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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 38

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DPS forum to be held over spring break Student Amid campus discourse on arming, DPS to undergo regular reaccreditation assessment By KATHERINE DAJANI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The Department of Public Safety will face assessors from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies March 29, according to a University press release. The assessment will include a public information session and forum March 30, which is during the University’s spring break. Those unable to attend can offer comment over the phone between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. the same day. “DPS had requested an on-site visit later in the semester, when all Brown students would be present on campus, but CALEA assigns dates and was unable to meet that request — hence their visit next week,” wrote Brian Clark, director of news and editorial development, in an email to The Herald. “The accreditation program requires the department to comply with 484 standards,” Clark wrote. “These are standards to which DPS is dedicated year in and year out, so the department is confident as it begins the reaccreditation process,” he added. DPS has been at the forefront of campus discourse over the past two semesters as the conduct of police with respect to the handling of weapons and

robbed at knifepoint on Meeting

the use of force has come under fire on a national level. Furthermore, a number of incidents involving DPS — including the firing of a DPS officer over his interaction with a visiting student during the Latinx Ivy League Conference and the Brown University Security Patrolperson’s Association vote of no confidence in Chief of Police Mark Porter and Deputy Chief of Police Paul Shanley — have fueled the discussion of the department’s role on campus. History of DPS arming In July 1998, DPS obtained accreditation from the CALEA — a measure that granted it the same rights as state authorities. The Brown Police Department faces reaccreditation every three years and “must submit annual reports attesting to continued compliance with the standards under which it was initially accredited,” Clark wrote. In 2003, the University “commissioned a study of campus security and safety by consultants under the leadership of William Bratton,” then-chief of the Los Angeles Police Department and current New York Police Commissioner, according to a 2003 University press release. The aim of this analysis was to “identify lasting, long-term solutions to safety problems at Brown while retaining the free and open character of the Brown campus and community,” the Bratton Group wrote in its 2002 report, which was titled the “Plan of Action for the Brown University Police

Providence Police investigate Meeting Street robbery that occurred at 8:45 p.m. Monday By KYLE BOROWSKI SENIOR STAFF WRITER TIMOTHY MUELLER-HARDER / HERALD

The Department of Public Safety, which must undergo an audit every three years to maintain accreditation, will meet with assessors next week. and Security Department.” The report highlighted potential DPS policy changes, some of which would aim to help the organization better combat violent street crime while granting officers sufficient protection from assailants — including the possibility of arming campus police. The Bratton Group — comprised of “two non-police members, three attorneys (one of whom is the former president of Handgun Control) and former police executives with a wide range of experience in different law enforcement venues” — voted unanimously to arm the Brown police, according to the report. At the time, some opponents of the arming believed that a firearm presence

on campus — even in the hands of the police — would create a more dangerous environment, as it would “introduce the element of deadly force with unforeseen, irretrievable and possibly calamitous consequences such as the wounding or killing of a student,” the 2002 report reads. Others were concerned that armed officers would feel empowered by their weapons and would thus be more likely to display excessive uses of force. Some worried that this “awesome power of life and death” would worsen any institutional or personal racism within the department, the report notes. Former President Ruth Simmons and Porter spearheaded the process to » See DPS, page 3

A student was assaulted and robbed March 21 while walking on Meeting Street between Prospect Street and Brown Street, according to a campuswide email Monday from the Department of Public Safety. At around 8:45 p.m., the victim was approached by an unidentified male who demanded the student’s wallet while holding a knife. The man was described as being approximately 5’9” and of average build. He was also described as having “dark hair, with a scruffy face” and wearing a gray, hooded sweatshirt with “Patriots” spelt across the chest, according to the email. After the incident, the suspect was said to have fled westward down Meeting Street toward the downtown area. In response to the incident, DPS will increase the number of patrols in » See ROBBERY, page 2

White Noise Collective R.I. hosts event on white allyship Brown alum comes back to campus to lead dialogue with white students on racial justice By KASTURI PANANJADY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The BioMedical Center played host to “White Skin, Black Asks,” a dialogue on white supremacy culture facilitated by the White Noise Collective R.I. Tuesday night. “White Noise R.I. works at the intersection of gender oppression and whiteness to dismantle white supremacy and racism,” said Rachel Bishop ’13, a volunteer with the organization. “Our target audience is white Brown undergraduate students,” Bishop said. The event was nonetheless made public and attended by Brown and Rhode Island School of Design staff members as well as people from beyond College Hill. Cameron Johnson ’17 invited the White Noise Collective R.I. in order to start a conversation around white racial

INSIDE

justice mobilization under the leadership of people of color, he said. The events of last semester regarding the demands of students of color and the comparative silence of the rest of the student body showed him that “participation of white folks was paramount” to the success of the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, he added. He decided to reach out to the collective, whose core membership is currently composed of white people, to facilitate a conversation centered around how white students can serve as allies to their peers in the fight for racial equality. Bishop began “White Skin, Black Asks” with the proposal to replace the word “ally” with the word “coconspirator” in an effort to make the term less passive. The idea of a racial justice “co-conspiracy” would allow students to feel more invested in racial justice work and begin to appreciate the intersectionality of race with other issues that white students tend to rally behind, Bishop said. She described her experience as an

