Thursday, November 12, 2015 by The Brown Daily Herald

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015

VOLUME CL, ISSUE 105

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SEAS recognizes accessibility ED PLME applications fall by 40 percent At around 3,000, overall challenges of Wilson Hall Early decision applications to the SEAS Director Catherine Axe ’87 addresses concern with Undergraduate Council of Students By MATTHEW JARRELL STAFF WRITER

Wilson Hall is a “nemesis” of Student and Employee Accessibility Services due to its lack of handicapped access, SEAS Director Catherine Axe ’87 told the Undergraduate Council of Students at its general body meeting Wednesday. Axe discussed student support services with the council along with Director of Health Services Unab Khan and University Chaplain Janet Cooper Nelson. The heavily used, centrally located academic building needs an “entire overhaul,” Axe said. The high front steps outside and the additional stairs inside make Wilson the least accessible building on campus, she added. Wilson has become an issue for administrators as well as students registered with SEAS, Axe said. When a student registered with SEAS enrolls in a class held in Wilson, SEAS ensures that the Office of the Registrar changes the location. “We take classes out of there all the time,” she said.

Axe recommended that student groups avoid holding events in the building and encouraged UCS general body members to be vocal in pushing for the building’s renovation. In her remarks to the council, Khan explained why Counseling and Psychological Services was moved under the umbrella of Health Services this summer. The goal of the integration was to “provide care in a more holistic fashion,” she said. But the ultimate aim is to allow for a service in which conditions like headaches and depression can be treated simultaneously without the student needing multiple consultations, Khan said. Mental and physical conditions should both be regarded without stigma, she added. The integration will allow Health Services to pool its resources and improve efficiency, Khan said. “We won’t be trying to do the same thing in two different places,” she said. Minoshka Narayan ’18, a UCS general body member, asked whether confidential information will now be shared between CAPS and Health Services. While steps have not been taken thus far, sharing of information makes sense long-term, Khan said. Cooper Nelson spoke about an » See UCS, page 4

early applicant pool remains consistent with previous admission cycles By AGNES CHAN

Program in Liberal Medical Education Though the number of early PLME applications has hovered around 400 for the past several admission cycles, only 250 students applied early to the program for the class of 2020. 500 applicants

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Early decision applications to Brown’s Program in Liberal Medical Education dropped from 410 last year to 250 for the class of 2020, said Dean of Admission Jim Miller ’73. The drop was expected, given a change in the early decision policy for PLME applicants, he said. The PLME applicants join a total early application pool of about 3,000 students, Miller said, though he declined to disclose the exact number. In previous admission cycles, early decision PLME applicants could decide if they wanted to be considered for binding early admission to the College if they were not admitted to PLME. But under the new policy, applicants no longer have this decision: Those who are not admitted to PLME but are admitted to the College are required to attend the College, according to the Office of Admission’s website. The policy was changed to simplify the early decision application because “a number of applicants were

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Class of Class of Class of 2018 2019 2020 Source: Jim Miller ’73, dean of admission JILLIAN LANNEY / HERALD

confused about the option and were not sure what they were committing to,” Miller wrote in an email to The Herald. He added that while the drop in early applications was anticipated, the University expects the number of PLME applicants to increase in the regular decision pool. The size of this year’s overall early applicant pool remained fairly constant from previous admission cycles, Miller said. Last year, the University saw the second largest early decision

pool in its history at 3,016 students. The year before, the University received a record-high 3,088 early applications. If this year’s regular decision pool remains on trend with previous years, the overall pool will likely be similar to last year’s 30,397 applicants. “Early decision represents about 10 percent of our overall applicants,” Miller said. This year’s application was slightly shorter than that of previous years, as » See ADMISSION, page 2

For CS concentrators, ideas become apps Unpaid wages reveal gaps in Students develop apps labor programs for disabled for services such as anonymous messaging, unblocked Internet By ELENA WEISSMANN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Over the last five years, the number of computer science degrees awarded has risen by over 200 percent, increasing from 40 in 2011 to 100 last spring. For some computer science concentrators, learning is not limited to the classroom, as they apply their skills to the development of Android and iOS apps. The purposes of these apps — such as directing users to the nearest food venue or providing unblocked Internet access — can start out as simple ideas but transform into major ventures.

