VOL. CLXXV NO. 137
SUNNY HIGH 23 LOW 0
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
Students concerned by Kirsten Gillibrand ’88 DDS allergen labeling presents policy positions
OPINION
HOLZER: IN DEFENSE OF THE LINE
KYLE MULLINS/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ’88 (D-NY) speaks to a crowd of over 400 students on Saturday.
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SZUHAJ: MY ONE WILD AND PRECIOUS LIFE PAGE 4
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LORRAINE LIU/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Students have noticed discrepancies for allergen labeling.
B y JENNIE RHODES The Dartmouth Staff
Throughout the Class of 1953 Commons, there are large signs with the words “Allergy Alert” in red bold letters. These signs state that Dartmouth Dining Services “endeavors to identify and label all known ingredients which are considered common allergens.” However, several students have expressed concerns that DDS has mislabelled allergens and has not adequately allerted diners of possible cross contamination. Approximately three percent of Dartmouth’s student population has at least one food allergy, according
B y Kyle mullins The Dartmouth Staff
to Dartmouth Dining Services director Jon Plodzik. While DDS does not have a full list of students with food allergies, approximately 70 current students have met with DDS prior to attending Dartmouth to inquire about the allergen precautions, according to DDS head nutritionist Beth Rosenberger. However, there are many students who do not request meetings with DDS and “go under the radar,” she said. “[Those students who fly under the radar] don’t SEE DDS PAGE 5
“My squash coach is right there!” Wi t h t h at exc i t e d remark, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ’88 (D-NY) took the stage at her alma mater, becoming the first declared presidential candidate in the 2020 cycle to visit Dartmouth. Gillibrand spoke to a crowd of over 400 students and community members on Saturday in a packed Alumni Hall. Rep. Annie Kuster ’78 (D-NH) and state senator Martha Hennessey ’76 (D-Hanover) delivered
o p e n i n g r e m a rk s a t the event. Hennessey reflected briefly on her time at Dartmouth and told students to look around at their peers because “one of them just may one day be president of the United S t at e s ! ” Ku s t e r t o l d students to welcome all presidential candidates to New Hampshire with “radical hospitality” and said that Gillibrand “carries our collective values of honesty, of integrity, of fairness and of compassion for all.” Gillibrand began her speech by introducing herself and emphasized
her previous work on female politicians’ campaigns in New York City. An Asian studies major at Dartmouth, she said she became interested in working in policy when she saw thenFirst Lady Hillary Clinton speak about human rights in Beijing and asked herself, “Why [am] I [not] invited to that?” Gillibrand and her husband moved back to her native upstate New York when she decided to run for Congress as a Democrat in 2007 in a “two-to-one Republican” SEE GILLIBRAND PAGE 3
HB 481 seeks to legalize marijuana in New Hampshire B y kyle mullins
The Dartmouth Staff
The possibility of legalizing marijuana has reached New Hampshire, and its chances of success have never been higher. House Bill 481, introduced in the state House of Representatives in January by state Rep. Renny Cushing
(D-Hampton), would legalize, regulate and tax cannabis, making New Hampshire the 11th state to do so. The bill comes on the heels of a report released by a legislative commission last year that made recommendations to legislators should the state choose to legalize marijuana. Several of these recommendations
are included in HB 481, including a ban on possession for those under 21, a limit on the number of cultivated plants per household and a ban on public consumption of the drug. Possession of up to one ounce of cannabis and five grams of concentrated cannabis would be legal. Marijuana is currently legal
in every state that borders New Hampshire. Maine and Massachusetts legalized it by ballot referendum in 2016 and Vermont’s state legislature legalized it in 2018. Canada also legalized marijuana in 2018. In New Hampshire, marijuana possession is decriminalized for up to three quarters of an ounce — meaning that offenders
would receive a fine, not criminal charges — and medical use is legal. State senator Martha Hennessey ’76 (D-Hanover), a sponsor of the bill, said that while the new Democratic majority in both houses of the state legislature makes passage SEE MARIJUANA PAGE 5
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THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Clubhouse social event attracts 150 student attendees B y hannah jinks The Dartmouth
Alternative social spaces diversify the range of activities available to Dartmouth students. This past Friday, the house communities and Palaeopitus senior society partnered to host Clubhouse, an alternative social event that was introduced at the College last year. The 150 students who swiped into the event at House Center A, commonly known as the Onion, enjoyed free food, massage therapy and student performances by DJ Fresh Prince and the Brovertones. Alcohol was also available for attendees aged 21 and over. Attendee Alexis Castillo ’19 noted that the variety of activities Clubhouse offers attracts a large pool of students. In particular, students looking to socialize outside of Greek houses may have attended the event, Castillo said. “I like [Clubhouse] because it offers so many options,” she said. “[Clubhouse] tries to offer something for everyone here, and I think that’s what makes [Clubhouse] successful.” Undergraduate advisor Hannah Lang ’21 said Clubhouse is comparable to BarHop, a program that has been on hiatus since May 2017. Both events attract undergraduates and graduate students, according to Lang. She added that she and her fellow undergraduate advisors hoped the raffle prizes would compel more
This term’s Clubhouse combined students to attend Friday’s Clubhouse. Students could enter to receive aspects of the previous two Clubhouses held last prizes ranging from winter and spring a Lou’s Restaurant “[Clubhouse] terms. North Park and Bakery gift card offers a more chill assistant director of to a pair of Apple vibe if you’re not residential education AirPods. Riccardo Purita said Celeste Kearney into the Greek students involved ’19, a member of i n Pa l a e o p i t u s Palaeopitus, said scene. The 8 p.m. c o n n e c t e d Clubhouse allows to 10 p.m. time with student students with limited block is really performers after the involvement in the performances saw a house communities effective too, high turnout of 400 to interact with because it doesn’t attendees last spring. them. The unique “[Palaeopitus] opportunity to meet necessarily wanted a similar newpeopleoutsidethe compete with vibe to last year,” Greek communities going out on a Purita said. “They compelled her to combined the games, attend, Kearney said. Friday night.” crafts and massage “[Clubhouse] therapy of last winter offers a more chill with the student vibe if you’re not into -CELESTE KEARNEY performances of last the Greek scene,” she ’19, A MEMBER OF spring.” said. “The 8 p.m. to PALAEOPITUS He added that 10 p.m. time block is he hopes events like really effective too, Clubhouse continue because it doesn’t to thrive on campus necessarily compete in order for house communities to with going out on a Friday night.” Kearney added that while the intermingle and to provide students free alcohol might entice seniors and with alternative social options. graduate students to come, other Zachary Benjamin ’19, editor-in-chief of students may also be encouraged to attend Clubhouse to escape the Greek The Dartmouth, is a member of Palaeopitus senior society. scene.
