“We think about how important it is to think about diversity in our community and how important it is to create mentoring opportunities for all of our students, including students from underrepresented, ethnic and racial minorities,” Ackerman said. “She thought about [this] before Dartmouth was thinking about it very hard.” Native American studies and history professor Colin Calloway added that her advocacy extended into her scholarship. “I think that Deb perhaps represented or showed a diferent face of archaeology one that could be collaborative, one that would involve working with Native communities, to fnd out things Native communities wanted to fnd, other than the kind of intrusive, top-down [approach],” Calloway said. Anthropology professor Jesse Casana noted that Nichols had a uniquely “expansive view of the discipline” and embraced a wide range of perspectives. Nichols helped to recruit and supervise one of Casana’s former Ph.D. students as a postdoc at Dartmouth, despite his research falling beyond her immediate area of expertise, Casana said. “I was just so impressed by her willingness to embrace archaeological questions,” he said. “A lot of other people would tend to be much more narrowly focused on just their own specifc little thing.”
At least fve incidents of grafti — made with what appeared to be red spray paint — appeared around campus on Sunday night. The grafti was found on both sets of doors to Sanborn Library, the sidewalk on the east side of Baker-Berry Library and the corner of the library. The phrases read “Abolish Greek Life” and “Dart protectsCollegerapists.”spokesperson Diana Lawrence wrote that the grafti is in the process of being removed and that an investigation by Safety and Security is ongoing. Director of Safety and Security Keiselim Montás declined to comment.Thisisnot Dartmouth’s only incident of grafti in recent years.. In May 2021, students protested the College’s mental health policies by spilling red paint on the steps of Parkhurst Hall and writing on the building: “Paint is impermanent. Loss of life is forever.” Less than a week later, the initials of three Dartmouth freshmen who died by suicide surfaced on the pavement outside their respective dorm buildings.
Calloway and Ackerman added they were close friends with Nichols outside of work. Calloway lived in Norwich, Vt., the same town as Nichols, and said that their sons grew up together. Ackerman attended Christmas Eve dinners hosted by Nichols. Ackerman emphasized that Nichols brought people closer, both among her fellow researchers in the feld and her friends. “She was just great at that sense of bringing people together again, whether it was for her archaeological work or her governance work, or just because it was a group of people [that] she thought … should hang out together and have a nice evening together,” Ackerman said. According to an obituary by the Valley News, Nichols is survived by her husband and fellow anthropology professor, John Watanabe, her son Aaron and her brotherin-law Daniel Wilson.
BY EMILY FAGELL The Dartmouth Staff COURTESY OF JULIE GILMAN SUNNYHIGH 86 LOW COPYRIGHT59 © 2022 THE DARTMOUTH, INC. FOLLOW US TWITTERON @thedartmouthNEWSQ&A WITH JEWELRY STUDIO DIRECTORGEORGANTESJEFF PAGE 2 OPINION LANE: AMERICA,TITANICTHE PAGE 3 ARTS REVIEW: ‘PERSUASION’NETFLIX’SFAILSTOLIVEUPTOITSNAME PAGE 4 SPORTS FIELD HOCKEY GEARS UP FOR FALL SEASON PAGE 5 MIRROR REFLECTIONS FROM A DOC FIFTY HIKER PAGE 6 FARAH LINDSEY-ALMADANI/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
SEE WHITE HOUSE PAGE 2
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIREVOL. CLXXIX NO. 18
Production executive editor Mia Russo ’23, who is the president of SAPA, was not involved in the editing of this article.
“She has not only been an incredibly strong person and leader, but she has lived through many profound transformations at Dartmouth and in our department and in the discipline as a whole … with grace, clarity and compassion,” Craig said. Religion and women’s, gender and sexuality studies professor Susan Ackerman echoed Craig, noting that Nichols particularly strove to introduce archaeology to Native American and Mexican students.
Anthropology professor Deborah Nichols was known for her willingness to help others. As a trailblazing scholar and top archaeologist, her kindness shone throughout all of her pursuits.
President Hanlon discusses reproductive rights at White House Gra ti criticizing sexual violence policies, Greek life found on campus
BY Penelope spurr The Dartmouth Staff
While declining to comment on the specifc grafti incident, WISE communications and development director Betsy Kohl wrote that WISE is an available resource for the Dartmouth community.“Wewelcome opportunities to engage with anyone and any group who is working to eliminate sexual violence,” she wrote. “Whenever there are conversations about making Dartmouth safer, WISE wants to be there.”Ina written statement to The Dartmouth on behalf of the Sexual Assault Peer Alliance, SAPA executive members Ulgen Yildirim ’24, Eliza Holmes ’24 and Caroline Balick ’24 emphasized the group’s effort “to prioritize the wellbeing of survivors.”
On Aug. 8, College President Phil Hanlon visited the White House to discuss reproductive rights with Vice President Kamala Harris and seven other higher education presidents, according to a White House press release. The roundtable discussion followed the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion.Inthe meeting, participants discussed the challenges students face in the wake of the decision, such as academic responsibilities, financial burdens and disproportionate rates of sexual violence against women on college campuses, according to the release. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and American Council on Education president Ted Mitchell were also in attendance. Hanlon said that the higher education leaders discussed
BY FARAH LINDSEY-ALMADANI The Dartmouth Senior Staff
Anthropology professor Deborah Nichols rememberedgenerations,’forkindness
“In order to best provide empathetic and informed support, SAPA is constantly engaging in conversations about gender-based violence on campus and holds continuing education requirements for active SAPAs in response to campus events,” they wrote.
