The Dartmouth 04/09/2019

VOL. CLXXVI NO. 12

RAINY HIGH 45 LOW 31

OPINION

KHANNA: PREFERENCE FOR PRIVILEGE PAGE 4

JONES: SAVING AMERICA’S PASTIME PAGE 4

ARTS

REVIEW: ‘LINCOLN IN THE BARDO’ WEAVES HISTORY INTO A TALE OF GRIEF PAGE 7

HBO SERIES ‘GAME OF THRONES’ HAS LEFT A MONUMENTAL LEGACY PAGE 8

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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

College to enact new Coffin reflects on changing IT security procedure trends in College admissions B y EMILY SUN

The Dartmouth Staff

In a campus-wide email sent on March 28, Dartmouth’s chief information security officer Steve Nyman announced the implementation of two-factor authentication through the security company Duo for all Dartmouth systems. Information, Technology and Consulting plans to use Duo 2FA for all users’ email services beginning on May 13; the rest of Dartmouth’s webbased services will migrate to 2FA by the end of summer.

According to Matthew Brabazon , an application infrastructure administrator

for ITC, Duo 2FA was chosen to replace the current system, which relies heavily on security questions, because of concerns that the questions themselves did not provide enough security. He added that the goal is to complete this transition by the beginning of the next school year.

2FA is a system that increases the security of Dartmouth online services by requiring two factors — such as a password for the account as well as a code sent to a cell phone — to confirm the user’s identity. ITC hopes that this change will lead to better security and improve user experiences.

BERIT SVENSON/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

SEE IT PAGE 2

Phew! West Leb man breaks whistle record B y GRAYCE GIBBS

The Dartmouth Staff

It’s a teakettle! It’s a dog whistle! It’s Andrew Stanford of West Lebanon recently breaking the Guinness World Record for highest note whistled — and it was whistled in Dartmouth’s linguistics lab. His whistle reached 8,372 hertz, eclipsing the previously established record of 7,040 hertz.

According to Stanford, son of Dartmouth linguistics professor James Stanford, he

could not whistle as a kid, and only started whistling in high school. He added that his first whistles sounded like highpitched bird calls, and through practice have grown higher and louder.

Stanford said that throughout high school, his friends and teachers told him that his whistling was really high pitched — one teacher even thought there was a bird in the classroom after hearing Stanford’s whistle.

SEE WHISTLE PAGE 3

For most Ivy League schools, acceptance rates have declined each year over the past four years.

B y WaLLY JOE COOK and Berit Svenson The Dartmouth Staff

With the recent release of admissions results for the Class of 2023, vice provost for enrollment and dean of admissions and financial aid Lee Coffin said that ongoing t re n d s m ay n e c e s s i t at e different admissions strategies at the College. Specifically, the changing importance of different geog raphic regions has already resulted in alterations to Dartmouth’s admissions practices, and a court challenge to Harvard U n i ve r s i t y ’s a d m i s s i o n s practices for Asian students could result in a potential threat to the holistic admissions

process the College employs.

The College has already changed its admissions strategies with regards to ex p a n d i n g o u t re a ch t o underrepresented geographic areas.

“Florida and California — that’s the future,” Coffin said. “That’s where places like Dartmouth need to be present in the next 10, 20 years because the population is shifting that way.”

Cof fin said that the admissions office has redistricted F lorida and California to allow for smaller recruitment areas. For example, Coffin noted that more than five admissions officers are dedicated to California alone.

He explained that more officers

are necessary because in the West, the South and abroad, admissions officers often need to explain what a liberal arts college is before they can talk about Dartmouth.

“Texas, as big as it is, doesn’t have a lot of colleges like this one,” Coffin said. “When you go to a public high school in Texas, most of them don’t have the immediate recognition of liberal arts. Part of the recruitment strategy in all of those states is to pull up and say, ‘Here’s what a liberal arts experience is.’”

According to Cof fin, admissions officers embrace a situation-specific approach in order to best inform the SEE ADMISSIONS PAGE 5

PAGE 2

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

Students develop “Left on Read” app to track texting habits similar to Left on Read currently on the market that provide a similar The Dartmouth Staff level of in-depth analysis of a user’s Ever wonder how often you’re text messages. left on read? Thanks to Left on Luo said that Left on Read will Read, a new iMessage analysis app fulfill a desire for phone users that developed by a team of Dartmouth they did not even know they had. students that “It’s really kind launched on “It’s really kind of like of like doing big Monday, you data analysis, but can now find doing big data analysis, it’s not for driving out. but it’s not for driving a d ve r t i s e m e n t s, ” The app, said. “It’s all advertisements. It’s all Ni which was displayed back to o r i g i n a l l y displayed back to you.” you.” p i t ch e d by Computer Te d d y N i science professor ’19 and Alex -TEDDY NI ’19 Tim Tregubov, who D a n i l ow i c z is Ni’s thesis advisor ’ 1 9 fo r a n a n d t e a ch e s t h e assignment computer science in COSC 52: course the app was “Full-Stack originally pitched Web Development,” gives users in, said that right now, large information on when they text, companies utilize all sorts of how they text and who they text, analytics. said Justin Luo ’20, a member of While companies use personal the team who developed the app. data to learn a great deal about Users are able to filter their texts consumers, that information is by date and specific person, giving never accessible to the individual, them the ability to track their according to Tregubov. conversation habits over time.

