VOL. CLXXVIII NO. 28
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
Local nursing homes report rising DHMC contends COVID-19 cases, staff shortages with staff shortages and full ICUs
MADISON COOK/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
BY NOAH DURHAM The Dartmouth
NAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
Staff report milder illness in residents with the omicron variant.
BY Lauren Azrin The Dartmouth
Omicron has found its way into nursing and retirement homes in the Upper Valley, which have reported rising cases and staff shortages. Although COVID-19 cases in residential care facilities in the Upper Valley have declined substantially since the elderly became eligible for booster vaccines, infection rates now seem to be climbing, according to interim medical director of Hanover Terrace Daniel Stadler. Stadler noted, however, that, “the severity of those cases does seem to be dramatically less.” According to Kendal at Hanover’s director of community relations and
marketing Jeff Roosevelt, cases have spiked slightly in the last two weeks despite the fact that a majority of residents have received their booster shots. He said the rise in cases now seems to be “coming back down.” S i m i l a rl y, W h e e l o c k Te r r a c e assisted living facility director Melissa Suckling described a small outbreak of six residents and one staff member that occurred after Thanksgiving, which she believes resulted from visitors over the holiday. “Otherwise we’ve had no [recent] cases with residents here in our facility,” she said. “We haven’t had any major outbreaks.” According to a state COVID-19 dashboard, on Jan. 19, New Hampshire
experienced a seven day average of 2,663 active COVID-19 cases, and a seven day average positive test rate of 20.8%. Despite this, Suckling said that conditions at Wheelock Terrace have been gradually improving. “They have more access to family than before — they can interact with each other a lot more,” Stadler said. “I think the residents by and large are doing better.” Suckling said that Wheelock Terrace has returned to communal dining after putting it on hold during the nursing home’s minor Thanksgiving outbreak. She said the home has also been able to invite masked entertainers and take SEE NURSING HOMES PAGE 2
WRJ publisher sues Sen. Warren for alleged 1st Amendment violation
SUNNY HIGH 14 LOW -9
BY THOMAS WHITE The Dartmouth
NEWS
STUDENTS COPE WITH COLLEGE’S ISOLATE-INPLACE POLICY PAGE 2
OPINION
VERBUM ULTIMUM: LEFT OUT IN THE COLD PAGE 3
ARTS
STUDENTS, STAFF WORK TO ENABLE LIVE ARTS PAGE 4
SPORTS
FROM THE BLEACHERS: AN ODE TO THE GOAT PAGE 5 FOLLOW US ON
@thedartmouth COPYRIGHT © 2021 THE DARTMOUTH, INC.
On Sept. 7, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat, sent an official letter to Amazon CEO Andrew Jassy expressing concerns that Amazon was spreading misinformation about COVID-19 vaccines and treatments through its search function and “Best Seller” algorithms. The letter has earned her a lawsuit from Chelsea Green, the White River Junctionbased publisher of a book related to COVID-19 Warren named in her letter. Warren wrote that Amazon’s failure “to prevent the spread of falsehoods or the sale of inappropriate products” is “an unethical, unacceptable, and potentially unlawful course of action from one of the nation’s largest retailers.” In particular, Warren identified a book by osteopathic physician Joseph Mercola and Organic Consumers Association founder Ronnie Cummins, called “The Truth About COVID-19: Exposing the Great Reset, Lockdowns, Vaccine Passports, and the New Normal,” as perpetuating “dangerous conspiracies about COVID-19 and false and misleading information as vaccines.” According to Warren’s letter, the book was listed as the first result when staff searched “COVID-19” and “vaccine.” Warren concluded the letter by requesting that Amazon perform a review of its algorithms, provide a public report on the extent to which its algorithms direct consumers to products containing COVID-19 misinformation and create a plan to modify its algorithms “so that they no longer do so.” On Nov. 7, the publisher, Chelsea Green Publishing, and authors of the book filed suit against Warren, writing that her letter violated their First Amendment right to publish books
that challenge government orthodoxy. The suit bases its arguments on the precedent set in the Supreme Court case Bantam Books, Inc. v. Sullivan, which held that state officials violated the First Amendment by “sending letters to booksellers warning that the sale of certain named books was potentially unlawful.” The lawsuit claims that on Sept. 10, 2021, as a result of Warren’s letter, national bookseller chain Barnes & Noble notified the publisher of “The Truth About COVID-19” by email that it would no longer sell the work as an ebook. The suit alleges — without providing specific evidence — that Amazon either has been or is now “covertly demoting, downgrading, or otherwise suppressing” the book. The suit acknowledges that Barnes & Noble reversed the decision several days later; neither Barnes & Noble nor Amazon are listed as defendants in the case. Mercola wrote in an emailed statement that in bringing the suit, he hopes to protect free speech and First Amendment rights, as “preserving open and free debate is central to our democracy.” “I believe successful treatments for COVID-19 have been suppressed, and there are real conspiracies that have been revealed that are essential to public well-being,” he wrote. In an official statement, Chelsea Green Publishing president and publisher Margo Baldwin criticized Warren’s letter as a move toward ideological control. “We’ve been here before in history and we know where it leads: tyranny!,” Baldwin wrote. “First burning books, then banning books, then disappearing books from search results. It’s all the same thing.” Nathan J. Arnold, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, said that unpopular speech SEE WARREN PAGE 2
As a result of significant spikes in cases of COVID-19 nationwide and in the Upper Valley over the past few months, and in large part due to the onset of the omicron variant, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center is reporting staff shortages and full intensive care units. COVID-19 cases at DHMC have increased during the most recent surge, according to Feller-Kopman. On Jan. 19, New Hampshire saw a seven day average of 2,663 active COVID-19 cases, according to the state dashboard, up nearly five-fold from a seven day average of 589 on Oct. 19, 2021. “So many people have it, you can assume that everyone has it,” FellerKopman said. DHMC epidemiologist Dr. Justin Kim wrote in an email statement that he believes the region is currently in a “plateau” period before cases decline in February. “COVID-19 case counts are not likely to get worse, but they will likely be slow to improve over the next few weeks,” he wrote. Feller-Kopman said that much of the hospital’s most recent surge was initially due to the delta variant, but was soon overtaken by the omicron variant. However, he added that the specific time frame during which the omicron variant took over — or any specific details about the percentage of cases that have been the omicron versus the delta variant — remains unclear. “We don’t get such genotyping on a case-by-case basis,” Feller-Kopman said. However, he added that the hospital has noted a marked trend among the patients being admitted for care. “I would estimate over 90% of the patients who are in the ICU and on ventilators, as well as just general hospitalized patients, are unvaccinated,” Feller-Kopman said. “If you’re vaccinated and boosted, unless you’re otherwise immunocompromised, the odds of ending up really sick are quite low.” On average, the omicron variant is less severe than delta, but hospitalizations at DHMC have increased nonetheless. “Even if we know that omicron is less virulent, just by infecting so many more people, if you have a smaller percentage getting really sick but it’s a larger [total number], you’re still going to have a lot of people who are really sick,” Feller-Kopman explained. Such pressures have put a strain on DHMC’s ICU capacity. According to