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

Chorus As a “social network for collaborative songwriting,” Chorus allows musicians from around the world to post original tracks and contribute to other users’ tracks, said Matt Cooper

INSIDE

’18, a computer science concentrator who has been developing the app since June 2014. Users can accept or reject musical contributions to their tracks — if accepted, the additions are layered over the original recording, Cooper said. “Musicians are really passionate about their art, but it’s hard to find co-creators who gel with their vision and hard for college students to find the time to create music together,” Cooper said. “So we’re trying to fix it by opening up this creative pool to everyone in the world,” he added. Cooper and his friend Max Sternlicht ’18 worked on the app last summer in the University’s inaugural Summer Breakthrough Lab, a pilot program that provides mentoring and resources to students interested in transforming a personal project into a venture. Cooper and Sternlicht received $4,000 of funding from B-Lab and an additional $4,000 from the Brown Venture Fellowship — some of which they used to hire a private back-end developer. Cooper said he hopes music publishers will use his app to find and buy original tracks. If music publishers were to purchase a track, the rights

Though R.I. reached consent decree with U.S. Department of Justice last year, problems persist By MARIAH KENNEDY CUOMO STAFF WRITER

Intellectually and developmentally disabled workers within Rhode Island sheltered workshops — institutions that employ mainly individuals with disabilities — are still being abused on the job, despite the announcement of a consent decree with the state by the U.S. Department of Justice. The decree was issued in April 2014 after a series of stories relating to the exploitation of I/DD workers. After Charles Moseley, the case’s court monitor, issued a positive progress report Sept. 17, incidents such as one autistic Providence man going unpaid for over a year came to light, provide a reminder of problems deeply ingrained within the system.

METRO

POST- MAGAZINE

The consent decree The 2014 consent decree requires Rhode Island to reform the state’s services for intellectually and developmentally disabled adults over a 10-year period, The Herald previously reported. It stated that Rhode Island’s services for I/DD adults were highly ineffective, created “unjustified isolation” of people who desired integrated employment and left I/DD youth at “serious risk” of future segregation. These services were deemed violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. The DOJ reported that 80 percent of I/DD individuals in the state worked in sheltered workshops or in facility-based day programs, and 46 percent did so for over 10 years. They earned an average wage of $2.21 per hour — minimum wage in Rhode Island is currently $9. The decree stipulated that within 10 years, the state must make 2,000 supported employment placements, in which I/DD employees must be able to interact with non-disabled workers, be paid at least the minimum wage and be » See EMPLOYMENT, page 2

WEATHER

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015

UNIVERSITY NEWS Panel sponsored by HOPE, Health Leads addresses issues faced by the homeless in Providence BACK

would be split among the contributors, he said. “There are currently 16,000 pro song-writers and composers in the United States,” Cooper said. “If we had just a reasonable network size, we would have a lot of quality music being produced.” Cooper and Sternlicht aim to launch the app next semester and to specifically target a user base of students from Brown, the Rhode Island School of Design and Berklee College of Music. Cooper’s team may also host concerts on campus as part of a promotional effort. Cooper said he is trying to recruit some “big artists,” such as Aer, to publish a chord progression or beat on Chorus so fans can personally contribute to the track. The idea came to Cooper when he and a high school friend went to separate colleges and could no longer record music together in person. “I realized that it’s pretty inefficient to write songs with people — they have to live a few miles away from each other,” he said. “Think about the Beatles — how lucky it was that all of them happened » See APPS, page 3

COMMENTARY Simon ’16: Despite pervasive rhetoric, Ivy League students are not as special as they may think

COMMENTARY Al-Salem ’17: Students should educate peers with understanding and kindness, not with anger

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UNIVERSITY NEWS PAGE 2 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015

» EMPLOYMENT, from page 1 able to work the maximum hours they prefer — averaging 20 hours per week. The agreement also necessitates the expansion of outside-of-work services and activities. Each individual must be offered a minimum of 40 work and non-work service hours in total. The progress report Moseley said in the progress report that the state made “significant progress in meeting the many performance benchmarks,” including new infrastructure initiatives, improvements in leadership and increased funding. Moseley reported that the state created new organizations — including the Office of the Consent Decree, the Quality Improvement Initiative, the Sheltered Workshop Conversion Institute and the Conversion Trust Fund — to study the transition from segregated to integrated workplaces for both I/DD individuals. The report highlights EmploymentFirst, a national initiative with a state chapter that provides I/DD families and individuals with a network and information portal focused on implementing person-centered career development plans. Moseley also reported that the state made progress on completing an inter-agency Memorandum of Understanding that supports the interaction among the various agencies tasked with the consent decree, which include the Rhode Island Department of Behavioral Healthcare, Developmental Disabilities and Hospitals, the Rhode Island Department of Education and the Rhode Island Office of Rehabilitative Services. The state added an additional $2 million to support services for people with I/ DD and ceased funding sheltered workshops, Moseley said in the report. More changes in BHDDH As part of its Quality Improvement Initiative, BHDDH has created new prequalifications and training for service providers, according to Rhode Island’s

