Friday, October 13, 2023

A Digital Blast from the Past

Screenshot of Sense of Place in HyperCard emulatorOne night in the 1980s (or perhaps it was the 1970s?) a young computer programmer named Bill Atkinson sat on a park bench near his California home and took a tab of LSD. As he started to trip, he looked up at the stars, those eternal wells of thermonuclear energy blanketing the night sky. Then he looked down and saw the lamp posts lining the street before him. He noticed how the streetlights echoed the stars above, casting little pools of light in a sea of darkness. Two systems speaking the same language, but so separated by time and space that they could not communicate. It made Atkinson think about human knowledge; the ways that physicists know some things about the universe, and biologists some things, and poets and artists and musicians some other things, each contributing their own little pool of light, but not able to connect and see the whole picture. Knowledge, Atkinson realized, lay in the connections between points of information. One might even call them… hyperlinks… in a world wide web. 

This fateful acid trip ultimately led Bill Atkinson to develop HyperCard, an Apple-based software released in 1987 that would go on to be influential in the development of many computer applications that we take for granted today, from PowerPoint to the World Wide Web. HyperCard stacks were highly customizable, with dynamic and interactive components very similar to HTML components in the websites we used today. Since the Web had yet to be invented, HyperCard stacks were accessed not by visiting a web address, but by downloading files from computer servers or via email. HyperCard’s greatest asset was its graphical user interface that was easy and intuitive to use. Everyone from schoolchildren to artists and educators could create a HyperCard stack to share information. 

One group of people who seized the opportunity were the folks of the Environmental Studies Department (known as ESD) here at Dartmouth. They released the first edition of their digital magazine, Sense of Place, on September 27, 1990 by sending HyperCard stacks via BlitzMail, Dartmouth’s homegrown email system. (Hard copies were available for off-campus readers for a fee of $5 a term.) SOP was the successor to the digital newsletter ESD News (ca. 1989-1990) which was distributed in the form of Microsoft Word files sent through BlitzMail. While the Word files included graphics and text, they lacked the dynamism and interactivity of HyperCards. 

As publisher Lynne Rainville ‘93 explained in the first HyperCard issue of SOP, this change in format represented a new direction for the publication: “The Magazine has outgrown its original function as a newsletter for ESD, taking on the more ambitious goal of informing and meeting the needs of the Dartmouth Community.” Editor Anne Gore ‘91 noted in her column that establishing SOP as an independent publication had allowed it to make the switch to HyperCard and nearly double its readership “in a matter of a few weeks” and to “gain support and encouragement from environmental groups all over the Upper Valley.” 

Read the first issue of Sense of Place in the embedded emulation below. To access the other issues in Dartmouth College, Sense of Place and ESD electronic newsletter records (DO-59), please visit our public Preservica website. To read, simply download the files to your computer and then upload them to the open source HC Simulator at https://hcsimulator.com.







27 September 1990

Race to Save the Planet: Conception,
Production, and the Dartmouth Connection

Race to Save the Planet: Topics to be Addressed

Centerpiece: A Sense of Place at Dartmouth

DEN's Second Environmental Symposium

Spirituality and the Environment:
Enlightening Words in Middlebury, VT
Ji Yeon Choi
Deb Koh

Greg York

Jon Kohl

Anne Gore


Ji Yeon Choi






Table of Contents

Dear Readers,

Welcome to the first issue of SENSE OF PLACE. Although the purpose and structure of the magazine remain more or less the same, many changes have taken place — the most obvious being, of course, our name and the new Hypercard format. These changes finally became feasible and appropriate after a summer of deliberations that led to the seperation of ESD NEWS from ESD and the DOC. As an independent magazine, sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program, SENSE OF PLACE has been able to realize objectives (like switching to Hypercard) and has gained an extensive and enthusiastic new audience. Besides increasing our readership from 320 to just over 600 in a matter of a few weeks, SENSE OF PLACE continues to gain support and encouragement from environmental groups all over the Upper Valley.

This issue and the next are designed to introduce you, the reader, to this publication and the many other environmental resources and opportunities at Dartmouth College and the Upper Valley. Today's issue addresses the upcoming RACE TO SAVE THE PLANET television series. Keep your eyes peeled for information about possible public viewings in Collis or the Environmental Studies Library. Also in this issue, Jon Kohl gives his interpretation of the many implications of our name, "Sense of Place," and its relevance to Dartmouth –
a College with a unique commitment to conservation and environmental action and awareness. Future issues will focus on more specific aspects of our environmental community, but we will continue to keep you informed of local and world events.

