The Dartmouth 10/25/18

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

VOL. CLXXV NO. 90

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Conservative Horowitz’s talk draws protesters

PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH 44 LOW 34

By ANDREW CULVER The Dartmouth

Conservative commentator David Horowitz’s talk “Identity Politics and the Totalitarian Threat from the Left,” which he delivered Tuesday night to a crowd of over 50 people, drew protests inside and outside the event along with several police and campus security officers.

Horowitz is a conservative writer and the founder and president of the David Horowitz Freedom Center, a conservative think tank whose self-declared mission is to NAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH

Protesters held up hand-made signs during conservative commentator David Horowitz’s talk on campus.

SEE HOROWITZ PAGE 2

OPINION

HOLZER: A POLITICAL SUPREME COURT PAGE 6

FISHBEIN: DON’T GET BURNED PAGE 6

LI SHEN: STICK IT TO THE MAN PAGE 7

SAKLAD: SPOOK SEASON PAGE 7

ARTS

REVIEW: ‘BAD TIMES AT THE EL ROYALE’ FAILS TO LIVE UP TO ITS HYPE PAGE 8 FOLLOW US ON

TWITTER @thedartmouth COPYRIGHT © 2018 THE DARTMOUTH, INC.

Research team to develop device to help trauma care

B y SAVANNAH ELLER The Dartmouth

For doctors treating trauma victims, diagnosing shock and internal bleeding early is essential.

A team of researchers at Dartmouth are developing a novel device to help clinicians make quick decisions on the ground to determine the condition of their patients.

Recently awarded the $3 million Precision Trauma Care Research

Award from the Department of Defense’s Combat Casualty Care Research Program, the researchers will investigate methods to diagnose internal injury and shock using a combination of advanced sensors and machine learning.

“Our project is predicated on the idea that neither of these alone are actually succeeding, and that what we really need to do is combine state-of-the-art sensing with stateof-the-art artificial intelligence,” said medicine professor Norman

Paradis, director of research in the section of emergency medicine at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and a lead researcher on the project.

To bring these aspects together, the project team includes both doctors and researchers at DHMC, the Geisel School of Medicine and the Thayer School of Engineering.

The joint team will investigate the creation of new, more effective sensing technology and develop a device that can be easily deployed

Fence to be built at Quechee Gorge Bridge B y LORRAINE LIU The Dartmouth

In a series of measures to prevent suicide at the Quechee Gorge Bridge in Vermont, a temporary fence is being constructed.

Four days into construction, workers have finished putting up the supporting poles for the fence on the north side of the bridge, according to the Vermont Agency of Transportation project manager J.B.

in triage situations. The new device could be particularly effective in large-scale events with multiple patients in need of care, according to Paradis. The proposed device would then monitor the patient, setting off an alarm if signs of shock are detected.

“You have a bunch of people who don’t look externally sick, but could be internally injured, so you’d put our system on,” he said.

SEE TRAUMA PAGE 5

BUILDING BLOCKS

McCarthy. He said that the next stage of construction before tying the fence to the existing rail posts will be to set up the supporting poles on the south side of the bridge, which is expected to take three days. Upon its completion, the nine-foot-tall chain-link fence will be attached to the 200-foot-long bridge, covering the original four-foot-high pedestrian bridge railing.

The design of the temporary chainNAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH

SEE QUECHEE PAGE 3

As Homecoming approaches, the bonfire construction has already begun.

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THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

Horowitz talk draws criticism FROM HOROWITZ PAGE 1

“defend free societies which are under attack from enemies within and without, both secular and religious.” However, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Horowitz’s Freedom Center serves to give “anti-Muslim voices and radical ideologies a platform to project hate and misinformation.”

His views have been criticized as anti-Muslim, anti-immigrant and anti-black by the SPLC and other opponents.

From the start of the event, which was organized by the College Republicans, student protesters expressed their displeasure with Horowitz. Some worked on their laptops with headphones, symbolically blocking out his words. Shortly into the talk, students sporadically stood up and displayed signs featuring messages opposing Horowitz’s views, such as “Trans Rights are Human Rights,” “ICE is the Gestapo,” “Black Lives Matter” and “From Palestine to Mexico, all the walls have got to go.” Later in the event, some protesters played music audibly from their laptops and spoke loudly to their friends as Horowitz talked.

In the room of the talk, which was held in the basement of the Rockefeller Center for Public Policy, there was an Safety and Security officer, a Hanover police officer and director of Safety and Security Keysi Montás, along with additional officers outside the room. According to Hanover police chief Charlie Dennis, there were four Hanover police officers present, but no action was required during the talk.

The event began with an introduction from the College Republicans president Joshua Kauderer ’19, who highlighted the importance of free speech and expression, warning the crowd that any disruptions during Horowitz’s talk would not be tolerated.

