The Dartmouth 10/08/15

VOL. CLXXII NO. 123

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THURSDÅY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Econ. grant promotes research Heidi Williams

’03 awarded MacArthur grant

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The economics department, using funding from the President’s Office, has launched a new research program.

B y PAULA MENDOZA The Dartmouth

Twenty-four students are participating in the Dartmouth Economics Research Program, which aims to increase and improve opportunities to participate in faculty research for highly interested economics students.

The program’s primary goal is to identify promis-

ing students and provide them with the opportunity to conduct research alongside professors, economics department chair Bruce Sacerdote said. The program, for which there is no formal applications process, utilizes recently-awarded funding from the President’s Office to allow professors to hire the selected scholars, he said.

Currently, there are 10 and

14 scholars in the 2016 and 2017 cohorts, respectively.

The 10 scholars in the 2016 cohort will be the program’s first graduating class.

Sacerdote said the program is not meant to be exclusive, but instead to provide encouragement and support for students with high potential. He said the department SEE ECON PAGE 2

Local Airbnbs draw alumni for Homecoming B y CAROLINE BERENS The Dartmouth Staff

Homecoming is less than a day away, and like any big weekend, Homecoming brings to mind traditions, parties and — perhaps less immediately — packed hotels and inns.

An increasingly popular alternative to traditional lodgings is Airbnb, originally Air Bed and Breakfast.

Airbnb is a startup that allows anyone who has a free room in their

Dartmouth alumna Heidi Williams ’03 was named a 2015 MacArthur Fellow, one of 24 grant recipients.

The grant — commonly nicknamed the “genius grant” — is only given to nominees “who show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future,” according to the MacArthur Foundation website.

Williams, who graduated from the College with a major in mathematics and is now an assistant economics professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, will receive $625,000 in quarterly installments over the course of five years.

At the College, Williams became interested in medical technologies, which led to her current

area of research: the effects of patent law on medical innovation. Williams has been working in her post at the MIT economics department since 2011.

When she first heard she had won the MacArthur Fellowship, Williams said she was speechless.

“I’m very early in my career, and having other people express confidence in my work this early on, I am so grateful,” she said.

Williams said she is interested in what drives health care policy, as well as the changes in mortality rates over the past few decades.

“If you had a heart attack in the ’70s, you wouldn’t have the same survival rate as you do today. That’s largely driven by improvements in medical technologies,” she said.

In her current research, SEE WILLIAMS PAGE 5

DRAW-MA QUEEN

home, possibly due to an extended travel plan or a vacant guest room, to rent that room out for a short period of time. The model operates much like a typical bed and breakfast, except the location of lodging is usually the owner’s personal home and renters often behave more like temporary roommates than customers.

Communications project manager of alumni relations Rachel SEE AIRBNB PAGE 3

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DRAW hosts a weekly meeting for students interested in the arts or drawing.

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DAily debriefing Brown University: A proposal for a winter term of classes was presented by the deans of Brown University to its faculty this past Tuesday, the Brown Daily Herald reported. According to Dean of College Maud Mandel, the winter session will feature “a handful of intense, creative experimental courses in January” spanning three weeks and will “allow for intensive and highly focused courses, like studio classes in art and music or deep training in the usage of some sort of particular scientific or engineering instrument or method.”

Columbia University: In a similar vein to national campaigns working to raise the federal minimum wage, students at Columbia are pushing to raise the minimum work-study pay has been raised to $15 an hour. The group, called the Student-Worker Solidarity, is also working to give work-study students the option of receiving a grant to cover unpaid internship opportunities. Previously the range for work-study positions ranged from $9 to $20 an hour.

Cornell University: Cornell students have been banned from participating in what used to be widely considered a rite of passage — throwing stones onto Olin Library’s musical steps — the Cornell Sun reported. The musical terrace is a fire exit, and the accumulation of stones on the surface made the path dangerous.

Over the summer, student stone-throwers shattered a 10-foot by seven-foot glass window of the second floor of Olin as a result of this ritual.

Harvard University: Harvard Square now offers a complimentary rapid phone charging station that also solicits donations for a local Y2Y Harvard Square, a student-run youth homeless shelter that is scheduled to open this fall, the Harvard Crimson reported.

Princeton University: Arthur B. MacDonald, a former physics professor at Princeton, was awarded the 2015 Nobel Prize in physics for an experiment he began developing during his professorship at the University from 1982 to 1989, the Daily Princetonian reproted. McDonald won the prize for leading an observatory that revealed that neutrinos — small particles — oscillate as they travel through space.

