VOL. CLXXVI NO. 66
RAINY HIGH 69 LOW 50
OPINION
BARTLETT: PHYSICAL EDUCATION REDEFINED PAGE 4
OPINION ASKS: HOLISTIC ADMISSIONS PAGE 4
ARTS
REVIEW: NETFLIX’S NEW FILM ‘TALL GIRL’ AIMS HIGH, FALLS SHORT PAGE 7
‘THE MATRIX’ SERIES MAY LOSE INTERPRETIVE MALLEABILITY WITH NEW FILM PAGE 8
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Sexual misconduct CPD, Rocky currently operating policy seeks to clarify without permanent directors institutional response B y LUCY TURNIPSEED The Dartmouth Staff
Dartmouth’s Sexual and Gender-Based Misconduct Policy, which went into effect on Sept. 1, represents an effort by the College to clarify its stance on sexual misconduct across the institution. “ T h e re ’s a d i f f e re n c e between having the same kind of core idea and really working out the details and identifying, in a completely clear way, what’s permissible
and not,” said philosophy professor and committee on the faculty member Samuel Levey. “We’re hoping this will be the beginning of a big change.” The policy outlines reporting, investigation and disciplinary procedure for all employees and students at Dartmouth. Previously, the policies for faculty, staff and students were separate and did not contain the SEE SMP PAGE 5
STAFF PHOTO
The CPD is currently under the leadership of interim director Monica Wilson.
Astronomy professor leads discovery of planet B y ANNE GEORGE
The Dartmouth Staff
Dartmouth professors come from a variety of fields of study, backgrounds and careers; however, Elisabeth Newton has a unique and consequential claim to fame. In 2018, Newton led a research team which discovered an exoplanet. With the National Aeronautics and Space Administration confirming the planet’s existence in March, N e w t o n’s t e a m r e c e n t l y published its findings in
The Astrophysical Journal Letters. B e fo re b e c o m i n g a n assistant professor of physics and astronomy at Dartmouth in January 2019, Newton’s team beg an examining data published from a 2018 NASA Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite mission. Their goal, according to Newton, was to discover an exoplanet — a planet outside the solar system. The original NASA test SEE EXOPLANET PAGE 3
B y THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF Roger Woolsey resigned from his position as senior assistant dean and director of the Center for Professional Development on Sept. 6, which has left two major centers on campus — the CPD and the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy — without permanent heads. Former senior associate director Monica Wilson is now serving as interim director of the CPD, she confirmed to The Dartmouth i n a n e m a i l s t at e m e n t . Woolsey’s profile on the CPD’s “About Us” page on its website has been removed, with Wilson listed as interim
director. Wilson wrote that she would be serving as the CPD’s interim director this year and that the CPD is “operating at full speed.” The CPD recently hosted inter nship, job and law school fairs over the course of two days, which were attended by around 1,400 students and that featured more than 100 employers and 13 law schools. Woolsey began working at the CPD in May of 2013, according to his LinkedIn profile, before which he served as director of Colby College’s Career Center from 2008 to 2013 and as an adjunct professor at Emerson College from 1997 to 2008.
The Rockefeller Center director position has been vacant since July, when economics professor Andrew Samwick stepped down from the position to return to teaching and research. He had held the director position since 2004, after nearly 10 years in Dartmouth’s economics department and a stint as chief economist on President George W. Bush’s Council of Economic Advisors from 2003 to 2004. The Rockefeller Center’s website currently lists deputy director Sadhana Hall and associate director Ronald Shaiko as its top a d m i n i s t r at o r s. C o l l e g e SEE DIRECTORS PAGE 3
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THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
Joe Biden holds health care town hall event at Dartmouth B y THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Biden said. Biden said in a later part of his talk that he would want to see the This article was originally published Department of Health and Human online on Aug. 23, 2019. Services enlist non-governmental experts to price drugs in such a For mer vice president and way that companies can make a 2020 Democratic presidential “respectable profit” but also can’t frontrunner Joe Biden campaigned at “rip off ” the American people. He Dartmouth on Friday, promoting his added that the prices should be health care plan and distinguishing based on efficacy and the cost to his positions on the issue from produce the drug, but not exceed those of President Donald Trump the price of health care inflation. and some of his opponents in the Biden also got in a few digs at Democratic primary. Trump during his speech, saying Biden spoke to a crowd of the president is “diminishing our about 400 students and community standing in the world” and that he members and then engaged in a is “concerned about the state of the question and answer session with nation.” the audience in a town hall-style In a subsequent question and event. answer session, which lasted In his speech, roughly an hour, Biden defended “Building on Biden fielded the Affordable questions on a Care Act and Obamacare with a range of issues criticized efforts public option is the from mental by the Trump health and drug way to go.” administration prices to climate to re p ea l th e change, taking law. But he also -JOE BIDEN several minutes referenced other for his answers Democratic to most of the presidential questions. candidates who have advocated One woman, describing climate for undoing the law, also known change as a health issue, told as Obamacare, in favor of more Biden that she believed his plan to ambitious plans such as “Medicare address climate change did not go for All” — which Biden described as far enough. Some members of the being too expensive and impractical. audience joined in with snaps as Biden said health care is a she asked him whether he would personal issue for him, recalling change his environmental policy to losing his wife and daughter in include “radical decarbonization.” a car accident which injured his Biden responded by saying that no two sons in 1972 and his son Beau candidate has proposed policies that dying of brain cancer in 2015. He can end carbon emissions within spent the majority of his prepared the next 10 years, and instead remarks promoting his policies, pointed to his plans to invest in the centerpiece of which involves offshore wind capacities and carbon allowing individuals to purchase sequestration. He also emphasized a government-offered health care his history on the issue, including plan. working on the 2015 Paris Climate “Building on Obamacare with Agreement. a public option is the way to go,” After fielding a question
CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
MICHAEL LIN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Former vice president Joe Biden spoke to a crowd of around 400 students and community members in Alumni Hall.