Horowitz began his talk by addressing a flier titled “Who is David Horowitz,” which was circulated around campus prior to the event and which referred to him as a “racist, sexist, and ignorant bigot,” citing several of Horowitz’s past statements.

He called it a “total caricature,” claiming it took quotes out of context and attempted to portray him in a negative light.

Horowitz then moved on to one of the main points of his talk: the Israel-Palestine conflict. Horowitz argued th at the Palestinian national movement was based on “a series of monstrous lies” and anti-Semitic beliefs.

He quickly moved on, however, to attack “identity politics of the left,” repeatedly noting that “no one is oppressed in America.”

He added that “the only serious race war in America is against white males,” citing that courses at the College teach students “how evil white men are.”

“It’s the stupid idea that people are oppressed — it’s like Hillary,” he said. “She ran a presidential campaign on the idiotic idea that there is a war against women and a glass ceiling.”

Addressing current events, he also commented on the Senate Judiciary Committee’s Supreme Court confirmation hearings for Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

Continually calling Kavanaugh’s accuser Christine Blasey Ford a liar, Horowitz said that “she wanted to destroy a man’s life without coming forward.” He added that “in a decent America, no one would have listened to Christine Ford.”

“Going back to when you’re 15 and 17 years old, and you’re at a drunken party and there’s a little groping … come on, grow up,” he said.

In response, a protester yelled back, questioning if “a little” groping was really considered acceptable.

The various forms of protest throughout the event angered Horowitz, who criticized Dartmouth, claiming it fosters a campus that does not accept conservative ideas.

“The hatred that this university and others teach against white people is incredibly dangerous and stupid and self-defeating,” Horowitz said. “I’ve been called a racist for saying that, but it’s the absolute truth.”

From then on, his talk was punctured with frequent student protests and interruptions. In one instance, as a student exited the lecture hall in protest, Horowitz called her a “self-inflicted ignoramus.” In another instance, he said that he was displeased to have traveled all the way across the country to have “all these gorillas attacking [me].” He called the

students protesting “jacka—es” and consistently referred to them as “idiots,” “depressing” and hateful toward America.

As the talk continued, the students’ protests grew more disruptive. Several students left the event and scattered fliers in the aisle.

Later, two students began kissing near the front of the room, which Horowitz called “disgusting” and “proud stupidity.”

A few minutes later, a protester walked out into the aisle, saying, “Hey Horowitz, black people don’t need your help.”

“I wouldn’t help you if you were drowning,” Horowitz said in response.

At one point, Jim Alberghini, the College’s associate director of logistics for conferences and events, walked to the front of the room and asked to restore order.

He said that Horowitz had “a right to be heard” and asked students to give Horowitz a chance to speak.

“I want those signs destroyed and those people expelled,” Horowitz added. Alberghini responded that he had not seen anything that would warrant an expulsion.

However, he took some signs from students, which he said he would do out of respect for Horowitz.

Ben Vagle ’22 said that he attended the event with no prior knowledge of Horowitz or his views.

“I was surprised by how much bigotry was in that lecture,” Vagle said. He added that he found some aspects of the protest, specifically the interruptions, inappropriate, but also felt Horowitz was here to “generate a reaction and create a narrative of conservatives being oppressed on college campuses.”

C o l l e g e Re p u bl i c a n s a n d protesters at the event declined requests to comment. Montás also declined to comment.

After the event, protesters hung signs outside the room in the junction between Rockefeller and Silsby Hall, including one that read, “We believe Dr. Blasey Ford” and another that quoted Martin Luther King Jr., saying, “A threat to justice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Eileen Brady and Gigi Grigorian contributed reporting.

CORRECTIONS Correction appended (Oct. 24, 2018): The online article titled “Conservative commentator David Horowitz’s talk draws protesters” previously reported that both Alberghini and Montás took away signs from students. It has been updated to reflect that Montás did not take away any signs.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

Fence in Quechee intended to prevent suicides at bridge The project experienced two delays prior to its start on Monday, link fence aims to prevent people Oct. 15. Project advertisement, contractor selection, material from climbing over the bridge.

“There would be a little curve d e l i ve r y a n d d e l a y o n t h e on [the fence],” McCarthy said. contractor’s side postponed the “So inside it’d be harder to climb start date from Sept. 17 to Oct. 1, according to up and get around over “We have four suicides McCarthy. The second delay it.” came amidst Ve r m o n t off that bridge in the peak foliage State Senator 10 months. That’s season when the A l i s o n appalling. We’re transit agency Clarkson put off the said that she hoping [the fence] h o p e d t h a t would prevent suicides c o n s t r u c t i o n until Oct. 15 to the temporary avo i d s l o w i n g f e n c e w i l l at that location.” down tourists’ deter suicides traffic. at the bridge.

