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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

VOLUME CL, ISSUE 64

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Ordinances could restrict off-campus housing City Council to vote Sept. 17 on zoning ordinances that would place limits on student renting By EMMA JERZYK METRO EDITOR

No more than three students will be allowed to live in a single-family home in certain areas of the city if the Providence City Council passes new zoning ordinances Sept. 17. The Council will vote on two distinct ordinances. One would define the term “student” under zoning law, and the second would bar more than three students from living in singlefamily homes at one time in R-1 and R-1A zones. R-1 and R-1A zones encompass single-family homes in “neighborhoods of low-density residential development,” according to Providence zoning ordinances. The ordinances were introduced by City Councilwoman Jo-Ann Ryan, representing Ward 5 which includes areas around Rhode Island College and Providence College, places where students have exhibited disruptive behavior, according to multiple sources. Ryan did not respond to multiple requests for comment. There are several R-1 zones around the University. The non-campus areas between Governor and Benefit streets and between Williams and Waterman » See ZONING, page 3

METRO

DREW WILLIAMS / HERALD

Provost Richard Locke P’17 leads a Q&A with Academy Award-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim ’86 after an advanced screening of his new documentary, “He Named Me Malala,” at the Granoff Center Tuesday. “I like when it’s not just a movie, it’s a movement,” Guggenheim told The Herald.

Malala doc takes human look at girl behind a movement Guggenheim ’86 uses mix of animation, narrative forms to tell story of youngest Nobel peace laureate By DREW WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

“It is better to live like a lion for one day than to live like a slave for 1,000 years,” Malala Yousafzai says over the beautiful opening sequence of, “He Named Me Malala.” The quote comes from Malalai, her namesake and a girl who led Afghani forces over the British Empire in 1880. This name bestows upon Malala the dual

identity of “grief-stricken” and “brave.” “He Named Me Malala” explores the mission of Malala Yousafzai, who won the Nobel Peace Prize at 17 for her work advocating women’s education in her native Pakistan and abroad, despite an assassination attempt from the Taliban that left her without feeling in the left side of her face. “I like when it’s not just a movie, it’s a movement,” Academy Award-winning

documentarian Davis Guggenheim ’86 told The Herald before the screening, discussing the call-to-action present in his latest creation. He is known for his socially poignant films, including “An Inconvenient Truth” and “Waiting for Superman.” Guggenheim’s storytelling and Malala’s remarkable humility collide in a documentary that is as surprising as it is poetic, as down-to-Earth one minute as it is Earth-shattering the next. Guggenheim did not make a film about Malala. He made a film about why everyone needs to see a film about Malala.

“If you think about Malala, people know she was the girl shot on a school bus,” Guggenheim said. “You have the additional responsibility of helping audiences rethink who this person is.” The film never shies away from the attack on Malala, bringing it up at the start and then throughout in flashbacks that show a man walking up to a school bus, bright lights in a hospital room and a firing gun. At one point Malala even draws a layout of her location on the bus for the camera. But for much of the film, the portrayal » See MALALA, page 2

After fines, ‘lonely’ tagger sparks debate about public art Cumberland man fined over $12,000 for spreading graffiti around Providence last spring By EMMA JERZYK METRO EDITOR

A fundraiser has raised over $2,700 on the crowdfunding website IndieGoGo to help Devin Costa, a 19-year-old from Cumberland, Rhode Island, pay $12,390 in restitution for leaving graffiti around Providence over a period of several months. The campaign’s Facebook page has 600 likes at press time. Nicknamed the “lonely” tagger,

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Costa left messages like, “lonely as I’ve ever been” and, “I love you even when you don’t notice” on six buildings in the city, including the office of his now-defense lawyer, Tom Thomasian. Costa turned himself in last spring after the Providence Police made a surveillance photo of him public, and he pleaded no contest last month to six misdemeanor charges of vandalism. A business owner estimated it would cost about $4,000 to clean up Costa’s graffiti, said Timothy O’Hara, the downtown district commander of the Providence Police, in a Providence Journal article. “We had a lot of complaints, not only from businesses, but people who don’t want to see that kind of stuff,” he told the Journal. In response to this sentiment, » See GRAFFITI, page 3

MARIANNA MCMURDOCK / HERALD

Though some community members and business owners were upset by the Devin Costa’s graffiti, others, such as Micah Salkind GS, believe that Costa’s work contributes to a dialogue on public art in Providence.

