Tuesday, October 5, 2010

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vol. cxlv, no. 84 | Tuesday, October 5, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891

Farmer calls for more investment in Haiti By Ana Alvarez Senior Staff Writer

In his lecture Monday night, renowned medical anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer stressed the importance of rebuilding infrastructure and human capital in the ongoing effort to restore Haiti after the devastating earthquake in Januar y. Farmer spoke to a Salomon 101 filled with students, faculty, Farmer’s colleagues and prominent Haitian figures like musician and recently appointed Visiting Fellow Wyclef Jean and author Edwidge Danticat MFA’93. In his opening, Farmer introduced Jean to the crowd and announced his appointment as a visiting fellow in the Department of Africana Studies. Lack of infrastructure is one

Wyclef Jean appointed as fellow

of Haiti’s biggest challenges in its recover y process and should be the top priority, Farmer said. He referenced the U.S. Navy’s hospital ship that was stationed at Port-AuPrince after the earthquake, saying that while the floating hospital helped to save lives, its presence brought into question a larger issue. “The problem is the best hospital in Haiti should not be floating in the water, it should be rooted on Haitian soil,” Farmer said. “It was a great thing to have, but we need it all the time and on terra firma.” Work on new medical infrastructure for Haiti is already underway, Farmer said. He presented plans for a new medical center that he, along with several universities, Partners in Health — which continued on page 3

By Mark Raymond Senior Staff Writer

to avert economic collapse, was also in town to deliver the keynote speech at the Rhode Island Public Expenditure Council’s annual dinner later Monday evening. Brown students applied to attend the event through the Economics Department Undergraduate Group, which sent out an application asking students to answer why they would like to at-

Former Fugees member, international recording artist and Haitian activist Wyclef Jean accepted an appointment yesterday to be a visiting fellow in the Department of Africana Studies. Jean, who has been an advocate for victims of this year’s earthquake in Haiti, will be joining the University this academic year to engage in Brown’s Haitian Initiative, according to a University press release. As a visiting fellow, Jean will be participating in events and discussions both on campus and remotely. “His presence allows us to really think through some of the issues related to Haiti and expand what we are already doing,” said Tricia Rose MA’87 PhD’93, professor of Africana studies and chair of the department. Rose added that the appointment expands the department’s effort to embrace ideas and hear from people with a broad range of experiences. “The visiting fellows program is designed to create more dynamic opportunities for dialogue and community building around issues,” Rose said. Jean rose to fame as a member of the hip-hop trio the Fugees and

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Courtesy of Mike Cohea

Paul Farmer, left, spoke on the same day Wyclef Jean, right, was named a visiting fellow in Africana Studies.

Vigil honors Bernanke fields queries on crisis, jobs youth suicide victims By Claire Peracchio Senior Staff Writer

By Kristina Fazzalaro Senior Staff Writer

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has,” were the words of Margaret Mead that University Chaplain Rev. Janet Cooper Nelson echoed at the LGBTQ Youth Vigil Monday afternoon. The vigil was held in remembrance of the six young men from across the countr y — ranging in age from 13 to 19 — who committed suicide over the last three weeks after being bullied for their sexual orientation. On a somber and rainy afternoon, students, professors, administrators and others gathered on the Main Green to honor the dead and raise awareness of the devastating realities facing members of the LGBTQ community. Kelly Garrett, coordinator of the LGBTQ Resource Center, who oversaw the vigil, thanked those gathered for coming. “The good news is that we can all do something to help the LGBTQ community and that is why we are here today,” Garrett said, reminding those gathered to take advantage of the many resources offered by

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News.......1–4 Metro..........5 Editorial......6 Opinion.......7 Today..........8

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Even though Federal Reser ve Chairman Ben Bernanke has spent more of his career as a professor than as the nation’s top central banker, he insisted he wouldn’t lecture the nearly 175 college students gathered Monday for a question and answer session at the Rhode Island Convention Center.

“I’m not going to lecture to you,” Bernanke said. “What I’m going to do is take your questions.” Bernanke addressed the students — who came from a number of colleges in Rhode Island — in a rotunda overlooking downtown Providence, the capital city of a state still reeling from the aftershocks of the financial crisis. Bernanke, who oversaw the Federal Reserve’s unprecedented steps

keep on tr u ckin ’

U. warns students abroad in Europe to be cautious By Fei Cai Senior Staff Writer

Evan Thomas / Herald

More food trucks are appearing on Providence’s streets, like the “Like No Udder” vegan soft-serve truck above. See metro, page 5.