MATEO MOBILIO / HERALD

Participants in White Noise Collective R.I.’s event “White Skin, Black Asks” addressed issues of anti-racist allyship within white supremacy culture, including their understanding of and personal motivations behind allyship. environmental activist in a primar- the capacity to name when something for attending the event on pieces of ily white-dominated space at Brown. racist was said or done.” paper that were then crumpled up and “We didn’t realize that we were missThe dialogue kicked off when fa- thrown into a central pile. At the end of ing a huge part of the conversation,” cilitators asked participants to anony- the exercise, participants were asked to she told The Herald. “We didn’t have mously write down their motivations » See WHITE NOISE, page 2

WEATHER

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016

NEWS HIAA Department reveals 14-course interdisciplinary architecture concentration

NEWS Governor’s new budget provides funding to address achievement gap for students learning English

COMMENTARY Johnson ’19: World Poetry Day encourages consideration of coffee culture’s complexity

COMMENTARY Yu ’19: Legacy admission offers unfair advantage to elite, should be discontinued at Brown

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PAGE 2 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Assault and robbery of a student

» WHITE NOISE, from page 1

A Brown student was robbed at knifepoint by an unidentified male Monday at 8:45 p.m. on Meeting Street between Prospect and Brown streets.

LLOYD

BOWEN

Machado

CUSHING

THAYER

Pembroke Quad BROWN

PROSPECT

MEETING

ANGELL EMMA JERZYK / HERALD

» ROBBERY, from page 1 the area and encourages community members to follow its safety guidelines, especially when walking alone at night. Deputy Chief of Police Paul Shanley

declined to comment on the incident because the Providence Police Department has jurisdiction over the case. While it investigates the incident, the Providence Police Department asks that anyone with information contact

it or the Brown Department of Public Safety, the email stated. Lindsay Lague, a Providence Police Department spokeswoman, could not be reached for comment by press time.

read each others’ responses out loud. Many attendees expressed the desire to become better people, “probably for selfish reasons as much as pure ones,” in the words of one respondent, referring to the increase in social capital one acquires at Brown for being “woke.” Others spoke of their fears of being inadvertently insensitive and invalidating. “I felt like there’s a lot of guilt here,” summarized one student. “The biggest barrier for white students who feel woke is ‘white guilt paralysis,’” Bishop told The Herald, borrowing the term a student used in trying to explain white Brown students’ limited participation in racial equity advocacy. RISD Museum employee Mariani Lefas-Tetenes said that the exercise left a deep impression on her. Crumpling responses allowed people to refrain from “making them precious,” but their words “were revalued through other voices,” she explained. “It got people to really listen to each other,” Lefas-Tetenes said, adding that

Letters, please! letters@browndailyherald.com

people were able to practice being less judgmental of each other. Participants were asked to read the essay “White Supremacy Culture,” by Kenneth Jones and Tema Okun, before the event. After reading their reasons for coming, attendees then broke off into groups of three to discuss the essay and how it related to their own lives. “At Brown, we get very theoretical very quickly,” Bishop said, adding that the activity was meant to re-humanize white students by making them explore their own racial identities. Facilitators emphasized that the dialogue was not meant to provide a sense of closure on issues related to racial justice. “The point of the event is not to leave with an allyship badge, thinking ‘I can do no wrong,’” Bishop told The Herald. In her concluding address, facilitator Ellen Tuzzolo asked all participants whether the discussions they had left them feeling uncomfortable. Looking out at the sea of raised hands, Tuzzolo wrapped up the evening with the words, “Love yourself through that discomfort.”

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» DPS, from page 1 arm the campus police force in early 2006. Simmons’ Jan. 11, 2006 community-wide announcement maintained that “only campus police officers, who are police academy graduates, licensed by the Superintendent of the Rhode Island State Police and authorized to enforce state statutes as well as University rules and regulations” were to handle weapons. The announcement also detailed the extensive preparation and training procedures — criminal background checks, psychological testing and 600 hours of formal training at the Municipal Police Academy — that made the program viable. DPS today When DPS was initially armed in 2006, it was a 33-member force. Today, DPS has a force of 51 sworn officers, Shanley wrote in an email to The Herald. No officer has ever fired a weapon while on duty, he wrote. Of the 51 officers, 17 percent are African American or Hispanic, Shanley wrote in an email to The Herald. “Our sworn officers are diverse … and receive annual supplemental training with an emphasis on serving a diverse collegeage community,” Shanley added. The firearm training process is “still ongoing, and we as police officers have to qualify,” Shanley told The Herald. “We do firearms training annually, where we go through a course to demonstrate our proficiency and have to use examples of shoot, don’t shoot. We also do night qualifications where we shoot in the dark.” He added that, more recently, the department has started preparing “tactical building entries” and “tactical shields” in the event of an active shooter on campus. The training of DPS officers in weapon use and “effective community policing” is necessary because “students, faculty (members) and staff (members) expect the same level of protection from our officers as they would receive from local police,” Shanley wrote in an email to The Herald. During a demonstration in December, students gathered in the office of President Christina Paxson P’19 to develop demands in response to the initial draft of the University’s Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan. One of the main demands students brought to Paxson’s attention was the disarming of DPS. Paxson responded that she believes DPS should “absolutely” be armed. The final draft of the DIAP states that the Public Safety Oversight Committee will release an assessment of the department by the end of this academic year. During the demonstration, Paxson responded to a student’s concerns about DPS in saying, “If they’re not policing here, Providence Police are policing here.” While DPS officers are well-trained to handle campus crimes, the department has maintained a collaborative relationship with local Providence police that involves “concurrent jurisdiction” over the areas DPS patrols, Shanley wrote in an email to The Herald. “We call them for assistance for crimes that take place on the streets that our officers observe,” he wrote. The Providence Police can enter Brown’s campus at any time to respond to an incident, but “they respect our knowledge of our campus and our community, while their resources are an additional asset for protecting the

