House of Lewan to host Transform show on May 5

FROM PRIDE PAGE 1

While some of the Pride 2023 events are being organized by the College and the Pride 2023 committee, other events are being independently hosted by student groups across campus, Bouthot wrote. The House of Lewan, a student drag club, is hosting its annual Transform show in the Kemeny courtyard, according to House of Lewan house mother Jaime Aranzabal ’24.

According to Aranzabal, the House of Lewan hosts shows at least once a term. Although Transform was originally a Pride event that was more like a “fashion show,” it has since evolved to become a “drag performance-based show.”

“We build our own little scene here on campus,” Aranzabal said. “It’s House of Lewan’s biggest drag show of the term, and it is always very exciting because we get to go all out in terms of performances and production.”

This year, Transform is especially important due to the political climate, with several states “passing bills specifically attacking LGBT youth [and] banning gender-affirming care and drag,” Aranzabal said. Even now, performing drag often involves “facing some form of hate,” he added.

“We don’t shy away from it or try to make ourselves palatable to others,”

Aranzabal said. “It really means a lot to all of our performers to be able to do drag, and so we’re taking this opportunity to show that.”

Pride 2023 also comes at a time when the amount and visibility of antitrans legislation has risen compared to previous years, Timchenko said.

“A lot of what we’re doing now is the result of student passions 10 years ago,” she said. protections and access to healthcare — for the LGBTQIA+ community,” Bouthot wrote. “Events like Pride are an opportunity for the community to show up in a visible way to support us and our unique experiences.”

“There’s been a growing movement towards removing the ‘T’ in LGBT, which is gross,” Timchenko said. “I think [Pride 2023] is good to remind people on campus that this is still a visible issue and that we’re all united rather than splintered.”

Ultimately, Rosales hopes that this year’s Pride programming allows members of the queer community to feel “good about [their] identity.”

“I hope that they see that there are spaces for them to take up,” she said.

After a temporary job at a Hanover bookstore post-college, Brother Stream became ordained as a monastic in Plum Village, France. He once traveled with Hanh to Vietnam and has practiced monasticism for the past 20 years.

“The monastics have taught us that… we are enough just the way we are, and that cultivating that understanding will give us the capacity for immeasurable growth and learning,” Gilbert-Diamond said. “It will also give us the capacity to love and support each other, and to make a positive impact on the world.”

“We just always believe in starting small and growing up so that we can learn and refne,” Barthelmes said.

On Wednesday, the Elections Planning and Advisory Committee announced the results of the 2023 undergraduate student elections. Besides the hotly contested elections for senior class president and vice president, the majority of races were either uncompetitive or nonexistent. Only two candidates were running on the ballot for three seats on the Class of 2026 class council, and four out of six Housing Communities did not have a full slate of balloted candidates for their respective class senator positions. Zero students ran for the Committee on Standards or Organizational Adjudication Committee seats, leaving these crucial roles in Dartmouth’s student disciplinary process temporarily undecided while the Elections Planning and Advisory Committee evaluates write-in candidates. Even in elections that managed to secure a full slate of candidates without write-in votes, there was only one contested election other than senior class president and vice president. Student indifference towards undergraduate elections hinders Dartmouth Student Government’s ability to represent the student body properly, and students should put in more of an efort to engage with their governing bodies — by voting in elections at a minimum, and by running for positions themselves

Verbum Ultimum: Every Vote Counts

Dartmouth students must get more involved with Student Government electons.

if they want to efect positive change.

The lack of student interest continues a concerning electoral trend on campus. Dartmouth students cast 1,231 ballots for the Student Government presidential election — down 15% from last year and 19% from the year before. With 4,458 undergraduates, this means just 27% of students voted. Considering that 75% of the graduating Class of 2022 held a negative view of the administration, and approval ratings for Student Government were 36% favorable and 34% unfavorable, students clearly want to see both the College and Student Government heading in a diferent direction. So why do so few students bother to run, much less vote, for the only positions capable of making a diference?

With the low voter turnout and lack of competition, some elections had less than ten votes cast — such as the Class of 2024 senators for East Wheelock, South House and School House.

It’s hard to blame students for not wanting to vote; when virtually no elections are contested, it can feel like voting is meaningless. Yet, we want to stress that the lack of student participation in elections can send a risky message. Why should the administration listen to a student government

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST ADAM TOBECK ‘ 25

Paying Our Elected O cials is Actually a Good ing

Compensatng legislators adequately can create a more diverse state government that beter represents New Hampshire.

Dartmouth students have often found ways to engage in politics at the state level. Several have run to represent Hanover in the state house, most notably Garrett Muscatel ’20, who won a seat in 2018. I like to think that this helps us pay a little more attention to local politics than we might otherwise. However, the state legislature has a perhaps unexpected, yet glaring, problem: elected representatives are paid far too little. Currently, New Hampshire legislators are paid only $200 per term in office plus some compensation for travel costs. Compare this to our neighbors across the Connecticut River in Vermont. Their legislators — who are paid around $700 per week during session — make more in a week than New Hampshire state representatives will make over the course of their two year term.

