The Dartmouth Commencement and Reunion Issue 2019 06/08/2019

VOL. CLXXVI NO. 48

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

SAMANTHA BURACK AND BELLA JACOBY/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

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SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

EDITORS’ NOTE

Two hundred and fifty years is a long time. For two and a half centuries, every class at Dartmouth has left its mark on the College — it’s hard to imagine that one class can stand out. But after seeing the Class of 2019’s commitment to making Dartmouth more inclusive and safe for all students, we know they are leaving the College a better place than it was four years ago. As rising juniors, we are grateful to have learned from the ’19s, and we are excited to keep improving Dartmouth in their legacy.

We are thankful most of all to the seniors who mentored us at The Dartmouth, but we admire and appreciate the passion ’19s have brought to the communities around campus that bring this school alive. This year’s senior Hood Museum interns curated exhibits to draw visitors from all corners of the Hanover community. Since women’s rugby went varsity four years ago, ’19s led the team to three Ivy League titles. Meanwhile, living in New Hampshire has encouraged the ’19s to open their minds to new political viewpoints. And as they conclude their time at Dartmouth, the seniors are leaving a generous financial aid gift to the incoming Class of 2023. These achievements represent just a fraction of the ways ’19s have nudged the College toward a better future.

As Dartmouth faces yet another development in the psychological and brain sciences department sexual misconduct scandal, we realize the College is many years away from offering truly equal opportunities for all students. This year’s graduating class reminds us, however, that students have the power to push for change. A lot has happened in the last four years that the ’19s will never forget, and they’ve become leaders, activists and critical thinkers along the way. We know they will take what they learned here to the world beyond the College on the Hill.

Table of Contents Editors’ Note

2

Town and campus see transformations over four years

3

Honorary degree recipients span array of experiences, professions

4

Seniors reflect on their political journeys at Dartmouth

4

’19s for Financial Aid campaign aims for 45 percent participation

5

Women’s rugby continues success after four years as varsity team

5

Class of 2019: Senior Survey

6-7

Senior interns work to make the Hood Museum inclusive

9

Benjamin: Remembering the Tower Room

11

Solomon: No Do-Overs

11

Zhou: Climbing Mountains, Drinking Beer

11

Four years of campus news seen by the Class of 2019

12

Until we meet again, Sarah Alpert and Gigi Grigorian

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THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Town and campus see transformations over four years B y Elizabeth janowski The Dartmouth Staff

DIVYA KOPALLE/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

While Hanover’s Main Street may appear to still look the same, in the past four years the town has witnessed the coming and going of many local businesses.

Since the Class of 2019 first become popular study spaces, as arrived on campus nearly four well as sites for community dinners years ago, Hanover has seen a and campus events. Alongside the vast array of changes, including house centers, the College recently s e ve r a l m a j o r c o n s t r u c t i o n constructed new residences for projects, renovations, closures house professors close to campus. of long-standing businesses and For nearly the past three years, subsequent efforts to revitalize the the expansion and renovation of downtown retail scene. the Hood Museum constituted “With Dartmouth celebrating another major on-campus project. its 250th anniversary, it’s an T h e m u s e u m s u b s t a n t i a l l y interesting increased in size m o m e n t with the addition “With Dartmouth to pause of three objectand ref lect celebrating its 250th study rooms, five i n t e r m s anniversary, it’s an new galleries, of where a new atrium we are and interesting moment and a dramatic, where we’re to pause and reflect overhanging heading,” entrance visible in terms of where we said vice from the Green. p r e s i d e n t are and where we’re Although the o f c a m p u s heading. Certainly Hood reopened services only five months S t e v e n a portion of that ago, it has M o o r e . involves thinking already become “Certainly a popular venue about our physical a portion of fo r re c e p t i o n s, that involves space on campus.” s t u d e n t thinking performances and about our formal events for p h y s i c a l -STEVEN MOORE, VICE various student s p a c e o n PRESIDENT OF CAMPUS organizations. campus.”

O t h e r SERVICES S i n c e significant 2015, the changes to the College has introduced a variety campus’ appearance include of new facilities to its campus. the 2016 renovations to Baker Members of the Class of 2019 Tower and a replacement of the will recall a time before the launch library’s roofing — swapping out of Dartmouth’s house system and its signature green color for a bright the ensuing construction of House copper. Seniors will also likely Centers A and B — referred to remember the extensive repairs more commonly as “the Onion” to Morton Hall, which followed a and “the Cube,” respectively. four-alarm fire in October 2016 While both were designed as that rendered the dor mitory temporary structures, they have uninhabitable.

Moore said that a wide range of additional capital projects have altered the campus within the past few years, from the installation of rooftop solar panels on several campus buildings to technological upg rades in classrooms and residential operations. “[The Class of 2019] has certainly been navigating a fair bit of construction on campus,” Moore s a id. “ T here’s a l ot happening, and it’s all exciting, but we’re also cognizant that students have to live through these construction projects on our relatively constrained campus.”

At the same time, Hanover town manager Julia Griffin said she looks back on the past 10 years as a period of relative stagnancy in comparison to the campus’ upcoming construction plans.

“Just up until the recession in 2008, there was a ton of construction on campus,” Griffin said. “When the recession hit, Dartmouth put the brakes on a lot of its capital projects. But now it’s picking up again, and the College is beginning another 10-year period of heavy construction on campus.”

Moore largely attributes these new projects to the $3 billion Call to Lead capital campaign announced by College President Phil Hanlon last spring.

Currently, ongoing construction projects can be found on nearly every corner of campus. Moore said he anticipates that renovations to Dana Hall and work on the demolition site of Gilman Hall — which have been a source of considerable noise at the College’s north end — will conclude within the year. Additionally, a new

indoor practice facility for student athletes is projected to open adjacent to the Boss Tennis Center by 2020, and the construction of a new facility for the Thayer School of Engineering and the computer science department on the campus’s west end will be completed by 2021, according to Moore.

H oweve r, a s t h e C o l l e g e approaches another period of growth, Griffin said that the past four years have marked a significant decline in business on Hanover’s Main Street. Currently, there are several vacant storefronts once occupied by stores and restaurants.

“We’ve lost a lot of staple places in the past few years,” said Lacey Colburn, a manager and server at Lou’s Restaurant. “I think every Hanover business owner’s question right now is why this is happening.”

In recent years, several retailers — the Dartmouth Bookstore, Wheelock Books, clothing stores Zimmer man’s and Rambler’s Way, Eastman’s Pharmacy, Game Set Mat and Folk — have all gone out of business. Many Hanover restaurants have similarly struggled to remain afloat. Canoe Club, Kata Thai and Orient all closed their doors within the span of the past year.

In particular, Griffin expressed regret over the folding of long-time Hanover institution Everything But Anchovies. She referred to the pizza restaurant’s closure as a “sad transition away from a longstanding local business that for years had been so successful in serving the Dartmouth population.”

Griffin pointed to the

“Amazonization” of small-town America as a primary catalyst for the hard times that have recently struck Hanover retailers. She said she thinks that students are more attracted to the convenience of online shopping and quick delivery, citing a fourfold increase in the number of packages delivered to campus over the last few years. “ I t ’s s y m p t o m at i c o f t h e shift we’re seeing in the student population and its connection to downtown retailers and restaurants,” Griffin said. “A large percentage of our community is very Internet-oriented and would prefer to shop on their personal devices.”

In response to the effects of this “Amazonization,” Griffin said she wants to protect the remaining local businesses downtown. “ We d o n’t w a n t t o b e a downtown of chain stores,” Griffin said. “We went to be unique and support local artisans and local food producers … but it’s easier said than done.”

While the Class of 2019 is preparing to depart from Hanover, a new lineup of businesses will soon arrive on Main Street. The former site of the Dartmouth Bookstore will house Still North Books — a bookstore, café and bar operated

by Allie Levy ’11 — and clothing stores Woody’s and J. McLaughlin.

In spite of the ongoing changes to the town’s makeup, Colburn said that Hanover’s quaint, small town character has remained steadfast.

“Hanover’s still pretty much stayed Hanover,” Colburn said.

“Restaurants and stores come and go, but the spirit of the town is still the same.”

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THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

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Honorary degree recipients span array of experiences, professions B y rachel pakianathan

for the recent renovation of the Hood Museum of Art. The Dartmouth Staff “When I got the call from This article was originally published [College President] Phil Hanlon — on Apr. 19, 2019. which was completely unexpected — it was very similar to when A t t h e C l a s s o f 2 0 1 9 I received my acceptance letter commencement ceremony on June to Dartmouth back in 1980,” 9, Dartmouth will award seven Tompkins said. “I had a feeling of honorary degrees to individuals in complete disbelief and ... a sense of the arts, athletics, law and sciences. entering a new world or new chapter Three Doctorates of Humane of my life that I never imagined Letter s, three possible.”

Doctorates of O n c e a Arts and one “When I got the government D o c t o r a t e o f call from [College major at Science will be the College, President] Phil awarded.

To m p k i n s C e l l i s t Hanlon — which cur rently and main practices natural was completely commencement resources, speaker Yo-Yo unexpected — it environmental Ma will receive was very similar to and Indian a Doctor of Arts law. She most at the ceremony. when I received my recently served The o t h e r acceptance letter to as solicitor honorary degree f o r t h e U. S .

Dartmouth back in recipients Department a r e c u r r e n t 1980.” of the Interior senior adviser from 2009 to to baseball 2017. Tompkins operations for -HILARY TOMPKINS previously t h e O a k l a n d ’90, ENVIRONMENTAL served as counsel A t h l e t i c s to New Mexico ATTORNEY R i c h a r d g ove r n o r B i l l “ S a n d y ” Richardson (D) Alder son ’69, for five years. a s t ro p hy s i c i s t She will be and director of the National awarded a Doctor of Humane S c i e n c e Fo u n d a t i o n Fr a n c e Letters.

Córdova, executive director and Heller, another government co-founder of the International major, will also be awarded a Re f u g e e A s s i s t a n c e p ro j e c t Doctor of Humane Letters. She Rebecca Heller ’05, environmental currently serves as the executive attorney Hilary Tompkins ’90 and director of the Inter national architects Billie Tsien and Tod Refugee Assistance Project. For Williams, who were responsible Heller’s work with IRAP, she

received a MacArthur “Genius” this January. They will both receive Fellowship in 2018. At the College, a Doctor of Arts.

Heller started a project called “We’re both really grateful and Harvest for the Hungry to address excited. In many ways, we feel like food security issues in the Upper we’re part of a Dartmouth family,” Valley and was one of six students Tsien said. nationwide to win the Campus Williams added that he and Compact Howard R. Swearer Tsien have a personal attachment Student Humanitarian Award. to Hanover.

