MIR ROR 4.20.2016
WHEN DARTMOUTH TURNS GREEN | 7
POP CULTURE IN ACADEMICS | 4-5
DADS VS SONS: CULTURE WARS | 6
ACCLAIMED ALUMNI | 8 MAYA PODDAR/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
2// MIRROR
Joe Kind: A Guy
Editors’ Note
Happy April 20, Mirror readers. Just a reminder to be wary of any brownies you’re offered today, unless they’re free samples at KAF — in that case, fight tooth and nail to get one. This week was marked by an unusual dearth of communication between the two editors. Caroline and Hayley spent the majority of their weekends in the library, bogged down with midterm papers and studying for exams, but they weren’t together. Caroline was on fourth-floor Berry, eating her favorite chocolate- and yogurt-covered raisins from Novack, trying to write her two papers but getting distracted by the gorgeous view of the sunny day outside. Hayley, on the other hand, was in Rauner slugging through her own essays and trying to ignore texts from her friends asking her to sit outside with them. The two editors did pass by one another on the Baker lawn at one point, long enough for Hayley to see Caroline double-fisting large iced coffees and for Caroline to ask Hayley if she was feeling okay, because she looked a bit pale. Caroline proceeded to guzzle both of these iced coffees within the span of the five minutes that they spoke, causing Hayley to look at her coeditor in slight alarm. The theme for this week’s Mirror — pop culture — was a welcome reprieve for both library-ridden editors and their many peers, who are also suffering the pressures of week four. The idea was born when Hayley asked Caroline what she really wanted one afternoon in Robo, to which she responded simply, “A large iced coffee.” When Caroline posed the same question to Hayley, Hayley said she longed to watch a movie. Despite Caroline’s secret desire to theme a Mirror issue around coffee, the two decided Hayley’s desire served as a better inspiration and decided to theme it around pop culture. Enjoy the issue!
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04.20.16 VOL. CLXXIII NO. 64 MIRROR EDITORS HAYLEY HOVERTER & CAROLINE BERENS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF REBECCA ASOULIN PUBLISHER RACHEL DECHIARA EXECUTIVE EDITORS MAYA PODDAR
COLUMN
By Joe Kind
I had an extra hour to spare on Sunday, when my two-hour commitment ended unexpectedly early. My body was itching for a workout of some kind. My body does this to me when too many days pass without any real form of exercise. The day was too nice to waste in the gym, though. I go to the gym and lace on my running shoes. I missed the chance to order the same pair of shoes as the rest of the swim team last year, so I had tried to find another pair similar to the Dartmouth color scheme. The black and neon green pair I ended up with was not what I wanted, but it worked out. I exited the gym through the back door and saw a blur of people exercising on the football field and its surrounding track. Just two weeks ago the track gates were locked. My plans to run were soon abandoned, and my mind began to race through possible workout options. A major adjustment to NARPdom is the return to forming workouts on-the-fly. My coaches have always given me workouts, and now I was my own coach, ultimately deciding to exercise however I wanted to in the moment of that particular day. Coach Joe began to signal to the football stands. For a beautiful 45 minutes or so, under that perfect combination of bright sun and thin air, my body went into a kind of autopilot. My legs hurled up the stadium stairs, and my feet briskly skippered me down. I was plugged in, music banging. A sweaty snapchat for my minute rest, a swim in the river for my cooldown. As every Dartmouth student knows, with new weather comes new opportunities. This past Saturday and Sunday brought the sunniest and clearest weather I have seen at Dartmouth in a long time. I am not sure I have ever seen so many clusters of people on
Prospies playing Never Have I Ever: “Never have I ever not committed to Dartmouth.”
