daily herald the Brown
vol. cxxii, no. 113
INSIDE
Page 4
Dumpster dive EcoReps reveal recycling mistakes in trash sort Page 5
‘Bluest Eye’ Key ’13 successfully directs a tragic adaptation for stage
Page 7
Free $peech
Tennis ’14 and Dreschler ’15 debate money in politics today
36 / 28
tomorrow
41 / 38
friday, november 30, 2012
since 1891
Group rallies to show support for coal divestment By Maxine Joselow Staff Writer
Students with the Brown Divest Coal Campaign called upon President Christina Paxson to divest the University from its alleged coal and fossil fuel investments at a rally outside University Hall Thursday. About 145 students attended the rally, said Divest Coal coordinator Rebecca Rast ’13.5. Students stomped and chanted such slogans as “Brown take action! Stop extraction!” and “What’s our goal? Divest coal!” They also waved cardboard signs that read “Stop burning our future” and “dive$t coal.” A few even braved the cold in white T-shirts with the rectangular black Divest Coal logo. Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Beppie Huidekoper previously told The Herald she was unsure whether the University actually had any investments in the 15 companies. The goal of the rally was “to demonstrate to Paxson the depth of student support” for the University’s divestment
from the 15 highest-polluting coal companies in the nation, said Emily Kirkland ’13. “Paxson has been very receptive when we met with her in the past,” she added. “We’re here to show that there is deep student support for divesting from coal and that (Paxson) can make the right choice and make Brown a leader in the fight against climate change,” said Jordan Schulz ’16. To formally call for divestment, Paxson would have to refer to the Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies, which would make a recommendation to her and to the Corporation as to whether the University should divest. The rally came three days after environmentalist Bill McKibben P’16 encouraged the Divest Coal Campaign to keep fighting in a speech on campus Monday night. Schulz built off McKibben’s momentum in her welcoming address at the rally. “At the event we saw a picture of / / Rally page 5 kids from Haiti
Tom Sullivan / herald
About 145 students gathered outside University Hall at a rally Thursday to call for Brown’s divestment from its alleged ties to coal and fossil fuels.
Rise in violent crime prompts DPS to seek hires Med School By Caleb Miller Contributing Writer
Violent crime incidents on College Hill increased by around 90 percent in 2012 compared to 2011, said Mark Porter, chief of police and director of public safety. Burglary cases have almost doubled this year compared to last year, he said. In response to the recent spikes, the Department of Public Safety has submitted a proposal to the University Resources Committee requesting funds to hire four new officers for the night shifts on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, Porter said. He added that the new officers’ focuses would be on cell phone thefts and other street crimes. If accepted by the URC, the recommendation will be submitted for verification by President Christina Paxson in January and the Corporation in February before it is worked into the budget
next fall. “For the sake of the safety of the students and all the people that work here, we always take a look at how we are trying to protect people,” said Provost Mark Schlissel P’15, who heads the URC. The URC pays particular attention to how DPS is staffed and deployed, he said. Crime rates are rising on urban campuses across the nation, Porter said. Deputy Chief of Police Paul Shanley added that the worrisome aspects of this rise are the increased prevalence of violence and the growing number of distinct individuals committing isolated crimes, as opposed to the same perpetrators repeating offenses. The proposal comes toward the end of a substantial effort launched by DPS to combat the climbing crime rate, Porter said. This effort has included overtime hours for current officers and joint patrols with the Providence Police Department, he said.“We’ve really worked together to
see what we can do to stem the tide for this street crime,” Shanley said. These efforts have brought some success as DPS has apprehended a higher number of suspects, Porter said, but he added that the proposed new officer positions are necessary to adequately combat the rise in crime. Because URC deliberations are currently in progress, Schlissel said he could not comment on the likelihood of the proposal’s acceptance, though he added that the rising crime rate is a major concern among administrators. The URC accepted a similar proposal in 2011 to increase the number of DPS officers in the Knowledge District around the Alpert Medical School. Though the number of officers would not increase until at least next fall, Schlissel said the proposal is time-sensitive because of the preparation new officers must undergo.
New hires need to attend the police academy before they can begin work on campus, Schlissel said. “That takes a little while, and that’s why we’re trying to get an early start on this,” he said. Students responded positively to the idea of an increased number of officers on duty, but some added that they already feel safe on campus and have little interaction with DPS outside of using SafeRide and Safewalk. “I think they’re great — I don’t have any complaints,” said Andrew White ’13. He said he felt as safe this year as in past years and has not noticed the climb in crime rate. “In campus law enforcement, you always have to look at the trends and make sure you are tracking the crime,” Porter said. “And as the campus continues to expand, it’s going to be paramount that our level of safety and police activity meets that growth.”
Hookah causes little hoopla on campus By Phoebe Draper Senior Staff Writer
Despite the existence of three hookah lounges within walking distance of Thayer Street and health researchers’ increasing investigations of hookah usage among college students, many students said Brown does not have a “hookah culture.” “If there is a hookah culture here, I am thoroughly unaware of it,” said Dylan Felt ’16. Hookah refers to a mechanism in which smoke is pulled through heated water and inhaled through a long tube. It can be used to smoke any kind of leaf,
science & research
Evan thomas / herald
“The Old Queen,” a dark dance piece that plays with the effects of music, light and water, will debut at the PW this weekend. See page 2.
including marijuana, but is most often used to smoke flavored tobacco, said Kate Carey, professor of behavioral and social sciences. “Hookah has a long tradition in other parts of the world and is a fairly common, socially-sanctioned way of smoking tobacco in the Middle East,” Carey said. Hookah has spread to the United States, which is now seeing a “recent upsurge in hookah bars near college campuses,” Carey added. Kim Chaika, owner of a hookah supply store on Waterman Street called Hookahs and More, said her business “more than tripled in the past three years.” Smokey socializing / / Hookah page 4 Students
names new psychiatry chair By Will Fesperman Contributing writer
Steven Rasmussen ’74 MD’77 P’13 will be the new chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School beginning Jan. 1, the University announced Monday. Rasmussen, who has been the interim chair of the department for three years, is widely considered a pioneer in the research and treatment of obsessivecompulsive disorder. Rasmussen’s appointment — along with the recent hiring of Rees Cosgrove, chair of the department of neurosurgery, and Karen Furie, chair of the department of neurology — is part of the Med School’s plan to strengthen brain science research at Brown. The Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior already receives more research funding than any other department at Brown, said Ed Wing, dean of medicine and biological sciences. Brain science “is an area where Brown can really compete nationally to be among the best,” Rasmussen said. As department chair, Rasmussen said he plans to increase collaboration between the Department of Psychiatry and the proposed school of public health. “There are going to be a lot of exciting opportunities to combine forces with faculty in the public health school, in areas like geriatric care and AIDS research,” he said. Rasmussen has already garnered international attention for Brown’s psychiatry department, said Patricia Recupero, the president and CEO of Butler Hospital, who has worked with Rasmussen for almost / / Chair page 5