WEATHER

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

ARTS & CULTURE PieZoni’s, replacing Wings & Things, offers chain store atmosphere with free Wi-Fi

ARTS & CULTURE “Phoenix” at the Avon tells the story of a Holocaust survivor reconciling past with future

COMMENTARY Lennon ’18: Choosing a major is not as important as making the most of your time at Brown

COMMENTARY Maier ’17: Autistic students’ difficulty emphathizing is often mistaken for bigotry

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» MALALA, from page 1 of this incident lacks the heart-wrenching impact one expects, instead acknowledging it in much the same way Malala must now live with it daily. “I chose not to do a broad geopolitical story,” Guggeinheim said. “I thought if I could tell a simple father-daughter story, the themes in the movie would be more universal.” The documentary follows Malala in England after the attack. Malala’s humanity and her relationship with her father, Zia, are explored on screen. A playful side of Malala appears in the film as she teases and jokes with her two brothers, tries to explain Twitter to her father and looks at pictures of cricket players and Brad Pitt. She tells the camera that she is not sure what her family would think if she asked out a boy. Her father is ever-present, standing proudly as she gives speeches to dignitaries or meets celebrities, who Malala guesses have less homework than she does. These perceptions could feel forced or stereotyped, but the verite-style clips are juxtaposed with a nuanced look at the past. “Over time my style has become more narrative-based, and mixing documentary tools and narrative tools,” Guggenheim said. “At times it feels just like a movie.”

Animation plays a crucial role in the film. Malala’s father voices over anecdotes from his life accompanied by haunting visuals in dark, resigned hues. An animated sequence about his childhood speech impediment visually lights the fire within him as he overcomes it in front of his peers, depicted as white flames bursting out of his mouth and forming Arabic words. Malala has a nightmare sequence rendered in dark black shadows and muddled greens, topping off the exquisitely beautiful animation in a film that would seemingly have no right to it. “I actually get very worried when I feel too comfortable,” Guggenheim said. “Because then the directing and storytelling will feel routine, and they won’t have life to it. I like to throw myself into impossible process, and in the process of working my way out of, I discover things.” “He Named Me Malala” provided this narrative challenge. Malala’s story is not told chronologically, and the film lacks a clear villain — at one point, Zia says that an “ideology,” not a person, shot his daughter. Without this structural urgency in the plot, Guggenheim is able to linger on each shot, choosing minimalism and montage to depict a woman steeped in humility. As the personal encounters begin to add up over the course of the

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD film, her achievements begin to feel more and more visceral. “It is hard to get things done in this world,” Malala says. And then it hits. The film cuts to a real-life photo of the bloody interior of the bus in which Malala was shot. Emotions peak, because the film no longer feels like one about a Nobel Peace Prize winner. It’s a film about an ordinary girl who wanted an education and was shot for it. It’s a film about Guggenheim’s daughters who “still feel too shy to speak out, not confident enough to stand up to sometimes their brother, sometimes the world.” In many ways, the climax of Malala’s story is not the violent moment on the school bus, but at the moment she decides to speak out and fight for girls’ education, a choice she made knowing that the Taliban may target her. “My father only gave me the name Malala. I became Malala,” she states. “We’re aligned with Malala’s mission,” Guggenheim said about what he hopes the audience takes away from the documentary. “Her focus is on the 66 million girls who are out of school.” Through a peeling-back of mythmaking, “He Named Me Malala” becomes a story about the basic human urge for equality and the intensity with which it burns in everyone. Not even Malala’s father, her strongest support in life, could give that to her.

This Week in Higher Ed BY DREW WILLIAMS, UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

Baruch students face murder charges for hazing death

Five students from Manhattan’s Baruch College will face murder charges for the December 2013 death of Chun Hsein Deng, almost two years after a hazing incident for the fraternity Pi Delta Psi led to Deng’s fatal head injury, the New York Times reported Sept. 14. A freshman at the time, Deng was forced to walk blindfolded through a field while carrying a heavy backpack and was then slammed into the frozen ground during a pledging event in Monroe County, Pennsylvania. He was subsequently kept inside a house for hours while the fraternity members covered their tracks. The investigation lasted years due to the uncertainty surrounding exactly which fraternity members had been involved in the incident. A Monroe County grand jury recommended Monday that 37 individuals face criminal charges, including five counts of third-degree murder. The fraternity was kicked off of Baruch’s campus in 2013, and pledging events at all Baruch fraternities were suspended in 2014.