the Green, sunbathing and studying and everything in between. I am from San Francisco, where the year’s warmest and coldest days are a mere 20 degrees apart, maybe. My last spring on campus was three years ago. It should come as no surprise, then, that I foolishly suggest to my friends that we take a trip to the river. The sun and the sweat have me thinking a river swim would be so pleasant. Alas. I bring my backpack and towel with me from the gym. I don’t bother wearing a shirt. I also don’t bother stopping to talk to a friend for very long. Wheelock Street is long and uneven. I call my friend to pass the time, and to meet me there. She politely declines. I finally get to the river, and even I know better than to expect an open dock. I bend under the hanging chain, clanging. The few others with my idea perk up from their hammocks and chairs to my disturbance. That was one of those moments where I was thankful to not be wearing my contact lenses. Otherwise I might have had to apologize. I stumble right up to the edge of where the river dock would normally be, whereupon I see two people — one of my teammates and his girlfriend laying out on the concrete, like two loving lizards in quiet bliss. They were reading, and chatting, just out of sight for my contactless eyes to recognize them right away. He perks up and says “Hi.” I vaguely recognize his voice, but I can’t quite place it. He cocks his head to one side in confusion. I definitely tried to decode his face for too long. Oops. I finally realize who they are and begin to claim my own corner of territory. I
’19 #1: “I went holiday shopping.” ’19 #2: “What did you get?” ’19 #1: “Goldfish, gushers...” ’19 #2: “Wait, what kind of holiday is it? ... OHHHH.”
’17 girl: “I had a dream I was having sex with my best friend’s sister but it turned out to be his mom. Either way, he was PISSED.”
drop my backpack and towel, take off my running shoes and socks, and strip down to my Speedo. I finally unplug, stand up, and take a breath to appreciate the river and the day. “It’s really cold, you know,” the girlfriend warns. “Too cold for me, at least.” I laugh lightly. “Yeah, probably, me too,” I pause. “I am from ocean beaches, though,” I say. “We’ll see in a minute.” I throw one leg over the railing, then the other, and soon hop down onto the rocks. As I look for the best route to the water, searching for the flattest and most stable rocks, I take note of the extreme shift my body has to take from the high-intensity cruise control. Worried for my balance, I think through every possible movement before finally deciding my descent to the edge of the river. I am on my butt at this point, ready to dip my toes into the water. One could have photoshopped Gollum’s body to mine. Here I finally am, facing fresh river water. My precious. I slowly dip both of my feet, and realize quickly that the water, while serene, was still not quite ready for swimming. I refused the reality of the situation, at first. I straighten my legs into the water, as well. My legs aren’t so chilled, I say to myself. But my feet are changing colors, from red to light pink. I reassume the Gollum position. Cradled and calm. Unplugged. My fingers fiddle a bit with the water. I give myself a light, icy shower. I sit there, and my mind and body travel far away. My teammate and his girlfriend are just behind me. The water glistens, my attentions wanders and the sun sits on my shoulders. The hunchback of Hanover has reclaimed the river. Spring is here.
Boloco delivery man on first-floor Berry: “I’m on the third floor.”
’17 on seeing a friend take Mucinex: “Oh my God is that birth control? Can I have one?”
MIRROR //3
Sam’s Little Larks
TRENDING @ Dartmouth
THE GREEN
COLUMN
Big humans and little humans and puppies, oh my!
By Sam Van Wetter
SIT SAM: Come on. There will be no line at KAF. We can get iced coffees and sit somewhere nice. SAM SUN: Somewhere outside? SIT: NO! I mean… Probably not. Let’s sit somewhere next to like, some windows. SUN: Come on. It’s so beautiful out. SIT: Right. So we will open the curtains. SUN: That is so not the spirit of the season. SIT: But it’s the obligation of academics. Let’s get to it. THE GREEN: (Moaning) Waaaaait! SIT: Success doesn’t wait and neither do— SUN: Did you hear that? SIT: You moaning about homework? Yes, but— SUN: But I didn’t say anything! THE GREEN: (Moaning with volume) WAAAAAIT! I Am The Green and I Am Hungry! SUN: The Green? Like the Big Green? SIT: Are you money? Are you money talking? THE GREEN: I Am The Green and You Walk On Me but Today I Am Hungry! SIT: What do you want? Bother someone else! THE GREEN: I Want To Eat You— SIT: AH! THE GREEN: —r Afternoon! SIT: No! This is our afternoon! Go take it from someone playing frisbee! Ask someone who has a baby! They clearly have too much time on their hands! THE GREEN: But I Want You! SUN: Come on, Sam. The Green seems like a pretty nice guy. I’m sure he means well. Maybe we should spend a little time with him. Maybe he’s lonely. SIT: Lonely! He has so many other people on him all the time. Look at it right now! It’s swarming with dogs and prospies and townies! He has spikeball, for God’s sake. What does he want with us? THE GREEN: I Want To Play! SIT: No! We have work to do! THE GREEN: But It’s Such A Beautiful Day! SUN: It is really nice out. SIT: You know what will be nice? Graduating. There’s no way— ICE CREAM FORE-U: Need a ‘gram? SUN: A gram of what? ICE CREAM FORE-U: An Instagram, dude. SUN: Oh. Actually yeah, why? ICE CREAM FORE-U: Get some sprinkles. Stick it in a cone. Hold it up so there’s like a soft focus on the sign in the background. Hella likes. WHIPPI DIP: But if you’re gonna do that… ICE CREAM FORE-U: Well we have minigolf. WHIPPI DIP: We have the best fried food in the Upper Valley.