Heller said that she didn’t know “Coming back to Hanover is what an honorary degree was like being asked to come home,” when President Hanlon first called he said. “Sure, we fought really her to tell her the news, but said hard to get this thing done, but she was excited now I’m sure to lear n that its part of our she was being “Coming back to lives forever. recognized.

Not because of Hanover is like being “ W h e n honorary asked to come home.” the he told me degree but Dartmouth because we left m i g h t w a n t -TOD WILLIAMS, our hearts and to give me souls there and a n h o n o r a r y ARCHITECT RESPONSIBLE we did the best degree, I said, FOR RENOVATION OF THE we could.”

‘I’m sorry if this HOOD MUSEUM OF ART is a very ignorant Alderson, a question, but senior advisor I thought I to baseball already had a operations for deg ree from the Athletics, Dartmouth,’” she said. “And he previously served as the team’s very patiently explained that this general manager from 1983 to was a doctorate, and I was very 1997. During his time there, the excited.”

Athletics won the World Series in Tsien and Williams are a 1989. At the College, Alderson husband-and-wife duo who began was a member of Sigma Alpha working together in 1977 and Epsilon fraternity and Dragon co-founded their firm in 1986. In senior society. At Commencement, 2013, President Barack Obama Alderson will receive a Doctor of awarded both of them the National Humane Letters.

Medal of Arts, and they will be Córdova, who has served as NSF designing the Barack Obama director since March 2014, will be Presidential Library to open in awarded a Doctor of Science. She 2020. The duo began work on has previously served as the 11th the $50 million renovation and president of Purdue University. expansion of the Hood in 2016, From 1993 to 1996, Córdova and the doors opened to the public was the youngest person and

first woman to be NASA’s chief scientist, and in 1996, she was a recipient of NASA’s highest honor, the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.

Speaking about the Class of 2019, Tompkins stressed the importance of striving for goals outside of one’s comfort zone, even if they appear to be intimidating.

“Even though you might be different or feel like an outsider sometimes — be it on an Ivy League campus, in certain jobs that you hold, sitting at a conference room table and feeling like you’re different than the majority of folks sitting at that table — that you should feel like you belong and that your voice does matter,” she said.

“I think it’s easy to be intimidated or fearful of change or assuming a role that might make you feel uneasy, or out of your league so to speak, and those are the kind of roles you need to go after.”

Heller added that she thinks it is important for recent graduates to take time to explore their options.

“Don’t get too freaked out by the allure of shiny ambitious objects that you don’t spend the time now finding out what you like and what you’re good at,” Heller said. “Because otherwise you’re going to have a mid-life crisis in 20 years.”

Both Heller and Tompkins said they are excited to return to Hanover this June.

“If heaven exists, it probably looks a little something like a tube on the Connecticut River in August,” Heller said.

Cassandra Thomas ’22 contributed reporting.

Seniors reflect on their political journeys at Dartmouth B y yuna kim

The Dartmouth Staff

Coming to Dartmouth, I had always known it was a school lauded for its political accessibility, as countless prominent figures across the political spectrum — both New Hampshire-specific and also on the national scale — often come to Hanover specifically just to engage one-on-one with the Dartmouth student body.

As the Class of 2019 comes to the end of its time at Dartmouth, I was curious to hear how this particular aspect of the College had actually shaped the seniors’ political views or how the vibrant political climate of Dartmouth itself had influenced their overall undergraduate experiences. This year, I have found it particularly fascinating to see how national politics manifests itself at the College on the Hill, especially with the 2020 presidential election in the back of everyone’s minds.

Other than the Class of 2020, the seniors are the only class left on campus that actually experienced the last presidential election while at Dartmouth.

Catherine Rocchi ’19, an environmental studies major from New York, said that the day President Donald Trump was elected — which, coincidentally was her birthday — was particularly memorable in her Dartmouth experience because of the campus’s extreme reactions to the election results.

“I remember right after Trump was elected, it seriously felt on campus as if someone had died,” Rocchi said. “People were wearing black and speaking to each other in very hushed tones, if at all.”

Wi l l i a m Je l s m a ’ 1 9 , a n engineering and Middle E a s t e r n studies major from Dallas, said he remembered clearly the day of the 2016 election because of the divisive effects the election results seemed to have on Dartmouth’s student body.

“I think the most polarized campus ever was for me was during the election,” Jelsma said. “Most of campus was really broken up about it, and some classes were even canceled. I remember even one of my professors saying that it was the worst day for America since Reagan was elected.”

Jelsma expressed disappointment at the way political frustrations can sometimes play out on campus, particularly during times of national turmoil.

“Sometimes on campus it

becomes a lot less of having wellreasoned discussions about the reasons people believe the things they do and more about vilifying the other side, whether it’s on the left or the right,” Jelsma said. “But of course, that’s very much on a person-by-person basis.”

Knowing nothing about New Hampshire before coming to Dartmouth, I have been surprised about much I have been exposed to local politics over the course of the school year and also how much I have been encouraged to take part in it.

Rocchi and Jelsma shared different perspectives and illustrated different facets of the issue of voting outside of one’s home state.

Coming from a primarily liberal state, Rocchi said she felt that her vote did not hold much — or arguably, any — power in the presidential election. Now that she attends Dartmouth, Rocchi said she feels inclined to vote as a resident of New Hampshire, although she knows she votes from a different perspective than a long-term resident of the state.

“There’s been a lot of interesting conver sation about whether Dartmouth and other university students who aren’t from New Hampshire should be voting in these local elections,” Rocchi said. “I personally feel justified in voting in New Hampshire anyway because I think the electoral college process is problematic and I am in favor of having people’s voices count in an election where they otherwise might not in another election.”

Jelsma, on the other hand, said that he chose to remain a voter in his home state of Texas because he realizes that college students are only temporary residents of the Granite State.

“I specifically try to avoid getting myself in local politics because I don’t think students should particularly be voting in New Hampshire,” Jelsma said. “In my mind, we’re only here for four years, and unless we’re planning on getting a job here and actually living here, Dartmouth is really just a little bubble that’s not really much like the rest of New Hampshire at all.”

Regardless of background, political affiliation or any other defining factor, the seniors felt that their time at the College has presented them with opportunities to challenge their political views in productive and meaningful ways, encouraging them to think critically about why they believe what they believe.

For example, Lauren Bishop ’19, a history major and public policy minor from Jacksonville,

MICHAEL LIN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

The Dartmouth chapter of Planned Parenthood Generation Action attended a Beto O’Rourke campaign event on May 14.

FL, said that both her academic I don’t know, so I’ve really tried to and personal experiences at take even more classes on race and Dartmouth added new facets of gender and intentionally continue political understanding that she my personal education on these would otherwise not have gained issues.” from staying in her hometown.

While Bishop had a growth “I went to a high school that experience that supplemented was majority white and very who she had been coming into heteronormative, which shaped my Dartmouth, Rocchi said that perceptions of politics and what I within a few months at Dartmouth, believed to be important political her political views had profoundly issues,” Bishop said. “Through changed. my experience here at Dartmouth “I grew up in an incredibly and the c e n t r i s t c o nve r s a t i o n s environment, I’ve had with my “I also know more viewing ‘radical’ peers, I think my now about what I as a word that understanding only applied to o f a l o t o f don’t know, so I’ve ter rorists and political issues really tried to take activism as i s n o w m o r e even more classes something to n u a n c e d , be looked down a n d I b e t t e r on race and gender upon,” Rocchi u n d e r s t a n d and intentionally said. “Within the impact a few months th at d i f f eren t continue my personal at Dartmouth, p o l i t i c a l education on these particularly decisions have issues.” through being on groups that i n v o l v e d don’t directly in Divest impact me.”

D a r t m outh, -LAUREN BISHOP ’19 Furthermore, my views of B i s h o p those terms mentioned that completely after four years changed and I at Dartmouth, began to identify she has come to the humble with them and view them as realization that she does not yet positive and necessary things, given fully understand certain political the nature of the environmental issues. crisis.”

“Coming out on the other side Rocchi also said that these of Dartmouth, I now know that changes in her political perspective my education from the South left proved a transfor mative and a lot to be desired,” Bishop said. meaningful part of her Dartmouth “I also know more now about what experience.

“Both from Divest [Dartmouth] and from the course of study I’ve chosen to pursue, I’ve learned about issues and ideas that not only inform my political involvement but also guide how I move through the world as a person,” she said.

“One of the main reasons I like myself a lot more now than I did the person I was as a senior in high school is because I’m now so much more aware.”

Joey Torsella ’19, a philosophy major from Philadelphia, said he was strongly invested in politics prior to Dartmouth. However, Torsella noted that over his four years here, he has begun to concern himself less with politics, realizing the divisive effects it often has on human-to-human interactions.

“Although politics is important, I think over my four years here, I’ve realized there’s something wrong with being so focused on politics to the detriment of doing the good that you can for others,” Torsella said. “I’ve seen how politics has the potential to distort genuine human relationships, so coming to the realization of trying to set aside our differences and just do good has been a huge change in perspective for me.”

Sandwiched between two pivotal presidential elections, the seniors’ time at Dartmouth has allowed them to approach political issues in more multifaceted and wellinformed ways. From choosing whether to vote locally to having serious conversations about the leaders of our nation, Dartmouth students certainly engage critically with politics.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

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’19s for Financial Aid campaign aims for 45 percent participation B y ANNE GEORGE The Dartmouth Staff

Forty-eight percent of the admitted Class of 2023 will receive needbased scholarships from Dartmouth.

Through the senior class gift, the Class of 2019 is attempting to support the Class of 2023. Seniors can choose to make a gift of any amount but are encouraged to donate $20.19 to honor their class. The senior class gift is an annual tradition of raising financial aid funds through the Dartmouth College Fund to support the incoming class at the College.

Dartmouth College Fund managing director Dana Metes said that alumni classes have generally encouraged participation by adding to the total donation amount if the graduating class meets certain donation goals.

As part of its 50th reunion, the Class of 1969 will contribute an additional $500 donation for every 25 gifts from the Class of 2019, Metes said.

Last year, members of the Class of 2018 raised $14,606 before bonus alumni dollars and achieved 47 percent participation. As of June 3, the Class of 2019 has raised $9,315 before bonus alumni dollars and is at 33 percent participation, according to Metes.

“The power is in the class together,” Metes said. “Some people will be able to give more, and some people will be able to give less. What we are really trying to emphasize is that every gift counts. We at the Dartmouth College Fund raise two or three million dollars a year from gifts under $250.”

Metes said the Class of 2019 will also be participating in the Young Alumni Challenge, in which an anonymous alumni donor will create a $100,000 Class of 2019 Endowed Scholarship

if the seniors reach 45 percent participation in the senior class gift.