Obama releases College Scorecard The Obama administration released its College Scorecard earlier this month, responding to criticisms that college rankings, such as the ones by U.S. News and World Report, create adverse incentives for schools and do not provide transparency for potential students. President Obama’s scorecard uses federal data about each college’s graduation rate, salary after attending, school size, student debt and attendance cost data, The Atlantic reported. While each category comes with an ordered list, the categories are not combined into any sort of overall ranking. “The status quo serves some colleges and the companies that rank them just fine,” Obama said at the Scorecard’s unveiling. “But it doesn’t serve our students well — and that doesn’t serve us well.” The president previously expressed concern that ranking systems lead schools to focus on low acceptance rates, higher tuitions and alums over current students, according to a 2013 White House press release.

Double murder suspect at Delta State takes own life A Delta State University professor allegedly murdered his girlfriend and another Delta professor Monday night before taking his own life in a police chase around 12 hours later, the New York Times reported Tuesday. The suspect, Professor of Geography and Social Science Shannon Lamb, was pulled over 35 miles away from the Cleveland, Mississipi campus before running into a wooded area. Police officers reported hearing a gunshot, and Lamb was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital later that night. The 3,000-student campus was placed on lockdown while the police attempted to locate the suspect, with the university sending a message to students to stay away from public spaces. The motivation for the murders of Amy Prentiss and Ethan Schmidt, an assistant professor of American history at Delta State, is not yet apparent, according to area police. This marks the 108th death related to school shootings in the U.S. since the start of 2010.

New study finds recent female grads narrowing the wage gap An analysis of earnings data from 2009-13 by economists at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York indicates that women who recently graduated from college make an average of 97 cents per dollar earned by men with the same degree and job position, taking into account a number of demographics, NBC News reported. Still, the overall rate for women sits at 77 or 78 cents for each dollar earned by men. The analysis looked at 73 majors and determined that women with degrees in 29 of those majors make more on average than men with an equivalent degree. Social service fields and treatment therapists were particularly pronounced in their wage favorability to recent female graduates. The data concerned adults aged 22-27 with a college degree, but the study also concluded that the gap increases when examining college-graduated women over 27. The study did not consider workforce participants without college degrees.

Please recycle.

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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD College Hill’s R-1 zones

The shaded areas are R-1 zones, meaning a proposed city ordinance could limit the number of college students who can live in a single-family home to three.

Athletic complex THAYER

BOWEN

ANGE

BEN

WATERMAN

EFIT

Main Green

GEORGE

GANO

POWER WILLIAMS

Source: Providence Department of Planning and Development JILLIAN LANNEY / HERALD

» ZONING, from page 1 streets are largely R-1 zones. The land near the Erickson Athletic Complex on the corner of Angell and Hope Streets is also an R-1 zone. Additionally, the area between Angell and Barnes Streets and between Thayer and Congdon Streets is an R-1 zone. The Rhode Island American Civil

Liberties Union came out in opposition to the ordinances yesterday. “Our concern is with the breadth itself,” said Hillary Davis, a policy associate at RIACLU. “The definition of student is so broad,” she said. The ordinance gives landlords the ability to discriminate not only against undergraduate students but also graduate students or anyone

taking any course on a college campus, Davis said. “Those impacts are significant and severe,” she said, adding, “It’s a students’ rights issue. It’s a discrimination issue. It’s a due process issue.” A similar ordinance in Narragansett that prohibited more than three unrelated individuals from living in the same house was struck down in court, Davis said. The ordinance also “undermines the underlying issue,” Davis said. While the complaint that college students in single-family homes cause disturbances by holding illegal parties in residential neighborhoods is valid, those concerns “can be dealt with under the vast majority of existing statutes,” she added. Mark Nickel, acting director of news and communications, said city council members shared an “early draft” of the ordinance with the member schools of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Rhode Island, which includes Brown. “We are very committed and very serious about keeping good relationships with our neighbors,” Nickel said. Dan Egan, president of the AICURI, said the association has not taken a stance on the ordinances.

