The Dartmouth 02/07/19

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

VOL. CLXXV NO. 129

SNOWY HIGH 36 LOW 27

Still North Books & Bar to open in Hanover

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Regular decision numbers set record

By Blake Gill The Dartmouth

OPINION

LEUTZ: NOTHING IN MODERATION PAGE 6

HOLZER: FROM WASHINGTON TO PAWNEE PAGE 6

MIZE: PROBLEMATIZING SPOTIFY PAGE 7

ARTS

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: MONIK WALTERS ’19 LEADS IN THE ARTS ON CAMPUS PAGE 8

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Townspeople pass by the closed storefront where Still North Books & Bar will open.

B y Hannah Jinks The Dartmouth

Last year, Hanover’s downtown retail scene and identity as a college town were imperiled as Hanover lost its only two new books retailers. After 146 years of business, the Dartmouth Bookstore announced its imminent closure in September, prompting responses from students,

faculty and community members. At the end of 2018, Wheelock Books closed its doors after 26 years in operation. Now, a Dartmouth alumna plans not only to fill the void, but also to reinvigorate the book-buying experience in Hanover.

Allie Levy ’11 recently signed a lease to occupy 2,678 square feet on the first floor of the former

Winter rush sees 117 sorority bids B y Kyle Mullins

The Dartmouth Staff

During this year’s winter recruitment cycle, 117 women received bids from sororities, which includes 111 bids during the rush process and six during continuous open bidding.

These numbers are up by one from last year’s 116 extended bids, according to the Office of Greek Life.

A l p h a P h i s o ro r i t y extended 15 bids, Alpha

Xi Delta sorority extended 17, Chi Delta sorority extended 15, Kappa Delta sorority extended 15, Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority extended 15, Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority extended 15, Epsilon Kappa Theta sorority extended 10 and Sigma Delta sorority extended 15.

APhi, Chi Delt, Kappa, EKT and Sigma Delt all SEE RUSH PAGE 2

Dartmouth Bookstore location. The space will transform into Still North Books & Bar — a bookstore, café and bar fused into one — and open in fall 2019.

The building’s managing trustee Jay Campion plans to renovate the rest of the building and create office and retail space.

The new bookstore will SEE BOOKS PAGE 3

On March 28, thousands of high school students will find out whether they have been admitted to Dartmouth. The College hit a record number of 23,641 undergraduate applications for the Class of 2023, marking a 7.3 percent increase from the 22,005 applications received for the Class of 2022.

Lee Coffin, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid, said in an email statement that he believes applications increased “as a positive response to the refocused communications narrative and the expanded recruitment programming [the admissions office] introduced over the past year and a half.”

Coffin also credited the expansion of the admissions team’s online presence and effective “storytelling” as a reason for increased applications.

“The admissions website and social media platforms we introduced last winter have also been very effective, and our faculty-centered, on-campus

programming has offered prospective students an opportunity to appreciate a Dartmouth classroom experience in a compelling, firsthand way,” he wrote.

According to a College press release, admissions officers visited nearly 1,500 high schools across the U.S. and in over 50 countries, while hosting more than 10,400 prospective students in Hanover for a campus tour, information session or open house with faculty.

“The fact that [applications] were up this year speaks to the admissions office doing some really heavy travel,” said Mimi Doe, co-founder of college admissions consulting firm Top Tier Admissions.

Doe added that she is pleased with the racial and socioeconomic diversity of Dartmouth’s applicant pool this year, noting the 25 students admitted through QuestBridge.

QuestBridge is an application-based program that matches high-achieving, SEE APPS PAGE 5

SEAD expands to Upper Valley

B y Emily Sun The Dartmouth

As a first-generation college student, Caitlin Rosario Kelly, prog ram manager for educational access and equity at the Dartmouth Center for Social Impact, didn’t have access to the resources she needed to navigate the college application process. To help students in the Upper Valley faced with similar challenges, SEAD — a college access prog ram that connects first-generation low-income high school students with

Dartmouth undergraduates — recently shifted its focus to students from Upper Valley high schools, specifically Hartford High School, Stevens High School and Rivendell Academy.

“We’re excited to be working with the community that we happen to be in a l r e a d y, ” s a i d A s h l e y Doolittle, associate director of the Center for Social Impact. “We were talking and looking at a lot of recent articles that have been written on how rural, low-income students are the most underrepresented

population in higher [education]. We happen to be in a rural location with a wide array of socioeconomic strata.”

Though SEAD has worked with Upper Valley schools in the past, it has historically drawn students from schools across the U.S. SEAD will now focus on Hartford High School, Stevens High School and Rivendell Academy, which were picked through a pool of high schools within a 45 minute radius of Hanover.

SEE SEAD PAGE 2

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

SEAD mentors through Sororities hold winter rush college transition FROM RUSH PAGE 1

of February.

“The main thing that we’re “We wanted to be really mindful looking for is students who are about creating something that interested in college but potentially would be easily integrated into the don’t have that background on how school and be mutually beneficial,” to make it happen,” Rosario Kelly Doolittle said. “The schools are said.