How Department of Public Safety officers became armed While the decision to arm DPS officers has been discussed for over 20 years, questions about why DPS officers became armed and whether they should remain so have become particularly prevalent recently as national discourse rages on.

1998 1992

Former President Vartan Gregorian decides against arming on several different occasions, arguing that students feel sufficiently safe without an armed campus police force.

DPS becomes the third police force in Rhode Island and the first in the Ivy League to gain accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.

2002 The Bratton Group publishes a report concluding that, among other increased safety measures, arming DPS officers is a necessary step to ensure the safety of the community.

The University commissioned William Bratton — then the chief of the Los Angeles Police Former President The 33-member DPS force Ruth Simmons becomes armed. Department — to lead a study on campus safety at Brown. announces her decision to arm DPS officers.

2001

2006

2003

Source: The Brown Daily Herald; Brown University press releases EMMA JERZYK / HERALD

community,” he added. The debate on arming Students hold a range of views on whether and to what degree DPS officers should be armed. “As a white man, the DPS being armed represents something completely different to me than it does to other students here,” said Brendan Gaffney ’19. But “the primary concern of the administration and students should be collective security, and so if the only apparatus that we have to secure the campus is not armed, then what defense do we have against a potential terrorist attack, against a potential school shooting?” “DPS should absolutely be armed,” said Emanuel Dallas ’18, adding that there have been no instances of a DPS officer “improperly using a firearm.” “It is ironic that the people complaining about armed officers threatening their safety are supporting an action that will make the campus significantly more unsafe for all students,” Dallas said. He added that he wants to attend a university in which there is “a police force that can respond to serious on-campus dangers — which, unlike misuse of police firearms, actually do happen at colleges.” Ezza Ahmed ’19 said that officers should still have general access to firearms — either in police cruisers or at the department headquarters — to deal with cases “where a non-college student is threatening the life of another person.” But “when it has to do with students from Brown, and there’s a situation where there’s a college party or something like that, they should not be allowed to have a weapon.” Ahmed said she worried that “when police officers are dealing with someone who’s belligerent,” they will act to protect themselves and might use weapons unnecessarily. President of the Providence NAACP James Vincent said he thinks DPS should not be armed, “because of a philosophical feeling that campus police probably shouldn’t be armed.” “A majority of institutions of higher education have sworn and armed officers,” Shanley wrote, citing a 20042005 survey completed by the Bureau of Justice Studies of the U.S. Department of Justice. The study revealed that 67 percent of campus law enforcement agencies surveyed used armed campus officers during the 2004-2005 school year. A total of 750 law enforcement

agencies were surveyed. In addition, “90 percent of agencies with sworn officers were armed,” Shanley wrote. Many sources noted that transparency about DPS’s policies is key to maintaining the safety of the student body. “We should be informed of their policies and develop a better understanding of what they’re there for and how we can best work with them to make sure that our safety is prioritized,” Gaffney said. “I do trust the department to a reasonable extent, but I can understand if others don’t. I only feel informed

because I’m pretty friendly with an officer. I thought (Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey’s ’91 MA’06) letter about the termination of the officer involved in the Latinx conference was not very informative at all,” said David, a sophomore who wished to remain anonymous for fear of backlash for his views. “I do think DPS should be armed, but with use of nonlethal force prioritized obviously and mandatory diversity training,” David said. In response to students’ concerns about the potential for DPS officers to fire their weapons when tensions

escalate, Shanley wrote, “Officers currently have a continuum of strategies available, ranging from verbal persuasion techniques to physical restraint.” Members of the Black Student Union and Brown Democrats declined to comment for this story. Members of Brown Republicans, the Public Safety Oversight Committee and the Brown NAACP could not be reached for comment. Signatories of the Brown University 2015 Latinx Ivy League Conference delegation could not be reached for comment. — With additional reporting by Agnes Chan

NEWS

PAGE 4 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Interdisciplinary, design-based architecture concentration established Concentration, now available to sophomores, to better prepare students for grad school, careers By HATTIE XU STAFF WRITER

