VOL. CLXXI NO. 106
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
One year after Clery complaint, investigation launched
CHANCE OF STORM HIGH 84 LOW 61
B y JESSICA AVITABILE The Dartmouth Staff
SPORTS
SOFTBALL
NAMES NEW COACH PAGE 8
JOSH KOENIG/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
A candlelight vigil concluded Monday’s Respect Works programming.
Students discuss sexual assault B y JOSH KOENIG
The Dartmouth Staff
OPINION
RENDLEMAN: CREATING YOUR CALENDAR PAGE 4
ARTS
COMPOSTO ’16 STEPS INTO NEW YORK OPERA PAGE 7
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A program intending to spark conversations surrounding sexual assault on campus brought approximately 130 students to Bones Gate fraternity yesterday afternoon. During the nearly four-and-a-half hour event, which stretched into the early evening, participants
listened to an eight-student panel, spoke with faculty and guest speakers and crossed campus to the steps of Dartmouth Hall in a candlelight vigil. The event’s afternoon portion — which included the panel and remarks from two faculty members and guest-speaker Cindy Pierce, a local comedian, author and activist — was open to
men only. While the later portion of the event, which was called Respect Works, was open to campus, the decision to restrict afternoon programming aimed to help encourage participants who are not generally vocal on the issue express their opinions, event co-organizer Robbie Tanner ’16 said. SEE PANEL PAGE 3
As federal investigation into the College’s compliance with the Clery Act is set to start on Aug. 18, College officials who work on the Clery Act believe that the College is in compliance, associate general council Kevin O’Leary said. More than 30 students and alumni have signed onto the complaint, filed in May 2013. The College will cooperate with investigators, O’Leary said. “If the result of the investigation finds areas where we have not complied, that will require us to change some of our practices to get into compliance,” he said. “If they find the areas where we have been complying, that will just affirm that we’ve been doing things correctly.”
The Clery Act, signed in 1990, requires higher education institutions to disclose data on campus crime. Violating these regulations or failing to take corrective action can lead to federal sanctions that range in severity from fines to termination of federal financial aid programs. Annie Clark, who was a co-compainant in a Clery Act filing against the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said that an investigation can be effective if colleges recognize what they are not doing well. She added, however, that administrators may also choose to ignore the investigation and say that they are doing everything well. The federal investigation to begin at Dartmouth follows Clery Act compliance SEE CLERY PAGE 3
Kappa Delta, Triangle House to open for fall B y SEAN CONNOLLY The Dartmouth Staff
Soon the sight of fences, the sound of power tools and the bustle of construction workers around Kappa Delta sorority and the Triangle House, a living learning community focusing on LGBTQ issues, will be distant memories. Construction on both buildings is set to finish this month in time to allow for fall student occupancy, residential operations director Woody Eckels said.
While the Triangle House, located on 4 North Park Street, is a renovation of current housing for faculty and staff, KD’s house will be a new construction. Eckels said that the respective construction and renovation projects are both on schedule to open this upcoming fall. In contrast, Panarchy undergraduate society is likely to remain closed for the upcoming term, he said, due to the ongoing review and permitting SEE CONSTRUCTION PAGE 5
NATALIE CANTAVE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Panarchy closed in late June after the physical plant failed a safety check.
