The ongoing pandemic has forced DGALA’s annual on-campus June mini-reunion to be moved online. Happily, two of the mini’s most popular events will still take place (albeit virtually). Registration is required for each event.
First, on Thursday, June 18th, we will be hosting President Phil Hanlon ’77 for a conversation starting at 5 p.m ET, followed by a social hour for DGALA members.
On Saturday, June 20th, join us for a virtual exhibition discussion with the Hood Museum of Art! Morgan E. Freeman, Native American Art Fellow, and Jami Powell, Associate Curator of Native American Art, will guide DGALA through exhibitions that were installed in the galleries prior to closing and that will be on view when the museum eventually reopens. They will highlight a number of works in the collection by queer Indigenous artists and describe the museum’s ongoing work with Dartmouth faculty and students and the surrounding Upper Valley community.
Interview of Maya Khanna ’22 by Amanda Rosenblum ’07, May 2020
(excerpted in part in the June 2020 DGALA newsletter)
Maya Khanna ’22 on LSA in the Peruvian mountains
Maya Khanna, a Dartmouth ’22 from Rochester, Minnesota, is taking an off term to conduct a qualitative research project interviewing alumnae about their experiences with sororities, whether they were affiliated or unaffiliated. She is looking at the history of sororities at Dartmouth and their influence in shaping the Dartmouth community. I participated in a Zoom interview with Maya back in March. She was professional, gracious, and made me feel immediately comfortable. I decided to turn the tables around and interview her for this issue of the Green Light. Maya was up early, about to head to a local Farmer’s Market with her family, but happily chatted with me about her project and her thoughts on Greek Life at Dartmouth in general. You can read some of our conversation below.
What’s your life like at Dartmouth?
I’m a ’22, so I’m in my second year. I’m a history modified with women’s and gender studies major, and Spanish minor. I was on an LSA+ learning Spanish in Peru this past Fall. When I returned, I saw many of my friends had decided to rush houses. The Dartmouth Outing Club is one of my primary communities on campus, and I’m very involved in Cabin and Trail and the club Nordic ski team. I’m also part of SAPA (Sexual Assault Peer Alliance) and SPCSA (Student and Presidential Committee on Sexual Assault) and other projects related to gender-based violence prevention and response. I write for The Dartmouth.
How did your research project begin?
Academic research is not something I really thought about doing because I’d always associated academic research with the hard sciences. I took a class with Annelise Orleck my freshmen summer called “Women and American Radicalism on the Left and the Right.” Annelise Orleck is my thesis advisor and faculty mentor. She’s a wonderful human being and academic resource. What I found most striking about the course was the way we used individual stories to exemplify broader historical trends. That sparked my interest. I believe that storytelling is one of the best ways to examine history. In Orleck’s work, she couches individual experiences in the broader historical context in which they take place. This is a method of research I found really appealing. My first off term was coming up this Spring, and I thought it would be a good idea to enjoy Hanover and explore research I’m interested in. Annelise told me I’d need to come up with my own project, so I immediately started thinking about what to focus on. I’m interested in institutional accountability. Dartmouth’s history is fraught in so many ways. There’s a lot there in terms of looking at the institution’s history, and looking at individual narratives as well as the time and culture of when they were students more broadly. Dartmouth’s culture is really unique. We’ve all heard of the Dartmouth bubble. In many ways, it follows the ebb and flow of social trends more broadly in the United States. It’s impossible to go to Dartmouth and not feel how Greek life impacts students on campus. I thought others must have done research on this topic, but that’s not the case. There is very little academic research on Greek life, and even less in sororities more specifically.
What do you think about gender dynamics in sororities?
I do a lot of work with SAPA and SPCSA on campus on gender-based violence prevention and response. Underlying any work you do in gender-based violence is inherently a question of power. Who has power? Who has historically had power? This relates to how students relate to each other on campus, as Dartmouth is a historically patriarchal institution. Women have struggled to find a space outside of male structures of power. More broadly, I’m interested in how students relate to each other on campus. Gender is just one form of power difference, but you could also look at race and sexuality, etc. Of course, you have to consider intersectionality, as no one is just one identity. I’m just really interested in gender.
What do you hope comes out of your research?
