VOL. CLXXV NO.14
RAIN HIGH 52 LOW 39
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Golf course advisory committee Enrollment will explore alternatives for site Expansion report
released
By debora hyemin han The Dartmouth Staff
OPINION COURTESY OF RICHARD AKERBOOM
SANKAR: VIRTUE SIGNALLING AND ‘SOLIDARITY’ PAGE 6
SHAH: THE NEW GENERATION PAGE 6
BARTLETT: THE GILDED AGE
Community members gathered to hear the fate of the Hanover Country Club.
B y harrison aronoff The Dartmouth
Discussion over the closure of the Hanover Coutry Club was all but off the table at the Golf Course Advisory Committee’s public forum on Apr. 9. Instead, public policy professor Charles Wheelan ’88, who serves as the chair of the Golf Course Advisory Committee, spent
most of the one-hour forum discussing the Golf Course Advisory Committee’s ideas for reconfiguring the course to make it financially viable. Over 100 people, including Hanover residents, alumni, professors and both the men’s and women’s golf teams, attended the forum to discuss the three proposed plans. Options included
maintaining the golf course and increasing dues and green fees, reconfiguring the golf course to make it more profitable in the long run or ceasing operation of the golf course and building an indoor practice golf facility. Wheelan began the forum by discussing possible futures for the golf course, which has SEE GOLF PAGE 3
Roughly one month after the Board of Trustees announced that the College will not expand its student body, the Office of the President published the Enrollment Expansion Task Force Report. College President Phil Hanlon and the Board of Trustees commissioned the report last August to create a hypothetical implementation plan for increasing undergraduate enrollment by 10 to 25 percent, and to identify the opportunities and challenges that might come with such enrollment growth. The 43-page report projects the additional physical and human capital requirements of the College, given an expanded undergraduate enrollment. The task force concluded that there were no significant economies of scale to be gained by expanding because increases in classroom capacity, program budgeting
and student support needs would likely need to be proportional to any increases in enrollment. The report also details zero-growth needs — needs in the event of no enrollment expansion at the College. The report’s final conclusion was that any expansion plans should follow a “clear and convincing” growth rationale, deeper consultation with academic departments, the creation of a Campus Master Plan that would detail the development of Dartmouth’s physical space and further i nve s t m e n t i n c u r re n t Dartmouth operations. While the task force was not charged with making a recommendationaboutwhether or not to expand enrollment, Board of Trustees chair Laurel Richie ’81 wrote in a campuswide email last month that after considering the task force’s findings, the Board approved Hanlon’s recommendation that SEE ENROLLMENT PAGE 5
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GOB SQUAD’S ‘WAR AND PEACE’ IS BIZARRE, POLITICAL, RELEVANT PAGE 8
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College purchases $66 million in oil and gas fund B y ruben gallardo The Dartmouth
On Feb. 8, the College’s Board of Trustees disclosed 26 holdings in their U.S. Securities & Exchange Commission Form 13F filing, which included shares from the SPDR S&P Oil & Gas Explore & Production exchange-traded fund valued at $66,615,000. Also known as the Information Required of Institutional Managers
Form, the Form 13F is a quarterly filing the SEC requires from institutional investment managers with over $100 million in equity assets under management. The College’s holding in the S&P Oil & Gas ETF was the largest in monetary value disclosed in the SEC filing. The quarterly report also included SEE OIL PAGE 2
Week of Action holds programs
B y claudia bernstein The Dartmouth
This year, the College’s Week of Action, which is a part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, featured talk, workshops and movie screenings. The College’s Student Wellness Center, Dartmouth Bystander Initiative, the Week of Action planning committee, Sexual Assault Peer Alliance, WISE and other campus organizations helped plan the new events, held last week. Sexual Assault Awareness Month is intended to destigmatize conversations
about sexual violence and educate individuals and institutions about how they can support victims of sexual assault. “Sexual Assault Awareness Month happens in April across the country and across the globe, so for that reason we’ve sort of shifted our approach a little bit on our campus to the Week of Action,” DBI manager Ben Bradley said. Bradley said that his organization collaborated with the Hopkins Center for the Arts and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Center for Public Policy to plan programming
throughout the week. Each day of the Week of Action saw at least one event devoted to facilitating conversations about sexual violence. On April 2 — the College’s Day of Action — students distributed Week of Action T-shirts at tables in the Collis Center. Additionally, the Dartmouth Center for the Advancement of Learning led a faculty event intended to strengthen the community’s response to sexual violence. The event offered faculty members SEE ACTION PAGE 3
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THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
College invests in oil and gas ETF that the College does not comment on its investment strategy “beyond the holdings in firms such as Amazon, information in the endowment report.” The College’s 2017 endowment Apple, Exxon Mobil Corporation and Pattern Energy Group, an independent report stated that Dartmouth “takes a long-term orientation in its capital renewable power company. The objective of the S&P Oil & Gas allocation and portfolio management ETF is to “provide investment results decisions.” The report further stated … that correspond generally to the that the College’s main interests include total return performance of the S&P finding global investment opportunities Oil & Gas Exploration & Production with “superior return potential” Select Industry Index,” according to while remaining aware of the risks the official site for financial products that may result from this orientation and concentrating investments where from State Street Global Advisors. Based on an April 2016 report conviction is high. Leehi Yona ’16, one of the founding commissioned by College President Phil m e m b e r s Hanlon on the of Divest considerations “The biggest message Dartmouth, said o f d i ve s t i n g that I get from that the College’s the College’s decision to invest e n d o w m e n t Dartmouth when in companies from fossil fuel I hear about this dedicated to assets, the College finding and directly held investment is that exploring new approximately Dartmouth does fossil fuel reserves $43 million in not care about its is “reckless.” fossil fuel-related “The assets at the time students, nor does it biggest message the report was care about its future that I get from released. More Dartmouth when than 95 percent students.” I hear about this of that amount investment is that was held in -LEEHI YONA ’16 Dartmouth does working capital not care about its pools, which students, nor does usually consists of the capital of a business that is used it care about its future students,” Leehi in its day-to-day trading operations. said. “If Dartmouth cared about future Only $2 million of this investment was classes, it would not be investing in a reported to be held in the endowment. stock that profits from climate change.” Environmental studies professor In a statement released in May 2016, Hanlon said he had begun to and Sustainability Task Force co-chair review a report he commissioned on Andrew Friedland said that the College the considerations involved in divesting should first conserve and increase the College’s endowment from fossil energy efficiency on campus before fuel-related assets “as [he] determine[s] divesting from fossil fuel-related assets. the steps that Dartmouth should take Some proactive measures to consider to help address” climate change. Since before divesting could include reducing then, Hanlon has not released any the consumption of oil at the College’s further statement on the proposed fossil power plant and investing in renewable energy companies, he said. fuel stock divestment. According to current Divest In addition to the fossil fuel divestment report, the College also Dartmouth member Lily Zhang ’18, generated an overview of reasons the College’s holdings in fossil fuel for and against fossil fuel divestment. companies undermine the scholarly According to the short document, work of faculty conducting research direct action by an institution of on carbon emissions and other learning “has important value in raising intersectional issues surrounding awareness of the problem of climate climate change. “Being a symbol of an investor in change.” On the other hand, the document fossil fuels is ethically wrong, given all also said that Dartmouth has the this knowledge we have as an institution opportunity to positively address on how damaging fossil fuels are,” climate change through its education Zhang said. Yona said that some of the College’s and research efforts, and that limiting investments restricts “the ability of peer institutions — such as Stanford Dartmouth to deploy resources against University and Yale University — also face the same issue of faculty conducting research and education initiatives.” College spokesperson Diana research on climate change while their Lawrence wrote in an email statement universities’ endowments include FROM OIL PAGE 1
CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
investments in fossil fuel companies. Although the same dilemma occurs on their campuses, Yale and Stanford have partially divested from some fossil fuel companies, according to Yona. Yona, who recently received the Knight-Hennessy scholarship from Stanford University, added that she agreed to an interview with the College about her award on the condition that her involvement with Divest Dartmouth was mentioned in the news release. She said she was not interviewed nor included in the final article. “It is clear that the school wants to be able to claim that it’s a leader in environmental issues,” Yona said. “At the same time, [the College] is not willing to put in nearly the amount of work necessary to actually be able to earn that title.” Reducing carbon emissions at the College could supplement other initiatives, and divestment should not be the only option for the College to address climate change, Friedland said. He added that these efforts could include divestment from fossil fuel companies in the future, when it is more practical. College chief investment officer Alice Ruth ’83 declined to comment. As of press time, Sustainability Office director Rosi Kerr and assistant director Jenna Musco did not respond to requests for comment.
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018
GETTING BUZZED WITH COFFEE CLUB
NAOMI LAM/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Madeline Hess ’19 and Catherine Storch ’19 brew up some fresh beans.
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018
PAGE 3
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Workshops, films and discussions Modifications to golf course discussed held during week of action FROM ACTION PAGE 1
training in “compliance as well as response and support and thinking about how to be supportive when someone makes a disclosure to a private resource,” according to WISE campus advocate Delaney Anderson, whose organization helped plan the event with DCAL. One of the major goals of the workshops was to engage individuals who might not otherwise participate in sexual violence conversations on campus, Bradley said. He noted that many students support efforts to end sexual violence on campus, adding that the Week of Action is intended to create an opportunity for these individuals to find action “that feels right and doable and tangible to them.” While the Week of Action sought to increase the visibility of sexual violence issues on campus and elsewhere, Anderson said the larger goal of the Sexual Assault Awareness Month is to foster sustained conversations about this issue that extend beyond April. “It’s wonderful when we have awareness month events, but I think what the focus is always
on — including with the Week of Action — is how we can continue to think about these topics and act throughout the rest of the year, not just this one week,” Anderson said. On Apr. 3, DBI and the Hop jointly hosted a viewing and discussion of “Sex and Sexual Violence on Screen” in the Loew Auditorium in Black Family Visual Arts Center. On Apr. 4, the Week of Action planning committee provided interested students with transportation to the Lebanon Opera House for Unedited Voices. Hosted every two years by WISE, Unedited Voices is a presentation where survivors of sexual assault share and perform their experiences to communicate how their lives have been impacted by violence. On Apr. 5, DBI and the Rockefeller Center hosted a workshop dedicated to combating workplace violence. Bradley said that he was especially involved in coordinating and leading the workshop titled “Combating Workplace Harassment” that evening. “The purpose of the event is to educate students ... as leaders in the near future ... [to identify workplace harassment and about]
tangible strategies that can prevent sexual violence ... and keep other community members safe,” Bradley said. As part of the workshop, attendees viewed examples of workplace harassment and discussed power imbalances in work settings that might discourage r e p o r t i n g o f i n a p p ro p r i a t e behavior. Summer Martin ’21, who attended the workshop, said she felt that the lessons she learned about calling out examples of sexual harassment and violence were applicable not only to the workplace, but also to social spaces at the College. “ When you’re en terin g a [fraternity], the brothers decide whether you can come in or not, and while you can say that’s not really a power imbalance, if you want to have a good social life, it is,” she said. Bradley added that he believes community action is necessary because there is a need for everyone to feel a stake in the issue and see a way to tangibly be involved to prevent sexual violence on this campus.
