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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD VOLUME CLIV, ISSUE 19

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

UNIVERSITY NEWS

ARTS & CULTURE

BEO concentration on its way out New business pathways in econ, sociology, entrepreneurship to replace BEO BY SARAH WANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER The University has begun to phase out the Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizations concentration and replace it with three new curricular pathways: an Organizational Studies Track in the sociology concentration, a Business Economics Track in the economics concentration and a Certificate in Entrepreneurship offered by the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship. Prospective students will no longer be able to declare BEO as a concentration during their time at the University, and the Class of 2023 is the last cohort of students that can declare BEO as a concentration. Instead, starting this semester, the new Business Economics and Organizational Studies tracks are available to all students,

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Wieners sizzle at Olneyville NY System

according to the BEO website. For the upcoming spring semester, students in their fifth or sixth semester may begin pursuing the Certificate in Entrepreneurship. Reasons for the change In comparison to the BEO concentration, the new curricular pathways will allow students to study fields related to business in greater depth and receive more tailored advising, said Dean of the College Rashid Zia ’01. The three academic departments proposed their own changes, and the College Curriculum Council approved them in May 2019, according to a University press release. Because the number of required courses for each track is less than the amount required by the BEO Concentration, students will also have greater flexibility for exploration in their coursework, Zia said. Additionally, these curricular offerings aim to provide greater academic

SEE BEO PAGE 2

Local establishment maintains unique R.I. food culture, late night eats, family history BY HENRY DAWSON SENIOR STAFF WRITER It’s midnight in Olneyville. A chef opens up a steam drawer and takes out three golden side-cut rolls, warm and soft. He lines them up on one arm, slides a shining wiener in each, loads them with mustard, celery salt, spiced meat sauce and chopped onions. The wieners, ordered “three all the way,” are served with frothy coffee milk — a uniquely Rhode Island meal, available until 3 a.m. in this local haunt. On a recent weekend night, Tripp Harwell ’22, stopping at the joint after a night out, stood at the counter and ordered “two hot dogs.” “Hot dogs?” the chef said. “Wieners,” Harwell corrected himself. Satisfied, the chef nodded and took his order. Olneyville New York System has been serving the same wieners — not hot dogs — for as long as fourth-gen-

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Better WorldxDesign embraces tech, art Three-day conference brings together students, professionals from across country

COURTESY OF OLNEYVILLE NEW YORK SYSTEM

Wieners ordered “all the way” at the late-night establishment are traditionally loaded up on the chef’s arm and served piping hot. eration owner Greg Stevens can re- its Rhode Island roots, unique size member. The store, which sells a va- (four inches, as opposed to six), comriety of wieners in the classic “New position (a combination of beef, veal York System” style, won a prestigious and pork) and ceremonial method of James Beard Classics Award in 2014. A preparation. New York System wiener differs from the traditional “hot-dog” because of SEE WIENER PAGE 4

METRO

Community science fair kindles curiosity in STEM Second annual Big Bang Science Fair aims to make science more accessible

BY SOPHIA SAKER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

BY EMILIJA SAGAITYTE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Collaboration came to College Hill this weekend when designers, educators and entrepreneurs gathered for Better WorldxDesign’s three-day conference. “I discovered that my interest in design was an interest in art, and my interest in art was an interest in culture,” said Brendan Ciecko, founder and CEO of Cuseum, a start-up that incorporates technology like virtual reality into museums. Ciecko,in a white shirt with letters of code printed all around it, stood in front of a crowd of students, PowerPoint at the ready. The weekend-long event marks BWxD’s 12th year running, and the ninth year of each conference having its own theme. The group chose “NOISE” as this year’s theme, inspired by disturbance and the positive creativity that can come from it, according to Co-Chair of BWxD Tristan Harris

’20. “We wanted something that was a verb,” Harris said, “and while noise isn’t necessarily a verb it can be used as one and it can be put into action. For example, you can literally make ‘noise.’” In accordance with the theme, Harris and the two other chairs — Erica Silver RISD ’20 and Tina Yang ’20 — as well as an entire committee of 22 other Brown and RISD students, chose speakers who they saw as unafraid to make noise for positive change. In

