Scene Sixty-Seven: I'm human, for now

Sponsored by the Creative Gaming Club, HvZ returns to Dartmouth!

AP Wire

ZOMBIE OUTBREAK RECURS AT DARTMOUTH COLLEGE

Only months after a scientific experiment gone awry resulted in the deaths of nearly a hundred innocent students, Dartmouth College has again been wracked by a zombie outbreak. This time, however, the medical school avows any involvement in the disaster.

Sources suggest that Professor Fred Schnapps, the criminal responsible for the previous zombie outbreak is, however, behind this new disaster. The original zombies-- two of them, sources say-- were seen stumbling wildly through the woods from the direction of Lebanon Community Service Jail, the prison in which Schnapps has been incarcerated for the past three months.

"It was terrible," said Gail Fitzcabernet-Wallinson, a Hanover local. "I saw the two zombies burst out of the woods and go staggering towards Dartmouth. I couldn't give a s***, really, whether they eat all the students or not. But I certainly don't want them eating ME!"

Our Washington correspondents report that President Obama is again on the case. "I can't speak public about it just yet," he told reporters, while spinning a pair of shining golden revolvers around his fingers, "but suffice it to say that I will be f****** these zombies up, so I will."

Our hearts and good wishes reside with the beleaguered students of Dartmouth College.

THE GAME IS ON.

Last term I made it 21 hours. Time will tell whether my survival skills have improved.


*** Update 1 (2 Aug. 2012): I survived the whole time, but only by avoiding the missions and staying inside and generally being a paranoid wreck. I do not recommend this strategy to future players.

Scene Sixty-Six: PILLOW FIGHT!

When I met John Brett '00 he was carrying a pillow under his left arm. It seemed strange that he would bring it to a retreat dedicated to brainstorming aspects of campus that need improvement (SHARE- Students Hearing and Responding Effectively), but Dartmouth is pretty diverse so I didn't question it too much.

"Do you bring your pillow with you everywhere you go?" asked Kari Jo Grant, one of the two organizers of the retreat.

"No, actually it's International Pillow Fight Day and I wanted to make sure I was ready for the showdown at 5:30. We're meeting at the center of the Green."

Obviously, this is something I could get excited about. A few questions later, my initial suspicion that he was a Super Awesome Dude proved true and we tripped over to the blitz terminal to make magic. He sent me a promotional blitz, I forwarded it to the all-campus listserv, and the rest is history the rest is history.

Gavin Huang / The Dartmouth Staff | https://tinyurl.com/dxsndhj

*** Update 1 (2 Aug. 2012): dartbeat broke history; link updated and photo added. (That's John on the right.)

Scene Sixty-Five: Dartmouth Gets Greener

Our recycling system is ok.

We now have single-stream and there are bins beside most trash cans, but the system isn't uniform across campus and many students are too confused (or too apathetic) to utilize it.

Collis Cafe took a step toward addressing that this term with not only the addition of a compost option (previously available only at foco*) but also a complete revamping of the system which makes the distinction between receptacles much more obvious. Kudos to whoever took the initiative.

In other news, I saw the first flowers of the season today: crocuses, yellow and purple. I hope they'll be hardy enough to stand the snow tomorrow.

© Copyright Callista Womick 2011

*Comments on the renovation: I miss the beautiful murals on the old foco ceiling (although apparently they contained asbestos) and having only one entrance/exit (as of this term) is a pain, but I guess the pirate theme is pretty cool. Seriously, though: I heard some people referring to it as '53 yesterday. The distinction between Thayer Dining Hall and Thayer Engineering School was admittedly dodgy sometimes, but there's nothing ambiguous about foco. Lest the old traditions fail.

*** Update 1 (3 Aug. 2012): RIP Home Plate.

Scene Sixty-Four: Home, part one

We've all fallen in love, we've all fallen out of love, and most of us have fallen into one of the many potholes that pepper the road of relationships. I returned to Dartmouth last fall homesick and hungry for life as only she can dish it out. But each week that passed left me more bitingly bitter.