The center is also looking for another stakeholder, and we’re really mindful that each stakeholder students committed to developing their passions, as well as those has a voice at the table.” who are excited The new focus a b o u t bu i l d i n g on local schools “We’re excited to a community of is not the only be working with young people with change to the similar values and model. Instead of the community interests for the selecting students that we happen to future, Rosario during their first Kelly said. She y e a r o f h i g h be in already.” added that school, the new the interviews model will select -ASHLEY DOOLITTLE, are intended students during to be genuine their sophomore ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR conversations year of high school OF THE CENTER FOR focused on the and follow them students. until their second SOCIAL IMPACT Doolittle said year in college. that the center will The new model is start promoting intended to allow applications for SEAD to mentor and support the selected scholars summer undergraduate Dartmouth through their transition into college. mentors starting this spring term.

“What you see in the field is that A one-year commitment will be required of college access underg raduate work is evolving “The research right mentors, in order and growing,” to sustain a sense d i r e c t o r o f now [that is] focused of engagement t h e C e n t e r on that transition with first Tracy Dustingeneration high E i c h l e r s a i d . shows that getting school students “The research students into college and the local right now [that isn’t enough. Really community. is] focused on “One of the that transition helping them be pieces that s h o w s t h a t successful through came out of getting students this evaluation into college isn’t that first year into enough. Really their second year and was that a local m o d e l , wh e re helping them through that liminal we are within be successful driving distance through that first transition is an of our college, year into their essential component is best aligned second year and with sustained t h r o u g h t h a t to college success relationships liminal transition and graduation for and long-ter m is an essential students.” mentoring,” component to Doolittle said. college success “That consistent and graduation -TRACY DUSTINtouch point over for students.” a four year period The inaugural EICHLER, DIRECTOR OF of time is really S E A D c o h o r t THE CENTER really effective in will comprise 25 sheparding high students selected school students from the three chosen Upper Valley high schools. through their last years of high The center will begin interviews for school into their first few years of high school applicants by the end college.”

FROM SEAD PAGE 1

extended slightly fewer bids than last year, while AXiD, KD and KDE extended slightly more.

All eight houses participated in the formal recruitment process, a change from previous winter recruitment, when EKT conducted an independent “shake-out” process.

This year, EKT extended four bids during formal recruiting and six additional bids during continuous open bidding, a process similar to shake-out that takes place after formal recruitment, according to EKT winter rush chair Katelyn Rea ’19.

In total, 144 women registered for winter recruitment, an increase from 125 in 2018 and 106 in 2017.

Twenty-nine women withdrew from the recruitment process, more than the 20 women who withdrew last year but fewer than the 40 who withdrew in 2017, according to the Office of Greek Life. Four women did not receive a bid.

Rea described winter recruitment as “a lot more relaxed” than fall term, when a larger number of potential new members places a greater burden on houses and sorority members.

“A p p a r e n t l y, t h e r e w e r e 300-something girls going through rush in the fall, and the [potential new member] to sister ratio was, like, 10 to 1 or something [at EKT],” said Rea, who was off campus in the fall and took over the rush chair position this term. “This term, it was, like, 3

to 1 during round one … We actually got to talk to the girls.”

This past fall, 375 women registered for sorority recruitment, and 239 bids were given out, which was a decline from 277 bids extended in both 2017 and 2016.

Kiley Galvin ’21, who accepted a bid at Sigma Delt this winter after withdrawing from recruitment in the fall, said winter recruitment was “more pleasant and more chill” than the fall.

“There’s less girls, and so there’s a lot more time to talk to people oneon-one,” Galvin said. “For the fall, just because it’s a huge quantity of girls, and it’s your first time doing it, nerves are high.”

Mila Escajadillo ’21, who accepted a bid at Chi Delt after withdrawing from recruitment in the fall, also said that winter recruitment is more personal.

“I felt like, during winter rush, since fewer other girls were rushing, I got to have better one-on-one conversations, which was great,” Escajadillo said. “[In the fall], it was tough to be all the way myself and be all the way honest about where I was at and what I was feeling in the process when there was [another potential new member] there too that I was rushing with.”

Escajadillo said that going through recruitment but withdrawing in the fall solidified her desire to join a sorority.

“Fall rush was really good because I got exposed to the system and to the houses and everything, so that I

was much more relaxed going into winter rush,” she added.

Galvin said that she thought it was strange that the identical fall and winter processes produced such different results for her.

“If this is a system where you are genuinely getting to show people who you are and sort of find a house where you ‘fit,’ why would it end up so differently both times around?” she asked. “That idea of it working out better — potentially better — for you the second time around even though it’s the same exact process is kind of … suspicious, almost?”

Escajadillo also said that, compared to fall recruitment, the Inter-Sorority Council did a better job in the winter of communicating how the algorithm that assigns potential new members to houses works. The algorithm bases its assignments on potential new members’ preferences and the sororities’ preferences, and is designed to maximize the number of women who ultimately accept a bid and allow sororities to meet quotas, according to a presentation given to potential new members at an information session.