SNOW FALLS ON THE ONION
ALISON ZENG/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
On a winter day, snow falls and piles up around House Center A.
CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
Gillibrand, first announced presidential candidate to visit, sees 400 FROM GILLIBRAND PAGE 1
when it’s hard — especially when it’s hard.” district. Gillibrand beat the After Gillibrand’s 20-minute incumbent Republican candidate s p e e ch , s h e t o o k q u e s t i o n s by six points and won her first from the audience. During the re-election race by a 24-point question and answer session, she margin. She was later appointed to expressed support for multiple Hillary Clinton’s policy proposals vacant Senate seat popular within in 2009 and has “Not only did I the Democratic since consistently win that too-red party. won statewide When asked Republican district, re-election about how she b y s i g n i f i c a n t but when I became would address margins. climate change, senator for the Gillibrand she said that the state, I was able to noted that the “Green New D e m o c r a t i c constantly bring Deal,” a package presidential of environmental people together, not candidate in 2020 and social policies will need to “heal” only winning the red p r o m o t e d b y political divides. Rep. Alexandria areas and purple “[They’re] Ocasio-Cortez going to need to areas in the state — (D-NY), is be able to speak as well as the blue “an excellent to people in red framework for a areas — but [also] places and purple lot of things we places about their having the highest need to change.” lives, about their vote totals in the “I think challenges, about addressing global their fears and history of the state.” climate change is about what are the one of the most right solutions for urgent crises -SENATOR KIRSTEN this country,” she that’s facing all GILLIBRAND ’88, (D-NY) of humanity,” said. Gillibrand said Gillibrand she is a candidate said, calling who can do just that. for investment in clean water “Not only did I win that too- infrastructure and renewable red Republican district, but when energy sources. I became senator for the state, I When asked about health care was able to constantly bring people policy, Gillibrand said that in her together, not only winning the red early Congressional races, she ran areas and purple areas in the state on a version of “Medicare for All,” — as well as the blue areas — but the universal healthcare program [also] having the highest vote totals backed by Senator Bernie Sanders in the history of the state,” she said. (I-VT) and progressive Democrats. According to her, the 2020 “Anyone should be able to buy presidential race is about “taking into Medicare at a price they can on the corruption and greed afford,” she said, suggesting a rate in Washington that literally of four percent of an individual’s decides everything.” She added income. “That is how you get to [a] that “federal lobbyists” for drug single-payer [healthcare system]. companies and the National Rifle That will drive out most of the Association are examples of money insurance players.” and greed creating “problems in Gillibrand mostly refrained Washington.” from directly attacking President “When they say we can’t have Donald Trump during her remarks universal background checks, it’s until she was asked about her views because they want to sell weapons on immigration policy and Trump’s to terrorists on the terrorist watch recent declaration of a national list, they want to sell a semi- emergency to acquire funding for automatic military-style weapon a border wall. She noted that “the to a teenager in a Walmart,” only emergency is in President Gillibrand said. “When you ask Trump’s mind.” the question, ‘Why can’t things get “The worst thing [Trump has] done in Washington?’ I’ll tell you done is create fear in this country,” the answer ... It’s not capitalism Gillibrand said. “He’s created fear [and] it’s not corporate America. and hatred and a darkness that I’ve It’s greed.” never seen before.” Gillibrand concluded her Gillibrand said she supported remarks by telling students to “comprehensive immig ration “stand up for what’s right, even reform” and an end to the “child
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separation policy” that has led to migrant children on the border being kept in “a prison.” Following the public event, Gillibrand met with 20 students from College Democrats who had helped plan the event. When asked about her thoughts on the other candidates in the race, Gillibrand said that her plan was “to be nice to my colleagues.” She also reiterated her support for reproductive freedom, calling it a “basic civil right,” and stated that she will not demonize the press while in office. College Democrats president Gigi Gunderson ’21 said she was happy with the turnout for the main event. Gunderson estimated that a fifth of the on-campus population RSVP’d for the event, not including community members. “Getting to see all the energy on campus — so many students and so many different community members — it’s always great,” Gunderson said. Emily Carter ’19 said that for her, it is important that a candidate presents “a unifying and pragmatic vision.” “Pushing against what [Trump’s] done is incredibly important, but I think it’s very important that we put forward a vision of our own,” Carter said. She added that she is worried Gillibrand is listening to a “more identity-based, social media activist group of people.” “I’m not sure their style of argument is what our country needs in opposition to Trump,” she said. New London resident Patrick Noble said that the event was “a great opportunity to hear [from] the presidential candidate” and that he would return to Dartmouth for future candidate visits. Patrick Noble said he was concerned about Gillibrand’s ability to “capture [the] votes in the middle of the country that Hillary Clinton could not capture.” Lenore Noble, also a New L o n d o n re s i d e n t , s a i d t h at Gillibrand “has passion and [is] also engaging” and is looking forward to hearing “more specifics” on her policy proposals, noting that she liked Gillibrand’s ideas about job training programs. Lily Steckel ’22 said that she learned a lot about Gillibrand as a person and a candidate through the event. In particular, Steckel said she liked Gillibrand’s position on climate change. “[Gillibrand] said it’s a global emergency,” she said. “I agree with that — I think it’s what the government’s number one priority should be.”