In response to a U.S. Department of State aler t warning travelers to Europe of possible terrorist attacks, administrators have been in contact with students studying abroad, making them aware of the advisor y. Sunday’s State Depar tment alert told citizens to “take ever y precaution to be aware of their surroundings and to adopt appropriate safety measures to protect themselves when traveling.” The statement was given after officials from Europe and the U.S. came to believe al-Qaida was involved in potential plots aimed at Britain, France and Germany, the New York Times reported. Offi-

cials believe these plots originated in Pakistan and North Africa. The British government raised the threat of terrorism from “general” to “high” for Britons in France and Germany, the Times reported. Though the U.S. has not discouraged travel to Europe, this alert affects many University students currently studying abroad in these countries. “University officials are taking appropriate steps to ensure that Brown students studying abroad are made aware” of the alert, wrote Vice President of Public Affairs and University Relations Marisa Quinn in an e-mail to The Herald. The Of fice of International Programs contacted on-site staff continued on page 2

First reading

Keep it small

Open minds

They’re making a comeback, but not at Brown

Novelist discusses this year’s summer reading

Andrew Leber ’12 warns of the costs of a business school

Mike Johnson ’11 argues that religious tolerance is a lost art

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News, 4

letter, 6

Opinions, 7

Bed bugs bite

195 Angell Street, Providence, Rhode Island

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U. monitors situation in Europe continued from page 1

in Europe after the alert Sunday to remind students to be “vigilant above and beyond the general precautions,” Director of International Programs Kendall Brostuen wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. There are currently 30 Brown students studying abroad in France, 26 in the United Kingdom and two in Germany, wrote Edward Quigley, associate director of international programs, in an e-mail to The Herald. Brown is also in the process of reaching students in non-Brown programs to advise them to follow instructions given by their sponsor programs, Brostuen wrote. Before going abroad, students were made aware about safety overseas. In a letter to students studying abroad issued in July, Brostuen assured students that they will have 24-hour contact phone numbers for both Brown staff and resident staff of Brown programs. Those studying abroad must provide resident staff with travel information. All students abroad are also covered by the Brown Travel Assistance Plan, administered by International SOS, which can evacuate students from dangerous areas through private air ambulance if needed. “We are continuing to monitor bulletins closely and will be following up as needed with local staff and students,” Brostuen wrote.

“You will find your own way of getting involved.” — Co-founder of Partners in Health Paul Farmer

Q & A: Paul Farmer examines the future of the public health arena Paul Farmer, co-founder of Partners in Health, spoke with The Herald Monday afternoon before his lecture, “Rebuilding Haiti.” The Herald: Interest in the field of public health seems to have exploded in recent years. From your experience, would you say this is true? Paul Farmer: It’s definitely true. … Wherever you look, there are more and more undergraduates — and young people in general — interested in public health. The way that plays itself out at Harvard is that a good 50 percent of the medical school class is interested in global health specifically, and also health disparities. Do you see this rising interest as purely positive? You can nitpick and find sociological critiques of any student interest, but I do think it’s almost exclusively positive. These are really pressing social problems. Even if you just talk about the United States — if we’re putting 16 percent of our GDP into health care, are we getting the right return? I think most people in this country would say, ‘not yet’. And having young people who are healthy — most of them don’t have to worry about health insurance — having this generation be worried about problems like that ... I think is really great. But on the flip side, it could be a passing fad in higher education? Yes, of course. Say for example I were a paleontologist and there were a huge wave of interest in paleontology. I would say, ‘Well, I

worry it’s a passing fad.’ But — and I’m not trying to pick on paleontology, by the way — I think this is a topic that really needs to be front and center. Just like global warming and environmental degradation ... I think these are not problems that are going to go away. As human population expands, we’re moving into more and more perilous places or crowded places. How do you envision your role in the global health sphere? I don’t really think that I have an individual role, I’m just part of a fairly large group of people that include Brown faculty as well. ... I think there’s a lot of people that are involved as ‘implementers.’ ... Whether it be at a hospital in the United States or in a place like Rwanda or Haiti, a lot of us are involved in implementation work. So the question we need to ask is: How are we going to engage American undergraduates? That’s my role. I’m a teacher. Do you believe students should approach problems in global health from a certain background — medical, anthropological or otherwise? I’m trained in both clinical medicine and anthropology, but I don’t think it matters so much how you approach problems. If you’re a doctor, then of course you’d want to think about taking care of patients just like a nurse would or a community health worker. But what if you’re a teacher? Or an engineer? What if you’re a stay-at-home dad? I think anyone can get involved in these social problems. It reminds me of the way we live in the world and in

our environment. That has changed very substantially, and I think everybody has had a role in that. You mentioned that a lot of American students are ‘healthy’ people. Do you find students you interact with to be naive in their approach? No, no, on the contrary. I think the students that I interact with are actually very well informed, especially compared to 30 years ago when I was an undergraduate. They know a lot of the complexities. Now not everyone, when they’re 20, is going to understand all of the complexities. But at Harvard we’re teaching undergraduates a fairly rigorous course, and I think it’s well-appreciated. If a student approaches with an interest in your field of work — perhaps specifically in Haiti or with Partners in Health — what advice would you give? Well, the first advice I would give them is: Don’t try to pattern your engagement on anyone else’s. That can backfire. You will find your own way of getting involved. The advice I give around Haiti is trying to share my own experience — how I got involved in work with Haiti on a college campus, not away from it. And then later I went to Haiti and I worked with Haitians. You know, 99 percent of the people I work with in Haiti are Haitians, and I think that’s why the organization has been robust. You’ve told Har vard media that you don’t plan on retiring anytime soon. (Laughs) Did I say that? Can I change my mind? Well, either way, what’s your