-ALISON CLARKSON, STATE McCarthy “We have didn’t provide four suicides SENATOR a definite off that bridge ex p e c t e d d at e in 10 months. for the project’s T h a t ’ s appalling,” she said. “We’re hoping completion.

“Anything else, like the weather [the fence] would prevent suicides and other delays, could postpone at that location.”

Kip Miller, owner of Quechee the construction,” he said. “[But], Gorge Gifts and Sportswear, was certainly, it will be done by skeptical of the fence’s overall November 16.”

The temporary fence project effectiveness, as he thinks people was initiated in earlier 2018, might go elsewhere.

“I think it will probably be according to McCarthy. However, effective at the bridge, but not measures to ensure safety at the preventive,” he said. “People bridge were proposed as early who [committed suicide] made a as January, 2016, when Vermont choice. They made the choice to State Representative Teo Zagar come here, and now they’ll have introduced bill H.593, which to choose to go someplace else and required the transit agency to chose to do something different.” implement suicide prevention Town of Hartford police chief at the bridge. In response to the Phillip Kasten said the gorge has bill, the agency published a study seen 14 suicides between 2007 and on the bridge’s safety issues in July 2018, according to the Valley January 2017 that put forward several suicide prevention barriers, News.

FROM QUECHEE PAGE 1

including the chain-link fence.

McCarthy said the transit agency didn’t initiate the fence project right away because of a lack of funding.

“There was no construction money dedicated at that point,” he said. “[The project] was programmed for funding and design earlier in 2018.”

In July, a meeting was held in Hartford to discuss the design of the barrier. During the meeting, different opinions on the fence’s design emerged among attendees, which included representatives from Vermont transit, Vermont legislators, local businessmen and parents of suicide victims.

Constructing a temporary chainlink fence was the fastest option, according to McCarthy.

Clarkson expressed concerns about the impact of the chain-link fence on tourism at the Quechee Gorge. “[The chain-link fence] is not going to be particularly attractive with some holes cut in it,” she said. “It will probably slow tourists down, because they have to line up in the heavy tourist season to get a view through these holes that have been cut in the fence.”

Miller had a similar view.

“We were just concerned that it will change the whole ambiance of the bridge and the experience,” he said. “And it will also interfere with the view that people come here for.”

The temporary fence will likely stay in place for two years before it is replaced by a permanent and more aesthetically pleasing fence, according to McCarthy.

DON’T CRANE YOUR NECK

ALISON ZENG/THE DARTMOUTH

The bonfire this year is designed to be shorter and squatter, which is intended to increase its stability.

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THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

DARTMOUTHEVENTS

TODAY

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

Lecture: “How to Do the History of Nature?” with Princeton University professor Brooke Holmes, sponsored by the classics department, Moore B03

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

Lecture: “The Apprentice: Trump, Russia and the Subversion of American Democracy”with Washington Post national security correspondent Greg Miller, sponsored by the Dickey Center for International Understanding, Filene Auditorium, Moore Building

7:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.

Lecture: “Denying Access: No DAPL to No NAPL,” with filmaker and activist Jason Corwin, sponsored by the Native American Program, Rockefeller 002

TOMORROW 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Bonfire Build: Class of 2022 invited to participate in the building of the Dartmouth Night Bonfire, sponsored by Office of Student Involvement, The Green

12:00 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Meditation: “Free Lunchtime Mindfulness Session,” sponsored by Dick’s House-Student Health Service, Robinson Hall 322

10:00 p.m. - 1:00 a.m.

Collis After Dark: “Late Night Breakfast,” sponsored by Collis Center, Collis Commonground

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

New device will help detect shock

variety of sensors. patient according to the chosen Halter said he hopes to be metrics.

Engineering professor Jonathan able to refine the amount of data The researchers plan to complete Elliott is working on developing collected, ultimately the project a new optical sensor to assist designing a device that “Ideally, we’re in a span of the device in detecting internal will be both portable three years, looking for injury. Similar to the non-invasive a n d w e a r a b l e f o r developing somewhat low pulse oximeter, the device will use patients. i n i t i a l light sensors “ I d e a l l y , cost, easy-toalgorithms to determine “You have a we’re looking this fall. The deploy sensors.” t h e a m o un t for somewhat team will of oxygen in bunch of people low cost, easythen create the patient’s who don’t look t o - d e p l o y -RYAN HALTER, a clinical b l o o d . sensors,” he prototype externally sick, THAYER PROFESSOR Elliott’s new said. n e x t y e a r. system will go but could be Engineering OF ENGINEERING The last a step further, internally injured, professor phase of the using six Vikrant Vaze project will be so you’d put our spectrometers is currently collaborating t o m o n i t o r system on.” creating with a medical physiological algorithms technology c h a n g e s to process company c o n n e c t e d -NORMAN PARADIS, and draw to create a to shock at GEISEL MEDICINE conclusions smaller, more three different from the workable PROFESSOR locations on the data. prototype for patient’s body.