Metro

Commentary

Roundup: Progressives, pumpkins and proposed $1 billion lottery contract Page 2

Editorial: Brown should amplify community voices in public school takeover Page 6

Landau’ 20, Ngin ’22: ‘The Idiot’ offers value beyond what prior criticisms allege Page 6

Corwin ’23: U. Admission Office should allow applicants to answer “Why Brown?” Page 7

COURTESY OF BETTER WORLDXDESIGN

This year’s Better WorldxDesign three-day conference was themed “NOISE,” and included speakers who had made noise for change.

total, the group brought in 25 speakers from locations ranging from the Boston area to Mexico. Among those speakers were Becca Ricks and Zoe Bachman, members of a collective called tendernet, which facilitates workshops and other activities to explore gender dynamics in design, surveillance and privacy, among other topics. Bachman and Ricks led a workshop titled “Imagining Feminist Interfac-

SEE DESIGN PAGE 4

Golden embers flickered and twirled, darting out of the flames that leaned over the Providence River where crowds had gathered under an assemblage of white, pop-up tents for the second annual Big Bang Science Fair late Saturday evening. The fair, part of Providence WaterFire, featured lectures, workshops and booths with walk-up events that provided a glimpse into science, technology and medicine in combination with art. The event aimed to exhibit what these disciplines entail and how they synergize, said Meenakshi Narain, professor of physics and the event coordinator. The Big Bang Science Fair also aimed to make science accessible by bringing it to the local community. “To accomplish my vision to have everybody understand and appreciate science, … it’s really important that we

at least work with the general public and make them understand what we are doing, why we are doing it and engage them in our dialogue,” Narain said. This year’s speakers included experts in neuroscience, physics, music and artificial intelligence, including Professor of Neuroscience John Donoghue PhD ’79, Fermilab’s Head of the Office of Education and Public Outreach Rebecca Thompson, YouTube science sensation Derek Muller, Director of the New York Theremin Society and Musicologist Dorit Chrysler and Lisa Michaud from Interactions LLC, according to the WaterFire website. The night ended on a jazzy note with a performance from the God Particle music group, Narain said. At the fair, Donoghue addressed BrainGate — a product he helped devise with other researchers that enables people with paralysis to accomplish everyday tasks they cannot otherwise perform. For example, Donoghue described how the product can control a robotic arm to serve a latte. While the current technology has all the machinery outside of the body, aside from the

SEE STEM PAGE 3

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

BEO FROM PAGE 1

Metro Roundup

BY SOPHIE CULPEPPER AND CELIA HACK

State and local candidates form progressive coalition Former gubernatorial candidate Matt Brown is co-chairing a new progressive coalition to elect at least 25 new progressive candidates to the Rhode Island Legislature and unseat incumbent Democrats in the process. According to its website, “the RI Political Cooperative is building a statewide grassroots movement to elect a government in 2020 that will work for the people of our state – not for corporations or the connected.” The group aims to elect enough new state legislators to replace the current House Speaker and Senate President. Thus far, twelve candidates running for state office and three running for local office have joined the group. In doing so, they commit to supporting a $15/hour minimum wage, a Green New Deal, Medicare for All, “common sense gun control” and tuition-free public college. Candidates within the cooperative also pledged not to accept donations from corporate PACs, corporate lobbyists or the fossil fuel industry. Candidates who have joined include Jeanine Calkin, a former Democratic state senator for Warwick, and Monica Huertas, a candidate for Providence City Council Ward 10. Huertas was also the coordinator for the No LNG in PVD campaign, an unsuccessful attempt to prevent a liquefied natural gas plant from being built in the port of Providence. Governor argues for $1 billion lottery contract Last Tuesday, Gov. Gina Raimondo testified before the House Finance Committee in favor of a $1 billion, 20-year extension of the contract between the state and International Gaming Technology. She supports the company’s bid to continue to oversee the Ocean State’s lottery, which it has done since 2003. Since the company already controls over 1,000 jobs in Rhode Island, Raimondo argued that switching to another company would risk destabilizing the local economy. The contract constitutes the state’s third-largest revenue source — last fiscal year, it generated almost $400 million.