These are stories that everyone knows but no one really talks about on campus. My interviews cover the more nuanced elements of sororities. The truth is, 70% of eligible students join. However, many don’t stop to think about the implications of joining sororities or why they want to join. I hope to encourage conversations that prod people to think more critically about their part in affiliated systems at Dartmouth. We are all complicit in the ways we interact with these systems. It’s important to open up a broader conversation about this. I would love to create a book project, a presentation, or a podcast to share with the wider campus in a more digestible way. I’m still figuring out the medium and trying to cross different disciplines and areas of focus. This is more than an academic project and has the potential to impact personal experiences.
What do you want to see in sororities in the future?
If I’ve learned anything from the project so far, it’s that sororities have a ton of potential. They can be really empowering institutions for women. At Dartmouth, where women have historically been discriminated against, it’s really important that women find ways to connect to one another and build each other up. However, that’s not always the way that it works out. I’ve heard a lot from alumnae about sororities not being empowering, not building women up, and catering to the fraternities. I want to make sure women think more critically about why they join sororities. I want to see sororities become more accepting for all women and non-binary people on campus.
There is a discussion going on right now about non-binary individuals and sorority rush at Dartmouth. National sororities are saying they can only accept female-identified students. What do you think about the admission policies?
Personally, I believe you can’t have a space where you are empowering women, and then not also accept everyone who identifies as a woman or wishes to be part of that community. I think it’s really important that if you are creating safe, inclusive spaces, and trying to be a voice for women and minorities and people who have been historically oppressed, you can’t have that and then not be accepting to others you don’t believe are the right fit. If people want to be affiliated, that should be their choice. Sororities should make individuals of all gender identities comfortable in their space. I disagree strongly with those who say non-binary people shouldn’t be included in sororities. Gender fluid people are already excluded from so many spaces on campus. Sororities need to be better than that.
All of us have certainly missed getting together with friends, family, and the Dartmouth community during the COVID-19 pandemic. And while many activities and ways of keeping in touch have virtually transitioned (via Zoom, FaceTime, etc.), we know that those who are most in need of connection are especially struggling right now.
While Dartmouth has officially cancelled this year’s Day of Service, DGALA’s annual service initiative is continuing through the contribution of handwritten notes from members to our elderly LGBTQIA+ friends at the GRIOT Circle.
We can all use some TLC right now – and a trusty handwritten note might make a big difference in someone’s life. Since 1996, GRIOT Circle has provided a welcoming space, culturally sensitive services, and member-centered programming that affirm the lives of LGBTQ elders of color. Much of this is made possible because of our generous supporters. You can learn more about them on their website.
DGALA members in other cities can suggest other virtual service opportunities/make partnerships with local nonprofits to support their communities and we can help them implement the opportunity.
Thanks to Amanda Rosenblum ’07 for finding this opportunity and being our liaison to GRIOT, as well as to our newest DGALA Board Member, Erik Ochsner ’93, for coordinating this mailing!
DGALA Family Event – Save the Date for Central Park Playdate!
May 9th @ 1pm
[Rain Date- Sunday, May 10th]
Calling all DGALA Parents and Future Parents! Join us for a casual Central Park Playdate – Playground TBD (please suggest any favorites that you have)!
Feel free to bring a simple snack to share, and DGALA will provide some beverages for both kids and adults.
The more the merrier- all are welcome!
Our kids will play and we’ll think about more ways that we can come together and ways to support each other as both parents and future parents.
Be on the look out for a brunch party before Maplewood’s Family Pride on June 6th and a group outing to the Montshire Science Museum in Norwich, VT during the DGALA All-Classes reunion (September 25th-27th).
DGALA (Dartmouth LGBTQIA+ Alumni) and DAPAAA (Dartmouth Asian Pacific American Alumni) are co-hosting this event to celebrate Lunar New Year in NYC! Dartmouth alumni from all affiliated groups will be gathering to eat dim sum. Please bring at least $20 in cash as this is the minimum per person. RSVP through this Facebook invite so we can properly reserve the seats. Looking forward to being all together!
This event is co-sponsored by:
BADA (Dartmouth Black Alumni), NAAAD (Dartmouth Native American Alumni), Women of Dartmouth NY, NJ, and Fairfield County
WHEN: Saturday, February 8, 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. WHERE: Nom Wah Nolita, 10 Kenmare St., New York, NY 10012 RSVP: On Facebook
Join DGALA for our Alumni Day of Service project with Citymeals on Wheels!
