VOL. CLXXII NO. 106
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
U.S.News rankings provide some insight By Emilia baldwin The Dartmouth Staff
In the lead-up to the annual U.S. News and World Report rankings, interim dean of admissions and financial aid Paul Sunde said he hopes that the policy initiatives of “Moving Dartmouth Forward” will be recognized in the rankings.
DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION
The College is tied with Northwester n University for the 12th best national university in the 2016 U.S. News list. Last year, the College was ranked the 11th best national university on the U.S. News List, falling out of its previous spot in the top 10 universities. Each year, U.S. News SEE RANKINGS PAGE 17
KATIE MCKAY/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Students on Dartmouth Outing Club’s First-Year Trips Section I dance upon their campus return.
VANNY NGUYEN/THE DARTMOUTH
Students petition for better kosher options B y ERIN LEE
The Dartmouth Staff
Orthodox Jewish students Eliza Ezrapour ’18, Matthew Goldstein ’18, Cameron Isen ’18 and Mayer Schein ’16 are circulating a petition asking the College to provide the kosher kitchen with an Orthodox certification.
This is a stricter standard than the kitchen’s current certification from a service called Tablet K. The petition had 623 signatures as of press time. Isen said he was unable to eat on campus last year without feeling guilty because the kosher food served at the Pavilion secSEE PETITION PAGE 15
Tailored first-year mentorship programs offer support B y LAUREN BUDD
backgrounds
The Dartmouth Staff
First-Year Student Enrichment Program The First-Year Student Enrichment Program is specific to first-generation students. This year, FYSEP has 56 members of the Class of 2019 participating and 26 upperclassmen mentors, FYSEP
As members of the Class of 2019 flock to campus, several specialized peer mentoring groups have been preparing for their arrival, whether it be evaluating best practices or recruiting new mentors. These groups offer services tailored to different student needs and
SEE MENTORING PAGE 11
MIRROR
10 MISTAKES TO AVOID MAKING THIS FALL PAGE M2
19 WAYS TO SPOT A ’19 PAGE M3
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ORIENTATION 2015
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AROUND THE IVIES Brown University – The University has accepted all recommendations from the Alcohol and Social Event Review committee intended to discourage underage drinking and increase supervision at events both with and without alcohol, with many already being implemented, The Brown Daily Herald reported. The 18-person committee was formed after several alcohol-related incidents last fall, including the alleged use of date-rape drugs. Some of these measures include banning social events with alcohol from residential spaces, including Greek houses. Columbia University – The University has introduced a new policy on sexual assault that includes modifications to the appeals process and clarifications for existing procedures, The Columbia Spectator reported. Changes included expanding the appeals panel and requiring students suspended or expelled for cases of sexual assault to receive permanent notations on their transcripts. Students also now have the ability to file written statements if they feel any member of the appeals panel held a conflict of interest with the case, and deans must now receive at least one annual training on the adjudication and appeals process. Cornell University – At a meeting last week, the Ithaca Common Council approved Plan Ithaca, a blueprint for the city’s development, the Cornell Daily Sun reported. The Council said that local and global changes have caused the need for a new comprehensive plan. Many said they want to continue to maintain Ithaca’s small-town, neighborly feel. Harvard University – Camp Harvard, the annual student welcome event held in the fall, featured marshmallow roasting over a fire pit, resident deans being plunged into a dunk tank and a mechanical bull, The Harvard Crimson reported. Camp Harvard is not limited to freshmen, and students from all class years participated in the event. Princeton University – After an independent review last month alleged that he collaborated with the Department of Defense to enable torture, Stepehn Behnke, an alumus of the University’s Class of 1982, was removed from his position as the ethics director of the American Psychological Association. He will retain his position as a part-time instructor in Harvard Medical School’s department of psychiatry. University of Pennsylvania – More than 930 students are currently signed up to participate in the Penn Newman Center’s walk to St. Agatha-St. James Church in anticipation of Pope Francis’ visit to Philadelphia, The Daily Pennsylvanian reported. The visit has prompted an “unprecedented” participation from both Catholic and non-Catholic students, and other events will include volunteering at the World Meeting of Families and a “Pope-fest” party in collaboration with Drexel University.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
Rebecca Biron appointed Dean B y PRIYA RAMAIAH The Dartmouth Staff
A version of this article originally appeared in the June 26, 2015 issue of The Dartmouth. After a year-long search, Spanish and comparative literature professor Rebecca Biron was appointed Dean of the College in June, filling the role left vacant by former dean Charlotte Johnson. Biron assumed the role on July 1, 2015. In the position, Biron will oversee new residential communities and the professors directing them. She will also work on issues of student inclusivity and diversity in addition to providing leadership in admissions and financial aid strategic planning, the College announced. A faculty member since 2006, Biron previously served as associate master of Pearson Residential College at the University of Miami, living in a residence hall where she worked on programming, leadership and student advising. Over the next year, she will work with the six house professors selected in May to plan the new residential community program. Changes to the Dean of the College position announced in April dictated that the next dean would be a tenured faculty member. Reorganization of the division has focused the role more on the direction of academics at the College, including integrating academics into student life beyond curricular learning. Biron’s appointment as Dean of the College is for a four-year term. She is continuing to teach while assuming her role as dean. Former interim Dean of the College Inge-Lise Ameer assumed a new appointment as vice provost
for student affairs on July 1. Ameer was selected for the newly created position in April. Though her goals are “pretty general,” Biron said, they align with the organizational change in the Dean of the College role. “My main goal is just to be an effective liaison between academics and student life,” she said.
“In an ideal universe, what we want Dartmouth students to have is a transformative experience that prepares them for lifelong learning and leadership. A baseline requirement for that is intergroup, inter-cultural communication skills and learning how to really activate respect across social differences,” - DEAN OF THE COLLEGE REBECCA BIRON Biron said that she believes that the Dean of the College division has always been strong, but that the restructuring of the dean’s role allows for a clearer focus. The dean’s role prior to this restructuring was “getting far too big and unwieldy
for one person to do,” she said. Biron also emphasized that having a faculty member serve as dean is “radically important for keeping the educational mission of the College front and center in every aspect of student life.” Her experience at the University of Miami showed her that residential college systems allow the entire institution to benefit from the knowledge that students bring with them that may not be directly related to classroom learning, she said. “A house system allows us to take advantage of what the students bring to the community,” she said. “And to think of all of us together as a learning community will end up providing a rich resource for everyone.” Biron added that she hopes to work with the new house professors to “enhance” the plans that they already have. She also added that she hopes to “keep an experimental attitude in the forefront” of the implementation of the residential system. “This is a community effort, and everybody is going to get to participate,” she said. Biron stressed that there are already existing opportunities for “co-curricular learning,” such as the Dartmouth Outing Club, various service and leadership programs and the Greek system. She said that her work will consist of determining how to bring these existing outlets into a more productive coexistence. “In an ideal universe, what we want Dartmouth students to have is a transformative experience that prepares them for lifelong learnSEE BIRON PAGE 16
Yale University – The Yale Police Department is continuing its investigations into several thefts that targeted students on campus for the Yale Summer Session during June and August, The Yale Daily News reported. The stolen items included students’ personal electronic devices left in unlocked rooms, and although one arrest has been made and several of the items have been recovered, the assistant chief of the police department has said that more arrests are expected soon. — Compiled by Luke McCann
Corrections We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
COURTESY OF LARS BLACKMORE
Rebecca Biron, a comparative literature and Spanish professor, hopes to emphasize community as Dean of the College.
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
contributing Columnist julia ceraolo ’15
SENIOR STAFF COLUMNIST EMILY ALBRECHT ’16
In Defense of Academia
The Cobbler’s Children
Pre-professional or skills-based courses are not enough. When I caught wind of the recent conflict dividing faculty members of the College’s English department, I was inclined to liken its essence to that of the ongoing debate between critics and champions of liberal arts philosophy. My general understanding of the conflict is that various instructors in creative writing, a sub-category of the English department, feel that their interests are not getting enough attention, and that too much of departmental focus goes to traditional courses. Well, many of these instructors also lack the intensely and strictly academic background of the professors who teach more traditional courses. This debate reveals a fundamental difference in opinion about the purpose of college. I’m an English major and a ’15. If I have any advice for the College’s freshmen this year, it is to resist the temptation to focus too heavily on the Creative Writing(s) of all the departments on campus. This is a liberal arts school, arguably one of the best in the world — it has academia at its core. Embrace it. While it’s certainly wise to consider different pragmatic plans for career stability after graduation, like a career in creative writing, or to learn skills such as writing more directly, it’s also foolhardy to forgo the resources that liberal arts academia has to offer. No one is going to stop you from writing the Great American Novel after you graduate. Why not take a step back and realize that a concentration in the history of the subject that most interests you might give you a fuller picture of the specific material you’ll later want to write about? A liberal arts education forces you to take more voices and historical perspectives into account before narcissism can leap to the fore. Yes, you must practice what you want to do to be good at it, but all the best fiction writers — and for that matter, philosophers, journalists, entrepreneurs and other serious game-changers — first spent a lot of time simply reading, and talking about what they read to people who are more experienced. Whenever you write an essay for a professor, it’s a way of engaging with that professor. It’s a heightened version of any thoughtful conversation you may have with them. Take advantage of this.
To be clear, I have nothing against the creative writing classes on campus; on the contrary, I thoroughly enjoyed those that I took. But unlike all of those internet think-pieces calling for clearer paths from college to career, I believe that often what is ostensibly a clear path in college quickly becomes a haphazard one after graduation. No amount of creative writing course election either as an undergraduate student or in a Master of Fine Arts program is going to guarantee you a seat in the literary community or your name on a shelf in Barnes and Noble. At least with a broader focus on all the writers that came before you, you can gain other skills that will put you in proximity with the literary world without depending entirely on its whims for survival. I think it’s both healthy and useful to be, at certain times in life, more interested in other people’s writing than in your own. This is how great editors and publishing houses and literary agencies are born. But it’s also how people in other professions become professional: in dealing with professors, discussing ideas that someone else had, you will be relieved to find that the class isn’t all about you, or the grade you will earn from it. It’s about being exposed to the subject in a deep way, and what’s more, learning from the professor as a human being who has different habits of thinking than you do. This translates to other academic disciplines where there is a temptation to take courses that seem to more directly translate to any particular career path as well. Resist that temptation. Even as our culture becomes more narcissistic, our parents and politicians become more skeptical about our ability to benefit from liberal arts education. There is a pervasive sense of needing to get down to business, quit taking selfies and wasting time on Facebook and settle into a streamlined approach to future careers. The irony is that liberal arts is the enemy of narcissism: it helps people see the big picture. It opens doors — both psychological and professional — to people who would otherwise be paralyzed by their own personal projects and career preparation. In this way, liberal arts may be more essential than ever as a component of today’s education.