“This sort of flips that around,” The app generates graphs about Tregubov said, noting the app’s text messages so users can “feel ability to give users insight into their better” about their relationship own text habits and patterns.“You with their phone, according to the can look at your own text messages app’s website. and learn something about your The inspiration for Left on Read relationships.” came after Ni and Danilowicz The app is able to provide wondered which one of them texted information regarding how many their girlfriends more and set out conversations are initiated by each to create a web service that could of the participants as well as the provide similar services to anyone balance of messages in term of interested, Danilowicz said. length and quantity between two After the initial development people. stages were completed in their However, security and people’s computer science class, Ni took the willingness to upload their text project on as a part of his senior messages into the app was a concern thesis in computer science, and the from the onset of development, team has continued building the Tregubov said. app since they began working on “We’ve taken a lot of steps to it last spring. make sure people are comfortable,” Ni said that there are no products Ni said.

B y ANDREW CULVER

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

COURTESY OF ALEX DANILOWICZ

“Left on Read” was originally pitched for an assignment in COSC 52: “Full-Stack Web Development.”

All data entered into the app is completely encrypted to the point that even the app’s developers are not able to access it. Each user has a unique key that they must enter

to see their messaging information.

Additionally, the app is run through its own personal server in the computer science department, Ni said.

“It is super secure and there is no third party involved in any part of the process,” he added.

Left on Read is a free app website accessible online.

2FA to be in full effect by late summer FROM IT PAGE 1

Duo’s 2FA is not only easy to set up and use, but it also offers a variety of second-factor solutions, according to Andrew Johnson, a member of ITC’s database administration team. These solutions include Duo’s mobile app, Touch ID, phone callbacks and one-time passcodes.

“Duo is great [in] that it offers all these different options for all these second factors,” Johnson said. “Google Authenticator and [others] don’t offer that many different options.”

Many other universities — including Harvard University and Cornell University — as well as financial and healthcare companies utilize two-factor authentication, Johnson said.

Some students think that the added security bonus outweighs the extra effort to authenticate their accounts.

“I think two-factor authentication systems in general take a lot of time to coordinate,” Manuel Patino ’22 said.

“But in the end if it’s worth it [for] someone’s security, then it’s worth it.”

Devanshi Udeshi ’22 said that were expected to enroll themselves. she thinks the new system will help However, Johnson said staff members prevent College will be intermittently accounts from stationed at tables “I think two-factor being hacked. around campus to “Personally, authentication help students enroll I’ve never used their accounts over any two-factor systems in general the course of the authentication take a lot of time to term. services offered In an effort to coordinate. But in the increase by other the number platforms, so it end if it’s worth it [for] of enrollees, ITC wouldn’t mean someone’s security, will be conducting a very much to raffle every Monday me,” Devanshi then it’s worth it.” in the following weeks Udeshi ’22 said. for those who have “But it’s still already signed up for -MANUEL PATINO ’22 overall a good Duo. Prizes include preventative a $100 Amazon, measure for hacking cases.”

Computer Store or Coop Food Store As of now, roughly 3,000 Dartmouth gift card. students, staff, and faculty have pre“The whole goal is to get people preenrolled in Duo services in advance enrolled, so the day we do the cut-over of their mandatory implementation, for the first service, it’s not a surprise to according to Johnson. He added that anybody,” Johnson said. “The 2FA enroll while the faculty and staff were given page that we have actually allows [people] presentations that guided them through to verify that it’s working. We’re hoping the Duo enrollment process, students that that will be helpful.”

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

PAGE 3

Stanford set new Guinness World Record with high-pitched whistle and whistle frequency. It was very straightforward to measure with our A few years ago, he decided to Google equipment.”

James Stanford, along with search the record for highest pitch ever three linguistics professors, Laura whistled.

After listening to the pitch of the McPherson, David Peterson and previous record holder, he realized his Timothy Pulju gathered in the lab. own whistle exceeded the previously According to McPherson, the three established record by at least 1,000 professors were there to verify that hertz. By matching his whistles with Stanford’s whistle was naturally online sound tests, he realized that his produced, not something tweaked with pitch was between 8,000 and 9,000 software.