Consent Decree Coordinator Andrew McQuaide. The changes are based on the national standard and are derived from the core competencies outlined by the Association of Community Rehabilitation Educators and the Association of People Supporting EmploymentFirst, McQuaide said. These quality control initiatives are currently being rolled out, but full implementation will take about one year, McQuaide said. Quality improvement goes beyond licensing. “Licensing is dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s. Quality improvement is how well you are dotting your i’s and crossing your t’s,” McQuaide said. Previous Quality Improvement Initiatives used claims data from service providers, which are “not necessarily the best data,” according to McQuaide who pointed out that the past administration was essentially using bills that didn’t portray real-time data. The BHDDH is working with the court monitor to better determine what qualifies as an integrated job, McQuaide said. The administration is reviewing programs to ensure they demonstrate not only more individuals in integrated jobs but also that the jobs are “a good fit for the individual themselves.” Caleb Dyl Resources for Human Development is one service organization under investigation by the BHDDH for the organization’s failure to support a client. Caleb Dyl, a 21-year-old autistic man worked from August 2014 to July 2015 as a preparation cook at an Applebee’s in Pawtucket three days per week. RHD, a nationwide social services nonprofit funded and licensed by BHDDH, facilitated Dyl’s placement at the restaurant. Dyl began work as part of a training program, but after being visited by a work coach who deemed Dyl a “tireless worker,” Dyl was to begin receiving minimum wage salary in August 2014. His first paycheck came over a year later, in September 2015, only after Applebee’s was contacted by WPRI regarding Dyl’s unpaid status as part of an investigative

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD story. RHD did not respond to multiple requests for comment. “There were miscommunications all around” between RHD, Applebee’s and the family, said Linda Reilly, chief community relations officer at BHDDH. “Someone might have thought someone else was taking care of things, but as it turned out, it was just falling between the cracks.” The BHDDH’s Quality Assurance/Improvement Unit began an investigation when they were notified of the issue, Reilly said. “It certainly was an unpleasant reminder of the sense of urgency related to all of the work that has been established by the consent decree,” McQuaide said. This incident was a reminder of the long history of abuse that I/DD people within the state have undergone, McQuaide said, referring to Training Thru Placement, a sheltered workshop that abused subminimum wage laws in Providence. “I wish that I could say that Caleb is unique, … but as we saw at TTP, it is not unprecedented in Rhode Island for intellectually and developmentally disabled people to be exploited, particularly when it comes to wages.” McQuaide likens the shift of settings from de-institutionalization of I/ DD individuals in the 1970s to today’s shift from sheltered workshops to integrated work. “It’s a philosophy and a policy,” McQuaide said, adding that there are lessons to be learned and that he wants the “department to think about employment as … integral, to the same extent that employment is integral to most of the people across the country. We are saying that employment should be equally integral to all of the people that we serve through the department.”

» ADMISSION, from page 1 applicants had to write fewer supplements, he said. Miller estimated that 170 athletes applied early decision this year — a number consistent with previous years, he said. Fifty-eight students applied to the Brown/RISD Dual Degree Program. Though this number is similar to last year’s 59, it marks an almost 25 percent drop from the 77 applications received for the class of 2018. Applicants hailing from abroad make up 16 percent of the applicant pool. The highest numbers of international applicants came from China, Korea, India, the United Kingdom and Singapore, in that order. Applicants from the South, Midwest, Mountain states and Central states make up 13, 8, 2 and 1 percent of the applicant pool, respectively. Twenty percent of applicants come from New England, and 14 percent are from California. Miller said the most popular intended concentrations — biology, engineering, international relations and business, entrepreneurship and organizations — remained consistent with last year’s. Across the four main concentration areas, 28 percent of applicants noted an intent to concentrate in social sciences, 24 percent in life and medical sciences, 22 percent in physical sciences and 18 percent in humanities. Eight percent are undecided, down from last year’s 16 percent. The Admission Office will begin reviewing applications around