For students still undecided on a concentration, there is now a new option to consider: architecture. Though an architectural studies concentration has always been available within the Department of History of Art and Architecture, a new interdisciplinary concentration, simply called architecture and focusing on architectural design, was recently developed, said Dietrich Neumann, professor of history of art and architecture. With the April 7 deadline approaching, the new architecture concentration, to be offered in addition to architectural studies, is already available for current sophomores to declare, Neumann said. Students who concentrate in architecture will also have the opportunity to seek “advanced standing,” which will allow them to enter a two-year master’s program at Rhode Island School of Design or other architecture schools upon graduation, Neumann said. The concentration requires that students take 14 courses from a variety of disciplines such as engineering and design, environmental studies, urban politics and literature, he added. The department expects five to 10 students to apply for the concentration this year. Justin Liang ’18 noted that the architecture concentration seems to

ROLAND HIGH / HERALD

center on “doing” architecture as opposed to looking at and critiquing structures. The concentration was created in response to student demand and to prepare students who are considering enrolling in architecture school after graduation, said Sheila Bonde, chair of the Department of History of Art and Architecture. The new concentration “is necessary because many of my peers have

asked for it before,” said Isabela Muci ’16. “It’s more hands-on and prepares students better for architecture school.” Still, cultural and social context are clearly instrumental to the concentration’s vision of an undergraduate education in architecture. The concentration has “been planned with the explicit goal of connecting architectural training firmly with the humanities and providing a greater awareness of global,

environmental, social and economic issues in the built environment,” according to a handout shared with students at a March 21 information session organized by the department. Rather than focusing on “abstract formal exercises” involving form and shape — though this remains an important part of architecture — the department is attempting to orient students toward solving real-world problems, such as access to housing

and space, Bonde said. Another difference between the new concentration and the architectural studies concentration is that students undertaking the new concentration must take two design studio courses offered at RISD, as opposed to one introductory design course for the architectural studies track, Neumann said. This is “revolutionary,” as architecture is the first concentration to require two courses offered at RISD, he added. While industrial architecture is relying more and more heavily on technology to represent buildings digitally, the new concentration aims to teach students the importance of sketching and creating models by hand, the handout stated. “(Drawing by hand) makes you engage with the choices you are making because there aren’t any default orientations that the machine will give you,” Bonde said. She compared this to the field of archaeology, where “there’s something about spending the time drawing each stone that (makes it) a learning process.” Faculty members have discussed developing the new concentration for years, but it was not until after a series of conversations among the department, RISD and the administration that plans were finally approved in early March, Neumann said. A number of students expressed enthusiasm for the change. “I knew I wanted to study architecture, but I didn’t want to go to a full-on arts school,” said Benjamin Fox ’18. “Now that (the department) offers architecture design, this seems to be perfect for me.”

SHAG workshop explores sexual fantasies, challenges norms Facilitators emphasize importance of consent while destigmatizing fantasies, fetishes, kinks By HANA PARK STAFF WRITER

“Hooking up with a professor during office hours. Using handcuffs during sex. Having partners of a particular race or ethnicity. Using urine or feces during sex. Pretending to be a little kid and calling (your) partner mommy or daddy. Having sex in the SciLi.” These were among the sexual fantasies that audience members were asked to react to at Sexual Health Awareness Group’s “Real Life or Just Fantasy” workshop Tuesday. “Our programming seeks to not only normalize the broad range of sexual development that exists among the student body, but also to challenge norms that are commonly ascribed to sexuality,” wrote Alexandra Sepolen ’16, SHAG coordinator, in an email to The Herald. Facilitators included SHAG members Deborah Pomeranz ’18 and Helen Denisenko ’18, who endeavored to destigmatize fantasies, explore complications and discuss how to pursue fantasies in real life. The workshop started with an overview of the terms: fantasy, fetish and kink. By defining fantasy as “an imagined

scenario or act that evokes sexual or erotic feelings that one may want to pursue or not,” the event emphasized that one should not be ashamed for having them. “You are not immoral or unhealthy because you have a fantasy in your head. As long as exploration is done consensually and isn’t harming anyone, then you’re okay,” Denisenko said. Comedy Central’s Key and Peele video “Sex with Black Guys” was shown to introduce when fantasies are complicated by power dynamics and identity-based fetishization. While the clip elicited laughter, it was also used as a reminder to be mindful of one’s fantasies. The video depicted the varying reactions of two AfricanAmerican men as they overhear two white women speculate about what it is like to sleep with a black man. It brought up the point that identity-based fetishization attraction is harmful because it reduces people to a single identity and objectifies them. The facilitators also emphasized the importance of being intentional and introspective about your fantasies and real-life sexual encounters. The workshop then shifted to practical questions such as “How do you bring up a fantasy to partners?” and “How can you communicate with your partner and get consent?” It emphasized the need for communication and consent in relationships. To answer the latter question, the facilitators

MATTEO MOBILIO / HERALD

Materials handed out Monday to audience members at the Sexual Health Awareness Group’s “Real Life or Just Fantasy” workshop included pamphlets, protection and pleasure-enhancing materials. discussed honesty and safe words — words that any partner can use at any time to stop the encounter. “Consent is crucial, but pleasure matters, too,” was written in the workshop’s PowerPoint presentation. Charlotte May ’17 said the

workshop gave her useful information on how to approach the subject. “I think it was definitely an important conversation to have because sexual fantasy has become an important part of our culture, but it hasn’t been talked about openly,” she said.