This abysmally low salary — if it can even be called that — creates an environment where those who have prior financial resources and extra time are far more likely to be able to serve in state government. The state’s salary for elected officials effectively excludes people from middle and lower income backgrounds from running. They must figure out how to put food on the table at home, something that is extremely difficult without some sort of real salary. The question of how to afford spending their time lawmaking in Concord is just not a realistic one to ask of them. Oftentimes, these are younger people whose perspectives would contribute greatly to the political process.

There are some who might be opposed to paying our elected representatives more, believing that politicians represent the “elite” of society and are out of touch with the needs of the average person. They say that by paying legislators more, we’d only be supporting those who have little interest in doing the same for us. It would be understandably difficult to justify spending government dollars on legislator salaries if there is little trust that they will be working to benefit the average taxpayer. But the reality is that we have out of touch representation because we don’t compensate legislators fairly, not the reverse. By not paying our elected officials a livable wage, we are only perpetuating the cycle of having a state legislature dominated by older, wealthier individuals that are perceived as being part of the elite.

In 2015, the average age of New Hampshire lawmakers was 66 years old — making it the oldest legislature in the United States. Even with the average age of the state house declining to 61 years in 2018, New Hampshire still falls far behind other states in diversifying the age of our legislators — an indication that there is still more progress to be made. Given that the New Hampshire state house is the largest state legislative chamber in the country, New Hampshire can and should be ground zero for having elected officials that are reflective of their constituents.

I don’t mean to suggest that having older people in office is a bad thing in and of itself — there is a lot of value that comes with life experience. At the same time, there are numerous examples of older politicians who have had difficulty engaging with modern topics. Former U.S. senator Orrin Hatch, R-Utah — then age 84 — went viral in 2018 for questioning Mark Zuckerberg about how Facebook could be provided to users for free while remaining a business. Meanwhile, young legislators nationwide, such as Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, and Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-FL, expressed how they struggled to find an apartment in Washington D.C. due to high rents and a lack of money prior to their election. Increasing legislative salaries would allow younger legislators like these to better perform their duties without having to worry about financial burdens. By having a legislature that is diverse in age and economic status, we can complement the experience of older legislators with that of younger generations, becoming even better equipped to handle the issues of our day.

We entrust our elected officials with confronting and solving some of the most divisive and pressing issues of our day. Paying them fairly not only dignifies the work that they are doing, but provides a larger portion of the population the chance to participate in our democratic system. We are better served if those that we vote into office can focus solely and completely on working for New Hampshire, something they currently cannot do. The financial costs associated with completing the people’s work should not be prohibitive to getting things done — our state government should do better and provide for our elected officials.

Opinion articles represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.

HANNAH BROOKS ’26: SPRING TEA TIME that purportedly represents all students, but can only muster a small percentage of them to cast a ballot? If students continue to demonstrate their disinterest, the Student Government’s authority in the eyes of the administration may plummet.

The potential for higher voter turnout is clear. Dartmouth is as politically involved as any college campus. Our prime position on the presidential campaign trail, our top-notch government department and the scores of students who voice their concerns in this newspaper and elsewhere all foster a vibrant culture of political engagement. Unfortunately, when it comes to our own elections, we waste that potential.

It’s not as though Dartmouth students do not value democracy. After all, the Dartmouth Political Union recently hosted several Democracy Summit events, such as where experts discussed the deterioration of democracy in India and the Jan. 6th insurrection. But it seems far-fetched to believe we can solve the problems of democracies halfway around the world when we don’t even bother to care about our own democratic institutions here on campus.

The past year saw the Dartmouth Student Government achieve several important reforms, including the resumption of Foco Late Night, reinstating universal dorm access, ensuring Wif is available on the Green and expanding the Campus Connector shuttle system. This year’s newly elected presidential ticket ran on a platform of termly wellness days, further expansion of campus shuttle availability and free laundry. While it is true that there are limits on what Student Government can realistically accomplish for us, all of these are smart and feasible changes that, if enacted, will signifcantly improve the quality of life for students. Together with Student Government’s hefty annual budget of more than $60,000, there is enormous potential for Dartmouth students to implement the changes we wish to see around campus using the levers of Student Government. But this is only possible if we uphold this important democratic institution by thoroughly engaging in our student elections.

The editorial board consists of opinion staf columnists, the opinion editors, the executive editors and the editor-inchief. Opinion editor Kami Arabian ’24 was not involved in the writing or editing of this editorial due to a confict of interest.

CONTRIBUTING COLUMNIST RAMSEY ALSHEIKH ‘ 26

Make Fun With the Town

College administraton and Hanover ofcials should cooperate to organize fairs, fundraisers and other events between students and the town.