I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who helped make this issue possible. Thanks to the subscribers, and general supporters; to those who helped provide office space, funding, computers, and technological expertise; and thanks especially to the dedicated writers and staff members. Everyone, enjoy! aeg


— Anne E. Gore '91
Message from the Editor

1 of 1
Sense of Place encourages letters from its readership to appear in “Words From the Wilderness.”
This issue marks our one year Anniversary ! Over the last year “Sense of Place,” formerly “ESD News,” has increased its public profile by articles in The Vox, The Dartmouth, Chubbers (DOC alumni publication), and Interface (newsletter of Kiewit), a News Service national press release, an interview on WFRD’s Environmental Insights, and inclusion in Alumni Fund’s 1990 brochure on student activities that has gone out to 21,000 alumni.

The Magazine has outgrown its original function as a newsletter for ESD, taking on the more ambitious goal of informing and meeting the needs of the Dartmouth Community. Our new growth is marked by a new sponsor, the Environmental Studies Program, the use of a Macintosh in Murdough, and a subscription list of over 550 Community members. Although we are no longer officially connected with the D.O.C., as a co-chair of ESD I will be strongly encouraging and supporting interaction between “Sense of Place” and the D.O.C. clubs.

Saving paper, spreading environmental news, and attending meetings in a moveable office are only the beginnings of the benefits to be had working for SENSE OF PLACE. If you’re interested in writing, drawing, or editing, please blitz SOP.

— Lynn Rainville


Words from the
Wilderness

1 of 4
Think Globally, ACT Locally !

If your environmental consciousness hasn’t persuaded you to attend weekly ESD meetings or take an Environmental Studies class, you can still make a difference in your everyday actions. The following list will be a regular feature of SENSE OF PLACE, promoting environmental education.





— Items excerpted from:
50 SIMPLE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO SAVE THE EARTH

Fact:
Americans produce enough styrofoam cups each year to circle the earth 436 times.

Action:
Buy a GO BIG GREEN-KEEP IT CLEAN reuseable plastic mug. Use it instead of paper or polystyrene cups and get a discount from DDA.





Fact:
967 kegs! If each student left a 100-watt bulb burning unnecessarily for only one hour a day, the yearly campus waste would be 14,000 gallons of oil — enough to fill 967 kegs.

Action:
So, turn off all lights in unoccupied rooms, including bathrooms, and use only those lights that you need!


Fact:
The junk mail Americans receive in one day could produce enough energy to heat 250,000 homes.

Action:
Write to Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association — 11 West 42nd ST, PO Box 3861, NY, NY 10163-3861, and request that your name be taken off nationwide mailing lists. You can also write to individual catalogs and ask to be removed from their lists, while keeping a subscription with your favorites.

ECO-
FACTS

28–30 September 1990

Saturday and Sunday will be spent at Moosilauke, enjoying nature, and attending forums discussing the "Protection of Environmentally Sensitive Areas." The admission fee is $20, and only a limited number of students will be allowed to attend. Please contact Ying Lam (x4149).

12–14 October 1990

If you care about the 27,000 acres of wilderness that the College owns and administers, please attend this weekend of discussion. In the past, students have had minimal participation in deciding policy concerning the Grant; here is your chance to make a difference!




5-7 October 1990

Celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Native American Studies Program at Dartmouth College. Events include student and alumni panel discussions, Pow-Wow and Give-Away, Community Dinner, and a Memorial Service. For a schedule of events please contact the Native American Studies Program at 646-2110, 323 College Hall.



12 October 1990

The Class of 1943 is sponsoring an environmental symposium at 3 pm in 105 Dartmouth Hall. Professor James Hornig, Chair of Environmental Studies, will give the keynote address, then four Dartmouth students will discuss environmentally focused leave terms and experiences they have had.


Upcoming
Events
1
Sunday, 16 September 1990, The New York Times , page A30
California residents are currently considering a bold new environmental initiative aimed at improving air and water quality. Known as the "Big Green," the new plan would call for stricter emissions standards, the phasing out of CFCs and various carcinogenic pesticides and herbicides, the limiting of clear cutting of timber as well as off-shore drilling, and new funding for applied research. Recently, debates over the cost and effectiveness of the plan have escalated as the public prepares to vote on the issue on November 6.


Sunday, 23 September 1990, The New York Times, page A30

The Yosemite Restoration Trust is a new company formed by wealthy environmentalists with the purpose of forcing out much of the commercialization and overpopulation which has threatened the integrity of Yosemite National Park in recent years. Many argue that the area has turned into a theme park rather than remaining the national treasure it was originally meant to be.

Tuesday, 18 September 1990, The New York Times, page A16

Exxon's summer cleanup crews have finished for the year after what some have called a remarkably successful season of removing oil from Prince William Sound. While much oil has been removed, the general condition of the area is debatable, as are the cleanup techniques which Exxon might use when it returns next year.

