The Dartmouth 11/2/17

VOL. CLXXIV NO.142

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Alpha Delta applying to use house for offices

RAIN HIGH 65 LOW 56

By EILEEN BRADY The Dartmouth

ADRIAN RUSSIAN/THE DARTMOUTH

OPINION

TRUONG: DORMITORY PURGATORY PAGE 6

SHAH: A LONG TIME TO WAIT PAGE 7

BARTLETT: ENOUGH WITH TWITTER PAGE 7

ARTS

FALL MUSICAL ‘CABARET’ TO PREMIERE AT THE HOP PAGE 8

SIXTH ANNUAL HALLOWEEN-OTHON PAGE 8 FOLLOW US ON

TWITTER @thedartmouth COPYRIGHT © 2017 THE DARTMOUTH, INC.

Officers of the Alpha Delta Alumni Corporation are currently applying to use the former Alpha Delta fraternity house for office space, according to corporation president John Pepper ’91 Tu’97. The original application, submitted to the town of Hanover by Alpha Delta in July 2017, was denied, Pepper said.

The decision to use the house, which sits at 9 East Wheelock Street, for office space came after the March 2017 announcement made by the Dartmouth Board

The Alpha Delta Alumni Corporation is attempting to use the Alpha Delta fraternity house for office space.

SEE AD PAGE 2

SPCSA releases recommendations for 2017

By MARIA HARRAST The Dartmouth

On Oct. 24, the Student and Presidential Committee on Sexual Assault released its 2017 recommendations for increasing sexual assault prevention and response in the Dartmouth community. The SPCSA decided on six recommendations based on its own research, findings from research conducted by Mae Hardebeck ’18 and community feedback from the Sixth Annual Symposium on Sexual

Assault in April.

The 2017 recommendations are as follows: the Office of Residential Housing and the Title IX Office work together to accommodate the housing needs of survivors and reporting persons; faculty and staff become more engaged in preventing sexual and gender-based violence by completing all online and in-person trainings; faculty directors and teaching assistants attend a First Responder Workshop before leading an off-campus program; the Title IX Office, administration,

Student Wellness Center and WISE raise awareness of each office’s specific purpose, goals and duties; the student body become more proactive in preventing sexual assault; the SPCSA becomes more accessible and relays information between administration and students more frequently.

This year’s recommendations differ from previous years in that each is addressed to specific people and offices, SPCSA advisor, Title IX coordinator and Clery Act compliance officer Allison Lyng O’Connell said in a joint interview

Campus organizes Day of Peace events

By JASMINE OH The Dartmouth

The William Jewett Tucker Center and United Campus Minister s organized a Day of Peace on Oct. 30 to offer an opportunity to meet others of different backgrounds and create a space of healing through prayers for those impacted by mental health issues, natural disasters, immigration, racial injustice and gun violence.

According to Dean and Chaplain

with SPCSA advisor and senior associate dean of student affairs Liz Agosto ’01.

“There’s new specificity this time around as to who the recommendations are being sent to,” O’Connell said. “This is the first year where they’re being sent out to specific offices, which is great in terms of increased accountability.”

N o n e t h e l e s s, t h i s ye a r ’s recommendations share similar themes to those from previous years in that they are centered around training faculty SEE SPCSA PAGE 3

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

of the William Jewett Tucker Center Rabbi Daveen Litwin, approximately 46 people gathered for the vigil on the Green, which took place at 5 p.m.

This was the first time the event had occurred, according to Tucker Center multi-faith advisor and event organizer Leah Torrey.

The Day of Peace comprised of three events spread throughout the day.

At the first event at 9 a.m., students TIFFANY ZHAI/THE DARTMOUTH SENIOR STAFF

SEE PEACE PAGE 5

Baker-Berry Library had a Día de los Muertos display to celebrate the holiday.

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

PAGE 2

DAily debriefing On Tuesday, a 29-year-old man who has now been identified as Sayfullo Saipov drove a rented Home Depot truck through a bike lane for almost a mile along the West Side highway on FDR Drive in downtown Manhattan, killing eight and injuring 23, The New York Times reported.

After injuring two adults and two children in a collision with a school bus on Chambers Street, Saipov exited his truck and began shooting at passersby with a paintball gun and a pellet gun.

A New York Police Department officer then pursued the suspect, shooting him in the abdomen and putting an end to the attack. After Saipov was taken to a local hospital, investigators found a note in his truck attributing the attack to the Islamic State.

“This was an act of terror,” New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said at Tuesday’s press conference.

President Donald Trump decried political correctness in the wake of the attack.

“We have to get much tougher,” he said at a cabinet meeting. “We have to get much smarter. And we have to get much less politically correct. We’re so politically correct that we’re afraid to do anything.”

New York Sen. Chuck Schumer criticized the president for his response to the attack. “President Trump, instead of politicizing and dividing America ... should be bringing us together and focusing on the real solution — antiterrorism funding,” he said.

Five of the deceased were Argentinian citizens returning to New York for their 30th high school reunion, two were resident Americans and another was Belgian, according to The New York Times.

RobertMueller,thespecialcounselfortheRussian-interference investigation, filed charges against three of Trump’s campaign advisors, according to CNN. The charges, announced against Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign chairman, Rick Gates, Manafort’s associate, and George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy advisor to Trump, offer candid evidence that links the Trump campaign to the Russian government. The United States government has already determined that the Russian government interfered with the outcome of the 2016 United States presidential election.

Manafortischargedwithlaunderingmillionsof dollarsintotheUnitedStates through shell accounts. Gates and Manafort pleaded not guilty to the charges.