long-term outlook for Partners in Health? That really depends on your generation. I was thinking just this morning how Partners in Health has so surpassed the founders, how it’s so much bigger than we are and better than we are. We don’t have the qualifications to lead a movement or to grow an endeavor that spans a dozen countries. ... But if we bring on enough people locally — in Haiti, that’s Haitians and in Rwanda, that’s Rwandans — and if we bring on the next generation of people ... I think the prospects for Partners in Health is good. So you’re optimistic? Yes, I’m optimistic about the need for organizations like Partners in Health. I don’t believe the need is going to diminish. It’s going to grow. And I do believe that other organizations can do equally good or better work and that they need to be structured the right way. So we’ve also done a lot of work sharing our experiences with other, much smaller NGOs. ... There are lots of different ways to make sure Partners in Health survives. Certainly we hope it will be as Partners in Health and in the academic parts of the enterprise that we’ve set up, but it needs to grow in all kinds of different ways and different places that we can’t reach. I doubt Partners in Health will have a presence in Nepal, for example, but that doesn’t mean we can’t reach out to colleagues from Nepal. Collaboration is an important way to grow. — Brigitta Greene

Vigil promotes LGBTQ resources

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

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the University, including the Third World Center, the Chaplain’s Office and Psychological Services, among others. “There is someone here for you if you are in need,” she added. A Department of Public Safety officer also made an announcement, saying, “With the recent tragedies that have occurred, we at Brown DPS want you to know that you have a strong ally in this department.” Cooper Nelson was next to speak. She said she was not surprised to see so many gathered where Brown has come together in the past to support one another and important causes. Urging people to act out of kindness, Cooper Nelson denounced both cruelty and indifference. “Let your tears fall for them,” she said, “and let those tears be transformed” into actions to prevent future tragedies. Anne-Caroline Sieffert GS spoke next of the critical need to put an end to bullying and other hate crimes. “As a student of literature and a survivor of bullying, I believe in the power of words,” Sieffert said. “I

survived by telling myself there was an end point, but I wish someone had stepped in.” “Those kids shouldn’t have been names on the news, but brilliant graduates,” she added. “No one deserves to die.” Head Chair of the Queer Alliance Aida Manduley ’11 encouraged people to act now and not to lose the momentum recent events have spurred in them. “There is always something you can do,” she said. Whether for LGBTQ support or other arenas, Manduley urged people to “go out there and do outreach” both at Brown and in Providence. Manduley added that she found it both poignant and interesting that next week is Coming Out Week and wondered if those young men would have gone through with their suicides had known there was such support. “We have to grieve our dead, but we also have to celebrate our living, and that is where support comes in,” Manduley said. As the crowd lit candles provided by the LGBTQ resource center, Lee McDaniel ’94 spoke of the everyone’s right to choose their own destinies, no matter how different they are.

He concluded his remarks by quoting the Haddaway song, saying, “What is love? Baby don’t hurt me, don’t hurt me, no more.” “There is that love for you here,” he said, before leading the crowd in a chant, saying, “If you’re gay, please stay. If you’re queer, we want you here.” Friends of Raymond Chase, a Johnson and Wales University student who committed suicide last week after facing harassment for his sexual preferences, also spoke. A Johnson and Wales student, who did not give his name, praised Chase as “the epitome of the model student.” “Yes, he was gay, but that was just a part of him,” said the student. “He was the definition of young, fly and flashy.” The student then asked those gathered to make some noise in honor of Chase because the brief moment of silence was not enough. “For Ray this whole field should be full,” he said. “He touched everyone. ... I’m sitting here in tears and I don’t cry.” As the crowd cheered, Chase’s friends gathered together in brief song on the steps of Faunce House, grieving the loss of their friend.

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“I don’t want to see my country as a country of NGOs.” — Visiting Fellow Wyclef Jean

Farmer stresses Haitians’ role in rebuilding continued from page 1

Glenn Lutzky / Herald

In his lecture Monday night, Paul Farmer named lack of housing and removal of rubble from the earthquake as two of Haiti’s major problems.

New Visiting Fellow Jean offers thoughts on Haiti continued from page 1 then went on to pursue a successful solo career. More recently, Jean has worked to establish the Yele Haiti foundation, which has worked to help victims of the devastating earthquake that occurred in Haiti earlier this year. Earlier this year, Jean unsuccessfully attempted to run for president of Haiti. Rose said that Jean’s experiences in the arts make him a uniquely valuable member of the Brown community. “His artistic sensibility and his openness to a wide range of ideas honor the academic tradition we’re invested in,” Rose said. Jean arrived on campus on Monday and was able to attend two events related to the Haitian Initiative — a lecture by public health advocate Paul Farmer and a talk given by Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat MFA’93. Jean told The Herald that Haiti has many social and political problems stemming from its histor y, but that he has hope for its future. “As a Haitian, I do not like

dwelling on the past or pointing fingers,” Jean said. “Haiti needs capital, and for that we need to start creating entrepreneurship.” He also said he hopes Haiti will eventually be able to thrive without depending so heavily on outside organizations. “I don’t want to see my countr y as a countr y of NGOs,” Jean said. Rose said she believes that the arts are an essential component to Haiti’s recover y and that artists like Jean have much to contribute. “In a time of crisis, you have to save the body, the mind and the soul,” Rose said. “We communicate with ar tists because they produce powerful ideas.” She also said that Jean’s experiences in the real world will provide a useful perspective when examining the situation in Haiti. “We are very invested in ideas, but also in how they play out in practice,” Rose said. “Visiting fellows allow us to connect learning in the classroom to the broader world.” — Additional reporting by Ana Alvarez

