VOL. CLXXVIII NO. 32
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
COVID-19 guidelines and enforcement Student-founded nonprofit vary on winter study abroad programs FORT pays for students’ mental health bills
NAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
BY EMILY FAGELL The Dartmouth Staff
Students participating in study abroad programs this winter received an “informed consent form” in September 2021, in which the Frank J. Guarini Institute for International Education stipulated various COVID-19 policies and guidelines. Enforcement and success of COVID-19 policies have varied across ongoing programs this winter — some students studying abroad have expressed no concerns with the COVID-19 guidelines, while others report confusion and frustration. Still others said they do not remember signing the form at all. The form outlines testing and masking procedures, mandates to avoid bars or nightclubs –– even when such establishments are open by law — prohibitions on visitors or guests in accommodations as well as contact tracing and isolation guidelines. Despite signing the form, Marc Novicoff ’22, who is currently on the anthropology domestic study program in Hawaii, said
there has been “a lot of confusion” among students about COVID-19 policies. “I kind of get the sense [that] the rules are just being used to appease various parties, but certainly I don’t think the students know what the rules are,” Novicoff said. “I don’t think any student would say, ‘Yeah, we actually cannot go to bars or nightclubs’ on any of the European [study] abroads.” Sydney Fortner ’24, who is currently participating in the language study abroad in Barcelona, said she is “pretty sure” she signed the consent form, and added that students did go to nightclubs on a programsponsored trip to Madrid. She said that the group follows guidelines imposed by the program or the city of Barcelona itself, but there are “very few Dartmouth-imposed restrictions,” other than masking in classes. “If there were policies in effect, I think I would be confused, but honestly, I feel very little of the effect of any Dartmouth [restrictions],” Fortner said. “It’s all Barcelona restrictions, not as much Dartmouth restrictions, especially because we only take one class that’s actually taught by a Dartmouth professor.”
Daniela Armella ’24, who is currently studying on the LSA+ in Toulouse, France, said her program has “zero” restrictions, other than weekly testing protocols and not being allowed to leave the country — a requirement that applies to every study abroad program. Armella did not recall signing a consent form, but she said students comply with the few requirements in place. While Fortner said that students on her program abide by the travel rule, they have been “finding ways around” the requirement. Fortner, for example, visited Tenerife, an island off the Atlantic coast of West Africa that is a territory of Spain. Like Armella, biology professor Matthew Ayres, who leads the biological sciences FSP in Costa Rica, said he “didn’t hear anything about” the informed consent form, but that “it would be a little bit ridiculous with our program, because the only places that we are at are in the middle of the jungle.” Ayres said there were “no deviations” from testing or masking requirements, which included surveillance SEE STUDY ABROAD PAGE 2
Students’ experience with campus Wi-Fi improves as College completes 85% of its upgrades
PARTLY CLOUDY HIGH 55 LOW 14
BY ANDREW SASSER The Dartmouth Staff
NEWS
ENERGY JUSTICE CLINIC WORKS IN NEW HAMPSHIRE, CHILE PAGE 2
OPINION
VERBUM ULTIMUM: OPEN FFB PAGE 3
ARTS
WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT THIS WEEKEND PAGE 4
SPORTS
EIGHT DARTMOUTH ATHLETES COMPETE IN WINTER OLYMPICS PAGE 5
MIRROR
NOVACK’S ANTISTEALING INITIATIVE PAGE 6 FOLLOW US ON
@thedartmouth COPYRIGHT © 2022 THE DARTMOUTH, INC.
Loading screens, buffering videos and drops in internet quality may be no more on campus. According to Dartmouth Information, Technology & Consulting, recent upgrades to the Wi-Fi network have improved internet connectivity and speed in Berry library, dorms and other spaces around campus. The College’s upgrades to on-campus Wi-Fi — both for eduroam and public networks like Dartmouth Public and Dartmouth Library — are about 85% complete, according to network senior service director Felix Windt. Windt added that of the 3500 “legacy” 2.4 GHz access points around campus — which perform the same function as a router does in a typical home — all but 700 of them have been replaced with new 5 GHz APs. He also mentioned that ITC has installed approximately 7000 new APs since 2019. While many of the buildings on campus have received their upgrades, Windt noted that some buildings that students frequently use have not yet been updated. For example, he mentioned that Baker library has not yet been upgraded due to asbestos issues and a $600,000 quote for new wiring needed for the building. Windt also said that ITC is delaying upgrades in Baker until other less expensive buildings on campus can be upgraded first. “We first prioritized upgrading dorms because many students took virtual classes in their dorms,” Windt said. “We then turned to upgrading academic and student life buildings, saving administrative and athletic areas for last.” According to Windt, upgrading from the 2.4 GHz to the 5 GHz APs has the benefit of allowing for faster connections and for more devices to connect at a given time. However, because the radio waves emitted by the 5 GHz APs are at higher frequencies, signals cannot travel quite as far, so new APs have to be placed closer
together. ITC president Mitch Davis said that in addition to upgrading the Wi-Fi network itself to raise internet speeds, ITC has also been able to improve connectivity to the network. He mentioned that these upgrades included “all new” wiring on network switches, which allow more devices to connect to a network at any one given time. “As we plug in the Wi-Fi, we’re also creating a new network to provide the connectivity that wasn’t there in the past,” Davis said. Some of the network upgrades have involved a transition away from wired connections to wireless connections. According to Davis, wireless connectivity is a “necessity” for people on campus to do their work, and as a result ITC has emphasized using wireless APs over wired connections in its upgrade process. Both Davis and Windt agreed that feedback from the Wi-Fi upgrades has been largely positive, and that they have not heard of any areas that have persistent connectivity issues. “We’re constantly getting feedback from professional schools like [the Thayer School of Engineering] and [the Tuck School of Business] that Wi-Fi speeds and connectivity have significantly improved,” Windt said. “We think that feedback from other parts of campus is also positive.” Davis added that he would like to create a mechanism where students can report any network troubles they are having. “We have an AI that analyzes all the data and lets us know where there’s a hiccup, but it would be better to have direct user experience feedback,” Davis said. “What we find sometimes is that connectivity problems are due to the computer, not the network, and with user feedback we can help troubleshoot those kinds of problems more quickly.” Anthony Lenkiewicz ’22 said that he is “decently satisfied” with the Wi-Fi SEE WI-FI PAGE 2
NAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
FORT is currently serving 12 Dartmouth students, according to founder Eva Yao ’23.