Tuesday, 18 September 1990, The New York Times, page C1

Recent studies at a laboratory in Phoenix, Arizona suggest that if rising levels of carbon dioxide do not induce global warming, they may in fact inflict significant alterations on the agricultural environment. The research suggests that the predicted doubling of carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere by the turn of the century could result in a massive growth explosion of larger and hardier plants which could disturb the balance of the agricultural ecosphere.

Tuesday 22 May, The New York Times, page A14.


The world ivory ban has begun forcing most Asian carving factories to shut down almost completely.



Wednesday, 19 September 1990, The New York Times, page B1

The Senate has approved a bill which would allow states to ban imports of garbage. If such a bill were passed, the two hardest-hit states would be New Jersey and New York, each of which currently exports large proportions of its garbage to neighboring states.

Another New Field


Guess what, a new field
— Compiled by Mark McNellis '93

9/16 to 9/23
Environmental
News Issues
1

Lynn Rainville '93
Anne Gore '91
Stephanie Rupp '93
Mark McNellis '93
Nathalie Pierre '92
Gregory R. Sengle '92
Gregory R. Sengle (still a '92)
Ji Yeon Choi '92, Deb Koh '92, Greg York '92
Publisher
Editor
Executive Editor
World News Editor
Circulation Manager
Hypercard Designer
Computer Graphics
Contributors
Editor of DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE
Assistant Director of B & G, Director of Dartmouth Recycles
Professor of Chemistry, Chair of ENVS Program
Most Recent Former Publisher
Adjunct Professor of Environmental Studies
Interim Vice-President, Dartmouth Environmental Network

Jay Heinrichs
William Hochstin
James Hornig
Jon Kohl '92
Donella Meadows
Sam Smith '49


SENSE OF PLACE is published every other Thursday by the Environmental Studies Program and distributed free over the BlitzMail™ electronic mail system of Dartmouth College. Hard copy subscription is available for those off-campus or unable to use BlitzMail™ (for a $5 per term fee). All correspondence should go to sense.of.place@mac.dartmouth.edu or sent to SENSE OF PLACE, HB 6182, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755; or call (603) 646-2838. Unsolicited submissions welcomed.

SENSE OF PLACE aims to educate and enhance the communication of environmental issues and events at the College and abroad. No artwork or article may be reproduced or used without permission of the editor. Opinions herein are not necessarily those of the Environmental Studies Program or Dartmouth College. Back issues and writer’s guidelines available upon request, and on the Public File Server. SENSE OF PLACE staff meets weekly on Tuesdays at 9:00 pm at various Dartmouth College locations, all are welcome.

— Press me to make me go away.—
SENSE OF PLACE STAFF



Ji Yeon and Deb are both Juniors. Ji Yeon is a Visual Studies Major and a free-lance writer. Deb is also a free-lance writer, and a Physics Major.





—Press me to make me go away.—
Article
Conception, Production, and the Dartmouth Connection
– J. Choi, D. Koh
Donella Meadows claims that RACE TO SAVE THE PLANET, title for the 10-part PBS series on environmentalism, which begins showing this month on campus and next month on international television, is a poor choice for a title. She criticized the producers for pulling an improper publicity stunt. According to Meadows, a faculty member of the Environmental Studies Program at Dartmouth, the title is inappropriate because it, "makes us sound bigger than the planet. We can't save a planet." It's an example of unfounded human arrogance in her eyes.

Admittedly, the world as a whole lacks the commitment and knowledge even to begin an undertaking of such scale. The people, however, behind the creation of the TV series have taken a big step in the right direction toward spurring the world's environmental consciousness. This program has global significance. Not only will it reach public television viewers throughout the US, the production will also be shown in India, Australia, and the Soviet Union. It is intended for public television viewers' interest and education, and even more importantly, the series is structured so that it can aid teachers in a telecourse. For example, this series will provide "Life-Long learners" in Lebanon with the much of the material needed to acquire a college credit.

Meadows recounted the story of the beginning of the telecourse's creation, when the idea was conceived. The strongest force behind RACE TO SAVE THE PLANET, according to Meadows, has been Linda Harrar. Linda has worked for the WGBH NOVA team and has produced several NOVA shows. Inspired by Lester Brown's STATE OF THE WORLD, which presents world environmental problems and their possible solutions, Harrar contacted Meadows. Harrar's interest lies not only in developing the mini-series, but also in using the series for a telecourse and student guide for community colleges, and specific universities (i.e. the University of New Hampshire's School for Life-Long Learning). With fellow faculty members Jim Hornig and Colin High, Meadows secured funding for the series from the Annenberg Foundation, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and Ocean Spray Cranberries, making the educational program a reality. Annenberg was the first to commit, contributing $2.2 million toward the project. Linda pursued fundraising for four years, raising the rest of the $7 million necessary for completion. Ocean Spray was the only company to support the project. The rest of the funding came from what Donella Meadows calls the "triple-star environmental foundations."

