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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016
VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 21
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North House granted one year to fill empty rooms Residential Council gives Environmental Program House extension to fill vacancies after appeal By JACKSON CHAIKEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
LILLY NGUYEN / HERALD
Members of the Undergraduate Council of Students gathered in Petteruti Lounge to hear remarks from Corporation members. UCS brought key student concerns to top administrators and helped secure investment in stipend programs for student members of various University committees.
U. launches funding pilot for student committee members
Title IX Oversight, Advisory Board, Mental Health Community Council to provide student stipends By MATTHEW JARRELL STAFF WRITER
The Mental Health Community Council and Title IX Oversight and Advisory Board will debut a pilot program for research funding this semester. Students serving on those committees will receive stipends for committee-related projects. Members of the MHCC and Title IX OAB will be given the opportunity to work with their committee chairs to propose research initiatives on mental health- and Title IX-related matters and apply for requisite funds, said Undergraduate Council of Students Chief of
Staff Elena Saltzman ’16, who helps oversee the process of student appointments to University committees. For at least the first semester, funds for research will come out of President Christina Paxson’s P’19 office, Saltzman said. The goal is to expand the program’s funding base next year to cover more committees, she added. Nico Sedivy ’17, a member of the Title IX OAB, cited a project in which two students, Will Furuyama ’15 and Katie Byron ’15, interviewed some of those who went through the Title IX process at Brown and submitted their findings to the Sexual Assault Task Force as an example of work that
should be compensated. “At that point … you’re not just doing the University a favor anymore,” Sedivy said. Paxson officially approved the program in December, with logistical details confirmed earlier this month, said UCS President Sazzy Gourley ’16. One project is already seeking researchers, while others are still in development, Gourley added. The MHCC is looking for students to coordinate research and design for a web portal that could help students navigate available University mental health resources. The database will catalogue support services offered through numerous channels including the Office of the Dean of the College, the Office of Student Life, Student and Employee Accessibility Services and Counseling and
Psychological Services, Gourley said. While the projects must come from within the committees, the research positions can be filled by non-committee members, Gourley said. “There may be cases where the gap in knowledge can’t be filled by anyone on the committee, and someone from outside is needed,” he added. Projects will be posted on the Student Job and Internship Board, visible to the community at large. The program launches in the midst of an ongoing debate regarding payment for student work in furtherance of University initiatives. In the dialogue surrounding the Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, students voiced concerns over shouldering the burden of educating the community » See FUNDING, page 2
After an initial vote to evict the Environmental Program House from one of its two locations, North House at 111 Brown Street, the Residential Council decided to allow the EPH to stay for one year, wrote Chair of the Residential Council Sam Rubinstein ’17 in an email to The Herald. The original decision to evict the EPH centered on its inability to fill every bed in North House, said Lance Gloss ’18, housing coordinator for West House, the EPH’s other location. Currently, there is one half-empty double in North House, Gloss added. “Our tenancy in North House was contingent on having filled all of the beds, and this is a piece of information that was lost over the generational cycle through the program,” Gloss said. “We didn’t understand the urgency of it.” A part of the problem is that “the house has a significant share of its current in-house membership graduating or moving off campus for next year,” Rubinstein said. Once the initial decision came out, members of the EPH were surprised but quickly developed a course of action, Gloss said. The EPH put together » See EPH, page 2
Facilities staff shifts hours Miller reflects on intelligent design case after historic trial to adapt to winter climate 11shutyears down creationist Students report mixed experiences with Facilities Management, citing wait times, low heating By SARAH NOVICOFF CONTRIBUTING WRITER
When temperatures dipped to -9 degrees Fahrenheit earlier this month, the Department of Facilities Management responded to 40 student calls of cold rooms and broken heaters, said Stephen Maiorisi, vice president for Facilities Management. Facilities Management, anticipating the freeze, tripled its weekend
INSIDE
staff and called in extra staff as the night wore on. Extra shifts are typically added in the days leading up to an adverse weather condition, with the size of the increase depending on the strength and type of the storm, Maiorisi said. When Cadence Pearce ’19 called Facilities Management to fix the broken heater in her room, they “responded within a couple of hours” and were “very helpful,” she said. Ruiya Du ’19 said she and her roommate were frustrated when they called Facilities Management four times Sunday and twice on Monday, but no one came until late Monday » See FACILITIES, page 12
curriculum, Miller weighs in on science, religion By ELENA RENKEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Kenneth Miller, professor of biology, spoke at the Feb. 13 annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington D.C., where he reviewed the 2005 Kitzmiller v. Dover case, in which he testified as an expert witness. The historic ruling condemns the teaching of intelligent design in public schools as unconstitutional. When the school board in Dover, » See MILLER, page 2
COURTESY OF ART LIEN
During his 2005 testimony in Kitzmiller v. Dover, Professor of Biology Kenneth Miller ’70 P’02 defended the teaching of evolution in classrooms.
WEATHER
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016
SPORTS Baseball begins season with high hopes, aims for first Ivy championship in nearly 10 years
SPORTS Men’s lacrosse sets sights on NCAA tournament on heels of Ivy title last spring
COMMENTARY Savello ’18: Ivy Leaguers should refrain from hiding struggles, be open about daily difficulties
COMMENTARY Al-Salem ’17: People try to mask their sadness but should be honest with themselves, others
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NEWS
PAGE 2 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016
» FUNDING, from page 1 about diversity without compensation. “Students are doing a lot of important research work that only they are really able to do,” Saltzman said. “They want to be compensated for that work.” “I always hear the phrase ‘unpaid labor’ used to refer to the work that students do on committees,” Sedivy said. UCS is in the process of appointing new members to 18 University
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committees this spring, including the MHCC and Title IX OAB. Those two committees will accept one new member each, Saltzman said. Over 100 students submitted 155 applications for appointment to at least one committee and the MHCC received the highest number of applicants, Saltzman said. “It helps to have high-profile committees that students are really excited about,” she added.
ELI WHITE / HERALD
The Environmental Program House failed to fill every bed in its North House, one of two residential spaces reserved for EPH members. The program house has one year to fill vacancies to avoid being evicted.
» EPH, from page 1 a comprehensive plan to fill every bed and recruit more members, he said. Without North House, the EPH would not have enough on-campus spaces to fit its members, Goss added. When the EPH approached the
» MILLER, from page 1
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Pennsylvania demanded that intelligent design be included in biology classes, the district’s teachers refused to comply. In response, the school board formulated a brief lesson on intelligent design. “One day, they sent the assistant superintendent of schools into all the biology classrooms to teach the lesson while the teachers literally, physically stood outside in the hallway,” Miller said. Eleven parents promptly filed a First Amendment lawsuit, and “legal forces lined up on both sides of the case,” Miller said. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Pepper Hamilton firm joined the side of the parents, while the Thomas More Law Center offered to represent the school board. Miller was asked to be an expert witness in the case, so he spent the first two days of the Sept. 2005 trial being cross-examined on the stand. His testimony was designed to attack the arguments of opponents before they even spoke in court, he said. An author of the best-selling biology textbooks in the country, Miller had previously testified in a Georgia case about stickers placed on his textbooks that cautioned students to think critically about the theory of evolution presented in the book. “Parts of it were funny. Several people representing the school board obviously perjured themselves,” Miller said. “Any pretense that intelligent design might have had to be a scientific theory had fallen apart — everyone in the courtroom knew it.” The testimony presented by scientists at the trial was very convincing, said Cornelia Dean, visiting lecturer in environmental studies and a former science editor for the New York Times.