More peers than ever were sacrificing (or, worse, "postponing") their happiness in pursuit of the best grades, the best internships, the best jobs, the best salaries...

More friends than ever were eager to lose themselves in the throngs of traditional Greek life...

More than ever, I realized how unlike my former self I felt pressured to be...

My growing suspicion that Dartmouth was becoming less and less the school to which I eagerly, exclusively, applied in 2008 was fueled by the early January announcement that Dean Sylvia Spears would not apply for permanent deanship at the end of her two year interim appointment. As an OPAL familiar and ever-accessible ally of the student body, her loss was a tremendous blow to my confidence in this institution. Not to mention the many discomforts engendered by the search for the new Dean. (No students of color on the original committee? No inclusion of any employees of the Dean of the College Office?!) This unease was further exacerbated by the cascade of resignations that followed. Desperate to find out how other members of the community felt about Dartmouth, I began asking everyone I know. Their answers were bleak.

Of my peers, most admitted that while they felt part of small social groups they didn't see campus at large as the big, friendly family that we love to portray during Dimensions and Trips. Social pressure is such, they continue, that any opinions other than that of unadulterated love for the College are effectively stifled.

Even more disquieting were the conversations that I had with faculty and staff. Most agree that the College's current priorities are not in the best interest of the educational experience. Many say that layoffs of the past two years require them to do work once shared by two or more people. Morale is low and burnout is imminent. A few confided that they were not sure how much longer they could continue working here. All agreed that the current environment does not foster the constructive criticism necessary for an entity as large as Dartmouth to grow and change.

"I'm not usually the type to keep quiet," admitted one, "but the way things are now I think it is in my best interest and that of the students I serve to keep my neck down and just do the best job that I can from day to day."

"Most of us just can't afford to stand up and say anything," lamented another, "because we have families to think about. We can't afford to lose our jobs."

This last quote sums it up the best:

"The saddest is hearing long-time (30 yrs) employees who have loved working at the College don't like being here anymore. There is no sense of community or morale anymore. Something is very wrong when a college decides that taking away benefits and forcing people to work two jobs is the best way to make up for its lost investments. Employees are not a drain on Dartmouth. They are the people who make "the Dartmouth experience" possible. It would be a sorry place if no one worked here and students just wandered from building to building."

My emphasis.

I sobbed frustrated tears to my roommate, my boyfriend, my mom, and finally my dean. Sage-like, as always, Dean Pfister offered me a tissue and an hour of his Thursday evening. "It's obvious that you care very deeply about these people, and I know that you aren't the type to run away from problems. Here's what I suggest..."

He reminded me of everything that I love about Dartmouth- its people, more than anything- and advised me on concrete ways that I could help bring about the changes necessary to make Dartmouth a community in which everyone is respected, valued, and uplifted. Further encouragement came from the organization of The People's Coalition, an assembly of Dartmouth students, faculty, and staff devoted to promoting fair dealings and social responsibility. This, on the heels of Kathleen Mayer's spot-on assessment in I wrote this at 3 a.m., revived my sense that there is real community here at Dartmouth. All of its problems are thus-far intact, but at least now there's a real grassroots student movement to address them.

No, Dartmouth is not perfect. No, not everyone loves being here. But I do.
Like Dean Pfister said, I'm not one to walk out when faced with a challenge. My relationship with the College may be pretty rocky right now, but I love her enough to stick it out and help her through.


*** Update 1 (14 Sept. 2011): As of tomorrow,  Professor John Pfister will no longer be a dean. He is returning to teaching full time through the Psychology department. In his departing blitz, he shared these thoughts:

1.  The smallest acts can make the biggest difference.
2.  A balanced life can only exist when you can plant your feet firmly on safe ground.
3.  Giving good advice starts with learning how to listen to your own voice.

 *** Update 2 (20 Jan. 2012): The People's Coalition has not held any meetings of which I or any of my acquaintances are aware for nearly a year, so for now (and with disappointment) we're considering it inactive.