BAKER-BERRY AT DUSK
LORRAINE LIU/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Baker-Berry Tower looms over the snow-covered Green.
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CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST EMORY HOLZER ‘22
STAFF COLUMNIST BEN SZUHAJ ‘19
In Defense of the Line
My One Wild and Precious Life
Good things come to those who wait.
I hold my coat tight to my chest, the only protection from the biting Chicago cold. The sun just edges up from the jagged tree line, casting long shadows on the almost vacant Toys-R-Us parking lot. It is 4 a.m., and I could not be more awake. The year is 2006, I am 7 and my brother and I have managed to convince my mom to wait in line with us to buy the newly released Wii. A wad of ones and fives bulges in my pocket, dollar by dollar meticulously saved from the past year of birthdays, holidays and any odd jobs with which my neighbors would trust a 2nd grade child. Like everyone who arrived in line earlier than the store’s 8 a.m. opening, we had managed to snag a Wii, but the now outdated gaming console is, unsurprisingly, not what sticks with me all these years later — my brother ended up selling it to pay for some newer system. No, what sticks with me is the line. The line is truly an egalitarian concept. Reward is based solely on one’s place in line. The longer one is willing to wait, the more likely he or she will achieve the desired end. A great equalizer, the concept of a line ensures that access to a resource is purely correlated to the amount of time one is willing to wait. In most cases, money or power do not expediate the process of waiting in a line. Everyone — regardless of race, wealth, gender or creed — has to wait. In late 2017, my mother and I stood in the pouring rain on an unremarkable street corner in Washington, D.C. Determined to eat at my favorite restaurant, Bad Saint, we arrived two and a half hours before its opening. As the restaurant takes no reservations, a line begins to form as early as 2:30 p.m. on weekends, a whole three hours before the restaurant opens. But the rain presented no obstacle to us and to others in the line. To many this behavior would seem irrational, but to everyone in line the food and the experience is worth the wait. In fact, to many, the wait makes the experience. As the restaurant opened its doors and people began to trickle in, we started to notice people leaving the line. In their place popped up other people, dressed in dry clothes, not shaking from the cold, and unfamiliar to those of us who waited hours in the rain. We were told by those around us that these people had used “line waiters.” Professionals of this self-explanatory term wait in line in the place of individuals who do not want
to spend the time in line. My vision of the line as a direct product of effort had shattered. People were evading the requirements of the line by hiring stand-ins. Not only did this strike me as unfair, it also removed the whole experience of waiting, still resulting in a good meal without any of the work usually necessary to attain the experience. To most, the line is nothing but a chore that must be completed to reach a desired end. Whether it be a delicious meal, a rollercoaster or a brand-new Wii, the line is merely an additional price to pay. Often, one weighs this cost against the perceived reward, leading to a common declaration that “it is not worth the wait.” A long line causes many to pass over what they would not otherwise. But the line is only negative in framing. On its basest level, a line is a grouping of people who, at the very least, share one similarity: they all have an interest in what they are waiting for. Humans, for the most part, enjoy interacting and communicating with each other. So why is this viewed as a cost when in the setting of a line as opposed to a bar or coffee shop? Interacting with people in a line builds connections. Waiting in a line creates an experience. Like waiting in a long line for a ride at Disney World, anticipation builds. Through the line, one imagines the end product, so that when one finally gets to the front of the line and gets on the rollercoaster or sits down for a meal, the ride is all the more fun and the food tastes all the better. Waiting for something forces that person to want it, and when it finally comes, to appreciate it. If one puts in the work, and waits in a line, one is bound to be rewarded. It might not be with a Wii or a massive milkshake. The reward might not be the direct product of the line. But the line itself will reward in time with a memory that cannot be attained with a line-waiter. It might seem logical, to those who can afford the service, to simply avoid the line altogether by paying someone else to wait. However, taking this shortcut often fails to reap the same benefit as those who devote their own time. Waiting in that vacant parking lot at 4 a.m., I thought what mattered most about the day was getting a Wii. What I did not realize, though, was that the most I would get from that day had already been given to me the second I got out of bed and climbed into my mom’s car in my PJs.
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ISSUE
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
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Difficult questions are worth asking even if there are no clear answers.