“The ISC was a lot more transparent about what the computer system means [in the winter],” Escajadillo said. “That helped clear up a lot of confusion that was going around in the fall. … There were fewer crazy rumors flying around.”

The ISC did not respond to requests for comment.

THE SNOW SCULPTURE, A MAMMOTH UNDERTAKING

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

MICHAEL LIN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Snow sculpture construction continues on the Green, despite warm temperatures.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

Bookstore, bar and cafe to open in town FROM BOOKS PAGE 1

hold 7,000 to 10,000 volumes, spanning from literary fiction and narrative nonfiction to cookbooks, according to Levy.

“It’s important to me that the inventory reflects the tastes of the community,” she said.

Levy added that Still North Books & Bar will maintain a web portal for online ordering to ensure community members’ needs are met.

She said the store will remain open until 10 p.m., as she hopes for the space to become a hotbed of activity in downtown Hanover.

Levy said she plans to provide ample seating and communityoriented programming such as poetry readings, author visits and student a cappella performances. The beer and wine bar will serve tapas-style dishes with an emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients. Levy said she also hopes to offer a limited cocktail menu after the store’s opening.

Levy derived the name of the bookstore from the College’s alma mater, yet purposely avoided direct mentions of Dartmouth, she said.

“I wanted [the bookstore] to feel tied to Dartmouth but not explicitly,” Levy said. “It’s really important to me that this space caters to the entire community — not just faculty and students.”

Since graduating from the College in 2011, Levy has gained extensive experience in book publishing and independent bookstore management.

She previously worked in the marketing department of publishing company Houghton Mifflin Harcourt and as an events coordinator at Denver’s BookBar. She said her time at BookBar largely inspired the creation of Still North Books & Bar. She noted that BookBar’s bar and café attracted community members and helped foster a thriving social scene within the

traditional bookstore setting.

“I saw how well [BookBar’s model] worked,” Levy said. “In a high-rent town like Hanover, a bookstore needs to generate revenue other than just [through] the books.”

Still North Books & Bar’s model will emulate Campion’s vision of brick-and-mortar retail in the era of Amazon. “[Stores] need something more to sell than just acquiring things because Amazon is the king of [that],” Campion said. “[Independent retailers provide] the curated selection of goods and the shopping experience. The formula for all successful retail is to create experiences within the store so that people want to go there despite the convenience of ordering online.”

Campion said he leased the space to Levy because her model “[replicates] something that is successful elsewhere.”

He added that the budding market for independent book retailers promises the sustenance of physical bookstores, especially within Hanover.

Government professor Herschel Nachlis, who expressed his dismay at the Dartmouth Bookstore’s closure when the news initially broke last year, said he was enthused to learn of Still North Books & Bar’s opening in the fall.

“It seems [the bookstore] will nicely balance being an actual bookstore, café, bar and communal gathering space,” Nachlis said. “The number of conversations I’ve had with people over the last few months about [what community members want in a bookstore] suggests there’s a ton of demand for [this model].”

Levy, an English major, said she had always wanted to expand the independent bookstore model to Hanover, but felt discouraged by the presence of the Dartmouth Bookstore.

She decided to pursue her dream after she heard the Dartmouth Bookstore

was closing.

Seeking guidance and rallying support for her cause, Levy said she contacted English professors at the College. She said English professor Alexander Chee, whom Levy had met through her time at Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, was instrumental in the establishment of Still North Books & Bar. “[Levy] made [a positive] impression,” Chee said. “So, when she decided she was interested in [opening a bookstore in downtown Hanover], I was happy to help her.”

Chee said he and Levy collaborated to create a crowd-funding campaign on indiegogo.com. The campaign, which aspires to raise at least $100,000, will allow community members to contribute toward the expenses of stocking books at Still North Books & Bar. Levy added that she will finance additional startup costs, like rent and utilities, through bank loans and personal funds.

“People have asked me how they can contribute,” Levy said. “I wanted to a find a way they could literally buy into the bookstore.”

Levy noted that the number of U.S. independent bookstores grew by 35 percent between 2009 and 2015.

She said she hopes her crowd-funding campaign will alleviate the burdensome expenses associated with independent bookstores that often preclude further growth.

Hanover town manager Julia Griffin emphasized that Dartmouth students play an important role in sustaining local businesses such as the new bookstore.

“It’s critical that the Dartmouth student community supports the new bookstore,” Griffin said. “Dartmouth students comprise almost 50 percent of this community, so it’s the students [who] will determine the fate of downtown retail.”

DANCING IN THE LUNAR NEW YEAR

MICHAEL LIN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Dancers perform at Chinese New Year festivities to celebrate the incoming year of the pig.

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DARTMOUTHEVENTS

THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS

HAPPY LUNAR NEW YEAR

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

UUGANZUL TUMURBAATAR ’21

TODAY

5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Lecture: “The Passion Principle: Self-Expressive Career Decisions and the Reproduction of Occupational Inequality,” with University of Michigan sociology professor Erin A. Cech, Carson L01

5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

V-February: Keynote Speaker Cinnamon Spear ’09 MALS ’13, sponsored by the Native American program and the Office of Pluralism and Leadership, Rockefeller 003

9:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.