Thanksgiving, Miller said. Decisions will likely be sent out during the second week of December. Early applicants constituted 38 percent of the class of 2019 — the lowest percentage of the Ivies that have a binding early decision policy. The percentages for Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth and Penn were 45, 41, 43 and 54 respectively. Harvard, Princeton and Yale have non-binding early action policies. Ashvini Melkote, a high school senior from West Hartford, Connecticut, who applied early, said she was attracted to Brown by the open curriculum. “I want to do neuroscience, but I also want to have a really good liberal arts experience,” she said, adding that the open curriculum would allow her to personalize her education. Brittany Stinson, of Wilmington, Delaware, also said the open curriculum would allow her to “take academic risks,” adding, “As cheesy as it sounds, while I was doing research, I felt that I could really see myself there.” Fei Han Xie, a student from China who is currently attending high school in Washington D.C., said he chose to apply early to Brown because of its applied mathematics program. Xie said that while other schools teach only traditional, formulaic math, Brown’s applied mathematics is “pragmatic” and emphasizes the “real world applications” of the subject. Xie recalled visiting Brown and seeing Dean of the College Maud Mandel handing out snacks to students on the Main Green. “At Brown, they are really welcoming,” he said.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» APPS, from page 1 to live in Liverpool at the same time,” he added. “But how many bands have we missed out on because the right combination of people have not lived close enough?” Food Compass An app developed by Trushitha Narla ’18 points users in the direction of food — literally. Like Yelp, Food Compass provides users with a list of nearby food venues. “But then when you tap the restaurant you want, it will provide you with a compass that guides you to the food source,” said Narla, who developed the app as part of a team at a University of Michigan Hackathon last winter. While other members of the team worked on the Android version, Narla created the iOS version, which will likely be made available in the iTunes App Store for free within a few weeks. “Imagine if you’re walking on Thayer (Street), you want pizza and you’re not familiar with the area — the app will just point you to where you want to go,” Narla said. “This focuses on food and getting you there as fast as possible.” Narla said she hopes to develop a second version of the app that will function on the Apple Watch and provide users with a map in addition to the compass. Narla interned at Uber over the summer and applied for internships at Facebook and Pixar for this summer. In her application to Pixar, Narla

noted her additional recent work on computer games and 3D animations, including a flying robot bird. FanWall Bill Wang ’17.5 took this semester off from Brown to focus on FanWall, an iOS app that lets users connect to secure, unblocked Internet free of charge. Wang, a joint applied math-computer science concentrator, launched the app three months ago. It now has over 200,000 users. “Many websites are blocked in China, including Facebook, Google and Instagram — sites people use daily at Brown,” Wang said. “So there’s this huge demand for this in China. At the same time, there are people from Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and other Arabic countries who are also using the app because of similar government-imposed blocking,” he said. FanWall provides access to free, unblocked Internet by connecting people to one of many servers located around the world, Wang said. Most of the servers run on Amazon Cloud — a service for which Wang pays. Due to the increasing number of users, the server cost has risen, Wang said. “Every month, I look at my Amazon bill, and it’s torture,” he said. As a result, Wang recently submitted a new version of FanWall to the App Store that will charge each user $1 per month, generating a substantial financial income as the user base continues to grow. The app’s name involves wordplay, Wang said. “Fan” is the Chinese word for “unblocking,” while “wall” is a

nickname for the Chinese government’s blocking of websites — referred to as “the great firewall.” But taking down the wall was not Wang’s initial motivation. “I was actually hoping to create an Internet speed booster so people could access any website anywhere — but slowly people started to realize that my server also enables them to access websites that are often blocked within certain regions,” he said, adding that this contributed to the speed with which FanWall gained users. Though several venture capital firms were interested in funding the project, Wang said he declined the offers because he hopes to return to Brown in the spring. “If I take their money, I have a responsibility to keep growing the project,” he said. To compromise, Wang said he aims to make FanWall automatic by the end of December so that he can both return to school and continue running the app. Whoflew The anonymous messaging app Whoflew was designed to “provide users with as much control as possible over messages,” said Eric Rosen ’18, a joint mathematics-computer science concentrator who developed the app last summer. Upon a user’s request, the free app generates a random username — for example, “bright monkey” or “shy cloud.” Anyone who knows the username can type it into the app and connect to that user for a certain amount of time, Rosen said.