This proposal, however, may not come to fruition because the lost over $500,000 a year for the past east side of the property, where the four years. committee is proposing to put the No one in the audience called for new holes, is located near wetlands the golf course to close. that cannot be developed, according “Nobody hear wants scenario to Williamson. The committee t h r e e ; ” will explore Wheelan said. the feasibility “There is no “There is no of this plan c on s tituen c y constituency for in future for scenario meetings. scenario three other three other T h e t h a n p e o p l e than people in the committee in the College College who see that is also who see that considering m o n e y a n d money and think it a n o t h e r think it could be could be used for proposal used for some to move the some other academic other academic outdated mission.” mission.” clubhouse from L i n d a the outskirts of Fo w l e r, a the golf course g o v e r n m e n t -CHARLES WHEELAN ’88, to a more p r o f e s s o r , PUBLIC POLICY PROFESSOR centralized Pine Park l o c at i o n commissioner d i re c t l y o f f and member of Route 10. The the committee. new clubhouse said that the committee wants to would be equipped with locker see how they can make a viable rooms, a restaurant and pro shop. scenario work. The clubhouse, according to “People on the committee are Wheelan, would not only appeal golfers. There is not anyone on the to members but could also serve as committee who is hostile to golf,” a venue for weddings, community she added. gathering and banquets, which During the forum, Wheelan could generate additional revenue. emphasized that if the College Many attendants agreed with reconfigures the golf course, it must Wheelan, adding that the course be mindful of Pine Park, which should be equipped with better borders the golf course. Renovations amenities to attract more people to would not only have to ensure that the course, including locker rooms, Pine Park visitors are safe from stray a driving range and a restaurant. golf balls, but also avoid encroaching Head coach of the men’s golf on the park’s land. team Rich Parker also offered “A problem for Pine Park [right suggestions to remodel the course. now] is access because if you are “If you get rid of this golf course, walking to Pine Park, you are it is never coming back,” Parker said. dodging golf balls,” Fowler said “This is a gem: it’s been around for during the forum. “We are trying hundreds of years and it’s not a hard to address these access points to the fix.” park.” Parker said that the course needs Wheelan added that renovations to be more player-friendly, similar would also have to address the bridge to the more popular neighboring on the sixth hole, which connects Quechee Country Club and Lake the first five holes to the rest of the Morey Country Club. He suggested course. Renovating the bridge would moving the tees forward, removing cost upwards of $1 million. difficult sand traps and smoothing One way to avoid the cost of out the fast, hilly greens. bridge renovations is to move the “The turnout was huge because first five holes, some of which so many people care about the golf have already been eroding, from course,” Richard Akerboom ’80 the southwest side of the property TH’82 TH’85 said after the event. “I to an undeveloped area of land haven’t played there for at least five on the far east side, according to years and it was important enough Peter Williamson ’12, a former Big for me to leave another meeting to Green varsity golfer who provides attend this one.” counsel to the committee. This The committee plans to host change would eliminate the need one more public forum in May and for the bridge, save the College $1 will meet two or three more times million, provide a potential access separately before it presents its point to Pine Park and allow players findings to College President Phil to continue to navigate the course Hanlon and the Board of Trustees easily. in the end of June. FROM GOLF PAGE 1
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THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018
DARTMOUTHEVENTS TODAY 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Exhibit: “Pilgrims, Parades, and Politics,” sponsored by the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, 7 Lebanon Street, Suite 107
4:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m.
Documentary: “Blaxploitalian: One Hundred Years of Blackness in Italian Cinema,” presented by writer and filmmaker Fred Kuwornu, Rockefeller Center 002
4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Lecture: “Do the Liberal Arts Serve Any Useful Public Function?,” with former president of St. John’s College and N.E.H acting chairman John Agresto, Carson Hall 060
TOMORROW
4:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Psychological and Brain Sciences Colloquium: “The Mechanisms of Occult Long-term Memory in Aplysia,” with Wolford lecturer and University of California, Los Angeles professor David Glanzman, Moore B03
7:00 p.m. - 9:15 p.m.