ResCouncil with the plans, the council “seriously consider(ed) granting them an extension of at least a year,” Rubenstein said. After the EPH’s appeal, ResCouncil members voted Thursday not to evict the EPH from North House, Rubinstein said. But the EPH will have to
show they are capable of filling every bed within the next year, he added. “Residential Council will review implementation (of) and compliance with this plan next year and will likely revoke EPH’s status in North House in the future if this plan is not implemented or complied with,” Gloss said.
“It’s important for people to stand up against the deliberate embrace of ignorance,” she added. The news of the judge’s ruling reached Miller while he was on a train months later. “The judge swung for the fences and he basically said intelligent design is entirely a religious idea — it cannot disentangle itself from its religious roots, and therefore it’s constitutionally impermissible,” Miller said. After a few minutes, he realized his phone conversation was “loud and obnoxious” on the crowded train car, but several passengers expressed interest in the news. He ended up “giving a little lecture to about ten people in the back of one of the cars of the Northeast Regional.” “Judge Jones wanted to write a decision that would settle this issue,” Dean said. “He wanted to leave no room for argument or ambiguity, (saying) as explicitly as possible that creationism or intelligent design or any of its ideological cousins are religious ideas that have no place in a publicly finessed science classroom.” “Many people on the other side thought they could kill discussion about the idea of intelligent design by using a federal judge,” said John West, vice president of the Discovery Institute, which supports intelligent design. “Well, this is America. You don’t kill ideas through court decrees. People still can discuss them,” he added. The Discovery Institute encourages teachers to educate students about the current state of science — which may touch on intelligent design — and does “not teach Darwinian theory in some sort of dogmatic manner,” West said. “All we’re asking for in K-12 public education is to give teachers the right and the encouragement to be able to objectively discuss the sort of disputes that are already in the mainstream
science journals,” he added. Science and religious faith are not always seen as compatible, but Miller disagrees with this idea. “The stereotype is stronger among secular people in the United States than it is among religious people that science and religion are unalterably in conflict, but I don’t think they are.” Dean also believes in the compatibility of science and religious faith. She noted the argument made by Stephen Gould in his book “Rocks of Ages: Science and Religion in the Fullness of Life,” which asserts that “there are questions that religion can answer for us, and there are questions science can answer for us, and those groups of questions do not overlap,” Dean said. “That way is a recipe for happiness.” “Religious faith and science are not enemies. I think that they’re friends, and I think they’re harmonious,” West said. “The Kitzmiller case was the first time in a long time that a lot of issues that had been bubbling underneath the surface finally broke out and got national attention,” said Carl Zimmer, columnist for the New York Times and author of 12 science books. “One of the good things that came out of the case was actually that some people became aware of the really interesting scientific research that does show how people evolved,” he added. After the Kitzmiller case, “reporters started to really appreciate that science isn’t just ‘he said, she said,’” Zimmer added. “You actually have to dig deeper and understand what scientists really have figured out — what is true and what isn’t true.” “The Dover case did not kill off interest in intelligent design,” West said. “If anything, it was like throwing gasoline on the fire. We’ve seen even more interest.”
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW Christian Taugner ’17 “might be back better than ever.”
Dylan Molloy ’17 makes a run at the Tewaaraton Trophy.
See TAUGNER, page 8
See MOLLOY, page 6
See BASEBALL, page 4
See M. LAX, page 5
See SOFTBALL, page 5
See W. LAX, page 4
See TENNIS, page 7
See CREW, page 12
SPORTS
PAGE 4 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
BASEBALL
Experienced Bears enter season with eyes on Ivy crown Core of returning position players with healthy pitching staff means spring hope for Bruno By BEN SHUMATE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
For a New England baseball team, every outdoor practice in February represents a gift from Mother Nature. “The schedule will never be an excuse for us — whether or not we can get outside — because there are teams that don’t get outside until they play their first game, and they end up having a great year,” said Head Coach Grant Achilles. “It’s really about the method in which we approach every day and go about our business.” While Brown has benefitted from a relatively mild 2016 winter, the team will open its season with 10 straight road games over the first three weekends of the season. But thanks to a strong core of returning players, the Bears are hoping that the long road stretch will be the start of a successful spring. Returning from last year’s team that finished the year 11-28 overall and 6-14 in the Ivy League are six position players who were regular starters. Leading the way is a pair of veteran outfielders: Rob Henry ’17 and Jake Levine ’16, who led the team in batting average, hitting .363 and .331, respectively. Henry had a standout season as a sophomore: His 58 hits were more than any player in the Ivy League in 2015. His .363 average and 17 doubles were second-best in the league, and he led the team in nearly every other offensive category. Those numbers earned him a place on the all-conference second team. This year, he was Baseball America’s pick for the 2016 preseason player of the year for the Ivy League.
“Rob had a pretty special year last year,” Achilles said. “The notoriety in the media to date is something that shouldn’t bring pressure for him, but it should just bring the expectation of showing up and playing hard every day and then letting the results speak for themselves.” Henry and Levine will undoubtedly be a force in the Bruno lineup, but the returning four out of five regular infielders from last season are perhaps an even greater source of optimism. Josh Huntley ’17, Noah Shulman ’16, Tim McKeithan ’16 and Marc Sredojevic ’17 all played significant innings as starters last season and should be mainstays in the lineup once again. The veteran group emerges as the leadership of the team as it seeks the program’s first Ivy League title since 2007. “You work hard for the first few years, and you see your hard work pay off,” Shulman said. “Now you’re older and finally getting the chance to know that you are being counted on.” “The dynamic of the team has changed in that the leaders are more apparent this year than they ever have been in the past,” said Austin French ’16. Out of the group, Shulman had the best season at the plate, finishing with seven home runs and 28 RBI, the most for any Brown hitter. He should round out Brown’s lineup as one of the team’s more imposing power hitters. Achilles said he has used better recruiting classes each year to push this group of returning players even harder, adding that they did a lot on their own in the offseason to improve. “It seemed like every day I would be walking to my car and I’d see guys walking to the field,” he said. Achilles said he expects all of the team’s freshman to compete for time on the field, but mentioned specifically JJ Sliepka ’19, Matt Beyer ’19, Willy Homza ’19 and Dalton Schroeder ’19 as potential difference-makers.
McKeithan remarked how talented underclassman have had a legitimate effect on the team. “One of the biggest impacts that I’ve seen is just the depth that we’ve gained over the years,” he said. “It has made our practices a lot better, and I think we’re more prepared this year than we ever have been. It makes you more accountable for the work you are putting in.” Brown’s experienced lineup of position players should have no problem producing runs, but the team will likely live or die based on the success of the pitching staff. In 2015, the team ranked in the middle of the conference in nearly every offensive statistic and just as consistently at the bottom for every pitching metric. Brown’s 7.14 teamearned run average put them 281st out of 301 NCAA teams. Luckily, the team isn’t short on experienced pitching. Key returners include French and Reid Anderson ’18. Anderson was second on the team in innings pitched and strikeouts, and posted a team-best three wins in seven starts as a first-year. French pitched 31.1 innings in 2015 over 10 appearances, three of which were starts. Another huge boost for the Bears is the return of Christian Taugner ’17, who missed the entire 2015 season with a torn UCL. Taugner impressed with a breakout rookie season in 2014, racking up 49 strikeouts in 52.2 innings as a regular starter with a teambest 2.39 ERA. The team will rely on Taugner, French and Anderson for innings all season, and they should lead the staff barring injury. Achilles also said that Henry and Sredojevic worked on pitching in the offseason and could see time on the mound away from their normal positions. French said the pitching staff has been motivated by collective struggles in seasons past. “After last year, it was kind of a
ELI WHITE / HERALD
Grant Greeno ’18 strides toward home. Greeno is just one member of a Brown pitching staff that hopes to improve on a shaky 2015 season. wake-up call that things need to get better,” he said. “What we have been is definitely not where we’re going to go this year.” “When we look at the depth of our pitching staff, we probably don’t have one of the deepest groups in the league,” Achilles said. “But I’ll put our guys up against anybody else. If we can just keep the rest of the staff healthy, it’s certainly going to be something that works out better for us.” Brown is especially fortunate to have had competitive preseason practices and good weather as they waste no time squaring off against top competition. The team opens the season March 4-6 in Cary, N.C., at the USA Baseball-Irish Classic, where they will face
Bucknell, Notre Dame and Alabama. The Bears will play a four-game road series at Marshall the next weekend. Before opening their home slate in late March, the team will travel to Orlando to play Central Florida and Bradley. April will be a busy month for the Bears, as they will play 23 games, including all 20 Ivy League contests. As for next weekend’s opening games, the team is going with a different mindset than in years past. “You’re excited to see where you stack up against the best teams in the country,” Shulman said. “Maybe in years past, you’re just hoping for a good game. But this year, we go in thinking we actually have a chance to show the rest of the country what we’re made of.”