My intent was to write an article about US tax reform — that’s why I went to Dirt Cowboy Café, my writing spot. I came in late in the afternoon, around closing time. It was quiet. I ordered my usual coffee, paid, found a table and realized I forgot to ask for a glass of water. A young barista whom I recognized but whose name I did not know brought me my coffee. I thanked her. Before I could ask for a glass of water, she said: “Oh, you probably want a glass of water.” “That would be great,” I said, surprised that she had known. “Thank you.” “I just figured. Haven’t seen you around as much.” She was right: I hadn’t been around as much. Too many tests, papers, races — too many things. I explained to her that I had been busier than usual, but that I was grateful to be here now. “I love coming to Dirt Cowboy,” I added. “It’s my favorite cafe in the world.” “That’s nice,” she said, and smiled. I had no idea if Dirt Cowboy was her favorite cafe in the world. It probably wasn’t. But, in the moment, she seemed genuinely happy for me. Something about this interaction struck me. The longer I thought about it, the more I leaned toward believing that there was something elusive and satisfying about how, in this seemingly minor interaction, my joy had been affirmed, reflected back on me. There is a Sanskrit word for this concept: “mudita,” meaning joy at another’s joy, or the opposite of jealousy. It’s a concept I’ve always quite liked — and one that, in the moment, I realized could have implications far beyond just satisfying my linguistic curiosity. This was a huge relief. Let me explain: This realization brought me back to a question I had been turning over in my mind for a while. It was a question I had been asked at, of all places, a birthday dinner. It went like this: “What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” The questioner was quoting the poet Mary Oliver, and, in doing so, had threatened to send our assembly of 20-somethings down the existential rabbit hole. Fortunately, that didn’t end up happening, at least not fully. We went around the table and provided fairly succinct answers. Mine involved trying to live one day at a time, focusing on what I could control, trying to make a positive impact and having consistent check-ins to assess how I was doing with all that. I thought this was a satisfactory answer. But then the next person went, and she questioned what it meant to make a positive impact. How do we know if we’re helping? How do we choose who to help? This question stemmed from a previous one that went something like this: There are roughly 7.7 billion people in the world. Each is living out his one precious life, at the center of his own universe, dealing with his own set of problems, growing, changing, feeling — where, then, should we set the boundaries of our empathy? If we, as humans, don’t have the emotional bandwidth to fully comprehend everyone, or to care about every problem, then where do we draw the line? When considering this question, it is important to remember that
at some point, observing images of injustice without taking meaningful action becomes more an act of voyeurism than an act of bearing witness. So, now you know. This is what I was thinking about when I went to Dirt Cowboy to write about tax reform. These two questions — Where should I draw the line? What should I do with my life? — felt inexplicably bound, correlated with each other, but individually difficult to solve. I was looking for clues — taking walks, polling my friends — but had no good leads, at least not until my interaction with the barista, until that moment of mudita. It was quantifiable: To practice empathy by sharing in the joy of others. It was good: To increase net positive affect in the world. It was a part of how I would like to spend my life. But it wasn’t the whole story. Mudita alone wasn’t enough to satisfy me. I needed something more, a drive, a purpose. I needed an “ikigai,” a Japanese concept meaning a reason for being, that which gets you out of bed in the morning. Did I have an ikigai? Maybe … I had a few passions, but I wasn’t sure I had an ikigai. This struck me as strange. Passion and drive had been nurtured in me from a young age. That upbringing was one of the reasons why I was at Dartmouth, why I was writing this article. I concluded that the environment where I grew up suffered from a distorted form of ikigai, as well as a disregard for mudita. The America of big business and income inequality, of tribal politics and social media echo chambers cared very little for enhancing the joy of others, while simultaneously caring very much for selfappeasement, often by way of the pursuit of money. This pursuit of money is technically a form of ikigai, but it isn’t a very good one: If you spur positive change as a byproduct of getting rich, then you got lucky. Money is a concept and the pursuit of it is neither fundamentally good nor bad. It just is. I thought about American consumerism, about our strange preoccupation with superlatives — being the best, biggest, strongest, richest — and came to the conclusion that this, too, was something I had chaffed against for a long time. Almost anything, however virtuous, taken to an extreme is usually a bad thing — or, as my father liked to remind me: Even water is toxic in high enough concentrations. I decided that my two-part answer to how I wanted to spend my life needed a third component: “Lagom,” the Swedish word for just the right amount. I — as well as society at large — would benefit from taking pride in the perfection of modesty: Striking a balance is often far harder than simply resorting to an extreme. As I explored the question of how I wanted to spend my life, so many other questions appeared in front of me: How might my answer change over time? How might my current answer differ from those of other people? I had no clear answers for questions like these, and that was okay. The act of asking them was inherently valuable. If anything, that was my biggest takeaway from this whole experience: the value of reflecting, of finding quiet space, of examining SEE SZUHAJ PAGE 6
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
Students voice allergen concerns Rosenberg said that nuts were eliminated from the bakery to understand how much work we do reduce the chance of allergic for them,” Plodzik said. reaction or cross-contamination. DDS uses Computrition, a food However, Moreland said that labeling and nutrition software, to he has recently seen desserts at ’53 label its food. The menus for every Commons containing nuts. meal at ’53 Commons, Collis Café, “Since the new sign got put up, Courtyard Café and Novack Café I saw [that] one of the desserts can be found on the Dartmouth had walnuts in it,” he said. “It was Dining website. labeled as containing nuts, but was Online, each dish is labeled with sitting right next to sign that said its nutrition facts and ingredients, desserts no longer contain nuts.” in addition to symbols denoting ’53 Commons is not the only the eight major location that has seen allergens: milk, eggs, students have allergic “There are a fish, shellfish, tree reactions. A student nuts, peanuts, wheat lot of things had an allergic reaction and soybeans. In to Collis stir-fry during that exist addition, allergens fall ter m when a including sesame, in that area drop of peanut sauce coconut and pork are that give contaminated their stiralso labeled. Food is fry, despite the use of a also denoted if it is people with nut-free pan, according halal, kosher, gluten food allergies to Rosenberg. Since free, vegetarian or the incident, Collis has anxiety.” vegan. stopped serving peanut “Very few things sauce. we offer pass through -JOHN Moreland said without being labeled he believes it is strange MORELAND ’22 correctly,” Plodzik that wh i le th e ’ 53 said. Commons bakery no But despite Plodzik’s assurance, longer contains nuts, Collis Café students have noted that multiple has not taken the same initiative. dishes have been incorrectly labeled. He added that he is confused at the For example, the 3-foot party sub fact that Collis Café removed the offered at ’53 Commons on Feb. peanut sauce option from its stir-fry 8 was labeled as containing dairy, station, but ’53 Commons still has pork, soy and wheat. However, the salads at the salad bar containing sesame seed-covered bread lacked nuts. a sesame allergen label. “Clearly [having dishes with Similarly, while the hummus nuts] is a health hazard, so why are at the kosher station is labeled as they not fixing it?” Moreland said. containing sesame, the hummus at “ ... If they can’t handle [having the salad bar is not labeled in ’53 dishes with nuts], they shouldn’t Commons as containing sesame do it or they should create a better (though its listing online does say it system.” contains sesame), noted Liz Cook Beyond incorrect labeling, ’21, who is allergic to peanuts, tree students have raised concerns nuts, soy and sesame. about the ease