Farmer co-founded — and other corporations, helped design in the city of Mirebalais. Beyond addressing infrastructure, Farmer said, focus should be on “human capital and how we can build that up.” In a video that concluded his lecture, Farmer showed the stor y of two Haitian sur vivors, Carmen and Sheila, who both lost their legs during the earthquake. Both young women now use prosthetics to walk and work with non-profits in Haiti to help fellow disabled Haitians. This is an example of how human capital can help bring Haiti forward, Farmer said. In discussing possible ways to rebuild Haiti, Farmer referenced specific accounts from people, both Haitians and foreign doctors, who were in Haiti directly after the earthquake. Farmer said that lives were saved thanks to the immediate response available. “Granted there were probably less than 1,000 lives saved, but that’s still a lot of lives to save if you ask me,” Farmer said. Farmer also emphasized that Haitians need to be the central actors in Haiti’s rebuilding efforts. He described a Haitian pharmacist and colleague who, after losing family members in the earthquake, was

still part of the primar y response team after the earthquake. “These were Haitians responding to the problems of Haitians,” Farmer said. “That is the primar y response that was registered, Haitians helping Haitians, and that is important to remember.” Haiti still faces two large obstacles in a lack of housing and removal of rubble from the earthquake, Farmer said. He showed pictures of a temporar y camp set up in Haiti for sur vivors.

Farmer said that when trying to help Haiti, sometimes the right responses are the most obvious ones. “I’m really hoping I’m going to win the Nobel Prize in medicine for discovering that treatment for hunger is called food, and there is this really great treatment for thirst called water,” Farmer said, drawing laughter from the crowd. “I’m beginning to think after all these years that humans may actually need food and water ever y day.”

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Tuesday, October 5, 2010

“There are no complaints that we know of.” — Director of Health Services Edward Wheeler, on bed bugs at Brown

Bed bug populations growing across nation — but no reports on campus

Novelist Danticat MFA’93 visits to discuss first-years’ summer reading

By Emma Wohl

the beginning of the 21st century, he said. “The only way to control them is to use extreme hot or cold,” Bai said. No existBed bugs — once relegated to the world ing pesticide can effectively kill or repel of nighttime rhymes — are once again bed bugs. emerging as a major concern at universities Years of pesticide use have selected across the country. for bugs resistant to the chemicals, yieldBut despite a recent outbreak in Rhode ing stronger and stronger strains of bugs, Island, Brown has not experienced prob- he said. The bugs can also survive for months lems with the bugs on campus. “There are no complaints that we know — even up to a year — without food. They of,” said Edward Wheeler, director of feed on blood and are attracted to warm Health Services. blooded animals, including humans. But “people don’t tend to pay attention Allegheny College in Pennsylvania, Wake Forest College in North Carolina, to this bug because they don’t spread or New York University and carry disease,” Bai said, the University of Coloraand therefore bed bugs METRO do at Boulder are among have only recently bethe many schools that have experienced come forefront in public awareness. bed bug infestations in their dormitories The Rhode Island Board of Health does this year, according to their school news- not track bed bugs because they are not papers. disease carriers, according to a Sept. 30 In August, the Environmental Protection article in the Providence Journal. “It’s definitely scary, because you can’t Agency and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a joint statement do anything — just throw your old furniture warning that “the United States is one away,” Bai said. He added that washing of many countries now experiencing an clothes can remove bed bugs, although alarming resurgence in the population of other household items and even the houses bed bugs.” themselves can be much more resistant. Hua Bai, a postdoctoral research associ“Secondhand furniture is a big probate in Brown’s department of ecology and lem,” he said, but is inevitable at hotels or evolutionary biology, said that bed bugs, on college campuses. “The way students live can contribute” or Cimicidae, were once a major problem throughout the world. After World War to the spread of infestations, said Wheeler. II, though, the widespread use of DDT He recommends that students vacuum fre“eliminated the bed bug problem” until quently and do not share clothing.

By Sophia Seawell

Contributing Writer

Contributing Writer

Playing into the same themes as Paul Farmer’s lecture on “Rebuilding Haiti,” Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat MFA’93 spoke Monday about her novel — the Class of 2014’s summer reading —“The Dew Breaker.” Danticat’s greeting of “Ole,” meaning “honor” in Creole, set the personal tone for the event in a full Salomon 101. “The Dew Breaker,” Danticat’s third novel and winner of the 2004 Story Prize, is set in Haiti during the dictatorial regime of Francois Duvalier. The title, derived from the Creole word for “torturer,” also refers to the central character in the novel. One of the many Tonton Macoutes who killed and tortured people under Duvalier’s administration, the Dew Breaker ties together the nine individual stories that make up the novel. Danticat said she wrote the novel from several different perspectives because she “wanted to show the ripple effect of torture” and how the Dew Breaker “altered … lives forever.” The main purpose of the event was “to make a case to you for (the novel’s) relevance to you,” Danticat said. She used the example of social media — without leaving the room, “we can all become torturers,” she said, adding “we should never underestimate that.” Some students had already formed a connection to the novel. Saudy Garcia ’14 said “reading the book reminded me of my own culture in the Dominican Republic,” and there were many topics her “grandparents had spoken about.” Garcia asked Danticat if she believes the