about mental health, Biden spent the Democratic nominee in 2008. several minutes talking about the Steven Atkins, an Upper Valley issue, often getting emotional in resident who asked Biden the describing service members dealing question about mental health, told with post-traumatic stress disorder The Dartmouth after the event and children in school worrying that he was disappointed Biden about school shootings. didn’t specifically answer his Toward the question, but said end of the was “pleasantly “I was impressed with he event, Biden sur prised” with drew parallels his zeal. It’s nice to his performance b e t w e e n hear some positive overall. today’s political “I was impressed c l i m a t e a n d energy, lifting us back with his zeal,” t h a t o f t h e up again instead of Atkins said. “It’s 1960s. He nice to hear some tearing us apart and recalled two positive energy, of his political putting us down.” lifting us back up heroes — again instead of Martin Luther tearing us apart King, J r . -STEVEN ATKINS, UPPER and putting us a n d Ro b e r t VALLEY RESIDENT down.” Ke n n e d y — Emily Stehr ’21, both being who spoke with assassinated Biden with other during his senior year of college, students after the event, said and asked rhetorically what would that although she supports Sen. have happened in the United States Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), she was if former President Barack Obama impressed by Biden’s education had been assassinated while he was plan, particularly its provisions on
preschool and increasing teacher pay. “I don’t think he’s jumped to the top of my list,” Stehr said. “But definitely very cool, and I hope that a lot of his policies are incorporated into [the platform of] whoever runs.” Biden’s trip to the Granite State comes as the former vice president continues to hold a lead in the Democratic nomination contest in national polling, though recent polls in New Hampshire show a potentially tight race for the first-inthe-nation primary between Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Warren — both from neighboring states. One of several candidates who have come to campus in recent months, Biden’s visit will be followed by an event held by South Bend, IN mayor Pete Buttigieg tomorrow evening at the Hanover Inn. Biden’s first visit as a presidential candidate comes at a relatively quiet time on campus, just weeks before the beginning of fall term.
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
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THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Worldwide research led to discovery Search for new Rocky director underway FROM EXOPLANET PAGE 1
mission from which the data was derived measured photometry — brightness as a function of time — and sought to pinpoint small dips in the brightness of stars that would indicate that a planet had crossed in front of it, according to Newton. In this research, Newton’s team discovered DS Tuc Ab, a planet which orbits around its host star every eight days and is between the size of Neptune and Saturn. From its original discovery, Newton’s team then worked to confirm the exoplanet’s existence over other potential scenarios. Her team used available data and spectroscopy, a technique that measures the movement of the star, as well as the Southern African Large Telescope — which she had access to through her new affiliation with Dartmouth — in order to confirm the existence of the exoplanet.
Most of the initial analysis of TESS was done remotely because members of the research team were affiliated with universities and research centers around the world. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill astronomy and physics professor Andrew Mann was involved in ensuring that the exoplanet was not a false positive. According to Mann, for every real planet TESS finds, it also captures 50 false positives. Newton emphasized that there is still a lot to learn about DS Tuc Ab and that she hopes that Dartmouth undergraduates will be involved in new discoveries. “When I was younger, I liked using math to find out the answers to problems, and with astronomy, there are a lot of really big questions surrounding it,” Newton said. “There’s a lot of contributions one can make as an undergraduate.” As part of a Women in Science Project internship, Joselyn Lopez
Bonilla ’22 learned how to use TESS under Newton’s leadership in order to compile a list of other potential exoplanet candidates that could later have their masses measured. “When I started WISP, I thought I wasn’t qualified because I didn’t come from a high school where there were a lot of opportunities in STEM, but Professor Newton was understanding about my backg round,” Bonilla said. “Eventually, I got better, and it’s almost surreal to have been able to work with her.” At Dartmouth, Newton has taught ASTR 15, “Stars and the Milky Way” and attempts to integrate her research into the classroom. “I think it’s important in classes to see the applications of what you’re learning, so not just the historical — like Isaac Newton did this, and the theory in textbooks — but also seeing what astronomers are doing now,” Newton said.
