VOL. CLXXV NO.53
SUNNY HIGH 88 LOW 55
FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Sununu signs Kelley resigns, concluding voter residency bill College’s PBS sexual
BY Sunny drescher and alex fredman The Dartmouth Staff
For Dartmouth students who want to vote in New Hampshire in upcoming elections but are not residents of the state, casting a ballot is about to become more difficult. L a s t we e k , Re p u bl i c a n Governor Chris Sununu signed House Bill 1264, which requires that anyone choosing to vote in New Hampshire be a resident of
the state. The law is set to take effect in July 2019. Under the existing election law, college students — even those who are not originally from New Hampshire — can vote in the state because they are “domiciled,” which means that they live here for most of the year without officially being “residents.” When HB 1264 takes effect in 2019, nonresidents will need to obtain a New Hampshire driver’s license
misconduct investigation
SEE SUNUNU PAGE 3
OPINION
SAKLAD: HELLO, ME PAGE 4
MAGANN: IN DEFENSE OF CIVILITY PAGE 4
ARTS
STUDENT SPOTLIGHT: JENNIFER WEST ’20
Conference honors Cornel West’s work BY debora hyemin han The Dartmouth Staff
First published in 1993 on the anniversary of the Rodney King riots in Los Angeles, Cornel West’s “Race Matters” offers a critical examination of multiracial democracy in America. Twentyfive years later, West’s work still informs race relations in the United States — an observation that was highlighted by speakers at the Race
PETER CHARALAMBOUS /THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Moore Hall houses the psychological and brain sciences department.
BY THE dartmouth senior staff
Matters@25 conference hosted by Dartmouth at the Hopkins Center for the Arts from July 13-15. The conference — which was sold out in person but was also livestreamed in Alumni Hall and live-transcribed online — was attended by approximately 200 activists, artists, students and community members from SEE WEST PAGE 5
Psychological and brain sciences professor William Kelley has resigned from his position effective immediately following an investigation by the College into allegations of sexual misconduct, College President Phil Hanlon announced today in an email to the Dartmouth community. Kelley’s resignation marks
the end of a monthslong investigation led by a College-appointed external investigator of three PBS professors following sexual misconduct allegations. The other two professors who were under investigation — Todd Heatherton and Paul Whalen — have already left the College. According to the email, Kelley’s resignation came after Dean of the Faculty of
Arts and Sciences Elizabeth Smith recommended that, in accordance with College policy, Kelley’s tenure be revoked and his employment terminated — a decision that was upheld by a faculty-elected Arts and Sciences Review Committee. Smith and the Review Committee had made the same recommendation for both Heatherton and Whalen last month, after which SEE KELLEY PAGE 3
PAGE 7
SPORTS
ALLEN: THE ACCIDENTAL FAN PAGE 8 FOLLOW US ON
TWITTER @thedartmouth COPYRIGHT © 2018 THE DARTMOUTH, INC.
Tuck qualifies ‘niceness’ as admissions criterion BY Eliza JAne Schaeffer The Dartmouth Staff
Admissions criteria generally do not generate large amounts of press coverage, but recent adjustments made by the Tuck School of Business admissions office
mark an exception to the rule. Beginning with the 2018-19 academic year, Tuck will admit qualified students who have demonstrated “niceness” in their academic, professional and personal lives, a change that has made headlines across the country.
The change, made after several months of discussion with faculty, students and alumni, is one component in a broader effort to streamline the school’s vision of eligible candidates; Tuck students, according to its website, are smart, accomplished, aware
and nice. This latter adjective has attracted press, praise and protest on the part of the public. “Niceness” is conceptually slippery and seemingly counter productive in a competitive business
environment; as a result, Tuck’s endorsement of the quality came as a surprise to some. According to Tuck executive director of admissions and financial aid Luke Anthony Peña, the SEE NICENESS PAGE 5
PAGE 2
FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Class of 2018 senior class gift Biological sciences sees 47 percent participation rate professor receives grant stated that the DCF would look into further exploring their usage of social media. “We can’t expect [students] to The Class of 2018’s participation rate for their senior class gift participate if they’re not getting is 47 percent, a decrease from the message,” Metes said. “I think the Class of 2017’s 51 percent that’s one way that we’re looking participation rate, according to to make sure that the participation Dana Metes, a managing director rate stays relatively balanced across of the Dartmouth College Fund. class years.” Some consider the senior The Class of 2018’s senior class gift, named “’18s for Financial class gift a referendum on the Aid,” will support financial aid for college administration, with low participation rates indicating members of the Class of 2022. The participation rate increased d i s a p p r o v a l w i t h c o l l e g e after the DCF sent an email to policies. A survey of the Class the entire Class of 2018 on June of 2018 con du c te d by T h e 22 stating that the participation Dartmouth indicated that 60 rate stood at only 28 percent. percent of graduating seniors Furthermore, the email urged the held an unfavorable view of recent graduates to “please give the administration as a whole, while only 21 what you can” percent viewed because “gifts “We can’t expect it favorably. of any size Despite the count.” Class [students] to decrease in officials from participate if they’re participation rate earlier classes for the Class of sent similar not getting the 2018, executive emails urging message. I think that’s director of the alumni across one way that we’re Dartmouth various classes College Fund to contribute looking to make sure Sylvia Racca to the DCF that the participation A&S ’13 said that before the the participation C o l l e g e ’ s rate stays relatively rate among all f i s c a l y e a r balanced across class alumni for the ended on June years.” DCF was “just 30. over 40 percent,” The low with their participation -DANA METES, contributions rate continues totaling “just a trend that MANAGING DIRECTOR OF over $46 began after the DARTMOUTH COLLEGE million.” Both record high FUND figures would 99.9 percent mark an increase participation over the previous rate set by the fiscal year, which Class of 2010, saw 39.5 percent in which only of all alumni one student abstained from donating. Since contributing a total of $43.8 then, the participation rate of million. In the last fiscal year, 85 every class declined until it hit percent of the money donated to 31.3 percent in 2016, the lowest the Dartmouth College Fund went rate since the Class of 2004’s 13 toward funding financial aid for College students. percent participation rate. The participation rate among Metes, who has managed the DCF for the last four classes of alumni put the College second graduates, said that there likely among all Ivy League schools wasn’t a single reason for the in regards to alumni donations, fluctuating donation rates over the with 55.7 percent of Princeton last five years or so, adding that all University undergraduate alumni classes were different “in terms of donating to Princeton’s 2017-18 the senior class gift team.” She also Annual Giving campaign.