They are both facing 12 counts which include conspiracy against the United States, use of an unregistered agent of a foreign principal and conspiracy to launder money. Gates and Manafort have surrendered themselves to the F.B.I. Mueller also revealed that weeks ago, Papadopoulos pleaded guilty to lying to the F.B.I. Investigators suspect that Russian officials attempted to contact Papadopoulos through intermediaries in an attempt to gain influence in the Trumpcampaign.Papadopoulosiscurrentlycooperatingwiththeinvestigation.

As Mueller continues his investigation, more details are to emerge regarding Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump has denied allegations of collusion on Twitter, noting “there is NO COLLUSION!” Vermont State Police issued an arrest warrant on Wednesday for a Massachusetts man who was involved in the shooting and resulting deaths of two people last week, according to the Brattleboro Reformer.

Forty-three-year-old Steven Lovely and 35-year-old Amanda Sanderson were found in their Townshed homes with significant burns across their bodies.

The investigation began shortly after a fire called in at 9:34 a.m.

The caller heard an explosion and said the house was in flames. A nearby neighbor told detectives that at approximately 8:45 a.m. that day he heard gunshots.

Accordingtopolice,46-year-oldJustinOrwat,of Springfield,Massachusetts, is being charged with aggravated murder and first degree arson. He is currently being held in jail in Massachusetts on unrelated charges.

Orwat has a lengthy criminal history, including a manslaughter charge from 1995 for driving a getaway car for a fellow gang member who murdered another suspected rival gang member.

-COMPILED BY PETER CHARALAMBOUS, JULIAN NATHAN AND PAULOMI RAO

CORRECTIONS We welcome corrections. If you believe there is a factual error in a story, please email editor@thedartmouth.com for corrections.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

Alpha Delta may repurpose house FROM AD PAGE 1

of Trustees that Alpha Delta would not be re-recognized as a fraternity after its derecognition in April 2015. The fraternity was derecognized after branding allegations and several years of disciplinary sanctions.

“What [using the house as office space] does is it allows the members of AD, which are 100 percent alumni, to have acceptable, legal use of the property,” Pepper said.

“Today, we don’t have legal use of the property of any kind. We would like to first and foremost have use of our house again for alumni events and gatherings.”

He added that officers of the AD Alumni Corporation would likely have actual offices in the house.

According to Pepper, there are roughly 1,500 AD alumni, with the corporation having contact with about 1,350. About 70 percent of those are active and supportive, Pepper said.

Robert Houseman, Hanover director of planning, zoning and codes, said that since the denial of the house’s original application in July, AD officers and the town have been working together to ensure that the future use of AD’s house will fit with town zoning ordinances.

According to Houseman, that mainly entails analyzing the relationship between the ownership of a property and its intended use.

“In July, they submitted their application for review, and we reviewed it in conjunction with the ownership analysis,” Houseman said. “At that time, it was still an

organization formed to operate an undergraduate fraternity. That use is not permissible at that location currently, so we denied the application. We are assisting Alpha Delta now in looking at restructuring their documents so that they can move forward in a way that the ownership entity and the use are related.”

According to Hanover town manager Julia Griffin, the house’s location in Hanover’s institutional zone complicates the process of changing the building’s use, as the zone, which occupies roughly the same area as the College’s campus, has regulations different from other zones in Hanover.

“The challenge with this property is because it’s in the institutional zone, we have a fairly specific set of criteria for determining an office space use that’s not affiliated with the College,” Griffin said.

“What we’re working with Alpha Delta to do is to figure out how to enable them to do what they want to do with the space, which is use it as office space, and still be in compliance with our zoning ordinance and essentially the definition of office as it applies to the institutional zone.”

The denial of AD’s application triggered the corporation’s right to appeal the decision within 30 days, according to Houseman. AD asked for a continuance on the appeal, he said, so that the right to a hearing is preserved but work towards a resolution can be continued without using the appeal. “[Officers of the AD Alumni Corporation] wanted to preserve

their right of appeal, however they thought they could come up with a solution that met our requirements without having to go forward with an appeal,” Houseman said. “They asked for an extension to allow them the time necessary to work through the modification.”

Pepper predicted that AD will finalize and submit its modified application by this Thanksgiving.

If they do regain use of the AD house, Pepper said that the primary goal will be to be a “force for good” in Hanover and on Dartmouth’s campus, especially in the context of College President Phil Hanlon’s Moving Dartmouth Forward initiative. The initiative included holding Dartmouth’s Greek organizations to a higher standard than in the past.

“Trying to figure out how to run a parallel path with Moving Dartmouth Forward is our top priority,” Pepper said. “Fraternities are seen as a problem. We’re no longer a fraternity; it remains to be seen whether we’ll ever have undergraduates.”

Pepper said that undergraduates joining AD again is “not on [their] radar,” but that they’d like to help Dartmouth “be seen in a more positive light.”

Pepper emphasized that there are no misgivings about the situation and that AD hopes to move forward at this point.

“There is no battle with the College, and there’s no battle with the town,” Pepper said. “This is not an adversarial relationship. There is no dispute with anybody at this point.”

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

PAGE 3

SPSCA recommendations include increased transparency FROM SPCSA PAGE 1

and increasing support for survivors, Agosto said.

Echoing O’Connell, Agosto said this year’s recommendations are targeted toward decision-makers rather than a general group of people and focus on specific actions.

A d d i t i o n a l l y, t h i s ye a r ’s recommendations include quantitative goals for increased student participation in prevention programs, according to SPCSA president Abhilasha Gokulan ’18.

Since certain recommendations include quantitative goals, such as increasing DBI participation from 64.5 percent of the student body to 75 percent, assessing certain recommendations’ objective success is possible, Gokulan said. She added that the SPCSA will also work to ensure the qualitative recommendations are met as well.