Feller-Kopman, the hospital increased its ICU capacity from two teams to four teams and has employed workers overtime during the pandemic, but the ICU has still been completely full at points in the last few weeks. “We unfortunately have had to turn away patients just because we don’t have the capacity to care for them,” he said. Aside from leading to spikes in cases, this most recent surge has led to staffing shortages due to sick staff, a scenario Kim called a “twin-demic.” “Staffing challenges remain … where we are most strained,” Kim wrote. According to Feller-Kopman, even before the omicron surge, DHMC already had trouble finding staff due to the labor shortage in the Upper Valley. In response to these staffing shortages, DHMC has hired travel nurses and solicited the support of FEMA and the National Guard, Kim and Feller-Kopman said. “We can use any help we can get, from administrative to clinical duties,” Kim wrote, adding that “FEMA has been extremely helpful in supplementing our staff in various capabilities.” According to Feller-Kopman, the recent surge has put a significant emotional strain on DHMC’s staff. “People are just tired,” FellerKopman said. “They’ve been working really hard and they’ve been working extra.” Kim echoed this sentiment, noting that staf f are “exhausted” and “frustrated,” especially given the widespread availability of vaccines. “It’s very hard on our staff to have to contend with our ICU being constantly filled with COVID-19 patients and to have to see so much patient suffering day in and day out,” he wrote. Feller-Kopman predicted that the country may be approaching the point where COVID-19 becomes an endemic disease, existing at a relatively stable level in the population. “After we recover from this current surge, and there’s a combination of a whole lot of innate immunity from exposure and ideally vaccination, maybe we’ll get into the phase where this becomes like the flu,” he said. D H M C e m e rge n c y m e d i c i n e doctors Matthew Roginski and Scott Rodi and DHMC pulmonologist Alix Ashare did not respond to requests for comment. Former Dartmouth COVID-19 task force co-chair Lisa Adams declined to comment, pointing to an article she wrote for the Infectious Disease Society of America reflecting on the College’s winter 2021 outbreak.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022
PAGE 2
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Students cope with College’s isolate-in-place policy
DDS converts Sarner Underground into isolation meal pick-up center
HANNAH LI/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
B Y TALOR HABER The Dartmouth Staff
This article was originally published on January 20, 2022. SUMMER HARGRAVE/THE DARTMOUTH
B Y KAIA CULOTTA The Dartmouth Staff
This article was originally published on January 20, 2022. On Dec. 31, interim provost David Kotz and executive vice president Rick Mills of the College’s COVID-19 Task Force announced in an email that students who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to selfisolate in their dorm rooms or current housing, regardless of whether or not they have a roommate. The decision marks a sharp turn from previous College policy, which mandated the relocation of students with COVID-19 to isolation housing in the Boss Tennis Center or to residence halls reserved for isolation. For some students, fears of living in close quarters with roommates who have tested positive for COVID-19 are now coming true. While some students said they felt relieved that the College would not make students move to isolation housing upon a positive COVID-19 test result, others said they were frustrated that their chances of exposure could increase if a roommate contracted the virus. Zoe Moon ’24 said her roommate Yumi Yoshiyasu ’24 and their other roommate both tested positive for COVID-19 this past week, and that the two COVID-19-positive roommates continue to isolate in their two-room triple. Moon said she believes the requirement for students to isolate in place “doesn’t make a lot of sense,” given the increased probability that a roommate of someone who has COVID-19 will also contract the virus. However, since her roommates have tested positive, Moon has not caught the virus. According to Moon, who competes
on the varsity women’s swim team, if an athlete receives a positive test result for COVID-19, they cannot compete for a full 10 days due to Ivy League guidelines, even if they receive a negative antigen test result on day five or seven of isolation. Moon said she was “freaked out” when she heard her roommates tested positive because she is currently in season. “At least five days of isolating myself from my team, practicing at completely different times and risking not being able to compete, would be really tough,” she added. Yoshiyasu, who is also on the swim team, said she thinks athletes who are in-season are feeling additional stress about contracting COVID-19 because they want to continue to practice and compete. However, she added that she thinks getting the virus was “kind of inevitable” due to the high number of cases on campus. As of Wednesday, Jan. 19, the College had 671 active COVID-19 cases among students, faculty and staff, according to the COVID-19 Dashboard. However, Yoshiyasu said she supports the College’s decision to have students remain in their dorms because relocating and completely isolating from others can be mentally taxing. “From [a mental health] standpoint, it’s a good policy,” Yoshiyasu said. Moon said she has heard of students who have tested positive for COVID-19 temporarily leaving their rooms to stay with someone else who has COVID-19 to avoid spreading the virus to a roommate. Some students who do not have COVID-19 said they have also temporarily left their rooms to avoid getting sick. Sara Pickrell ’24 said she moved out of her room for a few days and stayed with a friend after her
roommate tested positive on Jan. 12. Pickrell said she was “a little bit anxious” about whether or not she had contracted the virus, but was overall not too concerned because she had a friend to stay with and because she does not have any underlying health conditions. However, she said she has some friends who are “pretty nervous about it.” Pickrell added that she does not think Dartmouth’s current roommate isolation policy is “the best solution to the problem,” but she added that she is not sure what the ideal policy would be. Moon said she recognized the College’s lack of sufficient housing and inability to put everyone who tests positive into isolation housing. Melissa Gonzalez ’25 called the College’s housing shortage “a whole issue in and of itself ” and said that she would prefer students be moved to alternative isolation housing –– as required in past terms –– until they test negative. “I don’t like [the current policy],” Gonzalez said, adding that she was “really scared” when her roommate tested positive for COVID-19 on Jan. 7. According to the COVID-19 isolation protocol email announcement from Dec. 31, students with a roommate who has tested positive for COVID-19 are encouraged to wear a mask at all times when not in their rooms. Gonzalez said she and her roommate took this a step further and wore masks the whole time they were in the room together, cleaned their room and used hand sanitizer often. Gonzalez added that the College should convert any additional housing into isolation housing if possible, however, she acknowledged that she thinks the College is “doing their best.”
Staff shortages and omicron both threaten “new normal” for nursing homes FROM NURSING HOMES PAGE 1
bus trips but has not been able to hold events considered “high risk,” like trips to local restaurants or museums. “Activities are still kind of running — as normal as the new normal can be,” she said. Suckling compared living at an assisted living facility with other residents to living at home with family, so while she encourages resident mask wearing and social distancing, her residents continue to socialize. She added that Wheelock Terrace residents are recommended to wear masks, while staff members are required to. “This is the residents’ home and we’re visitors in their homes, so we have to protect them,” she said. Hanover Terrace resident Dorothy Anderson said she is accustomed to mask wearing.
“It’s like putting on your jacket,” she explained. Stadler noted that he has observed staff lean toward lessening restrictions to protect residents’ “well-being.” Sadler said the omicron variant’s impact on healthcare workers has created a staffing shortage. With the “heightened vulnerability” of this population, Sadler said that he thinks people are hesitant to work in residential care facilities for fear of transmitting the virus to residents. “The workforce issues are really the big issue,” he said. “[Residents] used to not be able to socialize because they were in their rooms, but now there’s no activities director to run the bingo game for them to come to.” Another concern he expressed is the communication barrier created by masking requirements, particularly for people with cognitive impairments or
hearing loss. “[The residents] can’t hear us, or see our mouths move, or see our smile,” he said. Suckling added that the rise of cases in the Upper Valley has caused residents and their families to rethink seeking help from Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center because of how “overrun” the hospital is. Instead, they are trying to work more with patients’ individual physicians, she said. She explained that as infection rates rise in the region, families and visitors have been very “conscientious,” choosing to FaceTime rather than visit in person if they know they have been exposed to COVID-19. Suckling said that her motto is “trying to keep [residents] as happy, socially active, and physically active as we can.”