regimes in Haiti and the Dominican Republic are related. “All regimes share those elements of wanting to silence people,” Danticat said. But all the voices that have been oppressed “can make great art,” from visual artists to singers to writers. After reading an excerpt from the book, Danticat closed by explaining that there are two different kinds of dews — dew breakers, who torture others, and those who counter them, the dew masters or mistresses. She reminded the audience that it is a personal decision “which ones we will align ourselves with and which ones we will be.” While First Readings for incoming first-year classes have been assigned since fall 2007, and authors of the selected novels have come to Brown since 2008, this is the first year that a celebrity sat among the students. Wyclef Jean, a Haitian musician and politician — and newly appointed visiting fellow in Africana studies — attended the lecture. Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron also dubbed this year as “the most successful year yet” for the First Readings program. From speaking in Creole to sharing stories from her past, the author’s personal touches throughout her lecture “really resonated” with Maiki Paul ’14, who described Danticat as a “soft-spoken but very powerful speaker.” Overall, students seemed to have positive reactions to the reading. Rory MacAneny ’14 said “hearing her read it aloud brought clarity,” while Erika Larose ’14 said she could tell that Danticat “really believes in everything she wrote about.”

Metro The Brown Daily Herald

“I’m sorry the economy’s not stronger now, but it will get stronger.” — Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke Tuesday, October 5, 2010 | Page 5

Full of flavor, the food truck trend motors into Providence By Morgan Johnson Contributing Writer

Several new gourmet food trucks have begun frequenting Providence’s East Side. Looking to the success of mobile restaurants in major cities like Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco, Providence food enthusiasts are following suit. “I spent most of 2008 living in San Francisco,” said Kristin Amico, co-owner of Sugarush, a cupcake and dessert truck. “I was amazed by all the small-scale, petite business going on,” she said. In particular, Amico noticed an abundance of food trucks on San Francisco’s streets selling “fresh and delicious food.” Amico, an avid baker, then left her job in public relations and started a new food truck with partner Erica Saladino back in Rhode Island. Her most popular cupcakes include chocolate with salted caramel frosting, classic coconut, lemon with lemon goat cheese frosting and vegan chocolate peanut butter. Alan Masterson, owner of the taco truck Poco Loco and a graduate of Johnson and Wales University, also received his inspiration outside of Providence. “I used to live in California, and there’s tons of taco and food trucks out there, so we wanted to start something similar over here,” he said. Despite the lower start-up costs being lower than those of a traditional business, opening a mobile food truck can be a challenging and time-consuming endeavor. “I spent about three years researching,” said Karen Krinsky, owner of the vegan soft-serve truck she calls Like No Udder. “I spent a lot of time looking for the right truck, figuring out what licenses I needed to get, finding out what products and ingredients would be the best,” she said. Trucks designed for culinary use are available but extremely expen-

sive. For his business, Masterson bought an old DHL truck and gutted the interior, he said. After stripping down his truck, he found much of his cooking equipment through Craigslist. In spite of the extra work, “this way we got to design it exactly the way we wanted,” he said. Amico and Saladino had a similar experience. “It took us a while to find the perfect truck,” said Amico. “We found an antique van, then we had to completely rehab it.” Through purchase of a former sandwich truck, Josie Mor way and co-owner of Providence Juice Company Jay Nutini saved time on conversion and also received advice from the seller on getting health permits and other concerns about starting their business. “When you consider a food truck,” said Amico, “you also consider space considerations. Everything has to fit. You have to drive the truck. If it’s raining, you can’t go out.” Other worries include running out of gas, having enough power to work appliances and the occasional flat tire or breakdown. “I would guess that a lot of food truck owners are not mechanics, so you have to feel comfortable and have the right connections so you can get it working again,” said Krinsky. Weather is an important consideration when operating a food vehicle, especially outside of a mild region like California. On top of not being able to operate in the rain, many trucks are forced off the streets by the severity of New England winters. Like No Udder, because it serves ice cream, will take a four to five month hiatus this winter. Some trucks, like Providence Juice Company, are planning to wait it out and adjust to the winter months, possibly by offering new menu items like apple cider and organic hot chocolate. Despite the newness of the

Courtesy of Sugarush

Sugarush, a cupcake and dessert truck, is one of many gourmet food trucks now frequenting the streets of Providence.

trucks — most having only been in business for a few weeks — many have already gained customer loyalty through social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. “We pretty much rely on Twitter because our schedule changes every week,” said Morway. Others, such as Poco Loco and Like No Udder, have Facebook pages where customers can “friend” the trucks and receive status updates about their locations. Customers often find the trucks parked on Hope Street, at various farmers’ markets and occasionally at festivals and concerts. Keeping customers informed about their whereabouts is especially important for trucks that cater to a specific clientele. Although many of Like No Udder’s customers have no dietary restrictions, Krinsky’s truck is especially accommodating to vegan and lactose-intolerant individuals. “I try to accommodate as many allergy sensitivities as possible, but it’s difficult. I go low on soy because I know people have sensitivities. I don’t use hydrogenated fats, and by nature everything