COURTESY OF MATT COOPER, TRUSHITA NARLA, BILL WANG AND ERIC ROSEN

Clockwise from top left, Matt Cooper ’18, Trushitha Narla ’18, Eric Rosen ’18 and Bill Wang ’17.5 developed original apps to meet unique demands. Either person can delete the conversation from both phones at any time. After deletion, individuals cannot connect to each other again through the same username. “It’s meant to be a secure platform for whatever messaging you want to do,” Rosen said. “For example, if you would like to contact a seller on Ebay or Craigslist but do not want to give out any personal contact information, Whoflew is a convenient, anonymous way to have that conversation,” he added. Rosen developed the app over the summer along with two friends from

his hometown. “We all really like to program, so it’s been a fun project,” he said. Launched in early August, the app now has around 100 users, though Rosen said he hopes to expand the user base this year through marketing on campus. “There are many uses for Whoflew — for example, companies could use it as a way for employees and customers to deliver quick, anonymous feedback,” Rosen said. “But I can see the app as being used for slightly more nefarious activities,” he added.

UNIVERSITY NEWS PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Spotlight on the Statehouse BY ALEXANDER BLUM, METRO EDITOR

Rhode Island government gets low grade for integrity The Center for Public Integrity, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that seeks to use investigative journalism to expose abuses of power, gave Rhode Island a “D+” in its 2015 State Integrity Investigation. But despite the low mark, the Ocean State was still fifth best in the nation, as only three states scored higher than a “D+”, according to the group’s website. The relatively high ranking “speaks more to greater problems elsewhere than a tailwind of progress in the Ocean State,” according to the investigative report. Corruption in state politics is not a recent development in Rhode Island. “There’s corruption in the city of Providence today, yesterday and it’ll probably be there tomorrow. … Anybody who doesn’t think it exists is crazy,” said former Mayor Vincent “Buddy” Cianci during a 2011 lecture at Brown. Cianci had his first mayoral term cut short when he resigned after pleading guilty to assault charges. His second stint concluded with a racketeering conviction that ultimately led to five years in federal prison, The Herald previously reported. More recently, former Speaker of the House Gordon Fox was found guilty of corruption and was sentenced to three years in federal prison. Violence downtown has raised also questions about the integrity of the Providence Board of Licenses, The Herald reported Nov. 5. Former state representative and former Providence City Councilman Leon Tejada pleaded guilty Monday to tax and wire fraud charges, withholding more than $50,000 from the federal government, the Providence Journal reported.

Veterans Day destruction Though a variety of parades, celebrations and ceremonies — some of which will continue through Nov. 21 — marked Veterans Day in Rhode Island and nationwide, the holiday was marred by the destruction of graves in Pleasant Hill Cemetery in West Bridgewater, Massachussetts, WPRI reported Monday. “This is the fourth time since 2012 that we’ve had vandalism,” said Lauren Delaney, caretaker of the cemetery, according to WPRI. “And 95 percent of the stones hit have been veterans.” According to the article, workers found several pushed over headstones, broken pottery pieces and broken decorative flags Sunday. “It’s just disgraceful,” said Lt. Victor Flaherty of the West Bridgewater Police Department, adding that people with tips should contact the police, WPRI reported.

Paying for last year’s snow … just in time for this year’s winter Rhode Island was awarded an additional $2.37 million Tuesday from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help reimburse the state’s Department of Transportation for expenses incurred during a severe winter storm Jan. 26-28, according to a press release. The storm was declared a major disaster by President Obama April 3. The federal reimbursements now sum over $6.4 million, according to the press release. In all, these funds cover 75 percent of all eligible expenses incurred during the storm. “This emergency allocation of more than $2.3 million will significantly help our state in improving infrastructure and recovering funds spent on unforeseen repairs necessitated by severe winter weather,” said U.S. Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., in the release. Though the University will not receive any federal reimbursement money, it, too, faced higher costs this past winter: The $625,000 spent by the University marked a $190,000 increase from the previous year’s budget, which was already significantly higher than the $275,000 annual average over the previous seven years, The Herald reported in April.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» UCS, from page 1 initiative of the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life that involved bringing two alums whose spiritual backgrounds have had an impact on their professional careers to campus

for a week-long conference. Cooper Nelson emphasized the role of the Office of the Chaplains as an intermediary that can connect students with other University services. Unlike Meiklejohn Peer Advisors and Residential Peer Advisors, the Office

of the Chaplains is not obligated to report concerns regarding students to relevant University authorities, she said. But if students demonstrate a desire to be put in touch with services like CAPS or SEAS, the office assists them, she added.

