The Dartmouth 07/13/18

VOL. CLXXV NO.52

MOSTLY SUNNY HIGH 85 LOW 59

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Tuck graduate purchases Lou’s from longtime owner

Renovations under way on campus

BY ALEX FREDMAN

The Dartmouth Staff

ANTHONY ROBLES/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

Lou’s Bakery and Restaurant has been a longtime favorite of Dartmouth students and town residents.

OPINION

AHSAN: HINDSIGHT AND HAIRSPRAY PAGE 4

COOK: TAKE THE LEAP PAGE 4

ARTS

FILM REVIEW: ‘OCEAN’S 8’ PAGE 7

SPORTS

ALLEN: THE ACCIDENTAL FAN PAGE 8

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BY ANTHONY ROBLES The Dartmouth Staff

A n i c o n i c H a n ove r establishment will soon be under new management for the fourth time in 71 years.

Lou’s Restaurant and Bakery, which has been owned by Toby and Pattie Fried for almost three decades, has been sold to Jarett Berke

Tu’17 and his wife Cailin, who moved to the area with their three children after Jarett enrolled at the Tuck School of Business.

Toby Fried said that for the next few months, his primary task at Lou’s will be to help Berke in any way he can as the restaurant changes hands.

Fried added that he wants to ensure a “smooth” transition

— one that customers won’t even notice. “ E ve r y bu s i n e s s h a s a learning curve,” Fried said. “And in the restaurant business, everything changes from day to day. What’s most important is to keep the customers happy, so you may have to do something different today than you had SEE LOU’S PAGE 2

Reading group for veterans hosts workshop

BY SUNNY DRESCHER The Dartmouth Staff

Dartmouth classical studies professor Roberta Stewart shared her new model for helping veterans cope with struggles with potential new faciliators from across the country at a workshop last month. The model that Stewart developed incorporates book discussions focusing on Homer’s “Odyssey.” Last month’s workshop will help facilitators and future facilitators learn more about the discussions so

that Stewart can spread her mission to groups across the country.

The five day workshop brought in 22 potential facilitators from Alaska, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas and Vermont and included clinicians, academics, veterans, military personnel and others interested in engaging with veterans in their communities.

While other groups, such as one at SEE READING GROUP PAGE 5

With fewer students on campus for the summer term, the College is undertaking several construction projects across campus to lay the groundwork for new buildings and improve conditions in current facilities.

Repairs to existing buildings on campus this term include a new emergency generator for the Class of ’53 Commons, roof replacements for Rollins Chapel and Dick’s House, renovations in Wheeler dormitory, a new heating, ventilation and air conditioning system in Steele Hall and new fire alarm systems in Alumni Gym and Baker-Berry Library, according to associate vice president for facilities, operations and management Frank Roberts.

At ’53 Commons, crews are working on the north side of the building to construct a new emergency power generator, which will be housed in an enclosure next to the building.

“If we have an extended power outage, we will be able to fully support the operation of ’53 Commons,” Roberts said.

Executive vice president Rick Mills said that construction of the new generator was prompted by a power outage a few years ago that impaired food service for a short time. Once plans for the generator were finalized, he added, an additional use was discovered.

“Once we decided to do that, we realized we could provide more reliable emergency generation to SEE RENOVATIONS PAGE 3

SUN SETTING ON ANOTHER SUMMER DAY

ANTHONY ROBLES/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

The sun peeks through the clouds as another long day comes to an end.

PAGE 2

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

DAily debriefing

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018

Lou’s sold to new management

owner of Lou’s, his goal is to “keep was undergoing a “really shaky” it exactly how it is,” and maintain period that often resulted in planned. You can destroy it if you the traditions and legacy of the unemployment. Fried, who realized FBI agent Peter Strzok, who Republicans have accused don’t keep what’s important in restaurant. He acknowledged that that he did not want to spend the of having let his political beliefs influence special counsel mind.”

Lou’s had become a symbol of rest of his life in the profession, then Robert Mueller’s high-profile investigation into possible Russian Lou’s, which celebrated its 70th tradition loved by both the local decided to turn his primary hobbies collusion with President Donald Trump’s campaign, testified on anniversary last year, first began community and the Dartmouth — baking and cooking — into his Thursday before the House Judiciary Committee, according to operations on April 11, 1947 under community, which he attributed to occupation.

The Washington Post. The day-long hearing was fraught with Lou Bressett, a the “great food, Afterward, Fried began looking tension between Republicans and Democrats, with Strzok stating Hanover native “I never really great people, and for bakeries in the Upper Valley and that he was not guilty of letting his political opinions influence and World War II great service.” found an opening at Lou’s, which his investigations at the FBI and calling the hearing “another thought I’d be back veteran. Bressett “ Ju s t a b o u t was owned by Watson at the time. He victory notch in [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s belt.” owned the South in the restaurant e ve r y t h i n g i s worked for Watson for three months, Strzok, was who was the lead agent on FBI probes of former Main Street diner industry, but you made right here in knowing that Watson was interested Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s private email server and until 1979, when the back, which is in selling the bakery half of the Russia’s interference attempts in the 2016 presidential election Robert Watson never know where pretty incredible, business. However, any attempts and possible collaboration with the Trump campaign, was ’ 5 9 a s s u m e d you’re going to end and that’s what to split the business in half did not removed from the latter investigation in July 2017 by Mueller. ownership. people want and satisfy Fried, as he recognized that His removal came after text messages between him and then-FBI up. That’s just how it va lu e, ” Berk e Watson would soon be selling Lou’s Watson would lawyer Lisa Page, with whom he was in an extramarital affair, remain in the worked out.” said. anyway. were discovered by investigators for the Justice Department role for the next “I think there “At that point, there was no way a inspector general. In the messages, both made disparaging 13 years, until may be some new owner would honor [Watson’s] remarks about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. Page he sold it to the -JARETT BERKE TU opportunities to commitment to me,” Fried added. herself will be questioned by Congress at closed-door meetings Frieds. grow different “I mean, it just wouldn’t make any ’17, OWNER OF LOU’S today and Monday.

Berke, a p a r t s o f t h e sense. That’s when he offered to sell RESTAURANT AND f o r m e r U. S . b u s i n e s s — me the whole restaurant. I said yes.