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» GRAFITTI, from page 1 Micah Salkind GS, a supporter of the campaign to pay Costa’s restitution, said, “So don’t look.” “Clearly, this is private property,” Salkind said, “but … that doesn’t mean that the art he’s making isn’t provocative.” Salkind published a Facebook status that was widely shared and ultimately ended up being used on the campaign’s IndieGoGo page. Salkind criticized Costa’s sentencing and the community response to Costa’s work, saying that the situation stemmed from systemic problems in the public arts infrastructure of Providence — a city that has been called the creative capital of the northeast. Costa’s tags were “in dialogue” with the commissioned murals and street art that were put up during the Providence International Arts Festival, which took place June 11-14, Salkind said. While artists from outside of Providence and Rhode Island were celebrated for outdoor artworks that were similar in nature, Costa was punished. “A lot of times, a trap that small cities (like Providence) fall into … is never seeing the value that’s in front of them, that they’ve already cultivated from within, and always trying to bring something or someone from without to confer legitimacy,” Salkind said. The Providence Department of

Art, Culture and Tourism did not respond when asked for a reaction to this statement. While Salkind recognized that what Costa did was illegal, he said the response to Costa’s work was disproportionate and the building owners should have channeled their efforts into a larger discussion about the value and nature of public art, rather than working to hold Costa accountable. “Can we do better to cultivate and provide pathways for people who are here already?” asked Salkind, noting that not all artists have opportunities to build a career or receive arts education outside of the state. The Department of Art, Culture and Tourism wrote in an email to The Herald that Rhode Island has strong arts programs, citing those at Brown, the Rhode Island School of Design, Rhode Island College, University of Rhode Island, Providence College and the New England Institute of Technology. “Our city has nationally recognized youth arts organizations,” the department wrote, also referencing CityArts!, a free art education program for Providence youth, as a prime example. “We work closely with the arts community to support their innovative ideas,” the department wrote. Neither Costa’s lawyer nor the founder of the campaign responded to requests for comment.

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ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 4 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

New joint PieZoni’s delivers slice of home to Brook St. Pizza chain boasts an expansive menu that rivals Jo’s and Bagel Gourmet’s offerings By CAROLYNN CONG STAFF WRITER

Students who find themselves on south campus can now satisfy their appetites and carb cravings at PieZoni’s, an alternative to Bagel Gourmet on Brook Street. The restaurant takes over the space that previously belonged to Wings & Things and joins the long list of pizza restaurant options near campus. PieZoni’s adds new flavor through both its chain-store atmosphere — unlike that of its Thayer Street pizza counterparts, which have a more boutique and idiosyncratic feel — and abundance of pizzas, calzones, burgers, pastas, subs and salads. From outside, PieZoni’s bold cartoon-like sign sets the stage for a typical all-American restaurant scene, which comes as a surprise amidst the understated exteriors of the neighboring Providence Police substation, Bagel Gourmet and East Side Mini-Mart. Upon entering, the customer is greeted by a friendly staff and a large, inviting space — complete with free WiFi — which combines a homey, familystyle ambiance with a hangout spot for students and friends beyond the walls

REVIEW

RHEA STARK / HERALD

Replacing Wings & Things, PieZoni’s menu will include pizzas, calzones, burgers, pastas, subs and salads. Its chain store atmosphere, complete with free Wi-Fi, offers a contrast to the pizza joints on Thayer Street. of Vartan Gregorian Quad. An order of the small Mixed Greens Pizza comes in a platter large enough to feed two stomachs. Ten inches in diameter and less than $10, the small dish is a surprisingly appetizing chicken salad over crunchy, thin-crust flatbread,

complete with an abundance of feta cheese, tomatoes, onions and olives – leaving the customer feeling a little healthier than they should after a pizza meal, but satisfied all the same. Other specialty pizzas on the menu include the aptly named Meatlovers pizza, which

is topped with five meats, as well as an original creation called the Smokey Joe Pizza and at least two vegetarian options. Originally a family-owned operation, PieZoni’s new Brook Street location is one in a chain of 18 restaurants throughout the states of Rhode Island

and Massachusetts, with the next closest branch located in East Providence. For students who are tired of Josiah’s Spicies With and mozzarella sticks, PieZoni’s is worth a try, offering a plethora of specialty pizzas and carbfilled delights.