“We packed four hertz. adults into our Stanford said sound booth, which that for about a “It’s possible that my is probably a record year, he knew lips and tongue are itself,” McPherson that he could unique, but it’s also said. probably beat After Stanford the record, but possible that I’ve come whistled at his he never gave a across something new highest tone, the possible attempt professors ran the a n y s e r i o u s that can be taught to recording through consideration. anyone.” an acoustic He said he analysis software to felt that being determine the pitch. o f f i c i a l l y -ANDREW STANFORD Stanford said that, recognized as a though he easily Guinness World Record holder was “inaccessible.” broke the previous record, he did not However, his friends kept pushing him beat his own personal record.

As to why he can whistle at such a to break the record, and he eventually pitch, Stanford said, “It’s possible that applied for consideration.

Stanford’s father suggested my lips and tongue are unique, but that Stanford break the record in it’s also possible that I’ve come across Dartmouth’s linguistics lab, located something new that can be taught to in the basement of Reed Hall. To anyone.”

He added that he would like to become recognized as a record holder, Stanford explained to Guinness World get his whistling analyzed by infrared Records exactly when he would break thermography cameras. He has a the record, where he would do it and general idea of what he does differently how it would be officially witnessed by from others — he raises and bends his tongue to create a narrow airstream, professionals.

The original stipulations for the lowers his jaw and then brings his lips Guinness World Record stated that inward to form a tiny aperture where music experts were required to the sound vibrates.

“But it’s hard to tell exactly what participate in the recording, but Stanford made the pitch that linguistics I’m doing,” Stanford said. “Infrared professors could serve as an acceptable thermography would show exactly what’s going on in my mouth.” substitute.

According to Stanford, both he “I think they just weren’t aware of the types of skills and equipment that and the previous record holder, Dillon linguists use in modern linguistics,” McBride, a zoology major at the Ohio James Stanford said. “We have State University, are around the same equipment that can measure pitch age, play the trumpet and were unable just as effectively because we do a lot to whistle when they were younger.

Stanford said that the press since he of acoustic analysis of speech sounds FROM WHISTLE PAGE 1

broke the record has been “surreal” and “bizarre.” After he broke the record, he thought that at most he might get featured in his college newspaper, the Calvin College Chimes. However, he has been featured on a number of news outlets, including the Michigan Public Radio and New Hampshire Public Radio.

Despite his recent accomplishment, Stanford has already applied again to try to break his own record with a goal of reaching 10,000 hertz. He said that at that point no one would be able to top it, and he would be “competing with birds.”

COURTESY OF ANDREW STANFORD

Andrew Stanford recently broke a Guinness World Record with an 8,372 hertz whistle.

PAGE 4

THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

STAFF COLUMNIST MAYA KHANNA ’22

Preference for Privilege

Campus culture at Dartmouth favors students from elite backgrounds.

The recent college admissions scandal has focused national attention on college admissions processes at elite institutions.

However, only some of these accounts considered the influence of social inequalities on students’ experiences after admission.

Especially at elite colleges, social inequality between students runs deep, unfairly disadvantaging some students. These inequalities can effectively bar disadvantaged students from the same opportunities that their privileged peers enjoy.

At Dartmouth, systemic preference for students from privileged backgrounds forms an integral aspect of student life. From the moment students arrive on campus, they hear reminders of the remarkable concentration of excellence here at the Big Green. During New Student Orientation each fall, incoming freshmen and transfer students listen as speakers describe how each student’s distinction in school, community service and extracurricular activities led to their selection from a competitive pool of applicants.

Yet students do not arrive at even playing field when they come to Dartmouth. Those who attended top high schools and took AP and IB exams, for instance, can sometimes bypass prerequisites for some classes, affording them entry into upper-level classes that are harder for other students to attain. In doing so, these advantaged students gain immediate access to opportunities that benefit their intellectual development — opportunities less accessible to students from less affluent backgrounds.

Advantages for privileged students don’t just manifest themselves in the classroom. Some

social scenes around campus are inhospitable to students from marginalized backgrounds.

Examples include varsity and competitive club sports teams and Greek houses. The application process for many of these groups is much more favorable to those who had the luxury of cultivating much-needed social skills prior to coming to Dartmouth.

Academic and social structures at Dartmouth have created a campus culture that favors children of the elite. Even though they may have exemplary intellect, marginalized students start their college careers without the same preparation of their affluent peers.

Some marginalized students work multiple jobs on campus to pay for school or basic necessities, forcing them not to participate in extracurricular activities. Oftentimes, these students do not have the luxury of working in a research lab or putting in a few hours a week as an officer in a club. Even when marginalized students do manage to make their way into the realms of clubs and other activities, the opportunity costs associated with doing extracurricular activities can be burdensome.

These everyday realities underscore the role that privilege plays in a students’ experience at Dartmouth. For those who benefit from their privilege, these social and academic structures may seem ordinary. Yet, for those who most acutely feel their bias, these structures serve as a daily reminder of exclusion. Paradoxically, the very institution that should provide a path towards socioeconomic mobility preemptively disadvantages the students who need it the most.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST TANNER JONES ’22

Saving America’s Pastime

How a modern marketing strategy can revitalize baseball.