“We wanted to try to have quantitative goals that we could meet,” Gokulan said. “For example, we want to increase student body participation in programs, like [Dartmouth Bystander Intervention] and [Movement Against Violence]. Programs like these encourage conversations and make students more aware of issues they might not otherwise be aware of.”

This year, the SPCSA utilized research conducted by Hardebeck

through the SPCSA’s Elizabeth A. Hoffman research grant to guide their recommendations. Hardebeck interviewed 16 survivors of sexual violence and these survivors’ friends at the College, including some alumni, over the course of a year. She released her findings, supplemented by her own research, in a paper to the Dartmouth community in April.

Hardebeck’s research focused on the experience of reporting sexual misconduct at the College, she said.

She said while every survivor has their own story and experience, one major theme is that survivors often take time to realize they were a victim of sexual violence.

“Survivors of sexual violence tend to not immediately ascertain that it was an assault or some sort of incident where they were a victim,” Hardebeck said. “It takes time for people to realize that, and once a certain amount of time has gone by, it can be hard to feel justified in making a report. There are too many questions as to why they didn’t report it immediately after it happened [when they do report], and their trustworthiness is then put into question.”

In addition, Hardebeck said many survivors tend to follow a support route rather than a reporting route, as she found that most survivors seek out help through sexual assault peer advisors and counselors.

“The Title IX office does the of these changes include instituting reporting side of things and the a new and separate process for adjudication side of the process, which sexual assault investigations using an can end up being very emotionally external investigator, specification of laborious and sanctions for time-consuming, “The Title IX office the spectrum especially when of gendered you’re a full-time does the reporting violence acts, student in the first side of things and the revising the place,” Hardebeck Committee adjudication side of said. on Standards Hardebeck said the process, which S e x u a l she believes there Misconduct should be more can end up being very Policy response c o m m u n i c a t i o n emotionally laborious t o s e x u a l about the role of the harassment, Title IX office and and time-consuming adding a a more centralized ...”

Title IX way to access Coordinator resources. Based and Clery Act on her findings, - MAE HARDEBECK ’18 Compliance the SPCSA’s fourth Officer and recommendation addition of calls for clarification a full time of the Title IX office, confidential administration, Student Wellness counselor for survivors through Center and WISE’s positions as Student Health Services. resources and advocates for students. Advisors like Agosto and The first recommendation on O’Connell work with the SPCSA to housing was shaped by Hardebeck’s determine whether or not previous research as well, according to Gokulan, recommendations were fulfilled, as Hardebeck found that survivors what progress was made and any sometimes lived on the same floor as barriers that may be preventing their perpetrators. recommendations from moving The SPCSA reported that previous forward, Agosto said. recommendations are currently being “I believe that many of last year’s implemented across campus. Some recommendations were fulfilled,”

Agosto said. “Some of them modified and morphed over time, and so they got a lot of information and data and then worked to tailor programs and changes as they move forward. There is also evidence that shows that bystander intervention — if you do the training appropriately — that more and more students will intervene, and we see some of that happening on campus.”

“We’ve started creating a handbook specifically for the fourth recommendation, so that’s more of a hands-on project for us because we’re working with specific people from those offices,” Gokulan said. “Our role is that the recommendations don’t just stop here. It’s up to us as a committee to make sure these get implemented.”

Agosto and O’Connell said they both hope the SPCSA continues to evaluate the College’s response to these recommendations moving forward.

“I really commend SPCSA to continue to push forward and make sure that the institution is continuing to work on these issues and keeping it at the forefront of our minds and providing tangible recommendations for us to continue to work on,” Agosto said. “This is a really important issue for us as an institution, and so our partnership with the students is invaluable, and their work and their effort is really important to our continued work is trying to address sexual violence.”

PAGE 4

DARTMOUTHEVENTS

THE DARTMOUTH EVENTS

OH, THE THESES!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

MATTHEW GOLDSTEIN ’18

TODAY

10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Lecture: “Radical Frontiers in Catalysis,” with Harvard University chemistry professor Theodore Betley, Steele 006

4:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.

Lecture: “History, Ethics and Plans for Reconstruction in Syria,” with Massachusetts Institute of Technology art history professor Nasser Rabbat, Carpenter 13

4:30 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.

Lecture: “How a Curable Sickness Became the Deadliest Infectious Disease on the Planet,” with Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Geeta Anand, Haldeman 41 (Kreindler Conference Hall)

TOMORROW

3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Colloquium: “Weighing Neutrinos,” with Massachusetts Institute of Technology physics professor Joseph Formaggio, Wilder 104

7:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

Film: “The Incredible Jessica James,” directed by Jim Strouse, conversation with producer Michael Clark to follow, Loew Auditorium, Black Family Visual Arts Center

ADVERTISING For advertising information, please call (603) 646-2600 or email info@thedartmouth. com. The advertising deadline is noon, two days before publication. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.

Opinions expressed in advertisements do not necessarily reflect those of The Dartmouth, Inc. or its officers, employees and agents.

The Dartmouth, Inc. is a nonprofit corporation chartered in the state of New Hampshire. USPS 148-540 ISSN 0199-9931

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

Day of Peace events include gathering

focusing on mental health.”

According to both Nam and could pick up the Day of Peace Torrey, just as there was no singular t-shirts. Participating students then event that initiated the Day of changed into the t-shirts for the day Peace, there was also no singular to show solidarity for the event and goal or mission statement that the its cause. Although approximately organizers developed for the event 120 students signed up through a itself. Instead, each individual was form that was emailed through the recommended to take their own campus listserv, Litwin said that perspective on the matter, and not as many people came to the organizers talked about a wide pick up their shirt and attend the range of goals that they hoped to other two events. achieve.