Thursday Night Live: Opera & Musical Theater, with Dartmouth students and guest baritone Alex Hurd, Hopkins Center for the Arts, Top of the Hop

TOMORROW 2:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Winter Carnival Behind-the-Scenes Art Viewing, Hood Museum of Art, Bernstein Center for Object Study

4:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Winter Carnival Night, sponsored by Dartmouth Dining Services, Class of 1953 Commons

7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Film Special: “Oscar Nominated Short Films: Documentary,” presented by Magnolia Pictures, Black Family Visual Arts Center, Loew Auditorium

ADVERTISING For advertising information, please call (603) 646-2600 or email info@thedartmouth. com. The advertising deadline is noon, two days before publication. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement. Opinions expressed in advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of The Dartmouth, Inc. or its officers, employees and agents.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

Regular decision sets record high an opportunity for reflection.

Chan and Chelliah said that low-income students with one of time constraints and a desire to the program’s 40 college partners. compare financial aid packages and One third of the 574 students offers from colleges in Canada were admitted to Dartmouth in the early reasons they chose to apply in the decision round are students of color regular decision round instead of and 14 percent will be the first in early decision. their families to go to college. Twenty “I think the recruitment effort, percent of early decision admitted the extensive travel effort of the students are admissions l e g a c i e s a n d “I think the department ...

24 percent off,” Doe recruitment effort, the paid are recruited said. “I think that athletes. The extensive travel effort it outweighed early decision of the admissions the bad press students will surrounding the make u p department ... paid [recent sexual approximately off. I think that it harassment 48 percent of the lawsuit].” outweighed the bad incoming Class I n press surrounding of 2023.

N o v e m b e r, Doe credited the [recent sexual seven students the increase filed a class in o v e r a l l harassment lawsuit].” action against applications in t h e C o l l e g e, part to a growing -MIMI DOE, CO-FOUNDER alleging that number of Dartmouth i n t e r n at i o n a l OF COLLEGE ADMISSIONS failed to protect students putting CONSULTING FIRM TOP them from the College in sexual assault by their “line of TIER ADMISSIONS. three professors vision.” She in the College’s said that in the psychology and past, this has been hard because brain sciences department. Doe international students often are said that she has heard concerns unable to visit the College. from female prospective applicants Gabrielle Chan, Shivani Chelliah related to the incident. While these and Jayden Metcalfe, three Canadian concerns are recent, Doe said some students who applied to Dartmouth students she works with have been in the regular decision round, said hesitant to apply to the College for Dartmouth’s supplementary essays years before the lawsuit. were unique and provided them with “I’ve had kids really reluctant FROM APPS PAGE 1

to apply to Dartmouth since the Rolling Stone piece [“Confessions of an Ivy League Frat Boy”] came out [in 2012],” Doe said. “Before then, I had underrepresented minority kids, kids of color be reluctant about Dartmouth because it was too rural, because it was not welcoming to diverse students and I don’t see that as much anymore.”

She added that she now hears more concerns from parents who worry about the College’s reputation as a “party school.”

Bev Taylor, founder and chief executive officer of college admissions consulting firm Ivy Coach, said she recognizes the severity of the sexual assault allegations, but disagreed that such scandals will have a long-term effect on applications to the College and acceptances of offers.

“The public is aware how seriously Dartmouth is addressing these claims of sexual misconduct by the professors,” Taylor said.

Taylor cited Harvard University’s recent high-profile court case — where the school was being sued for allegedly discriminating against Asian-American applicants — to support her claims. She said that although Harvard’s early action deadline was two days after the conclusion of the Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard trial, the university did not see a significant decline in application numbers.

Doe said she will be paying close attention to the number of students of color, first-generation students and legacies who are admitted in Dartmouth’s regular decision round.

NAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

College admission applications are read on the second and third floors of the McNutt Admissions Building.

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THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST PETER LEUTZ ’22

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST EMORY HOLZER ’22

Nothing in Moderation

From Washington to Pawnee

Taking the temperature of hot takes.

I have never been tasked with breaking a story — that’s not my job. My job is to write hot takes for The Dartmouth. To be slightly more pretentious, I am a columnist for the opinion section of America’s Oldest College Newspaper.

The image of a modern consumer sitting down to read a newspaper is obsolete. The modern media consumer is constantly multitasking and extremely busy. There exist lifetimes worth of content between the many layers of social media: dozens of which may be calling your name as we speak. Instagram, Snapchat, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and I are all jockeying for your attention.

This race is unfair for columnists like me. With so many distractions, media consumers’ attention spans have become far shorter. This phenomenon has been confirmed by Canadian neuroscientists who found in a 2015 survey that the age of the Internet has drastically improved people’s ability to multitask, yet decreased their average attention span by one third.

You can’t watch this column in the form of a four-minute clip. You can’t glance at this column, double tap and scroll. There is no 280-character limit on this column, and the further I exceed the Twitter limit, the greater the risk of losing your attention — if I still have it. My only chance against today’s media juggernauts that have suffocated the newspaper industry is to chase controversy with opinions that border on radical.

