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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
VOLUME CL, ISSUE 64
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Hack halts first-year sexual assault training Recent crimes include fatal Security breach of training shooting, burglary attempt website leaves first-years’ private information vulnerable By KATE TALERICO SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The University’s new online sexual assault prevention training for first-years was hacked last month. As a result, the website was taken down Aug. 26, and some first-years have not completed the program, said Ravi Pendse, vice president for Computing and Information Services. The program, called Agent of Change, experienced a breach in website security that compromised important student data, wrote Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, executive vice president for planning and policy, and Maud Mandel, dean of the College, in a Sept. 4 email to first-years. Students’ private information such as student identification numbers, email addresses, Agent of Change usernames and passwords, gender identity, race,
ethnicity, relationship status, sexual orientation and institution name were vulnerable to the intrusion, according to a Sept. 4 press release by We End Violence, the third-party vendor of Agent of Change. We End Violence discovered a “potential intrusion” into its website server Aug. 24, according to the press release. Exercising caution, the organization took down the Agent of Change website Aug. 26 and hired web developers to restore the site with enhanced security features. First-years who did not complete the module before Aug. 26 have not had access to the site since. Agent of Change brought in forensic experts to figure out how the hackers accessed the information, and an investigation is ongoing, Pendse said. We End Violence has not yet gathered any evidence indicating user information has been misused, according to the press release. “Agent of Change only had direct information that students submitted on the site,” Pendse said. Other information such as students’ social security numbers and bank account numbers are stored with
the University and were not accessible to the Agent of Change hacker, he added. The University remains unsure of when the program will be relaunched, Pendse said. An abnormal increase in phishing has not been noted since the hack, he said. Carey and Mandel encouraged students who used the same password for both their Brown accounts and their Agent of Change accounts to promptly change their Brown passwords. Students also have the option of using a two-step verification for their Brown email accounts, which requires a password input on their computers as well as their mobile phones, Pendse said. Several first-years interviewed expressed little worry over their compromised data. “I didn’t change my password,” said Logan Cody ’19. “I wasn’t worried about it.” “I got the email, and I disregarded it,” said Max Naftol ’19. “I don’t care as much as I probably should,” he said, adding that he also did not change his password.
Man attempting to steal laptop obstructed by student, locked in room until police arrive By KATE TALERICO SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The following is an account of crime events that took place this month, reported to The Herald by Deputy Chief of Police for the Department of Public Safety Paul Shanley: Nguyen ’16 finds home intruder Eric Nguyen ’16 intercepted an attempted robbery at his house Sept. 5 by tackling the burglar and forcing him into a bedroom until authorities arrived. Nguyen had just returned to his home at 204 Angell St. when he heard rustling coming from the living room. “I go out to check if it’s my friends …
but it’s just some random dude digging through a bag and pulling out a laptop,” Nguyen said. Nguyen said the burglar tried to convince him he was inside the house to meet his girlfriend. Nguyen then “threw him up against the wall” and “confronted” him about his intent to rob them. Before calling the cops, Nguyen dragged the burglar to his room, grabbed a knife and held the door shut until authorities came to the scene around 10:30 p.m. Nguyen said the robber attempted to escape the room through the window but was stopped by the burglar bars placed on the outside. Nguyen said he thought he was home alone, but his roommate was actually asleep in the room next door, where she remained asleep for the entire incident. The burglar, who has since been » See CRIME, page 3
Grant inspires development of newer, cheaper solar cells Potential solar cell material could be incorporated into windows, building facades By STEVEN MICHAEL SCIENCE & RESEARCH EDITOR
When Professor of Material Engineering Nitin Padture arrived at Brown in 2012, he felt his past research had been significant, but he could start using research to also make a difference. Given the demand for renewable energy, Padture and his team turned to the field of photovoltaics, in which they saw the opportunity to make a strong impact. In recognition of the team’s work thus far, the National Science Foundation awarded Padture and his interdisciplinary team a $4 million grant last month. The grant will allow them to build on their exploration of solar energy and launch an outreach program. Padture points to data from the Department of Energy, which indicates that solar power alone has the potential to fill the demand for renewable energy sources. According to the data, solar energy could theoretically produce 80,000 gigawatts of electricity per year in the United States, up from the 7.3 gigawatts that are produced today. But cost remains a continued