ICE CREAM FORE-U: We… we’re a good option if you’re basic. WHIPPI DIP: True. SIT: We do not have time to get ice cream. SUN: But ice cream and an Instagram? SIT: Absolutely not. THE LEDGES: Why not make a day of it? Ice cream and a trip to True’s Brook. Granite pools of wonder water. Doesn’t get better than this. FAIRLEE BRIDGE: Whippi Dip, bridge jump and chill? THE LEDGES: That’s illegal. FAIRLEE BRIDGE: Thrill operates above the level of legality. SIT: Okay this is totally pointless. We’re not looking for options. We don’t have a spring afternoon to waste. We have work to do. We have the fervor and the intelligence to make the right choice today and head to the library. We will have so much fun. ROCK OF AGES QUARRY: But like no. SUN: Oh my god. I love you. ROCK OF AGES QUARRY: Right. SUN: You are so fun. Sam, come on, it won’t take that long. SUN: How could you refuse— SIT: Because I have things that need to get done and jumping off some beautiful granite quarry into refreshing crystal depths is not one of them. If you don’t want to come just tell me. SUN: I don’t want to go to the library on a beautiful 65 degree day. I’d rather go jump off something. SIT: Fine. ROCK OF AGES QUARRY: YUSSS! SIT: No—! You can go if you want. I’m gonna do work. SUN: You need my notes. SIT: Give me your notes. SUN: I can’t. They’re on my computer. Besides, it will go so much faster if we do it together. A ROOFTOP: I’m down to work. SIT: What? A ROOFTOP: Like if you wanna do some work on me I am totally game. SUN: Who are you? A ROOFTOP: I am a rooftop. SUN: But like, where are you? A ROOFTOP: Oh, I don’t know. On top of a building, I guess. SUN: Where? A ROOFTOP: That’s like asking someone’s scalp for their name. SIT: You don’t think my scalp knows my name? A ROOFTOP: I think it’s rude to ask. SUN: Okay, what do you see? A ROOFTOP: Oh, nice. Um. I seeeee, uh, sky. SUN: Okay. What’s in front of the sky?