In an email statement to The Dartmouth, anthropology department chair and professor Jeremy DeSilva added that Nichols was always willing to provide guidance and mentorship.“Herwisdom, humor, knowledge and kindness will be sorely missed on the fourth foor of Silsby Hall,” DeSilva wrote. “...Her anthropological scholarship was transformative and inspired generations of Dartmouth students.” In addition to Klassen, who is now an archaeologist, Bridget Alex ’08 was another such student. Inspired by an online article she read that discussed using nuclear energy to analyze artifacts, Alex said she realized that she wanted to engage in similar research. Alex then sent an email to Nichols — despite not knowing her very well — who advised Alex to focus on earth sciences and chemistry based on Alex’s research interests, which Alex took to heart. Today, Alex is a lecturer at Harvard University. Alex said that it was Nichols who introduced her to the world of academia and graduate school opportunities.“I’mcurrently so happy with how my life has turned out professionally and personally, [and] I would not have gone down this path had I not met her,” Alex said. “Even if I knew I wanted it, I would have had no idea how to pursue it.” Members outside of the Dartmouth community also commemorated Nichols’s accomplishments as a dedicated archaeologist. Dan Sandweiss, president of the Society for American Anthropologists, said that he frst met Nichols years ago when he was a board member and she was president.“Shewas a great leader, very centered, and she understood the discipline well,” SandweissAccordingsaid.to Sandweiss, in the months leading up to her passing, Nichols was advising and mentoring him before he would take on his presidency in March 2023. Sandweiss also released a statement honoring Nichols on behalf of the Society for American Anthropologists. He wrote, “[Nichols] has been a guiding light and ferce advocate for the SAA, her students at Dartmouth and the feld of archaeology,” as well as “a wonderful mentor.” Along with mentoring individual students, Ackerman expressed how Nichols cared immensely about leadership and administration at Dartmouth. Nichols participated on several executive committees, including serving as vice-chair of the Committee Advisory to the President. “We were both deeply, deeply, deeply committed to the work that faculty does in terms of helping govern Dartmouth,” Ackerman said. “I can’t tell you how many committees we were on together.”
COURTESY OF THE WHITE HOUSE their commitment to reproductive healthcare.“Thecampuses present were all deeply committed and supportive of access to reproductive health services, with the understanding [that] some [students] reside in states where those services may not be available in the future,” Hanlon said. Hanlon explained that the meeting began with press statements, followed by a private, “broad-ranging conversation” on issues including the legality of interstate travel for abortion, the future of reproductive health training for students and the protection of personal data. In his opening statement to the public, Hanlon focused on the College’s support for reproductive rights. “We will continue to offer insurance coverage to our students and employees that supports reproductive health, in compliance with federal and state law,” Hanlon said in the meeting. “And the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth will continue its deep commitment, through its research and educational programs, to reproductive rights for Accordingall.” to Geisel School of Medicine OB/GYN Paul Hanissian, reproductive healthcare educational programs are provided at “multiple touchpoints” during one’s time as a medical student at Geisel. This includes the first-year Reproductive Medicine course — in which students explore topics such as contraception and abortion — and the clinical years, during which students “learn about and participate in care fundamentally affecting reproductive rights.” He added that there is a history of advocacy at Geisel, including a chapter of Medical Students for Choice — an organization dedicated to reproductive education.“Geisel as an organization is committed to providing a
‘inspired
For Sarah Klassen ’10, Nichols dropped everything to help Klassen decide on possible career paths — despite not knowing Klassen at the time. “It is funny to think about, now, these pivotal moments in a person’s life,” Klassen said. “For me, it turns out my career was [because of Nichols] putting everything down to speak to a random student for an hour who might be interested in archaeology,” Klassen said. Nichols died on July 27 at age 70 from cancer, according to an announcement from the Society for American Archaeology. Nichols — often referred to as Deb — served as president of the Society for American Archaeology starting in 2021. Nichols was born in Flushing, N.Y., and completed her bachelors, masters and Ph.D. at Penn State University. Nichols joined the College in 1985 and became the College’s frst tenured female professor of anthropology in 1990. She taught courses in anthropology, Latin American, Latin and Caribbean studies and Native American and Indigenous studies. Fellow anthropology professor Sienna Craig said she remembers Nichols as someone who ofered “incredibly valued and skillful advice.” Craig said that it was Nichols who hired her back in 2005. According to Craig, Nichols supported the inclusion of minorities and women in anthropology, but also Nichols’s feld of choice, archaeology. She also said that thanks to Nichols’s eforts to achieve inclusivity in the feld, the department has become more diverse.
During sophomore summer, there are fewer students on campus, so there’s a general sense of things being more relaxed. There are always jewelry studio director
Hanlon meets with university leaders in DC about Roe overturning
COURTESY OF JEFF GEORGANTES
Jeff Georgantes PAGE 2 THE DARTMOUTH NEWS FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022
Aisha Twilley ’25, a member of the Sexual Violence Prevention Project student advisory board, agreed that interactions between SVPP and the administration could be beneficial. “I do think that having a [collaboration] would be a good idea, just because the reproductive rights and sexual violence go hand in hand to some degree,” Twilley said. “So having a meeting with [the] administration, or even hosting an event where students can talk to [the] administration about their concerns and things could be something that the SVPP board facilitates.” Hanlon added that a collaboration with students is in consideration. “To the extent that there’s synergy with student energy and what they’re feeling, we want to get together and understand how we can be supportive together,” he said. In addition, Hanlon said that there “will be a need for more messaging” in the fall when more students return to campus. Holmes agreed, explaining that she hopes professors will be explicit about available accommodations and that the College will clarify which resources are confidential. She added that she thinks Dartmouth should consider creating a fund to help cover travel costs for abortion. In the meantime, Hanlon said the College will be monitoring the state legislature to understand what the administration can do if current laws change. some students who take advantage of this time and come more frequently and get to go more in depth. There are a couple of students who are here really every day, and one of them is a student who dove straight into working with gold, making some designs for his mom. Because he’s here every day working, he’s been able to accomplish a lot within a really short period of time. He just finished this 18-karat gold ring. And we also have a couple of students who are making wedding rings this summer, so those are two projects that are happening this summer that are pretty special. What kinds of resources does the jewelry studio have for students, and what is possible for students with those resources?
I have a master’s in sculpture and a master’s in jewelry and metalsmithing. So within my career, I’ve worked on things from precision precious stone setting all the way up to large bronze sculptures. But I think what I enjoy doing the most is taking advantage of my skills as a diamond setter and precious stone setter — I use those techniques to set objects that I find in my travels and set them using traditional techniques, like maybe a beach rock, or some kind of found object like a bottle cap or a small toy. That’s really my favorite: to use the skills that I have to set things in imaginative ways. What are some examples of notable projects that students have worked on in the studio JG:recently?