Bernanke fields students’ economy questions continued from page 1 tend and to formulate questions for Bernanke. The department was so impressed with the quality of questions that more than 30 students were selected, rather than the 15 that were originally planned, according to Jason Yum ’11. The Brown students and others from across the state listened to answers from Bernanke on topics such as monetary policy and job prospects for students after graduation. “You’re doing the right thing by training, by increasing your education,” Bernanke told the students. “Even though these are tough economic times, the return to learning, the return to developing your skills, is very high.” Responding to a question from a student concerned about college debt, Bernanke pointed to the sizeable cost of his son’s medical school education but cited as a positive development the fact that “it’s much less often the case that young

people are unable to get the education they want because they can’t get funding.” The Federal Reserve chairman also answered questions regarding the central bank’s actions during the crisis and defended the Troubled Asset Relief Program and large-scale purchases of mortgage-backed securities as crucial to restoring stability to financial markets. Many people don’t realize that the Fed’s efforts stemmed from the need to protect the overall economy and not merely to prop up failing firms, Bernanke said. “I thought a lot about Econ 101 during those days,” Bernanke said of the height of the 2008 crisis, adding that while TARP remains unpopular among the public, the money that has now been returned with interest made the program “a pretty good investment for taxpayers.” The Fed chief also said that the financial regulatory reform law passed earlier this year provides the government “new tools” to ensure

that bankrupt firms do not pose a systemic risk to the economy. But Bernanke had fewer specific answers when asked for “tips for investors” from a Brown student who would like to own his own investment firm. Bernanke said he wasn’t in the business of betting on the stock market, and if he were, “it would probably be illegal anyway.” “I get a lot of inside information,” Bernanke said, eliciting laughter from the crowd. As parting advice, he counseled students to take advantage of educational opportunities and chances to get valuable on-the-job experience. “I’m sorr y the economy’s not stronger right now, but it will get stronger,” Bernanke said. Although he felt Bernanke “dodged” his question, Ben Xiong ’11 still thought hearing the central banker speak was worthwhile. “It was a really great experience to come and see someone that powerful,” Xiong said.

is cholesterol free,” said Krinsky. Other trucks, like Poco Loco, try to offer healthy alternatives to greasy late night fare. A customer favorite is the vegetarian Green Monstah burrito. “We’re not just another Broad Street chimi-truck,” he said. Sugarush and Providence Juice Company combine the trend of mobile food with growing customer demand for sustainable and organic cuisine. Both trucks order many of their ingredients from Farm Fresh

Rhode Island, which collects ingredients from local farms and delivers them to food vendors. “Supporting local farms is our main mission,” said Morway. “It’s just now hitting Providence,” Amico said of the food truck trend. “We’re obviously a little behind New York City, and we’re a small city. But because of Johnson and Wales and local farms, I feel like the city and the people who live here have a fond appreciation for food.”

Editorial & Letters The Brown Daily Herald

Page 6 | Tuesday, October 5, 2010

l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r

Business school wouldn’t aid U. mission To the Editor: Would the business school that Dominic Mhiripiri ’12 proposes (“Toward the Brown School of Business,” Sept. 29) truly meet the needs of the Brown community? In 1764, the founders of the University created a charter that promised a school “to which the youth may freely resort for education in the vernacular and learned languages, and in the liberal arts and sciences,” putting forth that such a liberal education was necessary for a life of “usefulness and reputation.” Admittedly, times have changed — these days, when the very value of a liberal education is coming under question, the founders’ language comes across as overly idealistic, perhaps better suited for a time when a university education was a luxury rather than an economic necessity. Still, the mission of the University was and remains the holistic educa-

tion of each student for the betterment of society. While a new business school might offer even more opportunities for Brown students to aid and participate in the community around them, I am wary of arguments that a bigger, sleeker, more powerful University would be able to broaden its reach without losing sight of its original goal. The Watson Institute for International Studies, for example, may attract world-class speakers, but international relations concentrators are still left with an under-staffed, over-crowded program without department-level support. A greater focus on advanced degrees and business acumen will not serve the Brown community if in the process we lose the focus on undergraduate education that distinguishes a Brown education from that of any other school in the world. Andrew Leber ’12 Oct. 3

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We were deeply saddened to learn that Raymond Chase, a student at Johnson and Wales University, took his own life last Wednesday. Chase, who was openly gay, was the fifth LGBT teenager to commit suicide in the past three weeks. All of the students are believed to be victims of bullying and harassment based on their perceived sexual orientation. Many LGBT youth face hostile environments growing up, and it is highly unfortunate that the attention now being focused on this problem comes in the wake of a string of tragedies. A 2007 sur vey of Massachusetts youth found that lesbian, gay, and bisexual teenagers are up to four times more likely to attempt suicide than their heterosexual peers. Intolerance and bigotry at schools can never be tolerated, and we hope educators and school administrators across the country redouble efforts to create safe environments for students. News of Chase’s death came just days after Tyler Clementi, a freshman at Rutgers University, killed himself by jumping off the George Washington Bridge in New York. Clementi’s roommate had secretly recorded Clementi in an intimate encounter with a male partner and posted the video online. Brown is, of course, known as an accepting campus, but given the circumstances surrounding Clementi’s death, we feel compelled to point out that the Code of Student Conduct is not ver y explicit on the issue of privacy in dormitories. The University should be clear that one roommate may not record or photograph the other without his or her consent. In the case of Tyler Clementi, the internet was used as a means to harass and bully. However,