Dartmouth Dining Services has converted the all-purpose student space and event hall, Sarner Underground, into an isolation meal pick-up center for students who have tested positive for COVID-19. Students getting their meals at Sarner swipe themselves in with their Dartmouth ID cards, while dining staffers – adorned in N95 masks and standing behind a plastic glass barrier — serve patrons one at a time. DDS director Jon Plodzik explained that Sarner Underground is the most recent iteration of the College’s isolation dining program, one which has continued to evolve as the circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic have changed. Plodzik said that in the fall, students who tested positive for COVID-19 would receive meal plan instructions alongside their isolation protocol from Dick’s House. The pick-up model for last term had students order online before picking up meals from a side door at the Class of 1953 Commons, DDS general manager Jennifer Nakhla said. Plodzik added that DDS updated their previous isolation dining system – in which students ordered meals online through a meal-planning system and picked them up at a side door of the Class of 1953 Commons – under the advice of the College’s COVID-19 response team. He cited the need for a “separate facility” that would be able to handle a COVID-19 surge due to the omicron variant. On busier days, he added, Sarner serves approximately 130 to 140 students and has the capacity to serve 400 students per day. “Sarner’s critical for those two reasons,” Plodzik said. “One, community safety. And two, joy for the folks who are perhaps not joyous every day because they’re in isolation and quarantine.” According to Plodzik, employees who serve at Sarner do so on a voluntary basis. Nakhla, who has served at Sarner herself this term, said the estimated 15% to 20% of DDS staff who have opted to do so understand the risks but recognize the work as invaluable to the student body. “I think it speaks a lot to the campus community and the willingness of everyone to pitch in,” she said. “It’s been apparent throughout the whole pandemic. Folks have stepped up in all sorts of ways.” Plodzik explained that the two dozen DDS employees who have gone through
the requisite medical screening to work at Sarner, however, are not enough on their own to operate Sarner for eight hours every day. He said that DDS has had to rely on staff from other campus offices who elect to pick up a shift at Sarner and supplement DDS staff. “Without these extra, wonderful volunteers, I don’t know how we would make it all happen some days,” Plodzik said. Shane Brightly, who has worked for residential operations since 2002, began picking up shifts with DDS last term as a cook — he had been a chef with DDS 15 years ago before changing positions. Brightly said he believed the risk he would be putting himself at in Sarner could be no worse than the germs he was already being exposed to cleaning restrooms designated for students who had tested positive COVID-19. “For me, it’s just another shift,” Brightly said. “I’m there to help the kids, you know?” Brightly, a self-proclaimed “workaholic,” said he has worked eight-hour shifts at Sarner every Saturday and Sunday this term, a schedule he attributes to his willingness to help out whenever needed. Despite the potential for contracting COVID-19, Brightly said that one of his top priorities is ensuring students have a positive experience at school. “I want to help you [students] and take care of you as best as I can,” he added. Though Nakhla noted the drawbacks of working in a high-risk infection area, she said that one of the benefits of serving at Sarner is being able to engage with and cheer up isolated students who have almost no interaction with others on campus. “We try to make it a pleasant experience for them – we try to make it fun,” she said. Some students who have gotten meals from Sarner shared their gratitude for employees’ efforts to make their isolation periods a more enjoyable experience. Nina Prakash ’25 said picking up her meal and being told by the staff at Sarner that they hoped she was feeling well “made [her] day” during isolation. Raselas Dessalegn ’24 said that he also enjoyed positive interactions with employees at Sarner and was “pleasantly surprised” by the meal options available to isolating students. He added that he applauds Sarner staff for putting their own health at risk to serve students. “I think it’s pretty brave – just because nobody really wants to get COVID – and they’re obviously putting themselves out there, which I appreciate a lot,” he said.
Suit against Warren awaits judgement FROM WARREN PAGE 1
needs to be protected by the First Amendment. “I do not concede that there is any ‘misinformation’ in the book, but that is irrelevant,” Arnold said. “The content is not the test — if the content is the test, then that eviscerates the First Amendment.” He added that the suit is “very much a non-partisan issue.” “I know that the political landscape that we’re all operating in is terribly partisan, but we don’t want unpopular opinions being suppressed by whoever’s in power,” Arnold said. “It really
transcends party politics.” Warren’s press secretary and Warren’s offices in Massachusetts, Washington and Springfield did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Lawyers representing Warren have moved for a preliminary injunction arguing that sovereign immunity bars plaintiffs’ claims, that the plaintiffs lack standing and that the Speech and Debate Clause of the Constitution protects her letter. Counsel for the plaintiffs has replied requesting oral arguments, and the suit currently awaits judgment, according to Arnold.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022
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THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
THE DARTMOUTH EDITORIAL BOARD
CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST SELIN HOS ‘25
Verbum Ultimum: Left Out in the Cold
Hos: Convenience Kills
If the College is willing to see thousands of students contract COVID-19, it should at least afford those who test positive more dignity.
With over 1,500 new cases among faculty, staff and students since the term started and a testing positivity rate of over 14% this past week, one would be hard-pressed to find a friend group, class or dorm that has managed to entirely avoid the clutches of COVID-19. And, as Student Assembly first shared in its email communications and the administration continues to remind students, this should come as no surprise: Dartmouth anticipated this staggering caseload and adjusted its policies accordingly, doing away with isolation housing, setting up a shockingly high quality isolation dining experience and allowing people the chance to test out with a negative rapid test after five or seven days. The College has done good work in preparing for the inevitable, but glaring issues remain: Dartmouth must do more to ease the lives of those who, by virtue of the College’s decision to treat COVID-19 as endemic, have contracted the virus. It must be said that students are not wholly dissatisfied with Dartmouth’s current approach to COVID-19. Indeed, many, including a majority of this Editorial Board, are pleased with the College’s prioritization of in-person classes and treatment of COVID-19 as endemic. Certain policies put in place to care for positive students are indicative of the attempt the College has made to bolster student health; for instance, the daily survey sent to students in isolation allows students to report any changes in their symptoms and check in with a nurse if needed. Furthermore, the pop-up dining location in Sarner Underground exclusively for students in isolation has been a surprising joy in isolating students’ otherwise dull days. An array of warm food is provided twice a day, students are encouraged to take as many snacks as they would like and the staff are positively joyous, given the circumstances. Sarner’s setup would be improved by a breakfast time slot — yogurt and oatmeal packets only go so far — especially if the number of students in isolation continues to increase or even stabilizes at its current level. Nonetheless, we applaud the substantial improvements that have been made to the isolation dining experience relative to previous terms. That said, the College could do a far better job tending to the health of these isolating students. First, part of Dartmouth’s current testing regimen — where students can potentially test out of isolation on days five or seven via rapid antigen tests — is conducted outside, where in the past week transient snow storms and feels-
like temperatures as low as minus 20 degrees have made life difficult for even the healthiest students. Given that many students who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past several weeks are, indeed, symptomatic and feeling under the weather, would it be so difficult to set up a heated tent — the same kind that has been a staple on campus on and off for two years — outside Dick’s House for students to use while they wait upwards of a half hour for a rapid test? Wellness kits are also essential to keeping students safe and comfortable while they struggle through isolation. While some students have a ready supply of over-the-counter medicine, disinfecting wipes and KN95 masks, many lack those provisions. Providing a simple bag with these cold and flu basics, as well as informational pamphlets for students to understand and treat their symptoms, would go a long way in protecting the health of our community and letting students cooped up in their rooms know that they haven’t been forgotten. Not only would these supplies be relatively inexpensive and easy to assemble, but they would make a massive impact on students’ quality of life during isolation. Lastly, although it seems infeasible to offer isolation housing to everyone and thus the College’s decision to do away with such a policy is understandable, Dartmouth needs to make good on its promise to offer isolation housing to immunocompromised students who request it. It is unreasonable to force students at risk of serious outcomes from the virus to stay in a room with positive roommates. In a similar vein, as we discussed in our last Verbum, it is imperative that all Dartmouth courses have some sort of Zoom or recorded option, both for students who cannot risk getting infected and for those students who already have the virus. It is the duty of the College to tend to the health and well-being of all students, especially those suffering from a virus that has been almost impossible to avoid. Thus, we are turning to the administration and asking them to do better — set up a tent, distribute wellness kits, provide isolation housing that can serve as a lifeline for those most at risk and require hybrid instruction so that those students who do test positive don’t have to sacrifice their education. No student — especially not those who have fallen ill — should be left out in the cold. The editorial board consists of opinion staff columnists, the opinion editors, the executive editors and the editor-in-chief.