INSIDE
barrier. Though the cost of silicon solar cells has declined from $60 per watt in 1970 to $1 per watt today and is projected to fall to 50 cents per watt by 2020, fossil fuels like coal cost a mere five cents per watt. Padture said material scientists can play a role in lowering these costs if they are able to develop solar cells that are cheaper than the prevalent silicon-based solar cells and increase the efficiency with which they convert sunshine into electricity. But “these types of problems need interdisciplinary solutions,” he added. To this end, the team includes University faculty and students from a range of departments, and they will collaborate with Nebraska Lincoln Laboratory and partner with Tougaloo College and Rhode Island College. One facet of Padture’s research has focused on perovskite — a type of crystal structure — as a material for building solar cells. Perovskite is less expensive than silicon, and in recent years the solar panels made from this material have become more efficient. Yuanyuan Zhou GS, who works in Padture’s lab, developed a method to create perovskite crystals at room temperature rather than at higher temperatures, thus utilizing less energy. Moving forward, the researchers hope to move beyond the tiny panels designed for research use and make » See ENERGY, page 3
SADIE HOPE-GUND / HERALD
The memorial’s signature white stone represents endurance and the future, while the six columns that encircle the stone symbolize the heedless nature of the violence and bloodshed during the Holocaust.
Downtown Holocaust memorial dedicated Centrally located monument marks completion of ten-year planning process By CLARISSA CLEMM STAFF WRITER
On South Main Street, signs of life are everywhere: the honking of horns as cars whiz by, the wails of police sirens in the distance and the chatter of couples strolling along the Providence River. But when someone stops and glances at the newest addition to Memorial Park, the signs of the departed may also feel close.
Dedicated in late August, the Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial — spearheaded by Chair of the Rhode Island Holocaust Memorial Committee Herbert Stern — is the result of over 10 years of work. Two dark granite posts greet visitors, one engraved with a short description of the history of the Holocaust, and the other engraved with the words of Holocaust survivor Roman Kent: “We do not want our past to be our children’s future.” A single Star of David is etched on the back of each post. The memorial’s design allows guests to wander up the gently sloping path, following inlaid stone train
tracks that slowly shrink as the walkway progresses. The idea of incorporating these tracks was that of one survivor whom memorial designer Jonathan Bonner spoke to about his plans, he said. “It was a process of accommodation,” Bonner said, adding that “the survivors were very insistent on having an artifact of the Holocaust.” Bonner said the friendships he shared with his late neighbors, Lea Eliash and Oscar Garfunkel — survivors of the Holocaust from Lithuania and Latvia, respectively — influenced his decision to contribute to the project. As visitors advance further along » See MEMORIAL, page 3
WEATHER
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
METRO Shark Bar & Grille, part of former House Speaker Gordon Fox’s bribery scandal, changes hands
COMMENTARY Malik ’18: Trigger warnings protect students psychologically and promote thoughtful teaching
COMMENTARY Blake ’17: Politically correct language and safe spaces allow us to carefully define ourselves
THE FOREGROUND Photo essay captures two crew members’ journeys to make U23 World Championships
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UNIVERSITY NEWS PAGE 2 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
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Professors speak in strong support of Iran nuclear deal Four of 5 panelists approve of agreement, cite strict supervision of Iranian nuclear power By JACLYN TORRES STAFF WRITER
“Iran could have had a bomb in a few weeks or a few months without this agreement,” said Leon Cooper, professor of physics, at a Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs teach-in Monday afternoon. The event focused on the controversial foreign policy agreement and featured five panelists: Cooper; Sue Eckert, senior fellow in international and public affairs at the Watson Institute; Derek Stein, associate professor of physics and engineering; Thomas Nichols, professor of national security affairs at the U.S. Naval War College; and Nicholas Miller, assistant professor of nuclear security and policy, political science and international and public affairs. Iran’s domestic record with terrorism and human rights warrants caution about the deal, Eckert said. With this agreement, U.N. sanctions previously imposed on Iran will go away, but the U.S. sanctions on terrorism and domestic affairs will continue, she said. Cooper and Stein, who both have backgrounds in nuclear weapon science and technology, argued the real