The Justice Department filed an appeal on Thursday Marine Cor ps BAKERY c a t e r i n g a n d And everything was history after in an attempt to reverse AT&T’s $85.4 billion acquisition captain and s e l l i n g m o r e that.” of Time Warner, according to The Washington Post. The helicopter pilot baked goods Meanwhile, Berke was actually acquisition was finalized last month and approved by federal who completed four combat outside of the store, but those are born into the restaurant industry, judge Richard Leon, who struck down the Justice Department’s deployments overseas, said that he all things I’m going to look at down as both his dad and uncles owned argument, The Justice Department argued that the deal was “fell in love with the area” while the road.” eateries in New York City. However, anti-competitive and would harm consumers, but AT&T stated at Tuck. Upon graduating, Berke Since opening, Lou’s has been Berke said that “he wanted to get that the agreement would actually lower prices. However, soon said that he wanted to stay in the a Hanover mainstay, serving as a away from it” and thus decided after the deal was completed, AT&T increased rates for its online Upper Valley and find “someone culinary destination for townspeople to attend the United States Naval streaming service DirecTV Now. In a statement, AT&T said like Toby, who was hoping to retire and college students alike due to its Academy before a decade-long that it was prepared to defend Leon’s ruling. The appeal comes . . . and find someone young to run assorted baked goods and breakfast career in the Marine Corps. amidst other possible mergers. The day after Leon approved their business,” because one of his options. Lou’s is even the subject When Berke initially began AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner, Comcast bid $65 billon for long-term goals was to own a small of its own Dartmouth challenge, looking at the idea of owning a 21st Century Fox. Currently, the price for Fox’s entertainment business. which requires students to pull an business in the Upper Valley, he said assets stands at $71.3 billion after Disney’s latest bid.

As a student, Berke was unable all-nighter and then dine at Lou’s that he was not very interested in the to find that “someone,” and once it opens at 6:00 a.m. idea of owning a restaurant. That A United States military spokesperson revealed became the vice president of Although renovations were sentiment changed, however, when that a U.S. service member was killed in Afghanistan on growth for Hanover-based Bionic made at Lou’s after Watson’s tenure he realized that Lou’s was “much Thursday. The American service member succumbed to “a Advertising Systems, a marketing as owner, especially in regard to more than just a restaurant.” He wound sustained during a combat operation,” according to and advertising-centered company, the bakery and the menus, Fried added that what made Lou’s special CNN. An Afghan security force member was also killed and whose offices are located above the said he was careful not to make was the brand, tradition and history several other Afghans were injured in the same incident. The Dartmouth Bookstore across the too many changes because of the of the establishment. name of the U.S. service member killed will not be released to street from Lou’s. Berke continued generations of alumni that return to “I never really thought I’d be the public until 24 hours after the Department of Defense has looking for a small business until a the restaurant during class reunions back in the restaurant industry, but the opportunity to notify his or her family. This causalty marks mutual acquaintance introduced and other alumni-centered events. you never know where you’re going the fourth time that a U.S. service member has been killed him to Fried.

Lou’s cashier Morgan Young, to end up,” Berke said. “That’s just in Afghanistan during the 2018 calendar year. Current U.S. “I’ve been here hundreds of who began working at the restaurant how it worked out.” combat operations in Afghanistan are targeting ISIS affiliate times, probably,” Berke said. “I last summer after having grown Berke said that in only his first few groups and other international terrorist organizations. The U.S. loved Lou’s long before I knew up in the area, weeks on the job, and its NATO allies said that the operations would continue Toby was thinking about retiring a l s o s h a r e d “What I’m most he had entered a despite this casualty “until conditions indicate that a change or anything like that. As I learned the sentiments “different world,” in the mission is appropriate.” excited about is just more about it and got into more t h a t many one he was of the details about the business . . townspeople and being a business unaccustomed -COMPILED BY JULIAN NATHAN AND ANTHONY . and how successful it is, and plus College students owner, because it to because he ROBLES just the strength of Lou’s tradition and faculty hold has always really is a totally and brand — it was kind of a no- about Lou’s. been someone brainer.”

“I come [to different feeling. It’s else’s employee.

Berke added that as the new Lou’s] a lot with Berke said that pretty awesome.” my friends,” as his children Yo u n g s a i d . grow older, his CORRECTIONS “Lou’s means -JARETT BERKE TU wife will also be involved in the Correction Appended (July 7, 2018): The July 6 online version of the article “College offers cots in Sarner family to me. ’17, OWNER OF LOU’S management of to escape heat” has been updated to reflect that the College’s power-saving efforts on peak demand day would [Lou’s] means home to me.” the restaurant.

RESTAURANT AND represent a cost avoidance, rather than savings, for the upcoming financial year.

F r i e d “What I’m most Correction Appended (July 7, 2018): The July 6 online version of the article “EPA blasting and draining inactive BAKERY came into the excited about copper mines” has been updated to clarify a quote by Hathaway and to make clear that copper is not a white metal. industry with an is just being a engineering background. During business owner, because it really is We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth. the early stages of his career, he a totally different feeling,” Berke com. said that the engineering industry said. “It’s pretty awesome.”

FROM LOU’S PAGE 1

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

Renovations include solar panels FROM RENOVATIONS PAGE 1

the residence halls [nearby],” Mills explained.

According to Mills and Roberts, the new generator will provide backup power for dormitories located near ’53 Commons, including the Massachusetts Row and Gold Coast clusters. Crews are currently digging in front of North and Mid-Massachusetts Halls to put in new electrical wiring that will connect to the generator.

Across Tuck Mall, the roofs of several buildings north of that street, as well as in other areas, are being outfitted with solar panels.

According to director of engineering and utilities Abbe Bjorklund, installation of solar panels is proceeding at FaheyMcLane, Russell Sage and Silsby Halls. The College plans to have all work completed by Sept. 1. She noted that since Dartmouth uses its own independent electrical grid, the new power from the panels will simply be fed into that system once they become operational.

Mills said that the new solar panels are being funded through a power purchase agreement, in which the solar provider installs the panels and the College pays the provider a set rate for the electricity for six years, after which the College can opt to purchase the panels — an arrangement that Mills added will almost certainly be beneficial.

“Almost always the rate that you are paying is a little lower than the utility you would pay,” Mills said. “And at the end, you get to buy [the panels] and have continued generation.”

Bjorklund also noted that the power purchase agreement allows the College to indirectly benefit from tax incentives from the federal government for renewable energy. Although the

College is a nonprofit organization and work during the summer term is along generally pays little in taxes, the solar North Main Street. Mills said that parts company will receive the tax incentives of that road between Wheelock and and pass savings on to the College Choate Streets will be torn up for utility work by the town of Hanover. However, through cheaper service.

“It’s really kind of a win-win for Mills noted that the College will everyone to do it this way, and it’s helping simultaneously start laying power and us move the campus to renewability” water lines that will be used to support new buildings for the Thayer School of Bjorklund said.

Another construction site is Engineering and the Arthur L. Irving Steele Hall, which houses the earth Institute for Energy and Society on sciences, chemistry, geography and the west end of campus. Mills added environmental studies departments. that this utility work, costing about $4 Roberts said that the building is million, should continue into the fall undergoing a major renovation of the term and result in some lane closures HVAC system, including hot water during construction.

In terms of upcoming projects, Mills heating and a modernized control said that the College is in the process system.

“That project, because of the of planning renovations to modernize improvements in the infrastructure, is Reed, Thornton and Dartmouth going to lead to energy conservation Halls. This process would include the savings,” Roberts said, adding that installation of elevators.