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TODAY

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

a n g e l l s t r e e t b lu e s

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizzas: BBQ Bam Bam, Na’cho, Spicy Five Cheese and Garlic JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Made-to-Order Quesadillas

Soups: Turkey Chili, Chicken Artichoke Florentine, Vegetable

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Cheese Ravioli with Vodka Sauce, Chicken Broccoli Alfredo, Rice Krispie Treats with M&Ms

Pasta Bean Bake, Roasted Vegetable Lasagna, Cavatini, Roast Beef au Jus

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

BBQ Beef on a Bun, Cheese Tortellini, Onion Rings, BBQ Navy Beans, Sugar Cookies

Chicken Pesto Pasta, Tofu Parmesan, Macaroni Shells, Brownies

sudoku

crossword

ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD

A soft rain fell on campus early Wednesday afternoon as cars drove along Angell Street, passing the Brown Bookstore on the right and English Cellar Alehouse on the left on their way up College Hill.

comic Ampersand | Wasita Mahaphanit ’18

calendar TODAY

NOVEMBER

BlackOut at Brown 12:00 P.M. Van Wickle Gates

Brown in France Info Session 12:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson 440

How Much Money is Enough? 1:00 P.M. Salomon Center 003

Trans Week Clothing Swap All Day Faunce 321

TOMORROW

Campus Center Birthday Party 12:00 P.M. Faunce, Leung Gallery

Kaffestunde (German Coffee Hour) 3:00 P.M. 190 Hope Street

UNICEF Movie Screening: The Good Lie 6:30 P.M. Smith-Buonanno 106

Un Sueno Surrealista 10:00 P.M. Machado House

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

CORRECTIONS An article in Wednesday’s Herald (“‘Animation Show of Shows’ displays stylistically diverse shorts,” Nov. 11) misstated that solar-powered robots in Don Hertzfeldt’s animation feared death. In fact, they feared the dark side of the moon. The Herald regrets the error. Due to a data processing error, an article in Wednesday’s Herald (“Fall 2015 Poll Results and Methodology,” Nov. 11) misreported some data from The Herald’s October 2015 poll. No individual percentages were off by more than 0.5 percentage points. Additionally, a graphic entitled “Which of the following describes your relationship history to the best of your knowledge? (Check all that apply)” used incorrect data and was mislabeled. The Herald regrets the errors. Due to a data processing error, an article in Wednesday’s Herald (“Under pressure: CAPS strains to support students’ mental health needs,” Nov. 11) misstated that The Herald’s October 2015 poll did not find a statistically significant correlation between CAPS usage and race due to a data processing error. In fact, it was statistically significant that black students were more than twice as likely to have reached the seven-session limit and to have received outside help. The Herald regrets the error.

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COMMENTARY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

I’ll have the special CHAD SIMON opinions editor

I don’t remember too much of my freshman orientation. It was both four years ago and, well, let’s just leave it at it being four years ago. And yet I have the distinct displeasure of vividly remembering one particular orientation session led by two faculty members, which was attended by what appeared to be a large percentage of the freshman class. We were bombarded with empty rhetoric on tradition, education, exploration, success and a smattering of buzzwords best left for corporate America. Then, one of the session leaders posed such a nauseating question that I knew, from that point on, I’d have to be killed three times over to ever rinse it from memory: “How many of you think you’re special?” “Raise your hand if you think you’re special.” He was serious. Several students raised their hands — many presumably had the gall to think about it. He reassured the remaining pupils in the auditorium that we were all special, which naturally stroked our vulnerable freshman egos, and thus the brainwashing merrily continued. But for the duration of the assembly I wanted to vomit. Then I wanted to burst into fits of hysterical laughter. Then I wanted to cut loose and walk

out. But I was seated in the front row, and that would have been impolite. So I composed myself and wept internally. The word “special” has become a recursive incantation of educators, parents, Lady Gaga and the Disney Channel. Its use is hijacked daily by doting mothers and fathers whenever some devilish impulse compels them to describe their children in Faberge detail, which happens all but too infrequently for my patience. Children

years old, prematurely bore a son who died in infancy? Pardon me, those all referred to Oprah. But I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t think Nelson Mandela’s 27 years in prison or Malala Yousafzai’s gun wound to the face ever made either of them feel special. No, I am convinced the word “special” and the sentiment behind it should be reserved for individuals who do something extraordinary with their lives. I would not award anyone’s

are not only taught that they’re special but also inculcated with this idea from day negative one of their freshman year. With class sizes of well over 1,000, we cannot possibly all be special. We cannot all become president of the United States. We cannot all win a Nobel Prize. We cannot all ascend to CEO of a Fortune 500 company, cure cancer, eradicate poverty, summer with royalty, get away with using the word “summer” as a verb, be the face