The Young Alumni Challenge is part of the College’s 250th Anniversary Call to Lead $3-billion capital campaign, some of which will go toward financial aid.

Metes explained that the Young Alumni Challenge is open to the classes of 2000 through 2019, meaning that 20 separate endowments could be created.

She said she recognizes that reaching the 45 percent participation goal can be difficult but said she believes the Class of 2019 can accomplish it through its class gift.

“It is important to us that we are helping Dartmouth be the best that it can be by creating a mechanism that allows for the best students to attend,” Metes said. “That’s what makes us feel good.”

Both Abigail Buckley ’19 and Jack Smul ’19, two of this year’s co-chairs for the senior class gift, said they are still optimistic about achieving the 45 percent participation goal.

Buckley said she wanted to get involved because she received a scholarship from the Class of 2015 and believes that it is her turn to contribute to making educational opportunity accessible for future Dartmouth students.

“Part of my financial aid package was from [the Class of 2015] senior class gift,” Buckley said. “My freshman year here, I had a brunch with some of those alumni who felt it was important to raise money their senior year to give back to freshmen who wouldn’t otherwise have been able to attend, and it was a very meaningful experience.”

She said that the Class of 2018 cochairs re-branded their gift as “’18s for Financial Aid” to ensure students were aware that their donations were being

NAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF

For every 25 gifts from the Class of 2019, the Class of 1969 will contribute an additional $500 donation.

used for financial aid. This year, the co-chairs have done the same with their “’19s for Financial Aid” campaign.

“We are doing the same thing this year to make sure students understand that this money isn’t going to be used to build a new bench, [plant] a tree on the Green, that they won’t see the products of,” Buckley said.

Smul said that at the beginning of this year, the Dartmouth College Fund hosted a kick-off event at Collis Common Ground to congratulate seniors and introduce them to the Dartmouth College Fund. The Dartmouth College Fund also honored Hal Ripley ’29 — who donated to the College for 83 consecutive years until

his death in 2011 — by serving free birthday cake on Massachusetts Row and discussing the ’19s for Financial Aid campaign with attendees.

Additionally, to increase participation, the Class of 2019 cochairs have also recruited about 30 volunteers to help with the outreach process and have hosted weekly raffles of free clothing and accessories — from Contigo water bottles to socks — for everyone who has made a donation.

Smul believes that many seniors will still donate before commencement once they are reminded.

“When we reached out to seniors earlier, they said they didn’t feel like they were leaving yet and that we should ask

them at the end of the term,” Smul said. “I think the closer we get, the more willing people will be to support this.”

Annie Ke ’19 said she thinks the senior class gift is a good way to ensure that future students can have the same opportunities that she had at Dartmouth.

“Looking back at my time at Dartmouth, what I really cherished was the diversity,” Ke said. “One of the more invisible parts of that is socioeconomic diversity, and I think financial aid makes that happen. As a future alum, I can see myself giving toward [financial aid] and as a senior, this was my first step in doing that.”

Women’s rugby continues success after four years as varsity team B y ANNA MAY MOTT The Dartmouth Staff

Women’s rugby is among Dartmouth’s most successful, yet newest, varsity sports. The team played its first varsity game — and earned its first victory — in the fall of 2015 against the University of Pennsylvania. Since then, the team has won three Ivy League titles in four seasons. This past season, the Big Green defeated Harvard University to become National Intercollegiate Rugby Association national champion. The team’s excellence, however, began long before it earned its varsity status.

Their first win against Penn, and every win since, builds upon a legacy of success the team has been crafting since the founding of the Dartmouth Women’s Rugby Club in 1978. By 2015, the club had already produced six members of the U.S. national team and 13 All-Americans. When the team did gain varsity status, it was a result of

the same hard work that brought the athletes success on the field.

“It was something the team actually campaigned for, it wasn’t something that came down from the athletic department,” captain Camille Johnson ’19 said.

The team made the jump to varsity during Johnson’s freshman year. Johnson said that members of DWRC worked for years to build a case for the switch, researching whether Dartmouth’s ratio of male-to-female athletes was in compliance with Title IX standards. Ultimately, Dartmouth became the 14th member of the National Collegiate Varsity Women’s Rugby Association, joining the only other Ivy League schools with varsity teams, Brown University and Harvard University.

While rugby is not yet a full-fledged NCAA championship sport, it was designated an NCAA Emerging Sport for Women in 2002. The NCAA

COURTESY OF DIANE RAMAGE

The women’s rugby team has captured three Ivy League titles in four seasons.

Courtesy of Diane Ramage

Women’s rugby team makes sure new team members learn to play the fullcontact sport safely.

created this program in 1994 in an effort to resolve the lopsided ratios of male-to-female student athletes by expanding varsity sports opportunities for women. An emerging sport is given a trial period of 10 years to become a championship sport. In order for the NCAA to organize a division or national championship for a given sport, 40 NCAA schools must have varsity teams in that sport. Sports that have followed this process to receive championship status include women’s rowing, ice hockey and, most recently, beach volleyball. Although more than 10 years have passed, rugby remains an emerging sport, with fewer than 30 varsity teams throughout the country.

While a standard of excellence in women’s rugby has remained a constant since the 1970s, one very specific element of Dartmouth’s team has changed since becoming varsity.

Starting in 2015, the College’s athletic department has granted the team a few spots for recruited athletes each year.

At the same time, the team’s success in teaching novices continues to play an important role in its development.

According to Johnson, who was a walkon her freshman year, the team gets five or six recruits a year. While a solid base of recruited athletes is currently developing, for the past few years, walkons like herself remained a dominant presence on the team.

“It’s been 50-50 for the most part,” Johnson said. “The strength of our team really comes down to our ability to get random people from campus who want to try something new and are excited about playing and want to learn and to teach them how to play and be successful.”

Walk-ons for the rugby team are generally also novices. The process of integrating new players into a team of more experienced athletes takes time and effort, requiring that the incoming players are eager to learn and that

the coaches and upperclassmen are prepared to teach.

“The best way to learn rugby is just to actively learn … where you’re playing with the team and you get hands-on experience,” Johnson said. “But we also make sure to pull the players aside and teach them the basics on their own so that they can be safe to play rugby.”

Rugby is a sport unlike those commonly offered to high school female athletes. It is currently the only true fullcontact sport offered to women in the NCAA. Consequently, many aspects of the game are likely to be unfamiliar to walk-ons.

“You have to learn how to tackle safely and how to be tackled safely, and also no one has ever played with a weird oval-shaped ball,” Johnson said.

Johnson, who played soccer in high school, said that her teammates at Dartmouth have a diverse array of athletic backgrounds, including basketball, football and track and field.

Lannan Abbott ’22, a walk-on this past fall, said she comes from a track and cheerleading background. Though there may not be a common high school feeder sport for the women’s rugby team, Abbott and Johnson gave similar reasons for joining and staying with the team.

According to Johnson, during her freshman orientation, she was walking into the Collis Center with a few of her freshman floormates when they met a group of seniors from the rugby team — members of the Class of 2016 — sitting on the porch. They convinced her to go to a few practices, where she said she “fell in love” with the team.

“Out of everything, [I joined because of] the team,” Johnson said.

“It’s like a family and it really is the most supportive group of people that make you want to be around them. I

fell in love with rugby later, and I love the sport and I love playing. I want to keep playing. But what’s kept me around and what brings walk-ons to join us, is the team.”

Abbott said that she also heard about the rugby team during her freshman orientation when she met Sophie Ragg ’22, who told her about the team and encouraged her to attend an information session. “[Ragg] was just the most exciting person I’ve ever met, so welcoming and charming,” Abbott said.

She added that after she attended the information session and met more women both on the team and looking to join it, she felt attracted to the community.

“I know that sounds really cliché, but it’s the people,” Abbott said. “I think we have a really good culture.”

This culture is important to the team and to freshmen in particular, Abbott said, adding that walking onto a team that is “so successful” can be intimidating.

According to Johnson, the consistent and increasing success of the team is the result of an effective fusion of highly skilled athletes, effective coaching and the powerful bond between teammates.

“Rugby is an intense, physical sport,” she said. “Sometimes rugby doesn’t feel very good on your body. You’re getting tackled and you have to get back up every time, and what makes teams more successful is if they have a reason to get back up. Our reason to get back up is to fight for our teammates.”

Johnson added that the team’s future goals include defending its Ivy Championship title and repeating its success on the national level.

“We won a national championship now and we want to win some more,” she said.

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SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Class of 2019:

B y WILLIAM CHEN

The Dartm

For the fourth year in a row, The Dartmouth conducted a survey recording the opinions and experiences of Dartmouth’s graduating class. Since arriving at Dartmouth in 2015, the Class of 2019 has experienced the aftershocks of changes at the College, in the nation, and across the globe — all while traversing their academic work and arranging their post-graduation lives. The following four sections canvas the Class of 2019’s views on campus issues, student life, national politics and their futures ahead.

Campus Issues Following the tradition of the classes preceding them, the Class of 2019 holds generally negative views of the College’s administration.

Some 57 percent of the class has a generally unfavorable view of the administration, compared to only eight percent that favors the administration. However, compared to previous years, seniors seem to feel less strongly on this topic — 35 percent of the Class of 2019 are not sure about their opinion on the administration, compared to 10 percent of the Class of 2017. The Class of 2019 also views President Phil Hanlon negatively; 43 percent view him unfavorably, compared to the 17 percent who view him favorably. Interestingly enough, the negativity directed toward Hanlon continues to weaken, year after year: this 42 percent represents a decline from the 44 percent of the Class of 2018 and the 60 percent of the Class of 2017 who viewed Hanlon unfavorably.

Specific policies from the administration carry the senior class’s negative outlook. Moving Dartmouth Forward continues to be highly disliked, with a favorable-unfavorable split of 1350. The introduction of housing communities is also viewed generally unfavorably, at 26-44.

On the other side of the table, the Greek system is generally viewed favorably, at 46-28. Unsurprisingly, those who view the Greek system as favorable were highly against Moving Dartmouth Forward, with a 4-65 split on the latter. But even those who see the Greek system as flawed view Moving Dartmouth

Forward unfavorably regardless, with a 20-46 split.

Regarding the attention and resources devoted to sexual violence prevention on campus, the Class of 2019 proves significantly more satisfied than previous classes: just over two-thirds of the class are either extremely satisfied or somewhat satisfied, while only one-third of the class is very dissatisfied or somewhat dissatisfied. This constitutes a consistent improvement over previous years: in 2017, seniors

or somewhat unsatisfied. Just five percent of seniors are extremely satisfied.