W. LACROSSE
Young, dynamic Bears poised for successful 2016 campaign
ELI WHITE / HERALD
Zoe Verni ’19 watches the play develop. She notched her first career points against Iona and is one of eight first-years competing for playing time.
Brown builds early season confidence with wins in season openers against Iona, Central Connecticut By NICHOLAS WEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Coming off a 13-11 win against Iona Saturday and an 8-2 victory over Central Connecticut State Wednesday, the women’s lacrosse team sports a fresh lineup ready to do some real damage in the spring season. After a long pre-
season, Bruno looks to improve on last year’s 1-6 Ivy League record. “It’s an exciting group because everyone for the most part has learned a new system or is in a new position,” said Head Coach Keely McDonald ’00. “There are a lot of new faces at almost every position, so there is certainly going to be a lot of learning early on,
finding out what makes us our best and we’re really excited about that.” As McDonald noted, eight first-years joined the roster this year, and each will have “a ton of opportunities” to contribute as the season progresses. Already, the team’s first matchup against Iona saw rookie midfielder and two-time U.S. Lacrosse High School All-American Zoe Verni ’19 notch her first collegiate point with an assist to Sarah Nesi ’16 for Brown’s first goal of the season. Last year, Brown graduated a number of core veterans including goalie and four-year starter Kellie Roddy ’15. But the team has a group of seniors ready to lead it to success on the field this season. Co-captains Lauren Toy ’16, Dianne Vitkus ’16 and Richael Walsh ’16 will rely on their experience as multi-year starters in order to serve as role models for the newcomers. The captains “are a very composed and dynamic group,” McDonald said. “They have been huge in connecting the team: connecting the players with the coaches, as well as being the glue that really connects the players with each other.”
Toy enters her final season at Brown having led the team last year with 26 goals, a campaign that included four hat tricks and three two-goal games — one of which against Ivy League rival Harvard. The team will look to her productivity in front of the net to help drive a winning season and conference title run. At the helm of the offense this past weekend against Iona, Toy led the team with four goals, two of which came late in the game and helped Brown pull off the victory. “I hope to help the team get the win in any way I can,” Toy said. “Obviously someone has to put the ball in the back of the net, but it’s that full team effort that makes goals happen and that will make us so successful this season.” Walsh, who also captained last year’s team as a junior, and Vitkus, a commanding presence in the midfield, will be invaluable leaders both on the field and in the locker room. Finally, on the defensive end, Brown will rely on a new and revamped system. Bruno hired new Assistant Coach Brian Schneider, a former assistant coach on
the Yale men’s lacrosse team who brings “a new perspective to our defense,” Viktus said. Ultimately, the process is just as important as the outcome, McDonald said. “Our biggest goal is to have that championship effort every day at practice and in every game and see where that takes us at the end of the season,” she added. Last year, Brown finished 7-8 overall and seventh in the Ivy League with tough losses to Princeton and Dartmouth to close out conference play — performances Bruno will definitely look to better in its 2016 campaign. “We are striving to be a contender in the Ivy League, but most importantly, (we need) to be a team that leaves everything on the field and can look back on the season with pride,” Viktus said. Looking ahead, the Bears will host Denver Saturday at 1 p.m. Their first Ivy League matchup will be at Penn on March 5, which will hopefully build momentum for the Bears going forward. “The first Ivy is the most important Ivy,” McDonald said. “So it will be a great test.”
SPORTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016 • PAGE 5
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SOFTBALL
Refocused Bears head to South Carolina for first test of 2016 season
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Starting pitcher Katie Orona ’18 delivers her trademark change-up. As the team gears up for the new season, Orona expects the new crop of strong first-years and the returning players’ versatility to contribute to success.
With addition of five contributing first-years, Bruno aims for Ivy Championship By JAMES SCHAPIRO STAFF WRITER
Asked how he passed his time during the offseason, MLB all-time great Rogers Hornsby famously replied, “I’ll tell you what I do: I stare out the window and wait for spring.” Softball pitcher Katie Orona ’18,
whose 2.23 ERA was good enough for second in the Ivy League last year, would agree. And now as the season approaches, she anticipates good things from a Brown team newly infused with young talent and returns from injuries. “I’m pretty optimistic for this season,” she said. “We’ll be able to compete at a much higher level than we did last year.” In 2015, the team finished with a disappointing record — 13-21 overall and 7-13 in Ivy play. But this year, all necessary factors are in place for a much improved season, Orona said.
“Last year, we didn’t have as many people on the bench in comparison to this year,” she added. “As of right now, we have a lot of different people that can play a lot of different positions. We’re really versatile.” The incoming class will certainly play an important role: The current roster lists five first-years, four of whom will compete for starting spots, Orona said. Pitcher Meghan Wimmer ’19, who recorded a 0.80 ERA as a high school senior, was expected to contribute as well before a torn ACL put a premature end to her season.
“We have Sofia Venegas ’19, who’s looking to take second base, and then we have Annie Scarangella ’19, who’s a really good power hitter who plays the corners,” she said. “Cat Seitz ’19 is a freshman coming in who can catch and play the corners, and her hitting is going to be really key. Ashli Lotz ’19 is our freshman outfielder — she’s really fast in the outfield and competing for a spot right now.” Positions all over the field are up for grabs, and the starting catcher’s spot may see the most interesting position battle of all, Orona said. Coming out of Poway High School near San Diego, Seitz will compete with co-captain Julia Schoenewald ’17 and Emily Springfield ’18 for the job. Neither has acquitted themselves particularly well offensively — Springfield batted .260 last year, and Schoenewald is a career .206 hitter. Seitz, who in 2015 earned first-team All-California Interscholastic Federation honors, will enter her rookie season with an immediate chance to make an impact. Scarangella, hailing from Tuscon, Arizona, should also contribute immediately. She is the only listed third baseman on the roster, but is also able to play first base. Scarangella hit .522, .500 and .436 in her last three years of high school and twice earned first-team All-Arizona honors. “Our offense is what’s going to be our key factor,” Orona said. “With this class coming in, they’re really going to contribute to that.” Only one area is almost certainly not up for grabs: the left side of the infield.