There’s nothing wrong with challenging yourself just a little bit less and accepting the truth that perhaps you just aren’t the kind of special you were led to believe. are taught from an early age that they can do anything, be anything and — most criminally — have everything. They all get older, but they don’t grow up. They all think they’re special. Well, let me tell you who’s special: Oprah Winfrey, Nelson Mandela and Malala Yousafzai to name a few. And how many times do you think any of these international role models were ever told they were special growing up? Was it the one raised in the backwoods of Mississippi in abject poverty? Was it the one molested by relatives? Or was it the one who, at just 14

life the accolade of being considered extraordinary unless I changed my personal definition of the word to include anyone who accomplishes a feat that’s concomitantly achieved by approximately 14,000 separate individuals, which just so happens to be the total number of undergraduates matriculating at Ivy League institutions each and every year. There’s a difference between being special and being privileged, lucky and intelligent. But it’s a difference that becomes muddled in the Ivy League, where apparently students

of a new political movement (how many can possibly be left?), make $1 billion or — preferably — inherit $1 billion. Nor can we all be the underdog from Louisville, Kentucky, who becomes an instant star-spangled American hero after intercepting a homebound nuclear missile with a makeshift slingshot. We all have dreams. And we all bring them with us to college. Some of them will come to fruition, but many will be crushed. Or more palatably put, “reevaluated.” One can argue college affords you

time to figure out who you are as a person and what you want to do with the rest of your life. But one can argue more logically that college offers you four full years to figure out who you aren’t and what you will likely never become. That’s what makes college so brutally efficient. I’m choosing to take a realistic approach to the disquieting, nagging truth that we’ve all become so expert at avoiding: reality. I know you’re not supposed to say this, but there’s nothing wrong with putting your dreams on the permanent back burner. There’s nothing wrong with ending the pursuit of something that’s been the source of so much strife, frustration and unfulfillment. In other words, there’s nothing wrong with challenging yourself just a little bit less and accepting the truth that perhaps you just aren’t the kind of special you were led to believe. I recognize that saying this is also unpatriotic — it agitates the very notion of the American dream: Work hard and prosper. Well, I’d like to ask our nation’s leaders to define “prosper” and then define for whom. Lest we want to send every discontented, disillusioned Ivy League student into a stunted state of academic paralysis and depression — whoops! Too late.

Chad Simon ’16 can be reached at chad_simon@brown.edu.

Passionate should not equal mean SARA AL-SALEM opinions columnist

By now we have all had at least one conversation about political correctness at Brown and whether it stifles real dialogue — it’s a topic that frustrates many but never seems to improve. But while many take issue with our inadvertently anti-liberal atmosphere, I take more issue with how Brown students think they should deliver their points. Brown students seem to reward those who take glee at barking other people down instead of those who calmly express a perspective. On both sides of the ideological spectrum, they take their position to such an extreme that they no longer appear to listen to or recognize a contrasting opinion. My biggest issue with these individuals is their ruthlessness when it comes to those who may not be as knowledgeable about specific topics. Instead of addressing ignorance with understanding and a desire to inform, they bash those whom they perceive as ignorant with petty, high-school bully attacks. Some students on campus who are labeled as extreme advocates for a cause are nothing short of a human version of a YouTube comment. This is harmful behavior not only because these students lose a potential supporter and contribute to a negative image about social justice in its entirety but also because they damage dialogue on campus. Yes, we want more space to discuss freely, but it is more important that we allow those who feel less knowledgeable about certain issues to be able to voice their thoughts and opinions so they

can become more informed. Again, this act of being mean in dialogue is rampant on both sides of the Brown PC debate. Those opposed to the rigid, unspoken limitations on what can be expressed are just as brutal with their side of the argument as

rage of people snapping and saying “Slaaay” in the background, as if tearing down another student is a quality reserved for “cool” people. We are literally enacting scenes from bad movies about high school bullies and their gang of followers, but we mask it under the