possibility of a nuclear Iran and the security threat that would entail. Iran has two centrifuge facilities with nuclear capability in the cities Natanz and Fordow, Stein said. The restrictions imposed on Iran by the Obama administration’s deal would decrease the amount of enriched uranium and complicate the process of building nuclear weaponry. Iran would agree under the terms of the deal to reduce its stockpile of enriched uranium from 12,000 kilograms to 300 kilograms, as well as the number of operating centrifuges from 19,000 to 5,060. With fewer of these resources, the time required to build a single bomb increases from 2 to 3 months to over 12 months. Due to these scientific implications, Cooper and Stein said they are in support of the Iran nuclear deal. “We should adopt this agreement and force its provisions aggressively,” Stein said. Cooper, along with 28 other physicists, recently signed a letter congratulating President Obama on his “technically sound, remarkably stringent, innovative deal.” Miller also expressed support for the deal. “Iran with nuclear weapons is way worse than Iran with $50 billion,” he said. Despite the compromise made with Iran, the deal still stands as one of the most stringent in history, he added. Eckert, who said she also supports the deal, cautioned that the sanctions
SAM BERUBE / HERALD
Leon Cooper, professor of physics and Nobel Prize laureate, lends his backing to the Iran nuclear deal, which would reduce Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium from 12,000 kilograms to 300 kilograms. are not so cut-and-dry. “Nothing about this deal is simple. There is outright misrepresentation, as the sanctions are greatly misunderstood,” she said, adding that, “It is quid pro quo for Iran to give up its efforts. The sanctions are instrumental to bringing Iran to the table.” This agreement gives Iran a place on the international stage by reducing its threat to neighboring states, she said. If Congress approves the measure, the deal will proceed Sept. 17 and will be officially adopted Oct. 19. Then “implementation day” — the date
when the terms of the deal will take effect — will arrive six to nine months from now, Eckert said. Iranians say the implementation will come sooner than forecasted, but regardless of the date, the new regulations will prove complicated for U.S. businesses, she added. When the deal takes effect, foreign firms will head to Iran for business opportunities. But the U.S. will not become involved in business relations as a result of other sanctions levied under the Obama administration. The deal is still being discussed in
Congress, and 42 members of the Senate filibustered the agreement — a number low enough that Democrats blocked Republican opposition. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell then called for another vote. Three bills have been sent to the House, where one has failed and two are still being processed. This agreement has been called the “Obamacare of foreign policy” on Capitol Hill, panelists noted. A key feature of the deal is the “snap-back” if Iran does not fully » See IRAN DEAL, page 4
UNIVERSITY NEWS
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
»MEMORIAL , from page 1 the pathway, they reach a large white stone that rests on the center of what resembles spokes on a wheel. “The white stone is called the life stone and signifies continuance and the future,” Bonner said. Since the memorial’s dedication, visitors have placed stones on top of the life stone, an act none of the planners anticipated. “It shows that there is an interaction, and that the memorial is touching people. It means something,” Bonner said. Six columns, representing the lives of the six million Jews who lost their lives in the Holocaust, encircle the stone. The columns differ in height, symbolizing the indiscriminate nature of the bloodshed during the Holocaust, Bonner said. The memorial’s completion comes at an important time for present and future generations, said Marshall Einhorn, executive director of Brown/ RISD Hillel. “We are losing people
» CRIME, from page 1 identified as Hakeem Saygbe of 15 Wendell St., was able to enter the house through the front door, as the lock had been broken earlier that week. “We do encourage making sure that you lock your doors when you leave and that you have secured your property,” Shanley said, adding that he advises students living off campus to contact their landlords when locks or windows break. Saygbe was charged with breaking and entering. Man found dead after Fox Point shooting A 38 year-old man was found dead after a shooting at the intersection of Trenton and Ives streets Saturday. Police were dispatched around 1 a.m.
who can give firsthand testimony of what it meant to experience and survive the Holocaust. We need to ensure that the lessons of the Holocaust don’t get swept aside,” he said. Einhorn said he hopes visiting the memorial will encourage people to learn more about the evils that transpired and ultimately help prevent such devastating events from repeating themselves. Alice Goldstein, a Holocaust survivor and Providence resident who served on the memorial planning committee, travels around the country to talk about the importance of speaking out and not being a bystander. As a young girl, Goldstein witnessed firsthand how the German government took over to create an “atmosphere of fear and hate,” she said. “There are lessons to be learned that we tend to forget,” Goldstein said. “We hope (the visitors) recognize that it’s important to respect diversity. Not everyone has to be in the same mold. We have to respect each other and recognize that we are all human beings.”