Anchored by third baseman Christina Andrews ’17 — who batted .288 in 2014 before missing most of the 2015 season due to injury — and co-captain Janet Leung ’16 at shortstop — who led the Bears in 2015 with a .396 batting average and a .974 OPS — Bruno’s infield is in capable hands. The first-years “coming in (are) really going to contribute, as far as competing with people who had positions last year and making sure that whoever gets the position really did earn it,” she said. The team has been practicing for weeks in preparation for its season, which begins Friday in South Carolina with a doubleheader against Winthrop and Canisius. Practices have proceeded on schedule and without any hiccups, in stark contrast to last year when snow delayed the start of training, Orona said. “It’s super cold, but we’ll go on the turf and do a full defense,” she said. “We’ve gotten more turf time than we did last year.” Once games begin, there will be little respite: The team plays a packed schedule of doubleheaders, featuring six or eight games a week. But the team is up to the challenge, Orona said. “The mindset — as far as both the coaching staff and the players go — is much more intense,” she said. “The impetus is really on doing the little things right: taking practice seriously and getting the most out of the time that we have. We know that we have the opportunity to do something special this year.”
M. LACROSSE
Nationally ranked Bears deploy fast-paced offense After stellar 2015 season, Bruno prepares for another chance at Ivy, NCAA tournaments By NIKKO PASANEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
After making it to the NCAA tournament last year for the first time since 2009, the men’s lacrosse team is looking to take another leap forward this spring. Expectations are certainly high for No. 9 Bruno, coming off an Ivy League regular season championship. “We got a good taste of the Ivy league tournament and the NCAA tournament,” said Head Coach Lars Tiffany ’90. “Once you’ve been exposed to that, you don’t ever want to not be part of that again. It’s like we got invited to this great party. We want to go back to that party; we want to be part of that social scene.” Bruno’s hopes of making it back to the end-of-year festivities got off to a good start last weekend, as it took down Quinnipiac handily by a final score of 20-7. The fast-paced offense that the team implemented last year under the direction of Assistant Coach Sean Kirwan was firing on all cylinders. Last season, Bruno had the fifthhighest scoring offense in the nation. The attack was led by Dylan Molloy ’17, who was the top-ranked scorer in the nation, with 3.65 goals per game. Saturday, the junior picked up right where he left off, recording five goals
in the season-opening win. Also returning to the team’s offensive front are Henry Blynn ’16 and Kylor Bellistri ’16, the team’s secondand third-highest scorers last year, respectively. Even though the high-octane offense proved to be extremely effective in 2015, the Bears made it a priority over the offseason to improve, Tiffany said. The team spent a lot of time working on fitness and incorporated a new weightlifting program to get in the best possible shape. “In order to play the fastest tempo in Division I lacrosse, our bodies need to be in top shape so we can continue to bury teams with our style in the fourth quarter,” Blynn said. But the Bears were not only impressive on the offensive end last year. Bruno led the nation in ground balls per game thanks to the superb play of Alec Tulett ’17, who ranked 24th in the nation. Caused turnovers were another strong point for the team, with Larken Kemp ’17 coming in at fourth in the country. Kemp was selected as a secondteam All-American for his efforts in last year’s campaign and has already been named to the Tewaaraton watch list this season, along with Molloy. The Tewaaraton award is college lacrosse’s equivalent to the Heisman trophy in college football. In the net, Jack Kelly ’16 was one of the nation’s best goalies in 2015. Kelly ranked 14th in the country in save percentage and was selected as an honorable mention All-American. The senior
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Jack Kelly ’16 looks to make a pass. The senior goaltender was a third-team All-American last season and will be a key piece for the Bears as they vie for another Ivy League title and NCAA tournament appearance. will look to supplant his legacy this year as one of Brown’s all-time greats before he steps through the Van Wickle Gates in May. Also graduating at the season’s end is face-off specialist Will Gural ’16, who posted the 12th-best draw percentage in the nation last year. Gural saved his best for the end of the season, when he won 16 of 20 face-offs in the Bears’ Ivy League tournament contest against Yale. He then bested the nation’s top face-off
man in their NCAA tournament tilt against eventual champions Denver. While the crop of retuning upperclassmen may be impressive, Tiffany pointed to the importance of some of the younger guys on the squad as well. He highlighted Jake Miller ’18, who blossomed into a legitimate offensive contributor toward the end of last season, and Alex Santangelo ’19, who got the start at defense last weekend against Quinnipiac.
With a strong Stony Brook team on the docket tomorrow, the Bears will look to continue to take advantage of their talented roster and keep things headed in a positive direction. “I don’t want to speak too soon, but I believe that this team could make it further than any Brown team has gone in history if we stay focused and strive to improve every week,” Blynn said. “There are nothing but good things to come for this special group.”
SPORTS
PAGE 6 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
M. LACROSSE
Molloy ’17 leads fast-paced offense in Bruno’s quest for success Junior named 2015 Ivy League player of the year, looks to reprise role as offensive powerhouse By NIKKO PASANEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Dylan Molloy ’17 wasn’t supposed to be this good. At least according to many of the country’s elite lacrosse programs who overlooked the New York native back in 2012. Luckily for Brown, Molloy found his way to Providence and has since emerged as one of the nation’s most elite attackmen. Last year, he was the country’s leading scorer, averaging an impressive 3.65 goals per game. By the season’s end, he was named both the Ivy League and New England Player of the Year. Already this year, Molloy has been put on the Tewaaraton watch list — collegiate lacrosse’s equivalent to the Heisman Trophy in football. “Dylan Molloy loves playing lacrosse just about more than anybody I’ve coached,” said Head Coach Lars Tiffany ’04. “We are very fortunate to have him on the team.” Last year, Molloy scored a
record-breaking 62 goals and now sits at 14th place in program history. But the junior isn’t only focused on finding the back of the net. Along with the smattering of goals, he recorded 30 assists in last season’s campaign en route to posting the third-highest point total in the nation. It can be easy to think of prolific scorers as the ball-hogging type, but Molloy is not that kind of player, Tiffany said. “He does a great job balancing,” Tiffany added. “I’ve never felt any resentment on this team when he takes it to the goal.” Molloy’s selflessness was on display when asked about his individual goals for the upcoming season. “I really don’t have any,” he said. Instead, he remains focused on bringing an Ivy League tournament title to the program. There’s no doubt that Molloy will play a critical role in the team’s hopes of accomplishing that feat. But even for Tiffany — who, unlike many other coaches, recognized Molloy’s potential — the breadth of his role has been a bit of a surprise. “I saw someone who could be a good dodger, but I didn’t realize he was going to emerge into a 225-lb. bulldozer who could create so much offense through
physical play,” Tiffany said. So how exactly did Molloy go from being an overlooked high-school recruit to one of the nation’s best? Brown’s up-tempo offense might be part of the answer. Last year, the Bears installed a new system engineered by Assistant Coach Sean Kirwan that encourages a fast-paced, shot-heavy style of play. Molloy pointed to the strategic change as one of the keys to his success. He also noted that simply being given the chance to get out on the field from the moment he set foot on campus has been crucial to his development. “I think our coaching staff (is) just putting the right players in the right positions and having the right people on the field,” Molloy said. “Giving me the opportunity to play and putting in this new transition pace definitely helps my game a lot.” Molloy is also fortunate to be a member of a Brown team laden with talent. The majority of the squad’s key players from last year’s impressive campaign have returned. After the season ended on a somewhat bitter note, losing to Yale in the Ivy League tournament semifinals and then to Denver in the first round of the NCAA tournament, Molloy is excited to take the next step this year with his
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Dylan Molloy ’17 takes a shot in the team’s season opener against Quinnipiac. The junior is on the watch list for the 2016 Tewaaraton Trophy. teammates. our cool under that kind of pressure.” Squaring off against the Pioneers was Molloy is hoping that he will have important for the team’s growth and his another chance on the big stage at the own play, Molloy said. “That was my first end of this season. After scoring five real big game against a non-Ivy League goals in Bruno’s season-opening win opponent,” he said. “Going against them against Quinnipiac last weekend, Moland working our way back definitely loy looks ready to lead the team to even helps us a lot this year (with) keeping greater heights.