Participants gathered on the Just as organizers had different Green at 12:30 p.m. for the experiences goals in mind, students, second event of the day, a chance such as Elizabeth Gonzalez ’18, for students to meet students who led the prayer on mental w i th d i f f e re n t b a c k g ro u n d s. health, expressed their own A p p rox i m a t e l y 2 5 s t u d e n t s goals or experiences, and how it attended, and participants were translated to their own perspective then encouraged to have lunch of the event. with one another. The final event “I actually took a medical leave was an evening prayer vigil for for mental health after the end of peace during which several short my freshman year, so obviously it’s prayers were led by students. Each an issue that’s personal for me, and prayer addressed one of the topics a lot of my friends struggle with mentioned above. different mental health issues on According to Torrey and event campus, so I’m also here as an o rg a n i ze r a n d advocate and United Campus “In addition to DACA in solidarity Minister Sang with them and Charlottesville, Wook Nam, the as well,” D ay o f Pe a c e it just felt like there Gonzalez was initiated by was a lot of suffering said. “I think Nam’s concern accumulating.” this event is for the issues of just about Deferred Action c o m i n g for Childhood -LEAH TORREY, TUCKER together as a Arrivals as well as CENTER MULTI-FAITH community the Aug. 11 Unite and taking the Right rally in ADVISOR time to Charlottesville. stop doing “I think it whatever sprang from the idea of mine at we’re doing now in Monday of the monthly gathering for UCM Week 8 and be like a community members,” Nam said. “I have with each other.” a few friends whose siblings or Other students who led prayers, whose sons or daughters are facing such as Arthur Mensah ’19, problems with DACA, and I share expressed their hope for students empathy with them because they to take advantage of this event in are all close to me. I was having order to remember that there are issues with DACA matters, so I events and hardships happening brought up my thought on DACA not only at the College, but also at the meeting because I thought in the outside world, which can that we were talking and not doing be difficult due to how busy anything ... That’s how it started.” Dartmouth students are.

Furthermore, organizers, such Some participants, such as as Torrey, expressed their desire to Isaiah Miller ’21 and Sharidan address the pain and suffering that Russell ’18, also expressed how the they felt was accumulating around Day of Peace served as a positive the world. reminder of the importance in “In addition to DACA and supporting peace and remembering Charlottesville, it just felt like the diversity of people as well as there was a lot of suffering existing issues. accumulating,” Tor rey said. “I think it’s great that they “Every time I pulled up my chose so many issues, rather than New York Times briefing in the focusing on just one, because I morning, the headlines were just think people suffer in a variety of constant pain and suffering. I ways,” Russell said. “[There are] wanted to find a way to address so many fears and worries on this and also recognize the way in which campus right now, and making sure global, national pain influences the that all, or at least many are seen, student life here and the College, and seen by different faiths, I just so the last prayer was a prayer thought that was really great.”

FROM PEACE PAGE 1

THE DARTMOUTH NEWS

PAGE 5

THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

PAGE 6

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST STEVEN ADELBERG ’21

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST VALERIE TRUONG ’21

Victimless ‘Crimes’

Dormitory Purgatory

Why the law must stop persecuting harmless citizens.

Homecoming was meant to be a night of unity and tradition. The whole college and many alumni came together to celebrate our community and one of our most cherished traditions: the Homecoming bonfire. The energy in that ring as we ran our 21 laps grew stronger than the waves of heat from the roaring tower of flame. As enthusiasm grew, the call of tradition won over a few brave students: They were going to touch the fire. Laws, walls and officers could not shatter their resolve to keep tradition alive. They leaped over the barriers, dashed toward the fence — and got arrested. Chants of “let him go” filled the Green as students protested. The students caught could face criminal charges or four-figure fines. If any are international students, they may face deportation.

This is not the profile of people out to tear down civil society. This is the story of the Class of 2021 attempting to keep the traditions of Dartmouth alive in the face of institutionalized opposition.

Those who touched the fire successfully kept tradition alive, exhilarating hundreds without risking harm to anyone but themselves. Why did they get handcuffs on their wrists rather than medals around their necks?

This injustice is the consequence of a relatively recent innovation in American law: the “victimless crime.” The term, first coined in the 1960s, was invented to describe crimes like consensual prostitution, gambling and drug use that do not leave a clear victim other than the purported offender. Governments passed laws that criminalize such acts to punish people for violating moral norms, hoping the coercive force would stop individuals from engaging in distasteful behavior. These laws do not work.

Almost invariably, they simply force “immoral” behavior underground while punishing harmless individuals and delegitimizing law enforcement.

Look no further than the American war on substance abuse. During Prohibition, the United States targeted drinkers with the full might of law enforcement. Drinking did not end. Instead, it simply went from communal taverns to the shady speakeasies of Al Capone, beginning the rise of organized crime. The small portion of liquor distributors that law enforcement could catch proved enough to clog the court and prison systems. When Prohibition ended, drinking became safer and provided a new source of tax revenue.

When former President Richard Nixon

decided to try the same failed policy against drug users, drug use moved underground. Drugs were produced by cartels and distributed by gangs.

Police tactics fueled mass incarceration — 31 percent of prison admissions are for drug-related offenses — while alienating African-American communities through allegations of racism and unequal enforcement. In the face of the Black Lives Matter backlash, confidence in the police hit a 22-year low. State, citizen and community alike suffered from this war on drugs and alcohol.

Laws creating victimless crimes do not work in practice and are unjust in theory. In laying the foundation for much of modern Western law, philosopher John Stuart Mill observed that, “The only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others.” When governments exert coercive power over the people for any other purpose, John Locke reasoned, those violations of natural rights render the state-citizen social contract void and the coercive government illegitimate.