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
PAGE 2
DAily debriefing Following a tentative settlement in a lawsuit involving compensating former college athletes with long-term health problems due to head trauma, the National Collegiate Athletic Association may get the power to strengthen its return-to-play rules. The settlement would allow the NCAA to diagnose potential medical problems for thousands of student athletes, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The same agreement, which awaits approval by a federal judge, would force the NCAA to fund $70 million of concussion testing. Medical professionals said that these new guidelines will help avoid putting concussed players at risk. Meanwhile, colleges would need to have a medical professional present at every game and every practice for some high-contact sports, which has led to concerns — some NCAA schools with smaller athletic programs might struggle to afford this measure and may cut programs due to liability concerns. Chegg, a major textbook renting company, recently announced a partnership with book distributor Ingram Content Group following investor concern over the relevance of Chegg’s business, which has existed since the company went public last year, the New York Times reported. The announcement is part of an effort to help Chegg become a stronger digital services provider. The partnership will allow the company to focus on building up digital opportunities because Ingram will store and ship the textbooks it distributes. Yale University Commons will no longer serve breakfast beginning this fall following university budget cuts, Bloomberg reported. The university’s dining service will centralize the preparation of cold foods to a single kitchen rather than at each of the 14 dining halls, according to the Yale Daily News. The cut comes amid a $39.2 million gap during the 2013 fiscal year. — Compiled by Laura Weiss
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
Psychologists mingle at workshops B y ROSHAN DUTTA The Dartmouth Staff
Last week’s social perception workshop exposed younger social psychology community members to high-level work as part of a conference involving presentations and a poster session sponsored by the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the Center for Social Brain Sciences at the Hanover Inn. The conference, featuring researchers from across Europe and the U.S., brought together interdisciplinary perspectives regarding person perception, which applies ideas from neuroscience, psychology and sociology to the process of interpersonal identification, psychology professor Maria Gobbini said. The issue confronts the biases that individuals apply as they recognize and react to others, Gobbini said. The conference facilitated idea exchange from July 30-Aug. 1 through a combination of presentations by leading researchers and a poster session, during which junior researchers presented their projects to the attendees. The presentations ranged from studies on the relationship between facial and language processing to an analysis of the power of imaginary experiences. The small size of the conference allowed the attendees to reach out to peers who would be inaccessible at larger conferences, said Kerri Johnson, a University of California at Los Angeles social psychology professor. The academically di-
verse population of the conference resulted in interdisciplinary work that would have been impossible otherwise, she said. “Most of the conferences researchers go to are so large that there is not much of an opportunity to meet with people outside of your immediate area anyway, so this
“The exposure to these ideas will move forward and impact their work for years to come. I think it was wonderful insight on the part of the organizers and a step in the right direction to bring together the current and future generations.” - KERRI JOHNSON, UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT LOS ANGELES SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY PROFESSOR combination of rigorous scientific discussion coupled with informal opportunities to talk to our friends and peers over lunch or appetizers was an incredible opportunity to learn and spread research ideas,” Johnson said. Gobbini said attendee feedback
indicated that the event was successful. “For me, it was gratifying that at the end of one of the speaker’s talks, he said that he hopes that this was the first of a long series of workshops and that he hopes to be invited again,” she said. A secondary goal of the workshop was to expose younger members of the social psychology community to high-level scientific work while providing access to the researchers behind the findings, psychology professor and conference organizer James Haxby said. Post-doctoral students could achieve this goal by being present at the senior presentations and conducting poster presentations of their own, which occurred at the end of the first day of presentations, Gobbini said. Johnson noted the rarity of postdoctoral students and graduate students meeting with researchers of such a high caliber. “The exposure to these ideas will move forward and impact their work for years to come,” she said. “I think it was wonderful insight on the part of the organizers and a step in the right direction to bring together the current and future generations.” Gobbini and Johnson noted the event’s interdisciplinary reach. Whereas most conferences focus on one specific field of academia, the workshop brought together researchers from many fields — neuroscience, psychology and sociology — to work on the specific topic of social perception, Johnson said.
Corrections We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
JESSICA AVITABILE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
A social perception workshop brought researchers from across Europe and the U.S. to the Hanover Inn late last week.
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
Candlelit walk followed talks FROM PANEL PAGE 1
“We wanted a variety of different types of events so that we could appeal to as wide a variety of people as possible,” co-organizer Connor Gibson ’16 said. During the panel, which started the event and included female students, speakers shared narratives regarding sexual assault at Dartmouth, ranging from a critique of campus power imbalances to several calls to action. Sam Macomber ’16, a panelist, encouraged affiliated men to recognize their obligation to be proactive about mitigating sexual assault, offering an anecdote about how he checks in with his friends while on the dance floor to make sure they are comfortable. “I’m here because I have friends I wish could walk alone around campus at all times without a fleeting thought of being threatened,” Macomber said during his remarks. “I’m here because I hope that the ’18s, ’19s and ’20s have the privilege of joining a community that takes pride in being safe and welcoming.” Sam Van Wetter ’16, another panelist, encouraged participants to think critically about how campus culture influences even those members of the Dartmouth community who arrive on campus with a solid sense of self. “If no one has done harm, if no one sees themselves as doing harm, how do we account for that negligence?” he said toward the end of his commentary. “How do we account for that hurt?” Following the panel, Moving
