The Brown Daily Herald M onday, D ecember 1, 2008
Volume CXLIII, No. 120
List Art basement catches fire
‘Sexiest’ alum returns to Brown theater Still on ‘People’ list, Krasinski ’02 dishes advice to full Stuart
By Colin Chazen and Gaurie Tilak Senior Staf f Writers
By Kyla Wilkes Staf f Writer
A blaze erupted in the basement of the List Art Center Tuesday night, after many students had already returned home for Thanksgiving break. The fire started after a dust collector clogged with sawdust ignited in the woodworking workshop. Battalion Chief Thomas Brearley told the Providence Journal that the blaze started shortly after 10 p.m. Firefighters were able to bring the fire under control within about 45 minutes, Brearley told the Journal. The David Winton Bell Gallery on the main floor of List sustained minor smoke damage, Brearley said. He described the fire as a “flash-over,” which typically describes a situation when all combustible material in an enclosed space simultaneously catches fire. However, as of Sunday, there were no obvious signs of fire damage to any woodworking equipment or to anyone’s work. The building was opened as usual on Wednesday following the incident.
Many items go missing in OMAC The following summary includes all major incidents repor ted to the Depar tment of Public Safety between Nov. 14 and Nov. 20. It does not include general service and alarm calls. The Providence Police Depar tment also responds to incidents occurring of f campus.
CRIME LOG DPS does not divulge information on open cases that are currently under investigation by the depar tment, the PPD or the Of fice of Student Life. DPS maintains a daily log of all shift activity and general service calls which can be viewed during business hours at its headquar ters, located at 75 Charlesfield St. Friday, Nov. 14 1:28 a.m. An officer obser ved three males on the front steps of Alumnae Hall. One of the males appeared to be urinating. As the officer approached the subjects, he witnessed the male who appeared to be urinating punch a window on the door. The males laughed at this action and began to walk away from the building, at which point they were stopped. The subject continued on page 5
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ARTS & CULTURE
Kyla Wilkes/ Herald
John Krasinski ‘02 , who plays the character “Jim” on the NBC comedy, “The Office,” with one of the many students who asked for a photo after he spoke Tuesday.
While many of their classmates had already cleared campus, over a hundred students gathered in Stuart Theater on Tuesday to hear the words of wisdom of John Krasinski ’02, star of the hit NBC comedy “The Office.” “Be confident,” Krasinski told the students, acknowledging that his words sound cliche. “But it’s so freaking true, it’s ridiculous.” Many of the students, most of whom study theater, postponed their holiday travels in order to hear Krasinski share his insight into the world of professional acting, said Professor of Theatre, Speech and Dance John Emigh, who helped coordinate the event and once taught Krasinski. His visit was in conjunction with TSDA 1520: “Seminar in Theater Arts,” a pre-professional course for theater concentrators, Emigh said. The actor regaled students with stories about his time at Brown, discussed his work on “The Office” and answered questions about his rise to fame. “The Office” has been blessed with the “best writers on television” and great cast chemistr y,
Krasinski said. He also said the chemistry exists off screen. “We all sort of hang out and talk about ever ything. We all just have a blast,” Krasinski told The Herald. Krasinski told The Herald, however, that if he were stranded on a desert island and could have just one other “Office” actor with him, he would choose Jenna Fischer, who plays his love interest Pam Beasley. “The stor y would be terrible if I didn’t choose her,” he said. Krasinski also said that what he learned in his time at Brown was invaluable to his acting career now. “I had my brain expanded to a place that I don’t even remember,” Krasinski said. Though he initially thought about playing basketball at Brown, Krasinski quickly became immersed in Brown’s acting scene instead. “I went and saw (the basketball team) practice and I was like, ‘You’re good. I’m going to leave it to you,’ ” he said. When he decided the basketball court wouldn’t be his stage, Krasinski also saw another opportunity on campus. “Walking back from (the gym) I pulled down a tab from Out of Bounds.” Krasinski said he’ll never forget his audition for the campus sketch comedy team. “There was some girl in my audition ... who said, ‘You know continued on page 4
Rocking librarian once played by ear, not by book make a little noise, even if you’re a librarian,” Widmer said. Widmer, who had been in If books can’t be judged by their bands since the 1980s, said at the covers, librarian Ted Widmer time The Upper Crust began, it certainly can’t be judged by his seemed like anyone could start a title. Though the soft-spoken de- band and become famous. Widmer meanor of the John Carter Brown attended Moses Brown School Librar y’s director seems to fit in Providence before graduating the part, his enthusiastic nature from Har vard in 1984, and ultimakes it easy to believe that he mately earned a doctorate there once sported a powdered wig and in American Civilization. platform shoes as “Lord Widmer had been in Rockingham,” guitarist a few “imaginary bands” FEATURE and vocalist for 1990s in high school, he said. rock band — and 18th centur y “But we never actually had any aristocrat impersonators — The songs. Or gigs. Or practices.” Upper Crust. The Upper Crust began after “I love the two things separate- college when he and his bowlly: rock and roll and history,” Wid- ing league buddies wanted an mer said. A former speech writer excuse to hang out more often. for Bill Clinton with five historical Widmer said the members were books to his name, Widmer was a all involved in other bands, but founding member of The Upper “of course, my most embarrassing Crust, a hard rock band formed in band was the most famous.” 1995 whose members assume the With four guys and one outroles of outlandishly outfitted fops landish theme, the Upper Crust on stage. His short-lived on-stage was founded as an “insignificant escapades — he left the band in other band,” Widmer said. “No 1997 — brought him unexpected sane person would put on a powsuccess and fame, including an dered wig and an 18th-centur y appearance on “Late Night with outfit and expect to become popuConan O’Brien” and an opening lar.” slot for Aerosmith. But Widmer and many of his “It’s not the worst thing to Upper Crust cohor ts were forBy Hannah MoSer Staf f Writer
living in Lear’s world Visiting Literary Arts professor plans to direct an ongoing fouryear production of ‘King Lear’
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CAMPUS NEWS
BRownian motion Physicist Jay Tang uses Brownian motion to determine movement of bacteria in water
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OPINIONS
Min Wu / Herald File Phoo
Ted Widmer, the director of the John Carter Brown Library, was also a member of The Upper Crust, a 1990s rock band that impersonated 18th century aristocrats.
tunate. A lead singer in another band that Widmer belonged to, called Mente, was married to Kim Deal, bassist for the influential alternative rock band the Pixies. That connection helped Upper Crust get gigs, Widmer said. Under aliases that Widmer said the group members thought up in “about three seconds” before their first show, the band members took the stage in powdered wigs and 18th-centur y outfits fashioned by their girlfriends. Widmer chose the moniker “Lord Rockingham”
giving back, eventually Rachel Forman ‘09 feels that students should wait to find the right causes to support
195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island
12 SPORTS
after a historic British barony, one heir of whom died falling off his horse, Widmer said. Widmer played guitar, which he learned from his younger brother and improved with the help of Deal. Though he sang for the band, “I never learned to sing and still don’t know how to,” he said. “But if you turn your guitar amp up loud enough ...” Widmer eventually left the band in 1997. As a graduate stucontinued on page 4
tHANKSGIVING WINS Brown men’s basketball had wins over Army and Eastern Michigan over the break
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