The only alternative to such a crisis of illegitimacy and injustice, 20th century philosopher John Rawls argued, is a society where “each person is to have an equal right to the most extensive basic liberty compatible with a similar liberty for others.” Laws against victimless crimes exercise damaging, coercive power over citizens who hurt either themselves exclusively or no one at all. Such laws illegitimately infringe upon natural rights to self-determination, sowing anger and disrespect toward political institutions.

To avoid such animosity and injustice, we ought to respect the inalienable rights of our fellow citizens — and make sure they respect ours.

Before we know it, the Class of 2022 will be running around the Homecoming bonfire celebrating our traditions and, yes, trying to touch the fire. As a civil society, Dartmouth faces a choice: Should the College use damaging tools of legal coercion against students participating in a harmless tradition, or should it embrace liberty and tradition as indelible components of what Dartmouth is? The College has little sway over national policy, but it has the power as an inclusive community to protect natural rights at Homecoming. In our constant efforts to build a better Dartmouth community, let’s strengthen our civil society by respecting natural rights and allowing tradition to thrive.

6175 ROBINSON HALL, HANOVER N.H. 03755 • (603) 646-2600

RAY LU, Editor-in-Chief KOURTNEY KAWANO, Executive Editor CAROLINE BERENS, Managing Editor PRODUCTION EDITORS PARKER RICHARDS & ZIQIN YUAN, Opinion Editors LAUREN BUDD, ANNETTE DENEKAS & MAY MANSOUR, Mirror Editors EVAN MORGAN & CHRIS SHIM, Sports Editors HALEY GORDON & MADELINE KILLEN, Arts Editors MELANIE KOS & LUCY TANTUM, Dartbeat Editors JESSICA CAMPANILE, Multimedia Editor SAMANTHA BURACK & TANYA SHAH, Design Editors ALEXANDER AGADJANIAN, Survey Editor

PHILIP RASANSKY, Publisher ERIN LEE, Executive Editor NOAH GOLDSTEIN, Managing Editor BUSINESS DIRECTORS ALFREDO GURMENDI, Finance & Strategy Director ROSHNI CHANDWANI, Finance & Strategy Director SHINAR JAIN, Advertising Director KELLY CHEN, Product Development Director ELYSE KUO, Product Development Director EMMA MARSANO, Marketing & Communications Director YEONJAE PARK, Technology Director PHOTOGRAPHY EDITORS ELIZA MCDONOUGH HOLLYE SWINEHART TIFFANY ZHAI

ISSUE

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

NEWS EDITORS: Paulomi Rao, NEWS LAYOUT: Rachel Pakianathan

SUBMISSIONS: We welcome letters and guest columns. All submissions must include the author’s name and affiliation with Dartmouth College, and should not exceed 250 words for letters or 700 words for columns. The Dartmouth reserves the right to edit all material before publication. All material submitted becomes property of The Dartmouth. Please email submissions to editor@thedartmouth.com.

The College should charge different prices for different dormitories.

Housing arrangements vary widely here Our school housing is incorrectly represented on campus: Some are ramshackle and old, online, which may dampen prospective some are luxuriously new; some are centrally students’ expectations when they arrive on located near Baker-Berry Library and Collis campus in the fall. The College borders on Center, some are practically in Vermont. false advertising when it lists the singular $3,048 Some dorm clusters have convenient snack price tag. Students may assume they will be bars and plenty of places to study, others assigned to a dorm room with the modernity force students to take a 10-minute walk to get of a McLaughlin room, but incoming first-years food and feature a single study room in the are much more likely to end up in the Choates basement accompanied by the lovely sounds or the River. and scents of washers and dryers. Despite While charging everyone a single flat rate these differences, every student who lives in a is easy, it is far from fair. Generally speaking, college-owned dorm or apartment currently older dorms are more centrally located and pays the same price of $3,048 per term. newer dorms are on the edge of campus, this The prices students pay for housing trade-off in convenience could theoretically should reflect the variations in dorm quality balance out the cost. Yet dorms such as the at Dartmouth. The River dorms should be River and Fahey-McLane do not follow this priced on the lower end because the buildings rule, so some students get the best of both are far from the central hub of campus, and the worlds while others get nothing.

Choates and Wheeler should also be cheaper Charging students varying prices based on because of how old their amenities are. On housing could potentially lead to separation the other hand, the McLaughlin cluster and of students by socioeconomic status.

Fahey-McLane should Wealthier students would cost more because of choose the best dorms, amenities such as single- “Charging prices leaving everyone else the occupancy showers, that actually reflect “leftovers.” However, relatively moder n financial aid should cover construction or their differences in housing students in need. For convenient location. students whose financial circumstances is a Ask any person whether aid includes supplements way of mitigating they would prefer a for housing, the College single or a one-room housing inequalities should cover a certain double, provided the on campus.” percentage of the cost, cost is the same, and rather than a fixed almost everyone would monetary amount. This choose the single. You way, students can decide can share a room with whether they want to your best friend, but ultimately, privacy is a spend a little extra money on better housing valuable asset when students are constantly or save that money for other purchases, but around each other all day. These issues are the cost of moving to better housing should multiplied for students in triples and quads. not be prohibitive to most.

Other universities such as the University of This change in dorm pricing could also California, Los Angeles and Boston College disrupt the recently established housing charge students different fees depending communities and make the distribution on the number of occupants per room. of housing among them more equitable.

UCLA even has separate fees for students Currently, upperclassmen in a certain house who can choose the number of occupants community must reside in a select few buildings, per room and the quality of room, which and the range of housing quality is varied ranges from “classic” — rooms with no air among communities. For example, the East conditioning and communal floor bathrooms Wheelock cluster has uniformly new housing, — to “residential plazas,” which feature air- but the North Park cluster next door has equally conditioned rooms with private bathrooms. uniformly mediocre housing. If dorm prices At Dartmouth, only the McLaughlin, are varied, each housing community could and Fahey-McLane and East Wheelock should be reworked to include a better mix of dormitories have air conditioning capabilities. housing options within.