It took three years, "to make the production happen," says Donella. The growth of Linda's idea continued with the appointment of John Angier as the executive producer. The producers for each show were independent and many had no previous experience with environmental subjects. Meadows, Hornig, High, and Brown became educational and scientific consultants for the show, primarily advising the producers on which issues to present in the series. They had to distill the many environmental factors being addressed, narrowing them down to the main organizing ideas. Next they had to search out interesting visuals to support the facts. Special experts were recruited and the first rough scripts for each of the 10 shows, called "treatments," were presented to the Dartmouth crew and Lester Brown to analyze and critique. Then after dissappearing for three to four months to shoot, the producers had to reduce reels of tape down to a roughly-edited hour-long show. The consultants helped review the rough cuts of the film, and later gave their reactions, keeping in mind that the series should be people and story-oriented. The series is arranged in a structure similar to that of Dartmouth's Environmental Studies 2, taught this term by Hornig.

Of the consultants, Meadows had perhaps the most influence on the script. With her dedication to the program grew her interest in writing a textbook which she agreed to write to accompany the series as a telecourse. Each script passed through Meadows's office where she worked hard to write a chapter coinciding with each show. The text and program are interwoven to the extent that the producers were prevented from altering the script and format in any way that would force her to alter the already-written parts of her book.

Meadows says she hopes that soon many colleges and other teaching institutions will keep a collection of the tapes for teaching purposes and student interest. Meadows's book is currently being published. The first of the nine-part series will air on October 4.


"What is common to the greatest number gets the least amount of care. Men pay most attention to what is their own: they care less for what is common."

Aristotle
POLITICS, Book II, Chapter 3

Quotes
"The preservation for use and enjoyment of natural resources is everybody's concern, everybody's responsibility... But few responsible persons care to give pat answers to large questions of this kind."

Henry Jarrett
Editor, Resources for the Future

Quotes
Race to Save the Planet: Topics to be Addressed
– Greg York
The 10-part series RACE TO SAVE THE PLANET will focus on both the plethora of environmental problems which plague the world and the increasing number of proposed solutions for these problems. Made by the producers of NOVA and hosted by Meryl Streep, the programs will take viewers around the globe to witness the ravages of humankind on land, water, and air, forcefully demonstrating the urgency of environmental issues while also suggesting pathways to improvement.

The initial five programs will deal with specific environmental problems.
"Environmental Revolution" details the history of human interactions with earth, concentrating on the agricultural and industrial revolutions and describing the new environmental revolution. "Only One Atmosphere" details the greenhouse effect and the alarming reduction of the ozone layer. "Do You Really Want to Live this Way?" explores the connection between affluent societies and their pollution. "In the Name of Progress" investigates the contributions of developing nations to environmental problems, specifically focusing on the role the World Bank plays in tropical deforestation. And "Remnants of Eden" discusses the decline of wilderness and wildlife in the modern world, also addressing the problem of protecting endangered species.

The final five programs will deal with specific solutions to the problems mentioned. "More for Less" details methods of reducing energy use and developing alternate energy sources. "Save the Earth, Feed the World" explores environmentally sound means of agriculture. "Waste Not, Want Not" discusses solid waste and toxic waste disposal. "It Needs Political Decisions" describes strategies for sustained economic development at a national level. And finally,
"Now or Never" introduces individuals who are contributing to the improvement of our world in ways great and small.

The series will be broadcast in one hour weekly installments on Thursday evenings at 9:00 pm on public televsion, Channel 11, beginning October 4 and ending December 6. Each program will be rebroadcast on Sundays at 2:00 pm. The series will also be broadcast in a blockfeed during the week of October 7. Two programs will be aired in succession each evening from Sunday to Thursday; check local television listings for the times.




Greg York is a junior and a STAFF WRITER for the magazine. He is a Biology Major and plans to study in the rainforests of Costa Rica next term.




—Press me to make me go away.—
Article



Centerpiece













A Sense of Place at Dartmouth

– Jon Kohl


Jon Kohl, a junior, founded ESD NEWS in September 1989 and was editor/publisher for the first 25 issues. Jon resigned his position last spring in order to intern with the DARTMOUTH ALUMNI MAGAZINE, but continues his enthusiastic commitment to the environment and SENSE OF PLACE.