Arch sings highlight groups’ individuality, musicality A cappella groups poke fun at first-years while entertaining them with melodic tunes By JACLYN TORRES STAFF WRITER

A cappella ruled the night Saturday, as the various singing groups gathered under Wayland and Morris Champlain arches to entice potential new members from the class of 2019. The festivities began at 7:30 p.m. and went until midnight. Each of the 14 groups gave the audience a unique flavor of music and artistic style. Some groups went with a consistent set known to work at past

events, whereas others experimented with newly released music. Every a cappella group said they performed on Saturday night as a means of recruitment for the upcoming year. Katherine Doherty ’16, a member of the Chattertocks, said recruitment is her “favorite time of year” and the arch sings are a fun way to “introduce the group to the kids who don’t know who you are.” Ryan Joudeh ’16, a member of the Brown Derbies, compared recruitment to “frat rushing,” and Emma Friesner ’17, a member of the Ursa Minors, said “the more, the merrier.” “We decided to sing songs we’ve done in the past,” Friesner said. “The first song we sang was ‘Let’s Get It On,’ which is a tradition for us.”

Brendan George ’18, a member of the Jabberwocks, said, “We sang the Spiderman song, which we don’t normally perform. That was a lot of fun, and the crowd really enjoyed it.” Each a cappella group interacted differently with the crowd. Some stayed more reserved while others gave highfives to first-years and exchanged flirtatious glances with those in the audience. When the Brown Derbies ran out into the middle of Wayland Arch, they encouraged the crowd to move in close and welcomed the first-years to the concert. “You know how I know you’re all freshmen? The lanyards. Seriously, you’ve got to do something about that,” said group member Derek Shay ’16. The class of 2019 smiled and leaned

in a little closer in preparation for the music. Harmonic Motion gave a soulful performance, singing songs about past loves and the struggles of breakups. The powerful tone in the voices struck a chord with the audience, which never turned away, transfixed by the emotion that the group carried throughout the set. The Alef Beats gave a fun and meaningful performance. The group opened with “Blank Space,” and the crowd began moving to the energetic beat of the song. The closing number was “La La La,” a song with soft undertones but powerful emotion. With the school year underway, the singers are working on exciting projects

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and performances. Harmonic Motion is currently raising funds for a New England tour over spring break. The Jabberwocks will travel to Tufts University and Smith College in the fall for collaborative concerts, and the group is also going abroad in the summer to Germany, France and the United Kingdom. The Brown Derbies will travel to China, performing in Shanghai and Beijing over winter break. Members of the Ursa Minors, the Jabberwocks and the Brown Derbies also said they are expecting to release CDs in the next year or two. “It’s exciting to show the freshmen what each group is like. Each group has its own taste in music and unique personality,” Doherty said.

TODAY

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

t h e pat h n o t ta k e n

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Stir Fry and Curries, Po’Boy Sandwiches Pizzas: Honey Boo Boo, Pizza Bianco, Polynesian Teriyaki JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Baked Potato Soup, Hearty Country Vegetable

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Chicken Fingers, Sliced Carrots, Peas Francaise, Cannelini Bean Stew, Vegan Lyonnaise Potatoes

Tortellini Provencale, GardenStyle Baked Hake, Vegan Herb Rice, Braised Leeks Provencale

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Tacos, Roasted Corn Chowder with Bacon, Pumpkin Cookies with White Chocolate Chips

Turkey Cutlet with Veloute Sauce, Cheese Ravioli, Roasted Baby Carrot with Red Onion

sudoku

MATTEO MOBILIO / HERALD

The small courtyard near the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center was bathed in the fading light of sunset. It is a spot rarely traversed by the shoes of the usual student hurrying to class.

comics P-Branes and Bosons | Ricky Oliver ’17

crossword

Ampersand | Wasita Mahaphanit ’18

calendar TODAY

SEPTEMBER

Positive Psychology: Wellness at Brown 12:30 P.M. Petteruti Lounge, Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center

AAPI Representation in the Media 9:00 P.M. Brown Center for Students of Color, Formal Lounge 1

Achieving Financial Health @ Brown 2:30 P.M. Wilson Hall, 309

Divine Rhythm Step Team Open Practice 10:00 P.M. Ashamu Dance Studio

TOMORROW Square, Inc. Information Session 12:00 P.M. CareerLAB

Innovations Groups Picnic 3:00 P.M. Main Green (Flagpole)

A Reading by Graphic Memoirist David Small 2:30 P.M. McCormack Family Theater

New York Times Columnist Charles Blow Lecture 5:30 P.M. Salomon Center, De Ciccio Family Auditorium