H a l t e r, real-world “We’re Paradis and application. h o p i n g Vaze will collaborate to After clinical approval, the to detect produce the project’s device will most likely be used over time first prototypes, using first to treat soldiers suffering those subtle clinical research from from trauma on the battlefield, changes,” Paradis and his team according to Paradis. He added Elliott said. at DHMC along with that the next phase of the project Thayer data from several other might be to seek approval from professor of engineering and Geisel institutions. the National Institute of Health professor of surgery Ryan Halter is According to Paradis, the goal to investigate possible use of the investigating electrical impedance of the project is to determine device as a way to diagnose shock sensors that could detect the which sensors are most effective among patients with sepsis in precursors of shock. According to and combine them into one device. civilian hospitals.

Halter, the preliminary phases of The data received will then be fed “Hemorrhaging in soldiers is a the project will be about collecting into machine learning algorithms simple problem compared to sepsis as much data as possible from a that evaluate the condition of a in the U.S.,” Paradis said.

FROM TRAUMA PAGE 1

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THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST EMORY HOLZER ’22

STAFF COLUMNIST DANIEL FISHBEIN ’19

A Political Supreme Court

Don’t Get Burned

Kavanaugh’s impact will be more narrow than it seems.

Major ramifications for generations to come: that seems to be the gist of opinions around campus and the country about the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. Both sides of the aisle have galvanized their bases in reaction to the confirmation process and in preparation for midterm elections. Both sides of the aisle have painted the historically apolitical Supreme Court into a political issue to win seats in Congress. Not only have the confirmation votes themselves become more ideologically divided, but the process itself has been dragged out to take an average of 2.3 months.

In light of Kavanaugh’s exceptionally politically charged confirmation, I decided to look at data from the past eight years of Supreme Court votes to determine the polarization of the Court and how Kavanaugh’s confirmation will impact future rulings. Of course, the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh has impacts beyond his voting power on the court. Here, I will only focus on the votes themselves.

Further, though I believe it possible to place Kavanaugh on the Court’s ideological spectrum accurately, but to narrow my analysis, I will look at Kavanaugh as if he is a solid vote with the conservative block.

The portion of analysis most important to determining a court’s polarity is the distribution of vote outcomes. The least polarized court will vote unanimously nine to none on a particular decision, and the most polarized court will vote five to four. Surprisingly, about half of all of the Supreme Court cases since the 2010 term were decided by a unanimous majority. Meanwhile, only 20 percent of all cases were decided by a divided five to four majority. Compared to its public politicization, the Court is much less polarized. The Supreme Court was created to be, and still is, an apolitical body. Why, then, is the process of confirmation so political if the rulings themselves are not?

The Supreme Court only recently became a strong voting motivator. Politicians sensationalize the Supreme Court, revving up anger, and rousing people to vote. This dangerous sentiment damages the credibility of the Highest Court in the Land. Following this trend, we risk confirming future nominees for purely political reasons. An institution originally

created in isolation from partisanship becomes overrun with it. Yet all is not lost. I believe that the Supreme Court has not yet reached this point. The past eight years of data decidedly show that the Court is not the political body elections have portrayed. Further, that the confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh will not drastically alter the Court, as many from both parties have argued.

Replacing Anthony Kennedy with Brett Kavanaugh on the Supreme Court could impact those cases decided by a 5-4 majority.

With only the power to sway one vote, Justice Kavanaugh could not have impacted cases decided by nine to none, eight to one, seven to two or six to three majorities. So, this already limits the cases subject to change to a low 20 percent, or an average of about 14 cases per term. Yet within these cases decided by a five to four majority, not all have been strictly along ideological lines. Of the average of 14 cases per term decided by a five to four majority, an average of only 10 per term are strictly along ideological lines with Justice Anthony Kennedy included in the conservative majority.

Therefore, these 10 cases would not have been impacted by Justice Kavanaugh since Kennedy sided with the conservative block. In order to see Kavanaugh’s greatest possible impact on the court, we must look at five-four cases where Kennedy sided with the liberal block. In the past eight years, there have been 32 cases of this sort.

This is roughly 5 percent of all Supreme Court cases since the 2010 term. Even if Kavanaugh is a solid conservative vote — this dismisses evidence that his judicial philosophy is more similar to Kennedy — the Supreme Court will not radically change.

Although the Supreme Court will not radically change with the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh, this reality is not immune to change. This does not mean that the Supreme Court is isolated from politicization.

