How did you get mixed up in roller derby?
It was a thing of the early ’70s with hair pulling and elbows and cat fights. Modern roller derby had its resurgence in the early 2000s, when some women in Texas said, “Hey, we could turn this into a real sport.” And it is a real sport. It’s got an extensive rule book.
Growing up on Long Island, I was a dancer and never played a team sport in my life. But this appealed to me for its punk rock, kind of different approach. I went to the very first practice of the Upper Valley Roller Derby League in November 2010. That’s where it started and that’s where it continues 15 years later.
When you finish a game, you’ve smashed into somebody a hundred times. Are you OK physically?
It’s similar to rugby, but we have more protective gear. There are definitely bruises. When I first started playing in the summers, I’d have bruises on my arms. I’d be out with my husband, and people would give him side eyes. I’m like, no, no, that’s not him.
How did you get your nickname, “Ivory Tower”?
There is a registry of roller derby names, and you can’t have a name that somebody else already picked. The initial name I wanted was “Courtney Shove,” like Courtney Love, but that was already taken. We had a coach who just threw Ivory Tower out, just sort of teasing. I’m tall, I’m pale, and I work at Dartmouth.
How do people react when they learn you’re captain of a roller derby team?
Definitely surprised. It’s come up over and over again in my 15 years at Dartmouth.
Does roller derby enhance your work at Dartmouth?
I don’t think that I would still be in the Upper Valley if I hadn’t started playing roller derby. It was a big anchor for me in building community outside of the workplace. I’ve had jobs at Dartmouth that sometimes put me in uncomfortable positions of knowing too much about people. I’ve been able to have friends who are not work friends who have supported me through all the different seasons of my life here.