—Press me to make me go away.—
Centerpiece
...As when I was a freshman, images still dance in my mind of the mighty skeleton of virgin wood and the heat of the fire keeping back the cold air of a New Hampshire morning. On their trips freshmen felt the cool rain bat down on their heads, inching its way through their dry packs; and the rushing of clear water from the mountains indicated some parts of nature have yet to be conquered. John Sloan Dickey ’29, president of Dartmouth College from 1945 to 1970, dissolved his thoughts in these same observations. While president of Dartmouth, Dickey never missed an opportunity to enjoy the out of doors and commune with nature. It was this sense of place, this place loyalty, that always drew him back. It was this "sense of place" that Dickey described again and again to freshmen at the Lodge as Dean of Freshmen Diana Beaudoin now does in his stead.

There is something about Dartmouth from the very outset that continues to draw alumni back: maybe the Lodge Crew singing about aardvarks and frogs, or the history of Dartmouth, or Mount Moosilauke. Whatever it is, Dickey I’m sure, realized its vulnerability. The sense of place that Dickey described was neither irrevocable nor permanent. From the perspective of recreation, the wilds of the North are the out of doors; from the perspective of potential destruction, they are the fragile environment.

At high-altitude, red spruce continues to die off from an uncertain poison, whether from the acid rain, or from the pollution-ridden air that greets us on those crisp mornings. What before were pure mountain springs running from the clouds down the side of Moosilauke, are now Giardia-tainted waters. It does not take an environmental zealot to realize the out of doors — the environment — can be damaged and destroyed, and with it Dartmouth’s sense of place. The spiritual conception of sense of place that echoes in our minds has its well of truth, as do all spiritual matters, deep in the physical world. As quiet trails erode away and tracts of forests disappear to the apetite of development, vital chunks of our sense of place are lost.

Despite the efforts of all our scholarly research, of Dartmouth Recycles, of the Environmental Studies Division of the DOC, the environment of Dartmouth is still assaulted from above, from the sides, and from within. Bad habits in otherwise nice people can always enter a campus, however innocuously at first. The harm of one person’s decision to throw away an aluminum can equals nothing. (The equivalent of six ounces of gasoline would have been saved if the can were recycled. If, however, one person’s friends were convinced it is cool to waste that can and many like it, our environment degrades. A can, perhaps, is a mild example of humankind's explosive propensity to damage the world in which we live, but Dartmouth, as anywhere, remains ever vulnerable to new threats.

Thus we have this magazine SENSE OF PLACE that aims to enhance and emphasize the environmental component of everything Dickey had in mind. True, even in Dickey's later years, he too expressed explicitly that the environment should be given more attention at Dartmouth. SENSE OF PLACE encourages education and activism, such that no student passes through Dartmouth and fails to realize the significance and fragility of the environment in which they walk.






DEN 1990
DEN's Second Environmental Symposium



Anne Gore is a senior who transferred from Bryn Mawr College to pursue environmental studies. She is a Government Major and plans to get a dog after graduation (and maybe a job). She is also the editor of SENSE OF PLACE.





—Press me to make me go away.—
– Anne Gore
Article
This weekend the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge won't feel the pounding of 100s of feet dancing the Salty Dog Rag on its worn wooden floors. The virgin spruce rafters won't hear the familiar words, "I will not eat them, Sam I am." But the Lodge will not stand empty awaiting the onset of another New England winter. Instead it will be the site for conferences, symposia, and alumni groups, including this weekend's major event, the 1990 DEN Environmental Issues Symposium.

The Dartmouth Environmental Network (DEN) is a group made up of alumni/ae, faculty, staff, students, and other Dartmouth Community members who are committed to environmental issues in some form or another. DEN was formed a year ago at the 1989 Environmental Issues Symposium, one of several events held in celebration of the Ravine Lodge's 50th Anniversary. DEN acts as a channel of support for academic programs, and provides a "ready source of talented people that can be consulted" for environmental or conservation information. The group was officially recognized by the College on Earth Day 1990.

Just as last year's symposium brought the group together for the first time, this year should help strengthen old and facilitate new connections. Panel discussions, field trips, and presentations are scheduled, but there will no doubt be plenty of time for participant interaction between, if not during, organized discussions. Featured speakers include an attorney for the US EPA Region V, a reporter from THE BOSTON GLOBE, and several Dartmouth alums. Topics to be addressed will cover a range of issues within the context of the Symposium's title — Protecting Environmentally Sensitive Areas: "A Good Planet is Hard to Find."


See our next issue for a review of the Symposium and related events.






Quote
Drew Jones is an engineering major and a senior. He has done much for environmentalism at Dartmouth such as leading ESD, Trashcapade ’89, and Dartmouth Earth Day along with Beth Donovan ’91; Drew has published in numerous campus publications, served on ESD News’s Advisory Board, and is currently finishing up a thesis on the social, economic, and scientific challenges of ethanol use as an alternative fuel. ESD and ESD News will miss him dearly.
Spirituality and the Environment
– Ji Yeon Choi




Junior Ji Yeon Choi, a talented free-lance writer, is also a Visual Studies Major with a budding interest in environmental issues.