If an action as simple as consuming a bag of chips can wreak environmental havoc, then what are we to do? This column was originally published on January 20, 2022. I have a question for you: Do you think it is morally permissible for you to consume a bag of chips? A regular, plastic, and often half-filled bag of chips? I’m sure you’re currently somewhat confused as to what the argument around the morality of potato chip consumption would even be. Perhaps this is an incredibly niche feeling that only plagues me, but I tend to feel the slightest bit guilty after I eat a bag of chips and throw away the wrapper. What bothers me isn’t necessarily the knowledge that potato chips are bad for one’s health or that they’re — at high levels — carcinogenic, but rather that I know that I have acted in a way that I view to be, in essence, selfish. You’re probably thinking something along the lines of, “Oh, so even something as innocuous as eating a bag of potato chips is selfish nowadays? Is there anything morally ‘safe’ left in this world?” To that, I will jokingly answer — probably not. Usually, when I grab a bag of chips, it’s because I’m in a rush and have no time to stop and have a proper meal. In and of itself, this isn’t a bad thing. I’m not a monster for wanting to feed myself, especially when I’m in a hurry. How else can I be expected, like every other Dartmouth student, to fit approximately 30 hours of work and commitments into a 24 hour day? These acts of convenience sustain the impossible. My problem is as follows: these single-use potato chip bags are objectively bad for the environment. They are neither recyclable nor compostable and take an indeterminate number of years to break down into smaller pieces that end up as microplastics and, eventually, nanoplastics. This means that the single bag that you enjoyed in the span of 5 minutes takes longer than your entire lifetime to reach its end, and even then, it doesn’t do so properly. Being able to efficiently manage microplastics and nanoplastics will be one of the most pressing challenges of our future, for they are quite literally everywhere. Microplastics are released into our environment during the most mundane of human activities. From using face washes with microbead plastics to washing our shiny, synthetic clothes (which release microplastics into the water with each wash), some of the most normalized aspects of our lives indicate that microplastics have begun to compose the very foundation of our lives. What’s worse is that as we continue to poison Mother Nature and her waterways, we are inadvertently poisoning ourselves. It seems that she has a vengeful sense of humor — and rightfully so — for these microplastics end up right back on our dinner plates. Microplastics have been found not just in our tap water, but also in the seafood that we consume, and
there are studies in place that confirm the existence of microplastics in our own human tissue. So we’ve come full circle. What is left to be done? Well, that depends. To what extent are we willing to compromise our own convenience for the sake of our future? Are the ecological and socio-economic threats posed by microplastics a fair price to pay for a comfortable life today? Quite frankly, I can’t envision how our growing dependence on single-use plastics (or at the rate at which we consume it, plastic in general) is sustainable in any way. The UN Environment Programme states that “half of all plastic produced is designed to be used only once.” If our products are no longer built to last, but rather built to break, then to what extent can this merciless cycle of production and consumption last? I’m not arguing that the solution to our problem is to live with a whole lifetime of trash that could fit in a mason jar, nor am I saying that we shouldn’t ever buy a bottle of water or chew a piece of gum (which is typically made of petroleum and can take up to 1,000 years to decompose) ever again. The convenience of it all is too much to give up. So is this it? Are we just meant to live with the guilt of knowing that our actions — the ones we once thought trivial and inoffensive — actually have an impact much larger than we imagined? If we hold that to be true, then the problem will only prove to be relentless and unsurmountable. Rather we must take to reducing, reusing and recycling wherever and whenever we can. The dominant ideology in sustainability is that more attention should be paid to reducing and reusing as opposed to recycling, since our recycling infrastructure and technologies aren’t advanced enough to handle the types — and sheer amount — of waste that we produce. This requires, however, a reimagining of the production process from the very conception of a product. If our commodities are made from flimsy plastics and styrofoams with the sole purpose of being thrown away, or if I can continue to walk into a grocery store to see rows and rows of excessively packaged and preservative-ridden items, then the battle is over before it has even begun. A shift to utilizing more sustainable materials in production — examples of which range from bamboo and wool to reclaimed wood and organic hemp — and a purposeful reimagining of the way in which we package goods would do a world of wonder in our efforts to preserve what we have left. It’s only through tapping into the human ingenuity that has served us thus far that we can find ways to create and consume while being conscious of both the environment and the well-meaning, yet hectic, consumer.