With each future confirmation the court can bend farther into polarity. It is American citizens’ responsibility to not tolerate this dangerous behavior by politicians. We must hold politicians accountable, ensuring they keep the Supreme Court an apolitical body. It is our responsibility to ensure that the Supreme Court retains its integrity for generations to come.

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Dartmouth, stop playing with fire and approach Homecoming with intention.

The destruction wrecked upon the home type of healthy and nurturing communities of a girl named Sally and her brother as a that I have learned in my time here make red-and-white hat wearing anthropomorphic Dartmouth strong, a tradition in which peers cat and his two “Thing” henchmen balance pressure each other to get injured seems on umbrellas, fly kites indoors and knock like it does the opposite. From hazing in pictures off walls requires a magical cleaning the Greek system to an epidemic of sexual machine to ameliorate. Dr. Seuss’s 1957 assault, certain elements of Dartmouth’s book may have succeeded in stimulating culture clearly lack an understanding of the childhood imagination, but unfortunately concept of consent. Perhaps some people (in case you didn’t realize it) we don’t live in enjoy destroying the nerve endings in their “Cat in the Hat” universe, epidermis — more power and the Dartmouth alumnus “First years, if you to them. For everyone couldn’t succeed in bringing touch the fire, you else, though, the tradition about a way to go back in of fi re-touching must be will get burned. It time and reverse the damage seen for what it is: a toxic will hurt — probably representation of the sort we’ve done.

Out of the myriad a lot — but it won’t of unintentional cultures of options, I’d list my just hurt you. With that can plague campus. experience reading Dr. the ultimatum With all my criticism of Seuss on Freshman Trips this negative component as perhaps my favorite from Hanover to of Homecoming tradition, D a r t m o u t h t r a d i t i o n . have a safer fire, I do enjoy the fire itself.

Sitting around in a circle the possibility of Running my 19 laps, I felt with my other trippees took this Dartmouth in touch with my primordial me back to my elementary spirit, as though I were Homecoming school days, undoing for participating in some sort a moment the pretense of tradition failing of ritualistic welcoming maturity I had assumed to looms large.” of the Prometheus a.k.a. mask my adolescent anxiety Phil Hanlon’s coming to and serving as a starting save me from the cold point for growing alongside my classmates (admittedly, that may have been the Keystone over the past four years. I was at Dartmouth in my brain thinking those thoughts).

— collegiate, academic — so reading felt like That year, with my sister then a senior an appropriate group activity, but Seuss’ witty at the College, my grandparents came lyricism in Green Eggs and Ham created a to celebrate Homecoming with the most much more informal environment than the recent Dartmouth generation in the family. heavily-footnoted history articles that have Watching the blaze with my grandfather, dominated my student reading diet. In short, Class of ‘55, connected me to my family’s I appreciated the Dr. Seuss reading because history at Dartmouth in a way I don’t think it felt both intentional and accessible. It laid a less spectacular event could. the foundation for a community during First That’s not to say, though, that Homecoming Year Trips that anyone could enter. It did does not need a rehabilitation. As times not require a magical clean up machine. change, some traditions deserve to be done Reading Dr. Seuss on Trips was not the sort away with. When my grandfather walked of activity, in other words, that would inspire down Webster Avenue more than 60 years the town of Hanover to threaten to revoke ago, as a Jew, he could not enter most the proper permits from fraternities (there were no the College. Intentional “That’s not to sororities then, or women and accessible traditions say, though, that for that matter). do not create an impulse Maybe Dartmouth could Homecoming in brains that have granite learn from the Abenaki (and perhaps a solid dose does not need a people it stole its land of Keystone Light) in them rehabilitation. As from and find a respectful but that lack developed times change, some way to honor the power prefrontal cortexes to stick and importance of a fire. traditions deserve bodily appendages in a 1000 According to the website degree three-story structure. to be done away of the Nulhegan Abenaki First years, if you touch the with. When my Tribe of northern New fire, you will get burned. grandfather walked Hampshire, all fire is sacred.

It will hurt — probably a down Webster “The elders say that you lot — but it won’t just hurt have to watch fire like you Avenue more than you. With the ultimatum would a child; if it gets from Hanover to have a safer 60 years ago, as a chance it will go over fire, the possibility of this a Jew, he could and burn something,” a Dartmouth Homecoming not enter most contributor to the website tradition failing looms large. writes. “We don’t want it to fraternities.”

And no magical cat has any [burn] something we hadn’t elaborate contraption that planned.” It is time for could rectify that situation.

Dartmouth to be intentional Furthermore, if intentional and accessible about its traditions, and use its fire as a way traditions constitute key elements of the to welcome everyone into its community.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

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THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

STAFF COLUMNIST SABRINA LI SHEN ’21

STAFF COLUMNIST AVERY SAKLAD ’21

Stick It To The Man

Spook Season

Want to change things? Then vote.