BY ANGUS YIP The Dartmouth Staff
Since last fall, a student-founded nonprofit organization FORT — short for fortitude — has helped foot Dartmouth students’ medical bills for mental health care. FORT founder Eva Yao ’23 said that after being approved, students can contact FORT whenever they require a mental health bill to be paid, and FORT will pay the full amount to the healthcare provider. She added that the fund first launched with support for four students and has since expanded to 12. She also said that students applying can choose to remain anonymous, though FORT requires applicants to indicate whether they are on financial aid and to offer an explanation as to why they require financial support. According to FORT’s website, students enrolled in FORT receive $400 per month on average, although the level of financial support is evaluated on an individual basis. Students can apply to receive support for one term, and can choose to continue receiving support in future terms. Yao noted that if the student provides information about their specific needs, FORT can also assist with locating a suitable healthcare provider. A student in the Class of 2024 receiving financial support from FORT, who requested anonymity for medical privacy reasons, said that while Dick’s House provides counseling, it is only available for one term and it was inappropriate for her needs. She said that she had hoped to pursue cognitive behavioral therapy at the College for anxiety, insomnia and depression as her previous medications had worsened her condition, but Dick’s House does not have any CBT specialists. She added that she turned elsewhere after attending Collegeprovided counseling, but her parents were unwilling to pay indefinitely. “My parents’ view of therapy is that the point of therapy is to get out of therapy, and they became frustrated with the exorbitant costs after a few months,” she said. “There was no way I could cover the costs of therapy after they refused … Without [FORT], I’m not sure I would’ve been able to get through this term.” Yao explained that the initial idea for FORT emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic. “2020 was a really difficult year for everyone … A lot of my close friends were struggling themselves, and they were struggling to pay the bills for their mental health care,” Yao said. Apart from some initial funding from the Magnuson Center for Entrepreneurship, FORT has been “completely independent” from the College, she said. “Every single penny that we have now has come from fundraising and donations,” she said. Yao added that because FORT is not recognized as a College organization, it cannot utilize the College listserv and cannot book College venues for events. To overcome this, she said, FORT compiles its own lists of Dartmouth students’ emails for outreach and has conducted previous events virtually. She noted that FORT
will be applying to the Council of Student Organizations in the spring to become a recognized club. Kelly Beaupre ’24, who is on FORT’s fundraising team, said that the group is organizing a fundraising event with the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee on Feb. 20, where varsity athletic teams can buy in to participate in a dodgeball tournament against other teams. Beaupre added that this is FORT’s first fundraising event specifically targeting varsity athletic teams. FORT has previously conducted events with Greek organizations, such as therapy dog sessions, where students can pay to walk a dog. Yao added that FORT also hosts a regular speaker series where students and professors can talk about their experiences with mental health, which she believes can help address the “huge stigma” around mental health. Beaupre said that there has been “tremendous support” from students and faculty. “We’ve had professors come and speak during our speaker series, and that’s particularly tremendous,” Beaupre said. “They’ve brought a lot to our series in terms of knowledge and just being a resource for students on the call.” Other student organizations have attempted to tackle mental health issues in various ways. Dartmouth’s Mental Health Student Union provides peer counseling, and last fall, Student Assembly provided 100 undergraduates free year-long subscriptions to Calm, an app providing guided meditations and music libraries to decrease anxiety. According to a newsletter sent to campus on Feb. 6, the Student Assembly is currently advocating for a “telehealth option for all Dartmouth students, which would include counseling services and 24hour crisis calling.” The anonymous student said that the College’s mental health care is “notoriously bad,” referring to her experience at Dick’s House. “I was at one point told by my [physician assistant] at Dick’s House … that conditions like mine — depression, anxiety, insomnia and anorexia — were not serious enough to warrant the involvement of a psychiatrist,” she said. “In other words … They believed they could treat me at the primary care office. Only those with more rare conditions were granted the help of a psychiatrist.” She also noted that she was “frequently” unable to make appointments with her counselor because they became busy with the needs of other students. Yao said that barriers to mental health care are not limited to Dartmouth, and she hopes to be able to expand FORT to other colleges. According to FORT’s website, the fund hopes to eventually support as many students as possible, but “rather than accepting more students and providing less funding for each, [FORT] will keep [their] numbers smaller and subsidize all of the needs of the students on the fund.” “We need to figure out what’s wrong with the entire healthcare system, which is obviously a really big issue to tackle, but I hope that FORT can at least be a small effort towards what I think is missing,” Yao said.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022
PAGE 2
THE DARTMOUTH NEWS
Energy Justice Clinic works on projects in New Hampshire, Chile
New state law restricts access to reproductive care
NAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
B Y NOAH DURHAM The Dartmouth Staff
The Energy Justice Clinic at Dartmouth, founded in Nov. 2021, is funded by the Irving Institute for Energy and Society and researches community power aggregation in New Hampshire and Indigenous environmental rights in southern Chile. The clinic includes faculty and student researchers. The EJC engages in social science research on energy transitions, including moving away from fossil fuels and carbon intensive energy, according to anthropology professor Maron Greenleaf, who cofounded the clinic alongside postdoctoral researcher Sarah Kelly. The EJC’s current projects include producing timelines about community power aggregation in New Hampshire and California, a process which involves leveraging a community’s collective purchasing power to take advantage of market offerings or renewable options. The EJC is also conducting research on hydroelectric power in southern Chile, where Indigenous claims to land are in conflict with a Norwegian-backed infrastructure project. Energy justice involves seeing “renewable energy as a basic human right,” according to Kate Yeo ’25, who works for the clinic. She explained that energy justice involves addressing issues in the energy sector and the transition to renewables, adding that communities of people of color face higher energy burdens and energy-related issues. “Energy justice is really about making sure that everyone has access to energy, but not just that, making sure they have access to clean energy,” she said. While the project is housed under the anthropology department, Kelly said that the clinic has three institutional partners — the Irving Institute for Energy and Society, the Center for Social Impact and the Design Initiative at Dartmouth. Kelly said that the EJC is in its first year of operation, and is starting to build a network in New Hampshire with other “energy justice actors.”
“We have seed funding, and we’re looking to secure funding to run the clinic for additional years,” she said. Greenleaf said the EJC’s vision is twofold. First, she said that the clinic engages in social science research on energy transitions away from fossil fuels and “carbon intensive energy.” Second, she said the research involves undergraduate students at Dartmouth in partnership with community organizations. “It’s kind of an engaged, service-learning model,” she said. The clinic’s project in the Upper Valley involves supporting the town of Hanover and the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire as they work on transitioning to community power aggregation, according to the EJC website. “The EJC will help the transition to community power be inclusive and equitable,” the website said. The town of Hanover joined the Community Power Coalition of New Hampshire last October in an effort to aggregate the community’s energy purchases to reach 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and lower energy prices for residents. “With community power, you decentralize control of utilities, so everyone in a town would be able to participate in the production and distribution of energy sources,” Yeo said. “It gives them greater access to clean energy, and also, if it’s implemented right, it will help to lower electricity costs.” Yeo said a large part of her work with the clinic is finding existing research on community power in order to apply best practices to New Hampshire. “We really want to try and understand the unique context in New Hampshire and in Hanover specifically,” Yeo said. Yeo also noted the importance of conducting interviews to her work at the EJC. For example, she said that Clifton Below, the assistant mayor of Lebanon, brought expertise to the clinic with years of experience in community power. “He is the guy who has been championing
community power for a really, really long time, so getting to interview him was really interesting,” she said. Gannon Forsberg ’25, who also works on the EJC’s New Hampshire project, similarly said that investigating states like California and Colorado, where community power initiatives have taken hold, has been insightful. Forsberg added that the EJC explores how to develop new sources of energy without harming lower income communities. “There’s been a lot of thought that’s gone into how can we do this so that it’s economical, how can we do this in a way that’s going to deliver value and be reliable,” he said. According to the clinic’s website, the second EJC project is in Fütawillimapu, a town in the Mapuche-Williche territory in southern Chile, and involves a water-energy justice court case involving Indigenous territorial rights. According to graduate student Adriana Fajardo Mazorra, who also works for the EJC, the dispute involves the Pilmaiquén river in southern Chile, which drew interest from hydropower companies, including Norwegian state-owned company Statkraft. Statkraft acquired the rights to build hydropower projects in the region, which she said causes several issues. “To do hydropower, you need to flood some parts of lands, and the other thing is that you need to change the flow of the river at certain points,” she said. “The river has spiritual meaning for Indigenous people.” Mazorra said the EJC is approaching energy justice within “transnational contexts,” considering how other countries “interfere” with Indigenous sovereignty. She said the research has been “eye-opening.” “We have the chance to interview people who are in the field, talk with indeignous leaders [and] with the lawyers who are representing the case,” she said. Mazorra said that the EJC is trying to build new ways of looking at energy justice through “perspectives of the Global South.” “We are exploring solutions, but we don’t have the solutions yet,” she said.