Film: “Black Panther,” directed by Ryan Coogler, Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center for the Arts
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THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018
PAGE 5
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Trustees release report on enrollment expansion requirements FROM ENROLLMENT PAGE 1
the undergraduate student body remain at its current size. The Board’s regular updates from task force co-chairs dean of the College Rebecca Biron and dean of the faculty of arts and sciences Elizabeth Smith enabled the board to approve of Hanlon’s recommendation prior to the final task force report delivery, College spokesperson Diana Lawrence wrote in an email. Recent fluctuating admission and yield rates have come at the same time as discussions of enrollment expansion — the report comes to the public just days after the College admitted its lowest number of students since the early 1990s for the Class of 2022. Last year, the College experienced its highest yield rate in 25 years for the Class of 2021, resulting in the redesignation of North Park graduate housing to undergraduates starting this past falland the proposal to create new residence halls in College Park this past October — a measure that over 1,600 students, professors, alumni and individuals connected to the College protested against. In February, Hanlon announced that it was beyond the College’s financial capacity to build College Park dormitories and that the College would instead explore smaller residence hall building projects. Biron said that the yield rate for the Class of 2021, the acceptance rate for
the Class of 2022 and proposals for the creation of College Park dormitories were separate from the task force on enrollment and were not impacted by the task force’s work. Biron also distinguished between unexpected and expected enrollment expansion, emphasizing that the yield rate for the Class of 2021 was unplanned. She said that one of the main takeaways of the report is that enrollment expansion requires years of planning. Biological sciences professor Mark McPeek, one of five faculty members who were asked to be on the task force, said that another important contribution of the report is reaffirming the College’s pre-expansion needs. “One of the things we’re really hoping comes out of this is that people will take seriously all of the things — that we put out in the report — that are still under-staffed and under-supported right now that we need to work on before we can even think about ... bringing in more people,” McPeek said. In the report’s endnotes, the task force expands on the College’s current needs, including the need to modernize and expand existing classrooms, faculty offices and academic gathering spaces; maintain and renew residence halls; improve parking infrastructure; and increase service capacity for mental health and academic support services. Biron said that the task force report
did not reveal areas for improvement that the College was not already aware of, but agreed that it shows the need to strengthen current infrastructure before considering enrollment expansion. According to the report, Princeton University, Rice University and Yale University have either already expanded their enrollments or expect to expand in forthcoming years, while Brandeis University, Brown University and Harvard University have decided not to expand their enrollments. Dartmouth’s size relative to other Ivy League institutions has long been a defining aspect of the College, according to the preliminary sections of the task force report. However, according to Hanlon’s initial charge to the task force, enrollment scale is “one of five strategic questions” faced by the College. Considerations of expansion have been underpinned by motivations in mission — a desire to increase the number of undergraduates prepared by the College to “better the world” — as well as institutional prospects — the ability of the College to build a more diverse entering class with more students. The report also included strengthening the role of house communities and expanding off-campus programs as possible opportunities afforded by enrollment expansion. The task force solicited input from Dartmouth community members
about perceptions of potential enrollment expansion by sending a survey to 2,000 alumni and partnering with Alumni Council President Jack Steinberg ’88 to send an email to all Dartmouth alumni encouraging them to share their perspectives on the issue. The task force also reached out directly to academic department leaders, programs and centers and student support departments to inquire about perspectives on enrollment as well as specific resources needed to support expansion. In a survey sent out by College Pulse on Nov. 6, 2017, 70 percent of the 987 students who responded said they would like to see the College stay the same in terms of size, while 20 percent said they would like to see a decrease in the enrollment size, rounded to the nearest one. According to Lawrence in an email statement, “community sentiment” was included in the task force’s report and was considered by Hanlon and the trustees as they made a final decision not to expand enrollment. Lawrence wrote in an email that the College and its trustees, while not currently taking steps with enrollment expansion in mind, will routinely evaluate strategic considerations such as enrollment in the context of what is best for Dartmouth’s long-term interests. “The current focus of the trustees and the College’s leadership is to
enhance the quality of the Dartmouth experience,” she wrote in her email. Recently, the trustees approved “exploratory” conceptual and design work and location-finding for a new 350-bed residential complex. This was accompanied by a capital budget of $51 million to expand spaces for research, teaching and learning, $14 million of which was designated for the expansion of the Thayer School of Engineering, according to a press release. The renovation of Dana Hall and the Blunt Alumni Center will also contribute to expanding academic office spaces. At the same time, the College announced a 3.9 percent increase in undergraduate tuition, mandatory fees and room and board fees for the 2018-19 academic year, consistent with an upwards trend for tuition charges. The report stated that all standing committees of the faculty — as well as the Committee on Priorities, Committee on the Faculty, Committee on Organization and Policy, Committee on Instruction and Committee on Student Life — will review the task force report during the spring term and give a written response report to the Committee on Priorities. Furthermore, the report stated that Hanlon and the trustees will welcome town hall and community meeting requests from student groups, faculty, staff and alumni to discuss the content of the report.
DEBORA HYEMIN HAN/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Resources needed to increase enrollment would include additional faculty, dining and housing.
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THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
STAFF COLUMNIST RACHNA SHAH ’21
GUEST COLUMNIST PRIYA SANKAR ’19
The New Generation
Virtue Signaling and “Solidarity”
Hunting is neither ethical nor practical.