FROM WHITE HOUSE PAGE 1 comprehensive medical education and to provide the highest standards of training to achieve health equity for all,” Hanissian wrote in an emailed statement. “We are fortunate that our clinical sites are located in states where students can learn and participate in all aspects of care for patients … These opportunities will continue to be available to all Geisel students, even in the wake of recent legal developments.”WhileHanissian wrote that the Supreme Court decision “has not yet fundamentally affected Geisel’s ability to support education or research,” he recognized that future legislation could “have a more direct effect” on reproductive health training at Geisel. Many students applauded Hanlon’s visit to the White House, asserting the importance of clear communication regarding reproductive rights and healthcare.“Ithink it’s really important for these leaders of all these colleges to come together and talk about the practices that they have in place … to make sure that students are still receiving access to reproductive healthcare,” Planned Parenthood Generation Action president Eliza Holmes ’24 said. “As PPGA president, it’s great to see Hanlon taking that step in action towards committing both himself and the College to ensure reproductive healthcare access for students on campus.” Nacho Gutierrez ’25 said that he was glad the White House invited a diverse array of institutions to the roundtable, and not just schools in the Ivy League. According to the press release, attendees included the City University of New York, Dartmouth College, Gallaudet University, Howard University, Oberlin College, Reed College, Tennessee State University and the University of CaliforniaIrvine. Hanlon said that the White House invited these instituions, which include historically black colleges and universities and liberal arts colleges, to ensure “broad perspectives” were heard.“When I first heard that it was going to be higher education [officials] speaking at the White House, I thought that that wasn’t going to be a genuine reflection of the problem nationwide,” Gutierrez said. “But then it wasn’t just the Ivy schools … so I definitely think that that represented a better microcosm of the problem.” Gutierrez added that he wished the College had consulted with students before the meeting — a sentiment echoed by some campus leaders. While student body president David Millman ’23 called Hanlon’s attendance at the meeting “remarkable,” he said he was unaware of the meeting before it occurred and would have liked to see “students brought into the conversation.”“Obviouslywe at Student Assembly, in the student government, are very willing — I know I am, and [student Bnody vice president Jessica Chiriboga ’24] is to work with the administration [in] any way to help safeguard these reproductive rights,” Millman said. “And we look forward to those conversations.”
JG: We can do pretty much anything, from low-tech to high-tech. I told you about the student working with gold this summer, but we also have a lot of students working with beads and pretty basic silver rings. We have a number of go-to projects for people who show up and don’t have an idea of what it is they want to do, and we act like jewelry counselors and suggest projects to get them started. We have this one ring that can be interpreted in a bunch of different ways. From fall 2021 to now, we probably made about 350 of these. It’s a very popular project. How do professors use the jewelry studio as a teaching tool?
JG: We do a lot of demonstrations for academic classes. Last term, we did a casting demonstration for a sculpture class, because as far as I know, we have the only metal casting facilities and equipment on campus. We also partnered with the Native American studies program and the Indigenous art program through the Hood Museum of Art and brought in a Navajo jeweler named Nanibaa Beck. She taught a series of workshops for Dartmouth students, on-campus Indigenous students and for the Native American Art and Material class. What goals do you have for the jewelry studio in the upcoming JG:year?This year is going to be a challenging year for us. You probably have heard that the Hopkins Center is going to close for renovations at the end of fall term. So fall term, we’re going to be going like gangbusters trying to take advantage of this space while we still have it. Then starting in December, we’re going to move to a new home for a couple of years. As far as a goal, it’s going to be to keep the studio operating while we make this transition into a new space. What role do you think that the jewelry studio plays in the wider Dartmouth community?
JG: I think of the jewelry studio as kind of like a clubhouse, and the conditions for membership to this club is that you’re a Dartmouth student and that you walked through the door. Students often come in and find a home here. Here, I often meet students before they start college through the various pre-campus visits and work with them all the way up until they graduate. It is such an honor and a privilege to watch students go from the end of their years of being a teenager to young adults. That’s a big way that the studio plays an important role in the greater Dartmouth community: A lot of students come here all four years and make this place a second home. This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity and length.
Q&A with
The Donald Claflin Jewelry Studio, situated in the basement of the Hopkins Center for the Arts, provides an open studio space for students who are interested in making jewelry and metalsmithing. The space is equipped with student workbenches that feature a variety of jewelry-making tools, as well as professional jewelry artists and trained student assistants to mentor students hoping to learn more about the craft. The Dartmouth sat down with studio director Jeff Georgantes to learn more about what resources the space offers and how it contributes to the broader Dartmouth community. How did you become the director of the jewelry studio, and what inspired you to pursue the JG:position? I’ve actually been making jewelry since I was in high school, which was a long time ago. In my early 30s, I fell into a job teaching jewelry-making at a local college where I lived in northern California. I had that job for about 15 or 16 years and just felt like I was ready for a change. I applied for a number of positions and ended up getting the Dartmouth job and moving to New Hampshire. How has your current position at Dartmouth differed from the position that you held previously in JG:California? Well, the biggest difference is that academic classes are pretty structured, and there are a lot of guidelines. What’s different about the Claflin Studio is that it operates like a makerspace, so there are no grades. People work at their own pace. Most importantly, nobody really has to be here, so everybody in this position, everybody who uses our space is here because they want to be. We get a lot of students who use our resources and our expertise for academic projects, but we’re not the ones who are doing the grading. You mentioned you’ve been making jewelry since high school. What types of jewelry projects do you most enjoy JG:pursuing?
