VOL. CLXXV NO.98
RAINY HIGH 56 LOW 41
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018
Benjamin to be acting newspaper publisher
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Arrest made following shooting By ABBY MIHALY
The Dartmouth Staff
OPINION
MIZE: WHAT TO AVOID WHILE WE WAIT PAGE 4
ZAMAN: THE INVISIBLE CRISIS PAGE 4
ALEXA GREEN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
The second floor of Robinson Hall houses The Dartmouth’s offices.
By MARIA HARRAST The Dartmouth Staff
On Nov. 3, Zachary Benjamin ’19, current editor-in-chief of The Dartmouth, was appointed as the newspaper’s acting publisher. The change in leadership occurred in light of the resignation of former publisher Hanting Guo ’19 at a meeting with the newspaper’s
Board of Proprietors on Saturday. Benjamin will manage the duties of both editor-in-chief and acting publisher until a full-time replacement is found. “The reason I’m being appointed is primarily because the paper needs to have leadership, and there wasn’t an obvious candidate who could fill the position right then,” Benjamin said. “I do not
intend to stay [in this position] for longer than I need to.” In recent year s, leadership positions of the editorial and the business sections have been designated to two individuals. However, this separation of responsibilities was not always the case for The SEE PUBLISHER PAGE 2
An arrest has been made following Friday night’s shooting. Gage Young, 22, of Lebanon, New Hampshire was arrested for second degree assault at 2:47 p.m. Saturday afternoon, according to a media release issued by Hanover police chief Charlie Dennis. Young pleaded not guilty on Monday afternoon. Young was held without bail until his arraignment in Superior Court in North Haverhill, New Hampshire on Monday, according to Hanover Police Chief Charlie Dennis. He was arrested by Lebanon Police following a collaboration between the Lebanon and Hanover Police which Officers enough probable cause to gain an arrest warrant. Dennis said that the shooting appeared to have been “random.” He said that the incident was isolated, and that there is “nothing to indicate the victim was targeted.” The release stated that according to the preliminary investigation, Young discharged a handgun toward the victim while traveling through Hanover, causing “serious bodily injury.” The criminal complaint has
been sealed at this time. The victim, a 19-year-old non-Dartmouth student, was shot around 9:45 p.m. on Friday night. The victim was transported to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and remains in stable condition. Po l i c e o f f i c e r s f ro m surrounding towns, as well as the New Hampshire State Police and the Hanover Fire Department, assisted the Hanover Police in the search for the perpetrator. The College issued a shelterin-place order for students, faculty and staff, who were notified by phone, text and email around 10:45 p.m. on Friday. The shelter notification was later lifted around 12:30 a.m. Saturday morning. T h e L e b a n o n Po l i c e Department received multiple calls around 11:15 p.m. on Friday night regarding gunshots in the area of North Main Street and Fountain Way. The Hanover and Lebanon Police cannot confirm a connection between the incidents at this time. A full story will be published in the near future as more information becomes available.
ARTS
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Corpse flower blooms early By ARIELLE BEAK The Dartmouth
Stop and smell the roses — but perhaps not in the Class of 1978 Life Sciences Center greenhouse, home of Dartmouth’s very own Amorphophallus titanum, which bloomed this past weekend. The plant, a f f e c t i o n at e l y d u bb e d “ M o r p hy ” by a p a s t greenhouse manager, is also known as the “corpse flower” due its rotting scent
while in bloom. This past weekend marks the third time Morphy has flowered in the Life Sciences Center. Morphy first bloomed in early July 2011, and again five years later during mid-Sept. 2016. In the wild, the plant flowers every seven to 10 years; however, in captivity, the plant tends to bloom every five to seven years. SEE FLOWER PAGE 5
Candidate Kelly discusses policy
By WALLY JOE COOK
The Dartmouth Staff
Molly Kelly, who recently won the Democratic primary for governor and will face the Republican incumbent, Chris Sununu, at the polls on Nov. 6, has always had a focus on family. “A governor needs to know who she is, what her values are and what’s most important to her,” she said. “I understand [the voters] and put the people first. I understand the challenges that working families face because I’ve lived that.” One of 11 children, she said
that she and her siblings learned to work together to help one another succeed. Kelly said she got involved in New Hampshire politics by working for different campaigns while raising her children. “When I was young, I was a single mom with three small children and I went back to college to earn my degree at Keane State College,” she added. “I worked very hard there throughout my time at the college to receive my education and have opportunities for myself and opportunities for my children.” After years of working on
other campaigns, Kelly decided to run for state Senate herself. She was elected in 2006 and said she was honored to serve until 2016. Kelly added that after 10 years of “standing up for working families,” “supporting women’s reproductive rights” and“fightingforcleanrenewable energy,” she became frustrated with the policies implemented by the Trump administration. She said that those policies have been reaching New Hampshire through the Sununu administration. SEE KELLY PAGE 2
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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Publisher resigns, editor-in-chief steps in
Democratic candidate Molly Kelly sets gubernatorial priorities
Dartmouth, nor other college newspapers. The Harvard Crimson’s business and editorial sections are currently managed by one president, and during a period of The Dartmouth’s history, the paper moved from having both an editorin-chief and a publisher to having a president who led both sections of the paper. The Dartmouth re-divided the position of president in 2006, following conversations between Kevin Garland ’07 and Dax Tejera ’07 about the benefits of an editorin-chief and publisher managing distinct sections. “We were aware that the idea of one person running an independent business and going through the process of editing the daily paper was a huge job, and we knew that there was a different way of doing it,” said Tejera, who is also a member of The Dartmouth’s Board of Proprietors. “With two people running the two elements of the organization — the editorial section and the business section — you can have much more success.” As acting publisher, Benjamin said he is working to keep his editorial and his business responsibilities separate. While the editor-in-chief focuses on the paper’s content, the publisher is concerned with the paper’s finances.