CREW
ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD
The men’s crew team pulls in unison at a team practice. Both the men’s and women’s teams hope for another successful spring season in 2016 after winning seasons last year.
Crew teams aim for top-three finishes in end-of-season meets Encouraging first-years on both sides look to push men, women to improved national performances By DANIEL WAYLAND CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Both the men’s and women’s crew teams head into the spring season looking to build on last year’s success. The women eye a second consecutive Ivy League title and a podium berth at the NCAA Championships, while the men strive to improve on their fourth-place finish at Intercollegiate Rowing Association Nationals. While men’s Head Coach Paul Cooke believes his team enjoyed a productive season last year, he hopes that a mix of energetic first-years and tested veterans will help springboard the team toward a new plateau: the medal stand. “I think last year was an interesting season because we were quite strong through the end of the year,” Cooke said. “But we were always in a position where we were just out of
the limelight by not getting on the medal stand.” Indeed, last year’s men’s team always seemed just on the verge of reaching its full potential, placing fourth overall in both the varsity and the third varsity eight grand final, as well as fourth in the Jim Ten Eyck Memorial Trophy, awarded to the school with the most team points. One event where the team did find the podium was the Eastern Championships, in which Brown placed third in the Ivy League behind Yale and Princeton, respectively. But even that result proved unsatisfying for the team, as it finished only one-hundredth of a second behind Princeton for second place. Reflecting on the team’s performances last year, Cooke said, “frustrating isn’t the right word, because where we did end up was quite an achievement … but last season left the guys feeling like they
wanted to do a little more.” The men’s team has reason to be optimistic entering the 2016 season: Star rower Finn Meeks ’17 spent the summer leading the United States’ heavyweight eight boat to a silver medal in the U23 World Rowing Championships. Along with Meeks, much of the core of last year’s team has returned, and both Cooke and captain David Lazris ’17 expressed confidence in the younger members of the team to capably man the oars left empty by departing seniors. “We have a really strong incoming freshman class,” Lazris said. “One of the great things about this program is that every year, people always step up and take over for graduating teammates.” Solid performances in the fall season at the Head and Tail of the Charles indicate that the team is headed in the right direction, and early reports from the team’s winter training session in Florida are entirely positive. “We have an indoor
competition this weekend to see how our winter training has panned out, and I’m expecting to see some fast times,” Lazris said. While the men look to improve this spring, the women hope to replicate last year’s success, which included an Ivy League Championship and the top ranking in the NCAA’s May 2015 CRCA/USRowing Coaches poll. But don’t expect the women’s team to be satisfied with its accomplishments. “Rankings don’t necessarily mean who’s the best team in the country,” said rower Margaret Holler ’17. “What matters is who crosses the line first, and our ranking won’t matter until we win the NCAA Championships.” Indeed, the NCAA Championships may have been the lone arena in which the women’s team did not live up to its lofty, victorious standards. The Bears finished third out of the 22 teams competing, their second straight third-place finish. The women’s team enters the
season with the goal of winning an NCAA Championship, though they have stiff competition in Ohio State, which has won three straight national titles. But the team is focusing on itself rather than expending energy on opponents or rankings. “We are always holding ourselves to a really high standard, and we aren’t going to be happy until we meet that standard,” Holler said. “You can’t change what people think. You can only affect how hard you train and work, so we are internal in that regard.” That focus has served the women well to start the season: The team won early-season events at the Head of the Housatonic and the Head of the Charles. And there is no reason to believe that these performances are fleeting, as the team is strong from top to bottom and has a particularly impactful group of freshman rowers. The women begin their spring season March 26 at Princeton with Ohio State, while the men open March 25 against Yale.
SPORTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
M&W TENNIS
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Ammu Mandalap ’16 returns the ball in a Feb. 20 match, winning 7-6, 6-2 over the University of Rhode Island. The weekend sweep improved the team’s home record to 6-0.
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Peter Tarwid ’18 strikes back against Boston College, finishing 6-2, 6-4. The men’s team put up two victories over the long weekend against Bryant and Boston College.
Men’s, women’s tennis pick up wins en route to goal of Ivy title Experienced women’s team, young men’s team rebound from early season losses By EMILE BAUTISTA STAFF WRITER
After a couple of hard-fought but disappointing finishes at the ECAC Division I Indoor Championships, both the men’s and women’s tennis teams are looking to get their seasons back on track. Over the long weekend, both teams accomplished that very goal by going undefeated. For the No. 57 women’s squad, a sweep of URI, Providence College and Bryant extended its current win streak to five matches. As for the men’s team, a dual victory over Boston College and Bryant ended its previous three-match losing streak. Both sets of triumphs signal
potential winning trajectories, but the two teams have had somewhat different paths up to this point. Before the season began, the women’s team welcomed Assistant Coach Juancarlos Nunez. Nunez — who played tennis at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock — was the assistant coach for the UMass women’s tennis team from 2009-2015 before coming to Brown. “He has fit in seamlessly,” said Hannah Camhi ’16. “Everyone on the team loves him, and he brings great energy to practice.” The women’s season started off with the ITA Kick-Off weekend, an invitation the team received after finishing in a top position last season. There, they knocked off then-No. 49 Penn State and lost to the top-ranked host Vanderbilt in a tough matchup. From there, besides the bump in the road at the Indoor Championships, it has been a mostly solid
season for the Bears (8-3). A couple of victories against ranked opponents and its current winning streak have resulted in a flawless home record of 6-0. For many on the team, the long season with many different tournaments is not new. Of the 11 women on the roster, only four are underclassmen. As a result, the team’s veterans have been called upon to use their experience to help the team as a whole. “We get to be role models for the underclassmen, and it’s good to set an example,” Camhi said. As for the rest of the season, the team’s main focus is on winning the Ivy League. “We are expecting to win Ivies — there’s no doubt on our radar,” Camhi said. Beyond that, there is hope that the Bears will finish high enough in the rankings to qualify for the NCAA tournament. But in the short term,
they are looking forward to traveling to Houston to battle two tough opponents in Rice and Houston next week. On the men’s side of things, youth is the name of the game. Like the women’s team, they also welcomed a new addition to their staff this season in Assistant Coach Jakob Klaeson. The Swede spent the last two years as head coach at the South Coast Tennis Academy and Platform Tennis at Sakonnet Golf Club. “He has definitely provided a solid help to the team,” said co-captain Lucas Da Silveira ’16. In contrast to the women’s team, the men’s roster is mostly composed of individuals with limited experience on College Hill. Of the nine active players, only two are upperclassmen: co-captains Greg Garcia ’17 and Da Silveira. For the underclassmen, it’s still a learning process. “All nine guys are involved and invested in what we want,” Da Silveira
said. “A lot of the guys are very open to listening to what captains or coaches have to say.” With Da Silveira seeking another year of eligibility after sitting out last season due to injury, the team is in a position to have the same roster next season. Looking at the near future, the hope is to beat as many ranked teams and Ivy opponents as possible over the remainder of the season. The team’s goal is to ultimately make the NCAA tournament, either this season or next. “Everyone’s doing their best and maintaining a positive attitude,” Da Silveira said. “You don’t win an Ivy League title overnight.” Despite coming up empty at the Indoor Championships, the Bears still sit at a modest 6-4, including a 6-1 home record. For now, they are looking ahead to their weekend clash with Elon and UNC Wilmington.