LEAF IT TO BEAVER
BOWEN CHAN/THE DARTMOUTH
Leafs on the ground indicate the arrival of fall on Dartmouth’s campus.
FROM DIRECTORS PAGE 1
spokesperson Diana Lawrence wrote in an email statement that the search for a new director is still ongoing. Samwick told The Dartmouth that the Rockefeller Center will not hire an interim director and that the operations of the Center, including its programming, are proceeding normally as the search process continues. Government professor
Dean Lacy and associate dean of the faculty for the social sciences John Carey are leading the search process, Samwick said. In addition to the ongoing director search, the Rockefeller Center recently added two more members to its staff: Robert Coates as assistant director for co-curricular programs and Joanne Blais, former head of adult services at Howe Library in Hanover, as a member of the public programming staff.
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
STAFF COLUMNIST NICHOLAS BARTLETT ‘21
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION STAFF
Physical Education Redefined
Opinion Asks: Holistic Admission
Dartmouth’s PE-credit system is too narrow in scope. Dartmouth’s cornucopia of PE credits is nothing short of wonderful. The martiallyinclined can hone their talents with taekwondo; the projectile prone can refine their accuracy with archery; heck, the dancer in all of us can master the ineluctable romanticism of tango. It’s a smorgasbord of interesting options — but it’s not for everyone. Plenty of Dartmouth students don’t take well to organized physical fitness, some because of scheduling concerns and others because of sheer personal preference. Students who prefer the exhausting comfort of Alumni Gymnaisum do not receive PE credits for their accumulated hours, nor do students who amass a gaggle of their friends and acquaintances to participate in intramural sports. And this is a shame, as it reeks of twisted priorities. What matters more to the campus’s emphasis on fitness: that students are being active or that we’re active on their terms? For those who are unfamiliar, Dartmouth currently requires all students to earn three credits within the realm of physical education in order to graduate. To some extent, I get it. Our verdant campus falls squarely amidst a gorgeous mountain range and is rife with explorable green space. And for well over a century, our campus, led by the Dartmouth Outing Club, has prided itself on this esteemed history of trailblazing and outdoorsmanship. Our culture is inextricably tied to the outdoors. To that end, it makes perfect sense as to why a century of mountaineering and activity has culminated in a current policy of encouraging and facilitating active (and healthy) lifestyles amongst the student body. It’s exactly because of this prerogative that I find the currently limited assortment of options to be rather paradoxical in nature. For all activity
DEBORA HYEMIN HAN, Editor-in-Chief
is not born equal. Quite the contrary, in fact, in the College’s eyes, as only fully organized, club-resembling activities fully merit a PE credit upon completion. How does that work? It’s quite possible that the so-called “gym rat” will dedicate more time to their health and wellness in a given term than would their peers enrolled in a class on badminton. That isn’t to suggest that time equates to quality, mind you, but it does suggest that the College’s current approach to PE credits has woefully overlooked a monumental hemisphere of Dartmouth’s physically active reality: We’re failing to reward students for incorporating individualized (or personalized) physical fitness into their lifestyle. This holds especially salient in the context of Dartmouth’s chaotic blitzkrieg of a schedule, wherein many students simply do not have the time necessary to invest in specifically slotted club sports. Some students who, for example, work long, often inconvenient hours may have difficulty isolating time to participate in, say, the club soccer team amid their academic commitments. Meanwhile, others may simply prefer sporadic, personalized bouts of fitness in the vein of intramural tournaments, which I contend more easily cohere with individual schedules given the wonky or intermittent nature of their occurrence — unlike the more persistent commitments Dartmouth currently maintains. That our student body is actively exploring healthier lifestyles should supersede any preconceived notions as to how that lifestyle is attained. Club sports should count, but so, too, should the likes of individual exercise and intramural sports. So if we assume that one club PE credit entails 13 approximately two-hour long SEE BARTLETT PAGE 6
AIDAN SHEINBERG, Publisher
ALEX FREDMAN, Executive Editor PETER CHARALAMBOUS, Managing 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.
