last Saturday, catapulting the Big Green up in the standings posted on Goff Rugby Report. At home on the fields of Dartmouth’s very own Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse, the odds were stacked against the Big Green as they faced the top-ranked Penn State. “Coming in as underdogs, we were really sure they were underestimating us,” captain Jack Braun ’16 said. “Nevertheless, we were confident and we wanted to show people what we were made of. We saw this as a big opportunity.” At first glance, it almost seemed as if the matchup would be like any other, with Penn State taking home the
victory. The Nittany Lions players are bigger, and in rugby size does matter. As the larger team, the Nittany Lions were going to be very physical in their plays, which creates an especially difficult rhythm for the Big Green to dance to given their typical game environment. “The Ivy League isn’t really known as being very physical,” co-captain Erik Warnquist ’16 said. “In terms of physicality, we were a bit underrated. We had to match their physicality if we wanted to be competitive with them.” Not only has the Big Green not played a fifteens game since the winter, the last one they did play did not feature a full team due to injuries. The game against Penn State was the first in a long time in which the full team would be playing rugby together. The Big Green had to shake off some dust if they wanted to stand a chance against Penn State, but a full team means full force, and this is where things started looking good for Dartmouth. “This is one of the strongest Dartmouth sides I’ve played with since my
time here,” Warnquist said. “We had pretty good sides my freshman and sophomore year, but we had some strong addition from football guys and guys who played before this year. We’re also seeing underclassmen taking strong leadership positions and advancing the team forward as a whole.” In the game against Penn State, the Big Green performed with pure passion. All the sweat and tears shed had culminated into a beautiful artwork of discipline and strategy. “We won almost every scrum in the game, which is a big point of pride for us,” Braun said. “In the game we were also pretty solid in our tackling. We also dominated possession of the ball.” Dartmouth took Penn State by surprise as they did not expect such competitive gameplay from the Big Green. Dartmouth pushed back on Penn State’s gameplay, and Penn State began to lose control of the game, taking penalties and cards for acting
unsportsmanlike “Penn state got a little frustrated,” Braun said. “They didn’t really expect the competition we were giving them and didn’t expect to be down. We did a really good job of staying disciplined and played our game.” Despite Penn State’s frustration, Dartmouth’s discipline remained firm, resulting in a shut down of an comeback hopes Penn State held. The victory for Dartmouth showed the quality of gameplay and determination from the Big Green, but also made a statement about Dartmouth’s rugby program as a whole. The Varsity Cup, an invitational tournament for the nation’s best teams, presents a rare opportunity for Dartmouth to play teams outside of the Ivy League in fifteens. Winning the game against Penn State in the very first round gives the program, which has been dominant in the Ivy League but has seen mixed results elsewhere, more standing on the national rugby scene.
“I’d think that this victory set a mark for the reputation of our program nationally since Penn State is so well respected,” Warnquist said. “It put down a marker of where we stand compared to other teams.” The team hopes to maintain momentum for tomorrow’s game against Brigham Young University. BYU, currently ranked No. 1 in the country, has been undefeated throughout the last and current season. BYU won the Varsity Cup’s inaugural tournament in 2013 and has not loss a game in the tournament since its inception. Though the Big Green faces an uphill battle against BYU, the team’s motivation and determination to play its game remains the same. “I think for us we’re going in with the mentality that we are going to playing the same way as we did for Penn State,” Braun said. “Disciplined and organized. I think everyone is excited. It really is a privilege to bring the number one team in the country to our home and share the clubhouse.”