Dartmouth Forward presidential steering committee chair and English professor Barbara Will and writing professor Jennifer Sargent shared their thoughts on consent and the legal consequences of sexual assault. Will split students into small discussion groups, and Sargent engaged the audience with her perspective as a former public defender and special justice. Will distributed a handout to participants describing eight sexual encounters, asking students to identify whether consent was present or absent. Will also reviewed the College’s policy on consent and sexual misconduct. In her remarks, Sargent also drew on a handout reviewing the College’s policy on sexual misconduct, reminding students of the consequences of committing an offense and encouraging them to think critically. At one point, Sargent asked the audience to brainstorm effective ways to ask for consent. Will and Sargent were followed by Pierce, who shared her perspective as a speaker who has engaged deeply with students and research alongside several humorous anecdotes. After the event, Pierce said that she was impressed by the program. “Every ’16 I’m sort of tuning into, I feel like there’s more awareness,” she said. “That gives me a lot of hope for Dartmouth. Once things are acknowledged, that’s when change can take place.” The event follows a spring panel on sexual assault hosted at Chi Heorot fraternity, which Tanner
and Gibson said inspired the event. “I think even before today the event was a success because every step along the road we had incredible support,” Tanner said. “The fact that we were able to participate and plan and organize with so many groups on campus was great, even before anything happened.” Chase Gilmore ’16, an event attendee and Inter-Fraternity Council summer president, noted the wide participation across houses. He added that he hoped to see a similar event or a series of smaller conversations on the topic in the fall. “The earlier we can have these discussions with freshmen, the more likely we’ll be able to make a difference,” he said. Chad Wilson ’16, another attendee, said when he returned to his fraternity after the event, everyone in the house was talking about it. The student panel was particularly powerful, he said. Gibson and Tanner said they were pleased with the event’s turnout, which peaked during the student panel and varied over the rest of the program. Tanner noted that the event’s ultimate success would not be judged solely on the number of attendees. “If this prevents one instance of sexual assault or makes one person think more critically about the issue and what they can do and how they act, then it’s a success,” Tanner said. “Hopefully a lot of people will be more aware of their actions moving forward.” Brian Chalif and Laura Weiss contributed reporting.
SHRINE BRIGHT LIKE A DIAMOND
KASSAUNDRA AMANN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
The Shrine Bowl game brought Vermont and New Hampshire football fans to Memorial Field.
PAGE 3
Investigations defined by long waiting periods FROM CLERY PAGE 1
investigations at colleges across the country. Low staffing in the Department of Education’s task force can lead to a long time lapse between when a complaint is filed and the beginning of an investigation, Clark said. Currently, the Clery compliance staff has only 13 employees, so they are stretched thin in terms of handling multiple cases, she said. As awareness increases around the Clery Act and Title IX, more complaints are filed, and the Department of Education does not have enough staff to keep up with the number of cases coming in, 32 National Campus Safety Initiative director Daniel Carter said. “They really have received more work than they can handle as quickly as they would like,” he said. “That’s currently a very significant issue.” Anna Winham ’14, an original complainant, said that if the Title IX investigation had not started shortly after the complaint, she would have been more disappointed by the long time lapse. Clark highlighted the example of the University of California at Berkeley, where nine months elapsed between a complaint filing and a federal response. During the interim, students on campus needed to protest and draw attention to the situation in order to have their needs met, she said. “Students can shine light on the administration if they are not doing their job,” she said. The Department of Education has recently revamped parts of the Clery Act review process, Carter said. Recent changes include adding gender identity and national origin to the definition of hate crimes and strengthening victim confidentiality protections. Carter said that regardless of violations indicated in an original complaint, investigators typically review every aspect of compliance. Six months can pass before a complaint is evaluated and investigators decide whether or not to open a case, he said. Then the investigation itself can take more than 18 months to be completed. There is typically a negotiation process with an institution’s administration after the investigation if violations are found and a final program review letter recommends what to fine an institution. The total process can take more than four to five years, Carter said, which makes it almost certain that most of the students on campus when a complaint is filed will have graduated by the time the process is resolved. A case that can take longer than
a student’s enrollment “just isn’t fair to anybody,” Carter said. Dartmouth Change member Alexandra Arnold ’10 said that the intersectionality of the Clery Act allows investigators to look at multiple issues together. The majority of the attention has been on sexual violence, she said, but Clery violations also include misreporting of bullying, hazing, racism and homophobia. In addition to protesting to have their colleges and universities investigated, Clark said that, until recently, the burden fell on the students to announce the investigation. “It will take continual pressure to make sure any changes made initially continue to be enforced,” she said. “Unfortunately, it’s left up to the students because there’s not a ton of oversight. Having an investigation does create change, but making sure it’s lasting and sustainable is key.” The investigation follows the announcement last week of proposed legislation from eight Democratic and Republican senators that would increase the penalties prescribed by the Clery Act. Called the Campus Accountability and Safety Act, the bill would increase the fine for a Clery Act violation from $35,000 to $150,000 and would mandate that schools publish an anonymous survey where students report their experiences with sexual violence on campus. Colleges would also be required to hire a confidential advocate to work with survivors of sexual assault. The bill would also increase resources for Clery Act reviews, Carter said. “I hope that Congress will take action so that the Clery Act and Title IX investigations can be resolved more promptly in the future,” he said. Peter Lake, director of the Center for Excellence in Higher Education Law and Policy at Stetson University College of Law, said that an investigation is not an automatic presumption of guilt, but due to the high-profile nature of an investigation into an Ivy League institution, the investigation will be covered in the national media, and that attention on the case will linger. “We shouldn’t jump to judgement,” he said. “It’s an opportunity to show what has been done.” At the same time, Lake said, Dartmouth can take advantage of this opportunity to make change. The College reported 24 counts of forcible sex offenses in 2012, 11 of which occurred on campus property, according to the 2013 annual security and fire safety report. The 2014 Clery disclosure will be released Oct. 1. Laura Weiss contributed reporting.