How is a “holistic process” reflected in the Dartmouth community? On Sept. 20, The Dartmouth reported the demographics for the Class of 2023 and detailed how the admissions office uses a “holistic process.” The Dartmouth Opinion Staff responded. Ho w is this “holistic process” reflected in our community, if at all? Are there any missing aspects of the application that should be included or anything that should be taken out? Though this holistic process creates diverse applicants, possibilities after graduation become less diverse when thinking about the types of jobs that Dartmouth students are generally attracted to, including consulting and investment banking. -Lauren Pinchuk ’21
in the application process. Dartmouth should be a community of inclusion and diversity, not one of connections, wealth and privilege. The notion that legacy is vital to create a Dartmouth “family” is misguided. Surely, if we want to build community, we should consider the unequal nature of offering legacy students a bump up in the admission process. -Chantal Elias ’22 A diversity of backgrounds and experiences undoubtedly contributes to the classroom. Diversity of political opinions, however, is often overlooked. The campus would benefit from a more diverse range of political beliefs and a greater tolerance of those ideas. Political friction will illuminate campus. -Emory Holzer ’22
It seems absurd With only 45 percent of to assess a student’s my class on scholarship for “The letter of peer kindness from essays that the $77,057 estimated cost recommendation is are incredibly edited of attendance, it’s pretty a good step toward and polished and do clear that students from not necessarily reflect a very wealthy families make laying bare the student’s tendency toward up a disproportionately essential aspects of a charitable action or good large section of our class. deeds. Although I can’t The entire U.S. household prospective student’s think of a way to remedy median income doesn’t nature.” the situation, I believe that even cover the estimated some part of the application cost of attendance. I find is lacking. The letter of peer it difficult to believe that -GABRIELLE LEVY ’22 recommendation is a good students from wealthy step toward laying bare families are that much more gifted than students from more humble the essential aspects of a prospective student’s backgrounds. I applaud the admissions office nature. After all, the impact we have on others for trying to admit more students who have (i.e. through relationships and participating in struggled for access to both education and society) is a good way of measuring genuine opportunity, but they have a long way to go kindness. With so many components of college before the process can be truly considered applications requiring students to delve deep and introspectively scope out who they are, it “holistic.” -Ophelia Woodland ’23 is a welcome reprieve for all parties involved for an outside perspective to take the reign. It Low admission rates and high yield rates affords the student a break from soul searching do nothing for students; they are largely just and allows admissions officers to look at the tools for the school to show alumni that they student outside the confines of a mirror. And, are recruiting the best and brightest. The ’23s unlike recommendation letters from teachers may be moderately “heterogeneous” — to use or coaches, a letter from a friend or sibling can the admissions office’s phrasing — but only if speak for an applicant’s character out of the you exclude consideration of household income classroom and off the playing field — when from that assessment. It is misleading to claim there is no reason to impress and true character that the admissions office has truly created a comes into play. Given the importance of the peer recommendation letter, we might want to diversity of perspectives on this campus. -Teddy Hill-Weld ’20 assess what more the application can do to get a sense of kindness and morality. -Gabrielle Levy ’22 It is vital we remove the role that legacy holds
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
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THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Standard of evidence proved point of contention for new policy FROM SMP PAGE 1
level of detail present in the SMP, according to Title IX coordinator Kristi Clemens. A notable change in the SMP, according to Clemens, is that both the complainant and defendant in a case will be cross-examined by a trained professional. However, neither will ever be required to be in the same room under the policy, Clemens added. The College’s Office of General Counsel formulated a nearly complete draft of the SMP, after which the policy went to the Committee on the Faculty and Committee on Organization and Policy and was amended last November, according to Levey. He estimated about 15 percent of the policy originated in the faculty committees. A draft of the policy was also circulated through the faculty and student body in the spring in order for comments to be made anonymously online. One point of contention among committee members was determining which standard of evidence to use, according to Levey. He noted that many faculty members argued over the merits of a “beyond reasonable doubt” standard as opposed to a “preponderance of evidence” standard. In the American justice system, civil lawsuits require preponderance of evidence while criminal ones require beyond reasonable doubt. Preponderance of evidence, which is what SMP imposes, constitutes
a lesser burden of proof. The SMP requires the Title IX hearing committee to find the accused likely to have done what they are charged with to determine guilt. There is currently no scheduled day for the policy to go under review, but Levey said if a problem arises, it will be addressed. “[The SMP] has to be roadtested,” Levey said. “There are a lot of little steps in there and a lot of safeguards, and whether they all end up working exactly as anticipated is a question to be ironed out.” During first-year orientation, members of the Class of 2023 learned about the new policy in a session held by the Title IX office. “I think it seems pretty thorough and it’s very clear what is and isn’t okay,” said Emily Hester ’23. “And I think there is a really good support system and reporting network in place that gives the policy a good framework.” Clemens said the previous policy was outdated and in need of revisions. “We have a responsibility to have an up-to-date policy that reflects campus attitudes,” Clemens said. “And it’s been five years since any revisions have been made.” The Title IX office will be holding open office hours during the first weeks of fall term for faculty, staff and students to learn and ask questions about the SMP, Clemens noted. The office’s website also contains graphics that simplify the relatively dense policy, illustrating the disciplinary processes for accusations against
MARGARET KNOX/THE DARTMOUTH
The Title IX office is currently holding open office hours for community members to ask questions about the SMP.