Being harsh and brutal will give you an entourage of people snapping and saying “Slaaay” in the background, as if tearing down another student is a quality reserved for “cool” people.

anyone else. It baffles me that anyone thinks it is okay or acceptable to call others out in a way that is unproductive and flat-out mean. The worst part about this aspect of some Brown students is that we tend to glorify meanness and take it as the status quo. Being harsh and brutal will give you an entou-

guise of passionate beliefs. Some will read this op-ed and think I am one of those people who try to silence important causes for some evil, ulterior motive. I will be told the oppressor can’t tell the oppressed how to behave. As a Palestinian supporter, I understand

that. But no one taught me what kindness and hope in the face of oppression look like better than one of my Palestinian professors here at Brown who, time and time again, dealt with anger and hatred with a kind smile and the will to continue to inform. I understand that dealing with those who do not understand your cause is frustrating — but I also understand that there is a bigger picture at hand, one that requires restraint. I am not one to claim I am kind or I know how to be kind. Being kind is sometimes actually very hard, especially when our natural instinct is to be anything but. But I try to go by the basic rule of thumb that I should try to treat people the way I would like to be treated. I apply it to as many aspects of my life as I can, whether at parties, in a classroom or on public transportation. Some people react badly to kindness, and others claim it is a sign of weakness, but it is important to strive for it regardless. In many situations, a lack of kindness pushes people away when it is most vital to have them on your side. We are dealing with human causes, so it is imperative to treat everyone like humans. People will not respond to someone shouting at them that they are dumb and not worth speaking to — and no one ever should. More harm than good is done when we do not take the time to express our perspectives and beliefs in the manner we would want someone to present them to us. If we want a more understanding, united world, then we need to strive for that with every conversation we have.

Sara Al-Salem ’17 can be reached at sara_al-salem@brown.edu.

UNIVERSITY NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015

Panel surveys Providence homelessness crisis Panelists stress importance of ensuring homeless people’s dignity, access to employment By MELISSA CRUZ STAFF WRITER

Outreach workers examined issues that homeless people in Providence struggle with on a daily basis, such as employment prospects and police discrimination, at a panel Wednesday night. Approximately 40 students attended the event, which was held in Wilson Hall 102 and hosted by Health Leads Providence and Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere, a program run by the Swearer Center for Public Service that allows students to engage in advocacy efforts related to homeless populations. The panel opened with a discussion of the systemic causes of homelessness in the United States. The country’s homeless population quadrupled from the 1970s to the 1980s due to “an increase in income inequality and a lack of government action,” said Eric Hirsch, professor of sociology at Providence College. “The homelessness problem is

alive and not so well,” said Barbara Kalil, co-director of the Rhode Island Housing Advocacy Project. The government institutionalized homelessness, said Hirsch, who works for the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless which aims to end veteran homelessness by the end of the month and chronic homelessness by the end of 2016, according to its website. Homeless people in the 1970s and the 1980s had to go through two-year programs to be deemed capable of living in a permanent home, Hirsch said. This program and mandatory classes were meant to ensure that participants were “clean and sober,” he said. But homeless people seeking permanent homes should not be met with “hoops to jump through,” he said. There should be “very low barriers to get into housing,” and those accepted into permanent housing should be supported financially, he added. Kate Miechkowski, an outreach worker at House of Hope, highlighted the Homeless Bill of Rights passed by Rhode Island’s General Assembly, which protects people from housingstatus-based discrimination. Police officers discriminate against homeless people by mistreating them on the streets and threatening to arrest them without cause, she said.

John Freitas, outreach coordinator for RIHAP, noted an instance during the winter in which a police officer told him not to worry about the homeless people he was reaching out to because,“by the end of the night they’ll be popsicles.” Kalil and Freitas were homeless together for six years. They are now advocates for an end to the homelessness crisis. Some people “try to dehumanize us,” Freitas said. “Restoring dignity — that’s the best medicine.” In the question-and-answer session that followed the panel discussion, employment prospects emerged as a focal point of conversation. Several panelists agreed that a problem facing homeless people trying to obtain jobs is that they must bring their backpacks — which hold their life’s belongings — with them at all times. Freitas proposed that a daytime center be created where homeless people could lock up their belongings before attending interviews. “They become the invisible people,” Kalil said. “We look the other way and pretend they’re not there.” The panelists emphasized the significance of daytime activities like employment in homeless people’s lives. “They want to feel normal again. They want to feel human,” Kalil said.