“People know that we’re going in the wrong direction,” Kelly said. “I decided that I couldn’t just sit on the sidelines,” Kelly announced her candidacy in April. According to FiveThirtyEight, a website that forecasts elections, she has an 11.3 percent of winning the election. Daniel Bring ’21, vice president of College Republicans, shares a similar view to the election forecast. “I don’t think Kelly has much of a shot,” Bring said. “I think that Sununu is widely popular and it is unlikely that he will be defeated on Tuesday.” Bring added that he supports Sununu because Kelly would “undo much of the good that Sununu has accomplished over his brief, but eventful term.” Michael Parsons ’20, Dartmouth Democrats executive board member, disagrees. “Unseating a one term incumbent governor is rare in New Hampshire, but not entirely unheard of,” he said. “I think she has a better chance than a lot of people are giving her.” “She’s a really good candidate and a really good person.” Parsons added. “She’s going to stand up for the issues that we care about as a generation.” For Kelly, the education and job training is the most important issue, which she said will be her “number one priority” as governor. “There is a lack of an educated and prepared workforce in the state, and business employers are crying out for an educated and prepared workforce,”
FROM PUBLISHER PAGE 1
As a result, the two roles do not frequently overlap, he said. The newspaper’s two executive editors will continue to read all stories from the editorial section and provide an independent perspective without any relation to the newspaper’s business section. “I don’t intend for [the acting publisher position] to affect my role [as editor-in-chief] at all,” Benjamin said. “The concerns that are going to be coming up editorially are the same as what we’ve always faced, and I’m going to work to make sure that we’re publishing independent content.” Benjamin said that he is currently seeking a full-time replacement for publisher and is planning to reach out to potential candidates in both the editorial and the business sections of The Dartmouth. He and Tejera both agree that it is in the paper’s best interest for the roles of editor-in-chief and publisher to remain separate. “Papers like The New York Times and The Washington Post go back to this model, and I am of the belief that it is good for [The Dartmouth] to follow in the footsteps of storied newspapers because there’s a proven track record,” Tejera said. “We continue to believe in that structure, and this is a brief moment where [The Dartmouth] is going to consolidate the roles, but that won’t last long.” Guo declined to comment.
FROM KELLY PAGE 1
she said. “There are young people who are leaving our state because they do not see opportunities here in New Hampshire. As governor, I’m going to link those two together.” Kelly added that she wants to create an “innovative, creative and sustainable economy in New Hampshire.” Another important issue for Kelly is the opioid epidemic. “The opioid epidemic is affecting all of our families in New Hampshire and, as governor, I would put together an emergency comprehensive plan,” she said. “We don’t need to talk about this anymore, we need to act on it.” Kelly also said that, as governor, she would “veto any school voucher program.” “I want to make sure that everyone has an opportunity for success, not just a few,” Kelly explained. “[School voucher programs] remove funding from public education to private and religious schools, which weakens education.” She added that she will have public schools offer breakfast to help the “44,000 children in New Hampshire who are food insecure.” Kelly also said she would limit voting restrictions, adding that she did not support either SB3 or HB 1264 — two bills in the New Hampshire Senate and House of Representatives that could impact voter eligibility by modifying the definitions of “resident” and “residence” — and that she supports the injunction against SB3. “I have spent a lifetime of breaking barriers down so that people can vote,” she said. “Voting is our voice, and we
need to use it. The last thing we need is to put barriers up so that people can’t get to the polls or are confused at the polls.” Kelly also addressed gun control, emphasizing a need to move toward “common sense gun safety.” “I have four children and seven grandchildren, and I worry about my grandchildren every day in school,” Kelly said. “We have a moral obligation to keep our children safe. I would certainly support and move forward to pass universal background checks and keep guns out of the hands of our children and of domestic abusers.” She discussed her opponent, Governor Sununu, and his stance on gun control. “My opponent, the first bill that he signed into law was to allow anyone to carry a concealed weapon without a permit,” she said. “I would repeal that because that is just common-sense safety. We need to keep our children safe in our schools.” Kelly also commented on Sununu’s campaign financing. “I have not taken any money from any corporations in my campaign,” she said. “My opponent has — over 40 percent of his contributions come from corporations.” She added that “his agenda is corporate special interests,” but that hers is “putting the people first.” Kelly closed with a message to Dartmouth students. “Vote for the issues that are most important to you. I think they are the same issues that are important to me,” she said. “You are our future. Vote for me. I’m going to work for you.”
IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS
CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com.
LORRAINE LIU/THE DARTMOUTH
Community members can pick up a book from the Howe Little Free Library outside the Hopkins Center.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST FRANCES MIZE ’22
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST RANIYAN ZAMAN ’22
What To Avoid While We Wait
The Invisible Crisis
Overconsumption of news can lead us farther from the truth.