Isolation conditions, locations differ depending on study abroad locale FROM STUDY ABROAD PAGE 1
testing and masking in public, and that COVID-19 protocols have not had a negative impact on the program. “[The program is] as fantastic as ever,” Ayres said. “I might say even more so because everybody was so happy about being able to work together and be together [and have] the chance to work and learn and have fun with their colleagues.” Ayres added that students “could interact quite normally,” as they are being “tested and living in a bubble.” Novicoff said he has more directly dealt with the implications of having signed the informed consent form when trying to arrange travel plans for his girlfriend to visit him in Hawaii. Novicoff wanted his girlfriend to stay in his accommodations, but was told by the program’s faculty director that his girlfriend must lodge separately, which would have cost her $1,000. While Fortner said that COVID-19 restrictions have not impeded the Barcelona program, she added that the virus itself has caused disruptions to the program. Fortner said almost every student on the trip has contracted COVID-19, with seven out of 17 at one point being infected at the same
time. But she said the College “handled [the situation] pretty poorly,” explaining that they lacked “a plan” and appropriate accommodations. “They had a [COVID-19] apartment, but it only had two beds and it fit [either] two girls, two boys or four girls, four boys,” Fortner said. “And we only have about four boys on the trip, and we have 13 girls.” In turn, Fortner said she was forced to quarantine with her host parents, who ultimately tested positive for COVID-19. In Toulouse, Armella said students had two options for isolation upon testing positive for COVID-19: isolate alone with their host or relocate to a hotel paid for by the College and the Dickinson Center in Toulouse, the agency that “planned their entire program.” According to Novicoff, students who test positive for COVID-19 isolate at a community college in Oahu, Hawaii where “they wouldn’t let you leave your room at all, not even to go outside.” Novicoff added that students “don’t quarantine in the events of exposure,” although the informed consent form technically includes this provision. Ayres, on the other hand, said students in Costa Rica tested for COVID-19 regularly and have remained negative, noting that his
program had “dozens” of meetings with the Guarini Institute to ensure it could run safely and smoothly. Ayres added that Bill Frederick, a health and safety professional with the Guarini Institute, visited each of the program’s stations in Costa Rica to “personally assess the health and safety risks.” “The Guarini Institute did an amazing job,” Ayres said. “We would’ve never been able to do this otherwise ... I’m not aware of any discontent at all from our students.” Other programs remain suspended altogether, such as the CASA Cuba exchange program. Government professor and faculty director Lisa Baldez said the program is set to run next fall and spring, adding that she is “really psyched that we’re looking at being able to get the program up and running again.” Baldez added that she has “such faith in the staff at Guarini” in terms of “their knowledge of risk assessment and what’s going on on the ground in particular countries.” Guarini Institute executive director John Tansey did not respond to requests for comment. Guarini Institute staff did not respond to requests for comment sent to the institute’s email.
Wi-Fi routers in residential buildings were upgraded first, followed by libraries FROM WI-FI PAGE 1
situation on campus. He noted that while he has had to “occasionally” switch to a public network, it has usually been “pretty reliable” for him. “In buildings with thick walls like basements it’s a bit harder to connect
to Wi-Fi,” Lenkiewicz said. “Overall, however, it’s not that big of an issue.” Dakota Ma ’22 said that while eduroam is more reliable, her computer will sometimes automatically connect Dartmouth Public first, which she noted was “slower” and “harder to use.” However, she added that her connection
has “largely been fine.” “Eduroam doesn’t really work as well outside, but in dorms or in the library and in classes it works fine,” Ma said. “There’s occasional patches where the internet might be down, but the speed is decent most of the time.” Lorraine Liu contributed reporting.
SAPHFIRE BROWN/THE DARTMOUTH
BY EMILY FAGELL The Dartmouth Staff
A new abortion law took effect in New Hampshire on Jan. 1 that restricted access to reproductive care across the state. The initial bill makes it illegal to terminate a pregnancy after 24 weeks and requires anyone receiving an abortion to have an ultrasound, according to NHPR. On Feb. 3, the New Hampshire Senate modified ultrasound requirements, requiring the procedure only when a fetus nears the 24-week mark, but rejected Democrats’ efforts to add exceptions to the ban. According to a press release from Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, the law provides no exceptions for “fatal fetal diagnoses, rape, or incest; and it has a very narrow exception for maternal physical health.” PPNNE campaigns and c o m mu n i c at i o n s d i re c t o r S a r a Persechino said the ban is “particularly cruel” for limiting pregnant people’s actions. “It’s criminalizing their doctors and then forcing them to travel out of state for the care that they need, if they can afford to do that,” she said. Persechino added that the second part of the bill — the ultrasound mandate for fetuses nearing 24 weeks — will most affect patients at Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, as the organization does not perform abortions after 24 weeks, as that is the domain of hospital care. The bill is especially harmful for survivors of sexual assault, according to government professor and Democratic state representative Russell Muirhead of Hanover. He wrote in an emailed statement that ultrasounds are “invasive procedures that, for victims of rape and assault, only redoubles their trauma — and for no medical reason whatsoever.” Furthermore, ultrasounds cost about $400 to $500 for uninsured patients, according to NHPR. Traveling out of state to have an abortion after 24 weeks incurs further expenses. “We now will have to help arrange care in Massachusetts or Vermont, which for some, is a great distance away from the support of their communities and families,” Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center chair of the OBGYN department Ilana Cass wrote in an emailed statement. “They might incur additional expense, thereby compounding the inequity of care for our most marginalized women.” According to Planned Parenthood Generation Action chapter president Eliza Holmes ’24, the law also takes funding away from the New Hampshire Family Program, which allows uninsured or lower-income patients to access reproductive healthcare. While the bill did not take effect until Jan. 1, it was passed last spring in the state’s 2022 budget package. Muirhead wrote that Republicans had inserted anti-abortion language into the budget “to make it veto-proof.” Republican state Rep. Walter Stapleton of Sullivan, one of the bill’s co-sponsors, said he supported the bill because he is a “Christian, pro-life advocate,” calling the millions of abortions since 1973 a “national travesty.” “If we’re going to survive as a good, functional, constitutional society, we have to respect life in the womb,” Stapleton said. “That’s the most dangerous place for humanity at this point — is being in the womb.” New Hampshire residents are divided on the bill. According to polling from the University of New Hampshire Survey Center, 30% of Granite Staters strongly support banning abortion after 24 weeks, while 38% strongly oppose it. “This is the most aggressive attack on abortion rights in NH for fifty years,” Muirhead wrote. “And it’s not over.” Republican state Rep. Jeffrey Greeson of Grafton disagreed, writing in an