Mills also said the College is these renovations are scheduled to be exploring new potential sites for the completed before the fall term. construction of A few blocks additional student north of Steele, “We are increasingly dor mitories, c o n s t r u c t i o n factoring into our including the site continues on on which Gilman D a n a H a l l , renewal plans that Hall, which was which has been in today’s world, air recently tor n completely down, is located. stripped down conditioning needs He noted that to its skeleton. to be a part of the in order for Mills said that picture.” current student t h e bu i l d i n g dormitories to will house the be modernized new Frank J. -RICK MILLS, EXECUTIVE — and have air Guarini School conditioning of Graduate VICE PRESIDENT installed — and Advanced Studies in addition to a new lounge, café sufficient new dormitory space needs and office spaces for College faculty. The to be built first to accommodate the $30 million renovation is scheduled for displaced students.

“We are increasingly factoring into completion in October or November our renewal plans that in today’s world, 2019, Mills said.

One area of construction that has air conditioning needs to be a part of not yet been started but should begin the picture,” Mills said.

PETER CHARALAMBOUS/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

Renovation projects have been taking place all over campus since the start of the summer term.

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FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018

THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

STAFF COLUMNIST CAROLINE COOK ‘21

STAFF COLUMNIST SAJID AHSAN ‘20

Take the Leap

Hindsight and Hairspray

Dartmouth must live up to its “adventuresome” reputation.

The College seems to be in the middle of an identity crisis. Viewing itself as different from the way it is perceived by the outside world, determined to be more than just Dear Old Dartmouth and her loyal Wall Street sons, the College appears to be attempting to set the record straight. Dartmouth students, the College seems to be saying, are outdoorsy, and every Dartmouth experience starts with Dartmouth Outing Club First Year Trips.

They’re well-read and philosophical; as true liberal arts students, studio art majors take engineering courses and engineers read Plato.

They’re athletic powerhouses, vying for national championships left and right (hello, skiing!) and they’re creative types — did you know Mindy Kaling and Dr. Seuss went here?

Somewhere in the middle of juggling all of those identities, Dartmouth seems to have begun branding itself as possessing an unmatched “adventuresome spirit,” and while no one is going to argue that isn’t a lovely goal to set, the community does not back up that reputation. The word “adventuresome” really entails risks — healthy risks, branching out of one’s comfort zone for the express purpose that there is something worth knowing beyond it. An adventuresome spirit should mean moving in social circles that aren’t necessarily composed of people who look, talk, think and dress just like oneself. An adventuresome spirit should mean feeling engaged in politics, caring about this town and state and getting involved in discussions, even if one isn’t an expert on the topic. An adventuresome spirit should mean traveling — and that doesn’t have to mean to Vienna or Cape Town; it might mean to White River Junction.

The adventures Dartmouth students like to take are canoeing down the Connecticut River or wearing pajamas to Class of 1953 Commons because they’re quirky. While this willingness to embrace smaller adventures is a helpful perspective to adopt, especially in college, it is not going far enough to have really earned the College’s self-imposed reputation.

Dartmouth should strive for an adventuresome spirit — and if the community isn’t living up to its words right now, the solution is not to rebrand. While mandating that study abroad terms be required for graduation would force students to quickly find a way to embrace adventure, that would ignore the fact that adventure doesn’t look the same for everyone.

But it probably should be something besides a

student and 12 friends having a wild time at Green Key. That’s all well and good, but it’s not an adventure.

If a policy change from the administration won’t be enough to live up to the ambitious image the College paints of itself, it is up to the students to set the tone for their peers. The expectation should be engagement, participation in and responsibility for the community — and in doing so, the adventuresome spirit will be alive and well in cross-cultural interaction, healthy intellectual debate and yes, perhaps trying a new outdoor pastime. If the wise and weathered upperclassmen tell incoming students on Trips and at orientation that the expectation will be for them to try something truly different and to continue to challenge themselves in every aspect of their lives, the problem would fix itself within a few years. Peer pressure is immensely powerful, and it can be a force for good if students decide to hold each other accountable as citizens of their community.

I know plenty of people who are infected by this adventuresome spirit, in at least some aspects of their lives. Perhaps they decided to take a language they have no background in, fell in love and are going to major in it. Perhaps that will take them on a study abroad trip and lead them down a potential career path in that country. The point is to let adventure guide us; that goal is at the root of the liberal arts model Dartmouth prides itself on. And sure, some of those adventuresome students have friends from the same town or even the same high school, and perhaps they all wear the same shoes or carry the same bag. No one can view every aspect of their life through an adventuresome lens. Comfort zones exist for a reason, and everyone wants to be comfortable, at least at some point in their day. My argument is not anti-comfort but rather pro-adventure; it feels like Dartmouth students have a responsibility to try new and meaningful things, since they’re in a place that’s full of them. I would love for this community to truly earn an “adventuresome spirit” as one of the pillars it may showcase to potential students.

As terrifying as it is to commit to fully embracing adventure, it’s not a leap without a safety net — all adventures taken at Dartmouth still occur within this protected bubble. So, take a leap, talk to that person you know you’ll disagree with, apply to that Foreign Study Program, and, if you must, wear those pajamas to ’53 Commons.

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ZACHARY BENJAMIN, Editor-in-Chief IOANA SOLOMON, Executive Editor

HANTING GUO, Publisher

AMANDA ZHOU, Executive Editor PETER CHARALAMBOUS, Issue Executive Editor

PRODUCTION EDITORS JULIAN NATHAN & ANTHONY ROBLES, News Managing Editors SAJID AHSAN, Opinion Editor NATHAN ALBRINCK, Sports Editor DEBORA HYEMIN HAN & KYLEE SIBILIA, Mirror Editors PAULA KUTSCHERA, Photography Editor SAMANTHA BURACK, Design Editor

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

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

An embarrassing moment for the College is an opportunity to reflect.

When someone’s entire career is simply embarrassing, especially in light of predicated on ginning up controversy for the Yiannopoulos’ trajectory afterwards. sake of attention, it is never really all that The usual reflexive defense in this surprising to see them worm their way back situation is a tendency toward vague into the media spotlight. Still, one could histrionics about free speech and censorship, be forgiven for feeling slightly taken aback but those arguments are disingenuous; no at seeing Milo Yiannopoulos’s name in the one serious is calling for Yiannopoulos’s headlines again, given the ignominy of his arrest. But the Constitution, however departure from Breitbart News and the loss open to interpretation, does not guarantee of his book deal after video surfaced of anyone the right to a college speaking him repeatedly defending tour. This is also not and downplaying the to say that the College sexual abuse of minors. The Constitution, should step in and ban The capacity for shame, however open to speakers it determines however, has never been are unpalatable, as that much of an impediment interpretation, does could set a precedent for self-promoters of any not guarantee anyone that would ultimately political affiliation. Sure limit political discourse the right to a college enough, Yiannopoulos on campus to a narrow made his triumphant speaking tour. spectrum of views prereturn to the front pages screened for acceptability of news websites in by upper-class liberals. recent weeks with statements, characterized Instead, the responsibility of determining by his usual rapier-like wit and tact, that which speakers actually merit invitation he “can’t wait for vigilante squads to start to speak here is with students and their gunning journalists down on sight.” organizations. It’s often said that college After a shooting at a newspaper office students need to be more open to hearing in Maryland left five dead, he defended conservative voices, but if the man who was those comments as a joke in a blog post that banned from Twitter for inciting racist hate multiple journalists pointed out was tagged speech toward the star of “Ghostbusters” is with the German phrase “Lügenpresse,’ a the best voice the conservative movement term that means “lying press.” This phrase can muster, the problem does not lie with was prominently featured in Nazi regime college students. Given that the central propaganda before becoming a modern mission of his career is simply enraging dog whistle used by neo-Nazis and other liberals, it’s difficult to see what other right-wing extremists. This flirtation with motivation led to inviting someone who Nazi symbols and codewords is nothing does little more than insult and express new for Yiannopoulos, who often attempts contempt for people including those to make up in shock value what he lacks who make up this student body, such as in substance. transgender and undocumented students.