In May of 2017, the United States Department of Justice launched an investigation into potential Russian attempts to influence the previous year’s American presidential election, as well as possible coordination between Russia and the Trump administration. Since then, as a country, we’ve reached a kind of impasse; a national gridlock, one born of a long, mired period of what for many feels like purgatorial waiting. During this time of opacity, reading and listening to the news has become, for many (including myself), a form of control. We get to latch onto the coverage of Mueller’s proceedings, assigning our own levels of significance to moments like the indictment of Michael Flynn and more recently, a foiled smear campaign to frame Mueller for sexual misconduct. People spend their time reading into his findings and framing them the way they want to see them. However, patience is running thin. Fortunately, for those of us feeling that we can’t take this much longer, reports of Mueller’s findings are expected to come flying back into the news following the midterm elections. But for months, accompanied by the uninterrupted stream of media coverage that has followed this story and this president from the beginning, people haven’t stopped holding their breath and waiting for the other shoe to drop. Those who lean liberal have absorbed and spit back out words like “cooperation,” “obstruction” and “memo.” More people are consuming news, and as a result, more of it is being produced to keep pace. Average weekly cable news consumption has increased by an hour and a half, and both Fox News and CNN report record-breaking viewership. This might be because many in this country have been trying to reconcile a deep-seated desire to “know what’s going on” with the fact that much of what’s going on is federally mandated as classified. The reality is that we may never have full access to the entire story. As a result of their inability to gain access to the inside scoop, people devour what is handed to them instead (occasionally indiscriminately), consuming the filler, auxiliary information. Some read op-ed pieces and New York Times listicles that rattle off in bullet points potential federal crimes. Others watch Rachel Maddow
at 9 p.m. on weeknights, the guide they can always count on to uncover fresh instances of questionable activity and point out exciting new things to think about, to get excited and enraged about and to analyze while waiting for the next headline. Seeking out information has almost become a form of entertainment — not in the immediately recognizable form, but the kind that serves as mental preoccupation. In moments of uncertainty, it’s helpful to have something to think about. However, consuming information for the sake of consumption creates a dangerous appetite. A skyrocketing demand can pervert the product, and in this moment of political abnormality (to put it lightly), there is nothing that should be kept as unadulterated as media coverage. I do not mean to confront the desire and the right of an American citizen to stay informed and engaged in the proceedings of their country, especially a proceeding such as this one. My argument here is not one of those berating the media or modern “media bias.” It is the long tradition of this country to take advantage of and demand transparency, and the media plays an almost sacrosanct role in this country that makes that demand possible. But an excessive consumption of media in an effort to make things more clear may ultimately cloud reality and affect people’s assessments. It becomes problematic when information is commodified as entertainment, and both the desire for and the risk of this increases as Americans wait for whatever truth will be revealed upon the conclusion of the investigation. It also becomes problematic when subjective feelings of retribution overwhelm objective proceedings of governmental structure. As the next infuriating headline breaks, leave behind the feelings of vengeance of the “I told you so” kind and the belief that the evil means have reached their inevitable end. Let go of this idea that “this is what happens when you elect someone like him.” This is no simple game of cause and effect. There is no predetermined inevitability for the abuse of power. “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice,” Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. said. Let’s not get lost in the length and bend of the arc as we wait for justice.
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ZACHARY BENJAMIN, Editor-in-Chief and Acting Publisher IOANA SOLOMON, Executive Editor ALEXA GREEN, Managing Editor PRODUCTION EDITORS MATTHEW BROWN & LUCY LI, Opinion Editors MARIE-CAPUCINE PINEAU-VALENCIENNE & CAROLYN ZHOU, Mirror Editors NATHAN ALBRINCK, MARK CUI & SAMANTHA HUSSEY, Sports Editors JOYCE LEE, Arts Editor LILY JOHNSON & CAROLYN SILVERSTEIN, Dartbeat Editors DIVYA KOPALLE & MICHAEL LIN, Photo Editors
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ISSUE
Arielle Beak
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.
Let’s hold the U.S. government accountable for its actions in Yemen. The photograph of Amal Hussein, an servants haven’t received their salaries since emaciated 7-year-old Yemeni girl on the 2016, which has not only crippled their brink of death, took America by storm families but also contributed to a general when it was first published in the New deterioration of public works, including York Times. Its wide circulation drew long- the education, healthcare and sanitation overdue attention to Yemen’s ongoing crisis systems. Unsurprisingly, this breakdown in — although crisis seems too small a word infrastructure has led to outbreaks of disease for it. Famine and cholera have swept the ravaging the nation, especially cholera. country; as of June, one million Yemenis In short, Yemen has become a case study were infected with cholera, and 18 million for the collapse of a nation. But it would don’t know where their next meal will come be naive to believe that humanitarian from. Of the country’s population of 28 organizations can single-handedly gather million, over 22 million live in dire need enough support to rescue Yemen from of humanitarian aid. The from its descent into health and survival of deeper disaster. As Jolien over 80 percent of Yemeni “From the very Veldwijk, the assistant children are at risk. The beginning of this country director for CARE U.N. has dubbed this messy, complicated in Yemen, told NPR, catastrophe the world’s and drawn-out war, “humanitarian aid is not worst humanitarian crisis the U.S. has funded enough to stave off the and potentially the worst impending famine. The those who bomb famine the world has seen only way forward for Yemen hospitals, schools, in a century if the war is a political solution to the mosques and civilian continues. conflict.” And the best Many Americans might communities.” current political