Other lawmakers, including House GOP Leader Blake Filippi, voiced concerns about the premium paid to the company, since IGT is based out of the United Kingdom and managed by an Italian-based group. The state would pay $25 million up front to IGT, while the company would invest $150 million in the state over 20 years. Twin River Worldwide Holdings and Camelot Lottery solutions both also vied for the contract with the state. Other members of the governor’s administration also spoke in favor of extending the contract in front of the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday. The hearings will continue on Oct. 3. Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular begins Thursday Beginning this Thursday, the Roger Williams Park Zoo will once again host the annual monthlong Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular fundraiser. Until Nov. 3, visitors will be able to peruse about 5,000 pumpkins whose interiors twinkle from LED lights along a quarter-mile trail through the park. This year, attendees are being encouraged to protect themselves from the mosquito-borne illness eastern equine encephalitis (EEE), which caused a death in West Warwick this year. The Jack-O-Lantern Spectacular takes place in the evening, a time when mosquitos tend to be active. The pumpkin-carving company Passion for Pumpkins holds the show each year. The company spends $75,000 on about 20,000 pumpkins, most of which are grown on a farm in Connecticut, since organizers must replace pumpkins on display regularly throughout the month-long exhibition. Individual carvers create a variety of designs, including carvings inspired by famous paintings, and may carve hundreds in a day. Between 115,000 to 140,000 people attend the show each year. The zoo channels funds toward “animal care, environmental education, and conservation efforts both locally and around the globe,” according to its website. The event raised $1.8 million last year.

TIFFANY DING / HERALD

Starting in the spring, a Certificate in Entrepreneurship will be offered by the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship. The University announced last semester that it would begin to offer certificates.

opportunities and cover more types of student learning outcomes, Zia said. “We would encourage these students … to think about all the possible options that they might not have had a year ago and see which ones may be best aligned with their learning.” Given the significant overlap in required courses between the BEO concentration’s tracks and the new curricular offerings, Interim Director of BEO Brendan McNally said that all current BEO concentrators could find a place in one of the new pathways if they choose to switch. “There’s nothing taken away. It’s only additive,” he said.

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019 “Sociology brings something really unique and powerful to the study of organizations,” he said. Claire Harrison ’20, a former BEO DUG member, switched to sociology last winter after realizing she enjoyed and excelled in sociology classes rather than the math and economics courses required for BEO. Harrison said that as a BEO concentrator in Organizational Studies, it was difficult not to have “consistent faculty and people to reach out to” because there are no faculty whose primary focus is BEO. Though she switched concentrations before the new sociology track was announced, Harrison said, “if I were to be a sophomore and (could) do it all again, then that would be the track I would be most interested in.”

Student response By moving the tracks to separate departments, the new plan takes away BEO’s multidisciplinary nature and the “benefits of having a dedicated concentration,” said Kate Atschinow ’22, a BEO concentrator. Lauren Brown ’22, a BEO Departmental Undergraduate Group member on the Organizational Studies track, also said she was disappointed that the change would remove the interdisciplinary aspect of the concentration that “expands your mind” and “stimulates conversations among students in different concentrations and classes.” Brown cited the BEO-required ENGN 0020: “Transforming Society-Technology and Choices for the Future” as an example of a course that brought an entrepreneurial perspective to science. Under the new Organizational Studies Track within the sociology concentration, this class will not be required. Instead of splitting BEO into tracks in separate departments, the University should decrease the number of BEO required courses, Brown said. For example, a student on the BEO Organizational Studies track could take one economics class instead of two, she said. “Phasing out BEO was a bit of a cop-out and an easy avenue for them to get rid of a program and just allocate it to other departments.” In response to these student concerns, Zia wrote in an email to The Herald that curricular options have changed and evolved over the University’s history to better prepare students for the changing needs of the world. “Concentrations have come and gone, and they shifted over time — even the BEO concentration itself was quite new,” he wrote. “The enduring impact of any concentration is not its name or specific formulation, but rather the learning outcomes from each student’s educational choices.”