Americans bit the bait because they were scared, and they still are. The Republican candidate for governor in my home state of Minnesota is the most extreme we’ve had not only in my lifetime, but probably in my parents’ and grandparents’ lifetimes too. In neighboring Wisconsin, the state legislature is looking at ways to overturn the 2020 election over concerns about nonexistent voter fraud. All this because the contingent of voters who were worried about things like scary, socially progressive picture books in their kid’s elementary school or crime in big cities far from where they live ended up electing officials who had a much more sinister agenda. Where America hurts most, its democracy is rotting. Too many in this country won’t be able to think rationally about solving our real — and big — issues around racism, abortion rights, police brutality, gun control, civil liberties and separation of church and state until they feel their lives are more secure. Their minds are just too quickly reactive to anything perceived as social change. Americans need a safety blanket, and fast. I’ll first start with the good news. When I wrote that first column, the new administration’s only major legislative accomplishment was emergency pandemic relief. This was important, but also the bare minimum. The government’s job is to make life gradually better in the long term, and not just to clean up after the sudden disasters that inevitably plague us in one form or another. Now however, President Biden has accomplished some big things that he deserves praise for. Via an over $1 trillion investment, Biden’s infrastructure bill will help clean up America’s embarrassingly lacking roads and bridges, public transit, water treatment and distribution, electric grid, pollution response and internet access. The American Society of Civil Engineers gave the United States a C- in their most recent report card from 2021. I’m hopeful that will now begin to change. While voters probably don’t cast ballots based on decidedly unsexy considerations like water mains, power lines and sewers, over the long term I believe these investments will help Americans feel more secure in their livelihoods and have better access to opportunity.Justthismonth, Biden signed another landmark bill into law. While mislabelled as the
We welcome letters and guest columns. All submissions must include the author’s name and affiliation with Dartmouth College, and should not exceed 250 words for letters
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 THE DARTMOUTH OPINION PAGE 3 STAFF COLUMNIST: THOMAS LANE ’ 24 America, the Titanic Americans are scared — so scared that they ofen don’t think, or vote, ratonally about today’s issues. Creatng economic security for them is key to navigatng the iceberg sea of cultural conficts we also need to deal with.
THOMAS LANE, Opinion Editor JAYANTH UPPALURI, Mirror Editor LANIE EVERETT Sports Editor ELEANOR SCHIFINO Arts Editor SUMMER HARGRAVE, Photo Editor ELAINE PU Design Editor ARIELLE FEUERSTEIN Templating Editor EMMA NGUYEN Engagement Editor PRODUCTION EDITORS AMY PARK, Publisher KRISTIN CHAPMAN, News Executive Editor FARAH LINDSEY-ALMADANI Managing Editor DIVYA CHUNDURU & SAMUEL WINCHESTER Strategy Directors MEHAK BATRA & ISABELLE KITCHEL Development Directors RACHEL ORLOWSKI Digital Media & Analytics Director EMILY GAO & BRIAN WANG Finance & Sales Directors EMMA JOHNSON Director of BUSINESSSoftwareDIRECTORS EMILY LU, Editor-in-Chief STREET ROBERTS, Production Executive Editor
SUBMISSIONS: or 700 words for columns. The Dartmouth reserves the right to edit all material before publication. All material submitted becomes property of The Dartmouth. Please email submissions to editor@thedartmouth.com. For any content that an author or artist submits and that The Dartmouth agrees to publish, the author or artist grants The Dartmouth a royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide and exclusive license to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish and create derivative works from such content.
In spring 2021, I wrote my first column for this paper. I argued that if President Biden didn’t do more to pass his agenda, young voters would have little reason to vote for his party in the 2022 midterm election. Those midterms are now fast approaching, and I saw it fit to reexamine developments since then. My point in that column was limited to commenting on whether Democrats would see success with young voters in the midterms. I’d now like to expand on it. If President Biden and the Democratic Party cannot demonstrate to voters that they both can and will solve ordinary voters’ economic problems, America’s democracy will further, and perhaps irreparably, erode. When I say economic problems, I’m not here to hawk another article blaring the air raid sirens on inflation. Inflation has actually been coming down lately, and the predictions are that it will continue to decline. What I’m worried about is more long-term. There are several specific failures in the U.S. economy that threaten ordinary Americans: our bumpy transition to a green economy, our crumbling infrastructure, our broken healthcare system, record income inequality, growing corporate monopolies, and weak labor protections. These need to be addressed as soon as possible. Fortunately, two of them are being addressed right now, but the longer the rest fester, the more harm they cause, and the more harm they cause, the more danger they pose to our democracy. Why economic problems? Why aren’t I writing about the supposed culture war? After all, that seems to be making up a lot of the news these days.. My theory is that underlying much, though not all, of the angst about usually overblown issues like immigration, reverse racism, cancel culture, “woke” education and the like is really just an underlying fear of economic insecurity. People in many parts of this country, especially my home of the Midwest, have seen their towns hollowed out, their once stable and well-paying blue collar jobs shipped overseas and their main street shop windows empty save perennial “for lease” signs. They have been long ripe for deception by demagogues holding up scapegoats — such as immigrants or antifa — who are supposedly responsible for all their ills, and sure enough, one such demagogue got elected in 2016.
Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) — its impact on inflation is expected to be negligible because Congress frankly just doesn’t have good levers to do much about it — it will have a dramatic impact on climate change. It includes $369 billion for the green energy transition and related purposes. This is a huge accomplishment, even in the face of the fossil fuels-leasing increases that were included to placate coal baron and West Virginia senator Joe Manchin. Each ton of projected emissions increase from the leasing is met by 24 tons of projected reductions. Responding to climate change is not just key because it will literally save the lives of those who otherwise might die from the increased wildfires, flooding, desertification and other consequences it will have. That is huge, but it also will, just like the infrastructure bill, help alleviate economic pains of ordinary Americans. Two examples: phasing out combustion engines will eliminate gas costs for cars, and phasing out fossil fuels in power plants will lower energy costs in the long run even if they must be subsidized now to speed up implementation. Again, responding to economic problems will make Americans feel more secure and more willing to adjust to social change. Now for the bad news. Our healthcare system is still supremely inequitable and unaffordable, and will be until we adopt some form of universal health insurance that can bring costs down while giving all access to this crucial public good. The newly-passed IRA will extend current Affordable Care Act insurance subsidies and allow Medicare to do some drug price negotiation, among other small fixes, but doesn’t address the underlying issue. Fortunately, this is a uniquely American problem, and our peer countries have far better — and cheaper — health systems than us that we can learn from. With those peers’ health systems in mind, Improved Medicare for All is the most serious, economically-sound proposal to fix the healthcare system currently. Hopefully mainstream Democrats will come around to it sooner rather than later. Even for families lucky enough to be unburdened by the specter of medical debt, the fear of it causes many of them to avoid seeking care for solvable problems until it’s too late. Healthcare dysfunction contributes a lot to why Americans are so on edge all the time.Then there is widening income inequality.