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We must remember that we are not exempt from wellness advice. There is an old English saying which velopment website or by talking to a dean states that “the cobbler’s children have no or undergraduate advisor. Yet, so many of shoes.” Though the exact language of this these same kind and compassionate Dartsaying and its definitions vary, it refers to mouth students neglect to see symptoms when a professional or otherwise compe- of unwellness in themselves and their lives tent individual is — I know I have cerso focused on work tainly struggled with “So many of the people that they do not my health I have encountered here taking apply their skills seriously in the past, are incredibly kind and to their personal and still sometimes compassionate. We see lives — another do to this day. When smyptoms of unwellness I look at myself and example being say, in our friends and we a professional chef talk to my friends, who forgets to feed or really look at worry about them, we her family. But as ask them to seek help or my classmates and I understand it, offer it ourselves, we do campus in general, the basic truth in everything in our power I see so clearly that this saying is that is this toxto make them understand there people often forget ic, underlying and that their personal to apply their perpersistent idea that health is of the utmost spective and judghealth problems are importance.” ments of others’ real and they are lives and situations important, but only to those belonging for other people — to their own families, friends and even never yourself. themselves. To incoming first-years, and to all Dart This same sentiment can easily be mouth students, know that you are not an adapted to Dartmouth — “Health and exception to the rules of wellness. No one wellness are crucial, but only for other can sustain themselves on three hours of people.” Over my three years at the Col- sleep a night, regularly engage in high-risk lege, I have found that as students, many drinking, control a substance addiction, of us succumb at least in part to this manage disordered eating patterns or any phenomenon, constantly and consistently other unfortunately normalized behavior refusing to acknowledge personal issues and still be a healthy, functioning adult. regarding our own mental, emotional and Panic or anxiety attacks and symptoms of physical well-being. depression are not situations to be ignored So many of the people I have en- or shrugged off, no matter your situation. countered here are All of these behavincredibly kind iors are not just “To incoming first-years, part and parcel of and compassionate. and to all Dartmouth We see symptoms a Dartmouth eduof unwellness in students, know that you cation — no, not our friends and even routine sleep are not an exception to we wor r y a bout deprivation or conthe rules of wellness. them, we ask them stant anxiety. We all No one can sustain to seek help or ofowe it to ourselves themselves on three fer it ourselves, we to recognize these hours of sleep a night, do everything in behaviors and signs regularly engage in high- in ourselves and to our power to make risk drinking, control them understand take them seriousa substance addiction, that their personal ly. No matter how health is of the manage disordered eating strong, smart, talutmost importance. ented or otherwise patterns or any other For example, stuunfortunately normalized capable you are, dents over at least nobody can handle behavior and still be the past three years issues of personal a healthy, functioning have been fighting health alone — and adult.” to make personal nobody has to. Yet health a priority while talking about of the College, to decrease stigma and it with your friends and loved ones is necincrease awareness. We have the “Dart- essary, it is not sufficient for true healing. mouth on Purpose” student group and Frankly, many of these issues are above Student Assembly’s “I’m Here For You” the paygrade of a friend or loved one’s job campaign. Though Dick’s House myriad description. It is not a sign of weakness to problems have been well-documented seek counseling for anything happening in in this newspaper’s opinion section, the your life, and to confide in those you trust College has an array of support groups, that maybe, you are not going through as well as counseling, psychiatric and well- the best of times. No matter who you are, ness services available to all students — all what you have been through or where you of which you can learn about through are going, please remember this piece of Dartmouth’s Counseling and Human De- truth — it is okay to not be okay.
ORIENTATION 2015
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
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The DARTMOUTH OPINION STAFF
Opinion Asks
If you could redo your first term at the College, what would you want your freshman self to know? While this doesn’t apply to everyone, I think in my case, I don’t wish I knew anything more than I did. For me, the process of discovery of the amazing world available to me at Dartmouth has made me who I am, with revelations of holes in my knowledge and understanding individual discovery spurring me to learn more and develop into a better person. After three years here, I have a greater appreciation of everything in life than I could have ever possibly hoped for before. My only regret is that because this process has taken my three full years, I only have one year left to fully appreciate everything — so I’ll make the best of it that I can and encourage everyone else to do the same. — Will Alston ’16 When I first entered college, I had a very a clear idea of what I wanted to do and who I wanted to become — a trend that I have noticed affects most incoming first-year students. This makes sense considering the College tends to attract a particular type of student, namely the ambitious and forwardlooking kind. These are great qualities to have, but they can also lead people — like myself — to ignore their instincts, their interests and their passions in favor of a contrived image of the perfect Dartmouth student. This means enrolling in all the “right” classes, participating in all the
“right” extracurricular or social activities and engaging in the College’s social scene in the “right” way. As I have discovered since my first year, though, there is no “right” way to be a Dartmouth student — there is only your way. Take the time to explore who you are, and take the courses that interest you during your journey. Involve yourself in the extracurriculars that you enjoy and choose a major you love — not the one that promises the quickest post-graduation employment. Take part in the College’s social scene at your own pace, or even not at all. And, perhaps most importantly, surround yourself with people who make you feel happy and supported. Keep in mind that just because this is a new place with new people, no one is entitled to your time, to your kindness, to you. You have only have four years here, so use them in the way that feels right to you. — Nicole Simineri ’17 I would want my freshman self to take advantage of all resources offered by the College for academic success. As an incoming student, you likely did very well in high school. You will probably do very well in college, too, but you shouldn’t assume that what worked for you before will continue to do so. More often than not, you will find yourself challenged by your classes. That’s a good thing. So, go to office hours, meet
with the teaching assistant, go to the Academic Skills Center, get a tutor, ask your classmates to study together. Cramming the night before may not work as well as it did in high school, so stay on top of your classes before a big midterm hits. Finally, go to class. Seriously, that’s why we are in college. — Reem Chamseddine ’17 If I could go back to last September, I would tell myself not to pick insanely hard classes. I was used to taking the most difficult classes, and when I entered Dartmouth, knowing its reputation for incredible professors, I tried to challenge myself with three difficult classes. That was a mistake — though I ended up doing alright, I struggled a lot in the beginning of the term, spent the second half trying to catch up and didn’t get to do a lot of other things I wanted to. It’s important to take classes that force you to challenge yourself, but it’s also so important to leave time to enjoy the whole experience. Freshman fall especially is such a scary term, with leaving home and being immersed in a completely new environment, and I wish I had taken classes that would have made the transition slightly easier. We’re only given four short years at Dartmouth — though we’re here to learn, our most lasting and cherished memories can only be made outside of the classroom.
— Ziqin Yuan ’18 You’re in college now, and things will change. That includes classes and social life, but also campus clubs and activities. Before I arrived to campus, I had it all mapped out — what programs I would apply for during my freshmen year, what clubs I wanted to join, what activities I wanted to do. I was eager for all the opportunities. You will find, however, that other activities and various courses come to you, and you shouldn’t be afraid to give up a path that you were so set on. A good piece of advice would be to pick activities according to the rule of three — one activity that you already have experience in, one activity that totally excites you and one activity that you absolutely have no clue about but sounds outrageously cool. You’ll find that by the end of your first term, you would have narrowed it down to one, perhaps two, which you can continue on with for the rest of the year. It’s important to have an activity that you’re already comfortable because it provides you with a sense of security and self-esteem in perhaps what will be one of the most overwhelming terms you’ll have at Dartmouth. But it’s just as important to reinvent yourself. Branch out — you may find that green thumb or athlete inside of you that you never knew existed. — Annika Park ’18
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ORIENTATION 2015
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
INTERVIEW: College President Phil Hanlon B y JESSICA AVITABILE The Dartmouth Senior Staff
Compared to your time at the College as a student, what would you say are the most important things that have changed and the things that have stayed the same? PH: Without a doubt the biggest change that hit me when I came back is the student body. It’s really a much richer, more robust feel to campus. There’s a lot of international students, students from geographically all over the U.S., very diverse in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, since I was here as a student. Things that are the same — the things that make the heart and soul of Dartmouth are the very strong community, and I think it’s a community that’s really built around its core intellectual engagements, and that really begins with the faculty who today are as deeply committed to the undergraduate experience and intellectual growth of undergraduates as when I was here, so the community part really built about intellectual engagement is one thing that’s the same. Com-
mitment to liberal arts — Dartmouth remains strong in its belief that the kind of broad knowledge and general intellectual skills that come with a liberal arts education are exactly the right training for our graduates to go out in this increasingly complex world. Sense of place, of course — Dartmouth is in a very special place, very special setting. If you look at the top 50 universities, no one is in a setting as special as this, and so the setting and continued connection of the community to the wonderful north woods is the same as when I was a student. And lastly I think the kind of adventuresome spirit that goes with Dartmouth, and it was here when I was a student and I think it’s what leads them to be so overrepresented in leadership positions in many sectors of the world. The ’19s are the first class to enter Dartmouth under all of the new MDF policies and initiatives. What do you hope the College will look like by the time they graduate? PH: The “Moving Dartmouth Forward” objective is really to significantly reduce and come as
close as possible to eliminating extreme harmful behaviors, which includes high-risk drinking, sexual assault and violence, any kinds of acts of bias or exclusivity, so what I hope is that we will have a campus where we accomplish that, we have a much safer environment for students and much greater new intellectual engagements both outside the classroom and inside the classroom. The hard alcohol ban — how would you characterize the general reaction to this policy change both on campus and at large? Is it what you had anticipated? Do you think the student perception of the ban has changed since it was first announced? PH: It’s hard for me to gauge what’s going on in people’s minds as they perceive things, but what I’m very interested in though is tracing the that we follow about harmful behaviors over a period of years, and it’s not specific to the alcohol ban, it’s specific to the whole package of things that the steering committee recommended and we implemented last January.
