Author of three senior theses, Rhodes Scholar and steady boyfriend of five years, Adam Levine '08 is someone who knows what it takes to make a pipe dream come true.
Do you really like being a triple major and writing three theses?
I'm more a triple major because I wanted to write three theses than I am writing three theses because I'm a triple major. But these are topics I've been passionate about for a long time.
Tell me a bit about the anthropology thesis.
The anthropology thesis is called "The Present of the Past: An Ethnography of Classical Antiquities Collectors." It's about people who collect classical antiquities and an investigation of why they do it from their point of view, because the trade in artifacts is almost completely illegal and these people spend millions and millions of dollars on it every year. It's a big issue, the type of thing where all parties involved want to stop because they very much think of these artifacts as belonging to their ancestors, particularly in Egypt. It's also an issue because this market perpetuates itself when people keep looting their archaeological sites. Also, tourism is a huge industry, and looting prevents cities from potentially starting their own collections and opening museums.
So how'd you get a hold of these collectors to interview them about potentially illegal activities?
I was an intern at Sotheby's and the guy in charge of antiquities -- a Dartmouth grad -- has been in the field for three decades and used his contacts to set me up with these people.
What is your art history thesis about?
My art history is titled "One God, Two God, Old God, New God: The Formation of Christ's Canonical Image in the Age of Syncretism." When you think of Jesus, you think of a very particular image of him. It goes on to explore where that image comes from. I argue that it is derived from the Egyptian deity adopted by the Romans, Sarapis.
And the mathematics and social sciences thesis?
That's the one I'm done with, but I forget the title ["Mapping the Shape of Socio-Cultural Evolution: (Multi-)Linearity and Culture-Historicism Revisited"]. It's basically exploring why societies develop and evolve the way they do. I use an algorithm called smallest space analysis, which I wrote the program for, that can plot culture traits.
Which one is your favorite?
Well, art history is what I'm doing at Oxford next year. Art history is what I want to spend my life doing. And the anthropological perspective applied to art is what interests me. But nothing has been as influential on my perspective as a type of math called network analysis. So there are parts of each that I don't like and there are parts of each that I love.
Are you taking classes now?
Yeah, four. I have one to finish a major, French 3 for the language requirement and then two thesis courses. Two of those are independent study so you don't need to go to class. I have to pay the extra tuition because this is my fifth four-course term.
So do you work all the time?
If you budget your time right, you'd be amazed. I mean in terms of absolute time spent, yeah there's not that much you can do to get around it, but when I take a break I'll take out the garbage or fold my laundry or something else productive. I choose to do everything in big chunks instead of breaking it up. That's why I never do my work in the library. Because if you get up to take a break you get into a half hour conversation.
Yeah, but taking out your room garbage isn't a fun break!
It doesn't need to be fun. I like to have the fun all at once. How agonizing is it to be hanging out with your friends and then knowing you have to go do work in half an hour? I guess that's discipline. I mean, it's been hard. All my friends are always around me. So it's very easy to just go for a walk down the hall, but I just don't.
Do you have time to do activities on campus?
Yes. I'm treasurer of class, and I'm president of the boxing club. I also do a lot of work: I used to work at the Hood -- I was an intern from my freshman year to junior year. I'm a TA for Math and Social Science 15. I've been a research assistant in both the Anthro and M-SS departments.
What about Facebook? I looked you up so I knew who to look for in Novack and I couldn't find you...
I'm not on Facebook -- I have no good reason for it. And the only way I can describe it is that it's that thing that you always have on your to-do list that you keep forgetting to do.
Haha so do you think about it a lot?
No, not every day but I need to get one. I absolutely need to. The reason I don't or I didn't is that I'm like slow to react to these things. I just thought it would be a passing fad. And then it became a contrarian thing, that I'm not on Facebook. But now I need it to keep in touch with everyone in college.
Are you an efficiency machine?
I'm a minimalist. I don't know. I don't think about it. Maybe other people are just inefficient. I'm not special -- everyone has the same capacity. Most people probably have more capacity than I do. I just like it so it's easy. Because there are many, many things that I'm not good at, and I'm not doing them.
What do you plan on doing after Dartmouth at Oxford and beyond?
I'll be studying one year for my masters and then the two years after that for a Ph.D. in art history [at Oxford]. And then I'm probably going to do an MBA. That's the formula for being an museum administrator. Being director of the Met would be nice -- it's a pipe dream.