When readers have a half dozen other sites they could be on with the swipe of their finger, radical has become the new normal.

Over Winterim, I often watched the news with my parents. Their taste in news and political opinion reflects that of much of America, as every night they tuned in to watch MSNBC’s “The Rachel Maddow Show,” which is now America’s no. 1 show on cable news. Each night Maddow would uncover more dirt on Donald Trump, convincing viewers across the nation, my parents included, that Trump could be impeached any day. Maddow has been doing this since Trump has been in office, each night bringing the same alarming tone that insinuates complete crisis, because if she didn’t, viewers would stop watching. Obviously, it’s not a particularly radical opinion for Rachel Maddow to believe America’s president is in danger of impeachment. However, on day 23 of watching what was approached as an unfolding national emergency that never quite

fully unfolded, it became clear that the issue was being radically framed for the sake of viewership, and successfully so.

Maddow is leading the pack in modern journalism because of her comfort with serving crisis and controversy to a ravenous American public on a nightly basis. Beyond content, modern media has adjusted its structure to the current preferences of their evolving consumers by hitting them hard and fast with news. Snapchat news is a great example, where news companies like NBC and CNN condense the day’s news into minute-long stories that viewers can tap through at their leisure.

The modern consumer is so pressed for time that the word “opinion” itself is too long. The now-antiquated seven letter word has been superseded by its cooler younger sibling “take.” which is practically fast food for opinion writers.

These pieces hold only vaguely more profundity than their headline, which may be the only part of the piece that readers have time for. Takes are less focused on getting it right, and more concerned with getting clicks, the currency of the world of opinion-based journalism.

Purists in the world of journalism, much like Andrew Sullivan (a writer with three decades of experience in the industry), are averse to the idea of takes crowding out well-crafted opinions: “The Take is barely, if at all, edited. The young Take-producer is given no time to learn to report or read anything other than everyone else’s takes . . . Here’s 80 words on something James Franco did. Here’s 100 words on ISIS.” Ironically, I didn’t have time to read Sullivan’s entire piece about takes — proving that even traditionalists are forced to exist within journalism’s new system of opinion.

The best takes are served hot. A hot take is defined as a radical opinion that is not widely held. The hotter the take, the more airtime one is awarded. Controversy sells, and news sources need the money desperately. In this way, moderate opinions are becoming obsolete, because the modern consumer simply doesn’t have time for them. Journalists are slicing their opinions into takes and then setting them on fire, just to be heard. Moderation is unimpressive — boring, even. The disappearance of the moderate in media today is reflected by an ideologically polarized nation.

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ZACHARY BENJAMIN, Editor-in-Chief IOANA SOLOMON, Executive Editor ALEXA GREEN, Managing Editor PRODUCTION EDITORS MATTHEW BROWN & LUCY LI, Opinion Editors NIKHITA HINGORANI & CAROLYN ZHOU Mirror Editors MARK CUI, ALEX FREDMAN & EVAN MORGAN, Sports Editors JOYCE LEE & LEX KANG, Arts Editors CAROLYN SILVERSTEIN, Dartbeat Editor DIVYA KOPALLE & MICHAEL LIN, Photo Editors

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ISSUE

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

LAYOUT: Abby Mihaly, Savannah Eller

SUBMISSIONS: We welcome letters and guest columns. All submissions must include the author’s name and affiliation with Dartmouth

College, and should not exceed 250 words for letters or 700 words for columns. The Dartmouth reserves the right to edit all material before publication. All material submitted becomes property of The Dartmouth. Please email submissions to editor@thedartmouth.com.

What “Parks and Recreation” teaches about politics today.