B y Anthony robles The Dartmouth Staff
CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com for corrections. Correction appended (July 20, 2018): The cover page for last week’s edition of the Mirror was incorrectly attributed to Jee Soeb Jung instead of Sophia Guan.
The College currently finds itself in the middle of a $3 billion capital campaign, “The Call to Lead,” of which $1.5 billion had already been raised before the campaign was announced in April. According to Racca, the DCF plans to contribute $400 million to the campaign. The last capital campaign began in 2002 under former College President Jim Wright and ended in 2010 under former College President Jim Yong Kim. Further more, while fiscal year 2017 saw the first decrease in total donations and commitments to the College since fiscal year 2013, with only $285.6 million, Racca added that the College would “set a new dollar record” for fiscal year 2018. The previous record for donations in a fiscal year was that set in 2016, which saw $318.8 million donated to the College. While the DCF raises money for financial aid, most donations and commitments primarily go toward supporting athletics programs, renovating new facilities — like the Hood Museum of Art and the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge — and funding faculty research, among other measures. However, despite the general decrease regarding Class of 2018 donations toward the College, the latest Forbes Grateful Grads Index, published last August, still had Dartmouth atop their list of “bestloved colleges,” based on median donations per student for ten years and the alumni participation rate. The College topped the rankings with 10-year median donations per student of $29,561 and a threeyear average alumni participation rate of 42.3 percent.
B y Abby ridsdill-smith The Dartmouth
The National Science Foundation recently awarded Dartmouth an $800,000 Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) grant for Biological sciences professor Michael Hoppa to study nerve signaling in the human brain. According to the NSF’s website, the grant is one of foundation’s “most prestigious awards,” and aims to support early-career faculty who can serve as academic role models and make progress in their areas of study and institutions. Hoppa said that he applied for the grant in July 2017 and that it was approved the following winter. New Hampshire’s U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen and Maggie Hassan announced that Dartmouth had been awarded the grant earlier this month. Hoppa said that his work shows the way in which electrical signals passing through the nerves are modulated at the synapses. Synapses, also known as neuronal junctions, are the spaces between nerve cells and other cells. “The longstanding theory is that action potentials can be thought of as digital signals [working like] a binary code of zeros and ones,” Hoppa said. “Action potential can actually change a lot of its properties of its amplitude and width. Although its initiation is a digital zero or a one by the time it arrives to another cell, it’s an analogue signal.” Hoppa said that he believes his work “adds a whole new layer to our understanding of plasticity and learning,” and could be used for research about illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and epilepsy. Vice provost for research Dean
Madden explained that the grant will offer two opportunities by enabling Hoppa to further the research itself and giving undergraduate students the chance to learn research techniques by working with Hoppa. He added that the grant has already allowed Hoppa to bring more talented Dartmouth undergraduates into the lab over the summer. Hoppa noted that the CAREER award makes it clear to other colleges that “[Dartmouth] is a place where you are not only going to get to interact with undergraduates, but you can do high-impact research.” Madden also commented on how the grant can affect the visibility of Dartmouth’s research. “Faculty members who are applying will ask faculty who have succeeded in getting grants if they can share tips or strategies for writing a grant,” Madden said. “The more we have success, the more we have examples of successful applications.” Physics and astronomy professor Ryan Hickox was awarded a CAREER grant in 2016 worth $672,000 for his project, “The Hidden Monsters: Cosmic Evolution of Obscured Supermassive Black Holes.” Hickox said that the CAREER grant’s five-year term enabled junior researchers to “map out the whole scope of the project,” ultimately allowing them to see the project through to its conclusion. He added that CAREER awards of this kind help undergraduates by increasing research opportunities. “The research activity naturally provides more opportunities for undergraduates for getting involved in cutting edge stuff while they’re involved in their undergraduate studies,” Hickox said.
FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018
PAGE 3
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Three PBS professors New law requires New Hampshire have now left the College residency for voter registration FROM SUNUNU PAGE 1
FROM KELLEY PAGE 1
Heatherton retired and Whalen resigned. All three professors are no longer associated with Dartmouth. Kelley did not respond to a request for comment. Kelley, who has been on paid leave since last fall, has not entered into a separation or non-disclosure agreement with the College and, along with Heatherton and Whalen, is prohibited from entering cwampus property or attending Collegesponsored events. The College has not made any severance payments to Kelley, although Heatherton is eligible to receive vested retirement funds and retiree health care from the College. Hanlon and Smith declined a request for comment. Although the College has now concluded its own investigation and disciplinary actions, the three professors remain under criminal investigation by multiple law enforcement entities. New Hampshire senior assistant attorney general Geoffrey Ward confirmed that the professors remain under investigation by the attorney general’s office, but declined to comment further. Hanlon’s email said that the College is continuing to cooperate with the separate law enforcement investigations. Criminal investigations into the allegations began last fall following an Oct. 25, 2017 article in The Dartmouth reporting that the three professors had been placed on paid leave and were the subjects of an internal investigation by the College. Six days later, Hanlon wrote an email to campus stating that the professors were “alleged to have engaged in sexual misconduct” and were being investigated by the New Hampshire attorney general’s office, the Grafton County attorney, the
New Hampshire State Police, the Grafton County Sheriff’s office and Hanover Police. On Nov. 10, the College announced the hiring of an external investigator to take over the College’s internal review. The Dartmouth reported on Nov. 18 that 15 undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral students and scholars in the PBS department signed a statement to The Dartmouth about the academic environment of the PBS department. In their statement, they wrote that the three professors created “hostile academic environment in which sexual harassment is normalized.” They also claimed that the professors violated one or more of the College’s Employee Sexual Misconduct Policy, Employee Sexual Harassment Policy and Policy on Instructor-Student Consensual Relationships. On Feb. 19, 2018, Hanlon announced that the exter nal investigator was “close to concluding her work.” He wrote disciplinary action following procedures in the Organization of the Faculty of Dartmouth College would be pursued after the conclusion the investigation. In his most recent email, Hanlon also announced that the Presidential Steering Committee on Sexual Misconduct, which was appointed last January, has completed a report pending review by senior College administrators. Following the review, the College will seek feedback from the College community on suggestions made in the report. “I would like to reiterate that sexual misconduct and harassment have no place at Dartmouth,” Hanlon wrote in the announcement. “We will investigate all allegations fairly and impartially and hold accountable any community members found to have violated our policies or standards.”
and register their car in the state in order to become eligible to vote. Supporters of the bill argue that it will improve the integrity of elections in the state, while opponents, including New Hampshire’s two U.S. senators and two representatives, assert that the new law is a partisan attempt to limit voter turnout among college students. Government professor Linda Fowler said that under the existing law, it is relatively easy for Dartmouth students to vote because the town of Hanover accepts proof of domicile from the College’s Office of Residential Life. “And now, the proof is much more demanding,” Fowler said. “Students have to demonstrate that they’ve made a commitment to being in residence, which usually requires registering a car [and] getting a driver’s license.” Fowler noted that it is especially difficult to obtain a driver’s license in New Hampshire because of a scarcity of license bureaus in the state. She said that the two closest offices to Hanover are in Newport and North Haverill, each of which are about a 45-minute drive from campus. President of the Dartmouth College Democrats Jennifer West ’20 said that she registered to vote in New Hampshire because she wants to have a say in the decisions that are made at the state and local levels that affect Dartmouth students. “Students know on a personal level the intricacies and ins and outs of student life, so we’re very qualified to make judgments about policies that will not only affect us,
but [also] Dartmouth students for years to come,” West said. For Devon Kurtz ’20, who is a co-editor-in-chief of the campus publication T he Dartmouth Review, the new law would prevent students from making decisions about local issues when they have little experience in New Hampshire outside of Dartmouth. “We’re here usually 30 weeks out of the year — some of us a bit more — but we’re centered on Dartmouth’s campus,” Kurtz said. “We’re not centered in other residential areas where other people … live and work. We’re not a full part of that community.” Kurtz cited the example of Article 9, a Hanover ballot measure last year that affected students’ ability to live in derecognized Greek houses. He said that many students went to vote on Article 9 but had no knowledge of other issues that were on the ballot. “I don’t think we have that much interest in the Hanover community other than Dartmouth,” Kurtz said. “Students were making uninformed decisions that affect the people who actually live here all the time.” On the other hand, West said that Dartmouth students should be able to vote on local issues that have an impact on student life. “With issues such as Article 9 that directly affect student housing and other issues that have concrete implications for college students, I think we are probably the best people, the most qualified, to be able to vote on those issues,” West said. Initially, Sununu had signaled that he was opposed to the bill — which was passed by the Republicanled state legislature earlier this year — even questioning the bill’s
constitutionality. In May, Sununu continued to publicly oppose the bill and sent it to the state Supreme Court for an advisory opinion. On July 12, the court ruled 3-2 in favor of the bill’s constitutionality, and Sununu signed the bill the next day. West said that Sununu’s decision to sign the bill was to be expected given his previous positions on other legislation affecting student voting. “It’s unsurprising to me that he signed it in the end, but it’s frustrating and disappointing that he chose to betray his voters by telling them that he would veto the bill and then [went] back on his word,” West said. Fowler said that she wouldn’t speculate on Sununu’s motives, but noted that he probably signed the bill based on a political calculation. “Given the fears of a blue wave in the 2018 election [and] given how unpopular Trump is in the state, I think that pragmatic politics probably outweighed his dislike of the bill,” Fowler said. Fowler explained that Democrats in New Hampshire often rely on student voters, given the state’s status as a swing state, and that New Hampshire college students may have played a key role in the 2016 presidential and U.S. Senate elections — both of which were decided by a couple thousand votes. Although the new law will potentially decrease the number of Dartmouth students who vote in New Hampshire, Kurtz said that students should take a more nuanced look at the issue. “I understand why people are upset; I just think that it’s misplaced,” Kurtz said. “Their political voice is not being stifled, but their political voice here is being affected.”