Economics Concentration: Business Economics Track The Business Economics Track of the economics concentration requires three fewer courses than the 15 required for BEO. The track has the same introductory courses as the standard economics concentration but differs in its upper-level courses, said Brian Knight, vice-chair of the Department of Economics. Instead of choosing any five 1000-level economics courses, students in the Business Economics Track will take four required Business Economics courses and two Business Economics electives. Pointing to the department’s large class sizes in courses in investment and corporate finance, Knight said that the creation of this track stems from “significant student interest in business and finance, both from an academic and a career perspective.” In recent years, the University has also responded to this growing interest by hiring new researchers and faculty members in economics, The Herald previously reported. The department has also added three new courses on big data, internet marketplaces and venture capital.

Sociology: Organizational Studies Track The sociology concentration’s new Organizational Studies Track resembles the BEO concentration’s track of the same name, but it replaces the economics and calculus requirements of BEO with the research methods and social theory courses of the sociology concentration, said Patrick Heller, chair of the sociology department. Students in this track will also take three electives in organizational studies that will provide them with specific expertise in sociological research on

Certificate In Entrepreneurship The Certificate in Entrepreneurship managed by the Nelson Center is the first of two certificates at the University approved by the College Curriculum Council last semester, the other in data fluency. The University announced it would begin offering certificates alongside concentrations last semester. Students completing this certificate will take two core courses, two electives and one practicum experiential course where they can work on their own entrepreneurial solutions. The certificate opens up the study of entrepreneurship to students who are interested in the subject but not necessarily in BEO, Zia said. The center’s courses already attract students from a variety of disciplines across campus, said Danny Warshay ’87 P’20 P’23, executive director of the Nelson Center. “We’ve known for many years that there’s a lot of interest in learning entrepreneurship as a structured process for problem-solving in all pockets of the University,” he said. Since certificates can be pursued alongside a declared concentration, Warshay said that the Certificate in En-

non-profit, workplace, management and government sectors. “It makes a lot of sense … to give students an opportunity to specialize in the study of organizations,” Heller said, adding that in today’s business world, questions sociologists ask about inclusion, diversity, equity and gender dynamics are increasingly important.

trepreneurship will be interdisciplinary in nature. “You’ll have people from comparative literature, philosophy, biology, computer science, all in the same fifth-course practicum learning from each other — maybe serving on the same teams. That is a very Brown thing: to cross-pollinate across various disciplines.”

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

STEM FROM PAGE 1 electrode that senses the brain signals, the goal is to one day make another device small enough to be inserted beneath the scalp, he said. Donoghue reflected on the importance of inspiring the next generation of scientists. “I want to help inspire young people because this is … going to take many years of scientists, engineers and doctors working together,” he said. “I want the younger people to get to know the nature of the problem, why it’s exciting, why they should pursue careers in these areas, because this is something that can definitely really make a difference in people’s lives.” Thompson, who has dedicated her career to teaching physics to the general public, spoke about physics in pop culture during her presentation. Using video clips from the “Game of Thrones” and science demonstrations, she explained how the fictional Valerian steel resembles real-life Damascus steel and how an ice wall would in fact flatten over time due to pressure at the base, among other references to the show. She also explained the timeless complaint about “Titanic” — why Jack did not share the floating door with Rose as the boat capsized. Mathematical calculations of buoyancy indicate that the door would have sunk if both Jack and Rose had stayed on it, Thompson said. The auditorium was particularly packed for Muller’s presentation, which featured videos from his YouTube channel Veritasium. Muller discussed the truth behind everyday inquiries, including when people weigh the least, the direction in which water drains in different hemispheres and how trees grow by consuming the carbon people breathe out. He concluded his talk by leaving the audience with a word of advice. “If you can find things that don’t follow what you believe to be true, that is much more powerful than finding another piece of evidence” that supports your hypothesis, Muller said.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS Booth activities provided an opportunity for attendees to engage with technology in practice. One activity allowed attendees to work a ureteroscope — a device urologists use when treating kidney stones — through the twists and turns of the inside of a human’s simulated urinary tract, said Associate Professor of Surgery in Urology Simone Thavaseelan, who oversaw this activity. The device displayed the visuals that a surgeon would see on a monitor when actually performing a procedure. “Urology has always been a field filled with technology and rapid advancement” and the hands-on activities allowed the community to “see and engage in what we do on a daily basis,” Thavaseelan said. Another booth featured a device from Dassault Systems, a company that utilizes software grounded in physics to create technology, said April Deady, the life sciences industry experience manager of the company. This device brought the 3D image of a healthy human heart to life on a screen. Participants could observe the rhythmic, fluid contractions of the heart and its wriggling vessels and pull it apart to examine its various pieces. This technology is currently assisting medical device companies in testing the effectiveness of heart tools, such as stents, pacemaker leads and valves, Deady said. Anderson Addo ’23 and Shreyas Raman ’23 both attended the Big Bang Science Fair. Addo and Raman found Donoghue’s research fascinating and afterward wanted to get involved, too. “I really liked the application and everything about (Donoghue’s) talk” and found the experience insightful, Raman said. Both students had also been fans of Muller’s back in high school and looked forward to hearing his talk. The experience also allowed Addo to “appreciate physics (as) more than just an academic thing,” he said. A goal for this year’s fair was to increase student attendance and involvement. Computer Science for Rhode Island and Skills for Rhode Island’s