solution to wonder what the United the conflict is Senate Joint States is doing to help. Resolution 54, a bipartisan They’re asking the wrong bill introduced by Senators question. In fact, the U.S. Bernie Sanders, Mike Lee government is directly responsible for these and Chris Murphy, which calls for America’s millions of deaths. From the very beginning withdrawal from war in Yemen. In February, of this messy, complicated and drawn-out the Senate didn’t vote to pass it, but Senator war, the U.S. has funded those who bomb Sanders has announced that he intends to hospitals, schools, mosques and civilian bring the resolution back to the floor in communities. November. The American people must The current calamity grew to an pressure their elected officials to pass it. unimaginable magnitude after 2014, when Unfortunately, it’s unlikely that these the U.S. began supplying weapons and other human rights violations will motivate forms of assistance to a Saudi Arabia-led Americans to head to the polls, let alone coalition of Arab states fighting in Yemen’s call their senators. As the conflict draws civil war. Multiple human-rights groups have on, Americans’ ignorance about Yemen is since accused this coalition of war crimes both staggeringly frustrating and disturbing. that have resulted in the deaths and injuries It reveals a general lack of attention to the of over 17,000 people. The U.S. government international crises that our elected officials directly enables these war crimes — as a often instigate. Most disconcertingly, it Yemeni doctor told PBS, the missiles, planes reveals a lack of empathy to events outside of and tanks that kill Yemenis America’s borders — just daily are all American- “President Donald look to the media’s lack of made. The U.S. has even Trump’s “America reporting on Yemen. The gone out of its way to American government’s First” ideology is not directly aid Saudi Arabia’s role in these atrocities is simply bombastic nation-destroying war; unjustifiable. President America not only assists rhetoric, but an Donald Trump’s “America with intelligence gathering extreme ideology that First” ideology is not simply and the in-air refueling of has real consequences bombastic rhetoric, but an Saudi airplanes, but has for the rest of the extreme ideology that has sent Special Forces in to world.” real consequences for the intervene on behalf of the rest of the world. The Saudi coalition. monstrosities occurring But the havoc wreaked in Yemen provide chilling on Yemen has been by no evidence of the Trump means exclusive to military engagement. administration’s lack of a moral compass, Most of Yemen’s devastation arises from one that is sure to affect the rest of the world economic warfare. Blockades have made and Americans at home. it virtually impossible for Yemen to accept On Nov. 1, Amal was pronounced dead. It imports, which Yemen relied on for would be a mistake to say there are millions upwards of 80 percent of its staple foods more just like her — she was 7 years old and fuel before the war. Hyperinflation and irreplaceable. But there are millions severely hinders people’s ability to purchase more suffering just as she was. If the U.S. expensive goods and to afford transportation government doesn’t step up, it will have the to hospitals for care. Over a million public blood of an entire country on its conscience.
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
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Researchers study Morphy’s flowering
The bloom itself lasts around characteristics of the corpse flower five to seven days, and the smell is its stench — to attract beetles “It’s very unusual that it’s lasts for around three days at and flies, the corpse flower’s main flowering after essentially only two most. The spathe and the hollow pollinators, the bloom gives off a years,” said engineering professor spadix it encircles then wilt, and putrid aroma. Jane Hill, who is researching a leaf emerges from the corm. The inside of the spath is a Morphy in addition to performing Morphy is unique from other deep shade of crimson, imitating engineering research. Amorphophallus titanum plants in the appearance of fresh carcasses. Greenhouse manager Kim that it produced a pup, or offset, The main pollinators of the corpse DeLong knew that Morphy was which can be seen right next to flower are carrion beetles in the headed towards an early flowering Morphy in the greenhouse. The wild, as well as various flies. when she was repotting the corm “baby” corpse flower won’t flower M o r p hy f i r s t a r r i v e d a t of the plant this past June. for another six years or so. Dartmouth in 2008 as a donation “It weighed between 80 to 90 At the base of the spadix from Louis Ricciardiello, a retired pounds, and because of that, we are two rings grower from figured he was going to flower again of flowers — New Hampshire. because that’s a lot of stored energy one male and “It feels warm, like a Hill has been and flowers are expensive energy- o n e f e m a l e. human body, so it’s conducting wise for all plants to produce,” During bloom, research on pretty wild that it’s a DeLong said. pollinators M o r p hy w i t h DeLong is all too familiar with such as beetles plant that is taking on Lab Manager the nuances of Morphy’s scent and flies travel some animalistic Kelsey Coyne in past years. The smell shifts from the male and Daniella remarkably over the short time f l o w e r s o f characteristics.” Ku b i a k ’ 2 0 . span the bloom is open. one plant to With the help “At one point it’ll start to smell t h e f e m a l e of a ther mal -ERIC SCHALLER, like a dead rat in your wall, and f l o w e r s o f imaging camera at another point it might smell like another. The BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES and temperature dirty feet, or dirty baby diapers is f e m a l e a n d PROFESSOR recording the way I like to describe it,” said male flowers devices called DeLong. open on thermocouples, For Hill, the smell is most similar alternate days they are to a dead mouse. to prevent selfmeasuring the “I mean, I’m not a connoisseur pollination. temperature up of death smells, but I grew up on The plant itself measures the spathe. a farm and I know what the smell around seven feet from the soil to “We’re trying to get a really of dead larger animals is like,” Hill the tip of the spadix. The exact good measure of the temperature said. “It’s much more like a mouse lifespan of the plants in the wild is change over time, and then we died and started to dessicate and unknown, but the longest recorded want to relate that to the volatile rot a little bit, and believe it or not lifespan in captivity has been 40 chemicals that are being emitted,” it’s a different smell.” years. Hill said. “It’s applicable because As eager viewers stream into the When in bloom, the tip of the if you know which smells attract Life Sciences Center, there is also spadix can