IT’S EASY BEING GREEN
PETER CHARALAMBOUS/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
The sun sets over the Green on a beautiful summer afternoon.
PAGE 4
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018
STAFF COLUMNIST AVERY SAKLAD ‘21
STAFF COLUMNIST MATTHEW MAGANN ‘21
Hello, Me
In Defense of Civility
Off-terms should be used for self-care.
Oppose the Trump administration, but remember what you’re fighting for
After completing my first year at least guilt-inducing way to kill an hour (or Dartmouth, taking a step back from campus five) — is positioned at the top of the list. life was almost as overwhelming as plunging Activities like drawing and playing games into it. Life back in the “real” world moves outside fall much lower on the list. And slowly, particularly if one’s off-term does watching Netflix, of course, falls dead last, not include an internship, a research grant often labeled as “mindless stress relief.” or any other educational But without a endeavor. Friends go “Students should crushing workload, the home at the day’s end, and whole hierarchy comes no regularly scheduled forget about whether crashing down, and club meetings fill up one’s or not the last hour of what remains becomes evenings. Students find a meaningless mess life helped them get a themselves with a lot of where every activity free time and little idea little closer to medical is of equal worth. So of what to do with it. school, and instead ask what if one chooses During on-terms, work to pick up a book or must always get done themselves whether head off on a hike? It and hobbies must be finishing a book for doesn’t matter, because cast aside. But students there is no “to-do” list pleasure made them must ask themselves: what of items to accomplish. are hobbies? How did content.” Students should forget they fill their time before about whether or not homework staked its claim the last hour of life on their calendars? Do helped them get a step they identify as something other than closer to medical school, and instead ask “student?” What are the unique personality themselves whether finishing a book for traits that make up the person who got pleasure made them content. accepted into Dartmouth in the first place? Lastly, students on their off-terms should After 10 long weeks of knowing exactly just “take it easy.” Time during an off-term what to do and when to do it, students must lacks structure, which passes either in flashes figure out what it is they actually want to that steal hours away, or in eternities that do. slowly trudge along. One could take a fiveOne thing that can help is sitting in mile hike, clean a living space or even paint solitude for at least one a self-portrait. Maybe hour a day. Gathering scrolling complacently places such as dor m “Every hour does not through apps on a “common rooms” do not need to be filled with phone is fine too. exist in the outside world. It’s all good. Every an accomplishment or Friends cannot be relied hour does not need on to predictably visit the designated to some to be filled with an same spaces and provide specific activity.” accomplishment or distraction. No longer designated to some determined by class time, specific activity. So each persons schedule long as one remembers exists independently of that the internet can be friend groups. In the absence of others, left alone and re-explored later, it’s okay to students should spend time meditating on not really do anything once in a while — as any personal activity that can be freeing long as “once in a while” does not happen from the dull mind loop of boredom. every day. Along with meditation, indulging in Instead of using boredom as a crutch, low-worth activities is also worthwhile. students need to use free time to get in touch Dartmouth on-terms teach students to with themselves. Soon, college friends will appreciate activities based on their “value” regroup, classes will start again and school which creates a sort of hierarchy of work will clutter schedules. Enjoy the free pastimes. Homework, for instance — the time while it lasts.