“[It] is about connecting with the world and our friends. It’s where stories are made and legends created.” This is a quote from the September/October 2015 issue of the New Hampshire Wildlife Journal. With its emphasis on camaraderie, outdoor enthusiasm and lifelong memories, the description could easily apply to the Dartmouth experience. But it’s not; the quote is from a hunting publication. Fellowship is one of the main motivations for hunting. Environmental philosopher Gary Varner claims that there are three main reasons for — and thus types of — hunting: subsistence, therapeutic (killing one species to protect an ecosystem) and sport. However, certain hunting practices cannot be explained by either animal or environmental ethics; sport and trophy hunting are neither ethical nor practical. Hunting is the legal killing or trapping of animals (as compared to poaching, which is illegal). Its main purposes are food, trade, removing predators, pest control and recreation. Hunting has occurred for the past two million years, becoming a dominant practice among huntergatherer societies around 11,000 years ago. Today, approximately 11.5 million Americans hunt each year, spending $25.6 billion on equipment, technologies and licenses as of 2016. Every year, over 200 million animals are killed by U.S. hunters alone. While only approximately six percent of Americans are hunters today, 79 percent approve of legal hunting. In regards to motivation, protecting humans from harm garners the largest support (85 percent) as compared to challenge (40 percent) and earning a trophy (28 percent). Americans seem to support hunting activities when they view them as part of human heritage. Hunter education, mandatory in many states, addresses the moral issues surrounding hunting and responsibility. Hunting regulations, in regards to endangered and protected species and licensing, vary by state. Conservation organizations such as the Wilderness Society and the World Wildlife Fund support the current regulation of hunting via licensing, while PETA seeks to ban hunting. While some may view hunting as a natural and historic activity, it is not a responsible one today. Due to advances in agriculture and technology, the majority of mankind no longer relies upon hunting for subsistence and food. By practicing and supporting hunting, hunters disregard the lives and safety of animals. From
an ethical point of view, hunting is ethical if the harm from hunting is less than the harm from not hunting — if the animal would have died in a more painful way. Some argue that hunting is more humane than other methods of animal control, such as biological and chemical control. However, animals are sentient beings, with the ability to suffer. Unnecessary stress and casualties occur in animal populations for the pleasure of humans engaging in hunting practices. States such as Florida use hunting bounty programs to eradicate invasive species. By economically incentivizing the death of invasive species like snakes, a U.S. Geographical Survey contends that policies which “add value to an invasive species ... [create] economic pressure to assure the population’s continuation,” the exact opposite of the state’s goal. Hunting is also harmful to the environment due to its disruption of the ecological equilibrium. Sport and trophy hunting generally involve killing the largest animal of the group, often the largest male, interfering with the natural evolutionary process wherein the smallest and weakest animals die first. This practice thus decreases the health of the population by breaking apart animal families and leading to herd growth. Most hunted species are not even in need of population control. Some state wildlife management agencies artificially increase populations for hunters’ sake; as a result, stopping hunting would not lead to overpopulation of animals currently hunted. Hunters’ license fees are used by wildlife management agencies to “manipulate a few game [target] species into overpopulation, resulting in the loss of biological diversity, genetic integrity and ecological balance,” according to an article published in Scientific American. There are natural processes to prevent overpopulation, ultimately making human interference through hunting not only unnecessary but also injurious. September 23rd marks National Hunting and Fishing Day. A joint resolution passed by Congress and President Richard Nixon in 1972 urged “all citizens to join with outdoor sportsmen in the wise use of our natural resources and in ensuring their proper management for the benefit of future generations.” 46 years after this holiday was first proclaimed, are we truly being wise? Shah is the president of the Dartmouth Animal Rights Troupe.
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ISSUE
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018
LAYOUT: Abby Mihaly
SUBMISSIONS: We welcome letters and guest columns. All submissions must include the author’s name and affiliation with Dartmouth
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Calls for greater awareness may actually impede action.
I will be the first to laud the political activism gender equality in the Greek system; we try to that has burgeoned on Dartmouth’s campus in be very proactive about sexual assault on a daily the last few months. It is deeply gratifying both basis. We should not feel pressured to publicly on a personal and philosophical level that our state support for specific issues on specific dates community is engaging with important issues, when sexual assault reform is already a part of including injustice, prejudice and sexual assault. our fundamental mission. I urge activists to stop As a bisexual woman of color, these issues are using peer pressure and ostracism to further their deeply personal to me, and I appreciate that goals, as it creates a poor incentive structure. It they are being discussed. alienates those who best work toward the goal at However, I do not feel supported. hand, while providing an opportunity for others Activist groups at Dartmouth have repeatedly to effortlessly gain legitimacy and false virtue. sent out “solidarity” emails calling on the student This is the problem of self-selection. Those body to support those affected by the issue at who are active supporters of victims of sexual hand, whether they are women (as in the case of assault will have meaningful conversations and Ryan Spector’s column “You’re Not Tripping” continue their good work. Those who are not in The Dartmouth), sexual assault victims (as in will send an email of support, after which they this past Friday’s Night of Solidarity) or other will either laud themselves on their virtues marginalized groups. Greek houses, a capella or continue to party. Creating an arbitrary groups and other campus organizations send event for awareness does nothing actionable; emails to the campus listserv saying, “Hey! We it merely creates an opportunity for apathetic care about this issue! We want to support the or malicious organizations to publicly signal people affected by this issue!” How could they their virtue by stating their support. Cries of not? On this progressive support do not create and heavily politicized “Those who have social change; empathy, campus, is anyone going to acknowledgement and say, or even imply through been targets of action do. inactivity, that they do not sexual assault or S o m a n y care about sexual assault? members of this community violence need their Of course not. Add in the do not know how invasive threat of ostracism and peers to call out their a rape kit is. They do not scapegoating, as well as the brothers, sisters, understand how it feels to singling out of fraternities, have another person twice social spaces or sports teams friends, mentors their size violating them. as “rapists” or “sexist,” and and teachers when They don’t understand it is no wonder that support how inconvenient it is to they blur the lines of for sexual assault victims schedule not only therapy consent. They need appears unanimous. sessions, but also court dates This is virtue signaling real understanding and Title IX meetings on at its finest. The fear of top of an already hectic being labelled as “rapey” and an effort on Dartmouth schedule. They motivates organizations to behalf of their peers do not know how it feels to public calls of action and be unable to say no. And to teach others. But loud displays of solidarity. until