reach up to 100 degrees which bugs, it could help in an interactive F a h r e n h e i t , forensics where they are very component which assists interested in figuring out when “I mean, I’m not a where visitors t h e p l a n t i n someone died and how long corpse could choose connoisseur of death volatizing, or has been there.” what their releasing the its Their research focuses on breath smells, but I grew impression odor. The heat analysis to diagnose patients with o f t h e p l a n t up on a farm and ... a l s o a t t r a c t s tuberculosis and cystic fibrosis. By smelled like. insects, as it using the same technology, they it’s much more like “ We h a v e m i m i c s t h e are analyzing the volatiles released 3 2 d i f f e r e n t a mouse died and temperature of over time by Morphy. possible options started to dessicate recently killed “We also want to study the that they can animals. thermogenesis of the plant because and rot a little bit.” choose from, M o s t [the spadix] will get really hot and it’s sort of y e a r s , t h e as it blooms. It gets up to 100 a citizen science -JANE HILL, ENGINEERING corm produces degrees [Fahrenheit] in a 60 degree component a s p i k e w i t h environment,” Kubiak said. PROFESSOR where they can large leaves and Biological sciences professor choose their top l e a f l e t s. T h e G. Eric Schaller has also been three and share leaf wilts and conducting research on Morphy. it with us on dies every year, His research began two years ago their way out, and the corm when Morphy flowered last, when which is kind of fun,” Hill said. becomes dormant, storing energy he realized there was little genomic For example, visitor Kyle as it prepares for another cycle. research on corpse flowers. He Bensink ’21 thought the smell was Every four to five years, the corm is analyzing the transcriptional akin to smelly feet. produces a flower. The plant goes profile of the plant to study its gene The Amorphophallus titanum, through cycles of dormancy and expression during thermogenesis. often shortened to “Titan arum,” flowering. DeLong knew Morphy Schaller was immediately taken is made up of three main parts: would flower after seeing the spike’s with the thermogenic properties the spadix, the hollow central progress in the current cycle. of the flower. appendix in the center, the spathe, “Once the spike got to be maybe “It feels warm, like a human the frilly leaf that surrounds three feet tall we could see it start to body, so it’s pretty wild that the spadix, and the corm, the open up and [knew] that it would it’s a plant that is taking on enormous bulb at the base that be a flower,” DeLong said. some animalistic characteristics,” stores the energy of the plant. One of the most distinguishing Schaller said. FROM FLOWER PAGE 1
ELIZABETH JANOWSKI/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
The corpse flower bloomed in the Life Sciences’ greenhouse on Halloween.
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THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS
DARTMOUTHEVENTS
’22S FIRST FRIDAY ON NIGHT
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018
LAUREL DERNBACH ’22
TODAY
3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Lecture: “Using Incoherent Scatter Radar to Investigate Auroral E-region Thermospheric Winds and D-region Ionization Enhancements,” with Clemson University professor Stephen Kaeppler, Wilder 202
4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Ceopatra Mathis Poetry and Prose Reading Series with author Eugene Lim, sponsored by the English department, Sanborn Library, Sanborn House
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Dartmouth Men’s Basketball vs. Newbury, Leede Arena
7:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Dartmouth Women’s Hockey vs. Vermont, Thompson Arena
TOMORROW 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Lecture: The Black Press and Trans-Atlantic Literary Genres in Brazil, with Vanderbilt University history professor Dr. Celso Thomas Castilho, Carson Hall L02
5:15 p.m. - 6:15 p.m
Angela Rosenthal Memorial Lecture: “Tom Lloyd and the Art of Refraction: Bringing New Art Histories to Light,” with Northwestern University art history professor Krista Thompson, Carpenter Hall 013
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m
Performance: Music Department Residency Mamadou Diabate and Percussion Mania, Spaulding Auditorium, Hopkins Center for the Arts
IT HAPPENED
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CAROLINE COOK ’21
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018
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‘Eclipsed’ is an engrossing tale of African women’s resilience The shack was surrounded with various structures made of pipes; in certain lights, the structures This past weekend, the five women were strikingly artistic. As the of Dartmouth College’s Fall 2018 colorful lights reflected off the MainStage production,“Eclipsed,” pipes, the crisp rainbow of lines brought to life a stunning portrayal surrounding the shanty seemed to of sisterhood and the light of the reflect the prismatic personalities human spirit during the nightmare of the woman they encircled. With of the Second Liberian Civil War. a simple transition to red, the “ E c l i p s e d , ” w r i t t e n b y now-red pipes became a menacing Zimbabwean-American actress war-torn backdrop of the civil war. and playwright Danai Gurira, has As scenes switched, the theater was won numerous awards and broken filled with 2000s era West African down barriers along the way. As the songs to fully immerse the audience first all African-American female in the era. cast and team play to hit Broadway, Director Miranda Haymon’s “Eclipsed” serves as a catalyst in friend Lucy Powis was impressed the restructuring and reworking by the caliber of the production. of a historically male and white“I thought it was incredibly dominated sphere of media. professional,” Powis said. “The The production is directed by acting, the design and the direction guest director Miranda Haymon. felt like something you would see on Haymon hails from Boston and is an any professional stage. It’s a really artist-in-residence with New York’s incredible story and I’m glad it’s Roundabout Theatre Company as being told here and it was told very well as the co-artistic director and well.” resident performance director with The meticulous attention to The Hodgepodge Group. detail when it came to the use of The setting is Liberia: more lighting, music, production design, specifically, Bomi County, a costumes and acting all came Liberians United for Reconciliation through to portray the story, which and Democracy rebel army camp, revolved around the interactions 2003. The second Liberian Civil of five women, as honestly and War, which took place from 1999 candidly as possible. Due to the to 2003, was an intense four year simplicity of other theatrical conflict between elements, the