DANIELLE EMERSON / HERALD

The Big Bang Science Fair, which took place at WaterFire Saturday evening, included speakers, workshops and booth activities to engage community members in science and increase interest in STEM. Future, which both work to provide students with access to these types of learning opportunities, assisted in the outreach, Narain said. Andrea Russo, a member of the core team of Computer Science for Rhode

Island, facilitated the computer-science themed workshops. “It really is exciting to see the larger community embrace STEM,” she said, adding that she hopes that people’s engagement on Saturday will translate to increased interest in

science. Engaging people through events like the Big Bang Science Fair is “a matter of telling your story,” Narain said. “As scientists … we have to tell our story which is exciting and engaging and also

WIENER FROM PAGE 1 Stevens now runs the shop, started by his great-grandfather Anthony in 1954, with his sister Stephanie Stevens Turini. Stevens’ family came to the United States from Greece in the 1930s, settled in Brooklyn and ran a small restaurant at 1181 Broadway for around 15 years. After a friend invited the family to Providence to help run a New York System restaurant there, they relocated to the Ocean State. In 1954, Stevens’ great-grandfather and grandfather established the current Olneyville New York System. Since then, the store has strived for consistency in their product. “A lot of newer restaurants go with change, go with trends, go with originality,” Stevens said. “For here,

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS we keep it exactly the same. That’s the secret to our success, I think.” He pointed to the original 1954 formica tabletops, mirror and paneling around the store. “The originality and history has made this place and I strive to keep it the same.” For example, Olneyville’s wiener buns have been sourced from the same bakery — Rumstead, R.I.-Homestead Baking — for approximately 50 years. TJ Pascalides, the bakery’s manager, is the fourth generation of his family to work in the baking business. Like Stevens, his great-grandfather started his restaurant career by setting up shop in Providence. “Our buns are pretty resilient,” Pascalides said. “The resilience comes from a higher protein flour we use. … That gives it a little bit more strength

so that when they steam it they can still break apart the roll on a cut and it doesn’t fall apart.” Olneyville gets their coffee milk from A.B. Munroe Dairy, a R.I. company founded in 1881. Stephen Genuario, a Munroe Daily representative, said the Munroe Coffee Milk is distinguished by the quality of their milk — fresh from a family cooperative of farms in Pomfret, Connecticut and pasteurized slowly at lower heat to preserve the flavor of the whole milk. This attention to detail is vital to Stevens, who takes pride in “keeping the tradition going.” The pride comes with a unique, Rhode Island twist — Olneyville has its own lingo for their food. Their signature style of french fries, which are served with vinegar, ketchup and