» ENERGY, from page 1 perovskite panels at a size scalable for large-scale manufacturing. Perovskite panels can also be made in various colors and as thin as one-thousandth the width of a strand of hair, making it possible for people to use them in windows or inconspicuously attach them to the sides of buildings, he said.
In addition to supporting research students and equipment, the grant will fund outreach to primary and secondary schools and support the establishment of public lectures on energy-related topics. “This is just the beginning,” Padture said. “This gives us the traction to leverage more resources to expand photovoltaics research in Rhode Island.”
Shanhui Fan, professor of electrical engineering at Stanford University, said there are “concerns about reliability” regarding perovskite solar cells that researchers are trying to tackle. Perovskite solar cells are a promising area for research because of gains in efficiency, he said, adding that his own research on solar efficiency is complementary to the project.
to the site, where they found the victim, Kyle Machado, on the ground suffering from a gunshot wound, according to Lindsay Lague, a spokesperson for the Providence Police Department. A rescue team transported Machado to Rhode Island Hospital, where he later died, Lague said. A makeshift memorial has been placed at the corner of Trenton and Ives as the police continue their investigation. “We understand that there might be some concern or questions at this time,” Shanley said. “We want to make sure that we continue to patrol and be as visible as we have been in order to deter crime.” This is the 12th homicide case in Providence this year, according to police records.
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METRO
PAGE 4 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Shark Bar and Grill remains open, changes ownership Ownership switch contingent upon new owner’s ability to retain liquor license By EMMA JERZYK METRO EDITOR
Shark Bar and Grill remains open for business despite changing hands to a new investor. A Superior Court judge approved the Aug. 25 sale of the bar to Carlos Silva, owner of Silver Linings Restaurant, Inc., for $300,000. But the sale depends on whether the new owner can get a new liquor license, the Associate Press reported. Silva is a friend of former owner Bahij Boutros. The Thayer Street bar met controversy last spring when Gordon Fox, Rhode Island’s former speaker of the House, pled guilty March 3 to federal charges including bribery for receiving $52,500 from the bar’s owners. Fox received the bribe for the
Aug. 29, 2008 vote when he served as vice chair of the Providence Board of Licenses. The board approved both Shark’s liquor license and its license to stay open until 2 a.m. on weekends. The University, the College Hill Neighborhood Association and about one-third of nearby business owners opposed the decision. One of Shark’s owners, Raymond Hugh, dismissed the criticism. He pointed to Shanghai, another one of his restaurants on Thayer, which had a liquor license and hadn’t caused any problems. In February 2010, Fox was elected speaker of the House for the Rhode Island General Assembly, making him the first black speaker as well as the first openly gay speaker in the history of the state. But four years later, in March 2014, federal and state law enforcement raided the Statehouse and Fox’s home to collect evidence regarding an “undisclosed matter.” The next day, Fox resigned as speaker of the
HERALD FILE PHOTO
Shark Bar and Grille, a Thayer Street fixture, has been at the center of a scandal involving former House Speaker Gordon Fox, who accepted a bribe from its owners. House, though he vowed to serve out the remainder of his term as a representative. On March 3 of this year, Fox pled guilty to federal charges of committing wire fraud, filing a false tax return and accepting up to $52,500 in bribes. His plea deal included a three-year sentence in federal prison. It soon emerged that when Fox was vice chair of the Board of Licenses in 2008, Shark’s owners, Raymond Hugh and Bahij Buotros, offered him a bribe in exchange for his vote to grant the restaurant a liquor license. In an attempt to cover his tracks, Fox did not claim the illegal income on his taxes. The accusations of wire fraud stemmed from Fox’s appropriation of $108,000 from campaign and political action committee funds for personal use between 2008 and 2014, an action that he lied about to the Board of Elections and did not claim on his taxes. On June 11, U.S. District Court Judge Mary Lisi accepted Fox’s plea deal for a three-year prison sentence. Fox is required to report to prison July 7 and pay $109,000 for stolen