they do, it is impossible T h e I n ter f r ater n i ty mass emails will not to fully trust the sincerity of Council shut down all accomplish this.” their “solidarity.” houses on Friday in support Those who have of the Night of Solidarity been targets of sexual (as per their email on April assault or violence need 4th), but it is laughable to me to think that all their peers to call out their brothers, sisters, fraternities, let alone all fraternity members or friends, mentors and teachers when they blur the even a majority of them, genuinely care about lines of consent. They need real understanding this issue. In the echo chamber of each house, and an effort on behalf of their peers to teach with members who believe they and their others. But mass emails will not accomplish this. brothers are above wrongdoing, the fear of the I sincerely hope I am wrong. I hope that the administration cracking down on them at the Night of Solidarity inspired fraternity members first whiff of misconduct who desire to maintain to keep an eye on their brothers. I hope that this a “good guy” reputation amongst women so Night of Solidarity gives victims the courage to that their basement will be the most popular, report their assaults. I hope it sparks a change no brother would admit to assault. in the administration to crack down harder on When everyone appears to be in public sexual assault. As for me, all it has done is to make agreement, solidarity is not a message of support me scared to lend nuance to the dialogue, as I may but a disguise behind which to hide. This campus be attacked, libeled and pressured into expressing must stop vilifying those who do not immediately my political opinions through the wrong means. speak out to support others — those for whom It has made me scared to defend fraternities as action has a personal, emotional, physical, social regulated social spaces on campus that offer an or academic cost. Upon seeing the call to support alternative to unregulated off-campus houses. I the Night of Solidarity, members of Greek feel forced to speak when I would be happy just houses advocated for immediate action because to listen. It worries me deeply that “solidarity” they were worried about emailing too late and seems to mean a defense of complacency, not looking like bandwagon-jumpers. As a memeber action. I don’t think anything will change — but of Tabard, I feel that our space is the model for please, prove me wrong.
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018
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THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST NICHOLAS BARTLETT ’21
STAFF COLUMNIST MATTHEW MAGANN ’21
The Gilded Age
Let Us Vote
The current state of superhero films is unsustainable.
Every citizen deserves a say in our democracy.
I remember an era — albeit barely — more difficult for the average viewer to spot, in which superhero movies used to be the much less complain about them. However, spectacle. This was a time when even the the sheer abundance of Marvel movies has most iconic titans like Batman or Iron Man rendered the normally invisible underlying would very seldom (if ever) make their way themes and motifs of these films both highly to the silver screen. At the theater, suffering pronounced and frustrating to moviegoers through uncomfortably itchy and deformed like myself. seating was the price to pay to bear witness to Don’t believe me? Let’s dust off the old the spectacle. Today, in light of the upcoming magnifying glass and take a look at “Iron release of “Avengers: Infinity War,” I realize Man” and “Dr. Strange” — two of Marvel’s that this reality around superhero films hardly more successful movies. Which film, pray tell, seems to hold true anymore. The superhero is the following summary referring to: genre –– Marvel in particular –– has, in large An eccentric yet cocky genius dedicates part, been devalued by the rate at which the nearly all his time to his work and neglects films are released. the important people around him, only for Now, don’t get me wrong — I have eagerly a tragic and unforeseen event to force the consumed, and will continue to consume, hero to discover a new and powerful ability almost every comic book movie to produced — one which eventually catalyzes a positive here in the USA. But if I enjoy them so much, development in his character as he selflessly one might ask, what do I have to complain battles the main antagonist to protect the about? To that, I answer that although I’m people he has realized matter to him. fine with the current state of the medium, I Odds are, no one can’t tell the difference, fear for what its future. Genres in Hollywood because they’re essentially the same character have historically been almost fireworkesque thrust into an identical plot structure. Sure, in nature: coming in glorious (depending on the individual components may shift as Dr. whom you talk to) but short bursts. Take the Strange trades the world of robotics for that zombie movie, for example, which only a few of magic, but the overall concepts remain years ago pervaded every box office around largely the same. This holds true for a great the country; the genre, which once saw around many Marvel films. It’s a highly entertaining ten releases a year, has story structure, but it diminished to little more doesn’t sustain the same than one or two — with “The reality that impact with each passing even its flagship TV show divergence from the film; one can only watch “The Walking Dead” hero put it all together formula warrants such aand decreasing in popularity. defeat the villain so I t w a s i m m e n s e l y praise worries me as a many times before the popular for a time, but superhero-aficionado, message begins to lose it eventually outstayed its charm. After all, when its welcome. Superhero because it means that the audience knows that films most definitely at the general public is the hero is going to come risk of following such out on top, the struggle slowly catching on to a trajectory, as we’ve upon which the entire seen them increase in the genre’s potentially narrative is based begins proliferation from a fatal flaws.” to lose its luster. Heck, rare occurrence, to an this convention has grown annual one, to now an so notorious that the few expectation of two or three movies in any Marvel movies that diverge even slightly from given year. this standard (e.g. “Black Panther”) are lauded But if “Avengers: Infinity War” can shatter purely for their status as a “change of pace.” records for early ticket sales and “Black The reality that divergence from the Panther” can sneak onto the list of the top formula warrants such praise worries me as 10 highest grossing films of all time, how a superhero aficionado, because it means does this in any way suggest that trouble that the general public is slowly catching on lies on the horizon? The issue lies in the fact to the genre’s potentially fatal flaws. For as that Marvel has done too well for itself. The predictable as they may be, I love watching company monopolized a genre, generated the characters that I grew up reading about an absurd demand for their films and then within the tattered pages of old comic eagerly met (and somewhat surpassed) books (adeptly “borrowed” from the library) it. From a business standpoint, it’s near come to life. But if things don’t change, if exemplary. Yet in the process of realizing so the industry is content to continue upon its many unique characters and worlds, Marvel current, repetitive, ever-expanding course, I has run into a notable roadblock: they have fear that general audiences will eventually tire near exhausted the number of original stories of the same old superhero stories in much that they can tell. This exhaustion has led to the same way that it bored of zombie flicks a prominent complaint that Marvel movies and Westerns. And as much as the lucrative (and by extension, the superhero genre as a nature of the current market, I doubt Marvel, whole): that they are completely and utterly DC and the like will endeavor to change their predictable. Sure, patterns and idiosyncrasies course of action. As much as it pains me to always exist existed within the work of a say, it’s probably not a matter of whether specific film studio or director, certainly, but a Captain America and Superman will ever more infrequent release schedule makes it far disappear from movie theaters, but of when.