Democracy rests on people’s ability not American.” But in the pages of op-ed to respectfully disagree. When America’s sections across newspapers, a shocking number democratic fabric has eroded to the point of writers defended actions similar to Waters’s. where political opponents become incorrigible For instance, take a recent piece published on enemies, the last thing it needs is more incivility. Huffington Post, aptly titled “Fuck Civility.” It Unfortunately, incivility is the type of discourse argues that the Trump administration’s policies many people seem to promote. necessitate not just disagreement, but fullThe brash incivility of Donald Trump’s fledged resistance. The author, Michelangelo movement is common knowledge. Consider Signorile, dismisses the possibility of swaying how the president gleefully mocks opponents Trump supporters. “Anyone who is supporting with accusations of having an “extraordinarily Trump while he’s putting children in prison low IQ” or “dying mediocre career[s],”and camps isn’t going to be swayed,” he claims, one can see what incivility calling for radical, uncivil looks like. However, even protests against the Trump some opponents of Trump administration. “It’s about have used incivility as a “I ask fellow lighting a spark under tactic as well, advocating those who aren’t paying for a crass, winner-takes- opponents of the attention,” Signorile all approach to politics. Trump administration: writes, “it’s not about Their petty vengeance changing the minds of what sort of nation do against Trump supporters Trump supporters.” might win publicity, but we want to create?” But liberals it won’t do anything to and centrists should combat Trump’s populist not abandon the over nationalism. 40 percent of fellow To be clear, anyone Americans who voted for who values America should oppose the Trump Trump. I ask fellow opponents of the Trump administration. Just look at the past few days, administration: what sort of nation do we want when the president tore into NATO, berated to create? The answer, for me at least, is one the nation’s closest European allies, denied that rejects the “Trumpian” nation, where the findings of United States intelligence political opponents exist only as foes to crush agencies and stood by Vladimir Putin, a foreign on the path to victory. I may strongly disagree despot accused of undermining American with Trump supporters, but we should respect democracy. He denigrates Gold Star parents, them as fellow Americans and respect the voice bans refugees, starts trade wars with allies, they have in our democracy. If we embrace brags about sexually assaulting women; the incivility, we adopt Trump’s “us-versus-them” list goes on. Trump’s influence on America vision of politics. That divisive ideology is one is destructive, and we should by all means of America’s biggest problems, and the last oppose his policies. But there’s a right way to thing we should do is promote it. do that, and there’s a wrong way. Every time some celebrity yells profanities The wrong way, the uncivil way, has at Trump, every time an official gets kicked been popular lately. It picked up in the out of a restaurant, the chasm within wake of an incident at our nation grows. That a Virginia restaurant. divided America is not the S a r a h H u c k a b e e “Impulsive, America I want to see, and Sanders, the White House vengeance-filled I don’t think it’s too late to Press Secretary and a reverse course. Impulsive, prominent face of the attacks hurled at the vengeance-filled attacks Trump administration, Trump administration hurled at the Trump sat down for dinner. administration won’t do a won’t do a thing to The owner of the thing to change America restaurant asked her to change America for for the better. They will leave, citing personal the better.” just bring opponents down disagreements with the to Trump’s level, further Trump administration’s entrenching the uncivil policies. partisanship that Trump Congresswoman embodies. In opposing Maxine Waters, an outspoken Trump critic, Trump, we would do well to remember jumped to defend the restaurant owner’s Michelle Obama’s famous words: “When they actions. Speaking to a rally in Los Angeles, she go low, we go high.” urged the crowd: “If you see anybody from Go out and oppose Trump. Oppose him that Cabinet in a restaurant, in a department forcefully and argue strongly against his store, at a gasoline station, you get out and policies. But do not exact vengeance on his you create a crowd and you push back on supporters. Instead, we need to present a them and you tell them they’re not welcome positive vision for America — a vision of anymore, anywhere.” democracy and freedom for all, a vision where The backlash was immediate, as prominent every American, without exception, has a place Democrats and Republicans rejected Waters’ in this nation. America is a democracy, not comments. Sen. Chuck Schumer put it clearly, a battleground. Political opponents are not arguing that “no one should call for the enemies to crush. They’re fellow citizens to harassment of political opponents … that’s convince. And both sides need to accept that.
6175 ROBINSON HALL, HANOVER N.H. 03755 • (603) 646-2600
ZACHARY BENJAMIN, Editor-in-Chief IOANA SOLOMON, Executive Editor
HANTING GUO, Publisher
AMANDA ZHOU, Executive Editor DEBORA HYEMIN HAN, Issue Executive Editor
PRODUCTION EDITORS PETER CHARALAMBOUS AND ALEX FREDMAN, News Managing Editors ANTHONY ROBLES, Arts Editor
BUSINESS DIRECTORS BRIAN SCHOENFELD & HEEJU KIM, Advertising Directors SARAH KOVAN, Marketing & Communications Director CHRISTINA WULFF, Marketing & Communications Director
TYLER MALBREAUX, Opinion Editor
VINAY REDDY, Assistant Marketing & Communications Director
SAMANTHA HUSSEY, Sports Editor
BRIAN CHEKAL & CAYLA PLOTCH, Product Development Directors
PAULA KUTSCHERA, Photography Editor SAMANTHA BURACK, Design Editor
BHARATH KATRAGADDA, Strategy Director YEONJAE PARK, Technology Director
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.
FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018
New admissions criteria to take effect for 2018-19 academic year FROM NICENESS PAGE 1
response to this announcement, which Tuck issued in June, has been largely positive. However, Peña has received pushback from those who question whether admissions committees can effectively assess niceness via a paper application. To this criticism, Peña responded that “the nice candidate demonstrates — through a pattern of actions, through sustained habits — that they generously invest in the success of others, and that they are committed to elevating outcomes, not just for themselves, but for communities around them.” Linda Abraham, chief executive officer of the admissions consulting firm Accepted and host of the Admissions Straight Talk podcast, said that she advises prospective MBA candidates seeking to prove themselves as nice to “think about times that they helped someone succeed … not about joining a group, not some grand cause, but about helping another human being.” Pena said that Tuck’s office of admissions considered other conceptually similar words, but ultimately decided that niceness was the most “easily digestible” and “simple in concept, yet rich in quality.” According to Peña, this update to the admissions criteria does not reflect a change in the qualities Tuck values in its students; instead, it better captures the priorities of the
PAGE 5
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
admissions team. Katherine Donovan Tu’19 wholly agrees. “I think [niceness] is the perfect summation of Tuck students,” she said. Tuck, she added, is a close and interconnected community, in part due to its isolation and dearth of distractions relative to its peer institutions. Tuck students call this intangible quality the “Tuck fabric.” “The Tuck character means that if I reach out to an alum, whether they graduated two years ago or 20 years ago, I can count on them getting back to me, usually within the same day, and providing really valuable advice,” she said. Donovan also described the “pay it forward” philosophy shared by Tuck students. Second-year students help first-year students prepare for summer internship recruiting, and when those first-year students become second-year students, they do the same for their younger peers. Like Donovan, Peña stressed the importance of support in the context of Tuck’s community and of the world more broadly. “As our world becomes increasingly interconnected and interdependent, the ability to relate, connect and forge strong relationships is absolutely essential to being able to change the world for the better,” Peña said. “Wise leadership depends on having emotional intelligence to know when to balance support with challenge.” This is the conclusion reached by
a number of academic studies on the matter. The Human Cooperation Laboratory at Yale University, headed by professor David Rand, explores the behavioral economics of being nice. Again and again, his results indicate that collaboration and forgiveness result in long-term benefits for all parties involved, even if the sentiment is not reciprocated at first. Perhaps in part due to findings such as these, Tuck’s adoption of niceness as an admissions criterion is part of a broader trend in the business community. Because the ability to empathize with others and regulate strong emotions is largely correlated with success in the workplace, graduate programs and companies now place increased emphasis on emotional intelligence and “soft” skills. For example, last year, New York University asked that MBA applicants submit two emotional intelligence endorsements. Though Tuck has been the only school to label this underlying quality of selflessness and support “niceness,” Abraham said she believes it is valued by the overwhelming majority of MBA programs. These programs speak about it using different language, but they share a conceptual framework, she added. “Call it niceness, call it community, call it teamwork, call it emotional intelligence, they’re all classic virtues that most if not all schools want … no school wants a jerk,” Abraham said.
LIVE FREE OR PROTEST
PETER CHARALAMBOUS/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Community members participate in a demonstration at the intersection of Wheelock and Main Streets.
Panelists discuss impact of West’s ‘Race Matters’
While West’s work informs the structures and institutions of society, a range of races and age groups. it also informs the sense of self on Panelists and attendees said that an existential and psychic level, the focus of the conference was to according to Andrew Prevot, assistant celebrate West’s seminal work, as professor in theology at the Morrissey well as build upon the foundation it College of Arts and Sciences at Boston laid by applying its principles to the College. Prevot, who spoke in the “Black Prophecy in a Transnational present day. Dylan Rodríguez, a professor Context” panel, said he presented of ethnic studies at the University on the Christian mystical tradition of California, Riverside who that developed an account of divine love that spoke during the can respond roundtable to nihilistic discussion on the “Cornel West and threats to final day of the some speakers didn’t h u m a n conference, said the in an interview that fail to mention or have existence. He argued that “lasting intellectual optimism and hope while race impact” of West’s for the future in the functions to work infor ms marginalize the political and middle of pretty bleak certain spiritual relevance topics.” g roups — of matters such as including race, gender and African power in 2018. Two -AYUB SHARIF ’19 Americans, of the panels during N a t i v e the conference Americans, focused on this topic, Mexican including the panel Americans on “Why Race & Racism Matter Now More Than and Jewish Americans — the Bible can offer a prophetic mode to show Ever.” Brandon Terry, an assistant that God is present in the struggle professor of African and African on behalf of those people and “on American studies and social studies behalf of human dignity.” “[The Bible shows] that even if at Harvard University who was a panelist for this subject, said that he society is treating them like nothing, presented a diagnosis and critique that they’re not nothing to God — and of the sources of racial pessimism, in fact that they’re loved by God,” drawing on West’s work to show Prevot said. “That theological insight why those forms of pessimism are can be the basis for a call to solidarity “indefensible.” In an interview after and a struggle for justice.” Ayub Sharif ’19, who came to the conference, Terry said that despite the “ostensible defeat” of forms of campus from Boston to attend the racial oppression such as Jim Crow conference, said that the speakers laws or child slavery, there seems to balanced a discussion of negative be a persistent challenge for African developments with optimism for the American political rights. Thus, future well. “Cornel West and some speakers when African Americans have been shot and killed, the