faculty, students and staff. Although prohibited behaviors are the same for all three groups, the processes for when a faculty member, staff member or student are the accused are all slightly different. “The victim seems to have full control over the level of persecution the office will go for,” said Peyton Gordon ’23. “I think that it does protect victims, but I worry about the stigma victims could obtain.” Members of the Class of 2023
also attended programming focused on the Sexual Violence Prevention Project, the four-year education experience that aims to reduce gender-based discrimination and sexual assault on campus. As a part of the Moving Dartmouth Forward initiative, the SVPP’s firstyear experience has been in a pilot format for the past three years, according to associate director of the Student Wellness Center Amanda Childress.
According to Childress, who is spearheading the SVPP, the SMP and the SVPP have the same end goal of preventing violence on campus and giving support to those who do experience violence. “We’re providing fair and equitable processes to make sure we’re holding people accountable when they’re coming into our community,” Childress said. “And we are handling that in ways that ensure we have a campus that’s safe.”
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DARTMOUTHEVENTS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
(FIRST) IMPRESSIONISTS
NATALIE DAMERON ’21
TODAY
8:30 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.
Breakfast: “Breakfast with the Arts,” with painter and Hood Museum PR Coordinator Alison Palizzolo, sponsored by the Studio Art Department, Nearburg Gallery, Black Family Visual Arts Center.
11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Fair: “Start out with Startups: Career Fair,” sponsored by DALI Lab, Occom Commons, McLaughlin Cluster.
4:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Lecture: “A Deep Dive Into the Distribution Function: Understanding Phase Space Dynamics Using Continuum Vlasov-Maxwell Simulations,” by professor James Juno, sponsored by the Physics Department and the Thayer School of Engineering, Wilder, Room 202.
TOMORROW 12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.
Exhibition: “David Drake: Enslaved Potter and Poet,” sponsored by the Hood Museum of Art, Hood Museum of Art.
6:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
Lecture: “Lord Dartmouth on Brexit” with William Legge, the 10th Earl of Dartmouth, sponsored by the Political Economy Project, Filene Auditorium, Moore Building.
FROM BARTLETT PAGE 4
sessions in a term, we could set the benchmark for gym visitation at 26 hours per term. Intramurals could be a tougher nut to crack, what with how short-lived and seasonal most sports are, but even this possesses a glaringly obvious solution: Make the sessions truly cumulative. Require 26 hours a year as opposed to a term. This way, students will still be able to prioritize certain intramural sports or activities without needing to overcommit themselves within this multipolar, extracurricular tug-ofwar. Moreover, implementing a new hour-tracking system wouldn’t require a herculean effort on the part of our administration, given that Dartmouth already requires
its student body to “swipe” into Alumni Gymnasium and register for intramural activities. The only real hurdle would come in the for m of compiling the requisite database, though such a rudimentary framework could likely be operational in a matter of months, if not weeks. It’s simple; it’s possible; and it coheres with our cultural imperative — a bona fide home run. Now, I can state without a doubt that a small handful of my fellow students would abuse such well-intended refor m. They’d sign in at the gym and browse Amazon or CNN for a few hours in lieu of legitimately stockpiling hours towards their PE credits.
However, actually going to Alumni Gymnasium and swiping in serves as an obstacle that would likely deter this behavior; even if it doesn’t, perhaps potential peer pressure from other g ym-goer s would encourage them to make their time active. After all of that, those students would be the minority. Either way, this change isn’t for them, it’s for the hefty swathe of our student body who would much rather pursue — and are pursuing — physical activity and fitness of their own accord. Exercise is exercise, and it’s about time that we, as an institution, live up to our heritage and recognize this simple truth within our physical education policy.