NINA SLOAN ’24: IT’S SNOW JOKE GABRIEL MODISETT ’25: THE FRAT FLUID MONSTER RETURNS
DOMINIQUE MOBLEY ’22: 22WHY I’M CONVINCED I’M SECRETLY A FRESHMAN
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FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
Student Spotlight: Dartmouth students and staff work to make live arts experiences possible BY Armita Mirkarimi The Dartmouth Staff
This article was orignally published on January 18, 2022. Over the past year, many events at the Hopkins Center have returned to their live format. Student ushers and will call workers largely facilitate the plays, musical and concerts Dartmouth students and Upper Valley patrons frequent. Jenique Richards ’22, currently a senior house manager at the Hop, coordinates the timeliness of shows and oversees the other ushers during productions at The Hop and cites her work as an integral part of her time at Dartmouth, as she has worked her way up in the world of student ushers since her freshman fall. She describes her role as ensuring excellence and providing a good experience to all Hopkins Center patrons. “The best way to describe the whole front of house is that we’re basically in between when you buy your ticket at the box office, and then obviously the show itself,” said Richards. “So when you come to the theater and pick up your tickets, we’re all about making sure that the patron will get there.” However, Richards wears more than one hat in her role as the “in-between” of the ticket purchase and artistic experience. As well as making sure that productions begin on schedule, she manages the venue’s ushers and takes notes during events to record patron satisfaction and timeliness for her bosses. Gwendolyn Roland ’25, one of the ushers that Richards oversees, took on will call and usher responsibilities this fall. Her role involves showing patrons to their seats, performing COVID-19 health screens and, when working the will call shift, making sure patrons get
their tickets. “I really just enjoy being around the theater,” said Roland. “I enjoy being around the Hop — and just getting to see all of the arts shows and not have to worry about, ‘oh shoot, I don’t have time to see it because I made these other plans.’ It’s in my schedule. Everyone I work with is really great too.” Connor Schafer ’25 expressed a similar appreciation for the proximity that working as an usher gives him to Dartmouth’s art scene. “I did a lot of theater in high school, but with this job, I get to always experience it and be a part of it,” said Schafer. “The patrons are super nice. They just love the Hop and they love going to the shows. A lot of them always come to a show each weekend and I think that’s super cool.” Schafer said he has found the opportunity to develop relationships with regular patrons and the strong sense of community present among workers to be especially rewarding features of the job. “I think it’s very rewarding when you start to work a certain number of shifts and you start seeing the regulars that have Hop season passes and come to every single show,” said Roland. “It’s just me and the person that I’m working with, complimenting elderly patrons on their fashion sense. We’re like, ‘what’s your last name? Oh, I love your hat. I love your jacket.’” Stephanie Trembley, who in her role as box office manager oversees both the patron ticketing experiences and the student staff, reflected on her experience interacting and working with Dartmouth students. “I’ve had the pleasure of working with a lot of really great students,” said Trembley. “They’re smart, respectful, responsible and just getting to know each of them on an individual basis has been really rewarding. There are a lot of negative experiences that come
SOPHIE BAILEY/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
to mind — whether there’s an angry patron or someone who doesn’t pass the health screens — but a lot of great things happen in the box office.” Trembley is referring to the health screens required by the Hopkins Center’s COVID-19 protocols. When a patron purchases a ticket to a show, they must show either a Dartmouth ID, vaccination card or negative test result. “It’s always very sad when you have to turn away someone who forgot their vaccination card at home,” said Roland. “There were a couple of times we had to do that. Sometimes they live really close, run home and get their IDs. But a couple of times they lived an hour away and it was like five minutes before the show started.” Despite the restrictions, Richards,
Roland, Schafer and Trembley all spoke highly of the Hop’s arts offerings during the pandemic. Roland and Trembley especially enjoyed Venezuelan singer Nella Rojan’s performance at the Hopkins Center last fall. “That was probably my favorite show that I’ve seen here,” Trembley said. “Being here opened up my eyes to more different types of music and also theater performances and dance performances that I wouldn’t have necessarily had an interest in.” Schafer has appreciated the opportunity to engage with new and unfamiliar content. “I’ve loved seeing independent or international films that I wouldn’t normally seek out,” Schafer said. “It’s surprising what the Hop finds somehow
because it makes, you know, diversify what you’re watching.” Richards recalled a particularly memorable shift her freshman year, when she ushered for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s visit to Spaulding Auditorium. “It was the biggest event that I’ve ever done, and it was crazy because of the security — and basically every Dartmouth student wanted in,” Richards said. According to Trembley, the visitor experience is always at the front of the event staff ’s mind. “All of us here in the Hop really care about bringing these shows to the Dartmouth community and the Upper Valley in general,” Trembley said. “We work really hard to make it a great experience for everybody.”
Student Spotlight: Abigail Smith ’23 explores the Southern Gothic genre’s representations of people of color
COURTESY OF ALISON M. PALIZZOLO
BY GIANNA TOTANI The Dartmouth Staff
This article was orignally published on January 18, 2022. On Jan. 14, the Hood Museum of Art hosted Conroy intern Abigail Smith ’23 for the latest installment of the museum’s “A Space for Dialogue” series. During the Hood’s first inperson gallery talk since winter 2020, Smith discussed her curated collection, “Southern Gothic,” which examines the complex and often macabre world of the Southeastern U.S. Featuring pieces from the Jim Crow era to the 2010s, Smith’s collection aims to capture both the darkness and light of the Southern Gothic era, according to the event’s promotional materials. Smith, an art history major from Macon, Georgia, was inspired by her
Southern roots to create the exhibit and tell the story of the Southeast. “In doing Southern Gothic, my goal was to uplift the minority groups and call attention to a lot of the social issues that I think have gone on for too long in the Southeast,” said Smith. Smith said she is trying to tackle the ways in which public perceptions of the South can inhibit positive change in the region through her curating. “Souther n Gothic” is a literary genre popularized by Souther n writers that features themes of the supernatural while showcasing the South’s complicated and dark history, often as it relates to racism and other social issues of the region. To transform this into visual art, Smith researched the Hood’s collection to find pieces that related to the South, the Civil Rights era, Reconstruction and the Great Depression while looking for
a dramatic, black and white palette. During the gallery talk Smith gave a presentation in which she discussed her curation process and the motivation behind “Southern Gothic.” Smith went into detail about the vibrant wall color, “Haint Blue,” seen on porch ceilings and front doors in the South, which was once used to ward off malevolent spirits by the Gullah Geechee people, who are descendants of enslaved Africans. Emily Hester ’23 said she came to the gallery talk with a basic understanding of Southern history but left with a whole new perspective. “I didn’t really know what Southern Gothic was at all, but I knew a lot about what we’ve learned about the history of the South in school,” said Hester. “I think analyzing [Southern history] through an artistic lens and the style of Southern art gave me a more complex conception of a lot of
the pieces [Smith] was talking about.” Lisa Sumi ’23 said she left the gallery talk with more knowledge of the relevance of the Southern Gothic genre. “I really enjoyed how most of the pieces were in black and white, but I liked the way [Smith] added two color pictures at the end,” Sumi said. Hood curator of academic programming Amelia Kahl ’01 said the care and craft Smith put into her show have come together to create a wonderful exhibit. “[Smith] always has a great story to tell,” said Kaul. “She is really connected to her family, and, in the show, thinks through her identity as a Southerner.” Interns at the Hood have never worked with the niche Southern Gothic genre before — Kahl described Smith’s idea of relating visual art to the literary genre as “brilliant.” However, the task was not without challenge, as certain photos Smith wanted to display could not be displayed. “If anything that I wanted in my show had been out on view within the past few years, it couldn’t come out because, if [the photographs] are out in the gallery, they are being damaged,” said Smith. “So, you have to be very sparing about how frequently you display certain pieces.” Smith believes that the photo “Press Conference with Lee P. Brown, Atlanta Chief of Police, at Task Force Headquarters” by Leonard Freed best represents her goal to shed light by exploring the darkness of South’s history. The picture is from the Atlanta Child Murders of 1979-1981, when 25 Black children went missing and were found brutally murdered. At the time, the leader of the investigation was only able to make an arrest for two of the murders. Recently, authorities reopened the investigation and collected DNA from the dozens of other children that were killed. Smith said that public awareness on the murders has increased as a result of more media on the topic, such as the HBO series “Atlanta’s Missing
and Murdered,” adding to the public pressure to reopen the case. “Right now, things are hopefully getting better, and the reason for that is because we are putting more national attention on them,” said Smith. “If we just paid more attention to the problems in the South, we could help the people that need that attention a lot.” Smith said the piece that is most “Southern Gothic” and the focal point of the pamphlet is “Breakfast Room, Belle Grove Plantation” by Walker Evans, a photographer who was supported by the Works Progress Administration, a New Deal program. The photo depicts an ornate breakfast room in the abandoned Belle Grove plantation in Louisiana. “This was probably once a beautiful home,” said Smith. “But during its most opulent eras, its walls were filled with ugliness. When this building was at its height of luxury, many were suffering.” The Belle Grove plantation reached its peak during the antebellum era while its residents exploited enslaved people’s labor for their own livelihood, Smith said. Smith noted that her hope for the show is to draw attention to the South, aiming to help change negative perceptions of the region that prohibit productive change. “I think artists have a profound capability to uplift people through showcasing the realities that they live in,” said Smith. “Not giving up on the South is not an endorsement of those who do harm, but an affirmation of those who have been harmed. The reality of the South is that we are constantly haunted by our own past, but we must acknowledge it to have a better future. To me, Southern Gothic has been an opportunity to reckon with the complicated legacy of the place that I call home.” “Southern Gothic” will be on display in the Gutman Gallery in the Hood through Feb. 27. A recording of the “Space for Dialogue Gallery Talk” will be available on the Hood’s YouTube channel.