However, cooling is only turned on in the Charging students prices that actually summer. Students living anywhere else reflect differences in housing circumstances must go through the summer without is a way of mitigating housing inequalities air conditioning and must “cope as best on campus. Extending the current lottery they can with temporarily uncomfortable system of housing for upperclassmen to all working conditions.” The school website also students, including first-years, and allowing encourages occupants to use fans and open students to choose housing in that way would their windows in the heat. increase freedom in choosing where and with In addition, Dartmouth needs increased whom to live, relative to the price they want transparency regarding its online portrayal to pay. Entire first-year dorm buildings are not of dormitories. In the virtual tour on the necessary; first-year-only floors would suffice Dartmouth website, only McLaughlin rooms for increased support and a smoother transition are shown, which are arguably the most to college life. By acknowledging the difference modern rooms on campus. This is in stark between singles and quads, age and location contrast to the cinder block, almost prison- of dorms, the College can promote students’ like housing much of the rest of campus has. right to choose where to live.

THE DARTMOUTH OPINION

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

PAGE 7

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST RACHNA SHAH ’21

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST NICHOLAS BARTLETT ’21

A Long Time to Wait

Enough with Twitter

Fighting disenchantment with politics begins young and at home.

As a 17 year old, I can earn minimum wage and drive a car. I am therefore impacted by labor and employment, distracted driving and police misconduct. Until I am 18 years old, however, I do not have the right to vote on the national, state or local level.

In a democracy, we understand voting as an essential part of representative government.

The political awareness and expectations of 16 - and 17-year-olds is increasing, due in part to greater civic education, among other factors.

These students are therefore prepared and willing to engage in government. Lowering the voting age would provide them with the opportunity to do so. While lowering the voting age to 16 on the national level can still be debated, the same on the local level should not be. By giving 16- and 17-year-olds the right to vote in local elections, we can foster civic ethos and advance civic action as they prepare for their futures before college.

At the age of 16 or 18, the impact a vote can have on national-level politics may seem miniscule and may lead to disenchantment with elections. However, the local landscape is different. Local elections are often viewed as insignificant, as indicated by an average of only 20 percent of voters registered on the national level voting in local elections, but it is here, in cities and towns across America, that nationwide policies are first tested. It was in Oakland, California, where local marijuana ordinances were developed in 2004. It was in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, where a temporary 0.25 percent income tax hike was approved to improve public schools.

A legalization committee for marijuana has recently been established in New Hampshire.

Should police be required to wear body cameras? Should there be a portion cap on soft drinks? Issues such as these are primarily local responsibilities. Policy and its implementation are more likely to be affected quickly on the local level than on the national level. Flexibility on the local level allows for innovation. After all, it makes logical sense that it is easier to improve your town before the entire country, particularly in today’s time of great gridlock and polarization.

Four years ago, Takoma Park, Maryland became the first American city to lower its local voting age from 18 to 16. In 2015, Hyattsville, Maryland followed suit with approximately 250 newly eligible voters. These examples are signs of the policy’s potential to improve and expand. Globally, a larger-scale example can be seen in Austria, where 16- and 17-yearolds can vote in national and local elections.

Studies there have shown that the quality of vote choice is not different between 16-yearolds and their older counterparts, countering the concerns of many. Citizens under the age of 18 also tend to have higher trust in civic institutions than older age groups. For this trust not to decline as they age, young people should be allowed to see how their actions can impact them as they move through life. This begins with voting.

After all, when voting in a local election, it is easier to see that each and every vote, including one’s own, counts. Young adults

engage with the political arena in ways they believe they can make a difference. If they believe their votes can impact issues they care about, they are willing to vote, as seen in the high turnout for the Article 9 vote in Hanover this past May. Currently, high voting turnouts among youth tend to be the exception rather than the norm. This can be changed if young people view voting alongside other means of political engagement, where they have the chance to share their interests and voices. Young people should be provided with the tools and space to build dialogue with policymakers to begin and maintain intergenerational dialogues from a young age. They can become engaged in the future of their local communities and improve representation in this way within the traditional framework of voting rather than by replacing this framework with a new one. There may be 15-year-olds who consider themselves civically and politically literate, and there may be 16- and 17-yearolds who do not. Yet it is at the arbitrary age of 16 where one begins assuming adulthood responsibilities. This should include the responsibility of voting.

Opponents of allowing 16- and 17-yearolds to vote assert that they lack adult responsibilities, such as saving for retirement.

Yet saving for college is also a responsibility.

Others argue that 16- and 17-year-olds are not mature enough to vote, as their brains are still developing. However, states allow 16-year-olds to drive, which requires just as much if not more reasoned decision-making.

Engaging younger students with voting will also allow them to begin considering new perspectives and challenging their own. This requires voting to be the norm and a part of their present, whether it be for school board candidates that shape their education or local political leaders that shape how they interact with their communities, rather than one of their futures. While American schools try to increase civic engagement through mechanisms such as student council elections, many students blow them off as popularity contests rather than as elections similar to those on a local and national landscape. Moreover, the high school environment, where many students share similar interests, cannot be compared to a larger community, where groups are more likely to have vastly different and contradictory agendas.

To understand others, we must begin by understanding our local communities. In 2016, San Francisco voted on Proposition F, which would have allowed 16- and 17-yearolds to vote in municipal elections. While the vote ultimately did not pass, it was a narrow “no” at 53 percent. The arguments put forth by opponents of lowering the voting age need to be reconsidered. Lowering the voting age from 18 to 16 will engage youth at a younger age with the voting process. We can only define the direction of our society if we are allowed to use the same tools as the rest of our society.