Mike Trout might just be the best baseball sport’s longest-held records. The Dodgers’ Cody player to ever live. In just 3,898 at-bats, the Bellinger, the Yankees’ Aaron Judge, the Red 27-year-old Trout has hit 245 homeruns, Sox’s Mookie Betts and the Astros’ Alex Bregman stolen 190 bases, posted a .307 batting average have years ahead of them and jaw-dropping and amassed a whopping 64.2 wins above potential. The MLB should take advantage of replacement (a statistic that estimates the number its rising stars and encourage them to appear in of wins a player contributes to his team). Since advertisements and acquire sponsorships. Beyond his 2011 debut, Trout has won six Silver Slugger that, the league ought to change its social media awards and has finished in the top two of MVP strategy to make its star players as recognizable voting in every season but 2017, when he missed as those in the NFL and the NBA. 39 games for a thumb injury and still finished A new marketing approach is especially fourth. Trout already has a higher career wins critical if the MLB hopes to compete in an era above replacement than forty Hall of Famers, of declining interest in baseball. As the NBA including Yogi Berra, Harmon Killebrew and breaks attendance records and the NFL expands Jackie Robinson. Only the great Ty Cobb, viewership, MLB teams face empty ballparks who retired in 1928, had and declining viewership. a better WAR by the age Granted, the MLB remains “A new marketing of 26. Last month, the Los profitable and baseball Angeles Angels rewarded approach is especially certainly isn’t going away, but Trout with a 12-year, $430 critical if the MLB inaction risks diminishing million extension, the largest baseball’s fanbase and contract in the history of hopes to compete in further relegating the sport American sports. In 150 an era of declining to the fringes. And frankly, years of Major League the current strategy isn’t interest in baseball.”

Baseball, the sport has never working. Multiple factors seen a player like Mike may play into baseball Trout. players’ relative lack of fame, Despite his accolades, Mike Trout’s but a renewed marketing effort focused on players prominence seems limited. Few could pick him could help reverse that. Even if baseball’s golden out of a crowd, and fewer still recognize his age is over, there’s no reason the MLB shouldn’t greatness. While Lebron James, Steph Curry make an effort to renew its image. Focusing and Tom Brady are ubiquitous in the cultural marketing efforts on players is a perfect way to imagination, Trout remains relatively unknown. do that.

Mike Trout isn’t to blame. Rather, his low Currently, the MLB has chosen to pursue profile is emblematic of the MLB’s larger failure structural changes to address baseball’s declining to effectively market its players. It’s time for popularity. Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred America’s pastime to rebrand itself and capitalize has made it his mission to speed baseball’s pace-ofon unprecedented young talent through a robust play, tweaking commercial breaks and changing marketing scheme. the intentional walk, among other reforms. This The MLB has a lot to learn from other sports approach is misguided. Instead of focusing on leagues, like the National Football League and improved marketing to mirror the successful the National Basketball Association. The NBA campaigns of other leagues, the MLB seems to boasts nearly 36 million followers on Instagram. think that baseball itself is flawed. Thus, instead Its star players enjoy widespread recognition. of focusing on improving its own promotional Steph Curry and Lebron James embrace their efforts, the MLB seeks to change baseball itself. celebrity, appearing in TV advertisements and Throughout its existence, baseball has been on late night shows. Likewise, the NFL’s biggest defined by its biggest stars. Names like Ty Cobb, stars spawn reality TV shows and flaunt their Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams recall relationships with other celebrities online. With various eras and teams from baseball’s history. a few exceptions, like Derek Jeter, one would be For decades, players have propelled the baseball’s hard-pressed to find many baseball stars who do brand. Just as Michael Jordan and Lebron James any of these things. currently fuel the NBA, outstanding players have The MLB should take a page out of its rival driven the MLB in the past. By more strongly sports’ books and expand its marketing of players. promoting the personalities and feats of its star Baseball is currently lucky to have a young crop players, the MLB can bolster its popularity and of talent potentially capable of breaking the ensure that baseball thrives for decades to come.

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

PAGE 5

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

Admissions office is focusing on yield, socioeconomic diversity FROM ADMISSIONS PAGE 1

students at the school an officer is visiting. For example, before an officer visits a specific school, they read a file detailing the school’s academics and that includes information such as how many students go to a four-year college after graduation. If a student applies from a school that does not typically send graduates to small, liberal arts colleges, the admissions office also takes it into account, Coffin said.

The College is already witnessing a change in admissions trends because of this policy, Coffin said.

“We’re seeing this shift, year by year, to these high population areas of the country that have not historically been as represented on a campus like this one,” Coffin said. “When you look regionally in the U.S., 41 percent of the admits come from the South or the West — that’s not what people expect. “ To demonstrate this change, Coffin noted that only 14 percent of students at Dartmouth come from New England.

Coffin also discussed reasons why the admissions process may change in the near future, including the affirmative action lawsuit against Harvard. The 2014 suit alleged that Harvard discriminated against Asian American applicants on the basis of their ethnicity.