University of Pennsylvania: This past week, Penn’s Singh Center for Nanotechnology was granted $5 million to establish the Mid-Atlantic Nanotechnology Hub for Research, Education and Innovation, the Daily Pennsylvanian reported. The hub is focused on increasing access to the nanotechnology center and making the technology accessible to students, professors and researchers.

Yale University: The Yale College Council, Graduate Student Assembly and Graduate and Professional Student Senate have united to eradicate Styrofoam food containers from their campus, including from businesses on campus that are not owned by the college, the Yale Daily News reported. The three groups had united previously to request an on-campus student center, which led to the construction of Schwarzman Center.

— Compiled by Will Peisch

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

Program funds student-faculty research FROM ECON PAGE 1

hopes to connect these students with further research opportunities after graduation.

Rather than a formal application process, faculty identify students in their sophomore year who have taken core courses in the department, he said.

Research program director and economics professor Chris Snyder said the program aims to enhance the academic experience for all students, but in particular they wanted to serve the most promising students in the department.

“In what is unique to Dartmouth, we wanted to provide a deeper student-faculty interaction, particularly for folks doing research,” he said.

Snyder said the faculty involved were allotted a sum of money to develop the program, but they are hoping to receive more resources to expand further and increase the number of opportunities available to students.

Snyder said that the program aims to foster student-faculty relationships by including students in faculty research. He said that the faculty at the College are in the “knowledge-creation business” and he hopes to integrate students into

2 3 100 0 ALL WITH

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

In the Oct. 7 story “Student Spotlight: Katie Schultz ’16 of Sugarplum,” Schultz was misspelled in some places as Shultz. The Dartmouth regrets this error.

this process.

“Dartmouth is not just stamping out students. We’re trying to create knowledge and get students to share in that knowledge creation, too” he said.

Snyder said that he hopes to expand the program and gain enough funding to support students who choose to remain on campus without taking classes so they can dedicate their time to research.

“My vision would be to do this more systematically, rather than give a little research support throughout the term while your attention is divided with your classes,” he said.

Presidential Scholar Ran Zhuo ’17 worked full-time for Snyder this summer. Zhuo credits her work with Synder for helping her refine her leadership skills and teaching her how to work alongside faculty and administrators.

Snyder said Zhuo offered him suggestions about his research on publication bias that led him to collect more data.

“She’s brilliant. It’s great to work with students who are smarter than oneself,” he said.

Myles Wagner ’17 is studying behavioral economics in cognitive constraints on value annuities as research assistant to economics profes-

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sor Erzo Luttmer. Next year, Wagner will be off-campus in the spring and summer to work with Dartmouth alumna Heidi Williams ’03 through the National Economic Bureau of Research. Williams recently won the 2015 MacArthur Fellowship and will receive a $625,000 grant for her research.

“I definitely wouldn’t have gotten this job if it hadn’t been for the two connections I had with professors Luttmer and Snyder,” Wagner said.

The selected scholars recently gathered for dinner with the program’s participating economics professors.

“I was actually quite surprised that almost everyone from the program showed up to this event. I know everyone is busy, but it looks like it’s everyone’s priority to know other students with similar interests,” Zhuo said.

Sacerdote said he hopes the program will continue to grow, as he thinks it could attract prospective students.

“This could be expanded through all the social sciences, and the university in general. I’d love to see that,” he said. “It could become a central administrative program. That would be a real attractive pitch for anyone looking to apply to Dartmouth.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

PAGE 3

Airbnb offers more personal, though perhaps less reliable, lodging monitored as a hotel, obviously, and your experience is going to Hastings said that the department vary depending on your host,” lists Airbnb among their recom- Hastings said. “But it is definitely mended lodgings for alumni when an option we share.” returning to campus. She said Pembroke, Vermont, resident she is not sure if any particular Bob Dunkle uses Airbnb to find alumni are using the service, but occasional renters for rooms in his due to the little h o m e, wh i ch vacancy left in “It’s more personal. he opened up local hotels, it is recently after likely that many You get to know his children left people are us- the host, things the house and ing the website. he realized how about their family.

She menmuch space he tioned that peo- It’s definitely a lot had. It is a good ple will likely be more personal and way to make using Airbnb money with the during reunion more interactive. extra space, he weekends this It’s also very said, and he has year as well. always favored flexible — if Hastings less traditional said, though, someone arrives jobs. t h a t a l u m n i today and I’m “I’ve should proceed never been with caution if eating dinner, they one who liked they choose to can just sit down working nineuse Airbnb as to-five, plus the and eat, too.” a place to stay.