of possible cross“People with food allergies are contamination at some parts of ’53 usually pretty good at knowing what Commons. Moreland questioned we can and can’t eat because we’ve why at the toaster station, the peanut been doing it our whole lives, but it’s butter and Nutella condiments are concerning when you notice things not separated. that are mislabeled,” Cook said. “There are a lot of things that “You have to question everything.” exist in that area that give people In some cases, mislabelled dishes with food allergies anxiety,” he said. have caused allergic reactions. Cait McGovern ’21, who is For instance. the Class of 1953 gluten-free, said that she finds it Commons recently removed all difficult to eat at ’53 Commons, desserts containing nuts at its dessert given the dining hall’s select glutenstation. John Moreland ’22, who is free options and her fear of possible allergic to nuts, said he believes the cross-contamination. change may be due to his having had McGovern also noted that even two severe allergic reactions to the though DDS added a gluten-free desserts in fall term. He said that sticker to one of the ice cream the second time he had a reaction, flavors at ’53 Commons, students it was because the banana bread he use the same scoopers for flavors ate was mislabeled. that contain gluten. During that instance, banana In addition, some students bread that was labeled as not expressed concerns that while some containing nuts was replaced with foods are listed by the manufacturers another banana bread containing as having possibly been crosswalnuts, but the allergy symbol on contaminated in their facilities, the paper label of the dessert did DDS does not always make this not change, Moreland said. evident. According to Rosenberger, FROM DDS PAGE 1
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DDS does not list this kind of possible cross-contamination in the allergen labeling present at ’53 Commons. “If we take into account someone who has a peanut allergy, for example, if we tagged everything that is made in a facility that processes peanuts, they would have nothing to eat,” Rosenberger said. Some students, however, are bothered by the discrepancy in what possible cross-contaminants are listed online, compared to what is listed in-person. For example, the M&M pancakes offered at ’53 Commons during breakfast are listed online as possibly containing peanuts. However, the in-house allergen label only identifies coconut, milk, wheat and soy. In the fall term, the bacon served at the Courtyard Café was labeled as potentially containing p e a nu t s ( t h o u g h n o t p o rk ) . When asked, employees at the Courtyard Café stated that the bacon was manufactured with peanuts. However, that labeling disappeared this term. According to Rosenberger, the products’ packaging still states that the bacon is processed in a facility containing peanuts. However, DDS no longer labels it as such because the manufacturer only labels the bacon as “processed in a facility” for liability reasons. Similarly, Moreland said he often eats the bagels in ’53 Commons that are supplied by Goose and Willie’s. However, after meeting with Rosenberger, Moreland realized that DDS recently discovered all Goose and Willie’s bagels are manufactured in a facility that also contains sesame and nuts. Despite the fact that this meeting was during fall term, and while the online listings for some bagels have been partially updated, Moreland is upset that DDS has still not done anything to change the labels in ’53 Commons. Plodzik said that the real danger is other students contaminating dishes with possible allergens. “If you have a food allergy, you need to pay more attention,” he said. If students do have an allergic reaction, all DDS staff are trained every five years in administering EpiPens with a refresher every year, according to Rosenberg. Nevertheless, Cook believes that DDS needs to take more precautions when it comes to labeling its food and preventing cross-contamination to protect students who have severe allergies. “I will say that DDS has taken a lot of steps toward better labeling and minimizing cross contamination since I’ve been here, but there’s still always work to be done,” Cook said.
New Hampshire may become 11th U.S. state to legalize marijuana FROM MARIJUANA PAGE 1
of the bill more likely, she does not believe it is “a partisan topic.” “There are people from both parties on both sides, and some of the greatest advocates for legalization and regulation are in fact Republicans,” Hennessey said. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu, a Republican, has said he will veto the bill, though Democratic Speaker of the House Steve Shurtleff told the Boston Globe in December that he believes there are enough votes in both chambers to override the veto. State Rep. Garrett Muscatel ’20 (D-Hanover) said he believes that the support of new, younger legislators will help HB 481 succeed. “There are 32 Democrats under the age of 40 who have been elected [to the state legislature] as of 2018,” Muscatel said. “Younger people tend to be more supportive of marijuana legalization, and 32 young people is a lot for a legislature that’s been one of the oldest in the country for a long time.” A 2017 University of New Hampshire poll found that 68 percent of New Hampshire residents support the legalization of recreational marijuana use. A Gallup poll found in 2018 that 66 percent of Americans support the legalization of marijuana, including 78 percent of people aged 18-34. Muscatel noted that though he supports the idea of legalizing marijuana, he has not yet made a final decision on the bill yet. “I personally believe that we should definitely legalize marijuana, but we have to do it the right way,” he said. “I am prone to support [the bill], but I don’t know all the details and I’m still waiting to see the final report from the committee.” He noted that the report would likely include recommendations for amendments. Dartmouth Democrats president Gigi Gunderson ’21 called the bill “a big step forward for New Hampshire in a positive direction.” “As marijuana use becomes more widespread, the state is taking the onus of protecting the people that use it, legalizing it and of course getting revenue to help support state infrastructure from the legalization and subsequent taxing of marijuana,” Gunderson said. College Republicans vice president Daniel Bring ’21 wrote in an email statement that he disagrees with the legalization of marijuana, calling it a “reprehensible policy objective” and noting that cannabis is a “harmful narcotic, the dangers of which are
vastly underreported and ignored.” “Even if this measure helps to alleviate New Hampshire’s financial problems, it will come at a grave social cost,” Bring wrote. He added that “marijuana remains illegal under federal law, and all levels of government should enforce this prohibition.” Both Hennessey and Muscatel dismissed the idea that the legalization of marijuana will exacerbate the opioid crisis in New Hampshire. “There’s very, very little data to say that legalization of marijuana has led to people using opioids,” Hennessey said. “In fact, there’s equal evidence that people have been able to stay away from opioids or get off opioids by using marijuana.” Muscatel emphasized that there are many potential uses for the tax revenue generated from marijuana sales. The bill would levy a tax of $30 per ounce on the sale of cannabis flowers, $10 per ounce on other parts of the plant and $15 per immature plant. “We definitely could use the tax revenue,” Muscatel said. “We’ve flatfunded our university system since the recession. There’s a lot of money that should be going to our educational systems and to our cities and towns that isn’t going there.” Hennessey dismissed concerns that the bill would bring New Hampshire into conflict with federal law, noting there is an “understanding” that the federal government will not punish states that legalize recreational marijuana use. “They’re going to look the other way because they think it’s in the state’s domain,” she said. Hennesseyaddedthat“[legalization] willneedto happen federallyeventually.” According to the 2018 Dartmouth Health Survey, 48 percent of Dartmouth students reported having ever used marijuana, an increase from 45 percent in 2016 and 35 percent in 2014. Regardless of whether or not New Hampshire legalizes marijuana, it remains unlikely that the substance will be permitted on Dartmouth’s campus. Department of Safety and Security interim director Keysi Montás wrote in an email statement that “regardless of state law, we have federal law to comply with.” According to Montás, federal regulations require that the College “develop and implement a program to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illegal drugs and alcohol.” He added that smoking is still barred on campus as well and clarified that the College currently honors medical marijuana prescriptions.