LU R D r e b e l spotlight fell groups fighting “I thought it was on the complex to overthrow incredibly professional. d y n a m i c s president etween the The acting, the design bcharacters Charles Taylor. and At the time, an and the direction felt their humility o r g a n i z a t i o n like something you in the face called the of a horrific would see on any “ Wo m e n o f situation of Liberia Mass professional stage.” survival in light Action for of the war. Pe a c e ” w e r e key instigators -LUCY POWIS, FRIEND OF Helena, played in ending the THE DIRECTOR by Naomi war, organizing Agnew ’20, is a meeting with known as “Wife President Charles Taylor and #1” for most of the play. Kidnapped forcing him to attend peace talks by the C.O. as a young teen, Helena in Ghana. Over 3,000 Christian acts as the mother figure toward and Muslim women were able to Bessie, also known as Wife #3, and mobilize their efforts to achieve The Girl, who falls into the role of peace in Liberia and bring the Wife #2. Her seemingly prickly first female president to head the exterior is broken down to reveal a country. fierce motherly love for the fellow The story was told on a simple, women. She takes “The Girl,” a stripped down set — the spirits of newcomer to the shack, and reveals the three women, Helena, Bessie her caring nature in little moments. and The Girl, who are captives of a She gives The Girl her pick of the Liberian rebel commanding officer, gifts the C.O. gives the women, referred to simply as the “C.O,” defends her from Bessie’s jabs and filled a dilapidated one-room shack. tries to protect her from Maima. Although the production seemed According to Agnew, she felt a straightforward at first glance, the kinship with her character in their sheer simplicity, from the limited shared instinct to protect the people number of characters to the one they care about. room set design, was essential to “I would say that Helena is telling the raw truth of the women like me in the sense that I can be as authentically as possible. Every aggressively caring sometimes and subtle transition was made with I’ll go to the end for the people I intention when it came to the set. love,” Agnew said. “[Although],
B y ARIELLE BEAK The Dartmouth
I don’t think I’m as aggressive as she is because she’s snappy at some moments.” Bessie, played by Esther Oluokun ’20, wove strands of comic relief within often tension-filled scenes. Pregnant with the C.O.’s daughter, Bessie is a breath of fresh air in the shanty amongst the wartoughened hide of Helena and the slow, heartbreaking loss of innocence in The Girl. With her girlish preoccupation with her appearance, Bessie dances her way along to her plastic radio and into the hearts of the audience. Her self-absorbed yet harmless nature is an all too familiar portrayal of any teenage girl, and her simple joys and clear love for life brings a distinctly human dimension to the trio. Playing Bessie was both a challenge and an easy fit, Oluokun said. “I think I’m very similar to her in that she likes to be presentable and she cares about people,” Oluokun said. “I think trying to live Bessie truthfully was the hardest part for me because she’s supposed to be the funny character, so I had to get past everyone’s laughter and make sure I was also sticking true to how Bessie would’ve felt.” Maima, played by Stephanie Everett ’19, previously Wife #2 to C.O., commands the stage with every scene she’s in. Referred to as the Devil by Helena, Maima renounced her destiny as a slave and Wife #2 to C.O. to fight as a soldier in the war. She exudes the arrogance and hostility of a human fighting for survival and nothing else. Maima returns to visit the wives, brandishing her freedom and sexuality as easily as she does the gun in her hand, and focuses on persuading The Girl to join her lifestyle, a tantalizing way out of her life in captivity. Rita, played by Michaela Benton ’22, works for the peace organization of women that are working to end the war. While Maima is the face of temptation and violence, Rita is the voice of reason and peace: she urges Helena to remember her name, pursue an education and leave behind her position as Wife #1 — the only position Helena can remember. “The Girl,” played by Stella Asa ’22, is a 15-year-old girl kidnapped and taken by the C.O as his fourth wife. She is naive, sweet and innately curious. She is immediately taken by the coverless book that the C.O. gifts the women, as she is the only one of the three who can read. When faced with the decision to stay a wife, The Girl takes the path Maima pushes into her hands in the form of a gun. As a soldier, The Girl sees the horrific toll of war on women
just like herself, and returns to the woman. It allows for black women shanty, where she is faced with a to hold a space in the Second final decision. Liberian War. They changed the Asa said that she was drawn course of the country’s history, and to the production because of its for black women to hold that place valuable message. on a stage and still be distinct and “I knew it was going to be an individual gives it power just by a strong cast of black women happening,” Haymon said. who were unafraid of telling According to Haymon, to realistic African balance the s to r i e s, ” A s a blunt tragedies said. “I think “The play is the and heavy students should connective tissue subject matter come away with that “Eclipsed” the fact that between being black demanded, she African women and being a woman. approached are strong and the production It allows for black powerful — of the play sometimes we women to hold a psace by placing a b r e a k d o w n , in the Second Liberian priority on an but we get environment of right back up War.” joy and support again. I think for the cast to this production feel comfortable -MIRANA HAYMON, is so essential to create and b e c a u s e i t DIRECTOR confide in. portrays such “[The a truthful actresses] have narrative of the resilience of this black girl joy and warmth with African women and what we can each other, and being as present do.” and alive in the space as possible “Eclipsed” is a brilliantly when we’re with each other is a modulated narrative of the multi- huge priority,” Haymon said. “That faceted strength in black women. way, we have the emotional capacity The show’s biggest success lies in and the safety in each other to work portraying the women with both through those [tough] moments authenticity and accessibility. and have real conversations about Director Miranda Haymon said what they mean for the world of that she utilized the stage of the play and the characters.” “Eclipsed” to explore the inherent “Eclipsed” will be playing in metaphysical dilemma of being Moore Theater at the Hopkins black and being a woman. Center for the Arts at 8 p.m on “The play is the connective tissue Nov. 8, Nov. 9 and Nov. 10 and at between being black and being a 2 p.m. on Nov. 11, their last show.