SPORTS
PAGE 8 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Taugner ’17 recovers from UCL tear to lead Brown pitching staff After stellar rookie seaStanding alone son in 2014, Taugner to By MATT BROWNSWORD SPORTS EDITOR
In 2014, the top-ranked South Carolina baseball team started its season 12-0 before a three-game series against Brown. The Gamecocks demolished Bruno in consecutive games, 13-0 and 8-0, before the last tilt of the weekend. Enter Christian Taugner ’17. It was the first-year’s first career start, and it was a baptism-by-fire: facing off against a team that averaged just over eight runs a game. Taugner was undaunted, giving up a single run in seven innings pitched. Unfortunately for him, the Bears were unable to score their first run of the series and fell 1-0 to their heavily favored opponent. But it was quite an introduction to collegiate baseball for the commanding righty. “The big thing for me was not to get nervous,” Taugner said. “I usually don’t get nervous going into (a game). The key thing was to throw the way I always do, which is spotting up and not worrying about speed, and things just happened the way they did.” He finished his first year at Brown almost the same way he started it, with an impressive seven-inning shutout outing against Yale that gave him his second win in eight starts. Little did Taugner know that his 10-strikeout performance would be his last in a Brown uniform for over 22 months. The injury Taugner pitched in the Northwoods League the summer of 2014, a circuit comprising teams in the Midwest United States and southern portions of Canada. Taugner excelled there as well, earning a 3-1 record with a 3.04 ERA in 47.1 innings pitched — he even earned the win in the league’s All-Star game, throwing one inning of scoreless relief. But that All-Star appearance would be his last in 2014. “Everything was going well,” he said. “Then, after a start, I threw a bullpen and my arm was feeling pretty bad, so I had to go home and get an MRI.” Though the initial MRI did not indicate a problem, Taugner was reassessed his winter break in 2014-2015, and that MRI revealed a tear in his UCL. Two days later, Taugner had his surgery.
The impact In 2014, Taugner led Bruno with a 2.39 ERA, ranked 131st nationally and fifth in the Ivy League. For a team that recorded an ERA that ranked 254th out of 301 teams in Division I, Taugner’s exceptional performance was an outlier, especially for a first-year. What struck Head Coach Grant Achilles in Taugner’s rookie season was his remarkably calm disposition, even in situations that would normally rattle a first-year. “He’s a pretty special player,” Achilles said. “When you’re looking at him on the mound, you can’t tell if he’s off or if he has his best stuff.” Taugner’s assuredness showed in his first three starts: Following his performance against South Carolina, he threw back-to-back seven-plus inning starts, giving up just one earned run in each outing. March 22, 2014 marked Taugner’s first win in a Brown uniform, as he struck out eight and allowed zero walks in an 8-2 win over UMass Lowell. All season, Taugner let up more than two earned runs only twice in eight starts — a tough, four-plusinning start against Princeton in which Brown gave up six additional unearned runs and a six-inning, fourearned-run performance against Dartmouth that resulted in a 7-6 win for the Bears. Taugner’s performance against Yale was a tour-de-force, as he struck out double-digit batters in seven innings, walking one and giving up a mere five hits. He had saved his lone shutout for last, capping off Brown’s first two-or-more-win series with the Elis since 2011. But for the 2015 season, Brown lost its best pitcher, resulting in a season that saw the Bears register a 7.14 team ERA, 281st in the country. “It was tough,” Taugner said. “I just wanted to do anything to help my team, to be out there. I was at every practice and tried to help the younger guys out, doing charts — just being there for the team and supporting them as much as I could.” “It was a huge loss just in terms of innings pitched but also his poise on the mound,” Achilles said. “He had to sit and watch, but he contributed by
for Brown: Christian Taugner ’17, who did it in 8 7
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open season following 18 months on sidelines
“I did not feel like I was getting overused or overthrowing,” he said. “It was just something that resulted from a natural wear and tear on my arm.” A torn UCL is characterized by a slow, painstakingly long rehabilitation process that sidelines a pitcher for at least 12 months. In this case, it cost Taugner both his spring and summer seasons in 2015.
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working with younger guys and picking up on little things in the game.” Taugner also had to watch from the sideline as his friend and mentor Dave St. Lawrence ’15 finished his Brown pitching career. “Dave really helped” Taugner in the rookie’s first season,Taugner said. “We would always throw together or run together, just talk baseball. We would talk about outings or the upcoming weekend.” Taugner had to work on himself as well, trying to get back to full health as quickly as possible so he would not miss any additional time in 2016 or beyond. “It’s been a grueling process for him, but there’s been many milestones along the way,” Achilles said. “Every step, there’s been a certain degree of anxiety, but he’s gotten over the hump.” The present Now, Taugner is back and ready to take on the 2016 season with an arm that has “been holding up pretty well with no problems,” he said. “It seems like it’s on track to getting where it was before the surgery,” he added.
“Christian’s a microcosm of the journey of the entire team over this year and a half that I’ve been the coach,” Achilles said. “It’s been up and down, but it’s made us stronger.” The only new element to Taugner’s game will be recently hired pitching coach Jonathan Grosse, who has only been in the fold for a little over a month. “We get along pretty well,” Taugner said. “He keeps things short and sweet and only tells you what you need to do, throwing pointers here and there on what you’re doing well. I think (the relationship) is only going to grow throughout the season.” Other than that, “it’ll be the same, confident Christian Taugner,” Achilles said. “And on the back side of his rehab, he might be back better than ever.” With that in mind, the Bears have their eyes set on the prize. “Honestly, the OMAC season — which is our season before we start playing — is probably the best I’ve seen in the past three years,” Taugner said. “Everyone’s just working hard towards our goal, and that’s to win the Ivy League.”
“That’s when the real season starts,” Taugner said. “The nonconference games are fun and all, but the Ivy League season is the only thing that matters.” The Bears only lost two every-day field players to graduation coming into 2016, but four of their top six pitchers in innings pitched left Providence in 2015. Taugner and his 52.2 innings from 2014 — which would have led the team last year — should be able to fill much of that void. “Everyone’s doubting us, which is fine,” Taugner said. “I think we’re going to fly under the radar. We have a great team this year: a lot of good upperclassmen and some underclassmen that will have an impact.” He’ll take the ball opening day for Brown against Bucknell on March 4, his first appearance in a Brown uniform in 679 days. “I couldn’t tell you what I’m going to be feeling that first day,” Taugner said. “I feel like I might be nervous, but after a couple of pitches into the game I’ll go right back to where I was,” he added. “I’m just excited to play.”