Some recommendations from a horror junkie for the spooky season.

This weekend, I spent some time turning 18, I didn’t think much about knocking on doors in Hanover as part of voting, even though I could be found giving a get-out-the-vote effort. Door-knocking long-winded speeches about political issues in a college town has its at any given moment. I pros and cons. Pro: People “College student was 19-going-on-20 when are generally nice and voter turnout in I voted for the first time, willing to talk to random and it felt magical. Maybe America is low. college students, especially that’s silly to say, but voting when said college students In 2016, just 49 made me feel important — look cold and a little percent of eligible it made me feel like a real miserable in the 40-degree college students adult, like I had played a weather. Con: Finding voted. I get it — role in this great American specific student housing experiment of democracy. It a p a r t m e n t s r e q u i r e s students lead busy also made me feel intensely immense navigational skill, lives. Between hypocritical for all the times of which I have none. How practices, meetings, I disagreed with some can you find apartment office hours, new policy or statement #21B when the number from the government and guest lectures and “2” has fallen off the door? then proceeded to do avoiding hand-footMore cons: Lots of people nothing about it. All of my do not answer their doors. and-mouth disease, impassioned monologues Even the people who do the argument goes, had amounted to expended answer don’t always want oxygen — they didn’t mean who has time to to talk once they realize the much more if I didn’t vote. make the trek to knock doesn’t come from a I f yo u c a r e a b o u t Hanover High School something, go vote. Voting package delivery.

Despite the cold and to vote?” is not the only thing you the numerous abandoned can do to make a difference, houses I knocked on, my and it won’t always make hour and a half door-knocking shift was the difference you want, but it sure beats the most well-spent time of my day. In studying for a midterm. More importantly, 90 minutes, a fellow doorknocker and I this may be the last time you can vote as knocked on more than 30 a college student in New doors and talked to eight “I voted for the Hampshire. Thanks to or nine people, including first time, and it House Bill 1264, a state two who hadn’t planned bill taking effect in 2019 felt magical.

Maybe to vote but changed their that may make it harder for minds after talking to us. that’s silly to say, but out-of-state college students Most of the people who voting made me feel to vote in New Hampshire, answered their doors spoke important.” many students’ right to vote to us with kindness and is set to expire. “Your vote appreciation, and so many matters now more than of them showed genuine interest in and ever” might seem a tired and overused passion for the local elections. Notably, all phrase, but at this moment it could not be of those people were adults. The college more relevant. students who answered their doors came off More than anything else, my dooras polite and well-spoken, knocking experience but they generally seemed “If you care about reminded me of the world confused about the details outside of Dartmouth — a something, go of the upcoming elections. world that we will enter in College student voter vote. Voting is not a few short years. The way turnout in America is low. the only thing you we live out there depends In 2016, just 49 percent can do to make a on what we do in here, and of eligible college students not just in terms of grades difference, and it voted. I get it — students or internships or letters of lead busy lives. Between won’t always make recommendations — if and practices, meetings, office the difference you how we vote will shape our h o u r s, g u e s t l e c t u r e s want, but it sure future, too. So get out and and avoiding hand-foot- beats studying for vote. Vote because you care and-mouth disease, the about an issue bigger than a midterm.

More argument goes, who has yourself. Vote because you time to make the trek to importantly, this can envision the world you Hanover High School to may be the last time want to live in and this isn’t vote? Plus, it’s only the you can vote as a it (not yet, at least). Vote midterms, so if you miss because you have the good college student in this one, you’ll just vote in fortune to live in a time 2020. I felt the same way, New Hampshire.” and a place where you can up until I voted for the first vote at all. Alternatively, time this September. our generation gets a lot of flak for having During the 2016 elections, I missed the anti-authority issues, so let me put it this registration cutoff by eight days. After way: vote so you can stick it to the man.