emailed statement that “most people agree” that the law is “reasonable.” Greeson also questioned the rationale behind opposition to the bill. “Abortion advocates often state that the farther along in pregnancy a woman is, the more risk there is during the procedure,” Greeson wrote. “Given this, I don’t understand why there is so much fervency to repeal the 24-week restriction, thus making abortions, by their own admission, less safe.” At Dartmouth, student groups such as PPGA and the Dartmouth Democrats have criticized the law and what they felt was Republican Gov. Chris Sununu’s hypocrisy when it comes to his publicly stated pro-choice position. Dartmouth Democrats president Miles Brown ’23 said that Sununu has “never been pro-choice.” Brown pointed to Sununu’s time on the New Hampshire Executive Council, during which he voted against state contracts for Planned Parenthood. “[Sununu] claims he signed the budget because we’re in the middle of a pandemic and it’s not worth vetoing an entire budget over one small issue,” Brown said. “Obviously, we don’t see abortion as a small, minor detail. Republicans were tactful in their language and sneaking that into the budget.” Both campus groups have worked to push back against the bill. According to Dartmouth Democrats policy director Clare Downey ’24, the club typically protests laws through student testimony, letters and phone calls to politicians. The Dartmouth College Republicans did not respond to requests for comment. Holmes said that PPGA has also used phone banking to reach individuals in the state Senate and the House Judiciary Committee. In addition, Holmes spoke at a “Day of Action” — a day to advocate for reproductive rights organized by the Planned Parenthood New Hampshire Action Fund — at the New Hampshire State House in December. While advocacy against the original abortion ban did not prevent the law from being passed, new bills have been introduced that, if also passed, may further curtail reproductive rights. As an example, Holmes mentioned H.B. 1477, a bill that “would prohibit all abortions after the detection of a fetal cardiac activity,” the same threshold as the controversial Texas abortion bill enacted in September 2021. Greeson wrote that he “believe[s] in the value of human life” but “would be surprised if HB-1477 passes.” According to the Planned Parenthood press release, there are also bills being considered that would push back against restrictions on abortion rights. For example, HB 1674 would establish protections for abortion rights before 24 weeks, and HB 1673 would repeal the state’s abortion ban and ultrasound mandate. Constitutional amendment CACR 18 would enshrine abortion rights in New Hampshire’s Constitution. Other bills cur rently under consideration would soften the 24 week ban or repeal it altogether. Brown said that the Dartmouth Democrats are continuing to advocate against new bills and amendments restricting reproductive rights. According to Brown, they have been working with students across the state to spread information, writing letters to politicians and calling the governor. “[Sununu] can try to maintain this image of a pro-choice politician as long as he wants,” Brown continued. “Ultimately, if he signs this bill into law, New Hampshire will become one of the most restrictive states in nation in terms of abortion.” Greeson countered that “most women are not affected” by the bill, as the vast majority of abortions occur within the first trimester. Stapleton added that he does not think the bill will have “an appreciable impact” on the state. Dick’s House did not respond to requests for comment by press time.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022
PAGE 3
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION
THE DARTMOUTH EDITORIAL BOARD
THE DARTMOUTH OPINION STAFF
Verbum Ultimum: Open FFB
Opinion Asks: Hanover’s Mask Mandate
Everything else is open. Keeping a popular study space closed is pointless. This term, students walking through the library have been met with a jarring sight: Usually bustling with energy, First Floor Berry has been a ghost town. The space, which has been closed since the start of the winter in response to low mask compliance during the fall, is slated to remain closed until the indoor mask mandate is lifted. This measure, however, has shown itself to be utterly ineffective. Without access to a key group study space, students looking to hit the books have simply moved to less supervised areas of the library, leading to overcrowding and, if anything, aggravating the problem of mask non-compliance. It is hard to imagine that closing FFB — located directly across from the circulation desk and, thus, its staff — and forcing students to study in other spaces such as the Stacks, the Tower Room or the upper levels of Berry — all locations where there are no library staff in sight — will persuade students to follow the indoor mask mandate. In fact, all one must do to realize the ineffectiveness of this closure is walk through the other spaces in the library: Maskless students, free from the supervision of library staff, abound. The failures of this policy should come as no surprise. Closing FFB as a punishment for low mask compliance is akin to closing the gym because too many students were stealing dishware from the dining halls; the problem and the response don’t match up. While it is unclear what policy, if any, will encourage students to comply with the indoor mask mandate outside of classrooms, it is wholly irrational to think that closing a singular study space in the library without any coherent reasoning or criteria for its reopening would do the trick. The closure of FFB — one of the few group study spaces on this campus — has also negatively affected the utility of other spaces in the library that are intended to be silent. For example, the Orozco Mural Room in the basement of Baker, typically a silent study
area, now sees Zoom calls and conversations on the regular. The third floor of Berry and the Stacks, also traditionally strictly quiet spaces, have seen similar issues. While students disregarding the typical noise level of these spaces is a nuisance, it isn’t entirely surprising. FFB has a lot of fans who seek it out specifically because they don’t intend to study in silence. When that space is gone and the other noisy study spaces, such as Novack Cafe or the lobby of Baker Library, cannot accommodate the increase in students wanting to study there, it only follows that other spaces in the library have become noisier. It’s a supply and demand issue — a concept that the College seems to struggle with on the dining and housing fronts as well. While we, as a Board, have yet to come to a common opinion on whether or not the mask mandate should be lifted, we are all sympathetic to the concerns of some library staff. With that said, we ardently disagree with the sentiment that closing FFB is an effective means of addressing the issue. At most, the closure has sowed discontent among students who enjoy the other spaces in the library and pushed the problem of low mask compliance out of sight. While we understand that closing FFB may have seemed like an effective punishment in some administrator’s mind, the experiment has failed. It’s time to admit it and reopen FFB. The editorial board consists of opinion staff columnists, the opinion editors, the executive editors and the editor-in-chief. Opinion editor and Editorial Board member Natalie Dokken is a student assistant, student manager and research assistant for Baker-Berry Library. Editorial Board member Spencer Allen, a student manager in Baker-Berry Library, was not involved in the production of this editorial.
ALISYA REZA ’22: A BELATED VALENTINE’S
Should Hanover continue to keep its mask mandate? How should COVID-19 policies change come spring?
Recently, some of the bluest states in the nation announced the end of their mask mandates in an attempt to return to normalcy: “We recognize that we want to turn the page on the status quo,” Gov. Gavin Newsom of California said last week. As the end of winter term approaches, marking another term with some COVID-19 policies still intact, we ask: Should the town of Hanover drop its mask mandate? Should Dartmouth? Relatedly, how should COVID-19 policies change — or not change — at Dartmouth in the spring? What I think is most important about how we consider Hanover and Dartmouth’s mask mandates is the frank reality of if they actually are working as intended, and the reality across America today is that people are no longer taking public health advice on COVID-19 nearly as seriously as they did during earlier waves. The tools that we have at our disposal to manage the pandemic have significantly dulled. With this in mind, it seems fairly apparent to me that trying to prolong our response to COVID-19 is no longer worth it. Despite — and let’s face the reality here — low current adherence to masking rules, cases on campus and in the Upper Valley at large are declining quite quickly, and hospital ICUs have a lot more breathing room than they did before. At this point, the damage that might be avoided by fighting tooth and nail to extend mask mandates is outweighed by the risk that reactionaries further erode the already tenuous trust the general public has in our public health system. If we are to respond to whatever the next public health crisis may be (because another crisis will come eventually, whether in the form of new COVID-19 wave or something completely different) we need to put our tools to rest for a while so we can sharpen them back up again. Personally, I am relieved we are still able to do so — we certainly wouldn’t be able to do much in the future if our public health tools were totally broken, let alone just dull. I certainly do not think public health efforts have been some sort of “attack on freedom” or “tyranny,” but the societal risk of further damage to our institutions’ legitimacy is simply no longer worth it. As mask mandates come up for review this spring, the time has finally come to let them lapse. — Thomas Lane ’24 With the recent announcement by several states, including states that instituted some of the strictest COVID-19 restrictions, to end their mask mandates, the U.S. is beginning to approach a return to normalcy. With increasing vaccination rates, promising treatments and the passing of the omicron variant, the risk of COVID-19, especially severe cases, is incredibly low. Yet at Dartmouth and in surrounding Hanover, students and residents still have to wear masks indoors. Students are required to be vaccinated and boosted, and there is nothing stopping others from also getting vaccinated, so why has policy not changed? If there are proven forms of protection from COVID-19 available to all who are at risk, there is no reason to require masks. The benefits of classroom instruction and social interactions without masks far outweigh the small risk of getting COVID-19. And given that the College has recently recovered from a large omicron outbreak, a significant portion of the student body is well protected from contracting and spreading the disease. Both Hanover