WCAX: Dartmouth helps women defend themselves

Shared from WCAX:

WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-

Instructors from R.A.D.-- which stands for Rape Aggression Defense-- are teaching a group of men and women on the campus of Dartmouth College to become teachers themselves.

"They need to do their technique deployment. They are going to be tested tomorrow on their practical aspect of it. They are going to be going through a simulation scenario tonight. They also have to take a written exam," instructor Pat Iapicca explained.

Anti-violence advocates say one in every six college-aged women will report being a victim of a sexual assault. And the experts here say the number of rapes taking place could be higher.

"Unfortunately they are out there and the number that are being reported is far below what is actually happening," Iapicca said.

And that includes places like Dartmouth.

"I decided to take the course because sexual assault is a problem on Dartmouth's campus and it's one the administration is working to address. And, I would like to be part of the active solution," said Callista Womick, a sophomore.

At the end of this intense 3-day, 30-hour course the students will become certified instructors. Risk reduction, avoidance techniques and 41 physical maneuvers are part of the package, teaching women how to defend themselves. Women like Brittany Garcia who personally knows the affects of sexual violence.

"To be able to work past them to help them on their healing. To help them start to heal and to become more comfortable in themselves," Garcia said.

"And to let them know that no matter what situation they find themselves in, either social, or whenever they feel threatened, that they can do something," said Aryana Jacobs, a senior.

And of course Dartmouth is not the only college coping with the issue of sexual violence. But Dartmouth officials say they hope this course is one solution to the problem.

"It's really important for women to learn self-defense and learn empowerment so hopefully we can reduce the numbers," said Jennifer Murray, who works at Dartmouth.

Instructors say the best fight is the one that you have never been in. So 90 percent of the techniques that are taught here are to avoid altercation all together.

Several different people on campus helped bring the instructors' class to Dartmouth, including President Jim Yong Kim. Kim has said that taking on sexual violence is a priority.

Scene Sixty-Three: I go to Dartmouth

...and sometimes things get a little crazy here. Time-wise, I mean.

The infrequency of posts from last term attests to the fact that I was entirely swamped with work- from taking on two new internships (with OPAL and Global Grassroots) to pledging Phi Tau to class to bed! No time to blog. Let's face it, most of what I did manage "to write last term" is actually backdated.

This is a new term, though, and while my only significant circumstantial change is an increase in out-of-class work (hello Studio Art classes), I fully intend to better manage my time and update more frequently. After all, what good is my being busy if I can't share the experience with anyone?

TDR: Who Wants to Reform Dartmouth Night?

Shared from The Dartmouth Review:

Every year, on a righteously cold October evening in Hanover, the entire freshman class of our College assembles, cluster by cluster, into a massive parade of spandex, class jerseys, green flair and face paint, and winds their way towards the Green.  The bonfire site is cordoned off with caution tape of about a 40 ft radius, and a second ring of tape, about 30 ft further out, forms a track-like ring around the blaze.  The freshmen parade is channeled into this space at the end of their march across campus.  After a brief word by President Kim and a considerable amount of effort by S & S, the wood catches fire.  Spurred on by adrenaline, alcohol, spirit, and tradition, the freshmen begin running their laps around the bonfire: 100 plus the number of their class year (this year they will be challenged to run 114 laps).

This year, however, three concerned upperclassmen formed a committee and have been working around the clock to make this year’s bonfire a more “positive and inclusive” experience for the whole Class of 2014. Callista Womick ’13, Matthew Dahlhausen ’11, and Farzeen Mahmud ’12, have been collaborating on this initiative for almost a month, each focusing on improving different aspects of the freshman “Dartmouth Night” experience.