Jack-o-lanterns grin from Hanover’s timeless way to seek thrills and keep Netflix porches in the last orange bursts of peak addictions in check. For the burgeoning foliage, the year’s most anticipated horror horror fanatic, begin with publications by movies premier onscreen and campus prolific genre typhoon Stephen King. He anticipates spooky festivities with candy and alone has published many of the classics costumes. It’s time for horror enthusiasts renowned in horror today including his like me to relish in our favorite genre. In the novels “Carrie” (1974), “The Shining” spirit of Halloween, many students scrounge (1976), “The Stand” (1977), and “Misery” for something scary to consume and find (1987). Most recently, King has published themselves looking at a foreign menu. For “Sleeping Beauties” (2017) with his son anybody with no idea what to order, I offer Owen King and “The Outsider” (2018), a few humble recommendations. both admirable contributions to his 40-plus What better contemporary way to get in years of publishing. Many of his pieces the spirit of Halloween than binge watching have been converted to movies, popular horrific television over the month of October? contemporary works including the 2013 Let’s begin with Netflix; horror has been remake of “Carrie” by producer Kimberly blowing up in popular media in the last few Peirce and the 2017 release of the movie It years, yielding unusual television hits and by Andrés Muschietti, and revered classics Netflix Originals. Such sensations include including the 1990 rendition of “Misery” “Black Mirror,” a Netflix original series starring Kathy Bates and Stanley Kubrick’s ongoing since 2011. Each episode sets up a 1980 film “The Shining.” Although a fan of all different storyline set in a futuristic universe of the above movies and books myself, I most in which technology complicates the lives of strongly recommend reading “The Shining” humans in unexpected ways. The essential and then watching the movie adaptation. Both unsettling factor of this show is that many forms created by geniuses in their respective of the predicaments the characters find arts, they each take fundamentally different themselves in are not too approaches to the same far from reality. They make “It’s time for horror story, leaving consumers viewers think about the two entirely separate enthusiasts like me to with consequences innovation master pieces. While could have on our freedom relish in our favorite the original book filters and safety if we don’t keep it genre. In the spirit the primary characters’ in check. From season three’s of Halloween, many suffering through the evil heartfelt “San Junipero” personification of an isolated students scrounge to season two’s emotional Coloradoan hotel, Kubrick for something scary rollercoaster “White takes a different approach Christmas” to episodes to consume and find onscreen by making the that cling to the brain for themselves looking family patriarch, Jack, and days after watching them at a foreign menu. his diminishing sanity the like season four’s “Black bringer of all wickedness.

For anybody with no Museum” or season three’s Spotify also streams “Shut Up and Dance,” most idea what to order, on-the-go horror fixes thresholds for horror are I offer a few humble through podcasts. With an accommodated by “Black recommendations.” astounding variety to choose Mirror.” This recent winner from, I’ve only worked my reflects aspects of “The way through a handful of Twilight Zone,” an eerie what the app has to offer. show popularized in the late ‘50s and early Thus far, “Criminal” hosted by Phoebe ‘60s that depicts characters combatting Judge provides entertaining investigations nightmares on the very edges of reality of real-life crimes from money laundering to in the same nonconsecutive episode style. murder in bite-sized 20-30-minute episodes.

Netflix continues to stream hundreds of the For a taste of science fictive horror, “The 25-minute black and white episodes.

NoSleep Podcast” narrator David Cummings In a similar vein, creators Ryan Murphy illustrates skin-crawling urban legends from and Brad Falchuk’s series American Horror all across the country in fantastical detail.

Story offers binge-worthy bizarre storylines Most episodes run for over an hour, so this in a choose-your-own adventure format. Each is the kind of podcast to get spooked out to season’s unique plotline tackles a creepy and on long drives or keep on in the background often unprecedented issue, ranging from the of the room. psychologically unsettling to the downright Most people confine their horror gory, and they make as much sense watched consumption to the month of October, in isolation as they do in their release order. but it’s a genre populated by genuinely Although originally aired on FX, Netflix talented authors, actors, producers and streams all but the 2018 release “Apocalypse.” visionaries with a lot to offer at all times of For light thrills, try season three, “Coven,” the year. The recommendations above are or season five, “Hotel”. Able to stomach an incomprehensive sampling of some of some gore? Settle down with season four, horror’s best works, but there’s so much more “Freak Show,” or season seven, “Cult,” for out there to explore and appreciate. Please some truly stomach-churning but genuinely take these meager words of wisdom and use well-produced television. them as the starting point for a deep dive into Alternatively, books are still a fabulous and the terrifically peculiar world of horror.

PAGE 8

THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2018

Review: ‘Bad Times at the El Royale’ fails to live up to its hype to view. The legendary Jeff Bridges delivers a superb performance as usual — my favorite of his I love my Saturday afternoon since his 2016 film “Hell or High naps. I really do. Six of the Water.” But good performances seven Saturdays that I’ve been on are the norm with these three campus, I’ve spent buried under actors; what really blew me away a pile of blankets in a coma-like and was easily the most pleasant state that I didn’t emerge from surprise of the whole movie was the for at least three hours. If I don’t acting ability of Lewis Pullman. have my Saturday afternoon nap, At first, I thought Pullman, who there is a serious possibility I won’t plays the hotel’s concierge, clerk, have enough energy to power bartender and housekeeper, was through the just a discount weekend. The [“Bad Times at the Tom Holland one Saturday I or Jamie Bell, El Royale”] is in no didn’t nap was but as the movie last weekend, way a bad movie. It’s progressed, w h e n I s a w not even a mediocre his character “Bad Times at quickly became the El Royale.” movie. The acting on the most Even though I its own is enough to compelling knew very little to watch due propel it firmly above about the movie to his stirring and had no real any such derogatory p e r fo r m a n c e. expectations for classifications.