These are things like following the various metrics we track on highrisk drinking like encounters with [Safety and Security or Hanover Police] that involve alcohol, medical transport numbers, medical transports with high blood-alcohol content, and for sexual assault we have the health survey which also has indicators of drug use and high-risk drinking, and we also did the AAU climate survey, and the results of that should be released soon, so what I’m really interested in is tracking these metrics over time and seeing if they hopefully go in the right direction, because that’s what the program is about. There seems to be disagreement on campus about how to define the term “academic rigor,” as well as what policies should be instituted— particularly regarding grade deflation, eliminating the non-recording option and earlier class times. Can you describe your vision for academic rigor and how any of these proposed policies might fit in with that? PH: So you hit on one of the most
important points and that’s that there’s more than one meaning when I use that term “academic rigor,” and really what I mean is quality of intellectual engagement. So I’m talking about a quality of intellectual engagement where students, in partnership with their peers and faculty, are really having to stretch their minds and be creative to synthesize and think deeply about things. It’s not about amount of work, it’s about quality of engagement. And so the example that I’ve used of a low-rigor course is one where it’s just pure lecture and it’s just a lot of information that students need to memorize and replicate on tests — that’s a low-rigor experience. A very highrigor experience is one like a theater course where the actual activity the students have to do for the course is to read a play, understand the message of the play and determine how they would act it out so as to communicate that message to their audience, and it’s a much more sophisticated level of thinking and intellectual engagement, so when I use the term “rigor” I’m talking SEE HANLON PAGE 14
Hillel High Holiday Services for 5776 Friday Sept 11
6:00 pm 7:00 pm
Shabbat Service Shabbat Dinner
Roth Center Roth Center
Sunday Sept 13
5:30 pm 7:00 pm 7:00 pm
Hillel Dinner Erev Rosh Hashanah Service Egalitarian Service
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Monday Sept 14 Monday Sept 14 Monday Sept 14
8:30 am 10:00 am 5:00 pm
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Rosh Hashanah – 2nd Day Service
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Friday Sept 18
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Shabbat Service Shabbat Dinner
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Pre-Fast Dinner Musical Prelude to Kol Nidre Service Yom Kippur Kol Nidre Service
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Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday
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Yom Kippur Shacharit / Yizkor Service Yom Kippur Reform Service Study Session Yom Kippur Mincha Service Egalitarian Service Yom Kippur Neilah Service Break the Fast*
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*Neilah will end at Rollins at approximately 7:45 pm on September 23. There will be a small Break Fast at Rollins immediately following Neilah. Dartmouth Hillel will be hosting a Break Fast meal at 7:45 pm at Roth. If you plan on attending the Hillel Break Fast, please contact Claudia Palmer at Claudia.Palmer@Dartmouth.edu.
ORIENTATION 2015
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Committee proposes harsher grading, eliminating NRO B y PARKER RICHARDS The Dartmouth Staff
A version of this article originally appeared in the May 28, 2015 issue of The Dartmouth. The ad hoc committee on grading practices and grade inflation released its proposal to address grade inflation at the College on May 11. The proposal, sent out to faculty, outlines a strategy to curb grade inflation by adhering more strictly to the Dartmouth Scholarship Ratings system of awarding As for excellence, Bs for “good mastery” and Cs for “acceptable mastery.” The proposal hopes to incentivize faculty adherence to stricter grading policies rather than mandate department-wide medians or curves or limit the number or percentage of particular grades that may be awarded. The committee also advocates ending the non-recording option and changing the process for promoting faculty. The ad hoc committee was formed jointly by the Committee on Instruction and the Committee on Organization and Policy to address grade inflation early in winter term, committee chair and biological sciences professor Mark McPeek said.
McPeek said the committee essentially formulated its policy recommendations at its first meeting, as most members were well-versed in the issue. “The fundamental principle of the proposal is simply to start holding faculty accountable for the kind of courses that they teach and the rigor of those courses,” he said. McPeek said the committee has found that either students are given higher grades than they deserve or that the level of rigor in courses has fallen in recent decades. “I am as guilty as everyone else of giving grades that [do not conform] to the Dartmouth Scholarship Ratings,” computer science professor and ad hoc committee on grading member Thomas Cormen said. “Going forward, I will have my grades conform to the Dartmouth Scholarship Ratings.” Cormen said that while some believe that today’s students themselves are smarter or say that teaching has improved due to increased emphasis on undergraduate education at the College, he was not able to provide an opinion on either. “We need to make our courses more challenging as students are able to handle more of a challenge,” he said. McPeek emphasized that the
proposal includes no recommendations for curving grades or mandating a certain grade distribution, as Princeton University did for a decade before reversing the policy in October 2014. He also said that the proposal does not intend to level out grades between academic disciplines, as the differences between comparatively highgrading fields and comparatively low-grading ones have remained consistent since the 1970s. “We could really care less if the grades are higher in one discipline or another,” he said. Cormen said that the proposal does not recommend limiting the number of As that can be given out, in part based upon the experience of Princeton, his own alma mater. “They found that students were competing with each other too much for this limited resource of As,” he said. Cormen said that he is in favor of students learning cooperatively rather than in competition with each other. In addition to the recommendation to adhere more closely to the Dartmouth Scholarship Ratings system, the proposal also recommends making available public data relating to grading practices both past and present to ensure
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5:00pm Vigil Mass at AQ followed by Alumni Reception Sunday Masses at Aquinas House: 11:00 am & 7:30 pm GO BIG GREEN! Aquinas House is at the corner of Webster and Occom Ridge (603) 643-2154 or AQ@dartmouth.edu
that graduate schools, employers, process by having a long and varied students and faculty understand list of extracurricular activities, the changes to the College’s grad- and many continue to pursue simiing system. lar activities after matriculation. Additionally, the report calls for He said that he has seen many the abolishment of the non-record- students who have numerous ing option, as it allegedly promotes time-consuming extracurricular laziness in certain courses. The commitments. Some, he said, have proposal also suggests that course the equivalent of a full-time job. syllabi have more clarity around “It does make us wonder somegrading expectations to reduce the times if there are students who amount of questioning from dis- think of Dartmouth as, ‘Well, I satisfied students regarding their eat here, I sleep here, I do these performance, and that the Col- extracurriculars and, when I have lege lift the five-student minimum time, I do my coursework,’” he course enrollment requirement so said. “Maybe that’s a little bit of that faculty will not be incentivized an exaggeration, but I don’t think to create easier courses in an effort it’s a huge exaggeration.” to attract more students. English professor Thomas The proposal also discusses Luxon said that he feels the idea faculty promotion practices and that students are overcommitted reporting policies to their extrabetween academcurriculars is “The fundamental ic departments, a simplificathe registrar and principle of the tion of the isthe Dean of the proposal is simply to sue. He cited College’s Office. seniors workIt recommends start holding faculty ing on theses that departments accountable for the who do little offer reports to but their rekind of courses that the registrar on search and grade distribu- they teach and the writing as one tion with regard rigor of those courses,” ex a m p l e o f to historical students who trends and that have fewer exacademic unit - AD HOC COMMITTEE tracurricular ch a i r s c o n s u l t responsibiliON GRADE INFLATION with their assoties and many ciate deans each CHAIR AND BIOLOGICAL academic fall term to re- SCIENCES PROFESSOR ones. lay information “It’s an on the rigor of MARK MCPEEK overgeneralcourses offered ization from within that unit. student to stuWhen a facdent, and it’s ulty member apalso probably plies for a promotion or tenure, an overgeneralization for any he or she must submit a dossier single student, term-to-term,” of various qualifications. The Luxon said. proposal recommends including The proposal contains a section a requirement that these dossiers responding to potential concerns should include information on the others may have with its recomfaculty member’s use of the Dart- mendations, including the fremouth Scholarship Ratings system quently raised issue of admission and assessments of the faculty to medical, professional and gradumember provided by colleagues ate schools. The proposal cites within his or her department. The research on Dartmouth graduates report proposes that evaluations for applying to medical schools, connon-tenure-track faculty be carried ducted by biology professor and out in a similar fashion. former pre-med advisor Lee WitFaculty would also be required ters, that found that, in the years to discuss their grade distributions 2002 and 2014, one student in and adherence to the Dartmouth each year with a GPA of 3.7 gained Scholarship Ratings system in a admission to no medical schools, yearly meeting with their associate while one student in each year with dean and to report their grading a GPA of 2.4 gained admission to standards and grade distributions at least two. On average, admitted each year as part of the Faculty students’ GPAs were only about 0.3 Record Supplement. higher than those of the average Near the report’s conclusion, a un-admitted student. portion is dedicated to students’ “Having a higher GPA will marextracurricular involvements, and ginally help you, but that is not the the proposal suggests that students determining factor for anything,” limit these involvements to focus McPeek said. more fully on academics. Witters was not available to Students, Cormen said, are SEE AD HOC COMMITTEE PAGE 13 helped in the college admissions
ORIENTATION 2015
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INTERVIEW: SA president frank cunningham ’16 B y KATIE RAFTER The Dartmouth Staff
After serving as Student Assembly vice president his junior year, Frank Cunningham ’16 was elected SA president last spring. We talked to him about some of his plans for the year. Can you give a general outline of Student Assembly’s role on campus? FC: Like any other student government, Student’s Assembly’s main focus is to be a liaison between the administration and the student body, to ensure that whatever the students are concerned about, whatever issues, the administration is made aware of. But communicating with the administration is only part of our job. The other half is seeing that those wishes of the students are actually achieved. So there are two parts to it, we’re first the liaison to inform the administration what is going on within the student body, but also the second part is to actually see something happen. So for example, one of our biggest pushes right now is our
student bill of rights, and that’s going to be our major endeavor throughout this entire year. Given the fact that so much is changing at Dartmouth, some [changes are] for good, and some have left the student body in a state of turmoil and unrest. But given the fact that there has been so much change, students must have some form of stability within their lives, and so they know exactly what they can and cannot do and what rights they actually have. And given the fact that Dartmouth is a private school, it’s a sticky situation when you start discussing rights. But I’m positive that the administration and Student Assembly can come to some form of agreement when we outline these rights that students have when they’re on campus. And it’s not even creating new rights, it’s almost defining rights that students might not even know they have once they enter Dartmouth. Why do you think it’s so important to have something like Student Assembly on campus? FC: A prime example would be SEE SA PRESIDENT PAGE 22
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
Visit Dartmouth’s new
Center for Service OPEN HOUSE feat. FREE GELATO Friday, 9/18, 2-4pm
Stop by to learn more about: • Local Volunteer Opportunities
• Social Entrepreneurship
• Non-Profit Careers
• Service Abroad
• Funded Internships
• and more!
DCS is located behind Mass Row, next to Foco.