In fairness to him, the It shouldn’t be wishful shooting in Annapolis “Triggering the libs” thinking to hope that the appears to have been level of discourse at a is something one carried out on a personal college that puts so much vendetta and did not, in could expect out of stock in its own prestige fact, have anything to do an internet comments would be higher than with Yiannopoulous’s just trying to anger the repellant comments. section; Dartmouth other side. “Triggering The idea that he has should hope to aim the libs” is something the influence to inspire one could expect out of higher. his fans into some kind an internet comments of vigilante war is an section; Dartmouth absurd overestimation of the power of should hope to aim higher. a man who came to initial prominence With the school’s reputation comes a complaining about “social justice warriors” responsibility that students need to take in the video game industry. Although seriously. Whether or not one feels it Yiannopoulos has gone to great lengths to should, the fact remains that speaking brand himself as “dangerous,” the reality is at Dartmouth does lend legitimacy to that he is profoundly uninteresting, simply individuals, particularly to those in want taking more words to say what his cruder of it. There is no manual for determining ideological allies do with slurs. what merits attention and what doesn’t, Given his lack of both relevance and and vague platitudes about freedom of substance, it is worth examining why he expression are not a substitute for the actual was invited to speak at Dartmouth in 2016 work of discerning meaningful, serious in the first place. Now that enough time dialogue from noise and self-promotion. has passed since the height of the “campus Dartmouth is whatever its students choose free speech” wars that gripped the op-ed to make it. If its students would rather pages of the New York Times, students shirk that responsibility for the sake of the have the added benefit of hindsight. It visceral thrill of provoking a reaction from was a somewhat controversial decision their classmates, perhaps its reputation isn’t at the time; in retrospect, the episode is deserved after all.

MIR ROR 7.13.2018

TTLG: UNCOVERING HIDDEN GEMS | 2

TAKING A LEAP OF FAITH: FINDING A PLACE TO JUMP | 3

AN ODE TO NOVACK | 4 JEE SEOB JUNG /THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

2 //MIRROR

Editors’ Note

TTLG: Uncovering Hidden Gems TTLG

ZACHARY BENJAMIN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

Summer school is usually a punishment — an undesirable consequence that should be avoided at all costs. At Dartmouth, however, we embrace summer school. We partake in traditions new and old, we take classes we would never normally think to take and we explore relationships with the people we will spend the most time with during our time at Dartmouth.

We see summer school for the hidden gem that it is.

This week, the Mirror excavates some of the hidden gems of campus and sophomore summer. We take a closer look at experiences that defy first impressions: whether that be a terrifying jump off a cliff into a river, a culinary institution that some might call “grim” or a game that asks you to connect with other people on a deeper level than before. We examine how our first impressions of these experiences — no matter how negative — can be changed for the better, so long as we are willing to push ourselves deeper than we have before.

It is the nature of a hidden gem, after all, to have to look for it. Sometimes, recognizing that there is something to be looking for is the first step.

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7.13.18 VOL. CLXXV NO. 52 MIRROR EDITORS DEBORA HYEMIN HAN KYLEE SIBILIA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF ZACHARY BENJAMIN PUBLISHER HANTING GUO ISSUE EXECUTIVE PETER CHARALAMBOUS EDITORS IOANA SOLOMON

By Jennifer West

As I look out across Dartmouth’s campus each day, I see hundreds of high school students and their families trailing a tour guide across the Green. These students will undoubtedly hear about all of Dartmouth’s “hidden gems” — the Shakespeare’s First Folio that we keep in Rauner, the “take your professor to lunch date” that turned into a research opportunity, the awesome concert at One Wheelock with a finalist from “The Voice,” and so on. But most of those students will never get to experience the real hidden gems of Dartmouth.

Throughout my past two years on this campus, I’ve come to understand that most of our interactions with each other happen during the in-between space of our days. We rush to class and stop to say “hi” to a friend in the middle of the Green or on first floor Berry. We tap on the shoulder of the person in front of us in the KAF line, who puts down their phone, and we talk for the seemingly endless amount of time it takes to make an iced chai.

We see our friends in Greek house basements or in upstairs rooms, where it’s too loud to even hear what the other person is saying.

We go in for a hug, compliment each other’s flair (“What was your theme? Unicorn tails? Oh my gosh, that’s super cute.”) and fade away into the crowd.

At Dartmouth, we have to carve out time for the meaningful. The old adage, “Let’s get a meal” is a symptom of a greater disease — that because we are so busy and live our lives in the in-between, we have to consciously plan out times to connect with people on deeper levels. And outside of the Dartmouth bubble, this problem is just as real — with all of the constraints on our time, and the overpowering sense that everyone else is always living their lives in a more fulfilling/exciting/insertadjective-of-your-choice here way, we relegate our friendships and our relationships to the in-between.

But my favorite parts of Dartmouth are the times when we push through that in-between and unfold ourselves to each other.

Although these moments are uncomfortable, they have been some of the most meaningful to me. They have truly been the hidden gems of my Dartmouth experience.

In a new member meeting for my sorority last winter, we played the “36 Questions” game made famous by the New York Times’ Modern Love section. The idea of the game is that each person playing answers 36 questions about their families, their goals and other personal aspects of their lives. The psychological

research grounding the game claims that the phenomenon of “personal self-disclosure” can create a connection, or a sense of affection, between two people.

So each of the new members, plus our three new member educators, sat around our meetings room and answered the 36 questions. The questions start at a surface level — asking who your dream dinner guest would be, describing your perfect date, questioning whether you would want to be famous.

As we answered each question, I challenged myself to think less about my own answers in order to pay closer attention to what everyone else is saying.

As we moved on, the questions became more probing. We asked ourselves what we would want to see if we looked into a crystal ball.

We questioned if we would change anything about our lives if we knew that we only had a short time to live. We thought about our most treasured and our most terrible memories.