It’s well-known that Dartmouth and the Town of Hanover don’t often mix. Many students are too busy worrying about their 10-week term to really care about what goes on in Hanover, and residents of the town are too busy dealing with real-life problems to care much about what goes on at Dartmouth. Where we do interact, it’s rarely positive: issues of New Hampshire voting and election candidates for the state House of Representatives frequently pit college and town against each other, making for an oddly antagonistic relationship.

This has been the status quo for a while now, and most people don’t think much about it. Yet, consciously or not, both students and local residents are sufering negative consequences as a result of this state of afairs.

Especially post-COVID-19, local businesses are struggling more than ever to stay afoat, as the recent closures of Traditionally Trendy and Hanover True Value show. Even sales at the record store, a wonderful bastion of Dartmouth history and culture, are at an all-time low, putting the continued existence of the “longtime Hanover mainstay” in jeopardy. This afects not just the business owners, but the entire town: Fewer businesses means fewer reasons for a resident to leave their house and enjoy the outside world.

Students, too, are struggling. Most of us have been sucked into the Dartmouth bubble and have forgotten that the town, while small, does have experiences to ofer — experiences that can be more meaningful than just an occasional dinner in the town, and which can provide much needed stress-relief from the vagaries of college life. I would argue that, in a small way, the mental health crisis on campus is being worsened by our ignoring the town around us. We are depriving ourselves of the town as a healthy, enjoyable escape from the normal routine of drinking and partying.

I argue that this relationship must be fxed by those who are best suited to fx it: the College administration and Hanover town ofcials. They should collaborate to organize regular programming between students, townies and local businesses.

There are many forms that this programming could take. Close-of Main Street from cars for an afternoon, and have a weekend fair every so often. Set up tables and chairs on the street and sidewalk, and organize an outdoor barbecue or potluck on Main Street. Even better, let’s encourage more local businesses to invite student bands to do a live show every so often. Once or twice a term, coordinate a day for all the local business ideas to take some of their merchandise outside and run a sale and ofer special deals. Perhaps Dartmouth Dining could partner with local restaurants to make dining dollars usable in the town every so often. There are endless ways that the administration and town could partner to get a fun atmosphere in Hanover every once in a while.

Whenever these fairs would be organized, it would be trivially easy for the College administration to advertise them to students. A few emails and a poster or two in Collis, and the College could get a good crowd going on Main Street for a fun Friday afternoon or Saturday morning. Likewise, Hanover town ofcials could easily market such an event to the town as a fun way to build community and get out of the house, potentially with the ofcial town listserv. As long as College administrators and town ofcials can rally up the student body to engage with events like these, there’s not much that can go wrong. There are endless possibilities to expand on these ideas. If they want to get more ambitious, the College and the town could even organize a fun feld day or two for both students and townies. A game of red-lightgreen-light down Main Street would be ridiculously fun, in my opinion, and all the more so if I’m doing it with the whole town. Perhaps we could even install one of those giant chess boards somewhere in the town, and host small tournaments for prizes from the town. Any of these larger events would be easy to transform into a fundraiser as well, which would give people even more of a reason to turn out.

The greatest challenge that may arise would be getting students excited to engage with these events — this can be rectifed by involving student leadership on campus in the planning of these events. Similarly, the issue of putting too much strain on the town can be circumvented if we involve local residents and community leadership in the planning of DartmouthHanover programming. As long as we consult with representatives from all the involved parties, the sky’s the limit for what we can organize together.

Although these possibilities have been mostly ignored by the present administration, incoming College President Sian Beilock and her administration may be uniquely prepared to start this campaign of renewed college-town cooperation. Mental health is one of Beilock’s priorities coming into her tenure, and if done correctly, this campaign could signifcantly help the mental health of students on campus. By working with the town to provide more alternative social spaces, we can create a sense of belonging to a larger Hanover community that’s bigger than just academic classes and social cliques. Through organizing fun events with the town, students who haven’t yet found their niche on campus will be given a chance to make those bonds in an alternative space which opens them up to the world outside Dartmouth while reinforcing appreciation for the town we all live in. These events would help encourage students to explore new communities and get out of established routines, especially if they are organized by professionals from the town and College. In turn, these events can help open students’ eyes to the world around them and expose us to fun new ways to enjoy College life. In doing so, we all stand to improve our mental health and general college experience.

I strongly encourage the Beilock administration to rethink how they approach Hanover, the townies and local businesses — for the sake of the students, if no one else. All that we need is a little coordination between our community leaders, and we can all enjoy the benefts of a healthy Dartmouth-Hanover relationship. At the end of the day, students and townies live in the same town. We’re neighbors — so why don’t we start acting neighborly? Even if election season shakes things up, we can still have fun, interact, meet each other, be friends and make memories. We may live in the middle of nowhere, but we can at least live in the middle of nowhere, together.

Opinion articles represent the views of their author(s), which are not necessarily those of The Dartmouth.