Regarding other important Dartmouth institutions, the Class of 2019 views Dartmouth Dining Services slightly unfavorably, with a favorable-unfavorable split of 29-42. This result represents a slight decline from years past; the Class of 2017 reported a dead-even 41-41. 2019 seniors view Campus Safety & Security somewhat positively: 38 percent hold favorable views, compared

Student life Academics continue to be a focal point for Dartmouth seniors.

Ninety-four percent report that they are either very or somewhat satisfied with their Dartmouth education, nearly identical with the Class of 2018 and 2016 (95 percent), and higher than the Class of 2017 (88 percent). When asked about factors that shaped their choice of major, 87 percent responded that academic interest is a very important factor, and the remaining 13 percent responded

and three percent, respectively) said that these factors are very important.

When asked about the importance of various aspects of the student experience, this focus on academics persists. 76 percent of seniors describe academics as very important, and an additional 19 percent as somewhat important — far more than any other category asked. Social life is a close second, with 92 percent responding that it is very or somewhat important; this is followed by extracurricular

were generally dissatisfied (35-45 split), while in 2018, seniors were only very slightly satisfied (4439 split). Despite improvements over time, female students are generally more dissatisfied than male students on this topic.

Resources toward mental health are perceived as more inadequate, however. Overall, 41 percent of the Class of 2019 are either extremely satisfied or somewhat satisfied with the amount of resources dedicated toward mental health, while 59 percent are either very unsatisfied

to 26 percent with unfavorable views. Perhaps unsurprisingly, members of fraternities tend to have more negative views (48 percent unfavorable) than members of sororities, co-ed fraternities, and the unaffiliated (16 percent unfavorable). The Dartmouth faculty has been nearuniversally appreciated by past classes, and the Class of 2019 is no exception: 85 percent view the college faculty favorably, compared to only one percent who view the faculty unfavorably.

that it is a somewhat important factor; not a single respondent found academic interest to be unimportant for their major choice. The second most important factor is post-graduation career, with 88 percent describing it as either very or somewhat important.

Family pressure and easiness are both somewhat considered; 42 percent and 33 percent of seniors, respectively, found that these factors have some amount of influence over their major choice, though very few (nine percent

activities at 82 percent, Dartmouth traditions at 60 percent, Greek life at 59 percent and Study Abroad at 58 percent. Slightly less important are paid employment at 55 percent, outdoor activities at 51 percent, and varsity sports at 30 percent; less important still are housing communities, with a meager four percent.

One such Dartmouth tradition that routinely receives a lot of attention is the Dartmouth Seven, a set of seven locations on campus where students are challenged to have sex. Regardless, 66 percent of 2019 seniors say they did not complete any of the Dartmouth Seven, similar to rates in previous years (60 percent in 2018, 66 percent in 2017). The most popular of the Dartmouth Seven remain the Stacks, at 27 percent, and BEMA, at 22 percent. However, the three least-completed members of the past — the Steps of Dartmouth Hall, the Top of the Hop, and the center of the Green, each with single-digit completion rates — have had a resurgence of sorts, with 11 percent, 12 percent, and 10 percent completion rates, respectively. Additionally, 11 percent of seniors completed Phil Hanlon’s yard, while the 50-yard line became the least popular of the Seven at only six percent. Like in past years, the Greek affiliated tended to complete the Dartmouth Seven more than the unaffiliated; however, the difference was much smaller, at 41 percent for the affiliated and 17 percent for the unaffiliated, compared to 53-15 in 2018. Members of fraternities also had a particular affinity for Phil Hanlon’s yard and the Steps of Dartmouth Hall, completing these at around twice the rates of the unaffiliated or members of sororities (14 percent to eight percent for both).

Other aspects of student relationships prove to have changed from years past, as well. A plurality, 33 percent, now report that they did not date anyone at Dartmouth.

Thirty-one percent report dating one person (previously the plurality at 42 percent); 25 percent report dating two people; and 11 percent report dating three or more people. Similar to previous years, 42 percent of students report having had sex for the first time at Dartmouth, and a further 43 percent report having had sex before Dartmouth; the remaining 15 percent report never having sex at all.

Regarding the use of drugs and alcoholic substances, 27 percent of students report drinking for the first time at Dartmouth; and 37 percent report using other drugs/substances for the first time at Dartmouth. Seventy percent of students report drinking before

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

PAGE 7

Senior Sur vey

AND AARON LEE

mouth

Dartmouth — the remaining three percent re port having never drunk at all. Thirty-four percent of seniors report having never done any other drugs/ substances. Among those who did use drugs/substances while at Dartmouth, the drug of choice tended to be marijuana, with 93 percent reporting having used it at some point during their time at college. Other drugs had much lower use rates: 47 percent report having used tobacco, 33 percent report having used non-prescribed

medications, 28 percent report having used cocaine and 11 percent report having used LSD. When asked which of five key Dartmouth events — FirstYe a r Tr i p s , H o m e c o m i n g, Winter Carnival, Green Key and Sophomore Summer — were the most important for students, Green Key surged past Sophomore Summer and First-Year Trips to become the most important event for the Class of 2019, with 70 percent describing it as either very important or important.

Sophomore Summer was next, at 69 percent; First-Year Trips at 67 percent; Homecoming at 63 percent; and last was Winter Carnival, at just 33 percent.

National Politics The Class of 2019 will have graduated during a time when national politics are becoming increasing ly polarized, with socialism gaining popularity on the left and more clearly nationalist ideas taking ahold of the right.

During their time at Dartmouth, they experienced one of the fiercest presidential elections ever; many popular movements such as the #MeToo movement; and recent issues such as the Russia probe and the ongoing trade war with China. It is interesting, then, what the seniors make of all this.

Overall, most seniors describe themselves as somewhat liberal, at 34 percent; 26 percent describe themselves as very liberal, while 20 percent describe themselves as moderate, 13 percent as somewhat conservative and seven percent as very conservative. Given the increasing political polarization happening on the national level, however, it is perhaps surprising that the Class of 2019’s overall political/ideological views have changed very little since they began at Dartmouth four years ago — the percentages of those describing themselves as very liberal, somewhat liberal, moderate, somewhat conservative and very conservative differ by zero to three percent in each category.

This is also a significant breakaway from previous classes, for whom Dartmouth seems to have made a much larger impact on political views: for instance, the Class of 2018 saw a 14 percent increase in the very liberal category, while the Class of 2017 saw a 17 percent increase; the Class of 2019, on the other hand, saw a two percent decrease.

Given the strongly liberal class body, it is unsurprising that many right-wing institutions are generally viewed negatively.

Eighty-seven percent of the Class of 2019 have an unfavorable view of President Donald Trump, 78 percent have an unfavorable view

of the Republican Party, and 63 percent have an unfavorable view of the trade war with China. Interestingly, despite being strongly liberal, the Class of 2019 has mixed views on the Democratic Party: 34 percent view the Democratic Party favorably, 32 percent view the Democratic Party unfavorably and 34 percent are unsure. Students are also divided on the Supreme Court, which has a favorable-unfavorable split of 25-24, and on the Russia investigation, at 24-31. Wall

Street and Congress are viewed more unfavorably, with a 16-39 favorable-unfavorable split for the former and an 8-48 split for the latter. Wall Street, in particular, has been seen increasingly unfavorably over the past few years: 26 percent of the Class of 2018 viewed Wall Street favorably, and 53 percent of the Class of 2017 viewed Wall Street favorably.

Like in previous years, students in the Class of 2019 indicate that their social networks generally follow their political views. Sixty

percent say that all or most of their friends share the same political views that they do, while a further 34 percent say that some of their friends do. Those who are very liberal or very conservative are by far the most likely to report that all of their friends share their views.

For the other frequencies (many, some, few, never), liberals are more likely to report that their friends share their political views; though in large part, this is likely because far more members of the Class of 2019 are liberal in the first place.

Women are also significantly more likely than men to have friends with similar political views.

Post-Graduation Life The Class of 2019 will land in similar states to previous classes, with New York (26 percent) representing the most popular destination, followed

by Massachusetts (25 percent), Califor nia (15 percent) and Washington, D.C. (11 percent).

One interesting discrepancy is that very few members of the Class

of 2019 will be headed abroad, around one percent, while a much larger portion (five percent) of the Class of 2018 moved outside the U.S. after graduation.

The vast majority of the Class of 2019 will be headed directly for work after graduation. Seventythree percent say that they plan to work after Dartmouth, while 20 percent will go to a medical, law or other graduate school. Compared to previous years, far more of the Class of 2019 will enter consulting, at 27 percent (eight percent for the

Class of 2018), while far fewer will enter academia, at four percent (13 percent for the Class of 2018), and health, at 11 percent (eight percent for the Class of 2018). Twenty-two percent of 2019 seniors will enter finance, 14 percent will enter technology/engineering and eight percent will enter government/ politics.

In terms of where the Class of 2019 would like to end up 10 years from now, the fields become very well-balanced. Government/ politics was the most popular

at 15 percent, and health at 11 percent. Ten percent of graduating seniors would like to end up in consulting, and a similar 10 percent for entrepreneurship; while nine percent of graduating seniors would like to work in each of academia and finance. Each of the popular initial fields — consulting, finance and engineering — saw significant decreases in desirability 10 years down the line, while the initially unpopular academia, health and government each saw huge increases in student count.

Overall, 31 percent of the Class of 2019 anticipate graduating with no debt, similar to the Class of 2018; of these students, the median debt was exactly $20,000, identical to that of the Class of 2018. Families’ financial backgrounds make a big difference in this regard — 49 percent of students whose families make less than $50,000 will graduate with no debt, while 89 percent of students with family incomes of over $200,000 will graduate with no debt. Forty-four percent of seniors indicate that they expect to receive financial assistance from their parents following graduation, while the remaining 56 percent will not. Again, students from higher income backgrounds are more likely to receive assistance, though not by much: 40 percent of students with family incomes below $50,000 expect to receive assistance, while 50 percent of students with family incomes above $200,000 expect to receive assistance.

Methodology From Tuesday, May 28 to Wednesday, June 5, The Dartmouth fielded an online survey of Dartmouth senior students on their opinions and experiences at the school. The survey was sent out to 1,061 seniors through their school email addresses.

196 responses were recorded, resulting in a 18.5 percent response rate. Using administrative data from the College’s Office of Institutional Research, responses were weighted by Greek affiliation and race/ethnicity. Weighting was done through iterative poststratification (raking). Survey results have a margin of error +/- 6.32.

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

YOGA ACHARYA

TERESA ALVARADO

We wish you a wonderful future as you graduate from Dartmouth! The world is yours to explore.

May this unbridled excitement continue to take you to greater heights.

Love, Papa, Amma, Garuth, Grandmothers and Grandfathers, uncles and aunts and cousins

We are extremely proud of all the academic accomplishments you have achieved so far. Nevertheless, we are even prouder of the exceptional human being you became; beautiful inside out. You are the living proof that with passion, dedication and big dreams, amazing things are possible.