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technology can also be a tool to counteract cruelty and give hope to young LGBT individuals. Dan Savage, a nationally syndicated columnist, started the “It Gets Better” project, a YouTube channel where gay adults can post videos telling LGBT youths that things will improve as they get out of school. Brown’s Queer Alliance is planning its own version of the “It Gets Better” project, Jessica Mitter ’13, co-director of the Queer Political Action Committee, wrote in an e-mail to the editorial page board. We applaud this effort and know that LGBT students at Brown will be able to offer a great deal of support, inspiration and advice. The QA will also be hosting a Coming Out Day panel discussion Oct. 14 “to provide LGBTQ youth with individual stories and resources to aid them in their own coming out and self-acceptance,” she wrote. Finally, we want to encourage students to take advantage of Psychological Ser vices, which is located on the fifth floor of J. Walter Wilson. This year, students are entitled to seven free appointments with staff therapists, up from five last year. Psych Ser vices also offers a completely confidential 24-hour crisis support helpline, which can be reached at 401-863-3476. In light of last month’s tragedies, it’s especially important that students remind their friends of these resources. For those who might be hesitant to seek help, a friendly suggestion can make a huge difference.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

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Opinions The Brown Daily Herald

Tuesday, October 5, 2010 | Page 7

Keeping the faith BY mike johnson Opinions Columnist In his column “God and man at Brown” (Sept. 21), David Sheffield ’11 claims, “A religious university is conflicted on a fundamental level.” However, it is his column that is fundamentally flawed. Through the use of twisted logic and poor, if any, research, Sheffield claims that religious schools are backward and provide no opportunity to “discover new unknown things about the world.” Sheffield overlooks the fact that some of the most prestigious universities in the nation require their student bodies to take religious courses. I’m sure that Sheffield doesn’t mind that the officers in the United States Army, arguably the best fighting force on the face of the planet, are required to take courses in religion at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and to attend services every week. Never mind that Forbes ranked West Point the best school in the country last year. It’s true that universities founded with the express purpose of spreading religion are not your typical liberal university. But the elitism inherent in the fascist imposition of liberal values is just as wrong as fascist imposition of religious values. Brown has evolved from its Baptist roots, but it’s clear that all of its students are not as accepting and open-minded as one would hope. I celebrate Brown’s open-ended theater of ideas, but I decry those who would attempt to use an open forum to shout down others’ ideas,

as often occurs in religious discourse at Brown. The policy that Sheffield proposes is akin to a worshipping of science. He has set up his own dogma, one that “is allowed to color everything” he sees. If it isn’t scientific, it’s wrong. Sheffield uses “the Catholic Church” as his benchmark for all things religious, while citing Liberty University, which is Baptist, and Brigham Young University, which is Mormon. Of the universities mentioned in Sheffield’s column, only Georgetown University, which is Jesuit, is actually a Catholic School.

unwillingness to engage those with whom Sheffield disagrees. Not all is so bad; Sheffield grants that despite its religious bent, Georgetown is a “decent” school. “Decent”? Georgetown is ranked 21st by U.S. News and World Report, whereas Brown, a “proper institution of learning,” according to Sheffield, comes in at 15th, astronomically high by comparison. The snobbish tone and dogmatic adherence to his personal sense of progress evident throughout the column is an abhorrent display of holier-than-thou philosophy. In order to back up his Swiss-cheese-esque logic, Sheffield submits the Catholic Church’s

Brown has evolved from its Baptist, religious roots, but it’s clear that all of its students are not as accepting and open-minded as one would hope. Yet he seems to categorize them all through the lens of Catholic dogmatism. He ignores the simple and obvious differences among sects of Christianity, displaying ignorance greater than that which he attempts to speak against. Sheffield glosses over differences in teachings between evangelical Baptists and Catholics, instead generalizing all Christian belief as anti-science. Generalization, on principle, ignores subtleties inherent in complicated questions such as religion, and lumping everyone together shows

prohibition of contraceptives, and the resulting lack of condoms on RAs’ doors at Georgetown, as something that clearly affects Georgetown students’ ability to do vector calculus. The school that ranked last in the Trojan Sexual Health Report Card last year is DePaul University, a decidedly nonreligious university. To use access to condoms at college in order to assess the value of an intellectual institution is ridiculous. I didn’t decide to go to school at Brown because I could get cheap

contraceptives whenever I wanted, and the government doesn’t grant research money to institutions based on condom use. The quality of an institution isn’t based on whether the school is religious or not religious. Quality of education is based on dialogue. Since the time of Socrates, intellectual dialogue has been the cornerstone for progress in education. Schools like BYU and Liberty stifle dialogue and adhere to dogmatic ways of viewing the world, which in turn hinders their ability to progress. While their censorship may stem from religion, it is their inability to critically engage popular topics that sees them swept aside by other universities able to do so. Brown excels because it harbors dialogue, not because it has eschewed religious tenets as the foundation for its institutions. Georgetown is far better than “decent,” and it deserves more than a cursory acknowledgement of its achievements, “despite” being religious. To criticize dogmatic institutions while imposing one’s own dogma is problematic, and only serves to extend the lack of dialogue such issues require. We cannot afford to simply write off those with whom we do not agree. We also cannot afford to jump to wild, sensationalist conclusions for the purpose of getting our columns read — we aren’t Fox News. Religion isn’t the enemy in higher education — ignorance is, on both sides.