A ROOFTOP: In front of the sky? SUN: In the foreground. A ROOFTOP: Fore-what? SUN: Do you see any trees? A ROOFTOP: Oh, yeah. Buncha trees. SUN: What kind of trees? A ROOFTOP: The… squiggly kind. SIT: You’re wasting our time— A ROOFTOP: You are worth more than a capitalist definition of productivity! Some of the best things you can make are memories! Your existence is not a transaction! Your time is smoke off a camp fire: constantly expiring. THE GREEN: That Is So True. SIT: Okay. Enough. There is nothing you could offer me — nothing you could tempt me with — that will deter me from my path. We are going to the library. SUN: Come on! SIT: Now. MINX BROOK: Heyyyyyy bois! SIT: Oh no. MINX BROOK: Wundering if u want SUN hnag SUN: She’s already drunk. MINX BROOK: No Im noootttt! Cum hang SIT: How long are you gonna be there? SUN: Sam! MINX BROOK: Ughhh wth!! SIT: Sam’s right, Mink. We have, like, a ton of work to do. It’s ridiculous. I really wanna hang soon, though. MINX BROOK: i might not hve another good day tho!!!!!! cmon i hve beer SIT: I don’t know what to do. SUN: Are you kidding me! SIT: What?! SUN: You were just freaking out about getting stuff done and Mink Brook hits you up and suddenly you’re down? SIT: I don’t know! SUN: Tell her no. SIT: But I really like her. SUN: Sam! SIT: What kind of beer? MINX BROOK: keystone SUN: Definitely not. MINX BROOK: Im jk I have heady topper commmme onnn SIT: Seriously? SUN: Seriously? MINX BROOK: Srslly SIT: I really can’t. MINX BROOK: u r dumb af fr SIT: We have to work. MINX BROOK: I have a hammock. SIT: I’ll be there in three. SUN: YUSSS! MINX BROOK: duh
BOAT SHOES
Make fun of one frat guy wearing them and six crop up in his place.
BIRKENSTOCKS
WHAT ARE THOOOOSE?!!!!
COLLIS PATIO
Yeah it’s poppin’, it’s poppin’, it’s poppin’ (we ain’t frontin’)
SOLD OUT LEMONADE
When life gives you lemons, give them to KAF.
BIKES
Yet another vehicle that threatens to run you over this spring season. #thevigilantshallsurvive
GREEK HOUSE ELECTIONS
The only slate I like is a gray metamorphic rock.
4// MIRROR
Pop Culture’s Place in Academics STORY
By Sam Cooper
You’re sitting in your 9L, groggy and exhausted from working late in the library the night before, sipping your coffee and praying that the caffeine kicks in as soon as possible. Your professor ambles to the front of the room, fiddling with the computer as he, presumably, sets up for his lecture of the day. You sigh with defeat, pulling out your notebook and pen, praying that this next hour and five minutes will speed by. Suddenly, instead of the usual beige a Netflix documentary appears on the screen. “We’re watching a movie today!” your professor exclaims. Relief and joy flood you as you sit up straighter in your seat, now eager for today’s class. Not that your professor’s lectures are boring, necessarily — but you appreciate any opportunity to switch up the regular routine, especially when it incorporates something familiar to your own life and interests. Integrating aspects of pop culture, such as films or music, into class is often a welcome surprise to students. Any opportunity to merge academics with something more “fun” and relatable will often enhance understanding and appreciation of the material. And in some classes, the focus
is almost totally on a specific facet of pop culture — there is still an academic quality, obviously, but it is sometimes secondary to the study of the pop culture phenomenon itself. Jewish studies and women’s, gender and sexuality studies professor Michael Bronski has taught numerous courses in both his departments with the primary focus being some aspect of pop culture. These classes include “Jews and Hollywood”, “Queer Marriage, Hate Crimes and Will & Grace: Contemporary Issues in LGBT Studies” and “Beatniks, Hot Rods and the Feminine Mystique: Sex and Gender in 1950s Films.” Bronski explained that in these classes, especially “Jews and Hollywood,” much of the curriculum involves watching films. However, students also read written text extensively, everything from first-person narratives to film criticism. He said that most film classes focus heavily on written text, in order to broaden a student’s understanding of the time period of the films. “We want students to come away with an intensive body of knowledge [of the time period],” Bronski said. “It’s important that the films are complemented by a cultural context as well.” Bronski said he enjoys incorporating films into his classes because they’re