I have no qualms about claiming that “Parks achieving this future. They will fight like hell for and Recreation” is the best sitcom of the decade. their respective opinions, but when it is all said Those who know me are certainly unsurprised and done and someone — or no one — has by this claim. If my obsession with this show won, they will have respected the fight. And was not brought up in our first conversation, afterwards, they will probably go to JJ’s Diner I have certainly quoted, referenced or forced for some breakfast food because, according to you to watch at least one of my favorite scenes. Ron Swanson, “there has never been a sadness “Parks” is my go-to pick-me-up — Andy’s that can’t be cured by breakfast food.” gleeful silliness is contagious. “Parks and Rec” The familial, collaborative relationship is my go-to for motivation — Leslie Knope’s between Leslie and Ron — people who boundless determination although vehemently is enough to inspire anyone disagree with each other, to do their homework. “Although they but also share respect for And it’s definitely my disagree on most each other — struck me go-to for a laugh — the normal the first time policies and directions as different characters that I watched the show. As make up Pawnee, Indiana for the department, I learned more about are hysterical. Basically, Ron and Leslie politics, I realized that this “Parks and Rec” is my acceptance of ideological respect each other’s go-to any day, any time. differences is all but I have always credited opinions. And, more nonexistent outside the “Parks and Recreation” show. In the face of politics importantly, they for fostering my interest today, this relationship in politics. Yet lately, I have respect that they reads as a joke — but not also attributed my outlook believe differently.” a funny one. It stings like on politics to the show. a joke in bad taste, meant When I started watching to highlight a bitter reality. the show, politics was nothing more than a Politics today seem to be, on all fronts, conversation my parents occasionally had at a rallying cry of hate. Politics divides the dinner table. Politics was a foreign concept, communities, families and classrooms, leaving something I knew was important but did not yet a wake of animosity in its path. A political understand. What I did understand, though, stance can form an unsurmountable barrier were the truly special characters, with whom between strangers and between friends. With I quickly fell in love. such rampant animosity in the political system, Watching the show for the first time, I saw it seems that meaningful, bipartisan policy is civil servants dedicated to improving their impossible. Yet this is not because of the policy communities. The Pawnee Parks Department is itself. Rather, the animosity itself between a motivated, albeit slightly dysfunctional, family the parties prevents their collaboration. of co-workers who share a common mission Nothing highlights this more than the recent of improving the town through its leisure government shutdown, which exposes the spaces. This team often falls between Leslie, refusal to cooperate between members of both a staunch liberal bent on big government to parties. provide the best goods and services to Pawnee, Watch “Parks and Recreation” and enjoy and Ron Swanson, a steadfast libertarian who the brilliant characters, the amazing world is not shy about his intention to “walk deeper the creators built and some of the most into the belly of the beast cheerfully funny television ... to further limit reckless “Build a friendship of this generation. But government spending.” also take away the with someone who In the episode “Soda idea that two people Tax,” Leslie discovers holds different political diametrically opposed that Ron initially tried to beliefs. Learn and to each other’s ideas fire her because of her can still be friends. Two bullheadedness. But he understand why they people with completely ultimately withdraws his hold those beliefs. different political views requests for termination root for each other and After all, the party line can because as he says “I’d work together to achieve rather work with a person was created to divide.” common goals. Build a of conviction than a wishyfriendship with someone washy kiss ass.” Although who holds different they disagree on most policies and directions for political beliefs. Learn and understand why the department, Ron and Leslie respect each they hold those beliefs. After all, the party line other’s opinions. And, more importantly, they was created to divide. If both sides can work respect that they believe differently. Neither are together, inspired by the friendship of Leslie right or wrong; both are equally confident and and Ron, maybe change will be reflected in valid in their ideas. But ultimately their ideas — Washington. Maybe society could channel and this has become lost in politics today — are the energy it wastes on hate into meaningful just ideas. And unlike answers, which can be positive action. Maybe we could build each correct or incorrect, ideas are subjective. Ron other up, respecting and championing the and Leslie both desire the same — an improved diversity of opinions, rather than tear people town for their generation and for generations down. As Leslie Knope says, “Positive is always to come. But they foresee different means of better than negative.”

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

PAGE 7

THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST FRANCES MIZE ’22

STAFF COLUMNIST SIMON ELLIS ’20

Problematizing Spotify

Comedic Decorum

The platform may be giving us much more than we paid for.

Comedians like Louis C.K. aren’t recognizing the power of their jokes.

For a long time, Spotify was nothing more the platform into the realms of creation itself. to me than the obscure, Swedish-born music In its heavy handed presence, Spotify has streaming platform that my artsy older sister become a commodifier of the practice of used. But five years later, it’s almost impossible listening to music. In allowing users to follow for me to envision listening to music without one another’s playlists and accounts, there is a it. I spent a few weeks over winter break number assigned to their musical clout. They with my old iPod Classic. In comparison to can stack their musical prestige against that of the luxurious, adaptively intuitive world of their friends, so that even the act of listening Spotify, listening to music on what had once is not immune to the social hierarchization been my most coveted possession (as an 11 defined by followers and likes. This formula year old, I had opted for the Classic over the for success, one that is based on a kind of Nano because that is what I believed the more quantified standard of influence, affects “serious” music listeners used) had become even the artists themselves. Unlike the sales taxing. The motion was not a click, but rather of downloadable music, which are situated an arduous scroll. Playlists were harder to around a fixed price, the royalties generated access. Navigation was more cumbersome, by an artist for their streamed music on Spotify and I felt less flexible in my listening. To jump is proportional to the number of streams, even further back in musical history, to a time with rights holders receiving an average of when music was something people held in $0.006 to $0.0084 with each streaming. The their hands and had to be retrieved from the revenues of music are now no longer based store or library, is even harder to grasp. on the preeminent judgment of a label, but As of this month, Spotify provides its 207 are a product of the activity of the listeners million active users, 96 million of whom are — which has been determined, at least in paying subscribers, with part, by Spotify itself. more than 40 million Spotify has assigned to songs. Its resultant “Spotify has assigned to music listening — one impact on listening music listening — one of the most intimate behavior and conduct is and personal of acts extreme. It is not just an of the most intimate — a public and explicit intermediary platform and personal of acts social ranking. This for the listener and the raises questions of — a public and explicit also listened-to, but a heavy performative listening — handed influencer, whose social ranking. This if users know that others music — something it also raises questions of can see what they’re provides, but does not choosing to listen to, do historically produce — performative listening they in turn modify their has become inextricable — if users know that choices? from its function as an The platform’s others can see what interface. Further, the dominance was never codependency of Spotify they’re choosing to more apparent than when and the listener seems listen to, do they in turn it introduced “Spotify to increase with each Running,” a feature that new feature developed modify their choices?” matched music to one’s by the program. It gives running tempo. This its listeners music and was removed in March then allows them to organize it in whatever of 2018, but for a brief time, Spotify had order they want. The structure of an album reached its all-encompassing hands beyond has never been so malleable to the point just the rhythm of people’s music, and into where it could even be considered irrelevant. the very physical movement of their lives.