KING ARTHUR FLOUR CAFE AT BAKER BERRY Enjoy freshly made salad and sandwich items along with gourmet coffees and artisan pastries. Sunday - Thursday | 8am - 9pm Friday - Saturday | 8am - 8pm Or come get the full King Arthur Flour experience at our flagship campus across the river in Norwich, Vermont and be sure to follow us on snapchat for updates: KAFsnaps
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
ORIENTATION 2015
WeLcOMe cLASS OF 2019!
PAGE 9
On view this fall
the hood is YOUR MUseUM
Canaletto’s Vedute Prints: an exhibition in honor of adolph weil Jr.
• It is fRee.
August 1–December 6, 2015
• Any student can BOOK a tOUR of the galleries.
Collecting and sharing: trevor fairbrother, John t. Kirk, and the hood Museum of art
• There are stUDent PaRties every term.
August 22–December 6, 2015
• Request a PeRsOnal viewinG of a work of art in the Hood’s collection.
MUseUM hOURs
HOOD
• Our eXhiBitiOn OPeninGs include art, free food, live music, and prizes.
MUSEUM OF ART
• stUDY fOR finals in the museum at the end of each term.
hoodmuseum. dartmouth.edu
Tuesday through Saturday, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM Wednesday, 10:00 AM–9:00 PM Sunday, 12:00 noon–5:00 PM The museum is closed on Mondays. Andy Warhol, Jacqueline Kennedy II, 1966, silkscreen on mauve paper, signed, edition 63/200. Lent by Trevor Fairbrother and John T. Kirk. © 2015 The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts, Inc. / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
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ORIENTATION 2015
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
ORIENTATION 2015
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
PAGE 11
Campus mentorship programs provide specific support FROM MENTORING PAGE 1
have been working with the new students for the entire pre-orientation program and will continue to work with them throughout the academic year. “Since these are students who are the first in their family to attend college, there’s even more need for discussing some of the assumptions that people have about college and allowing them the opportunity to understand the experiences of older students,” Davis said. The role of mentors in FYSEP is particularly important because they can provide valuable guidance and serve as sources of information to students for whom college is “a more unknown entity,” he said. While about 75 percent of the mentors were FYSEP participants themselves, Davis said not every mentor was the first in his or her family to attend college. “Finding wonderful people is our first priority, and then certainly experience as a FYSEP student is an added plus in the application process,” Davis said. This year’s program has an increased focus on talking to both the mentors and the mentees about the best practices in mentoring programs, Davis said, in order to elucidate the process of mentorship for all participants.
“What we’ve done is shared with our mentees the most important pieces of our training of the mentors,” Davis said. “So that both the mentee and the mentor have a common understanding of what some of our objectives are and some of the best practices for making the most of the mentoring relationship on both sides.” Davis emphasized that all of the mentoring programs are important for all involved, describing the process as “enriching” for both the mentor and the mentee and often “transformative” for the mentor. “Clearly, for the mentees it is an opportunity to learn from the experiences of upper class students, but for the mentors themselves it’s an opportunity to learn through the process of reflection and consolidation,” he said. FYSEP is unique in its focus on encouraging students to learn from their mistakes and treats failure as a learning opportunity, Davis added. “There is no single Dartmouth experience — that’s for sure,” Davis said. “But I think the opportunity to try to make sense of your experience by sharing it with others is a really helpful process.” Being a mentor provides an opportunity to reflect on one’s own Dartmouth experience and use it to help others, Davis said. “Dartmouth students are very
good at doing things and accomplishing things and participating in things, and there sometimes is not as much emphasis on reflecting on what’s being done,” he said.
Women in Science Program The Women in Science Program was established in 1992 and has kept a fairly consistent program model ever since, program director Kathy Weaver said. Though the program has not yet started for this year, she said, numbers are expected to remain similar to past years — 150 to 200 participants per year. Last year saw 80 first-year students requesting to be matched with 70 upperclassmen mentors, though typically there are roughly 100 first-year participants, she said. So far this year, there are 63 mentors signed up, and the program will start recruiting mentees during orientation, she said. The program has gone through slight changes, but the overall format remains consistent: mentors and mentees are matched in the fall after mentors are trained, there is a kickoff event in mid-October, the program works with the Academic Skills Center during winter term, there is a summer leave term informational center as well as two events each for winter and spring term, Weaver said.
By the spring term, many firstyears have “gone off on their own” or decided to pursue fields outside the sciences, Weaver said. At this point, the WISP program focuses on programming during Dimensions, she said. In recent years, many sophomores have returned to participate as mentors, Weaver said. “They’re highly motivated because they’ve just come through their own freshman year,” she said. “They’re either very grateful that they had the mentor that they had and want to give back, there’s also people who didn’t have a mentor and want to give back in that way.” WISP also sees a high number of seniors participate as mentors, Weaver said. “Seniors are feeling very wistful, and feel like they have a lot to offer and want to give back,” she said. WISP has a clear purpose to reach out to and support women who arrive with an interest in science, math, engineering and prehealth, Weaver said. “It’s not purely academic, because academic, personal and social growth is all connected as a firstyear student,” she said, though the interest in science provides a clear distinction from other programs. Link Up Link Up, a first-year mentoring
program for all female students at Dartmouth, expects to see nearly 400 total participants, with roughly 180 incoming freshmen and 200 upperclassmen mentors, co-president Liz Gold ’17 said. Link Up allows upperclassmen with various D-plans to participate, she said, by pairing each participant who is off in the fall with another upperclassman mentor who is on campus in order to create a “family,” she said. Gold said that Link Up has many unique activities on its schedule already, including canoeing by the river, an alumni panel, a jewelry studio event and a hike. “[The activities] are often different from the other typical first-year mentoring programs,” she said. The program itself will be largely similar to last year’s, she said, but the program has grown significantly since her freshman year, when there were only 80 participants and the mentorships were not D-plan flexible. “Now, anyone who wants to be a mentor can be,” she said. “We really like our program to be fluid: if you want to commit your time, we trust you and we want you to sign up, and we think a lot of varying interests and backgrounds are really important to our program, so we have all different types of students involved.”
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ORIENTATION 2015
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
Also, please join us at the Academic Off Campus Programs Fair on Tuesday, November 3 (4:30 – 7pm) in Collis Common Ground
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
Some raise criticisms of ad hoc committee’s proposals
as a member of the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” presidential steering committee, said that, on comment for this article. Going forward, the proposal is the whole, his initial reaction to largely in administrators’ hands, the report was very positive. “The idea here is to say someMcPeek said, as few elements would need faculty approval to be thing has gone wrong in the gradenacted. All faculty evaluation pro- ing system — let’s bring grading cedures are overseen by academic back to where it should be,” he said. deans, not by faculty members, “It makes common sense to say meaning that administrators can an A is going to be for excellence. make changes to its promotion and That is very intuitive. I think they researched it tenure-granting very well.” policies without “Students have way He a faculty vote. added that he L u x o n s a i d more anxiety about believed the while he bereport could lieved the data grades than is healthy, have gone compiled by the and I know that as in depth committee were you start talking about more in its analysis useful, he did of potential not fully agree grade inflaction, that with the com- just feeds the anxiety,” s t r e s s a n d mental health mittee’s findings concerns for and he thinks students. there should be - ENGLISH PROFESSOR In the a discussion surTHOMAS LUXON section adrounding the dressing poreport’s conclutential consions. Luxon also called for more cerns, the proposal rebuts critistudent involvement in the process, cisms regarding students’ mental citing potential student anxiety health by stating, “Stress is a part over the prospect of decreased of life. We cannot remove stress from our students’ lives.” grades. Damianos said the committee “Students have way more anxiety about grades than is healthy, should have pursued questions and I know that as you start talk- such as which elements of Darting about grade inflation, that just mouth’s intellectual and cultural environment may contribute to feeds the anxiety,” he said. Luxon also called on professors students’ stress levels and potential to make syllabi clearer in regards ways to mitigate those factors. “My prediction is students to expectations and grading stanaren’t going to be satisfied with dards. John Damianos ’16, who served the answers they gave,” he said. FROM AD HOC COMMITTEE PAGE 7
ORIENTATION 2015
PAGE 13
POlicy debriefing: HARD ALCOHOL The hard alcohol ban, first announced in January as part of the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” policy initiative, was implemented last March. Here are the key points and disciplinary actions. The College alcohol policy bans hard alcohol — defined as alcohol of 30 proof or higher — from campus completely, with the intention of curbing high-risk behaviors such as binge drinking. The policy, announced last January as a part of the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” policy initiative, went into effect at the beginning of spring term. A student found to be in possession of or to have consumed hard alcohol will, for a first offense, face a sanction of College probation, for a second offense, face a one-term suspension and for a third offense, a two-term suspension. Further sanctions will be imposed for each successive incident thereafter, which could include longer suspensions or separation from the College. If a student is found to be providing hard alcohol to other students, he or she will face a one-term suspension for the first violation and a two-term suspension
for the second violation. College-recognized organizations — including Greek houses, senior societies and any group receiving College funding — that provide hard alcohol to students will first receive a one-term suspension of recognition, followed by a period during which no alcohol may be served or consumed at any events hosted by the organization. A second violation will result in a full-year suspension, and a third violation within its return to recognition will result in a permanent loss of recognition. The Good Samaritan Policy — which allows students to call Safety and Security officers for a friend without fear of judicial consequences — is unaffected by the hard alcohol policy, meaning that students who call for medical assistance after consuming hard alcohol will not face repercussions. While consumption of beer or wine is still against campus policy for any
student under 21 years of age, penalties for violations are less severe than for a student of any age caught violating the hard alcohol policy. For consuming or being in possession of alcohol of 30 proof or less, a student will be referred to the BASICS program. A second violation will result in a warning, the third will result in a College reprimand and the fourth will result in College probation. For providing beer or wine to minors, students will receive a reprimand for the first offense and College probation for the second offense. College-recognized organizations found to be providing beer or wine to minors will not be allowed to serve alcohol for a set period of time. The alcohol policy outlined in the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” policy initiative also called for third-party bartenders and security for social events, though this policy is yet to be put in place and information regarding its implementation has not yet been released.
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ALISON GUH/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Israeli Society-Structure, Institutions, Identities, Dynamics (Sociology 49.12 & JWST 68.01. Fall term: 10A) Visiting Professor Lev Grinberg, Ben Gurion University, will offer this course only once. Don’t miss it!!
The hard alcohol ban, originally announced during College President Phil Hanlon’s Jan. 29 speech, has graduated sanctions.
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OPEN HOUSE 2-3 P.M. SEPT. 15, ROBO 2ND FLOOR No experience necessary. Financial aid available.