TODAY
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016 • PAGE 9
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
l o o k i n g u p t h e o n e - way
menu SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Pizza: Bacon and Feta, Harvest, Buffalo Chicken BBQ Pork Sandwich JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Quesadillas
Clam Chowder, Italian Wedding Naked Burritos
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Fried Clams on a Bun, Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Vegan Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Chicken Curry, Butternut Squash with Agave, Onion Rings, Boston Cream Doughnut
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Roasted Corn Chowder with Bacon and Tomato, Breaded Chicken Fingers, Vegan Brownies
Herb Crusted Sole, Red Potato Frittata, Stir-Fried Tofu, Vegan Lentil Stew, Banana Cream Pie
sudoku
RELEASE DATE– Friday, February 26, 2016
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c rNorris o s sandwJoyce o rNichols d Lewis Edited by Rich ACROSS 1 Publishing tasks 6 Jack letters 9 “Hotel Imperial” (1927) star 14 Best New Artist Grammy winner after Alicia 15 Tesoro de la Sierra Madre 16 Horse play 17 Kitchen drawer? 18 It can be cured 19 “Beats me” 20 Québec quiche, e.g.? 23 Start of a weekly cry 24 “Either thou, __ ... must go with him”: Romeo 25 Ran into 26 Saying “It wasn’t me” when, in fact, it was? 33 Digitize, in a way 35 Squawk 36 Greenwich Village sch. 37 Set apart, as funds 39 Layer 40 Eastwood’s “Rawhide” role 42 Ref. book 43 Retail giant with stores in 23 U.S. states 45 Bit of power 46 “Wish we had built a bigger pyramid,” e.g.? 51 Feel poorly 52 Source of bills 53 Stretcher, to Huck Finn 56 Greeting from a faithful friend? 61 Sitar accompaniment 62 Citrus cooler 63 Sarge’s superior 64 “Hamlet” courtier 65 Fix 66 Supports illegally 67 Mary’s upstairs neighbor 68 Cooper creation 69 Performed, in the Bible
DOWN 1 Pass 2 Modern kerchief cousin 3 How many O. Henry stories end 4 Writer Janowitz 5 Sunny day phenomenon 6 Angora fabric 7 Republic since 1979 8 Search high and low 9 Legendary Australian outlaw 10 Fairness 11 “Treasure Island” castaway Ben 12 Step up? 13 Prefix with bar 21 George’s lyrical brother 22 __ alcohol: fusel oil component 27 Bed-in for Peace participant 28 “Blowin’ in the Wind” songwriter 29 Early spaceflight proponent Willy __ 30 Like petroglyphs 31 Nikita’s no
32 Sudden blow 33 Word processing command 34 Blockage 38 Bolivian border lake 39 Shade of green 41 Botanical beard 44 Smuggler’s unit 47 Wan 48 Caesar salad dressing ingredient
49 Acting guru Hagen 50 “Good for you” 54 OK components 55 Throw out 56 Load in a basket 57 River of Spain 58 Con man’s target 59 Falco of “Nurse Jackie” 60 Silk Road desert 61 2015 A.L. East champ
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
ELI WHITE / HERALD
Thayer Street was aglow with car lights as the weather cleared Thursday evening. The latter half of the week brought warm weather and brisk winds after heavy rains drenched campus and brought life back to the greens.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
“It’s like we got invited to this great party. We want to go back to that party; we want to be part of that social
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— Head Coach Lars Tiffany ’04
See m. lax on page 5.
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Special Staff Lecture: The Life of an Olympian 12:00 P.M. Hillel Meeting Room
West African Dance and the Politics of Diaspora 4:00 P.M. Ashamu Dance Studio
SATURDAY [Re]Model Minority: AAHS Faculty/Alumni Panel 10:30 A.M. BERT 130
“Le Petit Prince” at Providence French Film Festival 12:00 P.M. Cable Car Cinema
SUNDAY “Valley of Love” at Providence French Film Festival 4:30 P.M. Cable Car Cinema
Harmonizing Grace Gospel Choir Rehearsal 5:00 P.M. Manning Chapel
COMMENTARY PAGE 10 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
BROWN BITES
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Alumni interview gone wrong A YouTube video in which high school senior Matt Sarafa claims that his Brown alumni interviewer used racist and homophobic language during his interview has gone viral. Sarafa said that during his alumni interview in Southern California, the alum told him Brown was “not very accepting of your kind,” implying that Brown students would discriminate against him because he is gay. Sarafa said that Leora Johnson ’01, assistant director of alumni interviewing and admission, told him in a phone call that the alum had admitted to using homophobic and racist language but that there wasn’t enough evidence to remove him as an interviewer. Sarafa withdrew his application to the Class of 2020 following his experience.
Syrian refugees in Rhode Island
Going to court Brown made headlines recently after a former member of the Class of 2017 alleged he was discriminated against due to his gender during a sexual assault case in fall 2014. Judge William Smith ruled that the hearings regarding the charges that Brown violated the student’s due process rights and discriminated against him because of his gender have the legal standards to proceed, as do the claims of negligence and Brown acting under deliberate indifference to gender discrimination under Title IX. This one time at band camp The Brown Band took center stage this week, making students around campus wish they had stuck with the clarinet in the sixth grade. The band, established in 1924, has a core group of around 50 dedicated members who come cheer at every single football, basketball and hockey game. Never played an instrument? No problem: You don’t even need an instrument to join. According to Sidney Karesh ’16, trombone player and former band president, “The president of the band two years ago started playing no instrument. She learned the cymbals and became the most dedicated member of the band.” We may not be musical, but we do think we’d look pretty great standing next to those big white tubas wearing a “Harvard Sucks!!!” button. We’ll be in touch. BEAR hug Students and professors alike gathered during the long weekend to celebrate Brown Employee Appreciation and Recognition Day Monday, where President Paxson gave awards to 12 individuals and three teams. The Excellence Award Selection Committee reviewed 126 nominations and gave out awards for excellence in the categories of citizenship, diversity, efficiency, innovation, leadership, rising star and service. Some of the winners included Sidalia Piriquito, a custodian in the math and Judaic studies departments, Director of Biomedical Communications Kris Cambra and Director of Leadership Programs in the School of Professional Studies Kisa Takesue ’88. According to Cambra, “At a school, obviously students and faculty are going to be most important — that’s the ambition. But in the background are all these staff members who make everything work. … It’s just nice to know that Brown recognizes that and knows that there is a huge component of staff that makes it successful as well.”