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TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
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Review: Netflix’s new film ‘Tall Girl’ aims high, falls short
B y LEX kang
The Dartmouth Senior Staff
Netflix’s “Tall Girl” is a film that I will carry in my heart forever. I have never in my life felt such burning hatred for a movie before, and for setting that record — for teaching me that I am capable of hating a medium of art that I love so dearly — “Tall Girl” is special to me. I’m going to fully admit that I’m not prone to enjoying romantic comedies and teenage chick flicks, so I may have been biased going into “Tall Girl” to start with. That being said, I think anyone particularly fond of “chick flicks” would agree with me that “Tall Girl” is an embarrassing contribution to the genre. “Tall Girl,” for those of you who don’t know, is a movie about Jodi Kreyman (portrayed by Ava Michelle), a tall high school girl — six feet one inch, to be exact — who feels ostracized at school due to her height. She is constantly made aware of her stature, and according to this largely unconvincing movie, her height makes her peers find her “ugly” for the majority of the film. Throughout the film, Jodi deals with her insecurities as well as her queen bee tormentor Kimmy Stitcher (portrayed by Clara Wilsey), the stereotypical gorgeous-but-evil popular girl. On top of that, she develops a huge crush on Stig Mohlin (portrayed by Luke Eisner), the hot new exchange student from Sweden who begins dating Kimmy shortly after he arrives at Jodi’s school. First things first, my synopsis of “Tall Girl” alone shows that the film isn’t exactly anything complex or unique. We have a cast of flat characters that perfectly fit into every trope imaginable: the “Regina George”-style antagonist mirrored in Kimmy, the soft-spoken and insecure main character who doesn’t realize her beauty until her makeover in Jodi, the sassy black friend who is hardly more than a prop in the screenplay represented by Fareeda (potrayed by Anjelika Washington) and Stig, the hot guy. If the filmmakers had chosen to take this amalgamation of uninteresting characters and put
them to use in an unorthodox plot line — or were more self-aware of how stereotypical their film is and threw in some humor to deliberately create a campy masterpiece — “Tall Girl” might have actually been good. But no, the filmmakers chose to take the easy way out, and instead produced 101 minutes worth of cookie-cutter characters playing out a shallow, superficial and underdeveloped plot about a privileged girl whose biggest problem is that she is as tall as many supermodels. Tough life. Further on that point, the biggest problem with “Tall Girl” is how utterly unrelatable and annoying the film is. Every movie needs to have a central conflict that is believable for viewers to care about what’s happening, but movies like “Tall Girl” need that even more. Without high-stakes car chase scenes or a fantastical setting that naturally demands an audience to suspend their disbelief, realism is crucial. Movies that are about the whole “universal” teenage experience flourish off of viewers connecting and empathizing with the protagonist on top of the aforementioned acceptance that the conflict at hand is indeed a worthwhile and interesting conflict. “Tall Girl” fails in both of these regards. First, Jodi, the protagonist, is really unlikeable and thus hard to empathize with. I attribute this mostly to her complete lack of depth, personality or meaningful character development and Michelle’s schoolplay level acting. Seriously, this is the first movie I’ve seen where the protagonist — a character I should be rooting for — is crying and monologuing in her emotional climax and I wanted to tell her to shut up and get over herself. Maybe I’m heartless, but I promise you that at least part of my apathy was because of Michelle’s entirely flat affect and crying that seemed a lot more like hiccuping or the whooping cough. Second, and most crucially, Jodi’s problem is hardly a problem, and as a result, I simply can’t buy into the movie itself. Before you accuse me of invalidating Jodi’s experience and the experience of any tall girl out
there, allow me to explain myself. bit, but then pops back in at the end of deserves her own movie because I fully believe that being bullied the film without a real, direct apology she happens to be a bit taller than for any physical characteristic is a from Jodi. This makes Jodi even average. This, of course, is an even terrible experience. People making more unlikable, as she demonstrates more preposterous notion once you you feel super aware of a physical no growth or appreciation for her take into account the fact that there characteristic or social identity is friend — confirming my unfortunate is a far more interesting person of similarly no fun. But Kimmy, Jodi’s suspicion that grew throughout the color handmaiden-like character in main tormentor, is such a joke of duration of the film that Fareeda, her shadow because she somehow an antagonist, so laughable in her Jodi’s black best friend, is a token is less compelling than a white girl attempts to be mean that I feel like person of color rather than a real whose model-height provides a tale Jodi could probably just shoot Kimmy character. Fareeda doesn’t even have of “adversity.” The film is trying to a mean look and she would back off. a last name. tell us that it’s not just her height, it’s Seriously, Kimmy was meaner in In addition, Jodi says that she’s that she’s undesirable because of her Jodi’s flashbacks to elementary school ugly or considered ugly due to her height. than she actually is in the present height. Let’s face it, six feet one inch But as I mentioned, this is clearly setting of the movie. While Kimmy is tall, but definitely not freakishly not the case, since there are multiple hardly notices Jodi, Jodi seems to tall like the movie tries and fails to male characters who very openly and be overly conscious of Kimmy and convince viewers to believe. Then enthusiastically