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL

An unproven alcohol policy On Sept. 4, 2015, the interim assistant vice presidents for campus life and student services sent a campus-wide email detailing alcohol policies for the fall semester. The updated report contains few changes from last semester and, perhaps most significantly, continues the ban on events with alcohol in residential spaces. The prohibitions on alcohol extend to lounge spaces as well as parties that require a license. While informal gatherings of students over 21 are allowed to include alcohol, guidelines indicate that even these meetings will be shut down if the noise disturbed others. Though the University has not adequately assessed the impact of this decision, the administration has determined that this protocol has and will continue to have a positive impact on students’ lives. Other universities, such as Stanford and Washington University in St. Louis, follow strikingly different policies that are far more tolerant of college alcohol consumption. In particular, these schools have adopted a practice known as the “open-door” policy. Students in residential spaces (including underage students) are perfectly welcome to consume alcohol at parties as long as their doors remain open. The jury is still out on whether this is the best policy, but Harvard researchers have found that colleges that ban alcohol and those that do not have the same amount of alcohol related problems. That said, some research does point to strict alcohol policies having some benefits: The same Harvard study found that colleges that place strict restrictions on the consumption of alcohol have 21 percent less binge drinkers than colleges that do not. But the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism’s statistics show that only half of the 80 percent of college students who drink binge drink. These findings indicate that, rather than keeping the focus on strict alcohol policies on campus, Brown would be wise to shift its energy from enforcing abstinence from alcohol to educating students about safe drinking practices. Binge drinking is problematic, but penalizing all students who drink will not result in safer behavior. Regardless of Brown’s guidelines and restrictions, parties with alcohol in residential spaces will continue, and strict alcohol policies run the risk of making students feel more uneasy about informing the administration of sexual assaults involving alcohol or calling EMS in cases of alcohol poisoning. In other words, Brown’s alcohol policies have the potential to hinder progress in reducing rates of alcohol-related problems. To remedy this issue, Brown should first conduct a thorough study to investigate whether this policy truly reduces sexual assault or the incidence of alcohol poisoning. Without such a study, it seems frivolous and problematic to extend the current alcohol policy indefinitely. The University must assure that its new alcohol policy makes for a more positive campus environment.

M I R A N DA F R I E L

Q U O T E O F T H E D AY

“You know how I know you’re all freshmen? The lanyards. Seriously, you’ve got to do something about

”

that.

— Derek Shay ’16

See a capella on page 4.

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.

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COMMENTARY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Concentration complications

MAYA LENNON opinions columnist

As I dive into my sophomore year with eight months left until sophomores reach the deadline for choosing a concentration, I wonder how much the decision matters. Many of us hear how a degree from the prestigious Brown University is very respected. Therefore, the concentration is not as important as the degree itself. The American Bar Association doesn’t recommend any majors, nor do most medical schools. There are people working at Google as history concentrators and students starting their careers in film as biology concentrators. Having the freedom to concentrate in anything you like, even if Brown doesn’t offer it, is a beautiful opportunity. But once the possibilities become endless, so do the problems. Students have to choose a concentration within a short span of time and typically have no plan to lead them there. The irony is that being “planless” is the best way to approach each semester until

you are sure about a concentration. Trying to balance the limited time you have to choose a concentration and the many classes offered at Brown can be difficult. Four years is not a long time. If you are anything like me, by the age of seven you probably let go of your dreams to be a princess or a pirate and decided between two more practical career choices: doctor or lawyer. I had a plan when I entered Brown: medical school, private practice, marriage, kids, retire. This seemed like the per-

ly seemed. By the end of my first semester, I may have gotten closer to finding a concentration, but it took me a whole semester to shrink my list of choices. Initially, I became frustrated by not being able to find a group of classes that related. I was tired of answering the, “What’s your concentration?” question with “undecided.” But I learned that my unplanned process was not as pointless as I thought. By second semester, I had become a master shopper. I’d know within 30 minutes if a class

you from finding the right concentration, while more open schools like Brown push you to find a concentration within the short span of four years because you have no general requirements to get in the way. Even if my degree from Brown is considered impressive, I would still like it to represent something I am passionate about and reflect who I am as a person. But how do you pick a concentration in such a small amount of time? I used to think that experience