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

salt, are called “fried beef stew” in local slang. A grilled cheese is a “mouse trap.” A wiener with all the toppings is “all the way,” and is never served with ketchup. “They’ll make fun of you if you order wrong,” said regular customer Pete Kelly ’19. “I think that that’s funny and I kind of appreciate it.” His order is a hot wiener special with a coke, wiener “all the way.” “This is a cultural institution, this place. They have the right to make fun of you for not knowing how to order,” he added. Olneyville New York System’s consistency has served as the backdrop to countless stories, according to Stevens, who has been working at the shop since 1975. Stevens has seen proposals and dates, rowdy drunks and casino-go-

ers, children brought by their parents and an elderly woman who orders her toast burnt black enough to set off the smoke alarm. Stevens recounted one customer who would come in regularly with his uncle. The uncle passed away, but the customer still comes regularly. Whenever he comes in, the staff give him an extra wiener. He puts it on a plate next to him, untouched, eats his own food and leaves. Olneyville cook Nick Barros described a photographer for Channel 10 who would regularly come in to eat, until he passed away. Now, every year, his family comes in with his photos and eats dinner at the restaurant. A signed photo of his, displaying the store’s neon sign and glowing windows, hangs above the griddle.

DESIGN FROM PAGE 1 es” on Saturday morning, where they compelled attendees to think critically about the intersection between voice technology, software and the pillars of feminism. “If my attendees were to have one takeaway from our workshop,” Ricks said, “it would be for them to know that things don’t have to be the way they are. You can, and should, change them.” Bachman agreed: “I was really impressed with the students at this university because they were already so well positioned to think critically in critical spaces. Many, of course, with an activist lens as well.” Students in attendance, with lanyards hanging around their necks and tote bags with “NOISE” in colorful letters on their arms, showed up for a weekend of activities for a wide variety of academic and professional interests. Jessy Ma ‘21, a computer science concentrator, felt drawn to the event because she is “interested in applying human-centered design for technology to solving social problems.” “It’s interesting to see the flipside of what I focus on at school since my work in CS is super math heavy and abstract. I think it’s important to get the full picture,”said Jessica Dai ‘21, a CS concentrator.

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | TODAY

CA L E NDA R TODAY

OCTOBER S

S U D O KU

Breast Cancer Awareness: Stop By 11:00 A.M. Nelson Fitness Center

EndNote Wizardry for Beginners 2:00 P.M. Hecker Center, Rockefeller Library

Lesson Planning 101 4:00 P.M. Sciences Library

TOMORROW National Coffee with a Cop Day 8:30 A.M. 222 Richmond Street

LingLangLunch 1:00 P.M. Metcalf Research Building

Macro Seminar-Dave Donaldson 4:00 P.M. Robinson Hall

TripAdvisor Tech Talk 4:00 P.M. Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center

Q U OTE OF TH E DAY

“If my attendees were to have one takeaway from our workshop, it would be for them to know that things don’t have to be the way they are. You can, and should, change them.” —Becca Ricks SEE BWXD PAGE 1

SU NSE TS & P OTH OL ES CR O S SWO R D

IRENE CHOU / HERALD

The sun is going down earlier and earlier on College Hill, but Providence sunsets are stunning yearround. Providence streets, however, could use a makeover: cracks and potholes line many campus roads.

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

The value of this year’s First Readings To the Editor: It’s hard to describe how we felt when we first heard that the First Readings assignment would be The Idiot. Collectively, we have read and re-read the novel at least seven times. One of us is a Slavic Studies concentrator who spent a summer teaching in a Hungarian village; the other has a signed galley of the book with the enjoinder, “Stay in school.” It would be powerful, one of us said to the other, to be in the presence of a whole class of people who’d read the novel, which had once been something of a secret between us. On the other hand, we worried that the designation of “required reading,” dubious for any text, would demean this precious book. Upon reading Johnny Ren’s column, we knew that our worst fears had come true. Though we were dismayed by Ren’s uncharitable reading of Elif Batuman, we wish not to dwell on its failures. Instead, we will attempt to emulate the generous spirit of The

Idiot, which finds unlikely beauty and humor in the texture of adolescence. In fact, Ren’s description of the book – “unfocused and other times strangely lucid ... interspersed with esoteric anecdotes, emails and subplots” – rings resoundingly true to our experience of college. Our time here, too, has been largely “devoid of romance, vindication or really anything revelatory.” We trust that many of our peers will agree with us. While Selin learns nothing at all from her required linguistics readings, her real education issues from the strange and wondrous language of the world: the Awesome Blossom, the papel iss blonk, the seduced atom, the pink hotel. Thus, it is serendipitously in the spirit of The Idiot when Ren concludes that “its ultimate value, if any, lay beyond its pages instead of within them.” We welcome him to campus, and wish him well. Rachel Landau ‘20, Zach Ngin ‘22