And so we talked. Members of three different classes, from different countries, with different perspectives, all came together to share stories from our journeys to this little spot in the middle of the woods. We talked about our parents, our majors and our relationships. Some were stories of joy and love, others of tragedy and disappointment. Some were relatable to me. Others were far from it. And some people talked eagerly, sharing detailed accounts

of past experiences, while others gave one-word answers or hesitated before speaking.

I’m still skeptical of the idea that answering those 36 questions can actually make people fall in love with each other. But I do think that what we did that day was valuable and important. On a campus full of in-betweens, we made time to sit and share stories. And in doing so, we discovered some of each other’s hidden gems.

So, in realizing that sophomore summer is nearly halfway over, I urge everyone to strive to show each other their hidden gems. Invite us to your a capella shows, talk to us about your research, share your favorite — or least favorite — experiences from your study abroad. And go deeper — tell us more about yourself. What is your earliest childhood memory?

If you had a plane ticket anywhere in the world, where would you go?

What song always makes you cry?

I’ll start. My favorite TV show is “Parks and Recreation.” I have attended not one, not two, but three Taylor Swift concerts. I have basically no hand-eye coordination and can’t hit a baseball to save my life. When I was younger, I wanted to be a comedian, and I used to practice saying, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!” into a hairbrush in my bedroom. I’ve always wanted to visit the pyramids in Giza, Egypt.

I don’t know what I’m doing with my next off term. I also don’t know what I want to do with my life.

Those are some my hidden gems.

What are yours?

COURTESY OF JENNIFER WEST

Jennifer West believes in the importance of connections based on stories.

MIRROR //3

Taking a Leap of Faith: Finding a Place to Jump Story

By Cristian Cano

It was a Sunday afternoon, and my friends and I were driving in the direction of the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. We were following a hand-drawn map bequested to us by a graduating senior this past spring — a map to a (supposedly) great swimming spot.

Considering that the map wasn’t exactly drawn to scale and our cell service was spotty, it’s a miracle that we made it at all. But make it we did, and we were all anxious to jump in and take a respite from the scorching summer sun. Once we got out of the car and got a closer look, however, we quickly realized that this wasn’t just a swimming hole.

With its high, rocky cliffs and rich blue waters below, this place was a perfect place for cliff jumping.

Cliff jumping is often considered an extreme activity, one for only the most daring, reckless and crunchy of individuals. I am none of those things, and had never cliff jumped before. I was terrified.

Admittedly, the descent really wasn’t that long at all, comparable to the high diving board of a pool. I was more nervous about the uneven rocks I was standing on: if I didn’t jump of my own accord, these rocks might have forced me to jump against my will. After some deep breaths and a very loud countdown from my friends, I mustered up the courage and leapt forward.

What happened next is a bit of a blur, but somehow, against all odds, I emerged from the water, still alive.

My first cliff jump hadn’t ended in death, so at least I had that going for me.

In all seriousness, living in H a n ove r m e a n s t h at t h r i l l seeking Dartmouth students and community members alike have access to many prime cliff jumping spots. However, not all of them are marked on your everyday map.

This week, the Mirror interviewed three students — Katie Bogart ’20, Davis Brief ’20 and Whit Fanestil ’20 — to learn about their favorite places to cliff jump.

Fanestil described himself as “not that great” of a cliff jumper, but he has plenty of experience jumping off cliffs in the area. He first recalled the Elizabeth Mine, more commonly known as just “the copper mines,” which used to be a popular site for students to jump off cliffs into unusually teal waters.

Fanestil noted that the Elizabeth Mine was accessible to cliff jumpers of all comfort levels, with ledges ranging from 15 feet above the water to 60 feet. Unfortunately for prospective cliff jumpers, the Elizabeth Mine is no longer safe to swim in due to recent blasting and draining.

Another good cliff jumping spot that Fanestil mentioned is the Concord Quarries, slightly over an hour’s drive away from Hanover .

The remnants of granite mining many decades ago, Concord Quarries is a local favorite that features cliffs up to 40 feet high.

Fanestil acknowledged that students in search of an adrenaline rush are likely to cliff jump even in areas where it may be unsafe or illegal.

“Honestly, I think that because we’re in college, a lot of people are trying to cliff jump … in places that shouldn’t be actual cliff jumping locations,” Fanestil said.

When it comes to safety, Bogart explained that the Connecticut River’s depth and speed vary depending on both the time of year and time of day. The primary reason for this fluctuation is the Wilder Dam. Bogart explains that when the dam is released, water flows down the Connecticut at a much faster pace, which in turn leads to a lower water level. When the dam is held, the opposite is true. For people jumping into the river, whether from a rope swing on the banks or off of a bridge, these transitions are important.

When the dam is released and the water level lowers, jumping in can be riskier.

One popular cliff jumping spot that Bogart listed was the Ledyard Bridge, which connects Hanover to Norwich. There, the effects of the dam are easily felt.

“If you jumped off the Ledyard Bridge in the spring, right after everything melted, there [would be] actual rapids between the bridge,” Bogart said. “Even the channelization from the pillars that are in the water is enough that you get white water, which is hard to paddle through.”

While many students learn about the best cliff jumping spots in the area by asking upperclassmen and town residents, Brief arrived at Dartmouth already having that knowledge. Though he grew up in Florida, throughout his childhood Brief and his family made trips to Quechee, Vermont, around a 20 minute drive from Hanover.

A seasoned cliff jumping veteran, Brief first jumped off a bridge overlooking the Ottauquechee River when he was eight years old.

His highest jump was also in the area, off the bridge by the Simon Pearce restaurant in Quechee.

Brief recommends this bridge to both new and experienced cliff jumpers — there are spots where the drop is only 10 feet, and the height gradually increases, giving more experienced jumpers a bigger

adrenaline rush.

Regardless of one’s skill level, however, Brief emphasized the importance of safety. He said that many new cliff jumpers don’t know how crucial it is to check for water depth and debris before jumping, even if a person has jumped there before.

“Every time I go jumping, even if I’ve jumped there a thousand times, I get in the water first, make sure it’s deep enough and make sure there are no floating logs or logs under the water of where I’m going to land,” Brief said. “That’s how you get really injured and die, potentially. If there’s a log sticking straight up, you pierce yourself on it.”

Brief also recommends that cliff jumpers wear shoes. Oftentimes, people tend to drink near popular cliff jumping spots, and there can be glass shards in the water. And even if there aren’t any broken

bottles, having shoes just adds one more layer of protection in case someone sinks low enough to reach the bottom after submerging.

Brief rejected the idea that cliff jumping is only for people who love “extreme” things. He talked about a day trip he took with his fraternity and a few other Greek houses in which nearly 60 people went cliff jumping . Some of the people who went were only comfortable with the lowest jumps and preferred to stay near the water, and Brief said that he’d encourage anyone to start small.

Fanestil, Bogart and Davis all recognized the reasons why

someone might be afraid to cliff jump for the first time, but all of them were also eager to share their positive experiences and encourage those who’ve never tried it before to give it a shot. With the proper precautions and, ideally, some good friends, cliff jumping can be an exhilarating rush and just one more way to make the most out of sophomore summer.