Love, The Alvarado Family

SLOANE BASHFORD

DOUGLAS BEAHM

We have been honored to watch you grow into a wonderful, caring and compassionate woman, but the greatest honor is having you for a daughter and sister.

Follow your dreams and soar!

Love, Mom, Dad and Cole

Celebrate your hard earned success as you commence your wondrous life journey!

Love, Dad

ZACHARY BENJAMIN

MICHAEL BIH

When I was taking Lamaze classes, I was asked what my goal as a parent was. My answer was for you “to enjoy the magic of childhood while acquiring the skills needed to become a happy person, productive adult, competent parent and responsible citizen.�

Congratulations Zach, we love you!

-Mom and friends

We are delighted at your accomplishment at Dartmouth and excited about your next chapter.

We will continue to be cheering you on!

Love, Mom & Dad

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SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

LAUREN BISHOP

MOLLY BRICKMAN

You live every day to the fullest, take advantage of every opportunity, lift up everyone around you and make the world a better place. Wherever life takes you, you will have two very proud women beside you.

All our love, Mom and Alexandra

We are so proud of you Molly!!!

MATT BROWN

RIVERS CAHEE

So proud of the man you’ve become — engaging, inquisitive, thoughtful and eloquent, a leader of your own life. Keep your love of learning and tell the stories you see in the world; you will be a significant voice for others.

Love you much, Mom & Dad

Rivers, we are so proud to be your parents. You have always amazed us by always setting goals and being the very best at everything you set your mind to do. Continue to put God first.

We love you.

PAUL CANE

NICHOLAS CERVENKA

Congratulations, Paul, on achieving your academic and athletic goals at the College on the Hill. Now you’re on to the next chapter, with much more success to come.

Felicidades, y bien hecho.

Love, Mom, Dad ‘76, and Katherine ‘21

Always the student — from studying the Petroglyph Fields in Hawaii to Dartmouth’s African Environmental Studies Program. “We know you got mountains to climb but always stay humble and kind.” Proud of you.

Love, Dad, Mom & Kenny

LOVE LOVE LOVE, Mom, Dad, Natalie and Roxy

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

ABOUBACAR CHERIF

ZACHARY COHEN

Growing up, we could always tell you were talented. We knew in our heart you’d have many accomplishments. As you go into the next chapter of your life you will have many more. You are the best son and brother we could ever ask for.

Love, Mom, Dad and siblings

Zachary — we are all so proud of you!

Congratulations on yet another milestone. You are an amazing son, brother and young man.

We love you!

Dad, Mom, Lauren, Matthew and Ashley

CHLOË CONACHER

ALEXANDER DANILOWICZ

Congratulations Chloë!

We are so proud of you. Cherish these memories, nurture your friendships, stay true to yourself and follow your dreams.

Love, Mom, Dad, Chas and Jasper

Ready to take on the world! That’s how it’s always been, since you were four. We are so proud of your character, your kindness, and your desire always to do the right thing. Tons of Love, Mom & Dad

RASHAAD COOPER

RASHAAD COOPER

What a Journey ... It’s been a great honor watching you grow into the young man you’ve become! We’re ready for the next leg of your journey. Whatever you choose to pursue — make sure to “Aim High Young King!”

Proud Pops!

Hey Shaadybo, -I am so happy to see you reach this point after lots of hard work. You are still heading for greater things and I love watching your journey.

Love, Rae -You’re the best brother and I love you so much!

Love, Rhaya

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SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

CALLAN DELINE

KATIE DISHNER

Congratulations on a job well done! We are so proud of you for all of your academic and athletic successes while at Dartmouth.

Love, Mom and Dad

Congratulations Katie! I am incredibly proud of you and carry you in my heart always.

Love, Mom

ASHLEY DUPUIS

ANNA ELLIS

We are proud of your accomplishments while at Dartmouth. You have followed your dreams and challenged yourself to be the best you can be.

As you start the next chapter of your life leave a trail don’t take a path!

Love, Mom & Dad

We are so proud of you, Anna!

Love, Mom, Dad and Tucker

JOHNNY EMANUEL

ALEX ERMIDES

Congratulations Johnny! What a great four years you’ve had ... We couldn’t be more proud of you. Life is a journey. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” -Confucius Love, Mom, Dad and Lizzy

As you wind your way along life’s path, remember that the most rewarding and enjoyable part is the journey. Keep smiling as you continue your quest for learning and adventure. We are so proud of you!

Love, Mom & Dad

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

JOSEPH FINKELSTEIN

SHELBI FITZPATRICK

You have brought us boundless joy! Thanks for sharing your beautiful soul, offbeat humor, and gusto for life. We look forward to watching you scale life’s mountains (and ski down them).

Love, love, love, love ... Mom, Dad, Anna, and Sarah

You are on your way! We are so proud of you.

We love you and the beautiful, strong woman you have become. We wish you happiness, health and more wonderful adventures.

Much love, Dad & Mom

CHARIS FREIMAN-MENDEL

CHARIS FREIMAN-MENDEL

Congratulations, Dolly ... u r the bomb!

Keep the fond memories of four wonderful years at Dartmouth close to your heart, and rememborize, the adventure continues :-) Be uncompromising in creating the life you want. … PGOTPAD, we love you madly. xox, Maman, Faj, Diego, Jorge

From the proudest big brother to the best little sister — congratulations on graduating! Excited to see you crush it in the next adventure in SF. But before then, make sure to relax a little this summer xox

AVA GIGLIO

MEREDITH HOLMES

From diapers to Dartmouth — you more than crawled your way through. You make the world a happier place and you light up every room you enter. We’re so proud of all you’ve accomplished!

Your biggest fans, Mama and Dad

Congratulations Meredith! Words cannot express how proud we are of your amazing accomplishments. A much too fast four years but we know Dartmouth is forever etched in your heart.

Love, Mom, Dad, Katharine, Circe & Merlin

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THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

AMY-MARIE IRVINE

ADAM JASMIN

CONGRATULATIONS!!

We are so very proud of you, all your hard work and many accomplishments, and more importantly for your Beautiful Heart and Goodness which speaks volumes to the wonderful young lady you are.

Love, Mom, Dad, Kristen & Jessie

Congratulations son! You’ve conquered obstacles and achieved some amazing goals!

I’m so proud of you! Keep planning, keep working hard and stay focused as you enter the next phase of your life!

Praying always and love you forever, Mom

ZACH JOSEPH

MATT KASKEY

So much to say ...

“Anything can happen child, anything can be.”

-Shel Silverstein “Somewhere something incredible is waiting to be known.”

-Carl Sagan Love you always! Momma, Dad & Maxwell

Congratulations Matt on an amazing four years!

We are so proud of you and all of your friends and teammates. What an incredible place.

Go Big Green!

CELESTE KEARNEY

NICOLE KNAPE

Congratulations on this magnificent achievement! We thank God every day for blessing us with you, our beautiful, smart, and kind daughter. You will continue to make a positive difference in the world. We love you more than words can say!

Dearest Nicole, we are very proud of you on this day; it’s all because of your determination and a good attitude. Your optimistic view will always be your friend and take you to your destination.

We love you!

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

PAGE 7

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

KARINA KORSH

SARAH KOVAN

Stay sassy Karina!

Love Mom, Dad, Joj and Coz

You have been all about the Big Green since you were a little girl. We are so proud of all that you have learned and accomplished at Dartmouth. Keep those lessons and this special place in your heart always.

Love, M&D

ISABELLE LEONAITIS

CY LIPPOLD

Proud does not cover it. Your enthusiasm for education, exploring the globe and friendship is inspirational. Watching you navigate your path will always be our great pleasure.

Much love, Mom, Dad, Olivia & Emerson

As you end one chapter and start a new, we have no doubt you will fill it with meaning, hope, love and faith. We are so proud of you! Continue to make LIPPOLD Legend.

Love, Mom, Dad, Cayne, Coree, Cephelo and Cevyn

RAINA LOPEZ

MAX LURIE

Congratulations on all of your success. You have made us all proud. Spread out your wings and soar high. You worked hard and it paid off. Best wishes on your next adventure.

Love, Mom, Dad, Kyler & Ata

We’re so happy to share the excitement of your graduation day. May you always find yourself as happy and filled with dreams as you are today.

With love and pride, Mom, Dad, Ilana, Grandma & Grandpa

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THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

ARMIN JONATHAN MORTAZAVI

ALEXANDER NEWMAN

Armin we are very proud of you for your achievements at Dartmouth College. We wish you happiness, health and success in your journey through life, and hope you never stop working hard to achieve your dreams.

We love you, Mom, Dad, Arya and Armond

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world.” -Mahatma Gandhi We are proud of you and we will always be there for you.

Love, Mom, Dad and Joshua

JONNY NIERENBERG

VENICE NOMOF

A prouder family there is not!

Congratulations, Jonny — we love you!

We are so incredibly proud of you!! It was never easy and you dared not give up. Remember the sunscreen and that you are always loved to the moon and back. Thank you for giving us this incredible moment!!!!

COLLEEN O’CONNOR

ZACHARY PANTON

We are so very proud of not just your outstanding Dartmouth academic career, but of EVERYTHING you have achieved, all the places you’ve been, connections you’ve made and people you’ve touched. You are truly amazing!

Love, Mom, Dad & Kathryn

Congratulations on your achievement! Keep up the good work; we wish you success in all you do. We are so proud of you!

Mommy, Daddy, Kyle, Jasmine and Alyssa

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

PAGE 9

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

ELLEN PATTINSON

EMILY PITTS

Congratulations Ellen! We’re so happy and proud as we watch your hard work, determination, and sense of adventure pay dividends. You’ll always be a Dartmouth grad and our Ellen girl.

Love, Mum, Dad, John and Maple

Congratulations, Emily!

You’ve come a long way, baby!

We’re so proud of you and all you’ve accomplished.

All our love, Mom & Dad, Margot & Anna

CAYLA PLOTCH

CAROLINE POLEWAY

Dear Cayla, We are so very proud of all that you have accomplished at Dartmouth. You have admirably balanced academic excellence with a dedication to social responsibility and engagement.

Congratulations on an exceptional four years!

Love, Mom, Dad and Liana

CarolineWe are all so proud of your accomplishments and how much you have grown from this high school girl to today.

More important is what happens next,“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.” Love you lots, Mom & Dad

MARCO POMPILJ

MARCO POMPILJ

Since the day you came screaming into this world, you have been the light of my life, my North Star and my inspiration.

You have grown into a remarkable young man, guided by your heart, grit, resilience and joyous spirit, now destined for a life of great joy and achievements.