campaign funds. The owners of Shark Bar and Grill were not charged with bribery for several reasons. The five-year federal statute of limitations for bribery has expired, but the state statute of limitations for bribery stands at 10 years. Still, that Fox pled guilty to bribery does not necessarily point to the fact that Shark’s owners bribed him. It’s possible that Fox extorted the owners — meaning he could have told them he would block their licenses if they didn’t pay him — and he may have taken the plea deal for bribery specifically to avoid charges of extortion. Fox also was not the only reason for the approval of Shark’s two licenses. Two other members of the board also voted in favor of approving them, and the licenses were confirmed by the Department of Business Regulation. But March 16, Providence Mayor Jorge Elorza’s administration filed a petition to declare Shark’s licenses void. A March 30 hearing for the
petition to void Shark’s licenses was cut short by Rhode Island Superior Court Associate Justice Michael Silverstein, who granted temporary receivership to Shark’s owners, putting the establishment in the hands of designated lawyer Stephen Del Sesto. The city solicitor petitioned the Superior Court to grant relief from the decision. On April 24, Silverstein allowed the city to pursue its petition to void Shark’s license. But Silverstein required that the Board of Licenses must first receive permission from the court to vote to void the licenses, WPRI reported. And when Fox was sentenced, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin said the state would “move forward” and the case is still open, the Providence Journal reported. The Providence Board of Licenses never held a hearing on whether or not to void the licenses. Though Kilmartin told the Journal that the state is moving forward with Shark’s case, it would need sufficient evidence that bribery — rather than extortion — occurred to charge the owners.
» IRAN DEAL, from page 2
only opposition to the Iran nuclear deal. “I object to the politics of the deal from the get-go,” he said. “It is a form of diplomacy I am unfamiliar with. Reverse engineer the deal — it is not about nuclear weapons, but about removing the U.S. from the Middle East,” he said. “This deal would work well if the U.S. was not the U.S. and Iran was not Iran,” he added. After the panelists finished speaking about nuclear weaponry in Iran, audience members raised salient questions. The first question dealt
with how a Republican president would address the deal if elected in 2016. Other questions were related to the change in Iran’s domestic politics and where the world’s focus should lie in the upcoming months. Jo-Anne Hart, adjunct professor of international and public affairs at the Watson Institute, attended the lecture and said thedeal is the right step forward for Iran. Iranian President Hassan Rouhani has staked his presidency on the deal to get Iran more involved in the international community, Eckert said.
comply with the agreement. If any members of the special U.N. security committee finds evidence of noncompliance, they will reinstate the sanctions on Iran, likely stricter than before. “There are no other examples where the U.N. Security Council creates binding decisions based on one member,” Eckert said. Nichols represented the panel’s
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TODAY
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 • PAGE 5
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a p o s t e r o f t h e a r t i s t a s a yo u n g f i r s t - ye a r
menu SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Pizza: Honey Boo Boo, Na’cho Pizza, Pizza Bianco JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Make-Your-Own Quesadillas
Chicken Mushroom Xacuti Soups: Turkey Sausage and Kale, 3 Bean Chili, Butternut Squash
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Tacos with Lettuce and Tomato, Chicken Fajitas, Cheese Tortellini Frosted Cupcakes
Beef & Broccoli Szechuan, Baked Sweet Potato with Agave and Chives, Chocolate Sundae Cake
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Vegetarian Pot Pie with Biscuits, Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich, Cajun Apple Cake
Swiss Steak, Vegan Siena Roasted Couscous, Roasted Rosemary Potatoes, Chicken Broccoli Pasta
sudoku
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crossword
A poster sale under a tent on Wriston Quadrangle attracted students like Jason Addy ’16 with its promise of potential gifts and dorm room decorations.