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‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ disappoints B y willem gerrish The Dartmouth
After a tumultuous gestation that included the firing of director Bryan Singer and the departure of lead actor Sacha Baron Cohen, the long-awaited film “Bohemian Rhapsody” finally hit theaters this past Friday. Chronicling the rise to stardom of legendary front man Freddie Mercury and his band Queen, the movie meanders through Mercury’s adult life, beginning with his early days working on the tarmac at Heathrow Airport and culminating in Queen’s transcendent performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert, just six years before Mercury’s death due to AIDS-related pneumonia. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is replete with epic moments of Mercurian grandeur and spectacle, but it falters when it tries to delve into the singer’s Dionysian exploits and hedonistic vices while retaining a relatively family-friendly approach. After Sacha Baron Cohen left his starring role in the film due to creative differences, his slack was picked up by the inimitable Rami Malek, who tackles the challenging Freddie Mercury with an impressive blend of introspection and flamboyance. The singer was, of course, a revelation on stage; his ability to work an audience like some kind of glammed-out and studded master of puppets was truly remarkable. Yet in his private life, Mercury was quiet and reserved, and Malek’s wide, glassy eyes do much of the heavy lifting as they give us furtive glimpses into the singer’s internal struggle. In one affecting scene, Mercury sits at a piano belting out that epic first section of the song “Bohemian Rhapsody,” and after a climactic wail of the line “I sometimes wish I’d never been born at all,” Mercury peaks and abruptly stops. Malek’s eyes reveal fathoms of repressed emotion and insidious self-loathing as his lips quiver and his body trembles. These moments are what make the film worthwhile — they blend Mercury’s once-in-a-lifetime vocal talent with the ordinary demons of his personal struggle, resulting in truly cathartic tension and release. Yet all too much of the movie comes off feeling like a crowd-pleasing joy ride through Queen’s glamorous career. In contrast to the complex and tortured Mercury, his bandmates — John Deacon, Roger Taylor and Brian May — seem like a bunch of silly British school boys coming along for the ride. And when given the chance to probe the dark territory of Mercury’s personal life, the movie treats these nadiral moments
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 6, 2018
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with the kid gloves one would expect from a diehard Queen fan not wanting to tarnish Mercury’s glorious legacy. In particular, his hedonistic bacchanals and homosexual forays are given to us in fleeting images and insignificant flashes. These are the times when I believe the movie could have taken a bold leap and become something more than another illuminating rock biopic. It could’ve challenged viewers and fans alike, forcing them into the uncomfortable Kubrickian world of excessive vice in which Mercury lived during his low points. But instead we see only its vestiges — a hungover Mercury lying on his couch, a few glimpses of leather-bound eroticism, some cocaine dust on a living room table — and none of the challenging content that was its source. Where the movie does succeed is in its nuanced and dramatic portrayal of the relationship between Mercury and the “love of his life,” Mary Austin. The two had a romantic relationship before Mercury revealed his sexuality and they separated, but they remained incredibly close friends until his death. The arc of their friendship is handled brilliantly by both Malek and actress Lucy Boynton, and the emotional conversations between the two constitute many of the movie’s peaks. There’s her confrontation of Mercury’s sexuality, in which she implores him to reveal what’s eating at him despite her creeping suspicion that it is indeed his homosexuality; there’s her integral intervention into Freddie’s descent into heathenism, as she proclaims to him through angry tears that she dreamt he had something to say to her but no voice to speak with and there’s Freddie’s plangent cries for human connection as he begs Mary to stick around as his only true friend while everyone else feeds off his fame and fortune with parasitic pleasure. These moments suffuse the film with tenderness, providing a portrait of the lonely, idiosyncratic Freddie Mercury and his relationship with one the few people who could break down his impenetrable façade. As a whole, though, “Bohemian Rhapsody” is overlong and underdeveloped. Coming in at two hours and 14 minutes, the film seems like it’s dragging its feet in an effort to milk every drop out of Malek’s performance and Mercury’s music. The camera often lingers so long on Malek’s face and bulging teeth (Mercury was born with four extra incisors that gave him a massive mouth capable of
four-octave range) that it feels like an obsession. The character-infatuation style of movie has worked in the past — see Philip Seymour Hoffman as Truman Capote in the stunning film “Capote” — but it doesn’t quite pan out for “Bohemian Rhapsody.” And I think a large part of this failing is because of the filmmakers’ reluctance to present Mercury’s bibulous and erotic activities with uncensored brazenness. If you’re going to build a movie around a single person, you have to go all-in; you can’t just romanticize his feats and gloss over his faults. “Bohemian Rhapsody” begs for this sort of untethered treatment, but instead it only gets the highlight reel. Despite its flaws, I still found “Bohemian Rhapsody” to be a very enjoyable film, largely due to the greatness of Queen’s music and the concert scenes that capture it so well. The movie’s conclusion is an exact recreation of Queen’s phenomenal 20-minute set at Live Aid, and Malek sings and struts with all the flamboyant verve of the real Freddie Mercury. The music is anthemic and irresistible, a notion to which the film cheekily nods from time to time. In one instance, music executive Ray Foster derides the song “Bohemian Rhapsody,” insisting that it’s not a tune that “teenagers can crank up in their car and bang their heads to.” In the theater, my friends and I immediately laughed in our seats because that’s exactly what we’d done on the way to see the movie — blasted “Bohemian Rhapsody” at full volume with the windows down, belting out every line and banging our heads to its moments of rock-and-roll supremacy. The movie serves as a welcome reaffirmation of the talent and musicality that abounded within Freddie Mercury and Queen as a whole. But that’s where the film’s quality comes to a screeching halt, and save for Malek and Boynton’s impressive acting, the movie’s dramatic scaffolding collapses. I just can’t shake the feeling that it’s all too glossy, too pathologically concerned with retaining Mercury’s posthumous dignity and the band’s stellar reputation. The moments of darkness feel like dramatic devices rather than bold exposés, serving to bolster Mercury’s triumphs rather than reveal his true flaws — flaws, might I add, that I believe render him even more fascinating and alarmingly human. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is solid entertainment, but it falls victim to Mercury’s seductive flamboyance without the courage to truly capture his destructive vices.