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022
PAGE 5
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS
SPORTS
From the Bleachers: An Ode to the Greatest of All Time
SOPHIE BAILEY/The Dartmouth Senior Staff
BY Baily Deeter The Dartmouth Staff
As the loyal readers of this column may know, my name is Baily Deeter, and I am a senior here at Dartmouth. I was born on March 27, 2000, making me 21 years old. I am old enough to vote, buy a lottery ticket and drink alcohol legally (although I’m still not able to rent a car). The first 19 days of my life were relatively unremarkable. I couldn’t talk (which didn’t change for a few years, apparently), I couldn’t read and I couldn’t write. So I didn’t do much — some things never changed. But what happened on days 20 and 21, otherwise known as April 15 and 16, 2000, would alter the trajectory of my life forever. Was it because this was the weekend of my mom’s birthday, you ask? No, this is much more important. Tax Day? No, this impacted many more people. On day 21, otherwise known as
day two of the 2000 NFL draft, the New England Patriots drafted Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. Since the third week of my life, Tom Brady has been an NFL quarterback. And now that he’s finally beaten Jalen Hurts in the playoffs, it’s about time I give him the praise he has deserved in this column for quite some time. These next 700 words are for you, Tom. Nothing Tampa Bay did in Sunday’s 31-15 win over the Philadelphia Eagles was out of the ordinary. Brady threw for 271 yards and two touchdowns while completing 78% of his passes. But it marks playoff win number 35 for TB12, with the last five coming as a Buccaneer. Only four NFL teams have won more postseason games than Brady, and one of them is the Boston-area team Brady spent 20 years playing for. If the Buccaneers win the Super Bowl this year, Brady would have more lifetime playoff wins — 38 — than any team in the league. He already
has more championships than any other NFL team. Never mind that the Packers, Cowboys, Patriots and Steelers, the top four in this category, have been around since the 1960s. Tom Brady has been around since I was born. Nothing important happened before that, anyways. When Brady left the comfort of his Foxborough, Massachusetts home in March 2020, I had my doubts about whether the soon-to-be 43-yearold had any chance of success in Florida. I thought the Bucs had a chance to contend for a playoff spot and improve upon their 7-9 record with Jameis Winston, but I never saw them winning a Super Bowl. New quarterbacks generally take at least one year to acclimate to their new home, and Brady was too old. Not to mention that he won the majority of his playoff games at the friendly confines of Gillette Stadium. Surely, Brady wasn’t ready to be a road warrior as a wild card team.
But if I’ve learned one lesson in my 21st year, it’s to never bet against the GOAT. As we know, the Bucs went on to win Super Bowl LV for Brady’s seventh ring, his fifth Super Bowl MVP, and his first Lombardi Trophy completion. Now, the only thing left for No. 12 to accomplish is to win an eighth ring so that he can buy a pet octopus and put a ring on every tentacle. I watched in awe as Brady took a mediocre franchise to the NFL’s summit in a matter of 11 months and then followed it up with an even better 2021 season. Then, I watched “Man in the Arena,” the 10-part documentary series on Brady’s 10 Super Bowl appearances. Since watching, I’ve become obsessed with No. 12’s greatness and continue to make my girlfriend watch with me so she can 1) learn what a first down is and 2) appreciate greatness. I then started reading “The TB12 Method: How to Achieve Sustained Peak Performance,” where Brady provided a glimpse into his training and nutrition regimen. I’m currently in contact with Dartmouth Dining Services trying to get Brady’s famous avocado ice cream served at all college cafeterias. Next, I’d like to get a look at the sixth round of this April’s draft so that I can model my next 22 years after Tom’s last 22 years. In all seriousness, Brady’s career has been, and still is, nothing short of ridiculous. Next up is a home matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford and his top target this year, Cooper Kupp, have wreaked havoc on opposing defenses en route to an NFC West championship, and they beat the Bucs earlier this season. But Brady has 35 career playoff wins, and Stafford just won his first playoff game last weekend. I’m not going to forget what I learned last year: I believe in the Bucs to win this week. Now, I still stand by my bold PackersBills Super Bowl proclamation from last week’s column. I feel confident about the AFC side, especially after Josh Allen pitched a perfect game in Orchard Park last weekend that
allowed me not to delete my Twitter account. Kansas City’s offense turned it on at the right time to send Ben Roethlisberger, who probably doesn’t eat as much avocado ice cream as TB12, into retirement. But the Bills dominated the Chiefs in Kansas City earlier this year, and they are still underdogs. I like that recipe for Buffalo. It’s not the Super Bowl yet, so the Bills are a safe pick. The other AFC clash between the Cincinnati Bengals and Tennessee Titans seems like the type of game that would end in a Music City Miracle II. Ryan Tannehill and Tennessee are looking to punch a ticket to their second AFC Championship Game in three years, with Derrick Henry likely to return to action. But Joe Burrow and the Bengals, fresh off their first playoff win in my lifetime and beyond (31 years), are looking for more. Burrow has been absolutely money in big games throughout his high school and college career, and I see no reason why Saturday should be any different. I’m taking Cincinnati in a nailbiter. I am excited to watch those three games on TV, but what I’m most looking forward to is spending Saturday night in the Lambeau Field bleachers. The trip requires two flights, 12 hours of driving and three hours of snowshoeing. But it will be worth it because I’m expecting a classic game. Green Bay hasn’t been able to stop the run all season, and San Francisco has one of the league’s best offenses and an excellent postseason history against the cheeseheads. I’m going to stick with my Super Bowl pick and take the Packers. But I’m expecting a nailbiter on Saturday night — that is, if my nails are warm enough to bite in the single-digit temperatures. Last weekend had its moments, but all in all, it was a dud. This weekend promises to be more exciting, perhaps even providing us with a classic Divisional Round moment like the Minneapolis Miracle, the Vernon Davis catch or the Joe Flacco Hail Mary. I hope Green Bay has Wi-Fi so that I can follow along.