something with which students are already very familiar, so they’re better able to understand the academic material and connect it to their own lives. He said this creates a nice synergy between students watching films and reading texts. “Because of social media, the internet, YouTube, cable networks...students are incredibly visually literature in many sophisticated ways,” Bronski said. “They bring an incredibly vast archive of understanding of techniques.” Bronski said he also enjoyed this aspect when teaching a class called “I Will Survive: Women’s Political Resistance Through Song.” In this course, Bronski said students were highly advantaged because they had such a huge body of knowledge about music. Once again, he explained, students were easily able to connect to the material, and to do so in a way that many found fun and enjoyable. “[Using pop culture] is a way to integrate critical thought into a medium which students have complete access to,” Bronski said. “And in which they feel totally comfortable and confident.” Music professor Kui Dong expressed a similar sentiment to Bronski about the ways in which pop culture can make academic material much more accessible
to students. Dong, who teaches a class called “Music of Today” in which students learn about a wide variety of musical genres, explained that a large part of the curriculum is connecting music to its origins in historical culture and artistic movements. In this way, the study of pop culture provides a vehicle through which more traditionally academic subjects and concepts, such as minimalism, can be explored. Kong noted that the students in the class run the gamut of interests and majors, since there are no prerequisites. Thus, most students come into the class with little to no knowledge of concepts like music theory. Using the pop cultural aspect of current music provides an accessible medium through which students can understand these deeper concepts in a fast and enjoyable way. “We can use music in pop culture that appeals to a broader audience to bring those higher arts and concepts more accessible, as long as the students have interest in the music,” Dong said. Sociology professor Janice McCabe teaches a class called “Youth and Society” in which students watch the cafeteria scene from the movie “Mean Girls” on the first day of class. She ex-
MIRROR //5
plained that this relates to an assignment in which students write a sociological memoir of their high school experiences, specifically the social hierarchy at their schools. McCabe explained that for students who might not be as well-versed in the media it can be valuable to take a class that integrates pop culture frequently. “Media literacy is an important skill for everyone to have,” McCabe said. Dong also explained that many current pop cultural phenomenons are rooted in history, which provides and even mandates an academic focus. “A lot of recent bands, for example, got ideas from avant-garde musicians from the ’60s,” Dong noted. Bronski said that although it’s easier to integrate film and music into some departments than others, it’s possible to use pop culture in any class. “I don’t see any reason why you couldn’t have an economics class using film,” Bronski said. “Economics, the money system and Wall Street banking are all heavily represented in Hollywood films, like ‘Wolf of Wall Street.’” He added that he’d imagine such a class would be “incredibly popular.” In a similar vein, Dong said that pop culture can be a unifying point for students from different disciplines. Presum-
ably, this is why her class attracts such a wide variety of students. Bronski said that incorporating pop culture into academic settings is a fairly recent occurrence. He explained that academia, by its very nature, tends to be conservative, even in liberal schools. Ostensibly, this can preclude significant study of pop culture from the typically pedagogy of academia. He said this is especially true with schools that have religious origins. “The introduction of popular culture into the academy is fair new,” Bronski said. “When I went to college in the late ’60s, only the most daring of teachers would say, ‘Let’s listen to this new song and think of what it means.’” However, he said that in the past 50 years, the academic discourse has shifted more in favor of incorporating pop culture. He added, too, that film — typically considered an aspect of popular culture — has become an academic focus and subject itself. Asian and Middle Eastern studies chair and film and media studies professor Dennis Washburn teaches a class called “Krieger’s Virtual Girlfriend” that focuses primarily on animated film and popular video games in Japan. He explained that the purpose of