Airbnb seemed “We specifilike a great way cally give al- - LO C A L H O M EOW N E R to meet peoums a list that ple and have includes hotels, A N D A I R B N B R E N T E R money on the things like that, B O B D U N K L E side,” Dunkle and we do list said.

Airbnb as an Deedee option, but kind Tr a c y i s a n of with a caveat that it’s at the other local Airbnb renter in user’s own risk,” Hastings said.

Randolph, Vermont. She opened Hastings explained that Airbnb up her home for the same reason is not as heavily regulated as tradi- — when her children moved out, tional hotels and inns, which can she had four empty bedrooms. make it a potentially riskier place to After having success with renting spend the night. She said people’s out the space through Airbnb, she experiences with their lodgings saw that it was a profitable way are largely contingent upon their to meet people. She said she has hosts. loved meeting people from all over “An Airbnb isn’t as closely the world, including China and FROM AIRBNB PAGE 1

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Thailand, in the past year alone.

“It offers a really unique experience other than your standard, sterile hotel room stay — you get personality and unique art and different things to look at,” she said. “And you get to meet and learn about the life stories of other people.”

Dunkle said traditional lodgings can sometimes feel impersonal, while staying at an Airbnb is a much more authentic and personal experience that can be fun for both the lodgers and the host.

Rather than being placed into a single hotel room for their stay, those who choose Airbnb generally find themselves staying in a home, complete with their hosts’ family, decor and pets.

“It’s more personal. You get to

know the host, things about their family,” he said. “It’s definitely a lot more personal and more interactive. It’s also very flexible — if someone arrives today and I’m eating dinner, they can just sit down and eat, too.”

Hastings said that the flexible eating times of Airbnb can also have their advantages. Especially since the restaurants in Hanover and the surrounding area are likely to be packed, she said it is beneficial to have the option to eat in an intimate setting in someone’s home as opposed to waiting in line for a restaurant table.

Dunkle and Tracy — whose respective Airbnbs are each within about a half hour from Hanover — said they have both seen a spike in business this weekend.

Dunkle said he has never been this booked, and that although he does not inquire with his residents about their reason for traveling, he suspects many are coming for the College’s Homecoming weekend as they have been asking about his distance from Hanover.

Tracy added that she is typically busy during this time of year due to people coming to see the fall foliage as well.

Hastings said ultimately people are not “as sure what they’re going to get” with Airbnb as they would be while staying in a more traditional hotel setting. She added, however, that Airbnb might be a more sensible option for people who are looking to stay with a larger group of people, such as a family or large group of alumni.

MARGO COX/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

For Homecoming weekend, few rooms are left in centrally-located hotels and inns, such as the Hanover Inn.

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THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

PAGE 4

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

CONTRIBUTING Columnist CLARA CHIN ’19

Staff Columnist JESSICA LU ’16

The Face of Beauty

Maintaining Objectivity

Magazine covers must represent the diversity of women across the U.S. When I was little, I used to hate my “Asian” nose. I hoped that it would one day become smaller and pointier. In all of the magazines I read, none of the models had a nose like mine. I saw demure and thin noses — not round and flat ones. In choosing which models and celebrities to display on their covers and pages, magazines help dictate and articulate what traits are widely considered to be acceptable or beautiful. I have seen few, if any, Asian models on the cover of my American magazines — I see only slightly more Latina and African-American women.

Most models are white. This, according to magazine covers, is the face of beauty.

Thankfully, I am past the time of being insecure about my face. I should not need to see people who look like me on the cover of magazines just to feel pretty. I should be confident enough to tell myself that I am beautiful.

Self-esteem — particularly in a culture where songs such as One Direction’s 2011 hit spout lines such as “you don’t know you’re beautiful” and are somehow considered romantic — is an important trait. In regards to the racial patterns on magazine covers, I at first thought it was justifiable if by nothing more than the fact that white people make up the largest racial demographic in the United States.

Yet after considering this discrepancy in representation further, the homogeneity of the models who grace these covers is certainly a problem. Magazines, in general, serve to dictate what is trendy, stylish and attractive. So even if an individual makes an active effort not to let magazines dictate her own self-esteem, magazines still have the power to influence wider societal beliefs on opinions of beauty.

Moreover, the demographics of the U.S. are no reason to justify a lack of diversity in the media. The 2014 Census showed that the nation’s population is actually 62.1 percent non-Hispanic white, while 82 percent of women featured on magazine covers are white.