Users can send their music to their friends One of the only places where the chink in and create collaborative playlists. It serves as Spotify’s armor shows is when it hasn’t been both an encyclopedia and vendor, providing granted access to a portion of or the entirety artists’ biographical information, announcing of an artist’s discography. It wasn’t until nearby concert dates and selling merchandise. Christmas Eve of 2016 that Spotify finally It televises to a user’s followers what they are won over The Beatles, and it has yet to obtain listening to, both in the past and in that very Beyoncé’s “Lemonade,” a glaring absence moment. People’s musical lives have never noted by a blurb at the top of her artist’s page been more public. that reads “Beyoncé’s album ‘Lemonade’ is Spotify recommends music to and not currently available on Spotify. We are curates playlists for its users based on their working on it and hope to have it soon.” past streams. Genre-based playlists are This serves as a reminder that music has a constructed by employees with impossibly life beyond what Spotify chooses to show its authoritative titles like “Global Head of users. It prompts people to be conscious of Rock Music” and “Global Head of Dance & the ways in which platforms can dominate Electronic Music.” In this sense, could it be what they are supposed to be delivering. So argued that in this feedback loop of streaming maybe, despite the fact that I can’t listen to that informs future suggested streaming, it “Hold Up” or “Freedom” with the same ease is ultimately defining users’ tastes for them, that I listen to the rest of my music, I should and on its own terms? And now, under the be grateful for Beyoncé’s resistance. She is pretense of “Spotify Sessions,” it even records one of the final holdouts in a battle for our music with artists on its own label, moving musical lives.

In the op-ed “Red, White and Offended” and content. published in The Dartmouth on Jan. 31, Peter This sort of phenomenon is not limited Leutz delves into the issue of free speech in to Louis C.K. and other comedians who comedy and declares that infamous comedian traditionally rely on shock-value as part of their Louis C.K.’s recent jokes and their offensive repertoire. Comedian Kevin Hart recently came content “should be of little concern” as long as under fire for “jokes” he posted to his personal they’re for comedic purposes. I applaud Leutz Twitter, referring to someone’s profile picture for his defense of free speech and his analysis of on Twitter as a “gay billboard for AIDS” and modern comedic discourse, but as a person who making other homophobic comments. Hart’s both preforms and enjoys comedy, I disagree response to criticism over these comments with his thesis entirely. While many comedians seems to fall in line with Leutz’s thought rely on “shock value” and often tread the grey process, as Hart notes in a 2015 interview, “I area of “too far” and “just enough,” C.K. should wouldn’t tell that joke today, because when I be heavily criticized, and said it, the times weren’t as his jokes, such as his “If you break down sensitive as they are now.” most recent mocking Hart’s comments, even of Parkland shooting C.K.’s comments in an more than C.K.’s, simply survivors, have no place effort to find the joke capitalize on offensive and in modern comedy. derogatory language and It’s one of the first or the comedic device parade it around under rules I was taught as that he was relying the defense of free speech I began the incredibly on, you’ll end up just and comedic freedom. rule-laden process of This sort of content is not improving my improv: finding a man making only cheap comedy — it “Don’t make cheap fun of teenagers who fails to qualify, in my mind, jokes.” I focus on avoiding as comedy at all. things like unnecessary thought they were What is left then of the swearing, derogatory or going to die and are modern state of comedy? inflammatory jokes and Are we to simply continue now standing up for going for the cheap laugh. to joke about airplane This isn’t to say my scenes their cause.” food for the rest of time? are void of these vices, I believe there is a place but a study of comedy for shock comedy, and has shown me that these jokes are feeble and there certainly should be license for comedians tenuous. Simple jokes like C.K.’s regarding to push the envelope as long as their jokes are the Parkland shooting rely on one of the most well thought out and do not simply rest on basic and simple comedic principles: content- shocking people to the point of laughter. Jokes based shock value. It’s funny when I swear out that lack substance and fail to surpass the low of nowhere in a scene in the same way you bar of having some sort of humor outside of wouldn’t expect a child to drop the F-bomb their direct content achieve low-quality giggles on his father, and you may laugh at C.K. as at the expense of those they offend. Certainly, he effortlessly makes light of a life and death experienced comedians such as Hart and C.K. situation. It’s because it’s shocking and you could come up with more developed jokes. weren’t expecting it. While shock value does I’m not refuting their right to free speech, have a role in comedy, it’s the epistemic nature but rather the principle Leutz proposes of of C.K.’s comments that allowing jokes likes these make them unacceptable “Even as a joke, to pass by without criticism and begin to clear the once as “attempt(s) at comedy.” grey line of “going too far” speech has power — Even as a joke, speech and that’s something has power — and that’s in comedy.