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
PAGE 4
Staff Columnist Vivien RendLEman ’16
Curating Your Calendar
Our schedules should only be filled with activities we’re passionate about. Sometimes I feel like I will look back at my days at Dartmouth and remember only a series of different-colored time blocks on my iCal. The fact that so many Dartmouth students portion their days out to the last minute makes me wonder why we as a school pursue this type of rigid scheduling. Dartmouth students without some sort of planner, be it a Google Calendar or an old-fashioned Moleskine, appear to be few and far between. While some of my friends spread their time over too many groups and organizations to keep track of, others have just one all-consuming activity. There is nothing inherently better with either type of commitment. Rather, it is the motivation behind one’s extracurricular involvement that determines its worth. Yes, there is absolutely a wrong way to schedule your time at Dartmouth. Several students I met during the course of freshman year had what I call the “high-school mentality” when it came to extracurriculars. They continued to be involved in as many clubs as possible because they thought that was what was expected. This is a limiting but contagious attitude. Too often students under the impression that everybody else is heavily involved on campus try to “keep up” by joining activities that they aren’t really committed to. I had moments freshman year when I looked around at my friends and floormates and wondered if something was wrong with me. While they rushed from meeting to meeting, I was never rushing to anything. I realized, though, that my lack of involvement and their over-involvement both meant that we mismanaged our time. The over-committers were using up all their time just for the sake of appearing involved, and I simply did not participate. All of us missed out on the chance to deeply explore our interests and contribute to the Dartmouth community. Luckily, most of my iCal-addicted friends realized that some of their extracurriculars
were actually extra baggage. At the same time, I began to accrue activities organically, out of interest rather than a pressure to be a Dartmouth super student. Sure, this meant I had to start using an iCal, but I discovered that planning my day out could be fulfilling. Getting involved at Dartmouth meant that I was making an impact at a great institution — that I was taking advantage of the time I am so grateful to have here. Cut out extraneous activities and focus on what matters. Have you not yet found your calling at Dartmouth? Look into the groups your friends are involved in. Chances are you’ll find an activity that not only will excite you but also improve your community. When we get involved with clubs we actually care about, we’re in the position to facilitate teamwork and cooperation amongst Dartmouth students, which gives us the opportunity to truly change our institution and even effect change beyond Hanover. Movement Against Violence has changed the way Dartmouth students think and talk about sexual assault, and students involved with the Big Green Bus raised awareness about environmental issues across the U.S. over nine summers. Maybe the students involved in these or countless other Dartmouth student organizations sacrifice a little more free time than they would like, but I am certain that they feel fulfilled by their extracurricular commitment. There’s nothing wrong with being busy at Dartmouth. None of us will likely be surrounded by such a high concentration of extraordinary individuals ever again, so don’t forget to just hang out with your brilliant classmates. But keep in mind that when we interact with those individuals through organized groups and clubs we’re actually dedicated to, we’re making Dartmouth a better place. It is, after all, better to look back at Dartmouth as a busy time than as a time lost to countless hours of Netflix and pong.