ORIENTATION 2015
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
PAGE 14 23
Hanlon explains vision for academic rigor, residential communities
WEIJIA TANG/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
College President Phil Hanlon announced policy changes in January. FROM HANLON INTERVIEW PAGE 6
about the quality of intellectual engagement. In the MDF announcement it says, “If, in the next three to five years, the Greek system does not engage in meaningful and lasting reform, and we are unsuccessful in sharply curbing harmful behaviors, we will need to revisit the system’s continuation on our campus.” I know it’s only been seven months, but how would you evaluate Greek changes so far? PH: I’ve been very heartened by the really serious thought that has been going on within the Greek system and around campus. I thought that the changes proposed by the Greek Leadership Council last December were quite significant, but mostly I was just heartened at that kind of open-minded consideration of what students want the future of this campus to be. Likewise I’m very pleased that the sorority system is thinking about how it wants to organize itself going forward. There’s been a lot of serious thought going on, a lot of open-mindedness to what future students want on this campus, so I’m optimistic. How do you feel about the progress of some of the MDF policies thus far, including the four-year sexual violence and education program and the requirement to have bouncers and bartenders at Greek houses, since both are due to be piloted this fall? Overall are things moving from the development and discussion phase to implementation? PH: Everything is on track, everything that we said we were going to do is on track, many of the initial
things have been put in place. For the residential community system, the house professors have been named, we’re working on some of the facilities that go along with them. The alcohol policy has been in place for two terms now, we have a new code of conduct, so all the pieces, as far as I can tell, are on track and that’s what the external oversight committee is tasked to do, is to report to the [Board of Trustees] what we said we were going to do and what we are in fact doing and if everything is on track. That being said, at this point we have a quite robust set of metrics that we’re tracking in terms of indicators of high-risk behavior, and we’ll be watching those over a period of years. I’m expecting that this transformation is going to take place over a period of years — it’s not going to change on a dime, but the steering committee was incredibly thoughtful and got a broad range of input from across the Dartmouth community. They talked to national experts, they visited other campuses and really did a very thorough and thoughtful job and they recommended a very far-reaching set of recommendations, and I’m hopeful they’ll have huge impact. The Atlantic became the most recent in a series of news outlets to report on the increasing levels of political correctness on college campuses, with the rise of the phrases “trigger warning” and “microagrression.” Some characterize the movement as detrimental to mental health and stifling free speech, while others say that college students are facing new forms of discrimination than they were in the past, making these changes necessary. Have you identified this
cultural shift at Dartmouth as well, and if so, where do you stand on this issue? PH: Academic communities are very special kinds of places, places that are committed to open dialogue and open debate, and places where it’s very important for us to listen to each other, to understand each other. There are safeguards on college campuses that you don’t find anywhere else, such as tenure that allows faculty members to pursue whatever kind of research they feel is most valuable and exciting without risk to their livelihood. I think college campuses, by their nature, are places where we really need to be encouraging people to listen with an open mind to each other, understand each other and diligently protect open debate, and that’s what I aspire to for Dartmouth as well. It’s not always easy to strike the right balance, but I think it’s crucially important for an academic enterprise. With the new residential community system to be implemented in a year, what are your goals for how it will integrate both upper classmen and freshmen, and how much are you hoping it will change
social life at the College? PH: The residential community system has the most potential to really make huge changes on this campus. What we’re looking for is
“It’s not just what you do in class, but how you learn outside of class, whether it’s through undergraduate research or service work or entrepeneurial activities or athletics or whatever, everything should be a learning moment,” - College president phil hanlon a whole new set of options for how students can interact socially and how we can encourage more intellectual engagement and growth in the residence system. The six house professors have been named, and their work this year is going to be really focused on collaborating with
students and professors and alumni on what is the best way to introduce social and academic programs in the house communities and build a new set of options for social interaction and intellectual engagement. I’m really excited about where this can lead and what changes it can bring about, so stay tuned. Any advice for the Class of 2019? PH: I’ll be giving them some advice at their first class meeting, but I think the main thing, as [College] President [John Sloan] Dickey famously said, “your job is learning” so this is an academic community its all about intellectual growth, it’s all about expanding your mind, making your mind stronger, more colorful, more robust, understanding that the power of the intellect is the biggest tool you have to take on the world’s issues. So what I would say to them is learn as much as you can and at every opportunity, it’s not just what you do in class, but how you learn outside of class, whether it’s through undergraduate research or service work or entrepreneurial activities or athletics or whatever, everything should be a learning moment — that’s my number one message to them.
ORIENTATION 2015
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
PAGE 15 21
Students sign petition for stricter kosher certifications FROM PETITION PAGE 1
tion in the Class of ’53 Commons does not meet widely-held Orthodox standards. He said the petition is the culmination of a nearly six-month long process of meeting with various school administrators, including former dean of admissions and financial aid Maria Laskaris, director of Dartmouth Dining Services David Newlove and the College president’s chief of staff Laura Hercod. Ezrapour said the process has been an “uphill battle” fraught with delayed communication and insufficient proposals. “It’s been frustrating, with so much misunderstanding where there shouldn’t be,” she said. “We felt like we were being pawned off by the administration.” Isen noted that Tablet-K is recognized by neither Conservative nor Orthodox Judaism. Rabbi Ed ward Boraz, the Dartmouth Hillel executive director and Tucker Foundation officer, said that Tablet-K does satisfy Conservative guidelines for kashrut — the body of Jewish law determining how food must be prepared and eaten. He acts as a mashgiach, or supervisor, of the kitchen. “Tablet-K is somewhat lenient in their rulings — perhaps there is some truth to that,” he said. “But if we’re talking on levels of kashrut, we only use certified products that would be acceptable even to the general Orthodox community, and we do have supervision that would satisfy the Conservative
movement.” Rabbi David Ross Senter, a member of the New Hampshire Board of Jewish Clergy, wrote in an email that he inspected the College’s kosher kitchen on Aug. 25. “From a Conservative perspective the kashrut at the Dartmouth kosher kitchen meets and exceeds the standards generally implemented by my colleagues,” he said.
“We felt like we were being pawned off by the administration,” - ELIZA EZRAPOUR ’18, ORTHODOX JEWISH STUDENT AND CIRCULATOR OF PETITION
“From an Orthodox perspective, the only concern is the level of supervision.” Isen said he does not believe Boraz to be a qualified mashgiach, as under Orthodox guidelines, the mashgiach must practice Orthodoxy, be Sabbath observant and keep kosher under the strictest standards. Boraz was raised in a Conservative Jewish home and was rabbi at a Conservative synagogue prior to coming to the College in 1998. Boraz said that when the kosher kitchen was founded in 2001, the mashgiach was an Orthodox
graduate student who was paid to do the job. Under this form of supervision, the kosher food was “considerably more expensive” than the other options offered, and students were charged per meal accordingly. Boraz added that to have a sufficient full-time mashgiach right now, the College would need to hire from Boston or Burlington, as there is no local Orthodox community from which to draw applicants. The College is conducting research on costs from the fee for the certification as well, he said. Isen said that in late July, the group of students who organized the petition received a proposal from the school with several offers, including providing the students an exemption from the meal plan, housing in the Hillel apartments or frozen, triple-wrapped kosher meals. The document also stated that the school would not change the kitchen’s certification. The students were “offended” by the proposal and did not receive sufficient answers to their questions, he said. “They were essentially ghettoing the Jewish students into specific housing,” Isen said, adding that this option still did not solve their food issues. He added that he has not received an explanation of why the College will not change the kosher certification. Asian and Middle Eastern languages professor Lewis Glinert, who is the only Orthodox Jewish professor at Dartmouth, said he has repeatedly questioned dining services and various deans about
JESSICA AVITABILE/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Behind a spread of kosher cookies, The Pavillion displays its certification.
why kosher dining is not Orthodox certified. He said he has never received an answer. College spokesperson Diana Lawrence wrote in an email that the next step in this process is for students and administrators to meet for a face-to-face discussion. Cathy Van Dyke, residential dining director at Yale University, said that requests for kosher offerings are some of the most challenging to meet. At Yale, the kosher kitchen is located in the Slifka Center for Jewish Life, she said. Out of about 7,000 students who eat on campus, there are normally about five or six students who want meals exclusively from the kosher kitchen. Isen estimated that there are about five students on campus who are directly affected by the lack of proper certification on a daily basis. He added that many Orthodox Jewish students at Jewish day schools are actively dissuaded from applying to Dartmouth because there is no suitable kosher
food. Ezrapour said she attended a Jewish day school and only came to Dartmouth because her guidance counselor strongly encouraged her to apply. “I came with the hope that I would be able to be an advocate for the Jewish community,” she said. “I don’t think I realized how difficult it would be to be in a place where it felt like I would need to compromise religious ideals on a regular basis. It was definitely a difficult part of [my] freshman year.” She and the other students have been “touched” by the amount of support they have received, Ezrapour said. Boraz said he respects and understands the petitioners’ position and wants to find a satisfactory resolution. “As a rabbi at Dartmouth, this is what we want—we want students to adhere to their positions and find meaning in their faith,” he said.
DARTMOUTH’S PREMIER FREESTYLE RAP & COMEDY PERFORMANCE GROUP
JESSICA AVITABILE/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Dartmouth Dining Services currently offers the Tablet-K certified kosher option The Pavillion in the Class of 1953 Commons.
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Provost praises Biron’s qualifications for Dean FROM BIRON PAGE 2
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No experience necessary. Financial aid available.
Conflict in the Middle East!! Interested?