The gap between the haves and have-nots is wider now than it’s ever been since the Roaring Twenties. The reason this makes Americans feel insecure should be obvious — having to make do with less each year while a wealthy few seemingly own the world is not exactly a reassurance that the future will get better. A more progressive taxation system is crucial to addressing this, and giving Arizona senator Kyrsten Sinema the carveout she wanted in the IRA that preserves a gaping tax loophole for private equity certainly didn’t help. Corporate taxation is also tied up with this. The IRA’s 15% minimum corporate tax rate is a wise inclusion, but more action, such as new antitrust laws, is needed to break down the monopolies and oligopolies that are squeezing ordinary Americans. Releasing this stranglehold will help put Americans back at ease about their futures. Ordinary Americans see the corporate world that dominates the American economy predominantly as their employers. That’s why the lack of new labor protections is my final inclusion on the bad news list. New union elections are up almost 60% in the last year, showing American workers’ discontent with their wages and working conditions. They’re right to be mad. The same corporate behemoths like Amazon that often don’t pay anything in federal taxes also have other enraging issues like — again to pick on Amazon — abysmally high workplace injury rates compared to competitors. At the same time, those companies are doing everything they can to prevent unionization. The National Labor Relations Board reports alongside more union elections a very high rate of alleged illegal union busting by employers. Over 40% of union elections are accompanied by charges of violations of labor laws — and those laws are currently far too weak. American workers don’t feel safe, and that needs to change. We have to make Americans feel economically safe in order to address the social fears they complain about loudest. Creeping authoritarianism is a minefield of icebergs, and if Biden and the Democrats can’t — or won’t — be brave enough to bring the captain and crew to their senses to avoid a collision, the better, stronger, more compassionate America we want may crash and sink out of sight into the cold ocean. We can’t let that happen.
COURTESY
DAHER The Dartmouth Staff ELAINE PU/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
Review: Netflix’s ‘Persuasion’ fails to live up to its name
At the beginning of sophomore summer, Exit 13 was formed ––becoming the newest addition to Dartmouth’s student-driven music scene. Named after the Hanover exit on Route 91, the band features lead vocalist and guitarist Sami Lofman ’24, keyboard player Amethyst McKenzie ’25, saxophone player Devontae Lacasse ’24, bassist Christian Caballero ’24 and drummer Kirusha Lanski ’23, who also plays in the student band Shark. Lofman said the band formed out of each individual’s passion for music and their search for a fun way to fill their“Whattime.unites us is that I think we are doing it purely for fun,” Lofman said. “We genuinely did not realize bands get paid until a few weeks in. It was definitely a funny moment when I told Amethyst we were getting paid for our first gig … we’re doing it purely because we love music, and [because] it’s fun to Accordingperform.”toLofman, the band was established within the first few weeks of the summer, though she noted that coordinating practices was initially difficult because of everyone’s busy schedules.“Getting the band together was not the easiest thing,” Lofman said. “This band happened out of sheer willpower. I’ve been super grateful.” Each band member emphasized how their different musical talents and tastes contribute to their unique sound.“My taste is more chill and Indie, whereas Amethyst and Christian are more metal and rock,” Lofman said. Lacasse said that being in the band has helped him work on different styles of music, despite his classical background“Whenmost people think of the saxophone, they think I play jazz,” Lacasse said. “I’m classically trained, actually –– but playing in a band, I’ve really improved my jazz-playing skills, and I’m looking forward to continuing that on my foreign study program next year.”Lacasse, McKenzie and Caballero each play in the Dartmouth Chamber Orchestra, which predominantly plays classical arrangements. While Caballero said they typically play the bass, they can also play percussion to fill in for Lanski, in addition to playing euphonium and trombone for the orchestra.“Christian is such an integral part of the band –– [they are] such a good presence and bass player with great music taste,” McKenzie said, adding that she and Caballero bonded over their love of similar artists, such as the English rock band Muse. “They actually got into bass because of Muse, which is funny because it’s one of my favoriteLofmanbands.”said the group plans practices on a week-by-week basis.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022THE DARTMOUTH ARTSPAGE 4
By JOE
Each band member shared that playing in a live band has required a different outlook on performing: Stage presence and energy are more important than technical perfection. And when a band exudes energy, the crowd gives that energy right back — Lacasse said the band’s first show at Bones Gate fraternity was a highlight of the summer for him due to the crowd’s liveliness. He added that the band has made his sophomore summer experience unforgettable. “We come together to play great music we all enjoy,” Lacasse said. “It’s truly been an amazing seven-week journey.”Members of Exit 13 expect the band to live on, even after the end of the summer term. OF DEBORAH JUNG ’24 My bedside table is stacked tall with romance novels. This summer I’ve raided my local bookstore on many occasions to fnd a new story to fall into while sitting on the beach, the train or the porch of my childhood home. My enthusiasm for cheesy tales of love has even manifested in binging romances on streaming services — everything from “The Summer I Turned Pretty” to “Purple Hearts” to“Bridgerton” dominates my list of recently-viewed shows and flms. With “Bridgerton” in my back pocket, I approached Netfix’s adaptation of Jane Austen’s beloved “Persuasion,” a similar period piece and romantic drama, with open and excited arms. I’ve been a fan of Dakota Johnson, who portrays Austen’s main character Anne Elliot, ever since she came clean about lying in her Architectural Digest house tour, in which she proclaimed her undying love for limes. Johnson is sharp, witty and mysterious. She brings these traits to all of the characters she portrays. The emotional lead character of Austen’s novel makes a strong case for hiring an actress such as Johnson whose talents would seemingly do the role justice. Elliot is a strongwilled, young woman from high society in love with a sailor, Frederik Wentworth, of no rank or class. She is persuaded out of her love by both her family and society. The flm adaptation ofers a brief explanation of this past romance before jumping eight years into the future, where fate will have it that Elliot and her sailor, now a well respected and wealthy captain, cross paths again. Their families become intertwined as Wentworth’s sister and her husband unknowingly move into the longtime home of the Elliots, who have been forced to downsize due to fnancial distress. A story of untold feelings, broken betrothals and true love unfolds. The trailer for “Persuasion” clues into the lightheartedness of the flm, portraying it as a tongue-in-cheek, modern adaptation of Austen’s work. On the surface, it sounds like the perfect addition to my summer spent searching for playful romances. But, as the flm began, my excitement quickly turned sour. Scenes that made my heart futter as Elliot spoke of her love