—Press me to make me go away—
Article
Original articles "Dalai Lama Sees Reason for Hope" and "Symposium Audience Hears Plea to Respect Natural Cycle" by Ed Barna, appeared in THE RUTLAND DAILY HERALD.


Two speakers expressed their environmental concerns on Thursday, September 13, at Middlebury College's four-day symposium on religion, ethics, and the environmental crisis. Audrey Shenandoah, an Onandaga Iroquois elder who is grieved by the increasing destruction of nature on her ancestors' land, gave the opening address. Her speech compared the attitudes of indigenous people in undeveloped lands to those of the people in the "industrial and technical world."
"In our world there is no such word as a wilderness. It was a free place and there was no reason to fear it." In addition to wilderness, she claimed the words "nature" and
"religion" are also missing from the Iroquois language. Wilderness and nature are objects of worship and should be respected. She added that all creatures compose the "cycle of creation" which is vulnerable to destruction if even one is malevolently affected.

The 1989 Nobel Peace Laureate, the Dalai Lama of Tibet, shared the basic principles of Shenandoah's religious view. Humans are children of the planet, he stated, and the planet is warning its children of their environmental carelessness by altering the environment.

In addition to religion, the Dalai Lama equated people's changing attitude toward politics to that of the environment: they have finally realized that nonviolent means of achieving political goals are far more effective, and less costly than war. As with politics, people are beginning to see the need to protect the environment for their self-interests. Like war, exploiting the environment offers no long-term benefits. Instead, it threatens to "leave wounds that would be hard to heal."


Hello, and welcome to the first edition of the SENSE OF PLACE Hypercard Stack!

For those of you unfamiliar with Hypercard, we provide this little tutorial. Basically, anything that looks like a button (like the squares with the arrows pointing to them above) is something that you can press on with the mouse to take you to another “page” (or card in Hypercard lingo) of information. After you are done reading that particular topic or article, press one of the buttons that is labeled on this screen to go somewhere else. The “next page” and “previous page” buttons will let you go through the program as if it were a book, and the “Contents” button will take you back to the table of contents. When you’re ready to quit, press the “Q” button above, and the “?” button will take you to this card. The scroll bar to the side will allow you to see more information than will fit on the screen at once.

Why have we changed the medium of our publication from Microsoft Word™ to Hypercard? For one, this format tends to discourage the printing of hard copies, which is part of our primary principle: to reduce waste and protect the environment. We ask that you refrain from attempting to create hard copies. Hard copies of the Text will be available for $5.00 per term. Send mail to either:
sense.of.place@mac.dartmouth.edu. or,
Sense Of Place, C/O Environmental Studies
324 Murdough, Hanover NH 03755

We have worked hard to make this stack as easy to use and intuitive as possible, but we're sure there are many who will have suggestions to make this production better. Should you have any questions, comments, suggestions, and even criticisms please feel free to BlitzMail them to sop@dartmouth.edu. (this is the same for all on-campus readers as blitzing to "sop" [SENSE OF PLACE]). Any input is appreciated. Think of all the trees we'll be saving!

Enjoy!

— Gregory R. Sengle and Matt Williams
Help!!!

Friday, September 29, 2023

Exhibit: Through the Eyes of a Cat

Poster of the exhibit"I am alive because of the heroism, intelligence, compassion and ingenuity of one person, Ada Blackjack. She is my hero—she feeds me when I am hungry, keeps me warm when I am cold, and gives me attention when I want it. My name is Victoria, but everyone calls me 'Vic'. I’m a tabby cat who went to Wrangel Island in 1921 with five explorers – only Ada and I returned."

Come to Rauner Special Collections Library to experience my story in the new exhibit "Through the Eyes of a Cat: the Wrangel Island Expedition" in the Class of 1965 Galleries from September 27 to November 10, 2023. The exhibit was curated by Sam Milnes, Collection Management Assistant, and Jay Satterfield, Special Collections Librarian. For more information on the exhibit, including a downloadable version of the poster and a complete handlist of the items on display, visit the exhibit website.

You can also learn a lot more about the Wrangel Island Expedition that came to its fateful conclusion 100 years ago by visiting the Library’s digital collection, "Collating Wrangel Island: Inhabiting the 'Uninhabitable'." You can also help us correct transcriptions of documents from the collection at From the Page.