comics A Campus Fairytale | Kimberly Saltz `17
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Time Management: Fact or Fiction? 12:00 PM J. Walter Wilson, Room 203
Positive Psychology: Wellness at Brown 12:30 PM Faunce, Petteruti Lounge
IGCAC A Cappella Auditions 6:30 PM Wilson Hall
Gendo Taiko Workshop 8:00 PM TF Green Hall, Room 205
TOMORROW Harvard Law School Presentation 10:00 AM CareerLAB
Brown in Barcelona Information Session 12:00 PM J. Walter Wilson, Room 440
Edward Gibson Lecture 4:00 PM Metcalf Research Building, Room 101
Mintz Levin Information Session 6:00 PM CareeerLAB
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
EDITORIAL
When Rosh Hashanah and shopping period overlap This year Rosh Hashanah, one of the holiest Jewish holidays, overlaps with shopping period. It began at sundown on Sunday and ends this evening. While Dean of the College Maud Mandel sent an Aug. 19 community-wide email that outlined ways in which faculty members would accommodate Jewish students who missed class to attend services, Monday classes should have been canceled altogether to allow Jewish students to observe the holiday without missing a crucial day of shopping period. Mandel wrote in her email that “since this is the first class session of the year, faculty have been asked to be lenient where possible” about students missing class, and that faculty have been instructed “not to give away the spots of religiously observant students in enrollment limited courses.” She also wrote that in order to accommodate these students, shopping period will be extended until 5 p.m. on Sept. 23. Yet while Jewish students were not formally penalized for missing classes, there were still consequences to not showing up. Yesterday was the first Monday of shopping period, which means that it was the first day weekly Monday seminars were held. Jewish students who had to miss a class will now have to wait a week before they can decide if they want to take it. As such, it seems unfair to burden observant Jewish students with the stress of not being able to set their schedules for a whole extra week longer than the rest of the student body. While Brown has not canceled classes in prior years when shopping period and Rosh Hashanah coincided, the practice is not unheard of at peer institutions. For example, classes at Dartmouth will not begin this year until Wednesday in order to allow Jewish students to observe both days of Rosh Hashanah. Moreover, many public elementary, middle and high schools school districts with smaller Jewish populations than Brown’s have canceled classes during the High Holidays. For instance, public schools in New York City, where an estimated 9.6 percent of the population is Jewish, are closed for the High Holidays. Brown has a fairly large Jewish population, with approximately 1,000 students — roughly 17 percent of the undergraduate student body — identifying as Jewish. Even if a substantial portion of the Jewish community did not observe the High Holidays, many surely had a difficult time deciding between honoring one of the most important days on the Jewish calendar and solidifying their schedules for the semester. Such a significant portion of the Brown community should not have had to make such a difficult decision. Ideally, no classes would ever be scheduled during any religious holiday that might cause students to miss class, including the upcoming Yom Kippur, Eid Al-Adha and Good Friday. Yet asking Brown to cancel class for all of these days is probably unrealistic. Focusing on shopping period, however, is a much more manageable and realistic goal. So we only ask that next time Rosh Hashanah — or indeed, any important holiday that affects a large part of the student body — falls during shopping period, classes be canceled out of respect. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editors, Manuel Contreras ’16 and Meghan Holloway ’16, and its members, Emma Axelrod ’18, Noah Fitzgerel ’17 and Aranshi Kumar ’17. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
I VA N A L C A N TA R A
CORRECTION An article in Friday’s Herald (“Med School goes tobacco-free, Sept. 11) misidentified a quit line website. The Herald regrets the error.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
“I go out to check if it’s my friend … but it’s just some random dude digging through a bag and pulling out a
”
laptop.
— Eric Nguyen ’16
See crime on page 1.