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THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
DARTMOUTHEVENTS TODAY 4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Lecture: “Unwinding Yemen’s War: The Origins and Consequences of the Conflict and Prospects for Restoring Peace,” with ambassador Stephen A. Seche, executive vice president of the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, Kreindler Conference Hall, Haldeman Hall
TOMORROW 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Free Speech on Campus: A Special Forum with panelists Rohan Chakravarty ‘21, Tanner H. Jones ‘22 and Michael E. Manda ‘22, moderated by professor of Classics Emeritus Edward M. Bradley, Oopik Auditorium, Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center
FROM SZUHAJ PAGE 4
my life. I had articulated an “answer” in the form of “mudita,” “ikigai” and “lagom” because it allowed me to feel as though I’d thought all the way through the problem. But it was certainly no “right” answer. It was and is bound to change with time. So — let it be that way. That’s life. Thankfully, the capacity to question means the capacity for continued growth and discovery. That is a wonderful thing. But it takes a conscious decision to take the time to reflect. It is a blessing dependent on recognizing that all too often the chaos of daily life keeps us from examining our own lives, from knowing when to deviate from the regular flood of life and return instead to Dirt Cowboy, so to speak.
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
Student Spotlight: Will Maresco ’19 lights up the theater stage “I feel like I am able to be very creative and speak to a more specific audience with these productions.” Ever y theater produc tion Creating the lighting and sound involves a great amount of behind- and working in the scene shop the-scenes work. Will Maresco ’19 building sets for many productions is a theater major with minors in allows Maresco to introspect digital arts and engineering, who on his work. He takes time to finds his passion in lighting, sound analyze his contributions and make and stage design. He designs for improvements many student for the future. p r o d u c t i o n s “I am proud of the As a significant with his skilled l e a r n i n g student-produced and wideexperience, ranging talents. works that happen in Maresco cites D e d i c a t e d the Bentley [Theater]. his time working to the theater on “Trifles” his I feel like I am able department, sophomore year. Maresco began to be very creative He designed designing his the lighting for and speak to a more freshman year. this play, and H e e n j o y e d specific audience with found himself w o r k i n g these productions.” re - ex a m i n i n g on Robert his work. Leverett ’16’s “I just honors thesis -WILL MARESCO ’19 didn’t love my project “Cotton work on it,” Patch Gospel” Maresco said. during his first “But I got to spring at Dartmouth, and he recognize what I didn’t like about particularly enjoyed how powerful my work and what I wanted to this production was and that it change about it and for others in actively involved the audience. the future.” “I am proud of the studentFollowing this production, he produced works that happen in the designed for Lela Gannon ’18’s Bentley [Theater],” Maresco said. honors thesis performance, “The
B y shera bhala The Dartmouth
Houses with Ramps.” He enjoyed the creative drive to pursue all of this performance and recognized it is terrific,” Kotlowitz said. “He is his improvement as a designer unique in that he is pursuing more because of his experience with than one design element at a time, “Trifles.” Both of these productions which is pretty hard to do, but he had subtle, intimate environments, has an extraordinary amount of and he appreciated his resulting energy.” familiarity with this kind of staging. Je n n i f e r C o l l i n s H a rd , a “These weren’t big productions, production manager and lecturer, and I hadn’t worked in that medium has worked with Maresco on multiple before, so it was a big learning productions. She commends him as curve to match that intimacy with an advanced technical student who my lighting,” Maresco said. is always willing to try new things. Maresco’s He embraces peers and mentors every project “He is unique in that are inspired by and often his dedication he is pursuing more surpasses the and talent. They than one design i n s t r u c t o r ’s praise his wide technical r e p e r t o i r e o f element at a time, knowledge, designing abilities which is pretty hard she said. and contagious A close enthusiasm. His to do, but he has an friend and mentor, theater extraordinary amount collaborator, professor Dan of energy.” K e l l e e n Kotlowitz, has Moriarty had Maresco in ’19, said she class, witnessed -DAN KOTLOWITZ, loves working him designing with him and l i g h t s , s o u n d THEATER PROFESSOR engaging and scenery for with him on shows, and had an artistic Maresco work with him as an level. She described him as a assistant professionally. talented creator who is a joy to “To have someone who has such work with, and admires that he a wide range of interest and has is always invested artistically and
emotionally in productions and the concept of each play. “He is an incredibly reflective artist, who is very good about being both generous and critical with himself and other artists,” Moriarty said. “He encourages me to do the same and to improve my creations. He sees the best in his collaborators and the art and pushes for the best.” Currently, Maresco holds a stafflevel position as sound designer for the theater department’s production of “Into the Woods,” which will perform at the Hopkins Center beginning this Friday. Maresco said he is having fun designing for “Into the Woods” and looks forward to the performances. As for going forward, Maresco thinks that the biggest challenge for him, and many artists, will be stability. He wants to balance what he wants in his personal life and find happiness, while also being able to commit to his art and pursue his creative desire. In the future, Maresco hopes to work in theater, perhaps as a designer or in the capacity of a more technical position. Possibly heading to New York after graduation, people may soon see productions with sound, lighting and staging by Will Maresco.