Volunteers will be delivering meals to our homebound elderly neighbors. Volunteers should wear weather appropriate clothes and comfortable shoes as deliveries are done on foot within walking distance of the meal center. Volunteers will be given a brief orientation, route sheet instructions and meals. Volunteers will deliver in pairs or small groups. Meals are delivered RAIN or SHINE.
Project Information:
Citymeals on Wheels
Stanley Isaacs Senior Center
415 East 93rd Street (bldg offset from the street, entrance thru glass sliding doors)
New York, NY 10128
Owning It: The Story of SpeakOut and Historical Accountability
The Friends of the Dartmouth College Library cordially invite you to an event focused on two distinct but related projects undertaken by the Library. The first half of the event, from 2:30-3:30 PM, will feature SpeakOut, an oral history project that documents the history of Dartmouth’s LGBTQIA+ community. The second half, from 3:45-4:45 PM, will feature the Historical Accountability Program, which seeks to shine light on issues of diversity and inclusion from Dartmouth’s past.
The event will be held in the East Reading Room of Baker Library from 2:30-4:45 on Thursday, October 10th, and is free and open to the public. A reception will follow.
Join us on Sunday the 29th for our first (of many!) upcoming DGALA events for Dartmouth LGBTQ+ alumni. Hosted at the lovely home of Rob Saltzman ’76 right in the heart of WeHo. Free drinks, food and fun times await!
WHEN: Sunday, September 29, 2-5 p.m. WHERE: A Home In West Hollywood RSVP: On Facebook, or via email (please put “DGALA” in the subject line, and include the number of guests you’re bringing)
WHEN: Thursday, August 15, 2019 7 PM – Midnight WHERE: QGirls at Elmo’s, 156 7th Ave, between 19th & 20th St, NYC. Dance is downstairs COST: $10 donation advance, $20 at the door. https://dance-project-lpac.eventbrite.com
A limited # of $10 entries are available, so get yours early. $10 sales close Wed 8/14 at 5 PM sharp (or earlier if sold out)
Cash bar, cash or credit food from restaurant. RSVP: Buy $10 advance entries (by 8/14 5 PM) or optional RSVP for $20+ donation walk-in door entries https://dance-project-lpac.eventbrite.com
Join us Thursday night for a fun LBT women’s dance party and mixer to benefit Project LPAC (a women’s charity).
Catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Featuring DJ Deb Killmon.
Why Project LPAC?
Project LPAC is a charitable organization that seeks to understand and increase LGBTQ women’s political participation. It was launched in early-2019 and is conducting first-of-its kind, much-needed research into the issues that drive LGBTQ women to vote, volunteer, and donate. So it is about empowering women.
Project LPAC is a fiscally sponsored project of the Social Good Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization.
Contributions may be tax deductible. Event FMV is $10.
Proudly organized by Yale GALA, Inc, QGirls and Project LPAC.
Proudly co-hosted by PennGala, Columbia Pride, DGALA (Dartmouth), Brown TBGALA, NYU LGBT Alumni Network and The Manhattan Lesbian Party List. Proudly announced by Stanford Pride, HGSC (Harvard) and CUGALA (Cornell). (List in formation)
Join DGALA & your local co-hosts, Nicole Clausing ’92, John Brett ’00, Taylor Holt ’09, Shawn Hawk ’13, & Hugh Mac Neill ’20, for a special Pride Happy Hour at Mission Bowling Club in SF’s Mission District on Pride Tuesday, June 25th. Invite your queer Dartmouth friends! In addition to providing appetizers, we’ll have two lanes rented from 5-7pm for 5 frame games. Come out & join the fun & festivities across the many queer classes that have made Dartmouth more fabulous.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 25, 2019, 5-7pm WHERE: Mission Bowling Club, 3176 17th St, San Francisco, California 94110 RSVP:RSVP on Facebook
We want you to SpeakOut! Join this oral history project documenting the history of the LGBTQIA+ Community at Dartmouth College. Volunteer to share your story at dartgo.org/speakout.
In celebration of Pride Month, Tufts Pride on the Hill in coordination with Boston University invites LGBTQA alums together for Boston School Pride Alumni Happy Hour. Wear your favorite school swag and meet fellow LGBTQA alums from the different colleges and universities. Appetizers will be provided, and a cash bar will be available. If the weather is nice, we will be out on the patio celebrating Boston Pride Together!