The professors’ visions for each ing and leadership,” she said. “A of their respective house communibaseline requirement for that is ties will be developed with Biron’s inter-group, inter-cultural commu- help, she said. nication skills and learning how to “Biron is going to be really really activate respect across social critical to the development of these discussions,” Dever said. “We need differences.” Biron said that, in general, the houses that are each unique, but that “Moving Dartmouth Forward” are connected strongly and with a policy initiative, which called for kind of shared purpose that means the residential house system’s imple- consistency for Dartmouth students mentation, aligns with her goals to across their experience, regardless improve communication between of which house they’re in.” A s h n e i l Jai n student groups ’15, a member and create more “She’s well known, of the selection of a “24-7 learncommittee and ing community.” experienced, combines co-moderator “Where there the very best of the of the Paleois student resistance to [“Mov- scholar-teacher model,” pitus senior society, said that ing Dartmouth Forward”], or - PROVOST CAROLYN DEVER Biron will have a unique role student resisin defining her tance to anyown obligations thing in terms of organizational change, I would within her role’s areas of imporjust want to encourage everybody tance, such as the residential system. to recognize that all of us want “She has a unique position in the to make the residential learning middle of the triangle of students, experience here deeper and more faculty and administrators,” Jain said. fun for everyone,” she said. Dever said that Biron’s experi- Committee member and Thayer ence with students, including in a School of Engineering professor residential college setting, will be a Solomon Diamond said that while the selection committee collected great asset to the College. “She’s well known, experienced, information and recommended combines the very best of the schol- names, it was Provost Carolyn Dever ar-teacher model at Dartmouth, who made the final decision. and she’s a really well respected “In my view the process was member of our community,” Dever fairly conducted, all candidates were taken very seriously, and the said. Biron will play a very strong role committee handled the process with in the shaping of the residential a high level of professionalism,” he college system, Dever added, as the said. system is still in its design stages with Laura Weiss contributed reporting to new house professors having been this story. appointed recently.
HOMEWARD BOUND
Take this course: Sociology of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict (Sociology 49.15 & JWST 68.02. Fall term: 2A) Visiting Professor Lev Grinberg, Ben Gurion University, will offer this course only once. Don’t miss it!! KATIE MCKAY/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Students return from their Dartmouth Outing Club First-Year Trips and gather on the lawn outside Robinson Hall.
ORIENTATION 2015
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
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Rankings may affect the choices of some prospective students FROM RANKINGS PAGE 1
collects various pieces of data to create its annual national universities list. In 2012, Bob Morse, chief data strategist at U.S. News and World Report, announced that the publication would be expanding its data analysis of the various colleges and universities assessed annually. These criteria include the success of minorities in higher education as measured by graduation rates, the affordability of colleges and the quality of the connections provided by the institution. Additionally, the publication released information concerning the methodology behind the rankings in Sept. 2014. Though the specific algorithm behind the list is not available to the public, the vast majority of information used by the publication is provided by the various surveyed colleges and universities. According to the release, the academic reputation of an undergraduate institution and its student retention rate are the most important factors in the rankings, each taking up 22.5 percent of the total evaluation of an institution. Sunde said that he feels the U.S.
News and World Report rankings garner a significant amount of attention from the press and that, overall, Dartmouth’s place in the rankings has improved during his time at the College. Sunde also said that he hopes the changes instituted by the “Moving Dartmouth Forward” policy initiative will show in the rankings. “Dartmouth institutionally is making a lot of improvements — one would hope that these will be recognized,” he said. He added that he believes that the rankings only are one small part of the College’s successes. “We’re proud of how we perform in the rankings, but we are also recognized as a great institution in a lot of other ways,” he said. Sunde said that he believes more specific lists, such as the annual lists on undergraduate teaching, an area in which the College consistently performs well, are more valuable to prospective students and applicants. He said that the larger, broader lists often contain information that might be misleading to the reader. “I think that when these lists offer some sort of specificity, the
information is a lot more valuable,” Sunde said. Abby Zweifach ’19 agreed with Sunde, saying that Dartmouth’s high rank in the undergraduate teaching list by U.S. News was more helpful to her than the broader national universities list. She said that she only looked at the national university rankings after she had already been accepted to the College through the early decision program. Zweifach also said that the College’s reputation amongst her family and peers was more important to her than published rankings of any kind. Zweifach added that her visit to the College significantly influenced her decision to apply early to the College. Molly Hughes, a consultant at the Chicago area-based College Bound Consulting company, said Zweifach’s experience is similar to that of many of her clients. Hughes urges parents and students to visit the colleges to which they are applying whenever possible, as clients who do not possess as much knowledge as the typical college consultant are more susceptible to falling victim to only looking at the published rankings when considering a college.
“It’s usually people who are just starting the college process who pay attention to these sorts of lists,” she said. “Once people know what they want, they start looking at their own specific criteria.” Hughes said that college rankings, though far from obsolete, have become less important with the increase of information about colleges in the public domain. “When I applied to college, all we had was the information in college guidebooks and in the published rankings, so we had to rely on those,” she said. Now, regardless of whether or not an applicant is able to visit a college, a wealth of information about the institution is readily available on the internet.” Both Hughes and her business partner Laila Alamuddin agreed that parents place more weight on a university’s ranking than students do. “Parents are paying us as an additional service for their kids, so a lot of them are pretty open about only wanting their child to attend a college of a certain caliber,” Alamuddin said. Alamuddin, who worked as a college counselor at the American Community School in Beirut,
Lebanon, for 17 years, remarked that she found the rankings to be useful in her work with international parents. Since it is often more difficult for international students and parents to visit the schools to which they are applying, rankings often serve as an integral part of the college process for these families. “Most of these parents are sending their kids really far away from home, so it’s important as a counselor to assure them that they will be getting their money’s worth at any one of the colleges,” Alamuddin said. Almuddin said that during her time serving the Chicago area, she has used the rankings with her students far less than with her previous students in Beirut. “When I was in Lebanon, I’d use the rankings to reinforce a point and to get a family to look at a school they might not have heard of,” she said. “There isn’t really an issue with that in the states.” Though Sunde said that he believes it is difficult to correlate rankings with application numbers, Almuddin said that she feels colleges become more popular with her clients as they rise in the rankings.
JESSICA AVITABILE/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
The College’s position in the U.S. News and World Report Rankings has decreased over the past three years, from 10th in 2013 and 11th in 2014 and 2015 and now 12th in 2016.
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
SA president Frank Cunningham ’16 emphasizes community me as president this year. And it is a serious honor for anyone serving on Student Assembly because it plays a key role in the students’ day-to-day life.
FROM SA PRESIDENT PAGE 8
during the whole “Moving Dartmouth Forward” [presidential] steering committee and rollout — Student Assembly played a critical role in that. Student Assembly was trying to coordinate with student groups to ensure that their feedback was heard. And to take a more recent example, let’s take the new class schedule for this upcoming year given Rosh Hashanah. Classes are starting later, and we’re having Saturday classes [on Sept. 26 and Oct. 24]. The moment we heard that, we began to see that the campus climate was somewhat upset with that, and we immediately went into discussions with the administration and told them they should have consulted us, so all of us could have come to a better agreement, rather than just saying, “Let’s have classes starting at 8 a.m. Saturday morning.” But luckily, given our negotiations, classes are now starting later on that Saturday. So, every community needs some to actually represent them and their interests, and that’s exactly what Student Assembly does. And it’s a serious honor, that the student body had enough faith to elect me as [SA vice president] last year and elect
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DANIEL BERTHE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Cunningham (right) with Student Assembly vice president-elect Julia Dressel ’17, who later resigned, during a debate.
[Carolyn] Dever, Dean [Inge-Lise] Ameer, so that students could come and have their questions answered. And those are simply a few of our items from last year. Do you have any plans that are specifically tailored to the ’19s?
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What do you think are some of Student Assembly’s achievements from last year? FC: I would definitely say our mental health campaign, which I’m excited to say we are continuing this year. We finally shone a light on a topic that I have personally dealt with, that friends of mine have dealt with, and that’s always something that administrators compliment us on — the fact that we have our kick-off event, that we have our relaxation fest, that we really take a key stance in working with Dick’s House and making sure that the students are receiving the counseling sessions that they need during their time at Dartmouth. Another campaign from last year was the “It’s On Us” campaign, and that was in conjunction with the White House. It was a White House initiative to address sexual assault on college campuses. And jumping back to “Moving Dartmouth Forward,” we coordinated discussion groups with key administrators, such as [College] President [Phil] Hanlon, Provost
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LIBRARY OPEN HOUSE MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14 10:30AM-NOON BAKER-BERRY LIBRARY Music, Prizes, Food, and Inspiring Ideas VISIT DARTGO.ORG/KAFRAFFLE and enter to win a bonus prize!
FC: I just remember how excited is going to take a bigger stance this I was when I entered into Dart- year. We’re working with Dick’s mouth. I heard stories that my House and [the student and presisister had told me — my sister was dential committee on sexual asa ’07 — and I also had classmates sault] on that as well. We’re excited that were older than me. So my to be addressing the issue of social biggest goal is to make sure that the spaces on campus in line with the ’19s coming in actually have that new residential college system, so excitement and are proud to say Student Assembly will start movthat they are going to Dartmouth ing forward with our Shark Tank College, and also fostering a sense concept that I ran on during the of community. I feel as if that is spring. We’re also really looking at one of my, and also Dari [Seo]’s community and ways that students can be aware [’16] once he is other issues hopefully con“So my biggest goal is to of that are hapfirmed [as SA pening on camvice president], make sure that the ’19s pus and also big gest goals coming in actually have around camthis year, is to pus, and also bring that com- that excitement and are service. I really munity. With so proud to say that they the Dartmuch change are going to Dartmouth,” want mouth commuand unrest, evnity to have a eryone feels as focus on giving if they can’t talk - Student assembly back, and it’s to each other something that and that Dart- president frank a lot of students mouth is not cunningham ’16 naturally do, the same. And but I think that yes, Dartmouth may be different, but I know the Student Assembly need to be the thing that everyone loves about ones leading this effort of focusing Dartmouth still is our community, on community and giving back. and that is really the thing that I Student Assembly is redoing our want to push with the ’19s, and website to include all things student what I really want to do is to get life on there; hopefully it can be a the ’19s on Student Assembly im- way that allows Student Assembly mediately. I know I’m in the process to be more transparent with the of coordinating with the rest of the student body so they can always staff on hosting our ’19 cookout be aware of what we’re doing, but in the McLaughlin [residential] also a way for students to know cluster, so I really hope the ’19s what’s happening on campus. And will come out to meet us and figure I’m also excited to have a more out what’s happening in Student detailed discussion with the dean, once I get back, and once [Seo] Assembly. is confirmed and I’ve had time to What are some of your more speak with our new team, because general campus-wide plans I am really excited about this year, and I think its going to be a great and goals for this year? FC: Our mental health campaign year for Student Assembly.
ORIENTATION 2015
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The Dickey Center for International Understanding Become a globally conscious citizen who can truly make the world a better place.