NADIA KOOLINA/ THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

Cliff jumping is a popular pastime for Hanover’s more ambitious thrill-seekers.

4// MIRROR

An Ode to Novack: Dartmouth’s Cultural Icon

By Eliza Jane Schaeffer Story

Novack Cafe has a variety of eating options for students who need to grab something between classes or on the go.

Before I decided to go to Dartmouth, a friend of a friend showed me around. I don’t remember anything from her tour, save the fact that we skipped past Novack Café. “This is grim,” she said dismissively. As we moved on, I surreptitiously strained my neck in an attempt to catch a glimpse of this place that was “grim.” I was intrigued.

It’s hard to describe Novack to someone who has never experienced it.

When asked to complete this daunting task, Russell Stewart ’20 responded, “Just a cheap café to grab a sandwich if you’re really in a rush.”

It is, and it isn’t. For one, nothing sold by Dartmouth Dining Services meets the standards prescribed by the adjective “cheap.” But more importantly, the spirit of Novack transcends the confines of the library basement where it is situated. It is not just a place to buy food: it is a cultural icon.

Eating at Novack is analogous to inhaling fast food takeout while still in the restaurant parking lot, to picking at lukewarm leftovers from last night’s dinner while seated at your work desk or to shoving down a granola bar with one hand on the steering wheel. It is the butt of jokes in the Facebook group

“Dartmouth Memes for Cold AF Teens.” During finals week, hungry students look at each other and, resigned, sigh, “Novack?” Its name is an acceptable synonym for “grim,” “sad” or “desperate.”

In short, it is widely despised, at maximum volume and with much pride.

I understand the rationality of this conviction. The overwhelming greyness of the interior, the harsh lighting and the inescapable memories of late nights and early mornings don’t flatter Novack’s image. And it is difficult to forget the time that I bit into my Novack sandwich and found a fly. Nonetheless, I find Novack beautiful in its deplorability. To me, it represents everything Dartmouth should be.

First, it is diverse. There is coffee and energy drinks for the caffeine-deprived, fruit (albeit slightly battered) and vegetables for the healthy and a panacea of nostalgia-inducing study snacks for the young at heart. There’s nothing more poetic than reading about postsynaptic neurotransmittergated ion channels while eating your weight in crackers shaped like fish. Kombucha, seaweed crackers, Hot Pockets, Cheetos and chicken salad sandwiches combine to form a jarring kaleidoscope of foods served

to a jarring kaleidoscope of people.

It is unpretentious and unassuming. Novack doesn’t pretend to be something it is not.

The same cannot be said for the hip-and-health-consciousgrandma’s-kitchen Collis Café, or the bakery-sans-oven King Arthur Flour Café, or the tryingto-be-ethnic, but should really stop Class of 1953 Commons. Novack is bare-bones: a single sales window, surrounded by wire-framed carts overflowing with snacks, facing an open work space. It is a dining facility that knows its place.

“We’re trying to feed people quickly between classes,” said Chris Robbins, manager of the residential snack bars and Novack Café. “And we’re also giving them another option for late night, or for studying.”

For Robbins, efficiency is key. He described to me a video in which one man cycles through the Novack line as many times as he can before his partner gets to the front of the KAF line during rush hour.

“He kept going through and going through and had a whole bunch of coffees lined up in the time the guy upstairs just went through once,” Robbins said, estimating that the Novack customer was ultimately able to reach the counter 17 times.

PAULA KUTSCHERA/ THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

Perhaps Novack’s quick turnover explains why Stewart views it as “cheap” despite the fact that its sandwiches cost roughly as much as the sandwiches at KAF or Collis.

Dartmouth students are busy, and for busy people, time is money. A coffee from KAF is a status symbol.

It says, “I can succeed at Dartmouth and still have time to wait in line for 30 minutes.”

That being said, Alex Rounaghi ’20 appreciates the speed with which Novack workers can deliver his lunch, which usually consists of a tuna sandwich, salt and vinegar chips and a coffee. He values Novack for its reliability, both in service and in quality. In a word, he would describe Novack as “underrated.”

“There’s a negative stigma that [Novack is] just for people who are in a hurry and are just trying to get some food, but I think that they have great meals,” he said.

Particularly when compared with other DDS offerings, Novack is far from horrible. It serves bagels from local bakery Goose and Willie’s, as do Pine Restaurant at the Hanover Inn and Lou’s Restaurant and Bakery. It sells coffee from Pierce Bro’s, as does Collis. And the sandwiches, while perhaps not worthy of a five-star rating, are functional and not overtly

offensive.

According to Rounaghi, adding to the charm of his usual Novack order is the fact that it was put together by his fellow students.

Eating carrots bagged by your friend’s roommate is “more personal,” he said, than eating carrots that may as well have arrived in the Novack refrigerator fully formed.

N ov a c k , a l o n g w i t h t h e residential snack bars, is the only DDS facility which is run almost entirely by students.

Students organize shifts, train fellow employees, take orders and identify areas for improvement. At an institution where it is easy to feel either coddled or forgotten, this display of support and trust is refreshing.

To conclude my ode to Novack, I encourage students to imagine a world without it. A world in which the 10:00 pm bag of chips they so desperately need in order to focus is withheld from them by a snaking line of their fellow classmates or by a trek across the frigid Green.

A world in which they are forced to sacrifice reliability for branding.

A world in which students depend on the College entirely, and the College depends on students not at all.

Thank you, Novack.

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018

PAGE 5

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

Reading group uses “Odyssey” FROM BOOK CLUB PAGE 1

the University of Vermont, have previously faciliated the program, the workshop marks the first time that participants throughout the country came to Dartmouth to share ideas about hosting groups.The workshop participants discussed best practices for group faciliation and reviewed critical components of the “Odyssey.”

College president emeritus Jim Wright also gave a guest lecture at the workshop and discussed parallels between the “Odyssey” and the lives of contemporary veterans.

In an interview with The Dartmouth, Wrightcommended Stewart for working with veterans and helping them engage with each other.

“Being worn down emotionally by combat experiences is nothing new, and [these discussions] allow people to realize that what they’re experiencing is not so unusual,” Wright said.

Wright said that veterans are often most comfortable talking to each other about their experiences and echoed Stewart’s sentiments that the “Odyssey” provides veterans with a framework for their discussion “that’s not just focusing on them and their recent experiences but also helping them to understand that their experiences are more universal.”

Wright emphasized the importance of having a diverse group of team members, including veterans, because a variety of team members can “help guide how we think and approach these discussions.” He also noted that other professionals can offer support and engagement.

Army suicide prevention program

manager and veteran David Perkins — who participated in the workshop — praised Stewart for the way in which she structured the program with different facilitators and groups to best help veterans connect with facilitators and each other. Perkins added that the variety of scholars contributed to the “palpable” energy and enthusiasm in discussions and helped participants connect with each other.

“I can’t overemphasize the importance of building group cohesion, especially for older veterans,” Perkins wrote in an email statement.