and Dartmouth should re-examine their COVID-19 policies and strongly consider ending the mask mandate for the spring term and beyond. — Christopher Hall ’25 Due to excellent vaccination rates combined with high levels of natural immunity, the Dartmouth community is collectively well-protected against immediate severe disease related to COVID-19. As of Feb. 17, 99% of Dartmouth undergraduates, 98.9% of graduate students and 96.8% of faculty and staff report being vaccinated against COVID-19. This winter, there have been more than 3,000 new positive COVID-19 cases among the same cohort, all while the mask mandate was in place. Nationally, omicron seems to have peaked, with an estimated 73% of Americans now immune to the variant. The current COVID-19 landscape at Dartmouth is worlds away from April 2020, June 2021, September 2021 and even January 2022. Of course, certain risks related to infection remain, including the possibility of developing chronic symptoms for those without immunity and more severe disease for immunocompromised community members — but there may be better ways to serve at-risk individuals than a weak mask mandate that hardly stopped the latest outbreak. Dartmouth should prioritize academic and professional flexibility for atrisk individuals and making high-quality PPE like N95 masks available instead of implementing minimally effective masking requirements. Considering Dartmouth’s current position, the burden of proof on the administration to keep the current masking requirement in place for the spring term is extremely high. To meet that standard, the administration must show how we can reasonably expect the mask mandate to significantly decrease the risk of severe disease for the Dartmouth community at this moment in time. Other developments or findings may come, but I have yet to see evidence that would robustly support this conclusion. — Isaiah Menning ’24 The vigor with which COVID-19 tore through Dartmouth this term despite the imposition of mask mandates challenges the efficacy of having mandates at all. Furthermore, several new factors have changed the way we should move forward next term: the arrival of the omicron variant, the development of new drugs to treat the virus, and Grafton County’s plunging cases, hospitalizations and deaths. The day-to-day situation has changed. COVID-19 has shifted away from being a terrifying virus that shut down the country for months. Now, it is a mild inconvenience for most. There are some exceptions to this rule. But if booster shots should fail to protect the immunocompromised, new pharmaceutical treatments are constantly arriving on the market. It’s time to acknowledge some fundamental truths. Dartmouth has multiple advantages that many cities and states do not: It is highly vaccinated, in a sparsely populated area and has an overwhelmingly young population. This has been true for months. Now, our community has an added degree of protection thanks to the widespread immunity gained from this term’s outbreak. Yet even leaders of blue states that don’t have these advantages have lifted their mask mandates. It’s time we do, too. — Thomas de Wolff ’24
G QUEALY ’25: PERRY THE ICE SCULPTURE!
CLUES FOR THIS PUZZLE WERE WRITTEN BY: NINA SLOAN, THOMAS CLARK, INDIA JONES, KIRA PARRISH-PENNY AND ALISYA REZA.
DOMINIQUE MOBLEY ’22: DO IT FOR THE PANCAKES
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PAGE 4
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022
THE DARTMOUTH ARTS
Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble concert to feature student, community performers By John Renda The Dartmouth
This Saturday at 7:30 p.m., the Hopkins Center for the Arts will host the Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble in Spaulding Auditorium as they perform a variety of pieces from the 2020 Dartmouth Wind Ensemble Composition Competition. Among this musical selection will be the world premiere of two compositions: “Journeys III,” composed by Quinn Mason, and “Cerro y Nube,” composed by Eduardo Aguilar. The performance was arranged by Wind Ensemble Director Brian Messier and features both student performers and musicians from the Upper Valley community. Titled “The Hero’s Journey,” the performance centers on the archetypal story of a protagonist’s progression in the face of obstacles, an artistic trope popularized by author Joseph Campbell. Messier said the use of music as a tool to convey narrative is a fixture of Wind Ensemble performances. “I usually try to create an arc to a program,” he said. “I think this one more than any other program has achieved that goal.” He explained that each instrumental element plays a role in articulating the larger narrative to the audience. “There’s a solo clarinetist who starts very softly and independently… almost as a stand-in for the hero of the program,” Messier said. “And then all of the works on the program are kind of on the topic of journey, discovery, transcendence and arrival. So there’s kind of this musical progression.” He noted that “Journeys III” has special significance because student members of the Wind Ensemble selected
it out of over 240 compositions. Messier added that he believes “Journeys III” to be Mason’s strongest entry into the symphonic genre. “The way he crafts it is with this positive motion, this constant sense of direction and drive,” said Messier. “It’s just a really effective work that I think has resonated with the students, and I think will be an effective work for the players. But it will also be enjoyable for the audience.” Messier also appreciates “Cerro y Nube,” which translates to “Hill and Clouds.” “What I hope the audience experiences is the clouds are kind of diffuse,” he said. “It’s almost like refraction of the themes of the music and things kind of crumble apart. And then you still have the hill, the mountain peaks through the clouds. In that piece, you get these moments of clarity, where things come together, and then they refract again.” Annie Tang ’25, a flutist in her first term with the Wind Ensemble, shared Messier’s enthusiasm for the performance. “There’s been a lot of growth and understanding when approaching the new pieces, especially because most of these pieces haven’t been officially recorded yet,” said Tang. “And we’ve all been working our hardest, especially Dr. Messier, to portray exactly what the composers wanted.” Tang attributes much of the Wind Ensemble’s success to its rehearsal environment, which she describes as friendly and conducive to facilitating bonds between ensemble members. Yet, she also acknowledged the difficulties the COVID-19 pandemic presents in terms of producing a consistent practice environment.
Courtesy of Dartmouth College Wind Ensemble
“With COVID, it’s been really tough to have everybody be together in the rehearsals because there’s always going to be a certain amount of people out because they’re feeling sick,” she said. Messier also commented on these challenges, but noted the dedication of the students. “The flip side of [the pandemic difficulties],” Messier added, “is how resilient and committed the students have been in spite of that, and what we’ve been able to achieve.” For Ian Smith ’24, a trombonist who joined the ensemble during his freshman winter, the pandemic provided an opportunity to rekindle his passion for his instrument.
“I kind of took a sabbatical [from music] during my gap year, because I was traveling a good bit,” Smith said. “And then the whole world blew up with COVID and I got back into it.” Like Tang and Messier, Smith shares enthusiasm for the performance’s compositions. Smith noted his special admiration for the way many pieces in this Saturday’s program depart from the traditional canon of pieces he has played, particularly in the case of “Cerro y Nube.” “Many of us come from backgrounds in symphony orchestras, where you play classic pieces by European or North American white guys from the 1700s and 1800s,” he said. “So this Mexican
composition that [Messier] has hosted has definitely produced some very interesting music. And he’s done a nice job in this program with weaving it into what we might consider more traditional pieces.” Tang also expressed admiration for the compositions. She reflected on how they create a message that is uplifting for audiences and performers alike. “The path through life and achieving our goals is, as the title says, a journey, and it’s full of struggles,” Tang said. “But ultimately, all of the struggles will pay off … And I think that the pieces reflect that … because they’re parts. But all the pieces and all the parts come together in the end to produce the melody.”