the class is to look at the rise of “geek culture” in Japan in the 1980s, referred to as “otaku” and recognized by the Japanese government as an important content industry. Washburn’s class also examines issues surrounding cultural identity in the context of Japan’s upheavals in the past century, from earthquakes to atomic bombs, and how they influenced the concept of otaku. “Place and identity get played out in the [science fiction] narratives, which points to historical cultural industries,” Washburn said. Washburn explained that otaku reflected the country’s anxiety, caused by Japan’s societal upheavals. Otaku engendered pop culture like anime and manga. “One of the things that I want to stress is there isn’t anything unique about anxiety in Japan,” Washburn said. “It has global appeal. It’s a transnational subculture, pop culture.” In response to the question of the value and importance of pop culture in academics, Washburn explained that studying pop culture is akin to studying culture, part of an inherently academic study. He said such studies are integral to the liberal arts experience. “That’s what the liberal arts is about. It’s about thinking about different ways those ideas, those concepts of the world get represented,” Washburn said. He also noted it can push students reflecting on their own beliefs. “It makes you self-reflective, it makes you critical of your own expectations,” Washburn said. “It makes you question your political and ethical values.” McCabe said students can sometimes be skeptical of the value of integrating pop culture into an academic setting, as it isn’t traditionally “aca-
demic.” “I suspect students avoid [popular culture classes] because they’re too easy, and they came to college to learn about the great books and classics,” McCabe said. Washburn said, too, that although he thinks pop culture studies are important, students should balance out those classes with courses in other disciplines. “I don’t have a percentage [of what it should be],” Washburn said. “But it should be a mix.” McCabe spoke to how “Youth and Society” has evolved since she began teaching it at Dartmouth. She said that she felt more behind the students when she was teaching at other schools in terms of their knowledge of pop culture, but doesn’t feel the same way here. She attributed this to Hanover’s isolated location. Washburn said that he thinks studying pop culture, as with any other academic discipline, teaches you to look at subjects from a wide variety of perspectives. “You need to understand what you’re bringing to a film, a book, a painting. You need to bring your values,” Washburn said. “You have to understand how to read something in a different context, in a different way.” Bronski expressed a similar sentiment and explained, ultimately, that academic discourse related to pop culture teaches people to think critically in a very useful way. “Being able to think critically and evaluate and measure and figure out immediately what’s going on with texts and in a larger sense is very important for students,” Bronski said. “[Using] popular culture is a great way to do this.”
NORA MASLER/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
6// MIRROR
Dads Versus Sons: Culture Wars
Triumphantly, the men cradle their respective Snuggies — pink, cheetah print and rainbow — and bring them to the cash register. All is right in the world. They feel hope. They feel joy. They feel peace. The scene dissolves back into a hazy mist. Dave, Biggie and Ron simultaneously receive texts from their mothers. “I’m leaving your father,”
COLUMN
By Mary Liza Hartong and Andrew Kingsley
As dawn breaks on another beautiful Hanover day, Dave and his buddies crack open a couple of PediaSure bottles in the hopes of curing their hangovers. Strewn across Collis porch like the miscreants they are, they stew over last nights events. “Dude, I was so wasted, I changed my D-Plan on Banner! I’m going on the French LSA next winter now. What a trip,” Biggie boasts. “I was so wasted, I treated a woman with respect,” Ron laughs. Dave and Biggie spit out their PediaSure in shock. “Wait til you hear this,” Dave guffaws, “I was so wasted I — ” Dave’s ringtone, “Errbody in the club getting tipsy,” cuts him off. He looks at his phone to see who’s calling. “Ugh, it’s just my dad. I’ll call him back. Way too hungover to hear about my nana’s peripheral neuropathy again. Or Bass Pro Shop. Or his memories of college. Geez,” Dave laments. “Hey, I wonder what our dads did this weekend,” Biggie ponders as PediaSure dribbles down his chins. “They probably just sat around. Lame,” Ron offers as he absentmindedly flips through a nude magazine. “What losers. We run this town, am I right?” Dave says. The scene dissolves into a hazy mist. Out of it, the fathers of Dave, Biggie and Ron appear. Dave’s father, Doug, wears a 1995 striped polo shirt, khakis and white tennis shoes. With his cellphone secured to his belt loop via Velcro strap and his hair deftly disguising his bald spot, he’s clearly the leader of the pack. Biggie’s papa, Dong, plays it cool in a football jersey, sweat pants and a backwards baseball cap. Classic Dong! Ron’s sperm donor, Pat, rounds out the group with a purple button down, just slightly too short white shorts and flip-flops from the men’s section of Vineyard Vines.