In the spirit of supporting our Boston LGBTQA community during Pride Month, we invite Tufts alums to donate to AIDS Walk & Run Boston, which directly supports the work of AIDS Action Committee (headed by Tufts Alum, Carl Sciortino!)
WHEN: Wednesday, June 5, 2019, 5:30pm – 7:30pm WHERE: Cathedral Station, 1222 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02118 (note parking available in the back) RSVP:Please register by clicking here!
Princeton BTGALA Presents… An LGBT Pool Party in Manhattan! Co-hosted by Columbia Pride, Stanford Pride, GALA Notre Dame/SMC, Harvard GSC
WHEN: Wednesday, August 7, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM WHERE: Grace Room-Mate Hotel, 125 W 45th St, New York, NY 10036 COST: No cover, $4 clothes check, towels available for $5
$10 well drinks for our event!
Bring a bathing suit RSVP:http://btgala.tigernet.princeton.edu/EventRSVP
Please fill out our RSVP Form to help the hotel plan for staffing
Join us as we return to the beautiful Grace Room-Mate Hotel for a pool party in midtown Manhattan! We have had excellent events here in years past and are delighted to be returning for cocktails by the pool! All are welcome, but we anticipate that this will be primarily a men’s event.
Clothes check is $4. I recommend bringing a towel and checking it with your clothing so it’s dry when you need it to be, though the hotel is providing towel service for $5. We’ll have cocktails at the bar as well as access to their heated pool and spa facilities. Cash is recommended – the clothes check is cash only and there is a $30 minimum on credit card purchases at the bar. A ziplock bag is recommended to carry your cash, so you can feel free to get wet!
Thanks to Shawn Cowls for organizing and to our co-hosts
Dan Welden, NYU
Jim Farah, Stanford Pride
Michael Sin, Columbia Pride
John Flanagan, GALA Notre Dame/SMC
Michael Sonberg, Harvard GSC
Princeton BTGALA, Columbia Pride and Dartmouth BTGALA with The Gay Latino Collective and Social_Qs Present… An LGBTQ Party at Club Evolution Jackson Heights, NY
WHEN: Saturday, July 13, 6PM to 10PM WHERE: Club Evolution, 76-19 Roosevelt Ave, Jackson Heights, NY 11372 COST: No Cover RSVP: Requested – please fill out our RSVP Form at http://btgala.tigernet.princeton.edu/EventRSVP
Our April event was a big hit so we’re going back to Jackson Heights! We’ll network, mix and mingle! Thanks to Daniel Puerto for organizing. All are welcome and we particularly welcome our Latinx, Asian and black community to this very special event.
Cohosted by:
Daniel Puerto, LGBT Latin Activist
Sammy DA, Northeastern and the Gay Latino Collective
Shawn Cowls, Princeton BTGALA
Michael Sin, Columbia Pride
Justin Worthy, NYU
Princeton BTGALA and the Diverse Bodies Project Present… Beyond Skin Deep: Queer Representation in the Diverse Bodies Project New York, NY Co-hosted by Columbia Pride and Stanford Pride
WHEN: Wednesday, June 12, 6:30 to 9PM WHERE: 345 W 54th St, New York NY 10019 COST: $25 in advance, $30 at the door, includes wine reception and a panel of models who participated in The Diverse Bodies Project RSVP: Space is somewhat limited, so we encourage pre-paying at our EventBrite link
If you plan to attend but aren’t paying in advance, please register at http://btgala.tigernet.princeton.edu/EventRSVP to help us with catering this special event
Join us for a cocktail party and a close encounter with the Diverse Bodies Project!
The Diverse Bodies Project is a photo-interview series celebrating diverse bodies! It seeks to broaden our view of what is beautiful and delve into the ways we see ourselves and others. The team intentionally brings together queer, straight, young, old, different races, body types, nationalities, and more to create an inclusive project focused on highlighting that diversity includes us ALL. Each individual interview delves into the relationship and unique experiences that the participants have with their bodies to create a project highlighting both the physical and the internal.
We’ll hear from a panel of participants from the Diverse Bodies Project speaking to queer and trans representation in the book. Attendees will have the opportunity to see previews of this beautiful work and there will be mini-book versions available.
The panel will run from 7 to 7:45 and we’ll have wine and light nibbles before and after.
Thanks to our hosts, Princeton’s Martin Kaminer, Princeton BTGALA’s Shawn Cowls and Diverse Bodies’ Yael Rosenstock!
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