President Donald Trump’s inability to reign in his Twitter account is problematic.

To say that the presidency of Donald Trump has been tumultuous is an understatement. As is the case with any first-term president, there have been highs and moments of excellence and there have been lows and shocking gaffes — the verdict is still out on which is more significant.

Within the policy whirlwind that has occurred as Trump transitions from his gilded apartment to the White House, the president’s continued reliance upon Twitter stands out.

Such is a common complaint among constituents — so common, in fact, that a survey conducted in late June by Quinnipiac University revealed that 61 percent of registered voters questioned believe that “Trump should stop tweeting from his personal Twitter account.” Many are quick to cite what they see as inflammatory dialogue targeted at other key Republican figures, as well as attacks on Democrats and foreign leaders as part of their opposition to Trump’s tweeting. Others are quick to point to Trump’s occasional dissemination of misinformation as the more problematic of the two. While both are valid grievances, the true dilemma lies not merely in the content of each tweet, but in the manner in which Trump approaches tweeting. Particularly, the notion that Trump is acting of his own volition and communicating without any semblance of formality or recognition of the influence of his office is troubling and could cause irreparable harm to American political discourse.

In order to understand the reaction to Trump’s actions on Twitter, one need merely turn to former President Barack Obama’s page. Never was it utilized in the same manner. Each post was well articulated and seemingly planned. Benign political jargon akin to campaign sentiment and pictures with children or animals dominated the page; nowhere to be found are personal attacks or inflammatory accusations.

Therein lies the key disparity between Obama and Trump. Obama’s Twitter talked at his audience as if it were quoting tidbits of dialogue from a soliloquy. Trump’s Twitter talks to other users as if the president were having a conversation. Trump’s syntax is erratic, his vocabulary is colloquial and his content is raw and unfiltered. While this style of communication

is enticing to constituents who have grown weary of soundbite-laden political discourse, the office of the president is no place for personal problems and gripes. Trump’s predecessors utilized reticence in communication with the general public not because they lacked the personality to spew invective and toss about allegations but because they respected the formality and boundaries that come with great responsibility.

To many, Trump’s tweets provide a sense of authenticity that is lacking within the sterile world of American politics. Sadly, Trump’s desire to continue acting and speaking in the same manner as he did before his inauguration is trouble. He is no longer merely a man with immense wealth; he is the president of the United States. His every word is not his own; he is speaking for the nation.

Everything that is said by him, everything that is done by him and everything that is associated with him are no longer solely reflections of American values — they are American values. Yet Trump continues to act as if his opinion were his and his alone. So long as he holds the presidency, that which he espouses will be conflated by the world with the beliefs of the United States and its citizens.

The president’s inability to recognize the link between his personal beliefs and the perception of the nation and his inability or unwillingness to alter his behavior is best displayed when he lambasts other American politicians. In censuring congresspeople and governors, he willingly pits a nation against its elected representatives — willingly pits the electorate against the elected. This is as unforgivable in principle as it is disrespectful to Congress, and it is hardly conducive to a cohesive democracy. With every further attack Trump submits to the Twitter feeds of millions across the world, the integrity of his office withers.

Since grade school, I have been reminded of the permanence of the internet, of how that which I regret will remain. The president is not exempt from this paradigm. The global and political implications of each and every one of Trump’s tweets will always remain, no matter how much we ignore them. Now more than ever it is paramount that Americans do not allow the sheer quantity of his posts to render them innocuous. He speaks not in the best interests of the country but in the best interests of himself. It is time for a change.

ALL IS NOT WELL

DAVID VELONA ’21

“Is Pepsi okay?”

THE DARTMOUTH ARTS

PAGE 8

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

Fall musical ‘Cabaret’ to premiere at the Hop this weekend

By ZACH CHERIAN

The Dartmouth Staff

With the end of fall ter m a p p ro a ch i n g, t h e t h e at e r department’s fall musical is right around the corner. Anyone passing through the Hopkins Center for the Arts can see the activity bustling in and around the theater. “Cabaret,” this year’s musical, promises to be a timely response to the current political climate.

“Cabaret” takes place in Germany right before World War II. “It’s a snapshot of the storm that was brewing in Berlin as the Nazi party was rising to power through the lens of a cabaret,” said theater professor Carol Dunne, who is directing the musical.

The selection of “Cabaret” was no accident. Rather, Dunne said that she had been considering the musical for a while, but after the 2016 election, it seemed especially relevant and timely.

“In this show in particular, we really want it to reflect the world outside however we could,” Dunne said. “By telling this story about loss of freedom and a single idea’s taking over political system, we felt

it was important to speak to what’s going on outside with the rise of populism in the world.”

Dunne said that the play also tangentially addresses themes of immigration.

“The play begins and ends with suitcases; people arriving and looking for political and artistic freedom,” Dunne said.

Claire Feuille ’18, who plays multiple roles in the musical, echoed Dunne’s comments about the tense historical context of the show.

“It’s a real focus on character and motivation and historical context, which is especially important for this show because it’s such a fraught time that it’s set in, and you need to consider carefully what was actually happening if you’re going to do it faithfully,” she said.

Because “Cabaret” is a period piece set over 70 years ago, the cast has faced some challenges when trying to get into character. Lela Gannon ’18, who plays Fräulein Schneider, the owner of a boarding house on which the musical focuses, said that her character is supposed to be around 40 years old. She credits theater professor Laurie Churba Kohn, who is also the

musical’s costume designer, with helping her get into character through costume.