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TUESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2019

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY

Bring back ‘Why Brown?’ BY DORRIT CORWIN OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Since the eighth grade, attending Brown had been my biggest pipe dream. I was absolutely infatuated with its idiosyncratic and captivating community and was immediately able to envision myself within it. When it finally came time for me to pour my heart into my Early Decision application four years later, I was devastated to find that one of the supplemental essay questions had been significantly altered (since the 2015 admission cycle, it turned out). No longer would any applicant be asked, “Why Brown?” Instead, I was asked to discuss my specific interest in Brown’s Open Curriculum. The Open Curriculum is a distinct feature of Brown, especially in comparison to other Ivy League universities, but it is not Brown’s single defining factor. In fact, there is no single defining factor of Brown, and for the Admission Office to unequivocally decide on one seems antithetical to the values of the University. The Open Curriculum emphasizes the purely academic aspects of Brown by asking applicants to wax poetic about the fields of study that excite them the most. But the University’s application already inquires about academic interests by asking about intended concentration(s). As a school that strives beyond strictly scholastic pursuits, Brown’s application needs to provide more space for applicants to express their personal values and interests beyond the

classroom (and beyond extracurriculars) and how they explicitly connect to the University — something their Common Application essay cannot do. Brown is a mentality — a state of being. A question as simple as “Why Brown?” challenges applicants to speak to the ethos of a place that is so much more than its renowned Open Curriculum.

essay were hard to write. I was fortunate to be in a position where I could receive counsel and support throughout the college process, and my college counselor kept telling me that I was not answering the question whatsoever. Her advice went something like this: “You clearly want to answer ‘Why Brown?’,” she said. “Sadly, that is no longer the question. But I want you to write

“In fact, there is no single defining factor of Brown, and for the Admission Office to unequivocally decide on one seems antithetical to the values of the University.”

In my case, I wanted to write about a lengthy list of quirky traditions and personal perspectives of life at Brown that I had compiled over the years, drawn from the privilege of several campus visits and extensive research. I knew these were the reasons that would show my admission representative not only how I might adapt academically to Brown, but also how my personality and passion for the school would interact with the greater community and leave a lasting impact on College Hill. The first few drafts of my Open Curriculum

this ‘Why’ essay; flesh it all out. Then, maybe once it’s out of your system, you can come back to the Open Curriculum question.” I did as she suggested and ended up with a 580-word love letter to Brown that was significantly stronger than the rest of my application. I adored that essay. However, I was forced to put it aside for a while and focus on the questions that were part of the application. I finished the requirements, but when I sat down to do a final proofread, something still felt incomplete. I knew the “Why Brown” essay was the miss-

ing piece of my application, so I pasted it into the Common Application’s “Additional Information” section — feeling simultaneously satisfied and petrified. The essay began, “I’ve been asked ‘Why Brown?’ since I first stepped foot on campus in 2015 by everyone in my life except Brown. It’s the question I’ve always known exactly how to answer. So, I’ve decided to answer it anyway.” What followed was a string of anecdotes, ranging in topic from my Sunday dates with my mother at various open houses around Los Angeles to the horror movie club I started with my friends in fourth grade. This decision was slightly impulsive, but I believe it best allowed me to vocalize my unwavering devotion to Brown. My makeshift essay even allowed me to exceed the University’s 250-word limit on “Why Brown?” If the question were to make a comeback, it could even be accompanied by an increased word-count. Nonetheless, I believe that any number of words available for applicants to express their own “Open Curriculum” — their individual reasons why this place could feel like home — would benefit those on both sides of the admission process. Brown is so much more than its curriculum; let the applicants speak for themselves as to why.