I live in New Hampshire. I may have partisanship is both shameful and grown up in Massachusetts, but I spend the undemocratic. Fortunately, not all New majority of my time in this state –– for most Hampshire Republicans have abandoned of the year, it’s my home. New Hampshire’s democratic principles in pursuit of electoral policies affect me and its politicians represent victory. Governor Sununu, a Republican, me, regardless of the “student” label affixed has spoken out against bills that curtail to my name. That label doesn’t make me, student voting rights. He deserves praise or any other New Hampshire resident, less for that, from all sides. If the parties can entitled to basic democratic rights. agree on anything, they ought to agree on Sadly, the New Hampshire House of the foundational nature of voting rights to Representatives has long tried to eliminate our republic. I’m concerned at how readily students’ right to vote. One of their latest the New Hampshire GOP abandons their bills, HB 1264, would change the state’s commitment to voting rights when it serves definition of residency and potentially to benefit them. No election victory is worth require out-of-state students to either obtain sacrificing our democratic principles. a New Hampshire driver’s license or register New Hampshire is not alone in its struggle a vehicle in-state in order to vote. The bill over the right to vote. Voter suppression is now up for debate in the New Hampshire remains an issue nationwide. In the 2013 senate. Make no mistake: this measure is Shelby County v. Holder decision, the a poll tax meant to curtail student voting. Supreme Court struck down a portion of Besides the upfront cost the Voting Rights Act, of registering a car or “Voter suppression a piece of legislation acquiring a license, both that targeted raciallyin the name of actions require a trip discriminatory voting to the New Hampshire partisanship is restrictions. The court Department of Motor both shameful and ruled that portions of Vehicles. For a Dartmouth the act had achieved student, that would entail undemocratic.” their purpose and were a 40-minute drive one no longer needed. way to the nearest DMV Soon after the decision, in Newport (public transportation is not an though, multiple states enacted voter ID option). Add to that the DMV’s weekday- laws, eliminated same-day voter registration only hours, and a student busy with classes, and reinstated many of the measures activities and campus jobs has little chance prohibited by the Voting Rights Act. of registering to vote. Supporters of increased voting regulation Thankfully, New Hampshire governor often justify it as a check on voter fraud. Chris Sununu opposes bills that suppress the However, voter fraud is actually exceedingly student vote, including HB 1264. Students rare, and regardless, ID laws and other voting should not be second-class citizens of this barriers do little to stop it. The real purpose state, regardless of whether we plan to spend of these laws is identical to that of New the rest of our lives in New Hampshire. As Hampshire’s HB 1264: disenfranchisement. with any other resident, New Hampshire Though they apply equally to all law applies to us, and as such we deserve a citizens, voter suppression measures say in New Hampshire elections. disproportionately target black and Hispanic I worry at the eagerness of New Americans, who are much less likely Hampshire’s Republican representatives than white Americans to own photo IDs. to disenfranchise students. The latest voter These groups tend to favor Democrats, suppression bill, HB 1264, passed largely so suppressing their vote tilts elections on party lines, with Republicans for and towards Republicans. Unsurprisingly, the Democrats against. Supporters of HB 1264 vast majority of voter suppression measures and similar bills claim they want to reduce put forward in recent years have arisen voter fraud, but I fear that the partisan divide from the GOP. This is not to say that the around HB 1264 signals a more sinister Republican party is against voting rights; motive. To start, there is essentially no it’s not. Republicans like Governor Sununu evidence of voter fraud in New Hampshire, provide an example to us all by placing voting and regardless, practically disenfranchising rights above partisanship. But currently, an entire demographic is never a morally too many Republican legislatures have acceptable means to secure elections. advanced anti-democratic legislation meant Instead, the evidence portrays HB 1264 as a to disenfranchise some of their constituents. partisan attempt to swing elections in favor Republicans, like all Americans, should stand of Republicans. Republican representatives up for voting rights; after all, those rights perceive the student vote as largely pro- underlie our entire system of government. Democrat, and in a state where elections are If a political party resorts to voter often won by razor-thin margins, students’ suppression in order to swing elections, votes can play a decisive role. Remember perhaps it should reassess its values and that in 2011, then-New Hampshire House make compromises to bring voters over Speaker William O’Brien promoted a bill to its side. That’s how democracy should similar to HB 1264 because, in his words, function. Measures like HB 1264 threaten too many college students were “voting as democracy and have no place in this state, [liberals].” or in this nation. We all have the right to Voter suppression in the name of vote. No one has a right to take it away.