While white people still make up a majority of the U.S., this ratio is amplified in the models chosen, and women of color are significantly underrepresented on these covers. We walk

around and see a relatively diverse population, which we do not see reflected in fashion and beauty magazines. The subtext of this tells one’s subconscious that women of color cannot be high fashion, that women of color are not pretty.

Racial statistics on magazine covers should not necessarily match the demographics of our country. In fact, I would rather see the percentage of women of color featured on these covers surpass the percentage of women of color in the U.S., as diversity is one of the key elements of American culture. The demographics in major cities are far more varied than the national average. In 2014, Los Angeles was 14.8 percent Asian and 48.4 percent Hispanic or Latino, while in 2010, Detroit was 82.7 percent black. Because mainstream fashion magazines are often so centered on metropolitan life, to underrepresent women of color is to inaccurately reflect the city experience for many Americans.

The response to this should not be to silence those who will call out these magazines. Nor should it be to include women of color as a way of being “mindful” of race. Rather, this inclusion should be seen as an opportunity of celebrating race, because diversity is something we should embrace.

Magazines may seem insignificant in comparison to the larger, potentially more drastic issues surrounding race — such as the potential for ending race-based affirmative action or the overpopulation of people of color in the prison system — but they are powerful precisely because they are normal and trivial.

These publications provide an opportunity to celebrate not just cultural goods, but the people that make up this nation. Regardless of where you live, diversity matters because it is an inherent principle to this country. Magazines put things in perspective. Diverse magazines mean that we can see the U.S. the way it really is, not just the way it is in our own insulated bubbles. It is a small step, yes — but it is a step to normalizing race relations and appreciating the beauty of us all.

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People across the political spectrum must remember to listen to facts.

While canvassing for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s campaign for the 2016 Democratic presidential nomination last weekend, I encountered a “meninist” in the wild. People I had hoped existed only on social media and in my nightmares, meninists are anti-feminists who at once claim that gender inequality is a myth, while simultaneously inventing ways in which men are victims of discrimination.

The first warning sign that this man may be a meninist was his condescending tone when asking why I supported Clinton. I launched into my speech on how she will fight for equal pay, paid pregnancy leave and affordable childcare — how Clinton will do everything possible to eradicate the economic disadvantages women suffer in the United States. I threw out statistics — how, for the same work and time spent working, women earn considerably less than their male counterparts, making it more difficult for them to economically support both themselves and their families.

When this man tried to counter by claiming that the wage gap is simply a consequence of occupation, industry or education, I was prepared with a retort. A study by labor economists Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn found that these factors leave 41 percent of the wage gap unexplained, indicating that discrimination more than likely plays a role. Deborah Cobb-Clark and Yvonne Dunlop found that men are overwhelmingly promoted over women with the same qualifications, and countless other studies demonstrate active hiring and wage discrimination. Unequal pay for equal work is not a coincidence — it is the result of systematic discrimination against women in our economy.

By permitting companies to pay women less for equal work, the U.S. government is endorsing the unequal treatment of the sexes. Women deserve fair compensation for their work and the greater level of economic freedom and security that it grants. I figured that after explaining these sources to the man, such an ideal should be a no-brainer — yet, I was wrong. After all my neat facts and figures, his only response was, “I just don’t believe that’s true.” There’s really nothing you can do in the face of such outright disbelief — if someone is unwilling to accept empirical facts, then they cannot be rationally convinced.

This is at the core of much of bigotry in the U.S. — “I just don’t believe that’s true.” People refuse to believe in empirically proven inequalities, from scientifically supported phenomena like

climate change and to biological proof that race is not physical. In essence, for much of the American political right wing, it seems belief trumps science.

First, with regards to inequalities, from “meninism” to backlash against the #BlackLivesMatter movement, many people actively oppose the idea that we need to combat socioeconomic inequalities, often by denying that any such inequalities exist to be remedied. As for climate change, according to a Gallup poll conducted over the last five years, 59 percent of self-identified conservative Republicans do not believe that climate change is happening now — and 70 percent do not believe humans are responsible for it.

Yet, there is clear scientific consensus on the matter — of the tens of thousands of scientists studying the phenomenon of human-driven global warming, 98.4 percent agree that global warming is indeed caused by human activity, and an even more overwhelming majority of the scientific community believes that climate change is happening now. And finally, on race.

America’s criminal justice system seems to assign an automatic label to young black and Hispanic men as likely criminals with the defense that race and criminality are correlated. New York City’s stop and frisk policies overwhelmingly targeted young men of color. Our prisons are overwhelmingly filled with young black and Hispanic men.

Science has shown that race is not an indicator of character traits — nothing inherent to black people make them lazy or criminal. That belief, rather, is simply racism.