‘Suspiria’ chills listeners
B y madison wilson The Dartmouth Staff
We thought the day would never come, but it’s here: Thom Yorke, lead singer in popular alternative rock band Radiohead, wrote a movie soundtrack. Not just any movie, either — Yorke took on a horror film .“Suspiria” is a modern reboot of the 1970s Italian horror movie about a not-so-innocent ballet company. While the movie is only being shown in select theatres currently, the soundtrack was released last Friday and is a looming, creepy and ethereal listening experience.s Experience is the best way to describe “Suspiria” — it’s not a cohesive album and it wasn’t meant to be. A haunting yet upbeat piano riff, introduced in the third track, “Suspirium,” returns throughout the work in a contorted form. With its balladic piano and signature Thom Yorke falsetto, “Suspirium” could almost be a track on Radiohead’s “A Moon-Shaped Pool,” but something is a bit off. “A Moon-Shaped Pool” felt like a commune with nature, but there is something more looming and darker about “Suspirium.” While this is definitely a Yorke album, the artist experiments with the horror of noise in new ways on “Suspiria.” You’re never quite comfortable listening to “Suspiria.” Following “Suspirium” comes “Belongings Thrown in a River,” and we’re immediately thrown headfirst into a creepy synth that sounds like something from “The Twilight Zone.” This synth track also features heavily throughout the album and counters the pleasant piano riff from “Suspirium,” creating a jolting experience: just when you think you’ve settled into the album, Yorke pulls you right back into a disturbing void of droning synth. In classic Radiohead form, a jazzy bass and drumline emerge in tracks like “Has Ended” and later again in “Volk.” “Has Ended” could easily be on previous Radiohead albums like “In Rainbows” or “Amnesiac,” but its placement in “Suspiria” gives it darker overtones. “Volk,” the centerpiece of the album, shows Yorke really playing with the power of noise and its ability to induce fear. It starts off with an ambigious buzzing sound — perhaps a razor? — then moves into an increasingly plucky synth. Yorke also experiments with dynamics here, using an undulating volume level to make the listener feel like they’re trapped underneath a crashing wave. Later, the excessive use of minor notes and
disharmony gives “Volk” the feeling of creepy discombobulation. Yorke only increases those feelings with his use of unorthodox and ambiguous sounds — was that a windchime? a razor? a scream? — and, coupled with the predictable Radiohead jazzy drums, “Volk” is a confusing yet intriguing listening experience. And all this is accomplished without a single vocal. “Unmade” is the most accessible piece on the album. Yorke offers sanctuary to the listener from the confusion and creepiness of the rest of “Suspiria,” lulling us into a temporary peace with his sweet falsetto and stripped-down instrumentals. As a more accessible piece, it wouldn’t be surprising if mainstream radio stations pulled “Unmade” out of the album as a single, but the song would lose its power without the context of “Suspiria.” The ballad derives meaning from its placement within “Suspiria” as a whole. Ultimately, “Suspiria” is an experiment with the power of noise. In one of the tracks, “Sabbath Incantation,” what sounds like a biblical Gregorian chant becomes more violent and dark when situated between overtly threatening tracks like “Open Again” and “Inevitable Pull.” First we’re in the Twilight Zone, then in a creepy Gothic church, then in the woods at night. Each noise both conveys meaning and elicits emotion individually, but when situated within the rest of the work takes on an even more creepy vibe. “A Choir of One” initially feels like the wrap-up to “Suspiria,” as a group of a cappella voices create an almost cathartic soundscape. However, as the track devolves into screaming noises, we are plunged back into the horror of the album, realizing that we will not find catharsis here. “Suspiria” finally finishes with the pingy piece “The Epilogue,” which concludes the work by culminating previously introduced noises, but leaves us on edge without clear resolution. “Suspiria” is a soundscape and an audio experience. Even though I haven’t seen the film, the record alone imparts clear emotions of horror. However, it’s a deeper horror than something like “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” — Yorke creates something more psychological, more thought-provoking. Even without the movie it’s made for, “Suspiria” is a success in its own right: Yorke has created something that Radiohead could not, stretching the boundaries of noise past what even Radiohead’s most bizarre works have done. Before queuing up “Suspiria,” be warned —