Leading man embraces Dartmouth; Dartmouth swoons

Unlike most famous people visiting New Hampshire over the winter, this one seemed to mean it when he said he had “no interest in running for public office.” The occasion was the Dartmouth Film Society’s tribute to Robert Redford.

Before the gala in Spaulding Auditorium, Redford spent a few hours with film students. Even the most skeptical males, who had previously written off Redford, seemed won over by his interest in the concerns of young filmmakers. Redford is the founder of the Sundance Institute, a place where novice filmmakers train with the industry’s biggest names.

Some of Redford’s advice to the students probably won’t sit well with the folks at the Career and Employment Service office, however. One student asked whether one should work in the industry or go straight to graduate school.

 “Neither,” replied the actor. “One should be a bum for a year.”