Liberal politicians suffer from this obstinance, too. Many ignore the inefficiencies in our current system of social safety nets and blindly defend what could be vastly improved. The liberal love of strong central governments often imposes a one-size-fits-all solution on a complex problem made only more complicated by America’s geographical diversity. Liberals also continue to defend race-based affirmative action, despite its many flaws. Liberals, like conservatives, get defensive about their party’s policies to the point where they refuse to step back and consider its faults.

In many ways, this is why politics often feels so futile. People on both sides of the aisle — though in my experience, somewhat more on one side than the other — refuse to budge and end up blinded by their beliefs to the point where they refuse to see any alternatives, no matter how convincing.

Maybe we would all benefit from some objectivity.

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

PAGE 5

Professors, colleagues praise MacArthur“genius”Heidi Williams’03 FROM WILLIAMS PAGE 1

Williams said she aims to explore the relationship between society and the technological advances it produces.

“I want to know whether we’re getting the right technologies, the most socially valuable ones,” she said.

Williams said she enjoys many aspects of her work, such as finding new ways to construct data sets. For her, economics provides a point of entry into understanding how public policy relates to health care.

She said that this work is rewarding, even when the connection is not immediately clear or the data present challenges.

“You have the important ideas, but you can really struggle to find ways to find the right data sets,” she said. “You don’t have the technologies or methodologies, or you don’t have the data. The hardest part is trying to find matches between data and methodology.”

After graduating with her Bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth in 2003, Williams completed a Master’s degree at the University of Oxford.

She then worked at the National Bureau of Economic Research before returning to school and obtaining her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 2010.

As a math major, Williams spent much of her time working closely with mathematics professor Dorothy Wallace. While Williams was not officially affiliated with the economics department at the College, she was able to work with many of the faculty in

“You have the important ideas, but you can really struggle to find ways to find the right data sets. You don’t have the technologies or methodologies, or you don’t have the data.

The hardest part is trying to find matches between data and methodology.”

- Heidi Williams ’03, macarthur fellowship recipient

the department.

“I really enjoyed the opportunity to work closely with faculty

and do research with them,” she said.

She said working with faculty provided her with a number of opportunities she would not have received otherwise.

Economics professor Christopher Snyder worked with Williams after she graduated from the College, when she was a research assistant for Harvard economics professor Michael Kremer. The three are currently collaborating on a working paper on vaccines.

“We’ve kept in touch, and we’re good friends,” Snyder said of Williams.

Snyder teaches an economics course at the College called “Competition and Strateg y,” which focuses on the economics of businesses and what makes them innovative. He said he teaches Williams’ research in this course.

“That’s what some of her research touches on — it’s innovation and growth and firms’ incentives to innovate. Her work is some of the best work on those questions,” Synder said.

Snyder also regularly recommends his best students to work as research assistants for Williams.

Economics professor Douglas Staiger advised Williams’ in an independent study in economics she completed her senior year, despite having no prior experience in the department.

IS THAT YOUR FINAL ANSWER?

GABRIELLE KIRLEW/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

Primary Care Progress hosts a trivia event, advertised for pre-medical students as well as all students.

“We met once a week and talked economics, and she just was absorbed. She had really strong math skills, and could just understand and pick up really deep, complex ideas really quickly,” he said.

Economics professor Jonathan

“If you would’ve asked me, who under 40 among the economists I would think were likely MacArthur winners, [Williams] would’ve been top of my list.”

- Economics professor douglas staiger, williams’ independent study advisor at the college

Skinner taught a graduate class at Harvard in 2009.

“By that time, it was clear that great things were going to come,

because she had already established herself as an outstanding student,” Skinner said.

Snyder, Staiger and Skinner each described Williams as smart, kind and generous.

“She’s very well-spoken, and very clear, and is very quick to respond if there are questions,” Skinner said. “She has this tremendous ability to come up with answers that other people wouldn’t have thought of, or ideas that are really outstanding, that even if lots of smart people had lots of time to think of it, they wouldn’t have thought of it.”

While the three professors all expressed that they were not shocked by the announcement, Staiger and Skinner both noted that Williams is younger than the typical MacArthur grant recipient.

“If you would’ve asked me, who under 40 among the economists I would think were likely MacArthur winners, [Williams] would’ve been top of my list,” Staiger said.

Williams, who just had her first child, said she has not had time to think about how she will use the grant money. She said she is looking forward to thinking about how to spend the money once she has more free time.

PAGE 6

THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

DARTMOUTH EVENTS TODAY 4:00 p.m.