Dorrit Corwin ’23 can be reached at dorrit@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

EDITORIAL

Brown should amplify community voices in school takeover In a scathing report released by the Johns Hopkins Institute for Educational Policy in June, researchers described major failings of the Providence Public School District. The report, which brought a reviewer to tears, detailed student performance significantly below grade level, teachers without adequate resources, parents struggling to make their priorities heard and school buildings in dangerous conditions. In response, the Rhode Island Department of Education began a state takeover of PPSD. Four parties will have a legal, formal role in that takeover: the Providence City Council, mayor, School Board and superintendent. But one group has been denied that formally equal position: the Providence community. Considering the importance of community involvement in the success of local education, the University must harness its power to call for the state to formally include community voices in its decision-making process. This is especially important because the University plans to coordinate with RIDE and develop its own response to the takeover. In the Hopkins report, parents expressed anguish about their inability to be effectively involved in their children’s education. Research shows that students who improve in public schooling are those whose parents are active in their education. It seems only natural, then, that RIDE should strive to increase parents’ roles in their children’s education, which it could easily begin to do by providing parents with a concrete assurance that their voices matter early in the process. But instead, on Sept. 13,

R.I. Commissioner of Education Angélica Infante-Green rejected a R.I. Center for Justice motion calling for the Providence community to have an official part in the state’s efforts. While Infante-Green has said that community members will be represented once she issues a final order describing the takeover’s official shape, we need more than her word to trust when the stakes are this high. If RIDE wants the state takeover to succeed, it must increase accountability and transparency by formalizing a process for community involvement. Since late July, RIDE has hosted nine public forums. But why should we trust that the community’s perspective will be respected and incorporated in decision-making processes? Too frequently, forums act as public relations stunts instead of fostering engagement, allowing community members to feel as if they are being heard without any promise of follow-through. This approach, though optically attractive for public officials who want to say they care about their constituents’ input, puts Rhode Island at risk of a failed reform. Finding a way to formally represent community members in conversations around Providence schools has the potential to improve more than the schools. Given the dismal state of Providence schools, many parents may feel lack of trust in the government, which risks complicating the state takeover process and leading to further division. RIDE must prioritize earning the community’s trust and learn how to incorporate community members’ intimate knowledge of the very problems the state strives to solve.

The University is in a unique position to play a positive role in this process — its ethos is built around a focus on community engagement, and it has the financial resources to help create meaningful change. The University has committed to inclusion through the Swearer Center for Public Service, which requires that each student service group has a community partner — such as a nonprofit, school or business — based in Rhode Island. In June 2018, the University unveiled the Brown and the Innovation Economy Strategic Plan, further supporting entrepreneurship and economic development in the state. At the same time, however, the University canceled the elementary track of the Masters in Teaching and has no known plans to restart that branch of the program. Moreover, in 2007, the University promised to fundraise $10 million for Providence public education, and yet has raised only $1.9 million. While Director of News and Editorial Development Brian Clark asserts that current University investments in the district exceed the potential returns the endowment would have created, it remains disheartening that the University could not deliver on its promise. Now more than ever, the University needs to act as an advocate for the Providence community. Fortunately, the Annenberg Institute for School Reform — which emphasizes research and helps determine how school districts can serve families better — is well-positioned to facilitate this involvement. The University’s response must harness Annenberg’s knowledge to stress the myriad benefits of

community involvement and outline specifically how the University will work to bolster the voices of community members throughout the takeover process. Providence stands out from similar cities due to the consensus from all parties that a state takeover must happen. RIDE, therefore, is in a perfect position to welcome community voices and reform the district to directly serve the needs of the people involved. In her opinion piece in the Providence Journal, President Christina Paxson P’19 states, “While many state takeovers of city schools fail, those that succeed have the support of the entire community.” Paxson, and the University at large, must ensure the takeover is supporting the Providence community so that the community will support the takeover. RIDE and the University have the potential to dramatically improve the lives of the students in Providence Public Schools. But they cannot forget the passionate and informed community members who can provide valuable feedback and catapult the takeover to success.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editors, Grace Layer ’20 and Krista Stapleford ’21, and its members, Dylan Tian ’21, Eduard Muñoz-Suñé ’20, Jonathan Douglas ’20, and Riley Pestorius ’21. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

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