express romantic inflates Kimmy’s her cruelty in her again, maybe the movie really wasn’t interest in Jodi. In addition, Michelle own head. Unlike Jodi, Kimmy seems trying at all, since throughout, Jodi is a tall, thin, blonde white woman to have grown up and moved on with goes through three potential suitors with European features, perfect skin her life for the most part. If anything, who are all very interested in her. and teeth and no visible disabilities. any hostility Kimmy has toward My biggest complaint about I can assure you that most people Jodi feels somewhat warranted, “Tall Girl,” though, is just how would consider her far above average as Jodi is clearly trying to make a much the film reeks of tone-deaf in her attractiveness. On this last move on her boyfriend Stig. People privilege. I was slightly insulted point, I don’t know whether casting other than Kimmy seem to largely that the filmmakers really thought Michelle as Jodi was because the leave Jodi alone. So my question is: so little of their potential audience filmmakers are really out-of-touch What bullying is Jodi experiencing? to assume that people would be enough to think that longer legs Though you may be convinced Jodi naive and clueless enough to buy equates to unattractiveness, or has it rough since the film is told into the film’s premise: the idea because the film industry is terrified in her perspective, if you watch that this young and immature, air- of casting anyone “unattractive” to carefully, you can see she really is just headed, uninteresting, rich, for all the point that they would sacrifice the experiencing a lot of self-pity and intents and purposes straight, cis integrity of their plot. Either way, it creating her own problems. Kimmy white girl character with supportive was a poor choice, and so was the isn’t nice to her, but she’s nothing friends, family and romantic interests creation of this movie. more than a little snappy until Jodi starts yearning for Stig. Moreover, Jodi also has an immensely supportive family and two best friends who are by her side no matter what, so it seems like Jodi has what she needs in life. Regardless, Jodi essentially dismisses this web of care she has around her and comes off as a self-involved, ungrateful and vacuous brat. Granted, you could say that her family in particular is somewhat misguided in the way in which they try to support Jodi, but her response of storming into her room and refusing to communicate when her father tries to celebrate her height seems a little immature for a girl who is nearing adulthood. In addition, Jodi’s best friend is so underappreciated and done with Jodi’s MICHAEL LIN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF self-centered and self-destructive behavior that she ignores Jodi for a The Strauss Gallery in the Hopkins Center exhibits work from esteemed artists.
ART ON DISPLAY
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THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 2019
‘The Matrix’ series may lose interpretive malleability with new film B y Sebastian wurzrainer The Dartmouth Staff
Coinciding with the 20th anniversary of “The Matrix” this year, Warner Brothers recently announced that Lana Wachowski — the elder of the Wachowski siblings behind the original classic — would be reuniting with actors Keanu Reeves and Carrie-Anne Moss to direct a fourth “Matrix” film. On the one hand, this announcement felt more inevitable than anything else. As a direct result of Hollywood’s capitalistic and monopolistic tendencies, studios are creating an unsustainable model by increasingly focusing on a small selection of aspiring blockbusters that need to rake in exorbitant sums to justify the cost. Thus, the hunt is on for reliably lucrative intellectual property — hence the current glut of remakes, reboots and sequels to films from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. It was only a matter of time until “The Matrix” got swept up by this trend. On the other hand, the specifics of Warner Brothers’ announcement are nothing if not surprising. The possibility of a “Matrix” prequel or reboot has floated around for years, but a direct sequel to the original trilogy always seemed impossible, especially with the involvement of the Wachowskis. Flawed though those first three films may be, they also feel like they are born from a genuine thoughtfulness and even self-awareness on the part of the filmmakers. “The Matrix” is defined by its interpretive malleability. At its core, the narrative is extremely basic, even conventional. Office drone Neo lives a secondary life online and thereby encounters a group of freedom fighters who reveal that his life is a lie; the world surrounding him is actually a massive computer simulation called the matrix created by robots who use human bodies as an energy source. These freedom fighters free Neo and intend to free
everyone plugged into the matrix by essentially blowing up the entire system. You’re not wrong if you notice parallels between this premise and a dozen other similar films. But that’s kind of the point; the Wachowskis kept the outline for “The Matrix” broad but filled it with dozens of crucial world-building details and philosophical beats, thereby sustaining thousands of in-depth analyses of the film for decades. This is important because that broadness can sometimes undermine a necessary acknowledgement of the fact that “The Matrix” is also among the most personal films in the entire pantheon of game-changing blockbuster cinema. In general, I am loathe to start any reading of a film with auteur theory, a branch of film studies which more or less views the director as the ultimate arbiter of meaning; however, sometimes it is essential to acknowledge the role of creators, and such is the case with “The Matrix.” In 2010 and 2016 respectively, Lana and Lilly Wachowski came out as transgender women. Thus, reinterpreting their work from this perspective is, to my mind, not simply possible but absolutely essential. To be clear, as a cisgender, heterosexual white male, I have no true authority to speak on this subject. I would, however, like to respectfully borrow from the many members of the LGBTQIA+ community who have extensively addressed this topic and who do have the authority to speak on this subject, including YouTuber Jamie Maurer (Rantasmo), critic Emily Todd VanDerWerff and blogger E.A. Lockhart. As both Maurer and VanDerWerff point out, Neo’s character arc succinctly mirrors the experiences of many trans individuals, especially in the late 1990s. Neo feels dissatisfied with his life and subsequently finds a group of likeminded friends via the Internet. These friends not only help free his mind but