Ribbon cutting ceremony and reception for “Hoarfrost with Rabbit” (2014), Maffei Arts Plaza

4:30 p.m.

“A Kylix in Berlin and Composing Sympotic Songs in Early FifthCentury Attic Vase-Painting,” Carpenter 13

8:00 p.m.

Casual Thursday comedy hour, a “Your Space” production, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Bentley Theater

TOMORROW 3:30 p.m.

“Exposure Science at US EPA: Linking environmental measurements to in vivo and in vitro biomonitoring data” with Dr. Joachim Pleil, Cummings Hall, Spanos Auditorium

7:30 p.m.

Annual Homecoming parade and bonfire, Dartmouth Green

8:00 p.m.

Public astronomical observing with the Department of Physics and Astronomy, Shattuck Observatory

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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

PAGE 7

Casual Thursday will perform at Bentley Theater tonight

forming in a theater will have a significantly different atmosphere The Dartmouth from Greek house shows. He said The improv comedy group Ca- that he thinks performing in the sual Thursday will have the chance new venue will also make the to take their act to a bigger stage group’s improv seem more profesthis week. The group, which gener- sional. ally performs in Greek houses and “In a theater it’s quieter, it’s other social venues on campus, will darker,” he said. “Instead of a be performing in Bentley Theater uniformly lit fraternity or cofon Thursday fee house, there a s p a r t o f “In a [fraternity] are lights just on the theater the performers, department’s show, it’s later at which makes it “Your Space” night, it’s a different more dramatic, program that vibe — people more intimate in aims to bring a way.” n o n - m a j o r s haven’t necessarily Eisner said that into the Hop- come there to watch she thinks that kins Center. the theater’s set The show improv. [At Bentley] up would change will incorpo- everyone who is the interaction rate a variety coming to see the between the pero f s k e t ch e s formers and the and comedy show will have come audience. When forms, group specifically to see shows are hosted member Drew

by Greek houses, Z w e t c h k e n - us.” perfor mers are baum ’16 said. on the same level Although Ca-lily eisner ’18, casual as the audience. sual Thursday “It feels more works primar- thursday Member personal, more ily in shortinteractive,” she form improv, said. “On a stage, the group also experiments with [the performers] are above you.” written sketches, long-form improv At the same time, she said, stuand musical games, he said. dents who come to shows in Greek “We pride ourselves on how houses are not always as engaged we try so many different types of with the performance as a theater performative comedy,” Zwetch- audience. kenbaum said. “This show will “In a [fraternity] show it’s later be a way to showcase all of that at night, it’s a different vibe — range.” people haven’t necessarily come While the group’s shows gener- there to watch improv,” she said. ally last from 30 to 40 minutes, “[At Bentley] everyone who is Thursday’s hour-long show has coming to see the show will have also forced the group to branch come specifically to see us.” out from their typical routine and Group member Connor Lehan incorporate new types of perfor- ’18 said that he is excited about the mances, Casual Thursday member variety of sketches the group will Lily Eisner ’18 said. be able to showcase and the chal “It’s a little bit different purely lenge of performing in a theater. because we have so much more “This will definitely be differtime,” she said. “It’s kind of hard ent, but I think it’s great that we’ll to fill an hour with just short-form have the time and the resources to improv.” incorporate pre-filmed sketches Zwetchkenbaum said that per- and live sketches,” he said. “I think

B y katherine Schreiber

it will challenge us, and I think it’s just going to be a lot of fun.”

Theater professor Jamie Horton, who directs and selects shows for the program, said that he is excited to have Casual Thursday back with the program, after the group put on a “Your Space” production in January.

The technical benefits of working in a theater will also allow Casual Thursday to incorporate new types of performances, including live music by the student band Some Kind of Jet Pilot during the scene transitions and films that the group created.

Although the movies will be different from live comedy skits, they will still incorporate the spontaneity and creativity of live

improv, Zwetchkenbaum said.

“A lot of creating goes on while you’re filming,” he said. “You realize new things based on constraints or accidents that end up being new great ideas and new funny things.”

Zwetchkenbaum, who has been in Casual Thursday since his freshman year, said that working with group has been a formative experience for him.

“I see it source of almost everything good that’s happened to me at school,” he said. “As much as it is a performance group, it’s also just a group of really funny, weird, wonderful, supportive people who want to make each other laugh, want to make audiences laugh, but really care about each other.”

The “Your Space” program is

meant to provide a performance venue for students and groups across campus. Horton selects two to three groups to put on a “Your Space” production each term.