Student Spotlight: Sylvie Benson ’25 composes original music and plays lead in upcoming production of ‘Rent’ BY Michaela Gregoriou The Dartmouth
Sylvie Benson ’25 is a singer and songwriter who will be playing one of the lead roles in the theater department’s upcoming production of “Rent.” “Rent” is a rock musical centered on a group of young musicians trying to survive in 1980s New York amid the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Benson will be playing one of the musicians, Roger. Though Benson identifies as a woman, she said that portraying a man was not an issue for her. “I feel like playing a man is not a deep challenge just because, [although] I very much identify with femininity, I also feel like I have a bit of masculinity within me that I can sink into [and] draw upon,” she said. Benson elaborated that playing Roger has made her more conscious of both her physicality and tone. She said that her vocal coach at Dartmouth, Louis Burkot, has helped her prepare for the role. “I have some really low parts because Roger, being written for a man, is a tenor… And [Burkot] has helped me figure out how to access a more masculine sound in my voice, a fuller sound in the lower section of my voice…and how to do that healthily,” she said. Decker Jackson ’25, who is also a part
of the ensemble for “Rent,” commented on Benson’s portrayal of Roger. “Never in my life have I seen Roger played by someone who identifies as female, and I think she’s absolutely killing it,” Jackson said. “… She’s got the rocker persona going on, [the angst], she’s got the leather jacket … She does it really well,” said Jackson. “Rent” is not Benson’s first experience with performing arts at Dartmouth. She has previously performed her original songs through Dartmouth’s Friday Night Rock, a student-run organization that hosts free concerts. In preparation for her performance last fall, Benson arranged a set of nine original songs and recruited fellow student musicians Jackson on keyboard and Connor Norris ’25 on guitar. Benson explained how opening for musician Eartheater on Oct. 29, 2021 through FNR was an amazing opportunity. “I had never gotten to play a set of my original songs in front of a crowd before,” she said. “I [had] played one song here and there around my county, but this was my first real concert, and I was getting paid for it too.” Though she was nervous about certain technical aspects of her performance, she explained that her nerves dissipated once she was on stage.
Courtesy of Sylvie Benson
“I was really nervous about the finger work on my guitar and my voice not coming through,” she said. “But when I got up there, I just realized everyone is there to walk into the room of the song that I’ve built, they’re there to enjoy the music and they want me to succeed.” Elaborating on the supportive environment of the concert, Benson noted the audience’s attentiveness and
their willingness to listen. “[The first song] was very soft and it was about laying in this grassy field, just allowing your worries to slip away, and it seemed like people were really willing to embrace that message … That was where I was like ‘They actually care and they want to hear what I have to share,’” she said. Jackson, who performed alongside Benson, described his experience with their collaboration. “You’ll play [music] with people and it won’t be a super fun experience or it’s not super inclusive, but playing with Sylvie wasn’t that way,” Jackson said. “She’s really energetic and excited about music, and really willing to alter her style, or take suggestions.” Benson’s close friend Gwendolyn Roland ‘25 also commented on her FNR performance. “You can kind of tell when people have that knack for performing … and you can tell with Sylvie because she is just as good a performer in her dorm sitting on the floor trying not to wake up the downstairs neighbors as she is in Sarner Underground [in] full costume, full lights,” Roland said. Of the nine original songs she performed, “The Clock” and “Didn’t Sign Up for This” were written by Benson for Savon, a band in her hometown that she has been a part of since 2020. Both of these songs became available on Spotify this past winter with the release of Savon’s first album “Stuck on the Large,” which features seven songs co-written by Benson.
Benson’s prior band experience inspired her goal of forming a band at Dartmouth. “I want to make a full band with other students here who want to be musicians as their career,” she said. “… I’m looking for people that I can move forward with beyond college.” While speaking about her future ambitions, Benson expressed her passion for genre-blending, a technique utilized by her favorite rock band, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. “I just think there’s so many incredible types of music in the world … [Genre] blending is so inspiring to me,” she said. “It’s my goal to one day be able to create psychedelic folk music.” Through her songwriting, Benson wishes to impart messages of environmentalism, including an appreciation for the natural world. “Most of my songs have motifs related to nature somehow because I think it’s such a powerful force,” she said. “It’s just this unbiased space where you can process your emotions.” She mentioned how AURORA, a Norwegian singer and songwriter, has been an important source of inspiration for her in embedding environmental activism within her songs. “[AURORA] is able to create these environmental anthems that maybe don’t seem like they are initially,” she said. “And because of that, they are able to creep into your mind with their beautiful melodies and imagery and then you’re willing to listen.”
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022
PAGE 5
THE DARTMOUTH SPORTS
SPORTS
Eight Big Green athletes compete in 2022 Winter Olympics
Courtesy of Tricia Mangan
BY Macenna Hansen The Dartmouth
This article was originally published on February 14, 2022. It’s been a big week for Dartmouth skiing near and far, as Dartmouth held the historic Dartmouth Carnival for the first time in three years and seven current and former Big Green skiers are representing the College in Beijing at the 2022 Winter Olympics. Eight total Dartmouth athletes — including six alumni and two current student-athletes — are competing in the Olympic games this month: seven skiers and one hockey player. That brings the number of Dartmouth athletes who have competed in the Winter Games to 155.
“We’ve had a history of sending Dartmouth skiers to the Olympics for every modern Olympic games,” director of skiing and head Nordic coach Cami Thompson Graves said. “That’s something we’re pretty proud of in this program.” The Dartmouth prog ram has always been a powerhouse. Founded in 1909 at the same time as the Dartmouth Outing Club, the legacy of success for Dartmouth skiers has endured for over a century. Tricia Mangan ’19 is in Beijing representing the U.S. in her second Olympics. She is set to compete Monday in the women’s downhill event. “We are very proud to be from Dartmouth,” Mangan said. “I’m excited to have a [Dartmouth]
community there at the games.” Attracting and producing some of the best skiers in the country for over a century, Dartmouth’s skiing program is intertwined with the U.S. national program. “[The] legacy of the Dartmouth ski team has always been so strong,” said Hannah Utter ’21, a current Dartmouth skier who is not competing in Beijing. Utter noted that the D-Plan is attractive to ski recruits and credits it for much of her team’s success, as athletes can take terms off to compete on the national circuit. M a n g a n , A . J. H u r t ’ 2 3 a n d Nina O’Brien ’20, each of whom is competing in Beijing, have been Utter’s teammates at some point in her Dartmouth career.