Friday, September 22, 2023

An Obscene and Poisonous Publication

First page of Thomas Bartlett letter to President Smith
On March 28, 1866, Thomas Bartlett, a Christian clergyman from Maine, wrote to President Asa Dodge Smith of Dartmouth College requesting proof that his son Frank, a recently suspended sophomore at Dartmouth College, had been caught with an obscene book in his possession. Apparently the discovery of the text is what had motivated the trustees to eject his son from the school. However, as Bartlett argues, "[Frank] acknowledges that he drew from the College Library a book entitled Adams' On Poison, but states that he knew nothing of its contents at the time he took it to his room. He says that some of the pictures near the close of the book were hard. He firmly denies even possessing any book that could be properly styled an obscene publication."

Seventeen-year-old Frank had entered Dartmouth with his nineteen-year-old brother, Dwight, in 1864. By 1866 it seems that they had gotten into some trouble, at least some of which Frank was willing to own, per his father's letter: "That he has thrown snowballs at Charles and Rowell at their window, he freely acknowledges, but as firmly denies throwing the bottle." It's not clear what or whom the bottle hit, or if it contained anything, but apparently Frank was a habitual offender and that those incidents alone did not warrant the suspension. The faculty minutes of November 23, 1865, concerning Frank's suspension state that he had a record of "previous disorderly and unscholarly conduct" and indicated "his complicity in recent serious offenses." Unfortunately, those offenses are not listed in detail. 

I was curious about the "obscene" book that the letter mentioned in the letter, Observations on Morbid

Poisons Chronic and Acute, by Joseph Adams. I was able to get the 1807 edition from our library depository, which may be the very same copy that got Frank kicked out of school. I looked at the last four pages of the book which showed skin manifestation of diseases. Would they have been considered obscene? Could the subject matter of the book, dealing with infectious diseases like syphilis, be the cause? Or was the college administration simply looking for a pretense to rid themselves of this nuisance? Looking deeper into college records did not provide any satisfactory answers, so we may never know. 

By the time Thomas Bartlett writes his letter his older son, Dwight, is dying of consumption and has already left Dartmouth to return home. Ultimately, Dwight died in April 1866 with Frank by his side, something that would not have been possible but for the younger Bartlett's suspension from college. "It seems now that the request of Frank’s mother that he and Dwight might never be separated will be complied with," Thomas Bartlett writes in the letter. In a postscript he adds: "Frank performed his last act for Dwight last night. He wet his lips for the last time, rubbed his hands and saw him expire."

Frank never returned to Dartmouth, as his father wanted him to stay home. nearly thirty years later, in a passport application dated 1894, his profession is described as "Director of Foreign Tours". He left the US for London, England, that year and died there in 1899 at the age of 50.

To look at the letter from Thomas Barlett to President Asa Dodge Smith, come to Special Collections and ask for Mss 866228.2. To judge for yourself the prurient nature of John Adams' Observations on Morbid Poisons Chronic and Acute, request the book online from the Dartmouth Library Depository online; the call number is Depository 616.091 A214o.


Friday, September 15, 2023

Between Worlds: An Inspiring Alumnus

Envelope for letter from Pierce to Thayer
At the end of August, we hosted a class for the First Year Student Enrichment Program (FYSEP) for first-generation students in which the students worked through Rauner’s archives on alumni/ae. We had too many first-generation alumni records to include in the session, so as the new students arrive on campus, and classes begin for the fall term, we’d like to share a letter from Maris B. Pierce, a first-generation member of Dartmouth’s class of 1840, to his friend and classmate, Loren Thayer. In the letter, written from Buffalo N.Y. in 1838, Pierce writes that he is attending a council discussing the Treaty of Buffalo Creek and cannot return to Dartmouth until it concludes. See, Pierce wasn’t just a Dartmouth student; he was also the Chief of the Seneca Nation. And with the title of Chief came responsibilities. Pierce notes this split identity as he writes,

“I shall endeavor to return to Hanover as soon as I can leave the place [and] the Council. I am a chief, therefore it is difficult to leave them before it closes…No man regrets so much as I do, of my absence from the College. But I am placed over this people to see that the republic receive no detriment.”

Not only did Pierce fulfill his chiefly duties, but he also spoke out for his beliefs. In his letter to Thayer, Pierce references a speech he had delivered in 1838 at Buffalo, expressing his anti-land-removal stance. This address in particular made its way to the local newspaper, The Daily Buffalonian, and inspired many of his peers. One of his Dartmouth classmates, E.F. Slafter, wrote (“[on] behalf of the Junior class”) a note to Pierce stating his gratitude for Pierce’s inspiring words:
First page of the letter from Pierce to Thayer

“We would express our hearty thanks for your eloquent and highly valuable address delivered at Buffalo, N.Y. upon the condition etc. of your people Which we shall ever read it with the deepest interest both from its own intrinsic value and the sympathy we feel for your people it will even feel to bring to mind the pleasing associations of College life when we assemble in the same halls of learning and were bound together by a common bond of interest and pursuit.”