Men’s basketball drops games to Penn and Har vard, falling to 7th in Ivy League
BY JASON NORRIS
The Dartmouth Staff
This story was originally published on January 18, 2022. This Saturday, men’s basketball fell to the University of Pennsylvania 7868. Coming off of a crucial win last weekend against Brown University that snapped an eight-game losing streak, the Big Green were looking for what would have been its second league win and fifth win overall this season. With a quick turnaround after a close loss, the Big Green then took on Harvard University on Monday at home, falling just short of the win 60-59. The team now sits in 7th in the Ivy League standings, with a record of 1-3 in League play and 4-11 overall this season. Despite the end result against Penn, the Big Green came out of the gates ready to play on Saturday. Dartmouth was up 28-18 with seven minutes left in the first half, which was its biggest lead of the game. In the first half, Dartmouth went 6-13 — 46.15%— from behind the arc, relying on the three-point shot as it has all season long. The Big Green has used the three pointer as one of its greatest weapons, currently ranking 30th among all Division I teams in three point field goals per game, while Brendan Barry ’20 leads the Ivy League in threes per game with 3.5. In the second half, however, Dartmouth went 1-9 from behind the arc, allowing Penn to get back in the game and take the lead. Throughout the game, Dartmouth relied on crucial shooting from Barry, the team’s leading scorer, who scored 16 points on Saturday and has averaged 14 per game this season. With the clock ticking down in the second half, the teams were neck-and-neck. Both teams held the lead four different times in the final half, each staying within five points of the other until the last five minutes when Penn extended their lead to the buzzer. “ We d i d n’t g e t m a ny s t o p s
defensively in the second half,” Barry said. “Offensively, we turned the ball over too much. I felt like we played a bit selfishly and didn’t move the ball around enough.” The Big Green was led by many of their typical players this season with Barry’s 16 points, forward Aaryn Rai ’21’s 11 points, and forward Dame Adelekun ’23’s 10 rebounds. However, 27 of the team’s points came from players off the bench. Forward Cam Krystkowiak ’23 led the bench with nine points, shooting a perfect 4-4 from the field, including a three pointer. Krystkowiak also had two offensive rebounds, an assist, a steal and just one turnover in only 13 minutes of playing time. “It’s been a funky return since the break, since a couple of our starters had COVID and had to miss a game or two,” Krystkowiak said. “It got a bunch of the younger guys involved, which gave them more of an opportunity to have a bigger impact for the team. I think everybody’s mindset has been to just help as much as you can with as many minutes as you’re given.” Helping Krystkowiak off the bench were guards Ryan Cornish ’25 and Izaiah Robinson ’24. Cornish, who led the team in scoring on his first career start last weekend against Brown, scored seven of the team’s bench points, while Robinson cashed in six. “Being one of the younger guys to get in the games just shows how much trust the coaches have in all of us to make an impact,” Robinson said. “Looking forward, it’s all about taking advantage of the opportunities we get in games and practice to execute how the coaches want.” Dartmouth’s team is young, with nine of the 20 players on the roster being sophomores or first-years who had never played in a college game — much less an Ivy League game — before this season. “That’s big for us, having those guys come off the bench and give us really good minutes affecting the game in multiple ways,” Barry said. “Scoring
CAROLINE KRAMER/The Dartmouth
The Big Green continue to struggle to close out wins.
how they did and getting defensive stops and offensive rebounds like Cam did — we need to have that type of depth playing League games back-toback.” Following the game against Penn, Dartmouth went against the 4th ranked team in the Ivy League, Harvard. Heading into the game, Dartmouth knew the team would have to stay composed against a strong Harvard defense. “We’ve seen [Harvard’s defensive pressure] in spurts with Penn and Brown, but not to this level,” Barry said. “Harvard’s always been known for pressuring the ball, creating turnovers and making us take care of the ball.” Against Harvard, Barry earned his 1,000th career point for Dartmouth, joining 30 other Dartmouth basketball alums in the club. After Harvard took the lead five minutes after tip-off, Dartmouth trailed the rest of the game.
Ending the half down by eight, the Big Green were reluctant to let Harvard pull away. Dartmouth stayed within 12 points for the entirety of the second half. Down by seven with two and a half minutes remaining, the Big Green went on a run with four clutch free throws from Cornish and Adelekun followed by a big bucket from Adelekun to whittle the lead down to one. A tactical foul by the Big Green sent Harvard’s Luka Sakota to the line with six seconds left on the clock. After Sakota missed his one free-throw attempt, Rai hauled in the rebound, carried the ball down the court and took Dartmouth’s final shot of the game. With the ball bouncing around the rim as the buzzer sounded, Rai was unable to find the bottom of the net and the game ended with a 60-59 Dartmouth loss. Throughout the season, Dartmouth has struggled to close out their games.
The team showed progress against Harvard, closing the gap in the last few minutes rather than allowing it to widen. After two critical losses, Dartmouth is now 1-3 in League play and sits 7th in the Ivy League. With only the top four teams making the Ivy League championship tournament, Dartmouth is looking to improve upon its start to League play over the next few weeks. “We’re just trying to win games and put ourselves in a good position when the tournament comes around,” Krystkowiak said. “We’re ready to go.” O ver th e n ex t th ree g am es, Dartmouth will take on first-ranked Princeton, fifth-ranked Columbia and second-ranked Yale. With League play just getting started, 10 games left in the season and top-ranked opponents on the schedule, the Big Green have the opportunity to climb in the rankings and make the Ivy League tournament.
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MIRROR THE DARTMOUTH MIRROR
FRIDAY, JANUARY 21, 2022
Hookups, Parties, Classes and the Friends Along the Way STORY
By Adriana James-Rodil & Allison Burg
SOPHIE BAILEY/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
This article was originally published on January 19, 2022. Dartmouth has quite a name for itself: a member of the Ivy League, the birthplace of beer pong and, most importantly, the alma mater of Mindy Kaling ’01. Dartmouth clubs tend to boast if Kaling, or should I say Badly Drawn Girl, was once a member, as she is widely known for her work in “The Office,” “The Mindy Project,” and, more recently, “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” an HBO Max show depicting four freshman girl roommates’ journeys through their first semester at the small and prestigious Essex College. To further these much-awarded bragging rights, in February 2020, to conduct research for The Sex Lives of College Girls, Kaling and co-writer Justin Noble made the trek back to Hanover to interview members of the The Dog Day Players, the Jack-O-Lantern and the Rockapellas — all groups in which Kaling was a member of. Through speaking with Dartmouth students, along with Yale students at Noble’s alma mater, they hoped to more accurately depict the current college life and social scene. “I didn’t want the show to seem like some old person reminiscing about college,” Kaling revealed in a Q&A with The
Dartmouth in May of 2020. “Basically, I just wanted to see how you guys talk, I wanted to see what social interactions are like, and I wanted to see the dynamics between men and women on campus.” As of November 2021, the show has aired and Dartmouth students have scoured through the episodes not only out of love for Kaling, but also in hopes of finding snippets of Dartmouth culture in its creation. Obviously Hanover impacted the picturesque New England setting of Essex, but did the conversations with Dartmouth students also influence the characters and underlying culture of “The Sex Lives of College Girls?” Olivia Gresham ’22, an editor-in-chief of the satirical magazine Jack-o-Lantern, was at the meeting with Kaling and Noble, where there was, in hindsight, questioning surrounding Bella, a character who desperately wants to get into the campus comedy publication, “The Catullan,” but faces sexism along the way. Besides the members “working really hard to be funny in front of her,” as Gresham noted, the Jack-O team may have helped shape some of Bella’s character, although there appears to be a discrepancy between Bella’s experience and the members of Jack-O’s. “[Kaling] asked us a bunch of questions
about the process for getting into Jack-O . . . and if there was a rift between upper and lower classmen,” Gresham said. “She also asked our female identifying members [about] our experience doing comedy at Dartmouth. It was mainly positive reactions, so it’s been funny watching the show and seeing how ‘The Catullan’ is very opposite from what we told her.” Meanwhile, Jessica Weil ’21, president of the Rockapellas, noted that her conversation with the masterminds of “The Sex Lives of College Girls” was more general, with inquiries about a cappella, Dartmouth culture, Greek life, hookup culture, the living situation and freshman challenges. Also, the ABC — Anything But Clothes — party was definitely discussed, so frat brothers can rest assured that Dartmouth parties have made it into more productions than “Animal House” and “22 Jump Street.” Unsurprisingly, Kaling’s show especially struck a chord with freshmen at Dartmouth who believe “The Sex Lives of College Girls,” despite exaggerating some aspects of college life for comedic effect, was relatable and relayed positive messages about the importance of friendship. Megan Apfelberg ’25 thought the show was “really entertaining” yet dramatized — at least in her experience so far as a first-year college student.