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COMMENTARY TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015 • PAGE 7
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Maybe coddled isn’t so bad SEAN BLAKE opinions columnist
In its September 2015 issue, The Atlantic released an article entitled “The Coddling of the American Mind.” It first came to my attention as it spread on social media with viral efficiency, spurred on by posts, re-posts and captions that promised it was more than simple click bait. Really it was the captions that drew me in, especially those from fellow Brown students that, though simple, belied a sense of almost complete
port of supposedly racist policing tactics like stop-and-frisk. That was the day a committee was spawned (that most Brunonian of traditions) and Christina Paxson P’19 penned, “Protest is welcome, but protest that infringes upon the rights of others is simply unacceptable.” That was the day that perhaps something of education’s openness fell victim to personal offense. I remember my distinct sense of frustration in the moments and weeks following that one October day. An almost tangible sensation of disappointment hung about me; These protests stood uncomfortably close to the very sorts of si-
peers. Theirs is the life best suited to that newer demand: to get over oneself. It is restrictive, counterproductive and unintellectual to push relentlessly at the deepening of the educational experience without broadening who exactly is eligible for its benefits. This is the danger of the authors’ suggestion; they treat the who of education without addressing the what. Inadvertently, their solutions undo something of the civil rights advancements made since the advent of the PC movement. Yet I very much agree that an education ought to be a thing primarily of intellectual — as opposed
“It is restrictive, counterproductive and unintellectual to push relentlessly at the deepening of the educational experience without broadening who exactly is eligible for its benefits.” agreement. Simply stated, the article is a criticism of the increasingly omnipresent and omnipotent authority that politically correct (PC) culture has on American college campuses. The authors, Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, decry a university system in which intellectual ideals have fallen under the unforgiving yoke of that now all-powerful declaration: “I am offended.” They decry the creation of safe spaces — and the special sensitivity they engender — as oppressive agents that retard the educational process, shut down discussion and leave us fundamentally unprepared for a world rife with myriad uncomfortable, unsavory and unapologetically held beliefs. In short, they describe the modern college student in damning phrases: emotionally fragile, self-righteous, sheltered, out of touch with reality. While the authors of the piece provide salient reasons for their discontent, they are too violently reactive and view the issues at hand as too black-and-white. Their suggestions run too quickly out of control; in their haste they forget something of those they are trying to help. The article, almost immediately, brought to mind the events of Oct. 29, 2013. That was the day the Taubman Center for Public Policy hosted then-New York Police Department Commissioner Ray Kelly. That was the day a group of protesters shouted Kelly down, horrified by his sup-
lencing and dehumanizing against which they were pitted. I am sure I thought that the very sort of liberalism Brown so prides itself on was layered and inflicted with the same bullish, unyielding groupthink it had risen so ardently against. The Atlantic piece is largely concerned with the diagnostics of moments like this one. The authors point to us — the students — as the problem. Their findings offer simple, grounded solutions to the problem of ourselves. Those solutions are couched in psychological research; they are concerned with desensitizing, de-magnifying and de-emphasizing. Those solutions are squarely centered on us, imploring us to, in essence, get over ourselves. It is here, where we are asked to cast something of ourselves aside, that the practical considerations put forth by the authors stumble somewhere far short of inclusive. They suggest a sort of practicality that removes, with discriminatory eyes, parties that are more likely to face distressing remarks and realities — in essence homogenizing the student body. The solutions offered espouse something like a more uniform, more antiquated educational order that places, at its core, the experiences and lives of those most likely to be defined as normal in our culture. For theirs is the life most likely to be rid of a sense of otherness, realized and reinforced by the words, actions and biases of their
to sentimental — cultivation overseen by a given institution. I agree that we ought to forgo the broad censorship of topics and materials purely for fear of the emotions they engender. I agree that this is how we thrust at the ideal education. The line that needs to be walked is a very thin one — one with nuances and details overlooked by the authors of “The Coddling of the American Mind.” We need to have safe spaces, adequate terminology, trigger warnings. We need to spend the time to delicately define ourselves, our issues. Ideally these discussions add to, rather than detract from, the intellectual conversations of the day. But we must continue to work such that these declarations of selfhood don’t become declarations of self-obsession. Our airwaves should never be dominated with the utter totality of egotism. Events like those that took place Oct. 29, 2013 should have no place in higher education. But I am somehow more comfortable with the ugliness of that day’s reality than the sterile elitism inherent in the alternatives on offer. We should not undo the good works of the PC movement in the name of a more pure education, just as we should never champion deaf close-mindedness in the name of morality.
Sean Blake ’17 can be reached at sean_blake@brown.edu.