After graduating from Dartmouth College in 1840, Pierce pursued law and continued to fight for the Seneca Nation and its land rights. He used his Dartmouth education to become a mediator between the two cultures as he argued against Seneca land removal. In addition, Pierce became an interpreter for the Seneca Nation and the U.S. government, a role perhaps hinted at by his time at Dartmouth. As shown by his transcript for his freshman and sophomore years, Pierce was not only a high-achieving student (with a GPA higher than his classmates), but also had exceptional language skills, receiving an exquisite 4.0 in the language column:


While Pierce graduated in 1840, we can still learn from him today. Pierce’s experience mirrors the struggles of many students today, particularly first-generation students: many times, issues at home can compete with educational commitments—and sometimes a student’s home community needs to take precedence over the student’s individual betterment, as was the case with Pierce. Like students today, Pierce also had to balance responsibilities on both sides of his life. In addition, throughout his career, he brought his Dartmouth education and his inherent passion to the larger community and applied it to every aspect of his work life: his writings, his speeches, his tribal negotiations.

Moreover, Pierce shows us that Dartmouth students don’t need to wait for graduation to have an impact on a surrounding community: his inspiring speech against land removal was delivered in Buffalo while he was still a sophomore in college.  Pierce continued this tradition of advocacy long after he graduated, bringing what he had learned at Dartmouth to bear on every aspect of his adult life. His example is an inspiring one for Dartmouth students from all backgrounds and walks of life.

If you’re interested in reading Pierce’s letter to Loren Thayer or a facsimile of E.F. Slafter’s letter to Pierce, come to Special Collections and ask for Mss 838517 and Mss 838540.2 (a transcription is included for both). If you want to see Pierce’s grades as recorded in the College’s Merit Rolls, ask for DA-80, Box 3292 (look for 1837, Freshman Class, and 1838, Sophomore Class). For more about Pierce’s life after Dartmouth, ask for his Alumni File.

Friday, September 8, 2023

Dante and Doré

Dante and Virgil observe a group of tortured souls on the ground. Above them, a headless figure holds out its own decapitated head.Sometimes we just want to look at something beautiful. Sometimes a thing that is beautiful is also grotesque. This week we're looking at the art of Gustave Doré and his interpretations of some of the most disturbing imagery of medieval literature: Dante's Inferno.

Doré (1832-1883) was a prolific French artist who provided lavish illustrations for over 50 books during his lifetime, not to mention his work in other mediums. His engravings tended to adorn works of classic literature, and if you've seen Dante illustrated before, there's a good chance that it was Doré you were looking at. His style, finely detailed, dark, and dramatic, is a perfect fit for the Italian poet's vision of Hell.

Written in the early 14th century, The Divine Comedy (of which Inferno is only the first part) follows the author's pilgrimage to the underworld, making his way through each circle of Hell before he is able to move on to Purgatory and then to Heaven. Guided in this first stage of his journey by the poet Virgil, Dante sees and describes layer after layer of sinners in torment. Doré's depictions of each circle are appropriately disturbing and atmospheric. We could say more here, but we really just recommend taking a look for yourself.

Lucifer, shown as a winged, horned giant, is trapped up to his waist in a lake of ice.

To see Doré's version of Dante's Inferno, ask for IllusD73dan.

Friday, September 1, 2023

Picturing Truth

Frontispiece to Narrative of Sojourner Truth, 1850
Being bookish types, we are kind of obsessed with the physical manifestation of texts. What makes so many books so special is the interplay between the text and the book itself. Recently we were fortunate to acquire a first printing of the self-published Narrative of Sojourner Truth: A Northern Slave (Boston: The Author, 1850). It is slender work, just 144 pages, but loaded with power. Sojourner Truth had that amazing sense of righteousness, and enough experience on the stump and at religious gatherings, to really pour it on with force.

Title page to Narrative of Sojourner Truth, 1850
The book does its part to help, and since she was involved in the whole enterprise, you know she must have had a say in how it looked. The cover is pretty basic mid-19th century fare. A floral embossed decorative binding with a gold-stamped title. But then you open it up and there you are, face to face with Sojourner Truth and you are immediately struck with her charisma. She owns the narrative and you are going to listen to what she has to say. Opposite is the title page, asserting her identity as "A Northern Slave" but clearly no longer enslaved. As the narrative attests, she walked away from that and became a fighter for the enslaved and for women. But your eyes can't help but go back to the image. The head wrapped in a scarf, tilted just enough to know she is evaluating YOU, giving you a stare that dares you to just try to read her story and not become a convert. 

Come be confronted by Sojourner Truth yourself by asking for Rare E185.97 .T87 1850.