responses from didn’t fail to mention or have many have been ones of “callous optimism and hope for the future in indifference” or giving up on activism the middle of pretty bleak [topics], in terms of the scholarship that a lot altogether. One of West’s contributions, of activists and scholars are writing however, was offering a critique about or speaking about,” Sharif said. Sharif added that the conference of “pessimistic reason” — namely, arriving at a conclusion of pessimism provided a space for people who desire after analyzing the people and to have a conversation about these situations that oppress others. Terry issues but find it difficult to voice their says West teaches people that opinions without being marginalized. Rodríguez agreed that conferences pessimism leads them to miss the virtues of refusing to give up political such as these “incubate paradigms and structures” that people can take and spiritual hope. “I think these things are haunting with them and use to change how a lot of political commentary at the they lead their lives. “These kinds of conferences moment, and people are deducing from them reasons that they should are the site of experimentation, of just kind of give up on political incubation of … daring and radical struggle altogether to maintain … and potentially explosive collective what they imagine to be a sanity or thought,” Rodríguez said. “The purity,” Terry said. “But again I think scale of this particular conference [West] gives us lots of reasons to reject was such that I think was … pretty remarkable.” that.” FROM WEST PAGE 1
PAGE 6
DARTMOUTHEVENTS
THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF YEAR
FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018
CAROLINE COOK ’21
TODAY
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
Presentation: “Penicillin Allergy: Impact and Improvement,” by Kimberly G. Blumenthal, MD, MSc, sponsored by the Geisel School of Medicine, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Auditorium E
8:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Performance Arts: “An Evening with Gillian Welch,” with musicians Gillian Welch and Daniel Rawlings, Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center for the Arts
3:45 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Information Session: Fellowships Info Session for Sophomores, Carson L01
7:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Film: “Foxtrot,” directed by Samuel Maoz, Loew 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 8:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Film and Discussion: “Casablanca,” directed by Michael Curtiz, with introduction by Prof. Noah Isenberg, Loew Auditorium, Hopkins Center for the Arts
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 20, 2018
PAGE 7
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
Student Spotlight: Jennifer West ’20 wins Frost-Dodd contest By Anthony Robles The Dartmouth Staff
Every summer, the theater department at the College hosts the Frost & Dodd Playwriting Festival, which features the three student winners of the Frost & Dodd Playwriting Contest. Two of the three plays are produced as staged readings, while the winning play becomes a full-scale production. This year’s Dodd winner is Jennifer West ’20, whose one-act musical “First Year” tells the story of a student’s first year at the fictional Ivylane College. What inspired you to write “First Year”? JW: So, this came out of conversations that I had with friends freshman spring, when we sort of reflected on our first year of our college experiences. I have always written songs, but I’d never really written a full-length work of theater, or any other sort of big, long-form piece before. We were sort of joking around and thinking about common experiences that we’d all had, and I thought it would be interesting to think about a way to bring those all together into some sort of piece that I could show my friends — and maybe even later on, present to the community. How did you first get involved in writing songs? JW: I did a lot of theater when I was younger, especially during elementary and middle school, but had to stop in high school because I did sports. One way that I wanted to keep involved, and also sort of take time to reflect and engage in creative writing, was through writing songs. What were the biggest challenges
that you faced in writing “First Year”? JW: I think sometimes it can be hard to step away from your own personal experience and try to make things generalizable. At times, I found myself writing things that on second thought didn’t really seem relatable or interesting, but were relevant to my own experience, and I think because of that, the play in its current form is not very autobiographical. In fact, very little of it is directly taken from my own experience, but a lot of is more generalizable, which I think is probably for the best. Another challenge I faced is that I don’t read or write music, but the team has been amazing. We had a local musician help transcribe the songs onto sheet music, and we have a music director who has been fantastic in helping to edit the songs and make them flow better.
more theater productions after “First Year”? JW: I do. I’m not sure in what form, but I definitely do want to stay involved.
How did you feel when you heard you had won the Frost-Dodd Award? JW: To be honest, I was very surprised. I submitted to the contest partly because I was under the impression that I would get feedback, and I wasn’t even hoping that my play would be performed. I just wanted to hear what the department had to say — to get some constructive comments that would help me build the show going forward. So I was very surprised, but super honored, and most of all just very excited because it was such a new thing to me that I couldn’t wait to get started.
What else are you involved in on campus? JW: Oh, boy. I’m president of Dartmouth College Democrats, a presidential research scholar, I’m involved in my sorority, I write for the Jack-O-Lantern and I’m on the Figure Skating team.
Is there a challenge in not being able to direct something that you wrote? JW: I think that, on the contrary, I’m really relieved that there is a seasoned
If I remember correctly, this is the first time you’ve been involved with a theater production on campus. JW: I took a theater class my freshman year. Did that class play a part in helping shape “First Year”? JW: It did. The class was called “Theater for Social Change,” and we both analyzed and wrote short works of theater. I think that it definitely helped to show me that it doesn’t take much to get started. Writing those three- to fivepage plays in that class sort of helped me think about how I could write something longer in the future.
COURTESY OF JENNIFER WEST
Jennifer West ’20’s one-act musical “First Year” will premiere next weekend.
professional who is working on the show, who has the skill and talent and expertise to make [the show] really good.
I’ve been working pretty closely with the director and also communicating with the cast and creative team.