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What We’re All Thinking
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
Sonia Robiner ’16
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
PAGE 5
Construction projects near finish in time for fall term housing said. Panarchy member Kelsey Weimer process the group is working on. On ’16 confirmed that the group had June 27, residents of Panarchy had hired an architect and said the orto vacate the building after the house ganization is still acquiring a permit was closed due to a failed safety to begin construction. She added check. that the committee responsible for “Sometimes new construction reviewing the permit application is easier than major renovation,” will likely take several weeks, which Eckels said. has led many in the organization The goal for both KD and the to conclude that the house will not Triangle House is to have furniture open in the fall. for student residence moved in by The cost of the construction and Aug. 18 and to have the remaining repairs so far has been estimated to common room be around six figfur niture in- “It will be a pretty ures, which was stalled by Sept. less than many quick changeover of 13, Eckels said. anticipated, she Classes begin on what you see today said. The group Sept. 15. and what you’ll see in is exploring the The Trianoption of colgle House still a couple of weeks.” lege funding, she shows evidence said. of ongoing conCon- RESIDENTIAL struction. Fencstructing KD es and work site OPERATIONS DIRECTOR and renovating materials will be WOODY ECKELS Triangle House removed in the took approxicoming weeks mately a year and extensive w i t h g ro u n d landscaping will begin on Wednes- breaking in September and Octoday, he said. ber of 2013, respectively. “It will be a pretty quick changeKD president Bay Lauris Byrnover of what you see today and what eSim ’15 wrote in a statement to you’ll see in a couple of weeks,” he The Dartmouth that the sorority is said. excited to have a physical plant. The Members of Panarchy and the house will allow them to hold more Hanover Fire Department met last campus-wide events, and members week to review a plan that the mem- will not have to rely on common bers and a separate architect had areas for things such as recruitment, developed for work on the house, she noted. Eckels said. Akash Kar ’16, a co-chair of He said he was not sure if the de- IvyQ , which will host an IvyQ partment had reviewed the proposal conference this fall, said the house but said that the level of proposed is an “incredible asset” for Dartwork may prohibit an early opening. mouth and represents a safe place Work will likely not begin until the for everyone, regardless of sexual end of August, he said. This delay, orientation. He added that, to his he said, would prevent students from knowledge, many of the rooms in living there. As a result, the members the affinity house had already been of the group slated to live in Panarchy filled. in the fall have been contacted by “It’s beautiful housing, it’s close to residential life and encouraged to the gym, it’s a pretty exciting place apply for other housing options, he to live,” he said. FROM CONSTRUCTION PAGE 1
JOSH RENAUD/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
The Triangle House, photographed late last April, will house LGBTQ students and allies.
on#August#5th# from#4/5pm##
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THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
DARTMOUTH EVENTS TODAY 10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Exhibition, “A T. Rex Named Sue,” Montshire Museum of Science, Norwich
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lecture, “A History of Black-Jewish Relations and Why it Matters,” with Cheryl Greenberg of Trinity College, Carson L01
12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m. Lunch presentation, “New York Theatre Workshop: Meet the Artists,” Hopkins Center Bentley Theater
TOMORROW 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Lecture, “Dilemmas of a Jewish and Democratic Israel,” with Ilan Troen, Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center
3:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Hanover Farmers Market, The Green
7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. Trivia night, Hood Museum of Art, Kim gallery
ADVERTISING For advertising information, please call (603) 646-2600 or email info@thedartmouth. com. The advertising deadline is noon, two days before publication. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Opinions expressed in advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of The Dartmouth, Inc. or its officers, employees and agents. The Dartmouth, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation chartered in the state of New Hampshire. USPS 148-540 ISSN 01999931
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
PAGE 7
Braff ’s ‘Wish I Was Here’ entertains with heartfelt angst
B y Andrew kingsley The Dartmouth Staff
Most of you know Zach Braff as the goofy, daydreaming doctor from “Scrubs,” capable of transitioning from playing the eagle-playing goof to a teary-eyed sentimentalist in a heartbeat. He brought this sad clown effect to Andrew Largeman, the despondent lead character of his 2004 self-directed indie hit “Garden State.” His second feature “Wish I Was Here” (2014) — which he directed as well as stars in — exists in the same angsty universe, enlivened only by its own dark humor and bizarre coterie of characters. Braff plays struggling actor Aidan Bloom who is drawn and quartered by the horses of a personal apocalypse. After hearing the news of his father Gabe’s (Mandy Patinkin) metastasized cancer, Brown must care for Kugel, Gabe’s un-housebroken dog, and homeschool his children, since his
father’s money is now going toward paying for an aggressive cancer treatment. All this is ladled atop a strained marriage, a failing acting career and tense relationship with his deadbeat brother Noah (Josh Gad). So things could be better. Aidan spends most of the film adrift in a storm-tossed sea of frustration and existential bemoaning, trying to lemonade life’s lemons while waving his fists in the air, cursing God’s mysterious ways. It doesn’t help that the soundtrack is comprised mostly of Bon Iver-esque songs, which amp up the malaise. I can condense Aidan’s complaints into two words: Why me? Perhaps because he thinks life owes him something. Glutted on American Dream propaganda, Aidan cannot swallow a dose of reality, refusing to jump from the sinking ship of his acting pursuits. It’s like that feeling when you know you’re wrong, but you just can’t give anyone the satisfaction