Perkins credited Stewart’s passion for and expertise in the “Odyssey” for “[emboldening]” him to take action and plan a book group discussion program for later this year in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Stewart said she’s been impressed by the number of people who want to work with and help veterans, and she hopes that these discussion groups can form a network across the country.

Stewart noted that there are two main features of the book discussion groups that make them “unusual and distinct,” so that other people want to get involved and engage with veterans in their communities.

First, the groups are facilitated by three people — including veterans, academics, clinicians and others — to encourage dialogue instead of a more lecture-based approach. Second, these groups operate pro bono, which Stewart said can make people more appreciative of the work that’s being done.

As The Dartmouth previously reported in April, Stewart first came

up with the idea to connect veterans with Homer after reading military blogs while on sabbatical nearly eleven years ago. The book groups have evolved into 14-week sessions during which 10 to 12 veterans and three facilitators convene to talk about the “Odyssey” and its connections to the present.

“Homer gets it,” Stewart said.

“The resonance of classical literature and the applicability of it for modern day problems and modern day circumstances is amazing.”

Stewart said that the themes of the “Odyssey” are conducive to challenges veterans face today, such as transitioning between going to war and coming home. She added that using the text to frame discussions helps veterans connect with each other and reflect.

“If you don’t want to talk about yourself, you can talk about Homer,” Stewart said. “[The Odyssey] is a really nice deflection.”

According to Stewart, these book discussions differ from an academic or classroom discussion of Homer. In classroom settings, Stewart said she tries to teach students how to teach themselves to master the material, whereas in these book groups she does not teach but “facilitates the encounter with Homer.” She said the discussions with veterans aim to help participants “recognize humanity.”

Stewart said that it is gratifying to see academics and others valuing the humanities and placing emphasis on engaging with and helping veterans.

“Most of the time in America everything has a price tag on it,” Stewart said. “But what if you make it free? What if it’s a gift?”

CANOEING IN THE CONNECTICUT

PETER CHARALAMBOUS/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

The summer weather in the Upper Valley makes for optimal canoeing conditions.

PAGE 6

THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018

DARTMOUTHEVENTS TODAY

1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.

Performance Art: Broken Treaty letter cutting sessions with artistin-residence Gina Adams, sponsored by the Studio Art Department, Barrows Rotunda, Hopkins Center for the Arts

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

Conference: “Race Matters @ 25,” Moore Theater, Hopkins Center for the Arts

7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.

Film and Discussion: Ken Burns presents “Country Music,” Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center for the Arts

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

Public Astronomical Observing, sponsored by the Physics Department, Shattuck Observatory

TOMORROW 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Conference: “Race Matters @ 25,” Moore Theater, Hopkins Center for the Arts

8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Film: “Tully,” directed by Jason Reitman, sponsored by the Hopkins Center for the Arts, Loew Auditorium, Black Family Visual Arts Center

ADVERTISING For advertising information, please call (603) 646-2600 or email info@thedartmouth. com. The advertising deadline is noon, two days before publication. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

Opinions expressed in advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of The Dartmouth, Inc. or its officers, employees and agents.

The Dartmouth, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation chartered in the state of New Hampshire. USPS 148-540 ISSN 0199-9931

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018

PAGE 7

THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

Review: Notes on ‘Ocean’s 8’ and cinematic reparations B y SEBASTIAN WURZRAINER The Dartmouth Staff

“Ocean’s 8” stars Sandra Bullock as Debbie Ocean, sister of George Clooney’s roguish con man Danny Ocean from Steven Soderbergh’s “Ocean’s” trilogy. Criminality, as it turns out, runs in this family.

Once released from prison, Debbie reconnects with her old partner, Cate Blanchett’s wonderfully cynical Lou Miller, and together they scheme to steal a necklace worth $150 million from the Met Gala. To this end, they assemble a cohort of six accomplices played by the likes of Anne Hathaway, Mindy Kaling, Sarah Paulson, Awkwafina, Rihanna and Helena Bonham Carter.

The end result is a perfectly diverting two hours of entertainment.

Each of these eight actresses — with the notable exception of Bonham Carter — is impeccably cast. Bullock lends the film a steely confidence, Hathaway proves surprisingly adept at navigating the nuances of her character and Rihanna steals the show on charisma alone. Likewise, Gary Ross, of “Seabiscuit” and “The Hunger Games” fame, directs the film with unobtrusive competence.

His screenplay, co-written with Olivia Milch, never truly thrills, but it is replete with plenty of engaging ingredients. The editing, although occasionally a little too stylized, creates a suave, slick sensibility

that serves the film especially well during the major heist set piece.

To put it simply, “Ocean’s 8” is neither spectacular nor dreadful; it is perfectly adequate. As such, I have little constructive to say about it.

Nevertheless, it is worth noting that films like this present a quandary to people invested in the application of feminist film theory. In its essence, “Ocean’s 8” is an all-female led rendition of one of Soderbergh’s aforementioned “Ocean’s” adventures. You might argue that such a simplification of the film is not merely reductive, but perhaps even sexist. And you would most certainly be right. But to speak the language of Hollywood is to speak the language of reductionism. Film executives want a pitch they can put on a poster, and “An ‘Ocean’s’ film, but with women” suffices as a viable starting point.

Of course, “Ocean’s 8” is not alone. 2016’s “Ghostbusters,” the upcoming female-led “21 Jump Street” spin-off and various other examples are all predicated on the same pitch. Indeed, I need not narrow myself to new iterations of pre-existing, male-led franchises.

It often seems that any number of genres and subgenres “but with women” qualifies as a compelling and progressive premise in Hollywood.

Ostensibly, films of this nature are meant to be empowering. For feminists and leftists alike, they

are meant to be taken as a sign of encouragement. Yet is the patriarchal odor of Hollywood cinema not intrinsically imprinted on them?

“Ocean’s 8,” after all, is not just a female-led version of the “Ocean’s” films; it is a direct reaction to those films and thus inherently cannot exist without them. The former is dependent on the latter and the latter perpetually haunts the former.

If one follows this train of thought long enough, one is liable to think like Laura Mulvey, the preeminent scholar of feminist film theory. At the most basic level, Mulvey contends in “Visual Pleasure and Narrative Cinema” that almost all cinema is inherently patriarchal. After all, as an art form, the codified rules and techniques were constructed by men, for men.

While Mulvey’s work is both indelible and endlessly useful, it still possesses its limitations. Perhaps most cinema is indeed innately patriarchal, but such a sweeping generalization fails to account for the enjoyment that so many women have at the movie theater. What entry points and resistant readings might exist for these female spectators?

Likewise, Mulvey’s solution — the creation of avant-garde films that deny the innate visual pleasure of the medium — is theoretically and conceptually compelling. But such a solution is ultimately untenable in a media landscape that continues to

be dominated by the classical stylings of Hollywood narratives. People aren’t liable to make an art-house, feminist masterpiece a blockbuster if they don’t understand or enjoy it, especially if the newest big superhero flick is playing one theater over. To be clear, that isn’t a value judgement — it’s just reality.