C y n t h i a it, it already Erivo also had some stiff However, despite gives a strong c o m p e t i t i o n being a solid, slightly perfor mance it needed to an Africanabove average movie, as beat to make American the experience the film appears to be singer who stops worthwhile — a lot worse because of at the hotel on because while her way to a it had moments what it so easily could show in Reno. o f g e n u i n e have been.

One of the entertainment, scenes that’ ll it failed to be stay with me the a better time than a Saturday most revolves around her character afternoon nap. singing the Isley Brothers’ “This “Bad Times at the El Royale” Old Heart Of Mine (Is Weak For is about a group of strangers with You)” to herself in her hotel room shady pasts whose paths cross at a while, unbeknownst to her, another rundown hotel on the California- character watches her through a Nevada border. It is in no way a two-way mirror. Dakota Johnson bad movie. It’s not even a mediocre gives a serviceable performance, movie. The acting on its own is but she unfortunately pales in enough to propel it firmly above comparison and is much more any such derogatory classifications. fo rg e t t a bl e t h a n h e r f e l l ow However, despite being a solid, castmates. slightly above average movie, the It’s clear the actors all believed film appears to be a lot worse in director Drew Goddard’s vision, because of what it so easily could as each one of them display some have been. of their finest work in this movie; The acting in this movie is the they even went so far as to take one nail it hits perfectly on the pay cuts to allow Goddard to bring head. For such a talented cast, it his vision to life without studio should have been expected, but interference. However, there that’s one of the perks of going into are a few issues with Goddard’s a movie with little prior knowledge. execution of his vision. This Jon Hamm and Chris Hemsworth movie tries incredibly hard to are electrifying when they’re on be Tarantino-esque. The film is screen, but unfortunately, they basically “The Hateful Eight” didn’t get as much screen time as if it took place in Jack Rabbit I assumed given their prominence Slim’s, the 1950’s themed diner in the one trailer I allowed myself in “Pulp Fiction,” but without

By JAMES CRONIN The Dartmouth

the soundtrack, atmosphere and considering he was the writer of cinematic mastery that Tarantino the incredibly unique 2012 horror brings to the screen. This can film “Cabin in the Woods.” be seen in the stylistic choice to The plot of this movie was not separate the movie into different particularly strong and did not sections that are named after the leave much of an impact as I left the different rooms of the hotel (e.g. theatre. I was just left scratching Room 4, Room 6, Maintenance my head wondering, “What was Closet). On the point of p a p e r, t h i s all that?” Days sounds like an The movie’s plot later, I’m still interesting way basically boils down not sure of the to divide up a n s w e r. T h e the film but, in to “some bad things m ov i e ’s p l o t practice, it just happen at the El basically boils made the movie down to “some Royale hotel,” no feel bloated as bad things the audience more, no less. happen at the El is forced to see Royale hotel,” the same events n o m o re, n o happen from different perspectives less. I will probably no longer over and over again. At one point, think about this movie because it we see a character die three full failed to leave a mark on my psyche times! This killed the movie’s in any way, and, as a result, it is momentum and just added to an well on its way to fading from my already way-too-long runtime of memory. Sadly though, it’s evident two hours and twenty minutes. that there was so much potential It’s not a bad thing to emulate for a better movie. Early on in another artist’s work — Tarantino the film, a character with easily himself emulates other legendary the most interesting backstory, filmmakers all of the time — but I whom we’re led to believe will be expected a bit more from Goddard relevant throughout the film, dies

and is never brought up again.

From that point on, my interest waned because the story that the audience received instead was not as compelling as what the movie led me to believe we were going to get. There are also a lot of loose plot threads and points that aren’t touched upon enough, like a film tape which becomes relevant only in the last twenty minutes for some unclear reason, and a series of murders associated with a character that are mentioned briefly via the news but never brought up again by anyone.

I don’t regret watching this movie. I wish it was better because it’s so close to being a really amazing, unique film but, for what it was, I didn’t hate it.

Great performances, a discount Tarantino style and some genuinely entertaining moments make it a slightly above average movie, but its wasted potential seriously detracts from the overall experience. I won’t be watching “Bad Times at The El Royale” again anytime soon, and I can say with confidence that it is definitely not worth missing out on a Saturday nap.

LAYER BY LAYER, THE BONFIRE GETS BUILT

ALISON ZENG/THE DARTMOUTH

Students are no longer permitted to help build the bornfire, a recent change from the past years.