of being right. Despite his wife’s pleas and repeated chastising from his dying father, Aidan maintains a faith in life’s beneficence. This
“But like a ‘The Seventh Seal’ with a sense of humor, the film finds pleasure amid life’s senselessness, as if existence was in on itself.” is the life raft that carries him to shore in the end. But like a “The Seventh Seal” (1957) with a sense of humor, the film finds pleasure amid life’s senselessness, as if existence was in on itself. The film opens with a pasty Aidan seated among an
anxious row of black men auditioning for a television role. His cadaverous rabbi crashes a Segway through a hospital. A pamphlet rack claiming to save your life is empty of its pamphlets. To quote Aidan, it’s “beautiful in a bizarre way.” At some point you just have to laugh at it all, and loosen the release valve on life’s pressure cooker. Aidan faces a choice. He could laugh in defeat at the cruel joke he calls his life, or he could achieve greatness by restructuring his life from the rubble. Should he be the woeful Woody Allen nebbish or the Buster Keaton indomitable hero? He chooses the latter. As his father’s wax burns its final dregs, so too could Aidan’s flame of hope extinguish from repeated blows. But there’s a valiance to Aidan that’s infinitely sympathetic, an undying belief not in a higher power, but in himself. When he looks up into the sky, he doesn’t see a heaven, but the promise that
life can create beauty for him. Comedian Bo Burnham once said, “Maybe life on Earth could be heaven. Doesn’t just the thought of it make it worth a try?” Aidan seems to discover this by his father’s death at the end. Instead of looking up for the answers or in some self-help pamphlet, he sets his eyes on what he himself can change. When he stops waving his fists, everything starts turning around for Aidan and his family. While you could accuse this film of existential excess and fortunecookie-inspired musings, Braff ’s ability to confront life’s biggest questions in a funny, heartfelt and fresh manner is highly commendable. The film will certainly give you a restored hope in life’s possibilities and brighten your flame a bit. Rating: 8.1/10 “Wish I Was Here” is playing daily at the Nugget at 1:30 p.m., 4:00 p.m., 6:40 p.m. and 8:50 p.m.
Sophomore auditions for New York production of ‘Carmen’
Glee Club and the Rockapellas, Composto said she decided to Jordana Composto ’16 rushed audition for the production when into her audition, slightly late. She she met an alumnus involved in the was suffering from a bout of laryn- company while working at reunions gitis, and as she heard the voices of in June. her competitors, she grew even more Composto got involved in music nervous.She had a shot at her dream: when she was 5. performing for the Amore Op- “I loved listening to the church era Company’s choir, but there production of a chil“I’ve been training for wasn’t Georges Bizet’s dren’s choir,” world-famous years to be in opera, Composto said. o p e r a “ C a r- and while I don’t want “So I begged the men.” music director, In a black to be a professional and she startlace dress she singer, I feel like I’ve ed a children’s walked into the choir.” been working hard audition room. F r o m Five people — towards this goal.” then on, Comt h e d i re c t o r, posto was fully producers and immersed in the company man- - Jordana composto ’16 music world. ager — sat beShe began prifore her, stoic. vate voice lesThey asked for her resume and sons in seventh grade, and joined the headshot. Pennsylvania Girlchoir which draws “Alright, sing,” one said, and she its members from Pennsylvania and did — “Voi Che Sapete” from Mo- New Jersey. Composto began to sing zart’s opera “Le Nozze di Figaro,” opera solos in 10th grade. one of her favorite arias. Composto said that her love of “It was disconcerting because music has played an important role they wouldn’t make eye contact,” in her time at Dartmouth. She opted Composto said. “They were kind of to take Italian classes because the looking at me but not really looking opera pieces that she often sings are at me. I felt like I was working hard written in Italian and she wanted to to really reach them.” understand exactly what she sings. After inquiring about her sched- She has also taken private singing ule, they dismissed her with a “thank classes with Louis Burkot, director you.” of Dartmouth’s Glee Club and a Since that July audition, Com- senior lecturer in the music departposto has not yet heard back from ment, whom she described as having the company. an incredible ear. A member of the Dartmouth Studying abroad in London
B y ANNIE SMITH
through the music foreign study program also influenced her decision to audition. She said she learned about the differences between pieces of music and performances of music. Music professor Sally Pinkas taught Composto in London on the FSP. “I was very intimately involved with all of them, both intellectually and hands on as performers,” she said. “Jordana is extremely talented and quite advanced as a vocalist, which is not something you usually get with a girl of her age.” Composto has done a good job leading by example, fellow Rockapella Meredith Shaw ’15 said, by
being hard-working and having a positive, fun energy in rehearsals. “She has such a breadth of ability in terms of musicality, she can sing both opera and a capella which, for a musician, is really impressive,” Shaw said. Beyond her involvement in music at the College, Composto said wanted to challenge herself by auditioning for “Carmen,” but she doesn’t want to pursue music as a career. “I have great resources here, but I think that the thing is for singing and for music, you have to look to the resources in the Dartmouth
network and beyond,” Composto said. Many people told Composto they were surprised that she took such a big step in auditioning for a New York opera company, though Composto said she saw it as a logical step. “I’ve been training for years to be in opera, and while I don’t want to be a professional singer, I feel like I’ve been working really hard towards this goal,” Composto said. “It is something that I really want to do, and if it’s something I want to do, it doesn’t feel like such a huge step.”