Being ‘planless’ is the best way to approach each semester. fect idea until I entered my freshman year. Classes on love, art and death all sparked my interest, so I took a chance. My head flooded with new possibilities. Did I really want to be a doctor, or did it merely seem like the right thing to do? Time dissipated while I followed everyone’s advice to “explore my interests.” Even with shopping period, I still found myself in classes that weren’t as interesting as they initial-

was meant for me. I did not have a specific concentration in mind yet, but I knew if I liked math more than science. College is only four years, and even one of the most flexible schools in the nation won’t allow you to graduate with a mix of random classes. Now, I am in no way arguing against the open curriculum. If anything, going to a school with a more strict set of guidelines could hinder

was the answer to this question. I even interned at a pediatrician’s office this summer in hopes that I’d one day wake up and say, “I want to be a doctor!” The issue is that certain jobs like those in the medical field don’t offer a lot of experience to undergraduate students. During my time at the internship, I followed and followed and followed some more. It was interesting watching, but I had the urge to get hands-on experience.

How could I tell if this is something I want to do during my four undergraduate years with no experience in the field? The answer lies in doing what you want. The decision comes down to you and what you feel in your heart (hopefully by the declaration date). I haven’t experienced this feeling yet, but I imagine that finding the perfect concentration and career is equivalent to stepping onto a college campus and knowing it is where you belong. You can read thousands of articles, take every personality test out there and even shop every class at Brown. While these may get you closer, there is no perfect formula to finding a concentration that fits you. Some of us unfortunately won’t like the choice we made in about five years, but we will remember the experiences at Brown that shaped us. This is why I’ve decided to take the pressure off myself about finding a major and focus on “college-ing.” I’d hate to waste the “four best years of my life” refreshing Banner.

Maya Lennon ’18 always wants a Blue Room muffin.

Brown’s oppressed minority M. DZHALI MAIER opinions columnist

I write to you from the frontlines of a losing battle. I’m a Brown student, and I am oppressed. Horribly oppressed. Invaders with an agenda, who think they know best and seek to implement their ideas and beliefs upon unwilling others, are at my front door. The ideological imperialists to whom I refer are the politically liberal and social justice- minded students of this fine university. I have recently read many an article discussing the issues of political correctness and freedom of speech on college campuses. All the discussion points raised around the issue are very important and critical, but I fear that there are discrete sectors of the student population that are being left out of the conversation, silenced. They are rarely, if ever, even given a chance to speak and, when they do, their words are sneered at and disregarded, trampled by a stampede of condescension and derision. This oppressed minority consists of students with autism or who are on the autism spectrum. Such students, through no fault of their own, have difficulty interpreting, understanding or empathizing with the thoughts, experiences and emotions of other people. Through no fault of their own, they struggle to think with their hearts. For these people, myself among them, life at Brown is often a living hell. The worst of the oppression, cruelty that can

drive one to suicide, comes socially. Many people with autism, or who are on the spectrum are social space cadets. Not only do I have a very hard time reading and understanding social situations, but I am virtually incapable of political correctness. “Being offensive” or “taking offense” has no meaning to me. All I care about is the strength of an argument. If something doesn’t follow logically, I will always call it out, for I want to fully understand it. For better or for worse, I am dedicated to reason, since I can interpret no other way. Unfortunately, the loudest voices at Brown seem not to make sense a lot of the time. They

ty and acceptance of all people, is downright hostile to people with autism. People who see the reasoning, and the staggering logistical, philosophical and moral complexity of ensuring safety and acceptance for all. I have yet to find a political cause or point of advocacy that is airtight. Microaggressions, trigger warnings, “check your privilege,” multiculturalism, cultural appropriation, gender spectrum, spiritualism, animal rights, protests, the social construction of virtually everything, human rights, indigenous rights, rights for the homeless, feminism, Black Lives Matter, the list goes on. They all have

The worst part is not knowing. Not knowing who is going to snap, or what’s going to set people off, leaves my autistic self under siege. are hypocritical. They oversimplify. They commit logical fallacy after logical fallacy. I call it out, whenever I get a chance, in a civil manner, with the hallmarks of critical thinking and good, fair argument, and I usually get shouted at. The worst part is not knowing. Not knowing who is going to snap or what’s going to set people off leaves my autistic self under siege. It is psychological torture. Being doomed to make the wrong choice repeatedly and get viciously rebuked for it, I haven’t made many friends here. I don’t partake in activities or clubs, nor do I speak in class. The Brown student body, in its radical and aggressive demands for safe-