Review: ‘The Green Book’ doesn’t leave a mark as an artistic work transcended through humanity, and it makes for a highly enjoyable film that nonetheless feels like a After a two-decade career spent glossy magazine print, airbrushed directing lighthearted comedy films and edited to cater to generalized with his brother Bobby, Peter Farrelly enjoyment. Ultimately, “Green has struck out on his own to co-write Book” takes a heart-warming and direct “Green Book,” a comedy- story and ties it up in a neat little drama about the relationship bow, resulting in a film that makes between notable black pianist Dr. you smile and nothing more — it Don Shirley and his driver for a tour doesn’t challenge conventions or of the American leave a lasting, S o u t h , meaningful “The rest of [The To n y “ L i p ” impact. Vallelonga. The Green Book] treats First, film is set in racism with a lightness the pros: “Green the 1960s and Book” is blessed based on true that feels highly with fantastic e ve n t s, w i t h reductive for the sake perfor mances Vallelonga’s son f ro m Vi g g o of easy watching and Nick helping Mortensen as write the Oscar- enjoyment.” Tony Vallelonga nominated and Mahershala script. The film Ali as Don has since also been nominated Shirley. Mortensen plays his part with for awards in lead and supporting good-hearted panache, perfectly actor, film editing and best picture. capturing the jovial-but-tough “Green Book” is a movie that seeks Italian family man. He’s unserious to capitalize on the feel-good nature and goofy, capable of eating 26 hot of its triumphant story: that of a dogs in an hour to win a fifty-dollar white man driving a black piano bet, but he can also throw a few player through a deeply segregated punches when necessary, too. Tony America and finding friendship and speaks in the vernacular and exudes support along the way. Admittedly, a working-class air, which makes the film succeeds in its efforts to the juxtaposition all the more stark enthrall with this trope of race when he meets Shirley, a renowned
B y willem gerrish The Dartmouth Staff
piano player with impeccable diction who lives in a gorgeous apartment above Carnegie Hall. Ali’s performance is much more subdued than Mortensen’s, in part because his character demands restraint. Shirley is a black man living in a white man’s world, and he has learned that a calm demeanor is his greatest defense against danger. But as the two move south on a concert tour, Shirley’s prim clothing and fine words do little to combat racism and violence, and his placid veneer begins to break down. These moments allow Ali to show the power of his acting, letting struggle and pain burst forth in instants of vulnerability and doubt. In its treatment of racism, “Green Book” makes its most fascinating statements around the difficulty of societal definitions and the strife endured by those who do not fit them. Shirley is one of those people, admired by whites for his musicality but shunned for his skin color, yet alienating to blacks for his highclass tastes and mannerisms. To complicate things, Shirley is also gay, muddying his identity and causing him shame and regret. In the movie’s most powerful scene, Shirley screams at Tony “If I’m not black enough, and I’m not white enough, and I’m not man enough, then tell me, Tony, what am I?” Ali delivers this line
with remarkable power, indicating and he puts himself at risk multiple the struggle of a man who doesn’t times to save Shirley from some fit a neat definition; he straddles the hairy situations. It’s as if something lines of categorization, and it leaves clicked for Tony and he suddenly him lonely and adrift. forgot all his built-up racism. It makes But that’s about the extent of really for a highly sympathetic on-screen powerful and fascinating statements character, but one who feels crafted in “Green Book,” and it’s a sentiment to please the droves of viewers who only touched on briefly and then love to see examples of helpful white it’s left behind. The rest of the film people who look past race. treats racism with a lightness that The best phrase I can use to feels highly reductive for the sake of describe “Green Book” is “fun easy watching and enjoyment. Tony but forgettable.” There’s lots of comes across viewing pleasure as the g reat “I will be shocked and here, from the white man who fantastic banter disappointed if it walks is able to look between Tony past Shirley’s away with the Oscar and Shirley race, and it feels to a raucous for best picture on inexplicably scene of Shirley triumphant. In Sunday.” playing blues in an early scene, a dingy bar, but two black men it feels like empty are in Tony’s enjoyment. The house to fix his floor, and after they story has been buffed and shined to drink from his cups, Tony throws the leave us all feeling happy and sated, glasses in the trash — a moment that as if racism were a thing of the past makes him seem as inherently racist and was marked by these victories for as the abhorrent Southerners he is humanity. But the reality was, and about to encounter. Yet as soon as he continues to be, much darker and meets Shirley and becomes his driver, more complex, and this means that he seems to forget about racism, “Green Book” fails to make any sort save for the lingering remnants of of enduring impact as a work of art. prejudice around what music Shirley I will be shocked and disappointed listens to and what food he eats. He if it walks away with the Oscar for has no problem pampering Shirley, best picture on Sunday.