“It kind of was the extreme end of a lot with their own identity, coming out when of things, but it definitely has some good they get to college, or not being out to their messages in it, and it does show a lot of the parents but automatically being out when experiences of first coming to college and they get to college” is very common and how that can be uncomfortable for people,” well-depicted in the show. she said. Likewise, Hannah Burd ’22 — who The show depicts how women discover created a Youtube video on her channel, their sexuality and form their own identity Hannah Likes Science, reacting to “The when arriving at college that may or may not Sex Lives of College Girls” — said she differ “from how you felt you had to be at “really enjoyed watching the show” and home or around your parents or old friends,” found it more entertaining thanks to what Apfelberg said. However, the extent to which she described as “easter eggs” Kaling left this sexual exploration occurs, according to about her own Dartmouth experience. Apfelberg, “was a little extreme” and — from In terms of the show’s relatability, what she has seen so far — “people aren’t when thinking back to her own freshman that sexually active.” year, Burd comments that much of the Similarly, Nell Harris ’25 “really liked characters’ experiences were “relatable the show overall,” and although she said the but also not so relatable” — most notably personalities of the four main characters and because in the show, the girls spend much of their experiences felt “exaggerated,” she felt the first few weeks going out, yet Dartmouth that in the context of Dartmouth hookup first-years have a six week frat ban during culture, “it was relatable.” fall term. “The Sex Lives of College Girls” offers a However, Burd found the character sneak peak into college hookup culture and, Kimberly to be relatable. often, the unneeded drama and toxicity that “[Kimberly is] a financial aid student comes with it, and also explores — more from the middle of nowhere, and she importantly, of course — the value of came to Essex and experienced a little bit friendship. of shock by how wealthy everybody is, and What viewers, like Harris, ultimately that’s something that I definitely related to take away from the show is not how to coming from a low-income background to best navigate hookup culture, but rather, a place like Dartmouth.” “that friendship is the most important part Burd also found one particular plotline of the college experience,” Harris said. in the show memorable when one of the “You go through a lot with college friends characters was sexually assaulted. — and you can really tell that through “She brought [her assault] to the attention the show — and friends are the most of the directors of a male-dominated club, important thing and and though there was will always be there a little backlash at first, for you when you “You go through a lot they were ultimately need them most.” with college friends — r e c e p t i v e a n d Upperclassmen, immediately made and you can really tell such as Gresham, a change, at least in have also been able that through the show the moment, and that to see the show — and friends are the was something that and reflect on their was really good to see own Dartmouth most important thing in that context,” Burd f r e s h m a n y e a r and will always be said. “That maybe experiences. not always there for you when you might Gresham noted happen here.” that the pressure to need them most.” In the end, fit into the Greek we — like Kimberly, and party scenes is Leighton, Bela and prevalent amongst - NELL HARRIS ’25 Whitney — are students, especially simply freshman freshman fall and college girls trying winter, adding that she feels “the wealth our best to stay afloat as we figure out disparity” experienced by Kimberly “is how to navigate the isolated world that is really present at Dartmouth.” Dartmouth,all with lifelong friends by our Along with the fraternity she found eerily side who will not only help us through this similar to Theta Delta Chi, Weil affirmed journey, but be there even after we cross the that “freshman struggling to come to terms finish line.
Q&A with Government Professor and NH State House Representative Russell Muirhead STORY
By Anne Rhee
This article was originally published on January 19, 2022. Government professor and New Hampshire state representative Russell Muirhead, D-Hanover, has conducted extensive research on conspiracy theories, political partisanship and democracy. He is also a co-director of the Political Economy Project, an interdisciplinary initiative that aims to answer questions located at the intersection of politics, economics and ethics. The Dartmouth sat down with Muirhead to reflect on the anniversary of the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol. Thinking back to when the attack happened last year, do you remember what your initial reaction was to the news? RM: I was in a legislative session — an outdoor legislative session — in a parking lot of the University of New Hampshire when the news hit that the Capitol was being attacked by a mob that had just gathered to listen to President Trump. And in truth, I was aghast. I had written a book published in 2019 called “A Lot of People Are Saying” about conspiratorial thinking and in that book, my co-author and I imagined a scenario where the president would refuse to concede, citing a rigged election. Even though we had contemplated this scenario, we never thought it would actually happen, so I was aghast and appalled. In “A Lot of People Are Saying,” you defined a new form of conspiracism — has that definition changed in any way post-attack? RM: Conspiratorial thinking is more about
getting power and keeping power than it is about explaining power. I think that has metastasized since we first described it. There is a book about conspiracy theories written by a couple of psychologists called “American Conspiracy Theories” where they lay out the classic view that conspiracy theories are for, as they put it, “losers” — meaning people who have lost status, people who are on the periphery of society. What we saw from 2016 to 2020 was conspiratorial thinking coming from the most powerful person on Earth, not from someone on the periphery — that was different. Ever since we published our book, we thought the conspiratorial thinking might go away, it might recede. Instead, it has redoubled; it has re-amplified. So, I don’t think there’s been a change since we charted this new kind of conspiratorial thinking, but I do think that what we are trying to describe has become even more potent and extensive. Post-attack, there have been many news reports of immense voter distrust of elections, particularly among those who still feel resentment and believe President Trump’s claims about the election being rigged. How do you think voter distrust will continue to affect future elections and bipartisanship? RM: Voter distrust is a very, very toxic force. There are hundreds of thousands of people who believe that the 2020 election was decided fraudulently. They think that President Trump won by a landslide — and it doesn’t take that many people to stop believing in democratic processes before democracy itself stops working. So this is a threat of the first order, and I can’t predict
what’s going to happen. But I would say that the danger right now is acute. Multiple news outlets have conducted and released polls whose results cite that a large majority of Americans are worried about the ‘fate of democracy.’ Do you think this is a concern for future political engagement? RM: The basic rules of democracy right now are up for grabs — they’re at stake. Normally, the political contest is more about policy: more redistribution, less redistribution, more regulation, less regulation. Normally, the contest of democracy is not about democracy itself. When it comes to be about democracy itself, it comes to achieve a kind of revolutionary dimension, meaning there are people who are contesting the nature of the regime itself. So, I think that political engagement will be more engaging, but much more dangerous. Post-attack, is there anything that hasn’t changed? RM: Well, the way in which tribal spirit is distorting people’s willingness to see the truth and describe it has not changed. In the immediate aftermath of Jan. 6, many Republicans publicly said that this has gone too far and they broke with President Trump, such as Mitch McConnell and Kevin McCarthy. That did not last. They started backpedaling and came around to embracing Trump and denying that anything illicit or dangerous happened on Jan. 6. They decided to let their tribal spirit, their team spirit, blind them of the truth and decided to exile Liz Cheney from their party
COURTESY OF RUSSELL MUIRHEAD
rather than Donald Trump. So, this intense tribal spirit that’s fueling misinformation and delusion has not changed. I thought it would; it didn’t. Would you consider the attack to be a turning point in history? RM: Well, I don’t know yet. Donald Trump took over the Republican party, and there were many objections to that: from party officials, party activists, longtime party leaders, governors, representatives, members of Congress, Senators and other presidential aspirates. Nobody wanted him to be the nominee. He was able to prevail in the primary contest and took over the Republican party. That was a turning point. Jan. 6 offered the Republican Party a chance
to turn back, to turn away from Trump. And it decided not to. So what that means for the future is far too early to tell. Finally, as an educator, was there anything specific you took away from the attack? RM: In the United States, we think that because we’ve had a very stable politics since about 1870, that the ground we walk on is very, very firm. But in fact, we might be skating on some very thin ice. Which is to say that democratic institutions might be more fragile than we have been inclined to think for a long time now. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.