their problems. Somewhere, the pure logic of all these advocacy points falls apart. Feminists run up against transgender activists, LGBTQ rights advocates conflict with critics of Western “imperial domination” in the Middle East. Microvictims of microaggressions are, themselves, microaggressors of other microvictims. Most unfortunately, Brown’s social justice advocates take on the guise of imperialists of the mind, absolutely rejecting any deviation from left wing ideology, Brown’s norm of idealism and utopianism. I’ve been told to “stop theorizing people’s lives,” to “stop being a bigot/homophobe/transphobe/racist” and basi-

cally to shut up and stop spreading the plagues of skepticism, reason and logic. I trust the evidence. I am skeptical of presupposition. Demanding that I “show a little compassion” (whatever that means) or “stop theorizing” or “empathize with someone’s situation” is basically demanding that I not exist at all. Perhaps the most stifling of rational debate is when I am told that I “simply do not have the capacity and ability to partake in discussion.” I take this to be the result of someone misinformed about autism. I don’t have a problem with the statement, but it does strike me that those who tell me this would never say the same thing to a black person or a person with Down syndrome or a woman or a homeless person. Another contradiction. By all outward appearances, I want the same world as the most ardent of Brown’s social justice advocates. I want creativity, I want homeless people to have houses, I want to end oppression of women and of the poor, I want science and behavioral genetics to ensure that there will never again be another Ferguson. But I want more people educated and rational. I also want skepticism and logical consistency. I want to know what is fact and what is speculation. I want to know what is assumed. Above all, I want reason, and I want to not be shouted down when I poke holes in the logical structure of a topic of advocacy. I must do so, for that is the only way I can understand anything at all.

M. Dzhali Maier ’17 studies science and society.

ARTS AND CULTURE THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2015

‘Phoenix’ details rebirth amid rubble of postwar Germany Holocaust survivor discovers past secrets, assumes new identity in German thriller

By CAMILLA BRANDFIELD-HARVEY STAFF WRITER

Christian Petzold’s German thriller “Phoenix,” which ended its run at the Avon Cinema last week, plays extensively with its namesake’s symbolism. Emerging from Greek mythology, the phoenix signifies rebirth, or resurrection. The landscape, characters and narrative of the thriller fittingly gasp for the first breath of new life after World War II. The set, designed and decorated by Kade Gruber and Christin Busse respectively, echoes those of the Trummerfilm. This genre of postwar European film utilized the rubble of bombed out cities, particularly Berlin, to emphasize the stark reality of the conflict and its consequences for

REVIEW

survivors. Nelly, played by Nina Hoss, is one such survivor. A former nightclub singer, Nelly returns home from a German concentration camp with a disfigured face — the victim of a gunshot wound — and no remaining family. She is the sole survivor of a lost life, save for a friend Lene — played by Nina Kunzendorf, who works tirelessly to help Nelly rehabituate — and Nelly’s husband Johnny, played by Ronald Zehrfeld, who staunchly believed his wife died at the camp. Nelly receives reconstructive surgery and strives to reignite her marriage with Johnny, two of the film’s prominent emblems of ruincum-rebirth. But when the doctor asks her whom she wishes to resemble — her face is apparently so contorted that she is a blank slate for design — Nelly insists that she look like her former self. Nelly’s request to regain her features and her desperate desire to return to the way things were challenge notions of rebirth, speaking to the tension between reconciling

the past and pursuing the future in a country crippled by economic and moral despair. The thrill of the film hinges on the twisted relationship between Johnny and Nelly, as Johnny enlists Nelly, who now goes by Eva, to play the role of his wife to friends and officials in order to obtain her large inheritance. When Lene shares devastating information about Johnny, Nelly’s marriage and the film slowly and heart-wrenchingly unravel. Hoss, Zehrfeld and Kunzendorf perform each role with gripping authenticity. Petzold’s characters converse largely through twitching facial expressions and startled or somber eyes. Words in this postwar Germany seem evasive; they feel heavy and difficult to articulate. Nelly’s vulnerability, confusion and ultimate redemption mirror her country’s as it struggles to find its footing amid destruction. “Phoenix” explores what is left unsaid and navigates what must be said about returning to a place and to people who have done you wrong.

RYAN WALSH / HERALD

“Phoenix” tells the story of a Holocaust survivor who recieves reconstructive surgery to repair a gunshot wound on her face.