“If the Supreme Court were to say [affirmative action is illegal], all the things we’re talking about change,” he said. “The system we would probably use would be more like a European university where you take a test and you get in or not based on the test.”

Coffin added that it would be more difficult to create a community without a holistic application process.

“That, to me, would be the worst possible outcome of this,” he said.

Coffin also stated that, despite recent trends, the admissions rates of top colleges may not continue to decline.

Past admissions rates indicate a steady decline in the admissions rates of top universities, including Dartmouth. For Dartmouth’s Class of 2023, the acceptance rate decreased by 0.8 percent from 8.7 percent

accepted for the Class of 2022. The College’s acceptance rate has followed this decreasing pattern over the past three admissions cycles. In 2017, 10.4 percent of applicants were accepted for the Class of 2021, while 10.5 percent were accepted in 2016 for the Class of 2020.

This decline in admissions rate is mirrored in the rates of other top universities. Since 2016, Brown University, Columbia University, Harvard and the University of Pennsylvania have consistently accepted a lower percentage of applicants each year. Cor nell University, Princeton University and Yale University have generally seen a lower acceptance rate with each year with a few exceptions.

This year, Harvard saw the lowest acceptance rate in the Ivy League with 4.5 percent of their applicants accepted. Cornell accepted the highest percentage of students with a 10.6 percent acceptance rate.

Columbia, Princeton, Yale, Brown, and Penn had acceptance rates of 5.1 percent, 5.8 percent, 5.9 percent, 6.6 percent, and 7.4 percent, respectively.

For many students, the steady decrease in admissions rates represents an ongoing trend that has both positive and negative effects.

“If the acceptance rate continues to decrease because more people are applying to Dartmouth, I think that’s great,” Sanjena Venkatesh ’21 said.

“If it’s lower for the sake of having a lower acceptance rate, that’s not what we want.”

However, Coffin noted that this decrease will not continue to occur as a constant.

“At some point the pool has to start to contract,” he said. “It’s some combination of the economy, demographics, just internationalism.”

For example, Coffin noted that a possible change in international relations could affect admissions numbers by drastically changing the size of the international admissions pool.

However, Coffin said that he did not believe such shifts would occur soon. Instead, he is focused on Dartmouth’s changing admissions strategy, which focuses on factors like

socioeconomic diversity.

“We were deliberately focusing this cycle on socioeconomic diversity as a way of syncing up with the capital campaign and its commitment to broader access,” he said. “We were really focusing on communities where we knew there was going to be lowincome families, as well as middleincome families, and to be deliberate about expanding that.”

Furthermore, the admissions office is now focused on increasing yield when choosing applicants, which the office often achieves by using complex models that examine different variables.

“I have to try and anticipate how

many of you are going to say yes, and the higher that number, the fewer I can let in,” Coffin said. “It’s a really precise calculation.”

He added that two of the variables considered were geography and academic credentials. For example, Coffin noted that these models demonstrate that a student from Florida is less likely to enroll than a student from New Hampshire.

“You’re using the data that the admissions office generates to predict behavior,” Coffin further explained.

“The thing that always gets me nervous is [that] I’m predicting behavior of 18 year olds.”

Despite the changes in admissions

strategies, one constant that remains is the feeling experienced by students when they receive admission into the College and visit Hanover.

For example, Alison Ingalls was one of the 1,876 students accepted to the College last month. The day after receiving her acceptance notification, she drove down to the campus for a weekend visit and has already decided that she will be attending Dartmouth in the fall.

“Just seeing the social scene, but also just the vibe on campus and being able to experience that as an accepted student — the idea that could all be my reality next year was really cool,” she said.

PAGE 6

DARTMOUTHEVENTS

THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS

FACEBOOK MEMES

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

LAMEES KAREEM ’22

TODAY

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Lunch: “(In)Tangible Violence: Poetry, Touch, and Critical Making,” Whitney Sperrazza, sponsored by digital humanities, Bartlett Hall, Room 201.

4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Lecture: “Mind, Body, and the Myth of Holism in Early China,” Edward Slinglerland, sponored by the Department of Religion, Moore Hall, Room B03.

4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Lecture: “The State Strikes Back: The End of Economic Reform in China?” Nicholas Lardy, sponsored by the Dickey Center for International Understanding, Haldeman, Room 41.

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Workshop: “New Research in Ethics Workshop,” Nina Windgaetter, sponsored by the Ethics Institute, Blunt Alumni Center, Suite 204.

TOMORROW 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Pets: “Visit from Winston, VT Therapy Dog,” sponsored by the Student Wellness Center, House Center B.

4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m

Lecture: “Online Political Disinformation,” Michael Posner, sponsored by the Dickey Center for International Understanding, Haldeman Hall, Room 41.

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

Performance: Semele, directed by Harry Bicket, sponsored by the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Spaulding Auditorium.