In addition to getting a space for their final production, students who receive a “Your Space” production slot have access to the theater for rehearsals and can receive help from faculty members, if needed, as well as advertising help and a $50 production budget.

Zwetchkenbaum said that he has been working with theater professor and technical director Scott Silver to work out lighting and other technical aspects of the show.

The show will is at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 8, in Bentley Theater. Admission will be free.

FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR DARTMOUTH STUDENT PROJECTS IN THE ARTS Complete Guidelines & Applications online: hop.dartmouth.edu (hover over Students link)

The Robert Dance ’77 Arts Initiative Fund The Robert Dance ’77 Fund enables talented Dartmouth undergraduates to undertake special projects in the arts. Preference is given to performing or visual arts projects that are “site-specific works,” created for venues other than traditional galleries, theaters or auditoriums. Outdoor venues, residential spaces and dining halls are among the sites that might be appropriate. The fund makes a total of up to $4,200 available to sponsor major student projects in the performing and visual arts. Undergraduate students and organizations are eligible to apply.

The Peter D. Smith Initiative Fund The Peter D. Smith Student Initiative Fund was established for the support of student enterprises in the arts. It was established by the former Friends of the Hopkins Center and Hood Museum of Art and continues today with the support of the Membership Programs of the Hop and the Hood. It is intended to enable talented Dartmouth undergraduates to complete special projects. The fund makes a total of up to $3,000 available to sponsor major original projects. Application is open to individuals or groups.

The Lazarus Family Musical Theater Fund The Lazarus Family Musical Theater Fund supports student-initiated projects in musical theater, with a priority given to original work. Although projects need not be curricular to be considered, senior projects that bring together work in theater and music are particularly appropriate. In the absence of proposals featuring original music, lyrics and/or text by students, productions that are to be directed, choreographed and designed by students may also be considered. The fund provides a total of up to $1,800 to support student-initiated projects.

The Class of 1961 Arts Initiative Fund Undergraduates are invited to apply for support of student enterprises in the arts. This award is funded by members of the Class of 1961 in order to enable talented Dartmouth undergraduates to undertake special projects in the arts. Particular interest will be given to those projects that “stand alone”—that is, projects that are not undertaken as senior fellowships or honors projects nor are affiliated with student organizations. The fund makes up to $1,500 available to sponsor student-initiated projects in the performing and visual arts. Application is open to single or group projects.

Applications & Guidelines Applications and complete guidelines for each fund are available online (hop.dartmouth.edu) or check with the offices of the Directors of Hopkins Center and Hood Museum of Art, the Chairs of the Departments of Theater, Music, Studio Art, Film & Media Studies, and Art History, the Hop Ensembles Office and the Hop Student Workshops.

DEADLINE: Thursday, November 12, 2015 ALL APPLICATIONS and recommendations must be submitted to the Hopkins Center Director’s Office, Lower Level Wilson Hall, by 12 pm, Thursday, November 12, 2015 or via email to Sherry.L.Fiore@dartmouth.edu.

KATELYN JONES/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Improv group Casual Thursday has performed through “Your Space” in the past.

HOPKINS CENTER FOR THE ARTS

hop.dartmouth.edu | 603.646.2422 Dartmouth College | Hanover, NH

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS

PAGE 8

SPORTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2015

THURSDAY LINEUP

WOMEN’S TENNIS ITA ALL-AMERICA TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP

Men’s rugby opens Ivy schedule with big win over Cornell

B y ASHLEY DUPUIS The Dartmouth

After a challenging pre-season lineup, the men’s rugby team came out on top against Cornell University this past weekend in Ithaca, New York, kicking off the team’s Ivy League schedule with a resounding win. The Big Green outscored the Big Red 41-19, and the victory marked the team’s first win this season after three trying out-ofconference losses to Boston College, American International College and the Naval Academy.

“We knew that Cornell was going to test our defense and tackles, so we’ve been working a lot on our defensive line,” head coach Gavin Hickie said.

A physical Cornell side tested the Big Green defensive line immediately, putting up a quick two tries in the first half. The Big Red went 1-2 on conversion attempts and led 12-0 right off the bat. The rest of the half was characterized by stern defensive efforts by both teams. By the end of the first half, Dartmouth’s strong tackle game won out, and captain Jack Braun ’16 broke through the Cornell line for the Big Green’s first try.

A failed conversion attempt and a yellow card left the team entering the halftime break trailing by a score of 12-5 and down a player.

“We had a couple of penalties that didn’t go our way, but we knew that we just needed to stick to our system,” Braun said.