Utter noted that the Dartmouth environment of skiing excellence and its ties to the Olympics create a very special team culture, and Thompson Graves agreed. “One of the most important things to me is team culture,” Thompson Graves said. “[We encourage] being there for each other and raising everybody else up to a higher level. For me, it’s a priority.” C l e a rl y i t ’s wo rk i n g, a s t h e Dartmouth-to-Olympics pipeline is alive and well. At the games, it’s been a busy week for Susan Dunklee ’08, who is competing in her third Olympics. She raced in the 4x6K biathlon relay, taking 7th; the 15K individual biathlon, taking 63rd; the 7.5K sprint event, taking 27th; and the 10K
From the Bleachers: Going Out in Style
BY BAILY DEETER
The Dartmouth Staff
This article was originally published on February 17, 2022. The NFL tried to prolong the 2021 season for as long as it could, but the inevitable has finally happened: the greatest football season I’ve experienced as a fan is over. It finished with a storybook ending for the approximately 360 people that make up the Los Angeles Rams: 53 players, 21 coaches, 276 employees and 10 fans. Los Angeles triumphed over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI by a score of 23-20 in one of the better Super Bowls in recent memory. The game fell short of being an all-time classic, but it still provided us with thrilling moments and a great way to cap off an unbelievable postseason. Six of the final seven playoff games (every game from Divisional Round on) was decided by a three point margin. The only outlier was the Chiefs-Bills Divisional Round track meet, arguably the greatest game ever played, that ended in a six-point margin in overtime. As football fans, we are lucky to have witnessed these last few weeks of action. We’ve been spoiled to the point where any game without an 18-point comeback or a 25-point two-minute burst is a disappointment. But Sunday’s clash was still comfortably within the top 20 Super Bowl of all time, and there’s a lot to unpack from the action. Let’s start with the deserving winners, the Rams. Matthew Stafford was firing on all cylinders early in the game, until he lost Odell Beckham Jr. to what appeared to be an ACL tear. Beckham caught the first touchdown of the game and had the longest reception of the day for the Rams. Star wideout Robert Woods tore his ACL earlier in the season, and the team’s top two tight ends, Tyler Higbee and Kendall Blanton, were already out for the game. Only one of the team’s top five receiving options, and only one of the three pass-catchers that made up an all-time great receiving trio, was available in crunch time. Fortunately, that one receiver was on his way to winning a Super Bowl
MVP after winning Offensive Player of the Year honors earlier in the week. Cooper Kupp caught eight passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns, and he made his presence felt most of all on the final drive. Kupp caught four passes for 39 yards on the last drive and converted a key fourth-and-one in Rams territory. There was only one way the Rams could reliably move the ball at the end of the game after scoring just three points in the prior 30 minutes. If the definition of insanity is trying to do the same thing over and over again expecting different results, then Sean McVay is insane for repeatedly running Cam Akers for a one-yard loss on second and short. Akers, Darrell Henderson and Sony Michel combined to run the ball 19 times for just 30 yards. Maybe the Rams would have had better results if they replaced running backs coach Thomas Brown with Dartmouth’s own Thomas Brown ’22, a known fantasy football wizard. The Rams ultimately came to their senses on the final drive, where they moved 79 yards to the end zone. Brycen Hopkins, the third-string tight end who rose to the occasion in the absence of
Higbee and Blanton, had two catches for 15 yards. To his credit, Cam Akers picked up a crucial first down in the red zone on an eight-yard run and caught a pass for three yards, picking up 11 yards on the drive. The Rams also gained seven yards on penalties, much to the chagrin of Cincinnati fans. The remaining 46 yards came from Kupp, who turned in arguably the greatest Super Bowl performance from a wide receiver since Santonio Holmes in Super Bowl XLIII. I will go to my grave hating the goal-line fade instead of a run, a quarterback sneak, or a play-action pass, among anything else. But for once, the goal-line fade to Kupp was the best thing the Rams could have done. Give your best player a chance to make a play and watch him do it. Kupp was fantastic, but the main reason why the Rams were victorious was the defense. The second half started with Cincinnati taking the lead on an absurd 75-yard touchdown pass to Tee Higgins that should have easily been called for a facemask. Rams fans don’t exactly have the right to complain about a missed pass interference call, as Saints fans would point out. But
this missed call was pretty bad, and it’s why I don’t feel bad for Bengals fans complaining about a questionable holding call on the final drive. On the next play, Stafford threw an interception on a tipped pass, opening the floodgates for Burrow and the Bengals to move 30 yards and take a two-score lead. But the defense held Cincinnati to just a field goal, and it then didn’t give up any points the rest of the way. Los Angeles sacked Burrow six times in the second half, and it bent but didn’t break on Cincinnati’s final drive. Aaron Donald came up clutch on back-to-back plays to ice the game. He stuffed Samaje Perine (not Joe Mixon, somehow) on 3rd and 1, and then pressured Burrow to force a game-ending incompletion on fourth down. The Bengals benefited from the Beckham injury and the Higgins nocall, but their offensive line woes proved to be too costly. With Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Tee Higgins and many others still young, the championship window could still be large. With that said, everything lined up perfectly this year with a few close victories and a lack of injuries.
biathlon, where she earned a 40th place finish. Dunklee is retiring from professional biathlon after this Olympics. Currently, she is the director of running at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center, just 90 minutes from Hanover. Hurt skied in both the giant slalom and slalom events this week. She finished 34th in the slalom race but did not finish in the giant slalom. Tommy Ford ’12 made his third Olympics appearance in the men’s giant slalom event on Sunday, placing 12th. Julia Kern ’19 had her first Olympic appearance, competing on Saturday in the 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon to finish 53rd. She also skied the sprint free, taking 18th. Rosie Brennan ’11 is in Beijing for her second Olympics and has competed in four events. She competed in the 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon, the sprint free, the 10km classic and the 4x5km relay, taking 14th, 4th, 13th and 6th places, respectively. O’Brien took a fall on the second run of the women’s giant slalom race, fracturing her tibia, and has since had surgery. It’s not just Dartmouth skiers in Beijing. Laura Stacey ’16 is competing for the Canadian women’s hockey team. In her opening game against Switzerland last week, Stacey scored twice, and then tallied another two goals against Finland in Canada’s next game. Most recently, the team defeated Sweden 11-0 in the quarterfinal round. Next, team Canada will be playing Switzerland on Monday in the semifinals. Utter said that the Dartmouth Carnival coinciding with the Olympic Games has made this week particularly memorable. “It’s been a really special week,” she said. “We have a tradition of dying our hair pink for carnival week, so there’s been a lot of nights where we’re dying hair and watching girls we know compete at the Olympics.” Will Ennis contributed reporting.
The Super Bowl hangover is real — the Rams and 49ers both missed the playoffs the following year after losing the big game in 2018 and 2019, respectively. Burrow is also in a dangerous position having already torn an ACL and throwing behind one of the worst offensive lines in football. His health is a question mark going forward, and the Bengals need to make protecting him priority number one this offseason. All in all, this was a beautiful, unexpected season of football. The Bengals were supposed to be a 5-12 team heading into the season, and few saw Matthew Stafford winning a Super Bowl in his first year. Parity is alive and well. Next year, I expect the Bengals to miss the playoffs and the Rams to take a step back as well, with two new teams taking the field on Super Bowl Sunday. Perhaps we’ll see one of this year’s rookies make the leap in year two just like Burrow did en route to a Super Bowl appearance. Perhaps we will see Mac Jones and the Patriots do this against the San Francisco 49ers and a no-longer-retired Tom Brady. Crazier things have happened.
SOPHIE BAILEY/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
PAGE 6
MIRROR THE DARTMOUTH MIRROR
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2022
Swiper Stop Swiping: Novack’s Anti-Stealing Initiative STORY
By Allison Burg
This article was originally published on February 16, 2022.
with plastic sheets over the snack stands, stanchions that divide the line and signs that remind students that “not paying is a Dartmouth is a funny place. We can crime,” Novack now resembles an airport leave our laptops unattended for hours in the terminal more than a college cafe. library, with confidence that it will remain Dartmouth Dining Services director Jon untouched. Yet, once we walk down the Plodzik explained how, with the old set up, stairs to Novack Cafe, granola bars, sushi it was very confusing for staff to see who and drinks are all fair game to be taken. had paid. The reconfiguration attempts “to Even when it comes to stealing, Dartmouth create more of a ‘one way’ [traffic] through still prides itself on community. the area.” Stealing is extremely common and In addition to physical changes to nor malized at Novack, employees Novack. Daniel “Some of the student have been instructed Lampert ’25, who to confront people frequents Novack employees have been attempting to steal from multiple times reaching out to the the cafe, according to the a week, said he anonymous employee. managers who are estimates that “If they don’t respond hundreds of people operating [Novack] with to it and we care, we are steal from Novack concerns. We know how prompted to call [Safety d a i l y. Jo rd a n and Security],” they Paff ’23 said she much sushi, for example, said. witnesses stealing we bring in and we The decision to crack every time she down on stealing was know how much we sell, allegedly due to gaps in comes down the steps to the Cafe. and when there is a gap inventory and student Even a current beyond what would be a employee concern. Novack employee, “Some of the student who requested reasonable gap, there is employees have been anonymity in order concern.” reaching out to the to speak candidly, managers who are sees people stealing operating [Novack] -JON PLODZIK, DARTMOUTH with concerns,” Plodzik “all the time.” However, this DINING SERVICES DIRECTOR explained, “We know stealing epidemic how much sushi, for may be over. example, we bring in and Beginning early we know how much we last week, Dartmouth Dining Services began sell, and when there is a gap beyond what an anti-theft initiative at Novack. Equipped would be a reasonable gap, there is concern.”