Courtesy of Jordana Composto
Composto auditioned in July for a New York production of the world-famous opera “Carmen.”
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS
PAGE 8
SPORTS
TUESDAY, AUGUST 5, 2014
TUESDAY LINEUP
No athletic events scheduled
Shannon Doepking tapped to lead softball
B y KAtie Jarrett The Dartmouth Staff
RIDING THE PINE Masters is over. We lost our voices and our innocence somewhere in the crowded basement. Our best is now behind us. We have been blacklisted by EBAs for placing too many prank calls. Despite our ideas for 14X photo album titles that are undoubtedly better than “14Xtravaganza,” we have both been too scared to upload a single picture to Facebook this term. Ever since “the man” shut down Panarchy, our sophomore summers have been ruined. The only thing we have going for us is that Hank is off in the fall and Fish is off in the winter, God’s gentle way of lifting the burden of Riding the Pine from our tired shoulders and our weary brains. Since this is the antepenultimate Riding the Pine, our readers may be deceived into believing that we’re going to be throwing our 95 mph fastballs from here on in. Those readers are woefully misinformed. Anyone who thinks we are good at finishing the job was not watching Hank at Masters. Of course, we are going to bring the heat for our swan song, but there may be some filler between now and then (sorry editor-in-chief Lindsay Ellis). Speaking of filler, did anyone see the Giants play the Bills on Sunday? This week, in honor of the first NFL action of the preseason, Riding the Pine provides you with a sleeper and a bust for the upcoming fantasy football season. ESPN, our biggest media rival, ranks Jay Cutler as the 15th best quarterback for fantasy football entering the season. When the boys at RTP saw this ranking, they cackled with joy at the humiliating error of their competitor. The Bears have an absolutely explosive offense with standout running back Matt Forte, superstar wideout Brandon Marshall and 2013 NFL Most Improved
WITH JOE CLYNE AND HENRY ARNDT
Player and Pro Bowler Alshon Jeffery. Any quarterback manning the helm of such a talented roster would merit consideration, but our man Jay Cutler goes above and beyond. There may be gunslingers who are traditionally more appealing. There are none who are traditionally more attractive (except for maybe Tom Brady). You can question Jay’s toughness. You can question Jay’s mental acuity. You can question Jay’s desire to persevere through difficult conditions. You cannot question our knowledge of fantasy football and you cannot question how chill Jay “Lakhanpal ’16” Cutler is. That being said, Cutler has played a 16-game season only once out of his five in Chicago, and we wouldn’t be shocked if he went out with an injury early on, forcing you to pick up our boy Johnny Manziel off the waiver wire. Jay or the Money Team? In our business, that’s known as a win-win. Some poor excuses for fantasy football pundits may look at running back Marshawn Lynch, riding the wake of a dominating Super Bowl victory, and scream Buy! Buy! Buy! Hank and Fish are sitting here screaming Sell! Sell! Sell! While we will be the first to admit that there are a lot of things we like about Lynch (“Beast Mode,” the Skittles, the fact that he didn’t know Buffalo was not in New York City when he was drafted), we are victims to a paralyzing fantasy football premonition that steers us from the aging Seattle workhorse. Marshawn Lynch earned his nickname “Beast Mode” for his physical and unrelenting play. During his prime, that’s exactly the kind of running back you want on your fantasy squad. However, Lynch has been overworked for the past few years and is headed for a massive reduction in work in 2014, due simply to the
nature of the position. The fall of a workhorse running back is often unexpected and always dramatic. The chance of injury may be an even more pressing concern, especially with moronic head coach Pete Carroll pulling the strings. If Carroll can pull his head out of the dirt long enough to call the plays, he’ll probably be demanding halfback dives all game, putting Lynch directly in harm’s way. Carroll exudes a beach bum surfer mentality that repulses your boys at Riding the Pine. Perhaps it is true hatred, perhaps it is simply envy. Either way we wouldn’t trust him with the fate of our used Honda Civic, let alone our number one fantasy running back. Our heads are literally exploding with fantasy football knowledge. You may be wondering why we limited our dialogue to the two fairly innocuous topics