With love, Zia Eve

To our beloved son athlete, artist and student of philosophy Be strong and courageous!

FORZA e CORAGGIO mom e papa

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THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

AUSTEN ROBINSON

AMANDA ROYEK

Congratulations on your graduation from Dartmouth. Your family is very proud of you at this special time. Your wonderful education and strong values will serve you well as you begin your next adventure.

Love, Mom, Dad, Gordon, Malcolm and Gwen

We are incredibly proud of you and we applaud your courage to triumph over adversity again and again! We stand confident in your ability to make a meaningful and extraordinary impact on those around you and also the world!

Love, Mom, Dad and Andrew

TYLER SALEM

KARAM SANDHU

TylerThe years have flown by! We stand proud of all you have accomplished, and we look forward to all that lies ahead of you.

Love, Dad, Mom and Lindsay (and everyone else!)

Congratulations Karam! We are so proud of you and all that you have achieved at Dartmouth!

Keep believing in yourself and always strive for the very best. Stay happy and healthy.

We love you!

Mom, Dad, Milan, Neelam, Dadaji and Dadiji

PRIYA SANKAR

BRIAN SCHOENFELD

Congratulations dearest child.

We are incredibly proud of you and your accomplishments, and will continue cheering you on as you reach for the stars.

Love, Mom, Dad, Aachi and Thatha

We love you, Brian Jake Schoenfeld! We’re so incredibly proud of you and so thrilled at the uniquely amazing, astounding, brilliant, and kind person that you are!

LOVE YOU SO MUCH! xoxoxo, Mommy, Daddy, Adam and Lewis the Beagle

SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 2019

THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

KATHLEEN SEIBERT

CAROLINE SHAUNESSY

We are elated to be sharing this moment in your journey and look forward to celebrating many of your milestones in the future.

Love, Mom & Dad

We are so proud of the kind, talented, and beautiful (on the inside and out) young lady, you have become. Congratulations on everything you have achieved so far and we can’t wait to see what the future brings.

We love you so very much.

Mom, Dad, Jules, Nanny and Papa

SAM STOCKTON

CALYPSO TAUSIG

Sam, Congratulations on your graduation! We are so proud of you and excited for your future!

Love, Mom, dad, William and Lucky

Look back with pride on a job well done.

Look forward with excitement to what lies ahead.

We are so proud of you; it’s time to celebrate!!!

We love you so so so much!!!

Love, Mom and Dad and Skye

BRIAN THORPE

HENRY TRACEY

We are SO PROUD! You continue to amaze us with your gifted intellect, your remarkable discipline and work ethic, your unwavering conviction to principals, and your tremendous capacity to love.

On to the next exciting adventure!

Love, Mom and Dad

Henry, congratulations on your graduation.

We are so proud of you in so many ways, and excited to see all of your future successes in the Army and beyond. love, Mommy & Deedee

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THE DARTMOUTH COMMENCEMENT & REUNION 2019

Congratulations, Class of 2019!

CRISTIAN VENCES

JAMES WEN

Our Cristian how you have shown us what never giving up really means.

When you joined the debate team and you first came home so sad because you wouldn’t get any place and we always told you don’t give up and you didn’t, you start bringing 3rd place then 2nd then 1st and then became the best in the Houston ISD school district, because you believed in yourself. When you said that the only school you wanted to go to was Dartmouth even bough yourself a sweatshirt while in HS and again you proved that you did what you set your mind to do. Your learn that you can accomplish what you set out to do as long as you believe in yourself and never give up. We love you dearly and believe you have many more accomplishment to fulfill. God bless you our son.

Congratulations James!

We are so proud of you now and always.

Love, Baba & Mama

JULES WHEATON

MIRANDA ROSE WORL

We are so proud of you as you move on from this magical place to your next adventure!

Love, Mom & Dad and EB

Saaaaweeeetness! You and your classmates conquered Dartmouth and muggles on the Programming Board conjured up a Magical Winter Carnival of “Icecraft and Blizzardry” during your tenure!! Congratulations Miranda!

Yee gu.aa yáx x’wán! Have courage as you take on the future!

CONNOR YAU

MARWAN ZELMAT

Take your final “Yau Bow” as you receive your diploma at Commencements, the most important one of your Dartmouth tenure!

Congratulations Sixer! xo, Mamma & Daddio

You have given us so much joy and we have loved watching you grow into an amazing young man! We are so proud of you! We can’t wait to see what the next chapter brings! Always stay true to yourself and enjoy the journey.

Love, Mom, Dad and Jordi

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Senior interns work to make the Hood Museum inclusive

B y Lucy Turnipseed

to forget it is so subjective that your experience with the work is just as The Dartmouth Staff valid as anyone else’s. People are The first set of Hood Museum afraid to be wrong.” senior inter ns in the newlyHomma Family intern Victoria renovated museum have set McCraven ’19, who worked with a precedent for inclusion and American art, said that she also innovation within the space. wanted to make her exhibit more Besides the two Native American inclusive.

Art interns, who collaborated “ I w a n t t o e n g a g e m o re on creating an entire gallery, communities and new artists the six members of the Class of at Dartmouth because I think 2019 and one member of the sometimes people think that [the Class of 2020 who participated arts are] only for certain people,” in the internship program each McCraven sid. put together their own exhibit or At the same time, she said “Space for Dialogue” within an strug g led to summarize her individual specialty. feelings about the art in a way Each intern was given the that was readily accessible to chance to choose works, arrange visitors. art, write accompanying captions “It was really challenging to for their show and prepare a gallery portray what I’ve been working on talk to introduce their exhibit. The for almost nine months in just a Hood will display each exhibit for matter of 150 words,” McCraven five weeks, and the first one was said. presented in May. Levinson intern Jules Wheaton While putting together their ’19, who worked on campus exhibits, the interns said they felt engagement, said she similarly that the Hood supported their grappled with the presentation visions. Many of information i n t e r n s eve n “I want to engage to the public. had the chance W h e a t o n to acquire new more communities expressed works for their and new artists at concer n over shows. not giving Dartmouth because Dillen Peace one absolute ’19, a Native I think sometimes interpretation American Art people think that of the artist’s intern, said that intentions this opportunity [the arts are] only for but also was a rare one certain people.” highlighting because he the themes that feels the spaces are relevant to o n c a m p u s -VICTORIA MCCRAVEN ’19, her exhibit. where Native HOMMA FAMILY INTERN “Sometimes American I feel like I studies and art don’t have the combine are lacking. authority to speak on behalf of However, Peace said he tried the art or the artists,” Wheaton to make this opportunity count, said. carefully thinking about how his Although not an artist herself, message could reach all museum Wheaton said she feels a deep visitors effectively. understanding of the arts.

“No matter if it’s a sixth-grade Armando Pulido ’19, a Class student or an art historian, they of 1954 curatorial intern who both have a right to understand worked with global contemporary and both of their perspectives art, likewise expressed a feeling of should be considered when writing responsibility to the artist and the the labels,” he said. viewer.

Peace added that any individual “You feel like you have a sense should feel empowered to engage of authority over the works and you with art. want to make sure you’re telling “Sometimes people can be the story right,” Pulido said. “You intimidated to engage in any kind have that power over the public, of dialogue about works, to just in a sense.” have an opinion about certain Pulido’s exhibit, which is works,” Peace said. “People tend the first to be on display in the

DIVYA KOPALLE/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

The renovated Hood Museum reopened in January 2019. The galleries are open to the public Wednesday through Sunday.

museum, is the first Hood exhibit to include labels in both English and Spanish. He said he wants to cater to a new audience that often gets forgotten in the Hanover area.

Wheaton said that one of her focuses is on bringing in people who might not be interested in going to museums without encouragement.

She added that there are a lot of soft entry points into the Hood, such as class visits to see different collections, so anyone and everyone on campus is now aware of the museum.

Additionally, McCraven added that publicity in the fall before the museum reopened contributed to campus fascination with the Hood.

“I think we made people really interested to see what we were doing,” McCraven said.

After realizing how important the Hood could be on campus, the interns wanted to make an impact through their work. Being an intern “seemed like the best way

to be entirely involved with [the museum],” Wheaton said.

Some of the interns also see their job as valuable work experience.

“As a Hood intern, you’re in the workforce in a way,” McCraven said.

Wheaton became a Hood intern after being an intern at the Hopkins Center for the Arts the year before and similarly engaging students in programming. She said the chance to combine art with communications was a great opportunity to experience what working in a museum would actually be like.

“It’s the most real job that I found on campus,” Wheaton said.

“I’m not just doing my homework and getting paid — I’m seriously contributing to the museum and to our external efforts to an actual exhibit that’s going to be on display.”

McCraven encouraged other Dartmouth students to consider

doing the internship even if they do not already have a background in art.

“You don’t have to be an art expert to do the internship,” said McCraven, who only began taking art history classes in her junior year.

According to the cur rent interns, their time at the Hood has been valuable both academically and professionally.

“It was the best professional experience I can imagine and, academically, was something concrete to conclude my Dartmouth experience,” Wheaton said.

Throughout their time at the Hood, the interns learned the value of working creatively and collaboratively — lessons that they will take with them after college.

“I think you can never stop learning how to be a good curator, good researcher or good colleague or collaborator,” Pulido said.

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THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF ZACHARY BENJAMIN ‘19

Remembering the Tower Room Dartmouth is a flawed place. I love it anyway.

The first time I stepped into the Tower Room, I audibly gasped. It was during a late-night tour of Dartmouth, part of the Dimensions program, and I attracted some strange looks from my fellow tour-goers. But I couldn’t help myself.

The hardwood floors and tables, the shelves full of dusty old books, the cozy nooks and alcoves, the vaulted ceilings, the warm glow of the lamps and the chandeliers — all of these things flooded into my vision, enamoring me and exciting me and overwhelming me. It was the kind of storied, iconic library that I’d only ever dreamed about, a real-life Hogwarts conjured up before my eyes.

I couldn’t believe that this was a real place that mere mortals could casually enter.

“You mean this place is just ... open?” I remember asking my tour guide. “You’re telling me that anyone can just ... come in here, whenever?”

Four years later, I’ve spent less time in the Tower Room than I expected I would — I’m partial to Sanborn Library these days — but I still find myself marveling at just how beautiful Dartmouth really is. Some parts are obvious: Baker Tower rising above the Green, the greenshuttered rows of residence halls across campus, the near-phosphorescent glow of the fall foliage.

Other things are smaller, but no less wonderful: the cast-metal door knobs in Robinson Hall, the carved wooden chairs that fill so many classrooms, the black-and-white tiles that greet visitors to Baker Lobby.

I marvel at the people, as well, because it’s remarkable how amazing so many of them are.