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2018
Gob Squad’s “War and Peace” is bizarre, political, relevant By SAVANNAH MILLER
War, Peace or “And.” Sharon Smith, who played Tolstoy, was at The Dartmouth Staff once a fantastically funny host and What do a reunited One Direction, a prolific philosopher. At the table, a historical fashion show and Leo she discussed the current political Tolstoy kissing Vladimir Lenin have divide in America with her guest. This in common? They were all a part of rather serious discussion was often Gob Squad’s performance of “War cut by camera shots of Gob Squad and Peace” this past weekend at the member Simon Will, who portrayed Moore Theater. the pathway “And,” miming playing Gob Squad is an arts collective a harp to “Imagine” by John Lennon comprised of seven British and and scarfing down any remaining German artists. Together, they create pastries at the table. performances that ponder major After establishing the guests of the philosophical questions by using table, Gob Squad launched into a humor and audience participation. fashion show comprised of characters “War and Peace,” from the their latest project, novel, staples seeks to discuss a “[Gob Squad offers] of war and major question one possible important people may have political a f t e r r e a d i n g explanation for why figures. The To l s t oy ’s n ove l the book remains so participants about Napoleon’s ranged from beloved: readers of invasion of Russia protagonist in 1812: Why do ‘War and Peace’ can of “War and people go to war, sympathize with the Peace” Pierre and should they? Bezukhov to Before the show novel’s protagonist a war horse eve n b e g a n , i t regardless of the to Parkland was clear that this survivor times.” rendition of “War E m m a and Peace” would González. not take itself as seriously as the Tatiana Saphir, who portrayed epic novel does. Upon walking into the pathway War and the character the Hopkins Center for the Arts to Napoleon, then entered into a battle attend the performance on Friday of wits and humor with Sarah night, I was immediately greeted Thom, who portrayed Peace and by four members of Gob Squad in impersonated Tsar Alexander I. This costume: nude tights, flowy shirts battle eventually morphed into Will and long sheaths. One member wore singing Coldplay’s “Viva la Vida” platform shoes that made him about and Thom acquiring a Tolstoy-like six inches taller. beard. Once audience members began Despite the fact that this rendition flooding the theater, members of Gob of “War and Peace” incorporated Squad simulated the atmosphere of a “pathways,” much of its material French salon by bringing show-goers was comprised of the personal onto the stage and introducing them. experiences of the performers. One Every now and then, an audience of the more compelling moments of member would be invited to “sit “War and Peace” was when Thom at the table.” The literal table was discussed the death that accompanies set up at the front of the theater, war in relation to her father’s complete with bottles of wine, small recent passing. Another emotionally baked goods and a rotatable camera charged moment came towards the four Gob Squad members used to end when Smith, a mother and wife, project their live conversations with wondered aloud how she would be those selected from the crowd. able to explain violence to her young Gob Squad’s rendition of “War child. and Peace” did not assign roles to The very last moment of “War and each performer like in a traditional Peace” was based on a quote from play. Instead, performers were the novel discussing an aging oak assigned a “pathway,” a more relaxed tree. As Will mused about what that version of a role that allows for more oak tree would have to say about all creative freedom and improvisation. the life and violence it had seen, his Each member of the squad embodied cast mates took the stage dressed as one of four “pathways”: Tolstoy, trees with their table guests. As they
stared off at a projected overcast sky, the lights faded out. So, what exactly was Gob Squad’s “War and Peace” all about? Ever since leaving the theater, I’ve found it difficult to answer this question. At the surface, it seems easy to explain “War and Peace” as a humorous conversation about Tolstoy’s novel. Certainly, Gob Squad discusses enough of the plot of the novel for someone who has not read the book to understand its premise and historical background. They offer one possible explanation for why the book remains so beloved: readers of “War and Peace” can sympathize with the novel’s protagonist regardless of the times. By having three people portray Pierre Bezukhov from the novel, Gob Squad highlights the particular characteristics that make him relatable. Another possible answer is that Gob Squad wanted to show how scarily relevant “War and Peace” is today. During the performance, Gob Squad discussed political disagreements with the people at the table. In one part of the piece, they warn the audience that they will be showing “images of war” on large screens before — thankfully — showing a montage of kittens and dogs playing with their owners. By bringing the 19th century novel into modern times, Gob Squad shows that war and violence is often caused by people’s inability to reach across political lines and find common ground. I would describe “War and Peace” as a treatise on the morality of war and human nature. A moment that stood out to me was Smith and Will’s conversation about why people might go to war. Smith’s answer had to do with an individual’s inner responsibility to fight fascism and not to become complacent in systems he or she finds morally inexcusable. It is difficult to describe the reasons behind violence — whether in Tolstoy’s novel or in the world today — but Gob Squad did a pretty decent job in their two-hour-long show. After the final bows, I heard show-goers around me asking their friends and family what Gob Squad was trying to say. I do not think they were trying to say anything. Rather, I think they were trying to leave us with questions — questions about ourselves, the world we live in and our responsibility as people living in that world.
COURTESY OF GOB SQUAD
Gob Squad’s work often combines media, performance and audience-interaction.