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TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

PAGE 7

Review: ‘Lincoln in the Bardo’ weaves history into a tale of grief B y Mia Nelson

The Dartmouth Staff

“Lincoln in the Bardo” by George Saunders is a luminary novel depicting a single night of grief.

Set in a graveyard where Abraham Lincoln’s son, Willie, is buried, the story follows Lincoln’s visits to the tomb where several ghosts discuss their lives and their deaths. The novel is narrated by these ghosts who all occupy a purgatory-like existence called, after the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, “the bardo.” The ghosts in the bardo have all decided to stay between the living and the dead for a host of reasons. For instance, one of them, a preacher, knows he will go to hell if he leaves the bardo. The most common reason for staying, however, is that most of the ghosts are convinced that they are simply “sick” and set to eventually return to the realm of the living. For Willie,

the choice between leaving for heaven or staying in the bardo is only complicated by his father’s return to his tomb. While the other ghosts try to convince Willie to leave — for the bardo is a complicated place where the young often go crazy — he desires nothing more than to stay with his father.

Though the story is simple, Saunders weaves truth and fiction together to create an atmosphere that depicts history as nothing more than a series of unreliable ghost stories. While no formal dialogue from Lincoln exists in the book, his character in the novel is stitched together by various fictive testimonials that are often in contradiction with one another. For example, a description that states “none of his pictures do him the slightest justice” is followed immediately by a different source who claims that Lincoln was “the ugliest man I ever saw.” This

very pattern of assertion and doubt is recreated throughout the novel as newspapers and servants argue over Lincoln’s appearance, his reaction to Willie’s death, his culpability in the episode and finally, his position as Commander-in-Chief during the Civil War. One of the book’s most poignant chapters is pieced together by the ghosts of soldiers who died in the Civil War. The soldiers alternate between cursing Lincoln to cursing war, cursing weapons or simply begging to go back home. This chapter, which occurs in the middle of Lincoln’s grieving of Willie, helps to remind the reader of the concentric circles of sorrow in his life; the smallest being Lincoln’s personal grief for his son and the largest being the nation’s great loss during the Civil War. Before this chapter, Saunders had evaded writing about the Civil War and I had assumed that the book would eschew

it entirely, focusing more on Lincoln’s personal life. However, by reminding the reader of the great burdens of his presidency, we are able to fully grasp how horrible it must have been to lose a source of joy — his child. As we feel deeply for Lincoln’s loss, we are reminded of all of the fathers who lost their sons simultaneously to war.

In fact, I would venture to say that Saunders is attempting to parallel the loss of Willie to a loss of innocence throughout the whole nation.

A question asked by a fictive source in the book reads, “Why, some asked, was a child riding a pony about in the pouring rain, without a coat?” This question seems to imply that Lincoln’s lack of supervision over Willie is what caused the sickness that killed him.

This accusation is almost analogous to the argument that Lincoln did not watch the nation carefully enough, and thus let the nation corrode. In both circumstances, Saunders is

arguing, Lincoln should have known better.

Nonetheless, this novel, despite its focus on historical figures and events, can still be boiled down to a story of loss. Reading its masterful prose encourages a reconciliation with the reader’s own grief. By creating a world of ghosts, Saunders briefly gives us hope that our loved ones who have passed live on in the same shadow realm where Willie Lincoln lives. But then, Saunders dashes that hope by imbuing that realm with the same sadness and disbelief we have in our world of the living. In the bardo, the ghosts are melancholy, longing and petty. Yet, they have no chance at redemption as we do while being alive: They do not get to see spring unfold, read books or breathe fresh air. This is why “Lincoln in the Bardo” goes beyond beauty — it is also a realization that our brief time on earth is precious.

First-year seminar reflects upon and explores immigrant literature B y Lauren segal

The Dartmouth Staff

The first-year seminar ENGL 53.10: “Immigrant Women Writing in America” provides students with the opportunity to reflect on their own experiences through film, novels, short stories and poetry.

English professor Melissa Zeiger offers the class to all students, but caters the literary content of the first-year seminar toward the goal of helping first-year students establish their skills as writers and find their bearings in their new college environment. The class studies a combination of media, including film and written work from immigrant women writers who recount their experiences in the United States. While the students study the stories of renowned writers, they are also encouraged to reflect upon their own experiences with immigration and how immigration has shaped their environments.“Immigrant

Women Writing in America” consolidates written and visual works that touch upon themes of race, familial relations and sexuality.

“The class deals with both practical issues and emotional issues, relationships between parents and children across the immigration divide and encounters with racism and sexuality in this new context,” Zeiger said.

The modes of representation used to express the immigrant women’s experiences studied in this seminar further disclose the historical and literary contexts in which these works were created. Zeiger said she seeks to examine remarkable literature while providing students with a space in which they can begin to unpack their own experience coming to Dartmouth. According to Zeiger, she began teaching this class to expose students to writing from immigrant women and to encourage students to draw inferences and take inspiration from

these writers.