Before coming here, I never knew just how many varieties of intelligence there are in the world.

It’s awe-inspiring to be surrounded every day by hundreds of people who are more brilliant and accomplished than I can ever dream of being.

But what’s just as remarkable as this place, as these people, is how easy it is for me to become desensitized to these wonders. When you’ve got three papers to write and a week to write them and you’ve been averaging three hours of sleep per night, it’s easy to dismiss the campus and the people as just so much background scenery.

I feel some guilt at this dismissal, especially in light of my own background. My high school was not a classically beautiful place, at least not in the way that Dartmouth is. I attended a dual-enrollment program located at my local community college, meaning that I took college classes in the morning and high school classes in the afternoon. There were some genuinely gorgeous places there, most notably the koi pond in the center of campus, but there was also a lot of worn stucco and dusty stairs and dirty paint — and they existed without the luster and charm that long-reaching historical memory provides.

More importantly, my high school was a completely different environment than Dartmouth. Stockton, the city where I went to school, was named in 2011 by Forbes Magazine as the “Most Miserable City in America.” Many of my classmates in my college courses were not successful young people already planning to run the world. While there were many traditional 18- to 22-year-old college students, there were also single mothers, 40-somethings returning to school for the first time in decades, highschool dropouts trying to start over with a new beginning.

So while I had more than my fair share of privilege coming into Dartmouth, the casual wealth and prestige of this campus are still staggering to me. At times, they are actively infuriating. I’m astonished at the number of casually dismissive comments I’ve heard here about state schools, or the number of students who seem to believe their test scores and grades entitle them to six-figure jobs and parties every weekend fresh out of college. The social dynamics on campus, the casual classifications of everything from Greek houses to dining locations as “A-side” or “B-side,” are just as toxic. Don’t get me wrong — there are countless students here who have gone through more in life than I ever will, and countless more who are genuinely humble and grateful for all that they’ve been given. But it’s undeniable that the Dartmouth bubble is real, and even though students profess to be self-aware about it, all too often we aren’t.

The most infuriating part, though, is when I notice myself sinking into these same patterns of myopia — and then, in turn, find myself overcompensating. How silly it is to be concerned about Greek rush or senior society taps or tails invites, I tell myself. How silly it is to compete about employers and jobs and the prestige of post-graduation plans. How silly it is to get worked up about Dartmouth when there’s a whole world out there that neither knows nor cares about these collegiate diversions — a world that I will soon be re-entering.

But while these statements are largely true, they can also create a dangerous sense of cynicism — a temptation to write off the entire institution as flawed, to declare that Dartmouth

is just a bastion of privilege that one needs to rise above.

And so whenever I’m tempted to become too negative about Dartmouth and its privilege, I remember that first night in the Tower Room, and the sense of wonder it inspired.

I’ve been thinking a lot over the past few days about how I feel to finally be graduating.

Part of me can’t wait to be gone from campus, and part of me can’t stand to be leaving. But as I think about the memories I want to have of this place, I think I’ve reached two conclusions.

The first is that I never want to become so enamored with the idea of Dartmouth that I ignore its flaws. If I ever allow myself to become so in love with this place that I forget where I came from, or the vast variety of experiences that exist outside the Dartmouth bubble, then I’ll have failed not only myself, but everything that a liberal arts education is supposed to stand for.

But the second is to never allow myself to take Dartmouth and its wonders for granted.

Privilege shouldn’t be blinding, but nor should I blind myself to what a remarkable and wonderful place the College on the Hill is. When you’re in the ivory tower, it’s important to remember to look outside — but it’s also important to cherish every moment that you’re allowed to spend inside.

I’ve spent four years in the Dartmouth bubble.

And as flawed as they were, I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

Zachary Benjamin ’19 is the former editor-in-chief of The Dartmouth.

THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF IOANA SOLOMON ‘19

No Do-Overs

Remembering my Dartmouth for what it was, not what it could have been.

“I could’ve done better.” For a long time, that thought has been nestled comfortably into my headspace, surfacing with frustrating regularity. It’s what I told myself after every high school debate tournament in which I couldn’t conquer my anxieties, after every column I’ve written for The Dartmouth that didn’t convey the eloquence I wish I had, after every exam, every race, every interview. Recently, it’s a conclusion to which I’ve returned repeatedly when reflecting on my Dartmouth experience.

I’ve spent a lot of time this term trying to weigh the regrets I had about my time on this campus against the ways in which I felt like I’ve succeeded here, throwing everything onto an imaginary scale to figure out if I was at a net negative or net positive.

On countless late nights, I’ve wondered if I did Dartmouth the “right” way, and where I would be had I made different decisions, chosen different paths.

Perhaps my biggest regret is that I never came to feel like I belonged here. Freshman fall, I joined the rowing team longing for a community of women whose strength and resilience would ground me. A year later, I still felt invisible, and I craved an environment in which I could make a difference.

I decided to rush my sophomore fall, not because I truly bought into the Greek system, but because I lacked alternatives and I was curious about what an all-female social space had to offer. The rush process was overwhelming and disingenuous, but

I reluctantly accepted a bid. At the time, here was through editing The Dartmouth.

I couldn’t afford to alienate myself from Starting junior spring, I spent every weeknight a system that is so deeply entrenched on in the production room surrounded by this campus and which I perceived as the dedicated, ambitious, incredible people main vessel to social inclusion. I retained who’ve had a marked impact on my life. hope that I could learn to I cared about the work comply with Dartmouth’s we were doing, and I felt social canons — that “I’m glad I didn’t do like the time and energy if I rendered myself Dartmouth ‘better.’

I was investing actually m a l l e a b l e e n o u g h I mattered. But once the The times when I would start to fit in. d i r e c t o r a t e r e a c h e d That winter, I left deviated from norms, the end of its tenure campus to study abroad the times when I fell and we were no longer in Paris. T housands committed to spending o f m iles aw ay f ro m and had to get back our nights on the second Hanover, I spent a lot of up, and the times floor of Robinson Hall, time in my own head, and part of me felt that the when I’ve had to I began to find myself. I home I’d found was only gained the confidence I retrace my steps and temporary. needed to realize that I take a different route In my four years here, I was capable of carving never found one place to my own way through have all made me who settle in. But regardless Dartmouth, one where I I am.” of how often I dwell stopped relying on social over what I could’ve or athletic institutions done better or how many in which I didn’t feel alter nate scenarios I I belonged. I quit the imagine, my inability rowing team and I deto root myself here has pledged my sorority, somewhat terrified at a lot to do with the kind of environment the prospect of starting over but knowing Dartmouth fosters. This campus is both that I needed to be on a different path. I isolated and isolating, holding far too tightly wanted to build friendships that weren’t onto traditions and institutions that are based on the name of a team or the letters of long overdue for change. As eye-opening a house, and I wanted a college experience and empowering the liberal arts education free of labels and pretense. students receive here can be, it isn’t enough The closest I came to finding community to offset a culture that nurtures privilege,

silences dissent and perpetuates harmful hierarchies.

Had I done things differently, some of the organizations in which I might’ve found community are ones that actively enable this culture. And the Dartmouth I might’ve loved is an institution with which I’ve become increasingly frustrated and disillusioned.

I’m glad I didn’t do Dartmouth “better.”

The times when I deviated from norms, the times when I fell and had to get back up, and the times when I’ve had to retrace my steps and take a different route have all made me who I am. I found meaning on this campus once I gained the strength to process my experiences, once I stopped hiding my vulnerabilities and once I started to be unapologetically honest. I’ve found people who’ve shown me kindness, understanding, and support, and I’ve grown most when I’ve been able to show those things to myself.

The “perfect” Dartmouth experience I often imagine wouldn’t have brought me here. I’m proud of who I’ve become, and I’d like to think that I got to where I am less because of, and more in spite of, what Dartmouth really is. I’m grateful for every experience I’ve had on this campus and for every lesson I’ve learned. This weekend, I’ll be walking across the stage confident in the knowledge that my time at Dartmouth happened exactly the way it was supposed to happen.

Ioana Solomon ’19 is the former production executive editor of The Dartmouth.

THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF AMANDA ZHOU ‘19

Climbing Mountains, Drinking Beer Feeling like an outsider to Dartmouth’s social systems.

Most of my favorite evenings have ended the same way, talking to friends. These days, that’s sitting in the kitchen at the Sustainable Living Center, where waffles are usually present. But freshman year, that was right outside of my room on the first floor of Berry Hall in the McLaughlin cluster. A few of my newest college friends and I, sitting on the carpeted floor, backs up against the wall.

Other groups of freshmen would move in and out of the building, stepping over our legs, sometimes laughing loudly or wearing flair, but we stayed there, fixed to the ground. It was one of those evenings when our undergraduate advisor commented that it seemed that everyone seemed to fall into one of two social groups at Dartmouth: the outdoors or Greek life. I felt a quiet, nervous wave. Neither of those communities immediately appealed to me, but surely, I would eventually find a way to fit into one of those two spaces, right?

It’s true that Dartmouth has two main social systems: the Dartmouth Outing Club and the Greek houses. I found my place late after an accidental discovery of a love for rock climbing, but I’m lucky — it takes a certain amount of privilege to navigate either group. Until my senior year I felt like an outsider from these two parts of student life as newcomer to climbing and DOC meetings and a former member of a sorority.

Someone said to me recently that there are two ways students bond here: climbing mountains or drinking beer. As an incoming student, this would have sounded like exactly what I wanted out of college: a work-hard play-hard attitude paired with an appreciation for the environment that surrounded us. Now, I think about when I

felt I didn’t fit into either category and the parts of the student population that have been left out.

I started my last year here as a volunteer trip leader for the Dartmouth Outing Club’s First-Year Trips program. Our last day was at the newly-renovated Moosilauke Lodge, where Trip leaders were supposed to reflect on their Dartmouth experiences™️ and how those perspectives could guide a dozen-something freshmen through their transitions to college.

Frankly, my transition to Dartmouth had been easy, largely smoothed by the privilege of attending a boarding school. Moving into my freshman floor, there were many aspects of college that were familiar. Club meetings in a dining hall. Emailing teachers for clarifications on assignments. Calling my parents every other week. Check, check, check. The only thing that seemed to be new was that I could pull all-nighters without crying and that I now had the confidence to openly discuss my grades. I left high school not quite in one piece, and freshman year, I felt assured in my pre-health classes and friends.

I started to feel like an outsider my sophomore year, beginning with inter-sorority recruitment, where I was hit with Dartmouth’s penchant for intro questions — everything from the personal to the straight-up weird — asked on the floors of various sororities with various sisters rapid fire. Why did you choose Dartmouth? What was your favorite class? If you were a vegetable, what kind of fruit would you want to be? I never knew there were so many ways to have the same conversations with so many different people.