OrientatiOn events: Fall Events Governing the Arctic Seas: Fisheries, Oil and Environment Moderated by Ross Virginia and featuring Oran Young, UCSB & Niels Einarsson, Stefansson Arctic Institute, Iceland Sept, 23, 4:30pm 041 Haldeman Center Human Dignity: A Constitutional Value and Constitutional Goal The Honorable Aharon Barak, President of the Supreme Court of Israel (1995-2006) Sept 28, 4:30pm Filene Auditorium, Moore Hall Defying Convention: US Resistance to the UN Treaty on Women’s Rights Lisa Baldez, Prof. of Government, Director of the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning Oct 22, 4:30pm 041 Haldeman Center Epic Measures: One Doctor. Seven Billion Patients Jeremy Smith, Author Oct 28, 4:30pm 041 Haldeman Center The Challenges of Communicating Climate Change Angela Swafford, Science Journalist Nov 4, 4:30pm 041 Haldeman Center
t
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http://dickey.dartmouth.edu
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Join the Dickey Center for International Understanding and faculty members from the sciences, social sciences, and humanities for a discussion about how to globalize any course of study at Dartmouth. We’ll talk about curricular and co-curricular strategies for finding your passion and making the most of it from an international perspective.
Thursday, Sept 10 | 3:40-4:30 pm | Moore Theater, HOP
*
Stop by the Dickey Center — first floor of Haldeman — to learn more about the many opportunities we offer students. From on-campus clubs and discussion groups to international studies courses and internships abroad, there is something for everyone. Also, be sure to check out our Great Issues Scholars program just for first year students.
Friday, Sept 11 | 2-4 pm | Haldeman Center, first floor
FOr First Year students:
Interested in engaging with other first year students in an exciting exploration of the vital issues of day: security, development, health, environment, gender and more? Apply to become a GREAT ISSUES SCHOLAR! Scholars have the unique opportunity to meet and interact with international experts—artists, scientists, writers, and other cultural and political figures—in small groups to learn about and discuss global issues. APPLICATIONS ONLINE AT dickey.dartmouth.edu DEADLINE: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15 @ MIDNIGHT
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ORIENTATION 2015
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9.875 in
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Comcast University
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
ORIENTATION 2015
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Students seize artistic opportunities Q&A:Hood Museum of Art director Juliette Bianco
B y MAYA PODDAR
The Dartmouth Senior Staff
While the arts at Dartmouth can take many forms, one of the most accessible is student performing groups. From a Shakespeare troupe to multiple a cappella, improv comedy and dance groups, there is almost always an opportunity to watch a performance. All the groups may have different focuses, but they are all the same in one respect — all have dedicated seniors who have put years of hard work and love into them. Many seniors currently involved in arts and performance groups around campus got their start as freshmen, such as Dartmouth Aires business manager David Clossey ’16. “I tried out for the a cappella groups at the beginning of my freshmen fall, and I got into the Aires, and I’ve been in the Aires
ever since,” he said. “It’s been an incredible experience.” Some students come to Dartmouth intending to continue arts training and involvement from prior years. Sugarplum co-director Katie Schultz ’16 said that her past experience in dance played a role in her decision to join the group. “I grew up dancing competitively, and so I knew dance was something I wanted to continue when I got to Dartmouth. Four of the big dance groups — Sugarplum, Fusion, Ujima and Sheba — have joint auditions every fall, and so I kind of showed up to that and said let’s see what kind of dance Dartmouth has to offer,” she said. Others, like SHEBA president Carina Conti ’16, decide to apply their previous training and go in a slightly different direction. “I grew up doing ballet and con-
KATE HERRINGTON/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
SHEBA president Carina Conti ’16 hadn’t done hip-hop dance before freshman year.
temporary. I’d never really done hip-hop before, but when I got to college I’d seen SHEBA a couple times during the Orientation showcase and during Dimensions and it just looked like so much fun, and it looked like something that I’d never done before but that I could maybe pick up,” she said. “I wanted to try something new and I wanted to challenge myself.” Some students who join oncampus groups come from nonarts or theater backgrounds. Carolina Alvarez-Correa ’16, a member of the Rockapelllas, said that she was more of a math and science person in high school and that the only theater class she has taken at the College was to fulfill a distribution requirement For many of the seniors involved in the arts at the College, SEE SENIORS PAGE 22
B y Amelia rosch
The Dartmouth Senior Staff
Since graduating from the College in 1994, Juliette Bianco, the Hood Museum of Art’s deputy director, began working at the museum in 1998 and has served in various positions including exhibition manager and assistant director, as well as helping to put together two books. In addition to overseeing the museum’s dayto-day management and longterm planning, Bianco has also overseen the creation of a $10 million endowment for the director’s position, the installation of a new piece of public art and an ongoing renovation, including an expansion of the museum which
is supposed to begin in the spring of 2016. How has the Hood Museum changed or evolved during your time at the College? JB: I’d say that the biggest change is that the Hood Museum of Art has become increasingly vital to the curricular and extracurricular lives of Dartmouth students. When the museum first opened its doors in 1985, there was no object study room for faculty and students to look at works in the collection that were not on view in the galleries. In contrast, in this past year, students from classes in 29 different departments studied works of art SEE HOOD PAGE 23
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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
Seniors in performance groups look back on their time FROM SENIORS PAGE 21
groups have provided a strong social support network. “To be honest, I think that Sugarplum is probably my biggest family on campus,” Schultz said. “It was my first opportunity to really meet upperclassmen and I think that has continued through my three years there.” Students from other organizations found a similar sense
of community within their arts groups. Conti described SHEBA as a family that “goes beyond the rehearsal space.” “[SHEBA is] a source of support and advice,” she said. “It’s a form of mentorship — both through dance but also as people in general. It has been a source of comfort and consistency, even when classes change and friends change because of the D-plan, I’ve always had SHEBA as a family
JOIN ARTS STAFF
that I know will be there.” Nate Grice ’16, a member of the student-run Shakespeare group the Rude Mechanicals, said that the organization was the first tightly-knit group he got involved with on campus as a freshman. Participating in on-campus arts groups provides many students with the opportunity to engage with upperclassmen and to mentor younger students. “I think being part of the Aires gave me a network of people that I could rely on from day one,” Clossey said. “It gave me a group of upperclassmen I could ask questions, and it gave me a group of friends that I could really feel close to.” Students involved in student groups are often involved in multiple artistic endeavors and organizations on campus, such as Aires’ president Nikhil Arora ’16, who is also a member of the Glee Club, the college’s classical chorus. Jimmy Ragan ’16, a member of the Dartmouth Dodecaphonics a cappella group, said the group challenged him as a music major to push his skills beyond the classroom and think more creatively about musical arrangements. At
the same time, the social aspect of the group shaped his freshman year from the start, giving him a closeknit group of mentors and friends.
“I think being part of the Aires gave me a network of people that I could rely on from day one. It gave me a group of upperclassmen I could ask questions, and it gave me a group of friends that I could feel really close to,” - DA RT M O U T H A I R ES B U S I N ES S M A N AG E R DAV I D C LO S S E Y ’16
“You’re surrounded by a caring group of upperclassmen who
can show you the ins and outs of Dartmouth and who are really looking out for you. You get very very close to a couple of your classmates who you might not have met otherwise,” Ragan said. “It’s just another way of connection on a really deep level.” Members of arts groups find multiple aspects of their experiences to have been important or rewarding. For some the most rewarding moments are traditions that are carried on through new members. Alvarez-Correa said that she enjoys bequests, where graduating members pass on items to the younger members, because of the emotions it brings. For others, such as Sugarplum co-director Veronica Burt ’16, individual shows and moments stand out. “Every spring Sugarplum does a big showcase in the Moore [Auditorium], and we normally don’t get to perform on a big stage like that, but that’s a great tradition that we keep up every spring,” Burt said. In the fall orientation showcase, campus groups perform ahead of auditions and give incoming students an idea of the breadth of arts opportunities available on campus.
OPEN HOUSE 2-3 P.M. SEPT. 15, ROBINSON HALL SECOND FLOOR FOR$STUDENTS$ on$ Tuesdays$ from$475pm$$
TRACY WANG/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
ORIENTATION 2015
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
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Hood changes to facilitate student engagement
Are you ready for the 21st century? Study Arabic!
FROM HOOD PAGE 21 What can students expect to in the museum’s behind-the-scenes see from the Hood moving object-study room, accounting forward? for 2,000 student visits to that JB: Our renovation and expansion space. On top of that, the mu- project will enrich the student exseum has more recently worked perience with the arts on campus with students to develop student- through exciting new galleries, only “after hours” programs, so smart object-study rooms and a everyone should look for student flexible event space. Meanwhile, we have a full parties, workslate of fall and shops, special “Our renovation and winter exhibistudy hours durexpansion project will tions and proing finals and a gramming. multi-week pro- enrich the student gram on acquirexperience with What has ing works for been your the collection. the arts on campus favorite part One thing that through exciting about workhas not changed new galleries, smart ing with the is that visiting Hood? the museum is object-study rooms JB: Every day always free. and a flexible event I am able to contribute For the last space,” tangibly to the few years, ways in which the Hood has art can serve HOOD MUSEUM OF been preparas a catalyst ing to undergo ART DIRECTOR JULIETTE to connect renovations. people, ideas, What impact BIANCO cultures and will they have societies across on student life this year? time and place. Each work of art JB: During construction, the muin the museum’s collection enables seum will work to stay connected to students through creative pro- a new conversation and a new gramming on campus and online. way of seeing and understandWe are presently exploring pos- ing the world. This is something sibilities for student engagement that the Hood contributes to the during the expansion, likely start- Dartmouth experience, and I am ing in the [next] academic year. really proud of it. We plan to involve our student interns and student focus groups This interview has been edited and condensed. in this effort.
Take Beginning Arabic this year
and go on the Rabat LSA+ next summer! For more informa@on, contact: Professor Jonathan Smolin
TRACY WANG/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
The Hood Museum of Art is undergoing renovations after a large June 2014 donation.