for Wentworth ended unceremoniously with a deadpan look to the camera — not unlike an episode of “The Ofce.” And with the inclusion of modern colloquialisms like “he’s a 10; I never trust a 10” combined with the “playful instrumental music” — as described by the closed captions — that followed each pitiful attempt at humor, I found my skin crawling so much that I almost left the room. Austen’s dramatically romantic style was tarnished by these unceremonious attempts at humor, dulling the plot and running the grandeur of the Throughgenre. their overuse of on-trend anachronisms, director Carrie Cracknell and writers Ron Bass and Alice Victoria Winslow show us that they did not trust a younger audience to relate to the central themes of Austen’s novel without overbearingly trying to connect to my generation’s tastes. But these themes — from heartbreak and second chances to family pressures and social inequality — continue to persist universally, no matter the generation. As a viewer, I’m truly saddened by the idea that the creative team behind such a flm would think so little of their audience. While taken aback by the dry attempts at humor the flm continuously pushes, I tried to follow the remnants of romance woven throughout the story as Wentworth, played by Cosmo Jarvis, and Elliot grapple with their feelings for each other, even as new loves enter into their lives. However, the character arcs in the flm only confused me. Wentworth, painted by Elliot as an intense intellectual and escape from her traditional life, does not live up to this description. Instead, on screen, Jarvis is barely present and lacking in the charisma expected in a love interest. I almost fnd myself agreeing with Elliot’s family’s decision to persuade her out of marriage to him. As the flm progresses, Louisa Musgrove, Elliot’s young, lovable and intelligent sisterin-law played by Nia Towle, becomes, very suddenly, enamored by Wentworth. She pursues him after Elliot shuts down Musgrove’s heartfelt questioning of her feelings for the captain. Both Towle and Henry Golding, playing Anne’s cousin William Elliot, are welcome respites who bring much needed energy back into the washed out storyline. And it is only when William, heir to Anne’s father’s fortune, takes an interest in Anne that we see emotion fow back into our main characters. Golding plays William with the intellectual spark that Jarvis’s Wentworth is so heavily lacking. William and Anne’s periods on screen together, flled with romantic banter, are the only times within the flm that true chemistry was achieved. I craved more screen time for the duo. William’s presence also gives Wentworth a momentary ficker of liveliness as he becomes jealous of his involvement with Anne, but this is short-lived. The tortured emotions that envelop Austen’s novel are cast aside for the sake of a laugh in the flm. The storyline is stretched thin, and I never fnd myself completely persuaded — for lack of a better word — by any character, even with such a star-studded cast. Many of them seem just as rattled by the story’s progression as I do in their portrayals. The only exception was Mia McKenna-Bruce. The flm may be worth watching if not only for her vain and egotistic portrayal of Mary, Anne’s younger sister. She is self-aware in a way completely diferent from Anne — and she does so without having to repeatedly break the fourth wall. As a Netfix flm, the settings of each scene range beautifully from dramatic to playful, and they are as intricately detailed as the costume design itself. But it seems that not even a big budget could save this production from its poor execution. Johnson’s witty personality shines through as Anne Elliot, but she is dampened by the objectively dull and unpleasant flm she fnds herself in.
By Sofia Ratkevich The Dartmouth Student Spotlight: Campus band Exit 13 brings an eclectic, fun sound to sophomore summer
“Somehow we have just worked with this group,” she said. “Everytime we have a rehearsal, we will plan the next one on the fly –– we usually [practice] once or twice a week, but maybe more if we have a show that weekend.”
Rating:
“I guess the biggest challenge is just knowing that right when you get out of practice, you have to do your work and then you can have time either afterwards or on the weekend,” McNally said. “It’s [about] finding out what works for you.”
Bridget McNally ’24, a member of the women’s track team who is also premed, said that the demands of being a student-athlete can be challenging. In season, McNally goes to practice five times a week and lift three times a week, in addition to technical work and track meets that occupy the majority of her weekends. When asked about the challenges between her academics, athletics and social life, McNally pointed to time management.
“We’re aiming to really get some wins on the board for the Ivy League, continue to develop on these things we have been working on as a team and come out with a record we can all be proud of,” Egner said.
According to a NCAA wellbeing study from May, mental health issues have intensified since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: “rates of mental exhaustion, depression and anxiety among college athletes continue to be 1.5-2 times higher than before the pandemic.” The most common concern reported among student-athletes was “feeling mentally exhausted constantly or mostly every day.”Echoing the results of the study, Gonzalez said he believes the pandemic has exacerbated preexisting mental health issues among student-athletes. “The pandemic really put lighter fluid on a smoldering fire and it’s definitely something that across the country with college athletics we are paying attention to,” Gonzalez said.
However, Bird and Egner both expressed that the team’s lack of experience last season inspired them to make signifcant strides during the ofseason. Team member Payton Altman ’24 said she thinks the team’s hard work over the winter and spring will pay of. “I’m really excited about the season and our growth as a program,”’ she said. “We had a successful spring training, and I’m looking forward to how that develops into theEgnerfall.” also mentioned that postCOVID-19, the team has dedicated time to creating a strong culture. “If you are going to do difcult things, you want to be able to trust the people around you,” Egner said. “I think [that] over the last 12-18 months, there has been a real investment in developing meaningful relationships and putting that work in across theInclasses.”terms of strategy for the season, Egner said the team is focusing on lowering the number of conceded goals and strengthening defensive plays. Although Egner said the team gave up relatively few goals last season given the team’s history, he thinks they can do better. Bird said the Big Green has also focused on maintaining a positive mindset even when faced with challenges during play.
/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF ZOORIEL TAN/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF COURTESY OF PAYTON ALTMAN
“We’re working on our mental recovery, after maybe giving up a goal or having a fast break against us, to get our morale back up to attack again,” Bird said. Egner said the team is also looking forward to the Field Hockey Ivy League Championship, which will take place for the frst time in 2023. The top four teams in the Ivy League will compete for the trophy.
Big Green field hockey gears up for upcoming fall season
On
Dartmouth feld hockey is currently in pre-season preparing for its upcoming games. The Big Green welcomed fve new recruits from the Class of 2026 as well as assistant coach Tanner Ridgely and volunteer assistant coach Jen Callahan for the upcoming 2022 season. The team was recently selected to fnish eighth in the Ivy League Preseason Poll.
FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022 THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS PAGE 5 SPORTS
BY Lanie Everett The Dartmouth Staff
Gonzalez said he believes that for student-athletes to maintain their mental health during the fast pace of Dartmouth’s terms, they must be proactive in doing enjoyable activities outside of athletics. He added that although working out is usually thought of as a form of stress relief, for student-athletes, it can sometimes be the very thing that adds to existing anxiety.McNally said that to improve her productivity and wellbeing, she enjoys spending time with people outside of the track and cross country teams and diversifying her friendships. Gonzalez also emphasized the importance of community for studentathletes.“Resilience is a team sport,” Gonzalez said. “You need to have relationships and people to rely on. You don’t do it on your own.” Sept. 4, Dartmouth feld hockey will travel to Orono, Maine, to compete against the University of Maine for its frst game of the season. After a disappointing 4-13 record last season and an 0-7 record in the Ivy League, in part due to the lasting impact of the COVID-19 pandemic – which meant that most team members were playing in their frst collegiate games this season ofers a fresh start. Field hockey head coach Mark Egner said that although the team had some successes during the 2021 season, they were still left with a feeling of “almost,” not quite reaching the goals they had set out to achieve.
Dartmouth feld hockey’s 2021 ofensive player of the year, Bronwyn Bird ’24, also said that the team had a difcult time adjusting to the competitiveness of collegiate play last “Obviouslyseason.we didn’t get the results that we wanted, but I think that it was really good, as we had a new coaching staf coming in and then 50%of our team coming in [had] never played in an Ivy League game,” Bird said.
This past March, Harry Miller, a former Ohio State University offensive lineman, retired from football. Last summer, Miller had shared with his coach that he had intentions of committing suicide. After Miller stepped away from the game, recognizing his mental health challenges and seeking help for it, news media outlets applauded him for his courage speaking Unfortunately,out.other collegiate athletes did not take the same path. Within the first five months of 2022, four female student-athletes died: 21-year-old runner Sarah Shulze (The University of Wisconsin), 20-year-old softball player Lauren Bernett (James Madison University) 19-year-old cheerleader Arlana Miller (Southern University) and 22-year-old soccer player Katie Meyer (Stanford University). All deaths were confirmed as suicides, according to CBS. Miller’s decision to walk away from football –– along with the tragic deaths of Bernett, Meyer, Miller and Shuluze –– rings a loud bell of a mental health crisis among collegiate student-athletes.Whyhasastudent-athlete mental health crisis taken shape? Most know that on a campus such as Dartmouth, adjusting to a college schedule is hard. It requires time management, new study skills and for most of us, fending for ourselves for the first time in our lives. For student-athletes, however, there is additional pressure to perform each season to the best of their ability for the sake of their teammates and coaches.Stephen Gonzalez, the assistant athletics director for leadership and mental performance, shared that Dartmouth Peak Performance works on two sides of mental health. He said Peak Performance focuses on general mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression — the other side, in Gonzalez’s words, looks closely at “how to get people to thrive.” Sports psychiatrist Mike Hyatt aids the former while Gonzalez works towards the latter.Dartmouth Peak Performance gives preseason presentations to all incoming athletes to introduce athletes to its resources and allow them to learn what DP2 has to offer, Gonzalez said. “We are one of the few colleges in the United States at the DI level that actually has the entire mental health spectrum covered.” Gonzalez said. “... A lot of colleges and athletic departments have clinical departments but they don’t necessarily have mental performance personnel as well.”
The Cheap Seats: The Dangers of Striving for Perfection
BY Lanie Everett The Dartmouth Staff
By Kristin Chapman
Learning to Accept the Ups and Downs: Reflections on Attitude after Hiking the DOC Fifty
By Daniel ModestoSTORY
COURTESY OF ELEANOR CLARK ’24 As I sat next to a four-foot teddy bear in my Greek house on a Monday night, I thought to myself: Is it really week nine? Time fies during every term, but sophomore summer was diferent. Lastminute stargazing trips to the golf course, Sunday evening bubblegum-colored skies, that one 5 a.m. walk with my roommate back home — it feels like just yesterday that I locked myself out of my of-campus apartment on my frst day and had to break in through the kitchen window. Academically, I’ve opened myself up to so many opportunities this term. For the frst time ever, I’m not taking a course in the Native American and Indigenous studies department. In its place, I’ve dabbled in religion and Jewish studies, explored the thrilling nature of Weimar Berlin and learned about capitalism and U.S. imperialism in Central America. I became a drill instructor for Portuguese, while also working towards my senior thesis via the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship. On top of all that, yours truly wrote and edited several articles for this newspaper — Thursday production nights were some of the funniest nights this summer. But as I write this piece at Novack Cafe, I can’t help but feel overwhelmed. While my academics and extracurriculars enticed me, I fell into episodes of exhaustion, marked by days of a dead social battery and imbalanced mood swings. Living of campus has been wonderful, but I’ve had to learn how to live relatively independently with my two best friends — not the easiest task. The three of us all hated our sophomore year to varying degrees and it felt like we were still dealing with the residue of evolving social relationships. I’m not one opposed to change; I just wish it was easier. When I frst jumped into this summer, I wanted to start fresh. The tail end of the spring brought new friends and new environments to explore. Spring was my frst term being afliated, and I was excited to meet people and see the appeal of Greek life. Though it’s not perfect, I’ve been able to see myself as a part of my Greek house. Even though I still like staying in, I enjoyed dancing with friends in frat basements and chatting loudly over blaring music. Although sophomore summer has been a renewal for me, there’s something about it that harkens us back to our freshman fall. The pandemic took away the traditionallyoutdoors First-Year Trips for ’24s, so we were marketed a make-up version with this year’s Sophomore Trips. When I go to Collis Student Center (which, frankly, has been almost everyday) I’m no longer greeted with long lines; the short crowds remind me of morning runs to a quiet Novack during freshman fall. It feels surreal to think of that frst fall on campus, how much we missed out on as a class and how we’ve become “the forgotten class.” In fact, it’s only now that I realize that, by the end of sophomore summer, we’ll be closer to Commencement than to freshman fall. As summer evenings start dropping to the 60s and I start seeing new faces — presumably incoming freshmen for FYSEP — I am reminded that my of-term is approaching. If you had asked me how I felt about the end of sophomore summer during my worst week, I would have told you how happy I was to leave Hanover. But now, I dread packing up my things and departing my of-campus home Looking back at sophomore summer, there’s a lot to still unpack. I don’t think I can really address all the things I want to in this piece — perhaps in another medium, I will. But if there’s one thing I know, I feel blessed to have spent this summer with so many amazing people. All the good memories I had were with some of the most spirited, gifted and down-to-earth people I’ve ever met. Even during the hardest times this summer, I am forever grateful to the folks who talked with me, ofered the warmest hugs and simply heard me out. At the end of the day, sophomore summer was the culmination of a year of growing pains. The thrill of hot summer days, trips to West Lebanon and making the best out of a 30-minute wait at KFC are some of the many things that will make me miss this summer. Realistically, there will probably never be another term where I would do all of these things within the unreasonably short 10-week term. In Portuguese, there’s a state of nostalgia and longing known as saudade — a wistful longing of something that may never be had again. It seems awfully sad, but also bittersweet. And while it sucks to be sad about the good times, I know that even better times await.