Aaron Mayer ’18 was more ambivalent to the usefulness of the information the workshop presented, he said, adding that while he was “relatively comfortable” with the information already, it was important for it to be reinforced.

TODAY

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

silent spring

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Honey Boo Boo, Mushroom’s Revenge, Sausage and Spicy Garlic Po Boys / Rich Boys JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Gourmet Grilled Cheese

Beef Chili, Hearty Veggie Soup Naked Burritos

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Spicy Cuban Beef Stir Fry, Vegetable Egg Rolls, Polynesian Chicken Wings, M&M Cookie

Tortellini Angelica, Roast Beef Au Jus, Tequila Lime Chicken, Caribbean Rum Cake

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Falafel, Beets in Orange Sauce, Oreo Chocolate Chip Fudge Bar

Orange and Ginger Chicken, Egg Foo Young, Buttermilk Biscuits, Washington Apple Cake

sudoku

MATTEO MOBILIO / HERALD

A cloudless day reveals that no traces of Monday’s fleeting snow storm remain on College Hill. The flora is bound to blossom as spring knocks on the door.

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

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c rNorris o s sandwJoyce o rNichols d Lewis Edited by Rich ACROSS 1 Tatum O’Neal played one in “The Bad News Bears” 7 Burn a tad 11 Keystone bumbler 14 Running by itself 15 Drought-ridden 16 Suffix with infant 17 *Freebie with fries 19 Woodworking tool 20 Kosher deli offering 21 Sipped sherry, say 23 Nails, as a test 24 Baptism receptacle 25 How some Bibles present Jesus’ words 28 Secure with a seat belt 30 Stool pigeon 32 Barrister’s topper 33 Playing card symbol 34 Chief Valhalla god 35 Whiskey barrel wood 38 *Spicy Chinese dish with chicken and peanuts 41 Big name in ice cream 42 It may be gray 44 In medias __ 45 Dr. Mom’s forte 47 Source of early clothing? 49 With 56-Across, blamed for 53 Antique photo 54 Heavy hauler 56 See 49-Across 57 Recognition 59 Fund 60 Part of dpi 62 *Of its species, only the emperor is larger 64 747, e.g. 65 Cyberzine 66 Inner strength 67 Wily 68 Very best 69 Verne __, MiniMe portrayer in Austin Powers films

DOWN 1 Gertrude Stein confidante Alice B. __ 2 Like Chekhov’s “A Marriage Proposal” 3 “As a __ of fact ...” 4 Firewood-sizing tool 5 Will-wisp link 6 Thou, now 7 Political channel 8 Intellectually stimulating experience 9 Conquistador’s chest 10 Weave anew 11 *South Korean subcompact 12 Antique 13 Brick-shaped candy 18 Unit of loudness 22 It may be supplied at a booth, briefly 24 Work (out) 26 Writer Bagnold 27 Seventh Avenue fashion initials 29 Water__: oral irrigator 31 “So what?” feeling 33 Family-friendly ratings

35 Big galoots 36 Grammy winner India.__ 37 *Beer pong venue 39 “Ready for forty winks?” 40 Portuguese hi 43 Symptom ending 46 Held fast 48 Dishonest activity 49 Kid’s summer spot

50 Mil. grunt work, and a hint to the answers to starred clues 51 French star 52 Real drag 55 Gibson’s “Lethal Weapon” role 58 Stretch __ 59 Cabinet dept. 60 Nightcap complement 61 Sushi fish 63 CPR pro

“You are not immoral or unhealthy because you have a fantasy in your head.” — Helen Denisenko ’18, SHAG member

See sexual fantasies on page 4. CORRECTION

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

An article in Monday’s Herald (“TEDxBrownU stories inspire, invigorate,” March 21) stated that this year’s TEDxBrownU conference was the first entirely student-run conference. In fact, it was the second. The Herald regrets the error.

www.browndailyherald.com xwordeditor@aol.com

calendar

03/23/16

TODAY

MARCH

03/23/16

Wellness at Brown!: Restorative Yoga 12:00 P.M. 200 Dyer Street, Room 101

Churros and Chocolate 2:00 P.M. Rochambeau House

Jared Diamond Lecture 4:00 P.M. Salomon Center 101

Men’s Story Project 7:00 P.M. Salomon Center 101

TOMORROW Jewishly Inspired Meditation 11:00 A.M. Brown/RISD Hillel

“How Structural Racism Works” 6:00 P.M. 85 Waterman St, Room 130

2016 Brown/RISD Slam Team Send-Off Show 8:00 P.M. Metcalf Room 101

Reclaiming Rainbow for Queer Students, Allies 10:00 P.M. Petteruti Lounge

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016

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L IO R A M O R HAY I M

comic P-Branes and Bosons | Ricky Oliver

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COMMENTARY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Ode to coffee GRACE JOHNSON staff columnist Monday was World Poetry Day, and coffee houses carrying Julius Meinl roasts around the world offered coffee in exchange for a poem. I have always considered coffee quite a poetic beverage, but I have not always recognized its symbolism. As well-seasoned caffeine connoisseurs, college students should consider the truth that sits at the bottom of many mugs. The Austrian brand Julius Meinl boasts Fair Trade Certification, UTZ Certification and a commitment to sustainability and social engagement. Its promotion of poetry exposes the coffee bean as many poets’ muse. Monday offered an opportunity not only to enjoy a cappuccino, but also to recognize the industry’s international impacts. Coffee is controversial, and, like many products, it is the role of a responsible consumer to understand its origins. More than 90 percent of con-