“Costumes are such a huge part of it,” Gannon said. “The way your clothing fits and the way you look in the mirror, the person you see looking back at you influences so much of how you move around on stage and how you think about yourself and how you carry yourself.”

Some students, including Feuille, split their time between acting and helping direct.

“For the tech process, I’ll be taking notes on everything from blocking to spacing to lighting to acting notes to singing, and I’ll give [Dunne] a huge list of notes at the end of the night and she’ll decide what she thinks she agrees with and what she wants to work on and what she doesn’t,” Feuille said. “I flip back and forth between being with her behind the table and being on stage, depending on where I’m needed.”

While many students will learn about the process only through acting, the assistant directorship gives Feuille an insight into what it is like to direct, which she notes will be helpful should she want to

pursue directing professionally.

Maya Frost-Belansky ’20 is the stage manager of “Cabaret,” meaning that she is in charge of almost every aspect of the play from start to finish.

“From the time that the house manager hands the show over to you it becomes your show, and from that moment until the audience leaves, nothing happens without the stage manager saying, ‘go,’” FrostBelansky said. “The orchestra won’t start, the lights won’t come up, the lights won’t go down, the actors won’t come on, nothing happens until the stage manager gives that go ahead.”

One common theme that ran through the student interviews was how this year’s ensemble was well-prepared and on top of their rehearsal schedules.

“We’ve kind of joked that this is one of the only shows ever in the history of Dartmouth that we feel that we are at risk of overrehearsing,” Frost-Belansky said.

Gannon echoed Frost-Belansky’s thoughts.

“We are prepared, we are excited,” she said. “We were saying earlier that the night before tech feels a little like Christmas Eve right

now, and the reason it can feel like that is because we are so ready and ready for people to see it.”

Dunne believes the cast’s preparedness this year may be due in part to the success of theater department’s experiential term, which allows majors to work at the Northern Stage Theater in Vermont in a professional capacity during their off terms.

“I’ve seen a huge impact in professionalism, discipline and leadership,” Dunne said.

The support of theater professionals is also key to the success of the musicals each year.

“You get to work with real professional theater people,” FrostBelansky said, noting that the entire production team are professionals who had worked all over the nation before coming to Dartmouth.

This year’s musical is promising, with a thoughtfully chosen story that will prompt audience members to think about the current world outside the theater. The show will run for two weekends beginning this Friday. There will be an opening night reception on Friday and a pre-show talk about “Cabaret” and the political environment during the early 20th century on Saturday.

Halloween-o-thon showcases young Upper Valley filmmakers

By JORDAN MCDONALD The Dartmouth

On Sunday, Oct. 29, Upper Valley television channel CATV’s sixth annual Halloween-o-thon took place on Dartmouth’s campus from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. in the Loew Auditorium located in the Black Family Visual Arts Center, partnering with the Hopkins Center for the Arts. Halloween-o-thon showcased films made by students spanning in age from middle school to college from all across the Upper Valley who registered to commit three weeks of their time to writing, directing and casting their very own short horror films. On Sunday, their work was displayed on the big screen to celebrate the creative endeavors of local youth and embrace the Halloween spirit.

In the weeks leading up to the event, Dartmouth students offered movie-making workshops for participants through which they

were able to give advice, share filmmaking tricks and encourage new artists to refine their craft. On Sunday, the amateur filmmakers showcased their work, starting with middle school teams at 1 p.m., moving into high school teams at 2:30 p.m. and ending with the films made by young adults and college students at 4:00 p.m. The screenings ended with an awards ceremony during which film teams won awards for categories ranging from “Best Costumes” to “Best Scream.” After the viewings, the winners received gift cards, cash, candy and free registration for next year’s Halloween-o-thon. By the end of the event, 20 student horror films had been shown on the big screen.

Parents, grandparents and siblings came out to support many of the contestants. In fact, many families starred in or inspired the young filmmakers. In this way, the atmosphere of the competition

is one of excitement for both participants and their proud family members and friends. Johanna Evans, the acting director of film at the Hop, said that “[the event] is mostly geared toward teenagers and their families but other people involved in the competition show up.”

In awe of the continuous improvement in film quality over years, many audience members and staff were surprised to see what students came up with.

“It’s interesting,” Evans said.

“Every year they just get better and better.”

Working with this year’s film prompt, “Good, you’re awake,” participants created scary movies centered on cree py clowns, haunted houses, possessed dolls, bad dreams and more. The vast interpretations and incorporation of the prompt was a testament to the innovation and creativity that informed each group’s final project.

Many of the student judges were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the student work and the artistic commitment of the participants.

“I was really surprised by how well done some of the movies were, especially from the younger participants,” Nicholas Gutierrez ’20, one of the student judges, said.

“They were all very enjoyable to watch.”

Another student judge, Zea Eanet ’21, wrote in an email that while the films of the younger competitors may not have been as polished as those of the older students, it was “really wonderful” to see such a high level of passion about and commitment to film at their young ages.

The purpose of events like Halloween-o-thon is to encourage people outside of the Dartmouth community to take part in all of the programming that the Hop has to offer. A part of the Community Venture Initiative,

which is dedicated to creating programming that expands the reach of the Hop, Halloween-othon is intended to bring young amateur filmmakers from around the Upper Valley to Hanover for a film competition. “[Our programming] is designed to bring new people to the Hop who wouldn’t normally come to the Hop, are from farther away or are of an age group that the Hop generally doesn’t serve,” Evans said.

H oweve r, t h e D a r t m o u t h community makes its mark on the event as well. This year, a team of Dartmouth students participated in the college film competition, winning second place in the collegiate competition, and a group of film students were selected to judge the middle school films. The event successfully brought together Dartmouth and the Hop with the greater Upper Valley community, starting off the holiday season with excitement.