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Don’t pull the trigger warning AMEER MALIK opinions columnist
In their article “The Coddling of the American Mind,” featured in the September 2015 issue of The Atlantic, Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt write that they believe certain student actions illustrate a general trend toward students protecting themselves from “words, ideas and subjects that might cause discomfort or give offense.” Lukianoff, the president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and Haidt, a social psychologist and professor at the New York University Stern School of Business, write that these actions include calls for disciplinary proceedings against those who have committed microagressions and requests for trigger warnings on course materials. Lukianoff and Haidt believe that the label of a trigger warning may cause students to expect a negative reaction to the material they must read or watch for class, leading them to not fully engage with important readings and vid-
has suffered from racial violence feel empowered and inspired to work toward an important cause after graduation. Pain can lead to strength. Yet before feeling strong, someone who has been hurt has to heal, and this should happen with the help of a mental health professional, not through class readings. After working with a counselor or psychologist for some time, a student who has had a traumatic experience may feel ready to engage with texts that would have triggered negative responses earlier. Furthermore, as Aaron Hanlon, a professor at Colby College, explains in his response piece to the Atlantic article, entitled “The Trigger Warning Myth” and published in The New Republic, an instructor can create better classroom dynamics and develop a stronger relationship with students by warning them about the class material. Hanlon explains that trigger warnings generally do not discourage students from engaging with the course work, and if an instructor notices a student avoiding a text with a trigger warning, the instructor can check with the student to see if the student needs help with mental health or other issues. Such effective and thoughtful teaching
“The question of whether or not to provide trigger warnings arises at the clash of two conflicting needs: the need to protect students’ mental health and the need to have them confront and grapple with difficult issues in a useful way.” eos. They also believe that the prevalence of trigger warnings can arouse an unnecessary fear of the course materials in students who do not have posttraumatic stress disorder. They contend that allowing those who have faced traumatic experiences and suffer from PTSD to encounter triggering material in the safety of a classroom can allow them to get better. They therefore recommend that colleges and universities officially discourage trigger warnings. The question of whether or not to provide trigger warnings arises at the clash of two conflicting needs: the need to protect students’ mental health and the need to have them confront and grapple with difficult issues in a useful way. I disagree with the notion that trigger warnings are a problem and should be discouraged by administrators. While triggering texts might be helpful tools for people recovering from PTSD, these individuals should not be expected to read such works in a classroom without any warnings. Texts that address traumatic experiences in a thoughtful and compassionate way can help someone who has faced trauma confront what occurred, better understand the incident and ultimately gain strength. A novel about an abusive relationship that is based on the writer’s personal experiences can allow someone who has experienced domestic abuse to see how someone can confront similar trauma, overcome it and produce meaningful art. An essay about what can be done to reduce incidents of racial violence can help someone who
would not be possible if universities simply discouraged trigger warnings. Yet I do share some of the concern that Lukianoff and Haidt express. In their article, they describe how a task force at Oberlin College released a guide for trigger warnings in 2013. The guide stated that materials about topics such as classism and privilege require trigger warnings. This task force also advised against teaching material that could trigger negative experiences unless it was absolutely necessary for the course. I do not want what happened at Oberlin to occur elsewhere. Texts and videos that can be triggering should be taught if they contain the proper warning. The material that is worth teaching usually captures an essential idea or truth about the world and human experiences, including truths about suffering, pain and other difficult matters. College students need to be protected psychologically. They also need to learn about societal ills, injustices and suffering in order to be prepared for life and work toward making the world better. I hope that the University will not adopt an extreme position on the matter of trigger warnings, neither discouraging their use nor forbidding the teaching of materials that might be triggering, and that it will continue to suitably address the needs of students in the classroom.
Ameer Malik ‘18 can be reached at ameer_malik@brown.edu.
THE FOREGROUND THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2015
Photo essay: Rowing upstream In summer 2014, Emma Betuel ’16 and Alia Shafi ’17 traveled to Italy for the U23 World Championships. This marks the first photo essay produced by The Foreground, The Herald’s new photo essay blog. Keep your eye out for The Foreground’s launch Sept. 21.
ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD
Betuel and Shafi put in hours on the erg to train for their regattas. They were put on diets of spinach and coffee, all while improving their physical abilities to compete at an international level.
ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD
Betuel and Shafi get out onto the water early one morning to practice for the U23 World Championships.
ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD
ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD
Betuel drops her blade into the water as she begins the stroke. She and Shafi had to learn a new style of rowing in just two months.
Brown’s boathouse lies on the shores of the Seekonk River, where both the men’s and women’s teams practice. The boathouse is located about a mile from the University’s main campus.
ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD
During practice, Shafi sits at stroke, setting the pace for the rest of the boat. The women’s team has captured seven National Championships in the 19 years the NCAA has been holding official championships.