temporary plantations are located in developing countries, employing forced and child labor. And, as with all trafficking, it is a complicated system that creates ethical quandaries. Is it better to somehow contribute to workers’ wages or to avoid such products altogether? Labor exploitation is difficult to avoid, but the fair

to enjoy a smooth, dark roast responsibly, while grappling with the complexity of labor exploitation and economic power. Coffee is an addicting concept and an even more addicting product. And when studies show that three to five cups a day is not harmful but, in fact, quite healthy, the ad-

which Dunkin’ Donuts was founded and that hosts an abundance of local coffee shops that cater to connoisseurs. A global community of bodies buzzes and hums from morning cups of liquid energy. Coffee holds eyes open, lifts moods and helps productivity reach new heights. The

It reminded us that while we are stealing time from our future selves, we should cherish those moments sipping coffee and writing term papers.

trade movement works to ensure promotion of small, ethical farms, improving access to markets and supporting community education. The pocket money college students spend on their regular caffeine boost comes with a large responsibility because the ideas behind a physical product can often be immoral and exploitative. The Fair Trade Certification on coffee products is one way

diction is scientifically and socially justified. We introduce others to the drug in masks of amiability. We offer a cup as hospitality, some bring a togo cup to a friend having a bad day, and the big chains advertise sugary gateway drinks to lure those with a sweet tooth. And of course college is a petri dish for beginning coffee addicts, especially in the state that adopted coffee milk as its beverage, in

monsters of the morning are appeased, and kinder, gentler people emerge into the day. Coffee holds a quiet authority, especially when juxtaposed with the noises of its followers: the grinding of the machine, the chiming of the shop register, the warm drips into the cup, the clacking of the keyboard and the clinking of the mugs. Consumers drink coffee sourced

from the ancestry of ancient coffee forests while propelling themselves into the future. As Sir Terry Pratchett said, “Coffee is a way of stealing time that should by rights belong to your older self.” World Poetry Day was a symbol of the peaceful power of both poetry and coffee, especially paired together. Participants created literary art, which often pushes political progress, while sipping socially conscious coffee. It reminded us that while we are stealing time from our future selves, we should cherish those moments sipping coffee and writing term papers. We can admit to addiction and to taking advantage of the drink for its caffeine. But we should rectify our relationship with coffee by spending more time in Providence’s Fair Trade Certified local shops and cherishing the warmth of the coffee mug and the creativity it inspires.

Grace Johnson ’19 is addicted to coffee and can be reached at grace_johnson@brown.edu.

Regicide! GLENN YU staff columnist Recently, President Christina Paxson P’19 published the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, a 19-page proposal announcing her intention to spend about $165 million to create “a just and inclusive campus” with “a concrete set of actions to promote diversity and inclusion and confront the issues of racism, power, privilege, inequity and injustice.” But while the proposal plans to increase financial support for low-income students, double the number of underrepresented minority faculty members and expand Brown’s focus on race and social justice, the plan fails tremendously to address one of the University’s most egregious injustices: affirmative action for the rich, known euphemistically to us as legacy admission. With regular admission decisions coming out during spring break, this issue is particularly relevant. Overall, legacies compose between 10 and 15 percent of the undergraduate population at Princeton. Brown has not released statistics on legacies in the undergraduate population in years, but it is fair to assume Brown’s numbers fall somewhere in the ballpark of Princeton’s. If you want to visualize this, just keep in mind that only 12.9 percent of Brown’s population is Asian, 11.3 percent is Latinx and 6.7 percent African-American. Moreover, Ivy League legacy acceptance rates are typically two to five times those of overall acceptance rates. Brown claimed in 2006 that it had admitted 33.5 percent of alums’ children, in contrast to the 13.8 percent overall admission rate the same year. To put that into perspective, while the Class of 2019 acceptance rate was 8.5 percent, the acceptance rate for applicants with 800 Critical Reading SAT scores was just 22.8 percent and the rate for valedictorians was just 18.5 percent. In 2009, Princeton admitted 41.7 percent of legacy applicants, a rate 4.5 times that of non-legacy applicants. Based upon this, it seems that admission to the Ivy League is not about getting good grades; rather, it is about getting adopted. Of course, legacy students might be more qualified than the general applicant body. Lega-

cy students, by definition, come from educated backgrounds. But legacy acceptance rates do not reflect any “slight” qualification disparity. They are documentable, statistical imperfections in the well-woven lies of the elite, one of the countless illustrations of how they game the system through embedded societal norms. Legacy admission perpetuates the power of the elite and educated, acting as a hindrance to the lofty images of meritocracy that admission offices peddle. But this phenomenon is not exclusive to the Ivy League; it is systemic. In almost three-quarters of research universities and nearly all liberal arts colleges, legacy students are given preference in admission. According to a study of 180,000 student records conducted in 2005, within a given SAT score range, the legacy title increases one’s chances of admission to a selective