also encourage him to accept his former reality as a lie designed to oppress him. Indeed, Maurer notes that the film ends when Neo manages to break free from the illusion created by binary computer code, just as he must allegorically break free from binary gender norms. But there are also more specific details littered throughout the film. VanDerWerff notes that like many trans individuals, the protagonist is born with the name Thomas Anderson but adopts the preferred identity of Neo as he comes to increasingly accept himself. Yet Agent Smith — the film’s villain and an overt embodiment of patriarchal machismo — mocks Neo by insisting on referring to him as “Mr. Anderson.” Moreover, Lana Wachowski revealed in 2012 that her sense of denied self-worth as a trans teenager nearly drove her to commit suicide by jumping in front of a train. During the climactic battle of “The Matrix,” Smith nearly kills Neo via an oncoming train, once again referring to him as “Mr. Anderson.” Yet Neo breaks free, saving himself and proudly declaring, “My name is Neo.” Ideally, none of this should be news to fans of “The Matrix.” But I felt it was necessary to provide a brief summary of transgender interpretations of the films to remind everyone how deeply personal “The Matrix” probably was to the Wachowskis and why the film helped trans viewers like VanDerWerff and Lockhart. Only the Wachowskis can assert how much of this subtext was overtly intended; regardless, these various parallels might at least explain why the directors chose to tell this particular story in this particular way. Yet, as I mentioned earlier, the key to how the Wachowskis told the story was to keep it maximally open to interpretation. Which means we have to talk about the awful “Red Pill” men’s rights movement; just as Neo swallows a red pill to learn the truth about the matrix simulation,
these troglodytes seem to think that they have learned a profound truth about how oppressive gender roles really disadvantage them rather than women. The problem with painting in broad strokes is that “The Matrix” can be read as a touching trans allegory about self-acceptance, and it can also be read as a problematically juvenile “Fight the Man! Blow up the System!” narrative that might appeal to the “Red Pill” crowd. In fairness, I don’t think this reading was intended by the Wachowskis; rather, I suspect they had ideas for some incredible action set pieces and never really bothered to reexamine the implications of how they had opted to justify these action scenes from a narrative perspective. This is where the sequels, “The Matrix Reloaded” and “The Matrix Revolutions,” become essential to the discussion. In the video “The Matrix — Really That Good,” Bob Chipman posits that the sequels might be read as a refutation of the original film’s more troubling aspects. Indeed, “Reloaded” reveals that Neo’s revolution against “the Man” was all part of the plan for the machines. They were aware that not all human subjects would accept the matrix simulation and thus coopted the inevitable revolution as another form of control. Thus, “Revolutions” ends not with the destruction of the matrix simulation but instead with Neo brokering a truce with the machines so that all human subjects can choose whether they want to remain in the matrix or leave it. Thus, the narrative of the “Matrix” trilogy might look something like this: The Wachowskis made a deeply personal film that reflected their experiences as trans women while also managing to appeal to a much wider audience. Certain members of that audience read the film as support for their self-serving notion of pseudo-revolution, prompting the Wachowskis to make two immensely
flawed sequels which nevertheless attempted to correct the narrative by presenting a more nuanced view on oppression and revolution. In short, the sequels tell people like the “Red Pill” goons that their efforts to “rage against the machine” are simply another cog in the machine. Likewise, VanDerWerff notes that the sequels also manage to expand the trans narrative from the first film by using this added nuance to explore the topic of intersectionality in relation to trans issues. In 2016, Lilly Wachowski discussed people reexamining their films in light of the sisters coming out as trans; she said, “This is a cool thing because it’s an excellent reminder that art is never static.” No art is static. But the Wachowskis are special because they go out of their way to make art that constantly evolves and grows. Perhaps a fourth “Matrix” film won’t be “static”; I want to be cautiously optimistic given how much I want the Wachowskis to succeed. But given the failure of their most recent film “Jupiter Ascending” and the scathing reaction to the “Matrix” sequels, it’s hard not to worry that Lana Wachowski and her collaborators will be strong-armed by the studio and fans into making a regressive nostalgia work that simply exists to remind audiences of everything superficial they loved about the first film. For another franchise, such an outcome would be disappointing but survivable. But for this franchise, it would be another reminder of how many people have — intentionally or otherwise — refused to fully understand what makes the Wachowskis and the “Matrix” films truly special. I don’t believe in the sanctity of art, but I do think it’s important to be aware of who finds certain works important and meaningful and why. So, maybe, just maybe, this is finally where we should draw a line when it comes to Hollywood nostalgia.