A variety of traditions that surround the Homecoming bonfire.  Upperclassmen typically yell aggressively at freshmen to “touch the fire!” and that they are the “WORST CLASS EVER!!!”  According to Womick, however, it is not these particular “verbal traditions” that their “inclusivity efforts” are focusing on.  “We’re not trying to eliminate traditions that are all in good fun,” Womick explained.  “Yelling those things, it’s silly and it’s part of the experience.  What we’re trying to get rid of are the things that are cruel.  It’s not fun to get punched in the face or spit on by an upperclassman.  Excessive rough-housing can make people really uncomfortable.”  Womick said that her experience at Bonfire last year was not completely negative, but was definitely mixed. “I had fun, but I definitely judged certain upperclassmen.  I witnessed a lot of verbally abusive, rude, and threatening comments, and I know a lot of people who left early and felt extremely uncomfortable.  Students think it’s their right to do certain things just because it happened to them.  We want to change that precedent.”

Womick also made it clear her group is not aiming to remove alcohol from the event entirely.  “We know that people drink at Bonfire, and that’s fine, it’s their choice.  But when they come really inebriated, shouting, kicking and punching freshmen, pushing them back in when they try to exit the mob, that’s when we start to really object to the behavior.”

Dahlhausen, Mahmud, and Womick have organized a number of upperclassmen, and are approaching these concerns from different angles.  “It’s a total grassroots effort,” Womick explained. “We’re starting conversations with upperclassmen all over the place, and that’s where this has got to start, by making people think about it.”

Dahlhausen has been focusing on changing the dynamics around the bonfire itself, by encouraging anyone who knows a ’14 to come out and cheer on their friends.  “He’s organizing lots of volunteers, particularly trip leaders, to come out wearing flair and to run with the ’14s who elect do to all the laps, giving them encouragement and support,” Womick explained.  Dahlhausen is also working on setting up a water station, a clearly designated exit lane, and a number of boom boxes to inspire the runners.  The size of the outer circle of tape around the fire itself has also been expanded by ten feet, so as to give more space to the runners and allow more room for people to avoid the extreme heat when the fire is first lit.  Dahlhausen’s group has also gotten 20-25 volunteers trained in crowd control, who will try to prevent the rough pushing, tripping, and trampling that often occurs because the entire class (1,300 people this year) is confined to such a small space.

Womick and Mahmud have also been working to organize a large dance in Collis Commonground after the bonfire, called “the Embers.”  Womick described how “by the time people finish running laps, its still too early for them to ‘go out,’ and having a formally organized dance nearby provides a non-alcohol social option for ‘14s without their having to leave the immediate area.”

Some upperclassmen have expressed displeasure with Womick, Dahlhausen, and Mahmud’s efforts, arguing that their initiative aims to eliminate the harmless traditions that make Dartmouth Night special.  As one ’13 put it, “That’s like, the single, two-hour period of hazing that they get for just being freshmen.  Why do we have to get rid of the one, brief time where they pay their dues for their position on campus?  It’s part of Dartmouth tradition, and it’s just not a big deal.”

Womick addressed these concerns, saying, “Bonfire is an event for the entire community.  If people elect later on to join groups that sanction hazing and other types of ‘initiation,’ that’s fine.  But it’s not appropriate to bring that into Bonfire, which is effectively a mandatory event for the freshman class.”  She also drew a line of distinction, specifying what her initiative is really targeting.  “It’s not the ‘worst class ever’ chants and the demands that freshmen ‘touch the fire.’  It’s the physical aggressivity, and the threats. It’s okay to have fun.  It’s not okay to be mean.”  Womick cited the positive precedent of DOC First Year Trips, which she believes are very successful at achieving a balance between tricking the ’14s with pranks and genuinely welcoming them with the extensive efforts of the Croos and Trip Leaders.

“We’ve gotten an unbelievably positive reception from upperclassmen since we blitzed out,” Womick said, “and with the help of such a diverse cross-section of campus, we’re really hoping to change the overall culture of Bonfire for years to come.”  While it would seem that obstreperous upperclassmen and excessively fratty bros will remain a Homecoming constant for years to come, it seems that the initiative of Womick, Dahlhausen, and Mahmud may have tapped into a simmering reformist spirit at the College. Nonetheless, the chant this year will still reverberate around the Green, as it has for generations: the Class of 2014 most undoubtedly is, and will remain, the Worst Class Ever.