and can thus provide their children with research opportunities and superior letters of recommendation. These students are fully capable of high achievement and should be last in line to receive any sort of extra assistance in admission. Universities give us two justifications for legacy admission. The first is based on tradition — claiming that legacy students should be prioritized because their families have laid the foundations upon which the university stands. But this argument is fundamentally elitist and aristocratic, postulating that tradition is more important than fairness and merit, that having a single parent who has attended Brown can be more important than individual achievement. The second is economic, and it is slightly more convincing: Brown wants money. Because accepting alums’ children creates a concrete incentive

But in our quest to ingratiate our narcissistic, inflated egos with high-sounding social justice rhetoric followed by inaction, we somehow forget that part of the answer to society’s ills is right here at Brown. institution by 19.7 percent. After entering college, legacies, almost without exception, typically perform worse than the general student body during their undergraduate careers. Legacy is not a representation of the dedication, hard work or virtue of an applicant. Instead, it is a representation of wealth and birthright, a direct contradiction to the idea that “all men are created equal,” a perpetuation of an antiquated notion that some people are just born better. Even before universities consider legacy status, we must understand that legacies have access to more opportunities than the rest of the applicant pool. Because many alums of elite universities are richer than the general populace, legacies have access to resources like SAT and ACT tutoring. Moreover, it is no secret that absurdly expensive “college counselors” can be hired to edit, or even write, Common App essays. Even if families are unwilling to go to such depraved lengths to get ahead, Ivy League alums are also well-connected

for alums to donate, Brown needs legacy to remain solvent. But it must be noted that the concept of legacy admission is unheard of in postsecondary institutions in almost every country other than the United States. Even in America, top institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and California Institute of Technology do not consider legacy in admission. Given that Brown’s endowment is $3.3 billion and its return on investment last year was 5.7 percent, it is likely that Brown would remain solvent even with a decrease in alumni donations. Looking outside Brown, schools like Yale even boast endowment returns each year that are twice as high as the amount of money they use from their endowments per year in an operating budget. Thus, the rationale for legacy policies in the Ivy League is not simply an economic one. In reality, the reason why we keep legacy is simply that no one cares. While race-based affirmative action policies are the center of heated

debate — gargantuan lawsuits have been filed and the Supreme Court has debated it twice now — legacy is taken for granted, and debate over it seems nonexistent. At Brown, this is understandable. The legacy system benefits us because our kids may take advantage of it one day, too. But if we take a step back into a veil of ignorance, forgoing our selfish tendencies for just a moment, we must recognize that, on principle, legacy is unconscionable and unjustifiable. In our classes, we search for solutions to the growing inequalities between the rich and the poor in the United States. In politics, we look outside of the establishment toward U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-VT, because he seems to say what everyone else is afraid to: The game is rigged (millionaires and billionaires … middle class … yada yada yada). In the real world, many of us direct our malice upon the villainy of our prison system and the brutality of our police officers in their collective and continual discrimination against their own species. But in our quest to ingratiate our narcissistic, inflated egos with high-sounding social justice rhetoric followed by inaction, we somehow forget that part of the answer to society’s ills is right here at Brown. We forget that the university to which we pay tuition each year funds an admission office that exacerbates inequality each and every year by rejecting qualified, hopeful students for elite, lessqualified ones. Sure, all of us can sit back and let legacy continue, reaping the benefits in 30 years or so when our children finally get to exploit the system we helped immortalize. Or we can not embarrass ourselves. Speak out and act. As Howard Zinn said, “you can’t be neutral on a moving train” — to be neutral is to perpetuate systemic inequality. Legacy admission is aristocratic in every way (excluding the incest … hopefully); it keeps the moneyed nobility in power through blatant nepotism. As much as the Brown administration tells us that “all of us belong here,” some of us don’t. It is our duty to make sure that all of us do.

Glenn Yu ’19 received preferential treatment in admission as a native Rhode Islander. There is a good chance he doesn’t belong here either. He can be reached at glenn_yu@brown.edu.

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WEDNESDAY, MARCH 23, 2016

Brown Unplugged competition shines light on saving energy 11,215 kilowatt-hours saved, as Hope, Grad Center, Barbour top three dorms in saving energy By SHAWN YOUNG STAFF WRITER