of Jay and Marshawn. It takes every fiber of our being to prevent ourselves from revealing the inner machinations of the minds of fantasy football savants. However, we need some way to stay above the groveling masses, snapping at our heels, closer and closer each season. In a magnanimous yet supercilious way of thanking our adoring fans, we have decided to breach the barrier between columnist and civilian. We would like to invite our readers to compete against us in a fantasy football league. We need eight competitors to join us, but we will not simply take the first eight to respond. We will take the eight best among you, fairness be damned. Blitz either of us with “RTP” in the subject line if you’re trying to enter. We’re being 100 percent serious. If anyone beats both bloggers in this battle of brains, you’ll be immortalized in print. Yes, you can participate, “Old Man McNulty.” Valar morghulis.
Shannon Doepking will lead the Ivy League-winning softball program, Dartmouth announced on Monday afternoon. Doepking, coming from Amherst College, will replace Rachel Hanson who is leaving the Big Green for Stanford University. Amherst held a 21-11 record (6-6 NESCAC) with Doepking at the helm. Before Amherst, Doepking served as an assistant coach at Stony Brook University, Fairleigh Dickinson University and Brentwood Academy. During her time at Stony Brook, Doepking helped lead the team to one of the best records in program history. Doepking also saw success at FDU, improving team statistics in earned-run average and batting averages, according to a Dartmouth Athletics release. Following her college career at the University of Tennessee, Doepking played professional softball for five seasons. The Akron Racers selected her as the 15th pick in the 2008 National Professional Fastpitch league draft. She also played for the USSSA Pride, the Tennessee Diamonds and the Chicago Bandits. “When it came down to it, she had the pedigree, and she’s a young coach,” assistant director of varsity athletics communications at the College Nick Guerriero said. “She can keep the tradition going.” Hanson won the Ivy League Championship Series with Dartmouth this past spring, capping off a sparkling four-year run that saw the team become an Ivy League powerhouse. Infielder Alyssa Jorgensen ’17 said the team enjoyed working with Hanson and is sad to see her leave but is proud of her. The Big Green’s successful season last year gave the program much more attention, so it was not a surprise that Hanson moved to a power conference, she said. Guerriero said that the College began looking for Hanson’s replacement the day she announced she was leaving. Players on campus met with the two final candidates
for the position. Outfielder Brianna Lohman ’16 said getting to interview the candidates for the position helped the team feel “in the loop.” With Doepking, players discussed her coaching style and how the Dartmouth team functions. “One of the things that she was very adamant about is that she’s not going to try to fix something that’s not broken,” Lohman said. “Right now our program is on the rise, and she was very complimentary of our program and the positive impact our last coach has had on the program.” Players off campus sent in questions, and the team compiled a list to ask each candidate, catcher Kathy Dzienkowski ’16 said. From their meeting with Doepking, Dzienkowski said it was clear that she shared the team’s core values. “Every one of her answers impressed me, and I knew that she would be a great fit for Dartmouth softball,” Dzienkowski said. When meeting with players, Doepking emphasized the importance of accountability for a winning ballclub, shortstop Katie McEachern ’16 said. That really stood out because this is one of the words that our team really strives to be and what we are as a team, she said. Doepking’s experience playing professional softball while also coaching could bring a unique quality to her coaching, Lohman said. Doepking’s experiences competing with the best players in the nation at the highest level will allow her to help the Big Green to accomplish its goals and reach an even higher level, Dzienkowski said. “[Doepking] knows that we are very competitive, work hard and want to win,” Jorgensen said. McEachern said players look forward to another championship. The team, she said, believes that Doepking will get them there. “She really seems like a coach who is going to keep pushing us even though we have gotten to that championship level, but she will keep pushing further to make us better,” McEachern said.