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS
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SPORTS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
Class of 2019 student-athletes adjust during preseason B y EMILY WEchsler The Dartmouth Staff
We’ve heard it before: to be the best, you’ve got to work harder, arrive earlier and stay later. Recruited athletes have proved they can do this, but they don’t stop when they sign their National Letter of Intent. Fall varsity athletes arrive up to three weeks before the rest of campus to work solely on their sports before classes begin, and freshman athletes are no exception. Before other members of the Class of 2019 had even broken in their hiking boots for their Dartmouth Outing Club First-Year Trips, fall student-athletes had moved in, said goodbye to their families and 100-yard-sprinted their way into their college careers. “It was hard to have to say goodbye to my family early,” Dylan
Mellor ’19, a wide receiver on the football team, said. He gave up that extra family time, and sleep, to spend all day for three weeks waking up early, practicing, meeting and eating with his new team. Such is the preseason life of the more than 100-member squad. “It’s what we signed up for,” Mellor said. Those first few weeks are very isolated, with little interaction between teams or with other students. The freshman dorms are nearly empty when fall athletes move in, sailing skipper Emma White ’19 said. “At first it’s kind of lonely because there are only two or three other people that I saw in my dorm,” White said. With life centered around athletics, the first-years have only their veteran teammates to show them
the ropes. Some teams delegate specific team members to be freshman advisors, but all upperclass-
“We’re all similar in so many ways, and it’s so fun to be here with all of them and get to know all of their likes and dislikes,” - Football wide receiver dylan mellor ’19 men are enlisted in support. They help with the obvious — giving directions, class advice, motivational and emotional sup-
port on the field and getting their new teammates up to speed on the team’s inner workings. They also help them improve their skills, and many teams, including sailing, put a big emphasis on the freshman. “I’ve already improved so much and learned a lot,” White said. Field hockey midfielder and forward Evie Bird ’19 said that the bonding with her team during preseason has also been very important. Mellor also said that building relationships with his teammates has been a significant component of the past few weeks. While he admitted that many of his teammates have felt homesick since arriving on campus, he said the development of strong bonds with upperclassmen, as well as his classmates on the team, have helped. Football head coach Buddy
Teevens sent the freshmen on a first-year-only hike one evening and asked them to recount to each other why they had chosen Dartmouth. “From everyone’s response, I could relate to each one of their reasons,” Mellor said. “We’re all similar in so many ways, and it’s so fun to be here with all of them and get to know all of their likes and dislikes.” College athletics are unquestionably more challenging that high school sports. To some this is daunting. Others, like White, expressed only excitement for the higher expectations their older teammates set. “I was so impressed my first day of practice. The athletes are so motivated and disciplined,” White said. “Everyone on the team has the same attitude about the desire SEE COACHES PAGE 26
ONE ON ONE
WITH JACLYN VERZUH ’19
B y luke mccann The Dartmouth Senior Staff
It’s only been a couple of weeks since the first members of the Class of 2019 began to arrive on campus, but some Big Green athletes have already made names for themselves before they did the Salty Dog Rag outside of Robinson Hall. After competing with the United States national Under-19 Ultimate Frisbee league last year and representing the youngest player on this year’s U-23 team, Verzuh also toured the country with a group of female Ultimate players this summer to promote the sport. With such a reputation before entering official college play, I talked with Verzuh to discuss her accomplishments, the future of Ultimate and her upcoming first term at the College. How did you get involved in playing Ultimate? For a sport that isn’t as popular on the competitive level, what made you want to begin taking it more seriously? JV: In Seattle, there’s a huge ultimate scene, and there are a lot of coaches who played Ultimate at a higher level that are really involved with teaching
and playing with students. I started playing Ultimate in fifth grade in my elementary school, which was a pretty unique experience because most people don’t have the opportunity to play that early. Did you have any athletic experience before Ultimate or are there any other sports you play alongside it? JV: As a kid, I played a lot of sports — soccer, basketball, softball and I ran cross-country in elementary school. The only ones I stayed with in high school were cross-country and track. I don’t play anything at the college level besides Ultimate. Playing in a traditionally maledominated sport, what’s your experience been as a female Ultimate player and where would you like to see the sport go for women in the future? JV: This summer I was a part of an awesome college program called the All-Star Ultimate Tour, where a group of us were traveling around the country. It was all women, and the purpose of the tour was to promote
SEE VERZUH PAGE 26
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ORIENTATION 2015
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2015
POSTER CHILD
KATIE MCKAY/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Collis Center displays banners welcoming the Class of 2019 to orientation.
Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Open House Thursday, September 11th • 2:00 PM Carpenter Hall, Room 201F
Fall Courses WGSS 10: Sex, Gender, and Society Four Sections: 9L, 10, 10A and 2A Hours Professors A’Ness, Choi, and Munafo Learn about the program and see complete course listings online at https://wgs.dartmouth.edu/
The African & African American Studies Program (AAAS) Welcomes the Class of 2019
Visit us at our Open House Friday, Sept. 11 from 3-4 pm Choate House Check out these fall courses:
AAAS 11: Intro to African Studies (10) AAAS 12: Race & Slavery in US History (12) AAAS 19: Africa and the World (10A) AAAS 80.06: Civil Rights in the U.S. in the 20th Century (12) Visit our website at: http://aaas.dartmouth.edu
ORIENTATION 2015
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Verzuh ’19 talks Ultimate Frisbee FROM VERZUH PAGE 24
women in Ultimate and women in sports. The thing about Ultimate is that it’s a growing sport. There’s a lot of work as it grows in the women’s, open and mixed, and I think a lot of people are thinking it’s in a stage where, with support, it can go anywhere. Ultimate isn’t the most popular varsity sport, but what do you see the future of Ultimate looking like? JV: I think it’s beginning to get more popular in college as a varsity sport, which is actually really cool because playing Ultimate is a way to meet people in college and to be a part of a great community. In the long run, I think Ultimate is headed toward varsity status. Just seeing it growing across the country, more people are playing in high school, and that will hopefully lead to more in Ultimate college and varsity teams. What’s in been like playing Ultimate on a national level, particularly as the youngest person on the U23 team?
JV: It was awesome. I was honored to play against other top teams and the core players and to learn from those players. Being able to see what Ultimate teams there are was a great opportunity because now I know some from the college scene and whose going to be big play-makers on their school teams. It’s great to already know some people on the teams, and I think people are great in the national Ultimate scene.
JV: Yes, definitely. I’m super excited and I know a few players already, some were on the under-20 team a year and half ago and I’m getting to see them again. And I’ve just heard great things about the team. What made you decide you wanted to come to Dartmouth? Did Ultimate play any role in that? JV: I was looking for a smaller school, but I also wanted somewhere where I could do any major and have a good program, whether it was business, engineering or whatever, and Dartmouth really stood out. And I was looking for a good Ultimate team, and the women’s just went to nationals so Dartmouth was on my radar for a strong, small school and a great team.
What’s it going to be like playing for a national team while you’re at school in Dartmouth? JV: The cool thing about national teams is that there are the week-long tournaments and a week of training camp before, so there isn’t a lot of travel before tournaments. And the thing is, you have to do the workouts with your team and try to get better at Ultimate when you’re not at these tournaments. Playing with the Dartmouth team is going to be great opportunity to keep going and prepare myself for nationals.
What are you most looking forward to this fall as your first term at Dartmouth? JV: I’m definitely looking forward to making some friends and exploring the outdoors. I’ve never lived in New England before, but I like to spend time outside in Seattle and I hear it’s absolutely beautiful here. This interview has been edited and condensed.
So you’re anticipating joining the Dartmouth team on campus?
Freshman athletes move in early for fall
requiring attendance at events like bingo night. According to Bird, the fall athto get better, so I was excited to letes are even serving as resources jump right in and get started.” for the other freshman who yet to Now, several fall teams have learn their way around. already started their seasons. Many athletes feel lucky to have They have also gotten their started meetbearings — and ing athletes on “Preseason has been plenty of trainother teams. really nice, because all ing — before “We actuthey add classally had a tie- my energy and time es to the mix, dye night with has been directed though they all women’s socexpressed readtoward sailing, which cer, so we got to iness for that know not only is every student-athestep. the freshman lete’s dream,” “ P r e s e a s o n o n w o m e n’s has been really soccer but also nice, because the upperclass- -Emma white ’19 all my energy men,” Bird and time has said. been directed And now that other first-years towards sailing, which is every are arriving on campus and “pre- student-athletes dream,” White o,” has begun, some coaches have said. “Adding classes will definitely encouraged their student-athletes be more to juggle, but I’m excited to begin making other friends, for it.” FROM PRESEASON PAGE 24
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5.11. 15
BASEBALL FALLS TO COLUMBIA IN THREE GAMES
STILL IN THE HUNT
COMING DOWN TO THE WIRE SOFTBALL GIOVANNIELLO ’14 WINS CREW ENDS FALLS AT NCAAS BEST FEMALE ATHLETE LEAGUE SEASON SW 2 SW 3 SW 3
DOWN THE HOME STRETCH SOFTBALL’S STREAK ENDS SW 2
MEN’S TENNIS WINS TWO SW 3
IVY ATHLETIC SPENDING SW 4
SWEET SWEEPS FOR SOFTBALL MEN’S RUGBY WINS IVY TITLE SW 2
BASEBALL DROPS 3 OF 4 SW 3
WOMEN’S LAX FALLS IN 2 OT SW 3
SOFTBALL SWEEPS YALE SW 2
BASEBALL WINS SERIES SW 3
JOSH RENAUD/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
WALK-ONS AT DARTMOUTH SW 4
LACROSSE PLAYERS RECEIVE HONORS
JOSH RENAUD/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
KANG-CHUN CHENG/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
ONE ON ONE WITH MORGAN MCCALMON ’16 GAYNE KALUSTIAN, ELIZA MCDONOUGH, JIN LEE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
KELSEY KITTELSEN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
THREE BIG GREEN SOCCER PLAYERS GO PRO
DAVID BERG ’16 HELPS LEAD BIG GREEN CYCLING Courtesy of David Berg, DANNY KIM/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
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LACROSSE FALLS TO PRINCETON 16-5
MEN’S TENNIS WINS TWO STRAIGHT
TAYLOR NG ’17 LIFTS WOMEN’S TENNIS ELIZA MCDONOUGH, NATALIE CANTAVE, KATE HERRINGTON, ALISON GUH/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
WOMEN’S TENNIS FINISHES SECOND IN IVY LEAGUE
MEN’S TENNIS UPSETS HARVARD
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HOCKEY WINS TWO, SECURES 5TH SEED IN ECAC PLAYOFFS
BASKETBALL SWEEPS FINAL HOME GAMES
JACQUELINE CRAWFORD GOES 1-ON-1 TIFFANY ZHANG, WEIJA TANG, KATE HARRINGTON, ALISON GUH/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
MEN’S BASKETBALL SPLITS HOME PAIR
MEN’S HOCKEY GOES WOMEN’S HOCKEY DROPS 1-1 ON THE ROAD LAST HOME GAMES ELIZA MCDONOUGH, WEIJA TANG, ANNIE DUNCAN, ALISON GUH/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
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ORIENTATION 2015
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experience engineering FIRST-YEAR ORIENTATION and OPEN HOUSE Friday, Sept. 11, 2015
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