Brown Unplugged: Do It in the Dark, an annual competition among university residence halls to save energy, finished its sixth run Monday. The competition ran from March 1 to March 21 and saw 964 students register to compete. By the end of the competition, students saved over 11,215 kilowatthours and $1,736 of electricity and stopped 10,215 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere, wrote Dorinda Fong ’18, president of Brown Unplugged, and Emma IllickFrank ’18, faculty and staff coordinator for Brown Unplugged in an email to The Herald. Hope College saved the most energy, reducing its energy consumption by 12.8 percent, according to the competition’s website. Graduate Center came in second, and Barbour and Barbour Hall Apartments came in third, reducing energy consumption by 10.6

and 10.2 percent, respectively. Only three residence halls saw an increase in consumption during the competition: Archibald-Bronson Hall, Vartan Gregorian A & B and Andrews Hall. Andrews Hall’s energy consumption jumped over 5 percent, according to the Unplugged website. Yasmin Toney ’19, a co-captain for Emery-Woolley Hall, wrote that many of her hallmates were open to receiving energy conservation tips. Simple things like lowering the temperature on thermostats, doing laundry more efficiently and unplugging chargers when they’re not in use helped EmeryWoolley residents save energy, Toney wrote in an email to The Herald. Each residence hall’s energy consumption was measured before the competition began, Fong and IllickFrank wrote. This metric was then used as a baseline to gauge how much energy was saved during the competition. Because the amount of energy saved was measured by percentage rather than in absolute terms, factors like dorm size, efficiency of heating systems, number of kitchens, age of buildings and number of residents had a minimal effect on the competition, Fong and Illick-Frank wrote. Rather,

the winners of the competition will be “the people in a dorm who collectively changed their energy-saving habits the most,” they added. Still, the University saved less energy this year than last year. During the 2015 competition, the University saved 16,469 kilowatt-hours, wrote Fong and Illick-Frank. One possible reason for this change was less attention to first-year dorms, even though “it seems that freshmen are actually most receptive to this type of energy-saving initiative,” wrote Fong and Illick-Frank. But there is a silver lining. The competition’s sole purpose isn’t just to reduce energy consumption. “The vision of the competition is geared around awareness,” said Christopher Powell, assistant vice president of Sustainable Energy and Environment. The purpose of the competition is to inform students about their energy usage so they adopt sustainable energy practices both during and after their time on campus. Fong and Illick-Frank hope that, through energy-saving initiatives such as Brown Unplugged, students “will begin to see pervasive change of energy usage in dorms and other University buildings,” they wrote.

COURTESY OF BROWN UNPLUGGED

Most dorms reduced energy consumption, but Archibald-Bronson, Andrews Hall and Vartan Gregorian A and B saw consumption jump.

State, experts discuss ways to improve support for ELL students Gov. Raimondo’s proposed budget hopes to designate first-time funding for English language learners By GWEN EVERETT SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Though English language learners constitute 7 percent of the public school population in Rhode Island, the Ocean State is currently one of only four states that do not have designated funding for English language learners. Gov. Gina Raimondo submitted a revised education funding formula to the Rhode Island legislature in February that seeks to increase funding and support for ELL students. The revised formula was informed by recommendations from a 29-member education working group appointed by Raimondo. English language learners are defined as students who are enrolled in an English as a Second Language

program at a public school. An achievement gap exists between ELL and non-ELL students, said Elliot Krieger, public information officer for the Rhode Island Department of Education. In 2013, 25 percent of fourth grade ELL students were proficient in English language reading, compared to 75 percent of non-ELL students, he added. Though ELL students have seen progress over recent years on standardized test results, so have their non-ELL counterparts. Since the former’s improvements have not outpaced the latter’s, the gap remains, Krieger said. “There’s an issue of capacity” because many ELL students are concentrated in low-income areas, which can put a strain on the resources of the ESL programs in those districts, said Anna Cano Morales, director of

the Latino Policy Institute at Roger Williams University. The previous funding formula used poverty as a proxy for ELL students, said Tim Duffy, executive director of the Rhode Island Association of School Committees. “There should be two proxies: a proxy for ELL and a proxy for lowincome students,” Morales said. “Poverty is not necessarily correlated to learning a language,” she added, noting that there are affluent children in Rhode Island for whom English is not a first language. But funding for ELL could be vulnerable to budgetary concerns and may not make it into the eventual budget formula that the legislature passes. “Everything is on the table when it comes to passing a state budget,” Morales said. If the legislature enacts the formula as it stands, the state will give extra funding to the ESL programs

that already exist but will not impose regulations regarding the types of ESL support programs that districts must offer, Duffy said. But the challenge of providing for ELL students goes further than designating funding to existing programs, Morales said. “The funding formula doesn’t necessarily cover innovation,” she said, adding that school systems should think about dual language and global citizenship programs. ELL students in Rhode Island speak a total of 85 languages, according to RI Kids Count. Most ESL programs are taught with the assistance of teacher aides, who can translate course material for students on a case-by-case basis, Duffy said. But rural school districts may have a more difficult time offering a robust ESL program because they have fewer students and a more difficult time acquiring resources, he added. Morales noted that resources for

Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking students may be easier for school systems to acquire than those for less commonly spoken languages, but added that the challenges involved in accommodating ELL students are not just a matter of providing translators for a variety of languages. Rather, the plight of ELL students in Rhode Island is made difficult in part because “it’s concentrated in urban-poor districts,” she said. Additionally, many ELL students may have intersectional identities that need to be considered when addressing the achievement gap between ELL students and their non-ELL counterparts, Morales said. Refugees, for example, have often experienced trauma and need more than language acquisition to feel comfortable in their educational environments, she said. Their “mental health needs to be addressed as much as English language learning,” she added.