The Novack student employee said that they are annoyed about the initiative because it puts them in the awkward position of stopping students from stealing something as small as a bag of chips, and also because it distracts them from all of the duties of being a Novack employee, including “stocking, making drinks, putting stuff in the bakery, cleaning” and more. “This stealing initiative just takes so much more time for no reason,” they said. Just as the anti-theft initiative may pose an inconvenience for workers, theft itself may be borne out of inconvenience for students. “Part of the reason [people steal] is that the Novack line is so long and things are ridiculously expensive sometimes,” said Lauren Kayari ’25. Lampert speculates that people steal more out of convenience than necessity when — in a majority of the situations — people could “totally” be paying for the food. Many students justify stealing not only due to convenience, but also due to the common lore that DDS tacks on $100 to the meal plan to account for stealing. Kayari noted that while she does not steal, she has heard of, and believes, that the stealing cushion exists. However, according to Plodzik, this is just a myth. “There is absolutely no truth to that at all,” he said. “The meal plan is truly based on covering our expenses in the food that is associated with providing the [dining] service.” Further,somestudentsbelieveDartmouth to be a wealthy institution that can afford petty student theft. “All of us pay a lot to be here, and there’s
NAINA BHALLA/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF
not an incredibly taxing conflict or problem in the finances of Dartmouth to the point where they can’t have people stealing … They’re not crying over chips and a bar,” the employee said. Kayari also notes that DBA does not feel like real money, which makes people feel less bad about stealing. Moreover, as more students see their classmates steal and get away with it, students largely do not feel remorse in taking from the College — and even endorse this behavior. Thus, stealing from Novack is embedded in Dartmouth’s culture. Personally, within my first week on campus, upperclassmen not only told me about flair and the Dartmouth Seven, but also the proper way to steal from Novack. Nonetheless, Paff has noticed that people have been stealing more
than ever before as of late. She chalks it up to resentment toward the College students may feel due to COVID-19 policies. Despite this, the anti-stealing initiative has definitely grabbed students’ attention and may change their future behavior. “People are definitely talking about the crackdown [and] warning people to not steal from Novack,” Lampert noted, “The culture is that people still want to steal — just now, they can’t.” In a final plea, Plodzik directed a message to the student body. “If people feel like they need to take something because they don’t have the means to pay for it, they should talk to me,” he said. “... Taking food off the shelves and not paying for them is not the answer; it’s not the right method to go about life.”
Not Just the Flu: Dartmouth’s High-Risk Population and COVID-19 STORY
By Jayanth Uppaluri
This article was originally published on February 16, 2022. A notable event of this winter term was Dartmouth’s decision to begin treating COVID-19 as an endemic disease rather than a pandemic one. In comparison to many peer institutions, classes, clubs and sports at Dartmouth have proceeded relatively unchanged, and the reaction of the student body seems to have been largely positive, in no small part due to the high vaccination rates and low risk to the young adult population. Unfortunately, there are still quite a few students and faculty with highrisk conditions that render them more susceptible to the virus, even with the vaccines. Life for them, which was already complicated during the last few Dartmouth quarters, got even more complicated as case counts and the positivity rate skyrocketed. I would know, as I have a high-risk condition of my own. Since coming to campus in the fall of 2020, I’ve had to view the pandemic in
a different light than other Dartmouth students because it’s necessary for my own health. Just this term, I avoided eating dinners with friends until week four and events with large groups until recently, something that has been quite hard for an extrovert such as myself. Kate ’25, who requested her last name be withheld for medical privacy reasons, has also been dealing with these concerns as an immunocompromised student, and it has left her feeling as though she has “missed out on some things” that her peers have been able to experience. “I have never been in a frat basement, just because that’s not safe for me right now,” she explained. “Sporting events and other places where people aren’t consistently wearing masks — for most people that’s entirely fine, but it’s a situation that I can’t put myself in.” She also noted the lack of new social interactions that comes with being immunocompromised, with her main social circle made up of only “a few people that [she] knows, which is a little bit of an
adjustment.” Emily Sun ’23 is another immunocompromised student who had her college experience altered due to the pandemic, having done nearly her entire sophomore year from California rather than from Hanover. “I was offered housing in the fall [of 2020] and winter [of 2021], and didn’t take it because of the potential risks,” Sun said. Sun added that, even with the precautions she took in the beginning of the winter term, she still tested positive for COVID-19 in the middle of this term, a fact that was “jarring” after the emotional toll of being isolated for nearly a year to avoid catching it. Kate does not think that the decision to treat COVID-19 as endemic was the wrong one. Rather, she really wishes that the administration took a different approach in how they communicated the change in COVID-19 policy. “I wish that there would have been a bit more consideration in acknowledging
how people’s physical health still can be impacted with COVID,” Kate said. “I don’t think it would change how people were acting, but it would change my feelings about how the school has dealt with this.” Sun echoed this criticism, specifically talking about the decision to re-open Dartmouth Dining Services locations for indoor dining when Dartmouth had a positivity rate of over 10%, which may have given some students a false sense of security. Sun felt that this decision was made “arbitrarily.” “It seemed like it was pulled out of thin air,” Sun said. “Not that I disagreed with the decision, but I wish I understood why.” Geisel School of Medicine dean Duane Compton serves as the head of the scientific advisory group, which is made up of scientists from different fields who advise provost David Kotz and executive vice president Rick Mills on COVID-19 policy. He explained that the COVID-19 policy changes were made while considering a wide variety of factors. “The conversations are always trying to
SENA ESKALEN/THE DARTMOUTH
understand the impact of this for everyone on campus,” Compton said. “Everyone is always trying to consider everyone on campus.” He also noted that the vaccines were incredibly effective at reducing transmission and severe disease, and with the “highly, highly vaccinated population locally,” we can talk about COVID-19, locally, as endemic. This means that students with high-risk conditions for COVID-19 have to treat the disease as they would treat any endemic disease, like influenza. However, while recognizing the freedom that Dartmouth students should have, Compton also made sure to stress the important role that all Dartmouth students play in combating the pandemic for their peers and professors who have high-risk conditions. “Each person has the right to make their own decisions on how they wish to conduct themselves, but I would like for individuals to recognize that their actions have consequences on others,” Compton said. “I would never want to be an individual who inadvertently infects someone else, and so I wear a mask and take appropriate precautions. I would hope that other people accept that responsibility.” Sun and Kate agreed that the mask mandate has been a welcome policy in keeping high-risk students safe, as well as the efforts to distribute high quality KN95 masks to all students. These initiatives have allowed immunocompromised and high-risk students to experience in-person classes with lessened risk, keeping their access to one of the most critical parts of the Dartmouth experience. Despite the difficulties of pandemicera Dartmouth for us, we all agreed that the Dartmouth experience has still been fulfilling for us, and that staying at home was not better than the alternative. From the outdoor dinners I’ve had with close friends to Kate’s exploration of the varied outdoor activities from the DOC, we’ve all found ways to keep ourselves sane in the madness that was this term. For as many people who don’t understand the risks that some students are experiencing, there are just as many who are willing to take the appropriate precautions to keep us all safe. That last point is key to ensuring a safe Dartmouth experience for all. When asked about the point that they wanted to make to their Dartmouth peers, Sun and Kate agreed that they wanted to emphasize the diversity of risk within the Dartmouth community and how other students could help to mitigate that. When the community works together, we can reduce the risk for all and make a return to the campus environment that they —and I — agree is the reason we are all here.