So what options are left for us?

Personally, I have always found the notion of cinematic reparations intriguing when it comes to films like “Ocean’s 8.” As Mulvey and her contemporaries have documented, the history of Hollywood is a history of placing women in the role of spectacle and men in the role of spectator. Is actively reversing that essential paradigm not a start? Might it not provide at least some form of satisfaction for a group of people who have historically been relegated to the cinematic margins?

As an example from a radically different context, cultural critic TaNehisi Coates has argued that policy in America for decades has actively aimed to benefit white people and detrimentally impact those who are not. He argues against “colorblind” policy because it ignores this crucial historical factor. To address this country’s ongoing history of white supremacy, racial violence and discrimination, we must enact policy that aims to actively benefit people of color first and foremost. Might not similar logic apply to cinema?

None of this, of course, negates the fact that Soderbergh’s trilogy and its incumbent patriarchal implications are intrinsically inscribed onto “Ocean’s 8.” Yet it is also worth noting that the latter film’s connection to that immensely popular trilogy is precisely why so many people will pay for a ticket to bear witness to this act of cinematic reparations. And that is genuinely valuable, considering that Hollywood is driven by money; to infiltrate the system, one might first need to play by its capitalist rules.

Of course, some might question labeling “Ocean’s 8” as a legitimate for m of reparations when it is, as I mentioned earlier, only decent. Others might simply be disappointed. And that impulse is entirely understandable. If we are to view these films as cinematic reparations, then naturally we want every one of them to be the femaleled equivalent of “Citizen Kane,” “The Godfather” and “Raging Bull” all rolled into one. And while “Mad Max: Fury Road,” “Lady Bird” and “Daughters of the Dust” all exist, to create such expectations is also to create a double standard.

To allow overtly feminist cinema to succeed is to permit it to stumble and occasionally even fall. Thus, to appreciate the radical potential in the feminism of a film like “Ocean’s 8” is to permit it to revel in its absolute adequacy.

THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS

PAGE 8

SPORTS The Accidental Fan with Sabena Allen ’20

The Accidental Fan: Wi l l i n g Fa n s, U n w i l l i n g Interviewees In my last two columns, I focused on my personal entry points into baseball and hockey. However, I have yet to find my personal entry point into basketball. I have been to two basketball games in my life — three if you count the time I went to interview fans for The Dartmouth — though I was a little too preoccupied with interviews to focus on the game.

Both professional games featured the Boston Celtics. I attended the first because my competitive dance team was asked to perform at TD Garden before the game. I’ll admit, my engagement was low. I was too busy focusing on not screwing up while dancing on the jumbotron.

Besides, at the time, I could not fathom why people even liked sports.

My second game was more recent — this past spring break, during an overnight trip to Boston.

Through a complicated mix of a birthday gift, a cranky ex-boyfriend and a sly act of retribution, I found myself watching the Celtics for the second time in my life. I was more engaged because of the fast paced play of the game and definitely felt the tension when the score was close. My mom and I were sitting with some excitable fans, which always adds to the live viewing experience. Some Celtics fans behind us were heckling opposing fans sitting near us. Although she and I often find the screaming fun at hockey games, this was a little too much excitement for us at the time. On a more positive note, the announcer called out that the New England Patriots owner, Robert Kraft, was watching the game and projected his image on the jumbotron. My mom was

thrilled. In fact, that might have been her favorite part of the game; she spent a considerable amount of time texting her friends about it.

However, because we were taking a train out of Boston that night, I had to leave the action early, though I was not sad to exit before the game ended. As a casual sports fan, I haven’t found my entry point to basketball yet. I am not claiming that every game inherently facilitates a unique entry point, but nothing about basketball has gripped me the way the Boston Red Sox’s Andrew Benintendi caught my attention or the way the Boston Bruins’ Tuukka Rask mesmerized my mom. I was left wondering about other entry points into sports for fans? On that thought, I remembered interviews I did in the winter of 2017. I was asked by The Dartmouth to go to a basketball game, Dartmouth versus Yale University, and ask attendees why they were Dartmouth sports fans.

As a sports reporter, much of my work has involved interviewing Dartmouth athletes and coaches over the phone about upcoming seasons, so having to venture out to Leede Arena to interview strangers was new for me. I took along an equally introverted friend for moral and secretarial support.

If I am the “Accidental Fan,” he is the “Nonexistent Fan” — except for some bizarre reason, he occasionally takes interest in the Seattle Sounders. Suffice it to say, going up to strangers and asking for a quote and a headshot was difficult for both of us.

We conveniently arrived at halftime when everyone was out of their seats to purchase concessions.

It turned out that approaching people who were in line was not a good strategy. Most of them are too “hangry” to be bothered. In fact, most of the fans we approached visibly shied away from us and shut down our inquiries in an abrupt manner. We approached about four people before someone finally took the bait. We then picked up a little momentum and somehow ended up getting six of our 10 interviews done during halftime.

We used the rest of the game to find the remaining four interviewees.

Asking people got easier the more desperate we were. Indeed, our last interview was a borderline hit and run, as we convinced two teenage sisters to answer our questions while bustling out of the arena at

the end of the game.

Across the board, the fans we interviewed liked the sense of community at Dartmouth basketball games. Among them were Hanover residents, students with friends on the team, parents and professors, all expressing in their own way how Dartmouth games brought people together.

They especially appreciated that Dartmouth games draw a mix of

FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018

TODAY’S LINEUP

column, I got the opportunity to see Andrew Benintendi’s family cheer him on during one of his first games. Because the Hanover and Dartmouth communities combine to create a small, college town, this atmosphere is different than what one might find at a professional sports game; however, professional games also provide that same sense of camaraderie and community amongst fans. For example, on

NO EVENTS SCHEDULED

relationships in the sporting world with other fans and with players draw spectators to sports. With college teams, watching friends and students playing is a natural draw, but it ties into points I have made in my last two columns: “My Boy Benny” and “Fight! Fight!

Fight!” Having a connection with a player, whether they are world famous or your best friend, is a great entry point for an otherwise

COURTESY OF ROHAN BOSE

Boston Celtics fans look out over TD Garden during a battle against the Milwaukee Bucks on Apr. 15, 2018.

community members, Dartmouth faculty, and students, allowing different worlds to collide and create a new, unique environment.

People also liked to see the hard work of their friends on the team and the coaches. I could understand that sentiment. After all, as I mentioned in my first

the train out of Boston after the Celtics game, we all discussed the win, which my mom and I had unfortunately not seen for fear of missing our ride home, as if the strangers sitting next to us were long-time friends.

With this sense of community in mind, I’m intrigued by how

formidable sport. Communal and personal relationships are two great incentives to be a sports fan, both at a professional level or here at Dartmouth. So, my advice? Go to a game, support the Big Green and see if you agree with the people I interviewed. But if you don’t, that’s okay too; you’re not alone.