When I dropped rush, I had a panic attack in the second-floor bathroom of Robinson Hall, a few feet from where I worked at the newspaper.

Oh, did the Stall-Street Journal have advice for me. I must have sat on that toilet with my pants and backpack on for at least an hour. During rush, I had stressed over wearing makeup, the choice between a dress and a sweater, my words and the hundreds of subconscious signals each tiny decision could send. For the first time, I worried that talking about academics would make me look like an Asian stereotype.

Between my rush experience and watching my guy friends get bids and eventually reorient their social lives to fraternities, I felt like I lived in a different campus inlaid with gender, racial and class inequities. For the most part, women and men didn’t share the same house traditions or inhabit the same spaces, aside from scheduled functions. The lack of minority students on a given day or in the photos on the walls of different houses bothered me.

When I received a “snap bid” from Sigma Delta sorority out of the blue, I was determined to try and make the space work for me. If I simply attended enough events, made enough conversation with sisters, I would find community and empowerment, I thought. But by the end of my sophomore year, I was inactive and two years later, I submitted the paperwork to formally withdraw. I believe there is a value in singlegender spaces and a connection of living with people in a house, but I have a hard time believing those positive experiences can only come in the form of the Dartmouth Greek system.

Just as large and visible, the Dartmouth Outing Club is incredibly well supported both financially and by a whole office of full-time employees who manage facilities and vehicle reservations. Yet, I have often noticed when I am one of a few or the

only person of color on a climbing trip or in a club meeting. When I was a freshman, I noticed it the moment I walked into a room, unsure in my outdoors background and afraid to stand out. Now as someone comfortable in my place, I only take note of the diversity a little while in.

I don’t believe that students of color are simply not interested in the outdoors. It’s just difficult to join a space when you feel different from everyone else.

I’m grateful for the Dartmouth where I’ve been able to rediscover my love of learning and work — unhindered by my high school anxiety and insecurity — and tackle the physical and technical challenges of climbing. Dartmouth is where I decided to take the terrifying leap into reporting and journalism and had friends who guided and supported me. I’ve had adversity here — sometimes I conquered it in various levels of success. But Dartmouth is also where I learned how to advocate for myself and the issues of a social system segregated along racial, gender and class lines.

Earlier this week, I hiked Franconia Ridge with two friends. I expected a thorough sufferfest but step by slow step, we reached Mount Lincoln and saw the ridgeline stretched before us — the landscape folded and creased. It was a Monday and we shared the trail with only ourselves. It’s the kind of emptiness I will miss when work during the weekdays will keep me from the outdoors.

Years from now, these mountains will still be here — largely unchanged on a geological scale.

Hopefully, Dartmouth can be different.

Amanda Zhou ’19 is the former news executive editor of The Dartmouth.

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Four years of campus news seen by the Class of 2019 B y SAVANNAH ELLER The Dartmouth Staff

2015-16 In September, African and African American studies and English professor J. Martin Favor was arrested on felony charges for possession of child pornography.

Favor had been a professor at the College for 22 years.

I n S e p t e m b e r, C h i D e l t a sorority dissolved its affiliation with Delta Delta Delta, its national governing body, to become a local sorority.

The academic department formerly known as women’s and gender studies added “sexuality” to its name in September to more accurately describe the program’s emphasis on studying the LGBTQ community.

International applicants lost “need-blind” consideration starting with the Class of 2020 in favor of a “need-aware” policy in which financial considerations factor into the admissions process.

I n O c t o b e r, D a r t m o u t h joined the Coalition online application platform along with 80 other colleges and all of the Ivy League universities. The Coalition application is intended to serve as a less stress-inducing, more engaging alternative to the Common Application.

In October, the College installed the eduroam wireless network on campus. Few students were aware of the option and continued to use the Dartmouth Secure network.

In January, the College’s Board of Trustees approved a motion to establish a School of Graduate and Advanced Studies. Over 800 Ph.D., M.S. and M.A. students at the College, in addition to about 200 postdoctoral students, came under the purview of the new school. The move had been approved by the faculty in November.

In January, a fence was erected near the Collis Center in an effort to curb jaywalking and pedestrian safety issues. Pedestrian traffic between Collis and the Green was limited to the crosswalks at Robinson Hall and at the intersection of Main Street and Wheelock Street.

In February, Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity was suspended

by its national organization for a minimum of five years for violations of health and safety regulations and failure to comply with the standards of its national organization. Members were also suspended indefinitely from SAE national.

In April, The Hanover Zoning Board of Adjustment accepted SAE’s request to maintain its house as a residence, saying the derecognized fraternity had a right to be “grandfathered” under town ordinances.

The Skinny Pancake opened in May to long lines of new customers.

2016-17 An unattended charcoal grill caused a four-alarm fire to break out in Morton Hall — a dormitory in the East Wheelock housing cluster — in October. No injuries were reported, but all residents had to be relocated immediately.

In October, the first ever renovation of the Baker Library Bell Tower was finished. Costing $5.5 million, the renovation was completed in time for Homecoming.

In November, former students Sebastian Lim and Daniel Ro, who were members of the Class of 2019, admitted to causing the October Morton Hall fire in an online petition on the Care2 petition site. In the letter, the two apologized and asked for signatures on a petition to have themselves readmitted to the College following their expulsion. The letter did not change their disciplinary outcome, and the two students were expelled.

I n N ov e m b e r, ov e r 3 0 0 students, faculty and Upper Valley community members marched to protest Donald Trump’s election as president, calling the protest a “Walk for Love and Justice.”

A few days later, professors hosted a “teach-in” on elections in Carpenter Hall. Over 100 students, faculty members and town residents attended to discuss Trump’s election.

According to financial statements released in January, the College suffered a financial operating loss of $112 million in the 2015-16 financial year due to rising expenses and flat revenue growth. Much of the deficit came from a reorganization of the Geisel School of Medicine, which cost

$53.5 million.

In April, Native American studies professor N. Bruce Duthu ’80 was selected as the next dean of the faculty of arts and sciences but later declined the position following concer ns regarding his co-authorship of a 2013 declaration supporting a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.

Also in the spring, Kappa Delta Epsilon sorority was broken into.

The perpetrator of the incident wrote a sexually explicit note inside the sorority house.

In May, data were released indicating that the Class of 2021 had the highest admissions yield rate in 25 years, at 61 percent. Successful early decision applicants made up 43.4 percent of the class.

Everything But Anchovies, a Hanover pizza restaurant in operation for 38 years, closed permanently in May. The closure followed a decline in business after the opening of a Domino’s Pizza franchise in West Lebanon that delivered to campus.

2017-18 I n O c t o b e r, t h e C o l l e g e announced that psychology and brain sciences professors Todd Heatherton, William Kelley and Paul Whalen were put on paid leave following allegations of sexual misconduct. A criminal investigation was opened on the professors by state and local law enforcement.

In December, the College’s computer system was attacked by a strain of WannaCry, a ransomware virus developed

by North Korea, according to the Trump administration. The College’s file sharing network was shut down until the virus could be wiped.

In January, the New Hampshire Senate passed House Bill 372, which would redefine the term “resident” for purposes of voting or holding office in the state. Critics said the change could restrict the ability of students to vote in the state.

In February, the official Winter Carnival snow sculpture returned to campus after a three-year hiatus.

Corresponding with the carnival’s theme, “Snow Wars: May the Frost Be with You,” the sculpture

depicted a Darth Vader helmet.

Also in February, the College scrapped plans to build a new 750-bed residence hall in College Park due to cost concerns.

Over 140 students participated in “Take Back the Night,” an annual march in solidarity with sexual assault survivors, in April.

Nearly all fraternity, sorority and gender-inclusive Greek houses closed their doors during the march. Previous marches had seen much smaller turnouts.

In May, a committee convened to determine the fate of the Hovey Murals, located in the basement of the Class of 1953 Commons.

Controversial for their offensive depiction of Native Americans, the murals were under consideration for relocation to an off-site storage facility.

In June, psychological and brain sciences professor Todd Heatherton, alleged to have been involved in sexual misconduct, retired from the College. Paul Whalen resigned later that month.

Both faced revoked tenure and termination of employment.

William Kelley, the third p ro f e s s o r i m p l i c at e d i n t h e psychological and brain sciences allegations, resigned in July, marking the conclusion of the College’s internal investigation.

Like the other two professors, Kelley faced revoked tenure and termination of employment.

2018-19 The College announced in September that a new 350-bed undergraduate residence hall will be constructed at the corner of East Wheelock and Crosby Streets.

The land currently houses House Center A, better known as “the Onion,” and three tennis courts.

Also in September, the owner of the Dartmouth Bookstore announced that the store would be closing at the end of 2018 following its decision not to renew its lease.

The committee considering the future of the Hovey Murals recommended in September that the panels be moved to an off-site storage facility run by the Hood Museum of Art. In October, Hand, Foot and Mouth disease infected over 50 students on campus, prompting the cancellation of an Alpha Chi

Alpha fraternity chapter meeting and other events to curb the spread of the virus.

In October, the College limited freshmen to running only a single lap around the traditional Homecoming bonfire amid safety concerns and a refusal from the town of Hanover to grant an outdoors activities permit for the bonfire until changes to the ceremony were made.

A new $3.2 million house for Chabad at Dartmouth opened in October. The 9,000 square-foot facility is located two blocks from the Green.

A non-Dartmouth student was shot in November outside the Christian Science Reading Room in Hanover, sparking an active shooter response from campus officials and local law enforcement.

The alleged shooter, Gage Young, was later arrested and indicted on charges including second-degree assault with a deadly weapon.

No students attempted to touch the bonfire during the Homecoming ceremony.

In November, six current and former graduate women and one former undergraduate woman filed a $70-million federal class action lawsuit against the College. They alleged that the College, for more than 16 years, ignored claims of sexual harassment by former professors Heatherton, Kelley and Whalen.

In January, the Hood Museum reopened after a multi-year renovation project.

In February, at least three Dartmouth professors and 18 students were targeted by emails containing racial slurs and sexually explicit content. The emails were sent from fake email addresses that impersonated Dartmouth students.

In March, the Line@KAF app was launched to track the line at the King Arthur Flour Café in Baker-Berry Library.

In May, the College challenged the grant of anonymity to plaintiffs in the PBS lawsuit. Later in the month, Dartmouth and the nine women suing the College decided to pursue mediation.

On June 9, the Class of 2019 graduates. Nineteen-time Grammy award winning cellist Yo-Yo Ma speaks at the commencement ceremony.

BRIDGET MA/THE DARTMOUTH

From the 2016 fire in Morton Hall to the 2019 reopening of the newly-renovated Hood Museum, members of the Class of 2019 have seen many memorable events during their four years at the College.