How closely have you been working on the production and development of the show? JW: I’ve been doing rewrites for several months. The show’s been rewritten several times, and individual lines and small components of the show have changed during the rehearsal process just to make the show flow better and fit in more with different characters’ experiences throughout the play. And
What are you most excited about in seeing your play realized? JW: I’m most excited to see how people react to it. First of all, I hope people enjoy it and have a good time seeing the show. I think it should be very fun, but I also think that it’s my goal that people sort of leave thinking about their Dartmouth experience. Do you plan on being involved in
Did your experiences in those organizations help shape “First Year” in any way? JW: I think those organizations helped me meet a lot of new people and meet a lot of different kinds of people across campus, and hearing from them about their experiences sort of informed the way I wrote about the characters’ Dartmouth experiences. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS
PAGE 8
SPORTS
FRIDAY, JULY 20, 2018
TODAY’S LINEUP
NO EVENTS SCHEDULED
The Accidental Fan with Sabena Allen ’20
The Accidental Fan: The Suplex Saga — Episode 1 — A New GLOW For my next three columns, I am choosing to tackle a contested subject: professional wrestling. And yes, I am talking full on World Wrestling Entertainment Wrestlemania-style wrestling. First of all, if you are a casual sports fan, you might be wondering: “Is wrestling even a sport?” Well, it is certainly athletic. Doing all of those flips and hits sure is not easy. However, you might point out that all the fights are choreographed, and the winner is predetermined, which takes the sportsmanship out of it. After all, are not sports meant to be a contest with others, or at least with oneself ? Alternatively, maybe you are a wrestling fan yourself and love that aspect of entertainment. Regardless of these differences in opinion, we can all agree on one thing: wrestling is divisive. Indeed, many people find it to be utterly ridiculous, which is understandable. It is dramatic and theatrical and if you like that, it is great. If you don’t, then it can really miss the mark. I am not a huge fan of wrestling myself (more on that another time). I am, however, a fan of the Netflix TV series “GLOW,” short for Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a fictionalized comedy show based on the 1980s wrestling show by the same name. The original “GLOW” was created by David McLane, who said he created it out of fan appreciation for other women’s wrestling matches of the time. If you want proof for the impact fans can have on a niche sport, there you go. The show ran for four seasons and drew performers from a wide range of careers who wanted to get a start in show business.
COURTESY OF ERICA PARISE/NETFLIX, VIA VULTURE
Sabena Allen ’20 chooses to tackle a contested subject — professional wrestling — through a review of the show “GLOW,” short for Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling, a fictionalized comedy show based on the 1980s wrestling show by the same name.
The Netflix show is based around this same principle. Washed-up director Sam Silvia, played by Marc Maron, has an idea for an all-women’s wrestling show, though in the show’s universe this seems to be a somewhat more novel idea than it was in real life. In fact, Sam struggles to get financial backing for his show — it only gets off the ground with the help of his producer, Sebastian “Bash” Howard (Chris Lowell), who comes from a wealthy family and is not shy about spending his parents’ earnings. We subsequently follow Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie), who is an aspiring actress with many failed auditions. The first season follows Wilder, her once-best friend Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin) and the other aspiring “Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling” from when they audition to when they film their pilot. The focus of the show is not the wrestling itself, but rather the interpersonal relationships that go on outside of the ring. Fittingly enough, this is also what most fans of wrestling enjoy about watching “GLOW”: the character dynamics. Half the fun of watching any wrestling match
is knowing the story behind the fight. This is something that “GLOW” really understands, as its two female leads have their own intense drama outside of the ring. This makes “GLOW” ideal for wrestling and non-wrestling fans alike. A friend of mine, who doesn’t enjoy wrestling and hadn’t seen the first season, was still able to enjoy a few episodes of the second season because in addition to wrestling matches, there is also character building and a complete storyline. Viewers see the women as they struggle to master basic wrestling moves. They squabble over everything from technique to being roommates to relationships. This is something that I personally miss in professional wrestling. Although the story is there, a lot of it occurs on social media or from other outside sources. “GLOW” concentrates all of the drama within each episode, which makes it a great way to experience the fun and flashy world of professional wrestling without having to spend time searching endlessly for details on Twitter. Perhaps for the true wrestling
fan, “GLOW” lacks an essential component: the wrestling itself. Now, I can understand that. “GLOW” really emphasizes the performance aspects of wrestling. After all, most of the women who audition are actresses. However, something that the show does very well is demonstrating just how much work goes into training and choreographing matches. The women in the show train for weeks before they get anywhere close to being good enough to wrestle. They are trained by one of their co-stars, Cherry Bang (Sydelle Noel), who is a former stuntwoman, and by Carmen Wade (Britney Young), the daughter of a professional wrestler. Carmen’s brothers, Big Kurt Jackson and Mighty Tom Jackson, also help Debbie and Ruth train. The brothers are a great hidden Easter egg of sorts for wrestling fans, since they are played by real life pro wrestlers Carlos Edwin “Carly” Colón Jr. and Tyrus, respectively. Not only do we see the women train physically for their roles, they also have to develop their characters. For Debbie, this is through watching a professional
wrestling match which features yet more real-life professionals. These scenes are great for character development, as well as fun for the devoted fan. Essentially, although “GLOW” lacks the level of wrestling found in WWE shows, it has plenty of little nuggets for wrestling fans. “GLOW” has all the action and all the drama of any wrestling show. However, it also has much more going for it: a fun storyline, a great cast and a lot of humor. I guess the point I am trying to make here is that “GLOW” is a really good show. It is a great introduction to wrestling if you know nothing about it and it warms you up slowly. Just like the women themselves, the audience is given the chance to explore wrestling and see why people like it. The audience can grow with the characters and follow their journey in discovering their wrestling personalities. But again, if you already love wrestling, then it is also a super fun ride. S e a s o n t wo w a s re c e n t l y released, and I will be talking about that in a future column. Until then, go watch “GLOW”! It is an absolute blast.