The halftime break did the Big Green no favors as a long run down the left side of the field led to another

Big Red try. After the completed conversion, Dartmouth trailed by 14 points with less than a half remaining, although now back to a full 15 men on the field.

Hickie described the key to the game as “waiting for the right moment” to test Cornell’s defense. Down by two tries, it seemed as though that moment had arrived. The Big Green answered Cornell’s try with a successful kick charge-down by Ollie Engelhart ’18 that was collected by Hayden Aldredge ’17 and placed for another Dartmouth try. A conversion by Curtis Oberg ’16 brought Dartmouth within seven points of Cornell.

“That kind of turned the tide in terms of momentum,” Erik Warnquist ’16 said. “From there we calmed it down, used our conditioning and stepped up the pace.”

The game in Ithaca was played in a foggy rain, leading to sloppy conditions that slowed the field considerably and forced the Big Green to contest with the elements as well as with its Ivy opponent.

“The muddy and wet weather let to some messy play, but we knew we could come out stronger the second half,” Braun said.

About an hour into the game, the Big Green took the lead for the first time when Andrew Zhu ’16 powered through in the wing to score in the corner of the try zone. Zhu’s try sparked a series of consecutive tries in Dartmouth’s favor that eventually left the Big Red in the dust.

Max Hannam ’16 found an opening in the outside to run the ball and notched

NATALIE CANTAVE/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Though the Big Green trailed at the half, a comeback sparked by Andrew Zhu ’16 led the team to a blowout win over Cornell.

a try for Dartmouth. Ouickly after, Benji Hannam ’18 finished a 60-meter run to score his first try of the season, evading numerous tackles in the process. John Abraham ’16 closed the scoring for the Big Green with another score in the corner of the try zone.

Warnquist attributed the team’s successful comeback to good coaching and preparation.

“I think a lot of it came down to our coaching,” Warnquist said. “We knew this season that there were going to be a lot of opportunities for us to have to work really hard in games and that’s something we were kind of anticipating.”

Hickie credited the win to a “collective team effort,” with critical plays and

Courtesy of Madison Hughes

After the graduation of star Madison Hughes ’15, the Big Green will have took for rugby leadership elsewhere on the squad.

tries coming from players off the bench and who were returning from previous injuries.

“A lot of young guys have stepped up [due to team injuries],” Braun said.

“We’ve all been patient and persevered, and we’re on the edge of a breakthrough that will show the hard work we have been putting in [this season].”

Looking ahead, the team hopes to build on this success in future matches, building on what they’ve learned from the Cornell victory and the out-ofconference losses.

“We started this season with some tough games to build us into it, and we’ve got a tough opponent later in the season in Lindenwood [University],” Warnquist said. “So really the focus of this year in general is to optimize our 15s play.”

The Big Green will face Yale University in Hanover at the Corey Ford Rugby Clubhouse this Saturday at 11:30 a.m for its first home Ivy game of the season, where Dartmouth will look to continuing defending its Ivy League title.

“It’s always very special playing on Brophy,” Hickie said. “We want to come out with a strong show for friends, family and alumni. First and foremost, we want the win.”

So far this season, the Bulldogs have seen mixed results. Their first XV have put up a 2-1 record on the season with narrow wins over both Millersville University and the University of Pennsylvania. This past weekend, though, the Bulldogs fell by eight points to the Princeton University Tigers. Last season, the Big Green took down the Bulldogs by a 42-7 score.

Dartmouth also seems to have hit its stride against the Big Red this weekend.

The Big Green had its strongest performance of the season both offensively and defensively in the Ivy opener. For the first time this fall season, the men both scored more than 30 points and also held their opponents to under 40 points.

One concern for the Big Green going forward is the team’s ability to succeed without star scrumhalf Madison Hughes ’15. Hughes helped lead the team to the Ivy title last season and is now playing for the American national sevens squad. No one player will be able to make up Hughes’ performance, but a coalition of seniors will have to step up if the Big Green hopes to replicate last season’s strong performance.

So far this season, Abraham, Braun and Dawit Workie ’17 have shone for the Big Green, scoring multiple tries in the first four games of the season. If those three can continue to play well, the offense should thrive at home against Yale this weekend.

Braun said he expects to see Dartmouth put points up on the board quickly against the Bulldogs.

After taking down the team’s first Ivy opponent, the Big Green will look to keep the momentum rolling against Yale.

“Cornell is a big strong team, a little bit different style than Yale, so we are hoping that we can transfer that knowledge into a different style of play,” Warnquist said. “Now we know that we have the ability and the tenacity to come from behind and win.”

Zhu is a member of The Dartmouth business senior staff.