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2019
Review: ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’ is an elegant masterpiece By sebastian wurzrainer The Dartmouth Staff
Almost two years ago, I wrote an elated review of Barry Jenkins’ Oscar-winning jugger naut “Moonlight,” extolling it as one of the century’s very best films. Looking back on that review, I wince a little at its naïveté and ignorance — an ignorance which I know can only be born out of the immensely privileged position I occupy. Nevertheless, my fundamental feelings about the film have not changed in the intervening time. Indeed, I’ve watched the film at least half-a-dozen times since I first saw it in theaters; it remains a masterful work, a revelation of astonishing filmmaking fused to a perfectly crafted narrative. As we enter the final year of the 2010s, I’m hard-pressed to imagine that there will be a better film released before this decade officially closes out. With that in mind, let’s start out with the most obvious, if rather pointless, question: Is Jenkins’ highly-anticipated follow-up, “If Beale Street Could Talk,” as good
as “Moonlight”? The short answer is no; but how could it be? Consider, after all, the place of “If Beale Street Could Talk” in Jenkins’ oeuvre. A normal trajectory for an up-and-coming talent might be to follow a deeply personal, semiautobiographical art film with a prestigious literary adaptation as a bid for Awards recognition. But what happens when that deeply personal art film becomes an unexpected critical darling and wins Best Picture in a controversial moment that will define the Academy Awards for a generation? What do you do next to expand your horizons as an artist and a filmmaker? Jenkins’ solution seems to be giving the prestigious literary adaptation a shot anyway. To this end, he has transformed James Baldwin’s acclaimed 1974 novel into a haunting piece of visual poetry. Yet, perhaps partially thanks to the success of “Moonlight,” Jenkins appears far less beholden to appeasing the upper echelons of American film culture than he might otherwise. The story of “If Beale Street Could Talk” isn’t
really Jenkins’ in the same way as the story of “Moonlight” was. Yes, “Moonlight” was adapted from a play by Tarell Alvin McCraney, but because the play had never been produced and because Jenkins infused the screenplay with so much of his own life, it ultimately became his story as much as it was McCraney’s. But “If Beale Street Could Talk” was a respected book long before it became a film. Thus, one might expect that Jenkins would opt for the distanced, somewhat impersonal approach that accompanies so many literary adaptations. Instead, he has made a film that feels no less personal than “Moonlight,” marked in every frame by his signature as a cinematic artist. The film depicts the blossoming romance of Tish and Fonny, who have grown up as best friends living in Harlem. Shortly after they move in together, Fonny is arrested by a vindictive white police officer and is falsely accused of raping Victoria Rogers, a Puerto Rican immigrant. Tish, her family and Fonny’s family must all work together to prove
THE HOOD MUSEUM DISPLAYS JAPANESE PRINTS
MICHAEL LIN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
The Hood Museum of Art’s current exhibition displays a wide variety of art spanning multiple eras, styles and countries.
Fonny’s innocence, yet their task but also physical. proves to be Sisyphean as they fight It helps that Jenkins has an against a legal system that rests on intuitive knack for casting. You know a bedrock of deep-seated racism. you’re in good hands when you On a purely superficial level, have such difficulty deciding who the plot reminds me of Reginald gave the film’s best performance. Hudlin’s excellent 2017 film It might be Regina King as Tish’s “Marshall,” which documents fiercely protective mother. It might Thurgood Marshall’s involvement be Colman Domingo as her complex in a similar but ultimately case in which a deeply loving black man was “Certainly, Jenkins is father. It might falsely accused more than an adept be Stephan of raping a Ja m e s, wh o woman. Both dialogue writer, but brings such f i l m s h a n d l e he never uses it as a de pth to his such a delicate proportionally crutch to tell his story. subject tactfully; limited screen both manage Rather, his stories time as Fonny. to address the occur on the landscape But it’s probably systemic racism K i K i L ay n e, that crushes the of not only human who imbues lives of people faces, but of human Tish with like Fonny even such distinct bodes, a reminder that integ rity and to this day, while simultaneously the toll on the lives of resilience. And o p e n l y his protagnoists is not that’s all without acknowledging mentioning the that t h e just psychological but phenomenal narratives of also physical.” supporting rape victims in players who fill these scenarios the corners of should never be dismissed. Where this film, like Michael Beach, the films differ is in approach. Teyonah Parris, Diego Luna, Pedro “Marshall” is a taught courtroom Pascal and, yes, even Dave Franco drama that relies heavily on suspense (clearly the most underrated of the and melodrama. By contrast, Franco brothers). Jenkins’ approach is always lyrical In short, “If Beale Street Could and deeply humanistic. Talk” is an immensely ambitious Irvin Kershner, the director of film, and if it doesn’t always live “Star Wars: The Empire Strikes up to the monumental achievement Back,” once commented, “There’s that is “Moonlight,” it’s not for lack nothing more interesting than the of trying. Put simply, “Moonlight” landscape of the human face.” is one of those rare films that feels Barry Jenkins’ cinema is nothing if utterly cohesive and fully formed not a cinema about the landscape from the second it starts. “If Beale of human faces. Few directors Street Could Talk,” on the other spend so much time lingering on hand, develops at its own pace, the minutiae of facial expressions, confidently building to its climax ensuring that every tiny muscle while still never quite eclipsing the movement gets forever preserved rare perfection of “Moonlight.” It on film. I would honestly love to tries admirably to tackle so many read one of Jenkins’ screenplays to deeply relevant themes and issues, see whether it is decidedly sparse and not everything pays off in a or whether he plans out all of his completely satisfactory way. But it exquisite moments of silence during doesn’t really matter. Films that are the writing stage. Because in terms this beautiful, this ambitious, this of dialogue, there’s not much there. admirable and this challenging are Certainly, Jenkins is more than an rare and ought to be cherished. As adept dialogue writer, but he never a film on its own terms, “If Beale uses it as a crutch to tell his story. Street Could Talk” is one of 2018’s Rather, his stories occur on the finest works; as a complement to landscape of not only human faces, “Moonlight” in the context of but of human bodies, a reminder Jenkins’ overall body of work, it is that the toll on the lives of his yet another beautiful exploration of protagonists is not just psychological cinema’s power for endless empathy.