“A lot of the best literature coming down the pipe was by foreign-bor n writers,” Zeiger said. “[The class is] a way for students to have an intellectual form of processing what they were experiencing,” Zeiger said.

Ashley Sohn ’21 reiterated the relevance of the class, adding that she felt the need to explore her own experiences.

“In light of the current political climate, I think it’s important to see how different people bring their own culture to this country and how that impacts the arts in the United States,” Sohn said.

In their stories of immigration, women bear the responsibility of preserving culture. According to Zeiger, what makes the literary creations of immigrant women so fascinating is their hitsorically integral role in keeping culture alive.

“So many particular burdens fall on the women in the context

of immigration: doing all the h o u s e wo rk , r a i s i n g ch i l d re n , working outside the home,” Zeiger said. “Women are often expected to be the carriers of culture.”

According to Vivian Tran ’22, a student currently enrolled in the class, in the first week, the class focused on analyzing director Meredith Monk’s award-winning film “Ellis Island.” Students examined cinematic elements such as sound effects and coloring, and were pushed to deduce how they might represent the immigrant experience and the historical narrative of the film.

“It was a very enlightening experience, as I had never had the opportunity to examine films and have to pay such close attention to subtle details, such as how the camera moves and how scenes transition,” said Tran.

According to Sohn, the class also emphasizes the subtle political themes present in the writing of immigrant women. Although

certain narratives may at first seem superficial, class analyses reveal the struggles of immigrant women moving to the United States and what these women were forced to leave behind, according to Sohn.

Over the course of the term, the class plans to cover literary works including Julia Alvarez’s “The Other Side/El Otro Lado,” Jamaica Kincaid’s “Lucy,” Achy Obejas’s short story “Wrecks,” Edwidge Danticat’s “Krik? Krak!” and many of Grace Paley’s essays, short stories and poetry. Although “Immigrant Women Writing in America” delves into a technical analysis of these literary and cinematic works, the class ultimately maintains its aim to encourage reflection and introspection within students.

Through the study of the artistic creations of immigrant women, students say they feel this class has allowed them to reflect upon how the immigrant experience has affected their personal lives and that of their families.

PAGE 8

THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2019

HBO series ‘Game of Thrones’ has left a monumental legacy B y sebastian wurzrainer The Dartmouth Staff

As “Game of Thrones” begins its eighth and final season this Sunday, a retrospective examining of the show’s legacy feels inevitable. After all, “Game of Thrones” was never just a popular TV show; its astonishing critical and commercial success has only been matched by the countless think pieces about the show’s impact on the television industry, its approach to adapting George R. R. Martin’s nigh-unadaptable “A Song of Ice and Fire” series and its many, many controversies. Indeed, considering the immense cultural ripple effect of “Game of Thrones,” it’s not shocking that both the show and its legacy are a bundle of interwoven contradictions and paradoxes. Just as the show has been praised for its nuanced female characters, critique of fascist despotism and perceived allegory about the dangers of climate change, it has also rightfully received vociferous criticism, particularly for its often-reckless depiction of sexual violence.

These criticisms of the show form the minefield that surrounds “Game of Thrones” discourse; for every person who watches the show with an unhealthy reverence, there is someone who loathes it without having seen a single episode. To be clear, even though I agree with some of the concerns raised over the years, I know not every criticism lobbed at “Game of Thrones” has been lobbed in good faith, and I don’t believe enjoying a show and recognizing its intrinsic flaws are mutually exclusive. I have always tried to watch “Game of Thrones” with a critical eye, but I also unabashedly concede my personal investment in the characters and their journey. I don’t want to draw false equivalencies here, but no piece of art is without flaws, and navigating how to ethically consume flawed or problematic art is part of the job of any consumer.

That said, my personal approach may be a cop out, and I’m receptive to that response.

The aforementioned controversies are helpful for contextualizing the show’s history. Having re-watched the majority of seasons one through seven this fall (I had an off-term, thank you very much!), it’s hard not to notice that the show’s technical quality appears to improve in conjunction with the taming of its more controversial elements. Early seasons have a regrettable tendency to foreground sex, violence and sexual violence, while later seasons are sparse even when it comes to consensual intercourse. Although this may have been what initially gave the show its “edge” in the public consciousness, it now looks tacky, distracting and insulting.

By contrast, the technical aspects of the show (cinematography, costume design, visual effects, etc.) have become increasingly ambitious, particularly when they pertain to massive set pieces.

Over the years, there have been plenty of murmuring about the blurring lines between the aesthetics of cinema and television. Another flawed favorite of mine, “Twin Peaks,” is an excellent example of this in no small part due to David Lynch’s singularly cinematic vision as a director. Yet “Twin Peaks” was ultimately too esoteric to truly reshape the industry, whereas “Game of Thrones” has become a juggernaut and the likes of “True Detective” and “Westworld” are its progeny. For some, this is almost destabilizing because it reconfigures the favorite question of film theorists: “What is cinema?” While I’ve always found this particular line of inquiry to be a tad dull, I am certainly curious to see if the “cinema-on-thesmall-screen” aspirations continue to resonate after the show ends.