to Sophomore Summer — It’s Complicated
ASTORYFarewell
MIRROR FRIDAY, AUGUST 19, 2022THE DARTMOUTH MIRRORPAGE 6
ELAINE PU/THE DARTMOUTH STAFF
When I envisioned my sophomore summer, I often pictured myself foating in a tube along the Connecticut River, snuggling up for cozy movie nights in my sorority and hanging out by a campfre with friends. I did not picture a summer in which I conquered many of my fears –– some which I didn’t even know I had before I got to campus this term –– but sometimes life twists and turns in ways you least expect. Just the thought of reading aloud to a class and performing in front of a crowd used to make me feel anxious. These might seem like minor fears, but they’ve held me back from reaching my full potential. My performance anxiety stems from social anxiety –– the fear that others will judge me negatively –– and also the pressure I put on myself to meet my own very high expectations. When I don’t perform as well as I want to, I tend to consider myself a failure and assume that others think the same of me. However, this summer, I started participating more in my classes, and I performed with a summer dance team. What enabled me to confront these anxieties this term? Well, my mind had adopted a new worry to devote its energy: hiking the DOC Fifty. Being selected out of a lottery with three other women to attempt the Fifty –– a 54-mile hike traversing six diferent peaks from Moosilauke Ravine Lodge to Hanover –– meant my brain no longer had the space to focus on its usual concerns. In early July, I walked into the DOC Fifty meeting in Filene Auditorium thinking that, at most, I would volunteer to support the Fifty at one of the hiker support stations. I lacked confdence that I would be capable of hiking such a long distance. As the meeting went on, though, I began to think that perhaps I could do the Fifty. When I was 16, I backpacked 75 miles of the Appalachian Trail in New Hampshire over 12 days as part of a summer camp program, and it rained almost everyday. I reasoned that the Fifty –– with fve diferent support stations equipped with food, frst aid, fresh socks and encouraging people –– sounded almost luxurious in comparison. I decided then and there that I wanted to prove to myself that I could hike the Fifty. The next day, I received a text from a friend that said that she and two other women wanted me to join their team. That night, at 10 p.m., we received an email notifying us we had won the lottery to get in –– out of around 100 people who entered the lottery, we were one of only eight teams of four who were going to hike the Fifty! I remember screaming with excitement in Robo, as my fellow staf members at The Dartmouth congratulated me. My team later met in Blobby to discuss how we would prepare for the hike. My workout routine involved a mix of approximately two hikes, two long runs, one or two Mighty Yoga classes and one dance practice per week. While this exercise regimen might sound like overkill, it felt so good to have an athletic goal to work towards, especially as a former high school athlete. As the date of the Fifty approached, I noticed myself feeling stronger and more confdent from all the training I was doing.Two nights before the Fifty, my team met to share our goals for the Fifty and what we hoped to get out of the hike. One by one, my teammates each expressed that they felt determined to fnish. When it came to be my turn to share, I hesitated. We had already put in so much efort into training, preparing and getting to know one another. I felt so much love for my teammates and wanted them to feel proud of how far we had already come. I said something along the lines of: “I think we should view this as an exercise in going with the fow. I really want to fnish the hike, but I think we should accept the things we can’t control and focus on the things we can.” Flash forward to the middle of the night on Aug. 6 –– my teammates and I were about 20 miles into the Fifty, trekking up Mt. Cube in the dark with only the soft glow of our headlamps to guide us. One of my teammates expressed that she felt lightheaded. It was already difcult to see, but she began to experience dizziness, stumbling over rocks as we hiked. We made a call to the director’s phone number, who advised us to take it slow and take as many breaks as she needed. I couldn’t help but worry about timing: If we arrived at the station past the cutof time, our group would be disqualifed. Exchanging words of encouragement the whole way, we fnally made it to the station at 3:30 a.m., well before the cutof time. My teammate felt sick to her stomach and decided to drop from the hike. At this point, I already understood that certain aspects of the Fifty were simply out of my control –– sometimes people get sick or get hurt on the Fifty, and all you can do is help them to safety. But I still had my mindset under control. I knew that how I mentally approached the rest of the hike could drastically afect the fnal outcome. Around 17 hours later, my team walked along the fnal stretch of the Fifty: Velvet Rocks. With our bodies and minds exhausted, we felt so close to the fnish line, yet also further than ever. The sun lowered in the sky, and we began to worry that we would not reach Robo before the fnal cutof time. My breath caught in my throat as we came to a steep uphill section, and I began to panic. “You got this,” I repeated to myself. “We got this!” Each of us repeated this mantra aloud. Finally, we caught a glimpse of golden light hitting the Burnham soccer felds –– a literal light at the end of the tunnel. We ran out onto the plush, green grass, cheering and shouting. And at that moment, we knew we would fnish. While I’m still unsure about what signifcance this summer will have for me when I look back on it in the future, I know for a fact that something clicked into place for me in the last two months or so. I’ve released most of my anxiety about what others think of me, because I’ve realized that I cannot control what other people think about me. I hold myself accountable for my thoughts about myself –– because only those thoughts are under my control. Each step of the way, the Fifty tested my ability, and my team’s ability, to go with the fow. And through all of the ups and downs, both literal and fgurative, I learned that attitude is everything.