Mike Johnson ’11 reminds you to reimburse your RAs.

Make the DREAM a reality hunter fast Opinions Columnist The recent defeat of the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act by a Republican filibuster in the Senate has cast new light on the sorry condition of immigration politics in the United States. While the bill does nothing more than temporarily set up a path to citizenship for undocumented college students and armed service members, it has been described by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., as an “amnesty measure” and by others as inviting greater competition for jobs against already financially-stressed American workers. While such hyperbolic assertions are effective in rallying conservative opposition to the DREAM Act, they do not hold up against the light of analysis. Central to the rationale of the opposition to the DREAM Act is the idea that any reform that would ultimately grant legal status to a relatively small proportion of undocumented immigrants constitutes an admission of defeat in the effort to discourage illegal immigration. Case in point: Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., recently asked the Associated Press, “What am I going to tell people in South Carolina when I legalize 2 million people here, when we haven’t secured the border?” In typical fashion, Graham misses the point entirely. Despite his and other Republicans’ claims to stand on a platform of fiscal responsibility, the fact of the matter is that the border security that they espouse is

horrifically inefficient. The total cost to taxpayers of the new border fence between the United States and Mexico is set to reach $49 billion over 25 years, with other enforcement costs driving the overall price of border security much higher. This expense could be justifiable if the fence were capable of deterring undocumented immigrants by the tens of millions, but according to a recently released study by the Pew Hispanic Center, annual illegal immigration to the United States fell from 800,000 to 350,000 between 2000 and 2009. This amounts to more than $30,000 per

would not only be cheaper, but would also provide the United States government with a greater degree of information with which to control the immigration problem. One could predict a conservative response that such spending is defensible because it serves to protect American workers from having to compete for wages with undocumented immigrants. They’re taking our jobs, as it were. Let us ignore for a moment that protecting lower income Americans from economic shocks is uncannily similar in principle to legislation that the Republican Party has already decisively rejected: the

Let us ignore for a moment that protecting lower income Americans from economic shocks is uncannily similar in principle to legislation that the Republican Party has already decisively rejected: the stimulus package. deterred migrant — or more, considering the potential deterrent influence of the recession and the draconian enforcement tactics of figures like Arizona’s Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. The Republican stance on this issue therefore becomes contradictory. While it is the conservative pastime to decry the inefficiency of bureaucracy, it becomes painfully obvious that extending rudimentary bureaucratic structures to undocumented immigrants

stimulus package. Aside from the fact that such an expansion of the benefits of bureaucracy would enable the government to enforce labor laws in the case of immigrants, the fact remains that such objections simply do not apply to the domain of the DREAM Act. Because the DREAM Act only extends potential legal status to college students (i.e., skilled labor) and soldiers, the number of Americans who would be subjected to wage competition with

undocumented immigrants would be minimal. In addition, while introducing more employees into an economy during a period of high unemployment seems on the surface to be bad policy, such an observation ignores that income inequality between skilled and unskilled labor in the United States has climbed steadily for the last 40 years and that recessions do not affect these two groups equally. While some citizens and legal immigrants — mainly those with college degrees — will face greater competition for jobs as a result of the DREAM Act, the ones subjected to this competition will be the ones best economically capable of handling it. The economic result, therefore, will be to slow the rising tide of income inequality while no longer denying the American economy output from the brilliant minds enabled by the DREAM Act to actively participate in a knowledgebased economy. The opposition to the DREAM Act is, therefore, largely unwarranted. To echo the sentiments of a recent letter to the editor (“Pass the DREAM Act now,” Oct. 4), the DREAM Act must be reintroduced as a stand-alone measure. It is laudable that Sen. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., has done so. While the Defense Department’s quiet endorsement of the DREAM Act makes its inclusion into the National Defense Reauthorization Act legitimate, the DREAM Act is too good a policy to be weakened by accusations of playing politics with defense.

Hunter Fast ’12 is proud to have been represented in the Senate by both Durbin and now-President Obama.

Today

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Bed bugs not just in bedtime rhymes

The Brown Daily Herald

Food trucks roll into Providence

5

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5 c a l e n da r october 5

2:30 P.M.

ToMORROW

comics October 6

Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline

12:00 p.m.

A Reading by Novelist Deb Olin

Education Concentrator Fall Open

Unferth, McCormack Family Theater

House, Barus Building

8:00 p.m.

6:00 p.m.

“A Tale of Two Sisters” Film

UTRA Information Session, Wilson

Screening, Smith-Buonanno 106

102

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH

Italian Beef Noodle Casserole, Artichoke, Kalamata and Pepper Calzone, Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Hot Ham on a Bulkie Roll, Vegetarian Pot Pie, Spinach with Lemon, Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman

DINNER Curry Chicken with Coconut, Vegan Chana Masala, Basmati Rice Pilaf, Raspberry Bars

to m o r r o w

62 / 56

63 / 50

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

t h e n e w s i n i m ag e s

Today

to day

Roast Beef Au Jus, Vegan Vegetable Couscous, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Raspberry Bars

crossword

The Adventures of Team Vag | Wendy Kwartin

Fruitopia | Andy Kim

Bat & Gaz | Sofia Ortiz

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