With all that in mind, it seems fair to assume that “Game of Thrones” continually improved throughout its

run (in terms of both maturity and technical quality); thus, its legacy will be entirely dependent on its superior final seasons. Although when revisited the first few seasons can feel quaint and at times misguided, it’s also hard to deny that, on the whole, they constitute more compelling and tightly-crafted television than their successors. Over the years, the show may have learned to focus more on gorgeously staged spectacle and less on sex and violence, but it also lost some of its narrative appeal. This means I have to invite the wrath of fans on all sides by addressing the relationship between “Game of Thrones” and its source material. Having read all five books (out of an anticipated total of seven), I’d agree that Martin’s work is often the origin point of the show’s flaws. But I’d also contend that it still sometimes succeeds in areas where its adaptation falters. As Lindsay Ellis notes in her documentary about “The Hobbit” trilogy, works of fantasy tend to be inherently patriarchal because they rely so heavily on medieval history while failing to insightfully critique the sexism baked into that history. Thus, “A Song of Ice and Fire” is unique among fantasy works in its willingness to internally incorporate a relatively nuanced critique of patriarchy into the very fabric of the narrative. Crucially, this critique is largely facilitated by the intricacies of Martin’s world-building, and thus is best replicated in the show when the adaptation is faithful.

To be clear, I don’t hold to an ‘adaptations should be 100 percent faithful to their source material’ philosophy; each story is unique and benefits from different approaches. That said, it’s telling that books one through three of “A Song of Ice and Fire” have been so faithfully rendered as seasons one through four and typically possess more complex and engaging storylines.

Don’t get me wrong, I understand the

dilemma that creators David Benioff ’92 and D.B. Weiss found themselves in.

Although I may personally love them, I acknowledge that books four and five are generally regarded as inferior by most fans. Likewise, books six and seven don’t yet exist, necessitating that Benioff and Weiss rely on Martin’s outlines for later seasons. Thus, the slight but noticeable decline in storytelling in seasons five through seven (and eight, presumably) is understandable; the writers were forced to contend with unpopular books and untested outlines, resulting in numerous adaptational liberties. Suffice it to say, much of the nuance that is infused in Martin’s work has been lost because Benioff and Weiss now seem most interested in how to narratively navigate from one knock-out set piece to the next. And indeed, these set pieces are appropriately awe-inspiring, highlighting the ultimate contradiction at the heart of “Game of Thrones.” Although more recent seasons have wisely eliminated the show’s graphic focus on sex and violence and instead have focused on crafting near-cinematic spectacles, the narratives behind these spectacles have progressively weakened.

Yet one also finds a contradiction in the adaptation process itself. On a macro-level, the best episodes are those that hue closest to Martin’s books, but on a micro-level, the best moments in those episodes are often those that have been substantially embellished or are even entirely absent from the source material. Just as Benioff and Weiss have recently struggled to prop up storylines in-between set pieces, they were once excellent at taking a solid skeleton and making all sorts of meaningul improvements. In fact, this is most clearly on display in the first season, which I would argue is the best in the series and was easily the most faithful to its corresponding book. Various scenes that would have originally been impossible

due to Martin’s unique narrational structure were added to the season, contributing to the increased depth and characterization. Similarly, many of the actors managed to improve what was already excellent on the page. I still struggle not to see Emilia Clarke when I re-read Daenerys Targaryen chapters.

Peter Dinklage managed to turn Tyrion Lannister, a character I found unlikeable, into a fan favorite. Finally, Sean Bean gave the show’s very best and most underrated performance as protagonist, Eddard Stark. Where Martin’s character is distant, severe and a little cold on the page, Bean makes him warm, endearing, and deeply human.

And it is due to these small but important improvements that I can’t advise someone to stick with the books and ignore the show. Martin’s books may feel more internally consistent in terms of quality and content, but when “Game of Thrones” soars, it soars. Moreover, it soars not just in its sweeping set pieces, but also in its quieter and more considerate moments. At times it is an undeniably bumpy ride. But when Benioff, Weiss and company pull of an impressive scene, whether it be a giant battle or simply an emotional goodbye, it makes the whole experience worthwhile. For instance, few scenes in recent film and TV memory are as effective as the death of Eddard Stark (spoiler alert?) in Season 1, Episode 9: “Baelor.” For five minutes, “Game of Thrones” transcends the boundaries of great television or great cinema and just becomes great storytelling. Will moments like that be the show’s legacy, or will it be dominated by the many controversies that have (rightfully) plagued its entire run? I have no idea, but I do suspect that we will continue to actively debate this very point for generations to come. If for nothing else, far less ambitious shows than “Game of Thrones” have risked their status in the cultural discourse for far less.