As the dads walk into the mall to buy anniversary gifts for their wives, they psych each other up. Pat delivers a rousing speech, exhorting the values of bran cereal, nine holes of golf each Sunday and roomy bathrobes. He reminds his comrades of their motto, YODO, you only dad once. His fellow fathers choke back tears, just like their fathers taught them. “Dong, give me your best dad joke now!” Pat screams. “Okay, okay. What do you call a jedi who delivers babies?” Doug spouts. “I don’t know, what?” Pat answers. “OB/GYN Kenobi!” Doug responds. “Ayyyoooo!” Dong cheers. “Now let’s get our butts to Bed, Bath and Beyond and prove that we do know what our wives want!” Pat exclaims. The ferocious pack struts past the temptations of the Buffalo Wild Wings and Victoria’s Secret, determined not to get hot and bothered so early on in the shopping trip. For a moment they break their vows and partake in free Auntie Anne’s samples. In the process, they unwittingly subscribe to the Starved Orca Whale Foundation and support the defunct Carly Fiorina campaign. Finally Bed, Bath and Beyond beckons them with its 20 percent off coupons and made-for-TV products. They gravitate towards the Hole Blaster, a nifty little machine that shoots donut holes into a tiny basketball hoop. It’s a real slam dunk, but the Pussy Whistle soon catches their eyes. The made-for-TV, feline-shaped pan flute really sets the mood, whatever that mood might be. However, the dads simply cannot resist when they see what is clearly the perfect gift for their loyal wives. “Pam’s gonna love this. She might even start sleeping in our bed again!” Dong beams. “Sheila always says, ‘Don’t
buy me crap from the mall.’ But I know she didn’t mean this!” Doug cries. “I think I saw this on ‘America’s Next Top Model.’ My wife loves that show. More than me. She’s taking the kids. I live in a Denny’s. Hehe!” Pat stutters. The newly empowered patriarchs approach the shimmering packaging. It glows like the messiah and smells like youth. “It’s so beautiful,” Doug whispers, shedding the tear his father never let him shed. “What is this ethereal bliss?” Pat murmurs. “Snuggie, the blanket that has sleeves,” Dong says lovingly.
they all read. “Woah,” Dave observes. “They must have had some sick weekends, man!” “Nice,” Ron responds, fist bumping Biggie. “I guess we underestimated them. Hey, now we can chase tail with our dads!” Biggie smiles. “Ayyyooo,” they all shout, clinking their PediaSure bottles.
When Dartmouth Turns Green
MIRROR
Senior staff photographer Tiffany Zhai ’18 explores the impact of warmer weather on Dartmouth’s culture. STORY
By Tiffany Zhai
//7
8// MIRROR
Acclaimed Alumni in Pop Culture
A closer look at some of the College’s most famous and distinguished graduates. PROFILE
Nelly Mendoza-Mendoza
Chris Miller ’63 You might own one of those green “COLLEGE” shirts that appear in the movie “Animal House” or a black and white poster of John Belushi wearing a “COLLEGE” sweater. But did you know that one of the three writers of the story was an alumnus? Chris Miller ’63, a famous author and screenwriter, was a member of Alpha Delta Phi fraternity. He has noted in the past that the film’s events did not happen in real life. At Dartmouth, he went by the name “Pinto.”
Theodore Geisel ’25 How did he end up with the name Dr. Seuss? Long story. Geisel was born in Springfield, Massachusetts. He was of German descent and his father managed the family brewery that was closed during the Prohibition era. Long story short, after Geisel was caught drinking in his room at Dartmouth, one of the deans at that time insisted that he resign from all extracurricular activities. Instead, he kept writing for the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern but under a different pen name, Dr.Seuss. Eventually, he became the editor-in-chief and was a brother at Sigma Phi Epsilon. After Dartmouth, Geisel attended Lincoln College at the University of Oxford. His intent was to earn a doctorate in English literature. However, he was later encouraged to pursue drawing as a career. Soon after, he left Oxford without a degree. After this, Geisel began to submit his work to publishers, magazines and advertisement agencies. Through the Great Depression, Geisel made a living by drawing advertisement materials for a variety of companies including General Electric, NBC and Standard Oil. Over the span of two years during World War I, Geisel drew over 400 political cartoons as an editorial cartoonist for the New York City newspaper PM. Later he worked with several governmental agencies to support the war effort. In 1943, he joined the Army as a captain and was a commander of the Animation Department. In the 1950s, Life magazine published an article about why so many children were illiterate, pointing to how the available children’s books bored children because they were overly didactic. So he adopted his very simple style of writing after compiling a list of 250 words that he thought were the most important for children to recognize. Nine months later, “The Cat in the Hat” was born and featured only 236 unique words.