To the Editor: Your report on the press conference on Syrian refugees (“Students, community members protest anti-refugee efforts,” Feb. 22) sided with the protesters who came to the State House to shout us down. Yet polls show that our view represents the majority opinion of Americans, and probably of Rhode Islanders, regarding the potential danger posed by importing refugees from a country where Baathist and Islamist ideology have poisoned innocent minds and instilled anti-Semitism, homophobia, misogyny, hatred for democracy and support for terror into many generations of Syrians. FBI Director James Comey says there is no real way of vetting these refugees for ties to terror. Officials express concerns about ISIS’s ability to infiltrate the country via
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Syrian refugees. Additionally, a State Department study documents Jew-hatred rampant in mosques and statements by government spokesmen. To see these things is to be shocked and sickened. We are proud to be a nation of immigrants. We sympathize with people running from war. We should do whatever we can to protect them in their own country from the barbarism of both the Iran-Assad axis and ISIS. But we should also learn the lessons of Europe, in which instances of violence and sexual assault have taken place since the relocation of refugees to Cologne, Paris, and Stockholm. Charles Jacobs Americans for Peace and Tolerance
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COMMENTARY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016 • PAGE 11
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Unmasking the Ivy League: eliminating competitive stress culture SAMANTHA SAVELLO staff columnist I recently attended a conference called “Unmasking the Ivy League,” the first ever Ivy-wide mental health conference where representatives from each school could openly discuss and exchange ideas regarding mental health resources, activism efforts and potential policy reform within the Ivy League. One of the most intriguing points brought up during the discussion was the concept of “Penn face,” the idea that students — not just at Penn but at all the Ivies — tend to present themselves as content and thriving even though, in reality, they are struggling internally. This act of masking distress and discontent with a semblance of having it together is perpetuated by the competitive stress culture of the Ivy League. Many students on Ivy League campuses are inclined to compete with each other not only academically but also in regards to how stressed they are, considering it a success if they get less sleep or have more exams than a peer. In the instances where “I slept four hours” is met with “I slept three” and “I had
three exams this week” is countered with “I had three exams TODAY,” poor mental health is almost encouraged, leading to elevated stress levels and destructive behaviors. Fortunately, not all students in the Ivy League partake in “Penn face” or stress competition. There are plenty of students — I would hope the majority — who express their emotions openly and don’t compete for the highest level of unhealthy stress. But enough students do participate in these behaviors to make it
ity to take an unlimited number of courses with the S/NC option. People assume that if everything is lax and laid back at Brown, everybody should be happy. But what happens if you aren’t? Studies have shown that not being happy in a place where everyone else is happy is likely to put an individual at higher risk of depression. For example, countries whose citizens declare themselves to be very happy, such as Switzerland, Denmark, Iceland, Canada and the
feeling those joyous vibes that everyone else is, you might start to assume that something is wrong with you. To counter that feeling of being the only one, students put on their “happy face,” giving in to the Brown stereotype by showing off their pearly whites and feigning enthusiasm — even when they are probably anything but happy. Whether it be in response to “happy face” or “Penn face,” campuses must urgently act to encourage a more transparent and open environ-
At Brown especially, it’s important to realize that having an abundance of reasons to be happy does not necessarily make a person happy. a valid contributing factor to mental health on campus. Perhaps Brown, with its unique campus atmosphere and open curriculum, is its own special case. I would argue that we don’t have “Penn face” so much as we have “happy face,” a similar concept stemming from the idea that Brown is the “happiest Ivy.” Stereotypically, we are considered to be the “most chill” school because of our lack of distribution requirements and our abil-
Netherlands have higher suicide rates than countries like Greece, Italy, Spain and Portugal, whose citizens generally describe themselves as not happy at all, according to Malcolm Gladwell’s “David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits and the Art of Battling Giants.” In other words, if you’re not so happy in a place where most of your peers are also unhappy, it probably wouldn’t seem quite so devastating. Conversely, if you live in a happy place and you’re not
ment. Many leaders at the conference vocalized possible solutions. For example, Cornell representatives talked about a campus-wide campaign in which leaders throughout the student body stepped up and made posters showcasing their mental illnesses and personal struggles. These images sent a powerful message to students, ensuring them that they’re not alone in their struggles and affirming that even the most seemingly put-together students have
their own share of issues. Princeton presented a similar solution with its “Me Too” campaign, a Facebook viral event where people wrote words on their bodies representing their internal struggles, which opened up discussion and fought stigma. Notions like these are not only brave and admirable but also extremely vital in letting the student body know that it’s okay to not be okay. Though many of us present this semblance that we have our shit together, we are all dealing with struggles, big or small, beneath the surface. No one is 100 percent happy — no matter how many classes they are taking S/NC or how high their GPA is. At Brown especially, it’s important to realize that having an abundance of reasons to be happy does not necessarily make a person happy. “You got into an Ivy League.” “You’re going to have a great job.” “But it’s Brown.” Comments like these, while perhaps meant to be encouraging, can actually bring a person even further down by shaming them for not being happy. “Happiest Ivy” or not, prosperity and privilege should not invalidate mental distress.
Samantha Savello ’18 can be reached at samantha_savello@brown.edu.
Only my winnings SARA AL-SALEM staff columnist After my last article (“Twenty-something,” Feb. 4) on feeling lost and aimless, a lot of people reached out to me about feeling the same way. Some of these people took me by surprise because in my eyes, through their Facebook feed or ongoings on campus, I thought they were brilliant leaders who had it all together. But the sincerity they expressed when they admitted to having no idea what they were doing reminded me that we are all putting up a front. It reminded me of New Found Land’s song “Only My Winnings,” where they sing, “All my mistakes and all my troubles, only my winnings would reach through my mouth.” Every time I mess up, or I come back from a particularly terrible meeting or interaction, I listen to this song. It’s part of my blues playlist, which is specifically dedicated to feeling mopey and whiny and all around pitiful. I cry it out, brush off the experience and go to my next meeting. Sometimes the labyrinth-like and repetitive lifestyle of academic and extracurricular commitments leaves me feeling restless, but most of the time I would like to think I can carry myself through a semester without having a breakdown
in front of someone. The only way I’m ever really genuinely exposed is through my writing, and I always forget that readers now know something about me I otherwise would not have told them. I recently was in an interview for an internship when the employer mentioned he read my articles. I froze. Here I was putting up this real cliche front of having it all together when he had just read that I, in fact, did not have it together at all. I think for most people it’s the opposite. Our
So you would think that I would now know to keep my articles a little less exposing, but if I did that, my editor would kill me because I would have nothing to give her. My vulnerabilities fuel my creative expression. Which leads me to this: You do not have to have your shit together, and it is totally acceptable to show that side of yourself every now and then. This is something I am still learning to do, but it is something I wish I could have mastered ages ago. When you want to cry, do not run to the
We are always trying to defend or hide our humanity, when all we really should be doing is accepting it.
Instagrams, our Snapchat stories, our Facebook profile pictures: They are all a story we are trying to sell to whomever we think is listening. I could look at one person’s Facebook post about getting an amazing summer internship and check that same person’s snap of them at a party and think to myself, “Clearly, this person has it all.” That’s what we strive for — we would never want to be vulnerable and weak, especially at an Ivy League institution.
bathroom and hope no one notices how blotchy you look when you come out. When your day is just absolutely terrible, find someone with whom you can talk. Do not blame yourself for feeling whichever way you feel. Do not keep fighting to only show your winnings. Most importantly, allow yourself to ask for help. Allow yourself to walk out the front door with a little bit of honesty on your face, even if it feels uncomfortable. It’s true; it’s uncomfortable
to acknowledge that life is hard sometimes, but do it anyways, for yourself — because there have been so many times when I could not muster up any strength to go to a meeting or event and made up 4,000 lies instead of just saying, “Today was really bad, and I want to sleep it off.” I’m proud of those people who do, though. I am proud of those who are honest, winnings and mistakes alike, from day one. I think there’s something beautifully un-human about being both accepting and forgiving of our own flaws. We are always trying to defend or hide our humanity, when all we really should be doing is accepting it. This is a lot of big talk for someone who would absolutely hate it if you ever saw me cry, but this is genuinely something I aspire to overcome. I want to be able to be vocal about the bad as I am able to do through my writing. I want people to know me as someone who would completely respect their honesty about failures and hardship because one thing that I know would help me through so much of the murk is knowing someone could just say, “I’m sorry you feel this way, but please don’t feel ashamed of it.” So if you’re waiting for that someone: I’m sorry you feel this, but please don’t feel ashamed of it. You are only human.
Sara Al-Salem ’17 can be reached at sara_al-salem@brown.edu.
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NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2016
BRYNN BRUNNSTROM
» FACILITIES, from page 1 night. Du added she was disappointed that Facilities Management did not give a “clear answer” when asked when they would be in her room, “especially because it was getting late at night.” Other students coped with the
cold temperatures by bundling up. “I wore blankets, hats (and) coats,” said Emily Yaruss ’18, whose Perkins Hall room lacked heat on Friday and Saturday. Ashley Whaley ’18 also experienced issues with heating in her room, and she ended up having to sleep on the floor of the room across
the hall, she said. Facilities Management workers were able to address each of Yaruss’ and Whaley’s complaints within two days of being called. The extra staff makes no difference if students choose not to call Facilities Management, Maiorisi said. “We really want the calls because we
don’t know what we don’t know,” he said. “If a student is not comfortable in their room, we want to know so we can fix it, not only for them, but also because it could cause other problems down the road.” The Facilities Management call center, open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, tracks where large
numbers of calls come from and analyzes the data after every storm. The concentration of calls can then be used to decide which buildings to upgrade next. For example, after a big storm three years ago, Facilities Management retrofitted Minden Hall’s heating system to add individual thermostats in each room.