If you break down that everyone, even something that everyone, C.K.’s comments in an even comedians, can do effort to find the joke or comedians, can do better at recognizing and the comedic device that better at recognizing accepting. he was relying on, you’ll Of course, no comedian is end up just finding a man and accepting.” perfect. Many have recently making fun of teenagers come under fire for past who thought they were jokes, from Sarah Silverman going to die and are now standing up for their to Jerry Seinfeld. That doesn’t mean, though, cause. Leutz remarks that “the greatest insult that Millennials are overreacting or being too to school shooting survivors has been Congress sensitive, as Leutz would argue. My hope is doing nothing” and prescribes that those that as society continues to evolve and change, angry with C.K.’s comments should “direct comedy continues to change too. I hope that [their] anger in a more productive direction.” the comedy community continues to remain Allowing inflammatory comments that serve to self-critical, treading through the grey area capitalize on cheap shock-value humor to pass of comedy as they always have, but perhaps without criticism is dangerous. At the end of stepping just a little bit lighter than C.K. has the day, C.K. and comedians like him simply done. The process isn’t perfect — I have my play on problematic tropes. Making jokes to the fair share of indecorous jokes — but allowing chagrin of affected people and communities jokes to go without criticism for the sake of only normalizes already troublesome dialogue “comedy” is a reckless game to play.

PAGE 8

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

Student Spotlight: Monik Walters ’19 leads in the arts on campus B y courtney mckee The Dartmouth

Monik Walters ’19 wears many hats. As Student Assembly president, president of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at Dartmouth, leader of the Dartmouth Alliance for Children of Color, Hopkins Center curatorial fellow, a member of Ujima and choreographer for D-Step, Walters has made an impact on various spaces on campus, especially in the arts.

In her freshman year, she cofounded D-Step, a dance troupe open to all who are interested.

“My friends and I thought about what was missing on campus, which was a space to find community in dance without fear of not making the cut,” Walters said. “As eight black women, we recognized the importance of step in our community, and we wanted to share

the joy of step in a way that catered to everyone.”

Wa l t e r s a l s o wo rk s a s a choreographer for D-Step, creating intricate routines that incorporate the body as an instrument of percussion.

“Listening to music is a real experience,” she said. “The beats, sounds, and tones in a song are my gateway to mapping out movements that would look good on a body.

I’ve choreographed in many genres, sometimes hip hop, sometimes contemporary. It depends on what kind of movement matches the song.”

As a dancer in high school, Walters came to Dartmouth knowing dance was something she wanted to pursue, but she didn’t know what she would find.

“I liked that Ujima was centered around people of color,” Walters said. “I found what I was looking for in the dance community.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MONIK WALTERS

Monik Walters was a member of the “Chicago” cast in 2016.

T h o s e w h o s e e Wa l t e r s ’ performances remark on her stage presence and fluidity of movement.

“Any time I’m watching a group, my eyes are drawn to her; not just the moves, but how she does them,” Amara Gordon ’19 said. “She has her own unique artistry that she brings to any performance.”

Wa l t e r s ’ ex t e n s i ve d a n c e experience has taught her to consider the character of her audience before she goes onstage when she performs.

“I trust I know the movement on my body, so if I’m at a Greek house, I try to figure out how to keep them entertained as it’s more intimate and visible,” Walter said. “If I’m in an auditorium, I think about how my emotions will read to the person that is farthest from me.”

Along with her involvement in D-Step and Ujima, Walters is a curatorial fellow for the Hopkins Center. Open to juniors and seniors,

this position allows students a chance to fully produce shows, from curating the performers to putting it on the stage.

“I was reached out to by [Hopkins Center Director] Mary Lou Aleskie after she saw my work around campus,” Walters said. “I have been tasked with producing, managing and curating Thursday Night Live to showcase students. I’m part of conversations about next year’s calendar, seeing what talent would be well-received.”

Though Walters’ activities on campus are wide-ranging, her consciousness of the needs of people, as well as her comfort around them, unites her work in the public spheres of the arts and student politics.

“I have been able to bring different conversations to different rooms,” Walters said. “What students want more creatively, I try to open those doors. I try to stay

aware of different worlds and how they can benefit from each other.”

Those who encounter Walters are struck by her energy, sensitivity and warmth.

“No matter the context [in which] you meet her, you gravitate towards her,” Jovanay Carter ’19 said.

“Metaphorically and physically, because she hugs you for 10 seconds.

She just has a presence that shines light, even when she’s down.”

Through all her accomplishments, Walters stays grounded in the knowledge that she can better the lives of individuals though her work. She hopes to keep people entertained, in whatever form that takes, for the rest of her life.

“As cliche as it sounds, I’m passionate about people,” she said.

“There is something so pure about connection with someone. The arts have expanded my knowledge of what it means to connect, physically, emotionally and mentally.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF MONIK WALTERS

Monik Walters is the co-founder and a choreographer of D-Step, a dance team at Dartmouth.