Shonda Rhimes ’91 Rhimes is the creator, head writer, executive producer and showrunner of the acclaimed show “Grey’s Anatomy.” ABC’s Thursday night lineup consisted if several of Rhimes’s shows, including “How to Get Away with Murder” and “Scandal.” Born in Chicago, Illinois, Rhimes was interested in storytelling from a young age. While at Dartmouth, Rhimes studied English and film studies, and wrote for The Dartmouth. She also directed the Black Underground Theater Association. After Dartmouth, Rhimes moved to San Francisco and worked in advertising. Later she moved to Los Angeles and studied screenwriting at the University of Southern California, where she ranked at the top of her class. She worked as a film development assistant for some time before selling her first script. Rhimes received an honorary degree from Dartmouth in 2015 and was the commencement speaker that same year. She has been named one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time Magazine. Rhimes has attributed much of her success to the fact that she does not settle for “good enough.”
David Benioff ’92 David Benioff is the co-creator and showrunner of “Game of Thrones,” as well as a novelist and film producer. At Dartmouth, he studied English, wrote an honor’s thesis and was a member of Phi Delta Alpha fraternity and the Sphinx Senior Society. During his college years, Benioff wasn’t always considered the best student — he had to apply twice to get into an introductory creative writing course. Now, however, the professor of that course, Ernest Herbert, teaches one of Benioff ’s books. At 22, Benioff worked as a club bouncer and later as a high school English teacher before turning his novel “The 25th Hour” into a screenplay. The book was initially turned down by 13 publishers. Currently, he works with D.B. Weiss on “Game of Thrones”. In 2004, Benioff was hired to write the screenplay for “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” (2009).
Chris Miller ’97 and Phil Lord ’97 Mindy Kaling ’01 While in high school, Mindy Kaling was disappointed that only the popular and pretty people got the star roles in school plays. When she arrived at Dartmouth, however, she finally got to do what she was passionate about — make people laugh. At Dartmouth, Kaling was a member of the Dog Day Players, the Rockapellas, wrote a comic strip called Badly Drawn Girl for The Dartmouth and was also a writer for the Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. She was a classics major for some time and studied Latin, but eventually obtained a degree in theater. She is the creator of the sitcom “The Mindy Project” and is also well known for her role as Kelly in “The Office.” During her sophomore year, Kaling was an intern for “Late Night with Conan O’Brien.” She described herself as a terrible intern because she would just follow O’Brien around instead of doing work. After Dartmouth, Kaling worked as a production assistant on the psychic show “The Crossing Over With John Edward.” She described this experience as one of her worst jobs. During the same time, she did stand-up comedy in New York City.
Chris Miller ’97 and Phil Lord ’97 have written and produced many big name movies including “22 Jump Street,” “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” and “The Lego Movie.” They have also worked on television shows “The Last Man on Earth” and “Brooklyn Nine-Nine.” Lord is from Miami and Miller is from the Seattle area. Miller and Lord met their freshman year at Dartmouth. Before meeting, their mutual friends would tell them about their similar interests. They bonded after Miller accidently setting Lord’s girlfriend’s hair on fire. Soon after this, Millers and Lord’s relationship became a bromance. They had their own columns for The Dartmouth. Lord was a member of Amarna and Miller was a brother at Alpha Chi Alpha. After The Dartmouth published a profile on Miller in 2003, Disney became interested in meeting him and offered to meet up with him. However, Miller would not leave Lord behind and arranged to take Lord with him. Three months later, they both moved to Los Angeles after being offered a two-year development deal with Disney Television Animation. The duo didn’t see immediate success, however. For example, MTV offered to buy the duo’s 13-episode season “Clone High,” which had been previously dropped by Fox. The show was well received in the United States, however, it caused hunger strikes in India after the show portrayed Gandhi as a motor mouth partier. As a result, MTV cancelled the show. The duo’s bromance continues to this day. Currently, they are working on the sequel to “The Lego Movie,” titled “The Lego Batman Movie” and an animated Spider-Man film, among other works.
MAYA PODDAR/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF