SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017
VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 54
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Paxson to respond to sustainable U.’s chief diversity officer to step down investment recommendations Vice President CariagaCommittee proposes climate change task force, increased sustainable investment marketing By RHAIME KIM SENIOR STAFF WRITER
President Christina Paxson P’19 said that she will soon release a response to the December 2016 recommendations of the University’s Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies, which advised the president to create a climate change task force and increase marketing of the Brown University Sustainable Investment Fund. The BUSIF, launched last year, offers a “sustainability-focused” donating option for alums and graduating students that will invest in companies that have “high standards of environmental, social and governance practices,” according to a January 2016 University press release. ACCRIP examines ethical and moral responsibility in the investment policies of the University. The recommendations responded to a presentation made to ACCRIP in 2014 by Fossil Free Brown, a student-run campaign pushing for divestment from the top 200 fossil fuel companies, said Chair of ACCRIP and
Associate Professor of History Vazira Zamindar. The president’s office is not obligated to implement ACCRIP recommendations. In 2013, ACCRIP recommended to Paxson that the University divest from 15 coal companies, but the University declined. Though eventual divestment remains an option, these new recommendations tackle divestment less directly than the 2013 recommendations. Instead, they present an opportunity for Paxson to publicize existing programs and assemble teams to conduct in-depth sustainable investment research. Though the University already staffs an Environmental Change Task Force, ACCRIP recommended the University create a separate Climate Investment Task Force to bring together “specialized knowledge” across students, alums and faculty and staff members on investment recommendations regarding climate change, Zamindar said. Paxson met with ACCRIP members Zamindar and Katie Silberman ’94, assistant director of community relations, Jan. 31 to provide initial feedback on their recommendations, Zamindar wrote in a follow-up email to The Herald. Paxson suggested that she appoint a task force » See ACCRIP, page 3
Lo to continue teaching in education department, work on book, initiative By ANNA KRAMER & ALEXANDRA RUSSELL SENIOR STAFF WRITERS
Liza Cariaga-Lo, vice president for academic development, diversity and inclusion, will step down June 1 from her position in the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion to assume a role in the Office of the Provost, wrote President Christina Paxson P’19 in a community-wide email Thursday. Shontay Delalue, assistant provost for global engagement and director of the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, will act as interim leader of the OIDI, Paxson wrote, adding that the search for Cariaga-Lo’s replacement will begin this summer. As Delalue steps into Cariaga-Lo’s position, the University will announce a new program director to support international students by May 1, Paxson wrote. A committee will stage a national search for Cariaga-Lo’s replacement, wrote Cass Cliatt, vice president of communications, in an email to The Herald. Both internal and external candidates could be considered, she added.
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Cariaga-Lo helped develop the DIAP, the Presidential Diversity Postdoctoral Fellows program and the National Diversity and Inclusion Summit. Cariaga-Lo was hired in 2013 as the associate provost for academic diversity and inclusion and became vice president in 2014. In her four and a
half years at the University, Cariaga-Lo helped develop the University’s $165 million Diversity and Inclusion Action » See CARIAGA-LO, page 3
Female scientists celebrate accomplishments U. waives application fee
for low-income students
Inspiring Women in Science 2017 brings diverse role models, research discussion
Action prompted by Viet Nguyen ’17 and Alexis Rodriguez-Camacho ’18, will start fall 2017
By GALEN HALL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Six successful female scientists delivered a series of public lectures on their work in various fields at Thursday’s day-long event “Inspiring Women in Science 2017,” which explored research ranging from plate tectonics to polar ice mechanics. Associate Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences Dima Amso, who created and helped plan the event, said her goal was “to provide standing, diverse women role models” for students considering entering a scientific field. While previous symposia on campus have aimed to encourage diversity in the sciences, few have featured the breadth displayed by this event, said Diane Lipscombe, professor of neuroscience, director of the Brown Institute For Brain Science and member of the planning committee. The speakers were encouraged to focus on their work, though many chose to also
INSIDE
By EDUARD MUÑOZ-SUÑÉ SENIOR STAFF WRITER
HUAYU OUYANG / HERALD
President Christina Paxson P’19 discussed and celebrated the importance of the work done by female scientists in Thursday’s symposia. address the challenges women in science often face, Amso said. The event was primarily meant to be a “celebration” of successful female scientists,
she added. President Christina Paxson P’19 gave remarks in the middle of the day, » See SCIENTISTS, page 2
The University will automatically waive application fees for low-income students applying to Brown starting in fall 2017, the University announced April 14. The policy resulted from a proposal submitted at the end of March by Viet Nguyen ’17, president of the Undergraduate Council of Students and director of 1vyG, a first-generation student organization, and Alexis Rodriguez-Camacho ’18, director of programs and initiatives at 1vyG, said Dean of Admission Logan Powell. Previously, students demanding a fee waiver had to request one through the Common Application or directly contact Brown. The new policy states that Brown will — without any work on the part of the student — now waive the $75 application fee. Students should not be in the
position where they must ask for a fee waiver, Powell said. The policy also expands fee waivers to an extended definition of low-income students, including those who are eligible but not necessarily involved in certain low-income government programs. The policy specifically targets those who are eligible for the National School Lunch Program — any federal, state or local programs that aid low-income students and any community-based or college access organizations, Powell said. In February, Nguyen introduced the No Apologies Initiative, which urges universities to waive application fees for low-income students. In a letter announcing the initiative, Nguyen described his own experience applying as a low-income student, detailing the financial difficulties and complexities of the process. The letter was signed by leaders of student governments and firstgeneration, low-income organizations from over 10 universities. Building on the No Apologies Initiative, Nguyen and Rodriguez-Camacho drafted a proposal in which they provided a plan for the University to grant » See WAIVE, page 2
WEATHER
FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017
METRO Community Safety Act unanimously passes Thursday with a vote of 12-0 in City Hall
SPORTS After conceding just two first-half goals, strong defense brings women’s lacrosse first April win
COMMENTARY Steinman ’19: Sustainable investing could play a crucial role toward a cleaner future
COMMENTARY Vilsan ’19: Anti-intellectualist, unqualified politicians should not be elected into office
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Community Safety Act passes unanimously in City Hall Ordinance took three years of deliberations, bans racial profiling by Providence Police By GWEN EVERETT SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Providence City Council unanimously passed the Community Safety Act Thursday night at Providence City Hall, with 12 city council members voting yes and three city council members absent. The ordinance seeks to prohibit racial profiling in policing and to rehabilitate the Providence police’s relationship with community members. Its passage marks the culmination of three years of work between community activists, elected representatives, business owners and lawyers. Major provisions of the CSA include a full ban on racial profiling by the police, a rule that traffic violations may not be used as basis for search or arrest and a requirement that police publicly disclose the criteria by which individuals are added to the city’s “gang” list and provide procedures for those on the list to appeal to have their name removed. The ordinance passed with an amendment that will track the implementation of the CSA by police stations. That ordinance also found unanimous approval. “This is not the time for kicking the can down the road,” said Mary Kay Harris, a city council member, before the vote took place. She urged her fellow members to vote in favor of the measure. “We have the responsibility of ending racial
» SCIENTISTS, from page 1 saying that progress has been made for equity in the sciences “in part because we have occasions like this.” Amso and Lipscombe worked to organize the event with Vice President for Academic Development, Diversity and Inclusion Liza Cariaga-Lo, Adjunct Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics Gelonia Dent and Professor of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences Sheila Blumstein. The five planners identified a “wonderful crew of women who have made tremendous contributions to
» WAIVE, from page 1 more fee waivers. They submitted the proposal to Provost Richard Locke at the end of March. The proposal included various statistics that illustrated the necessity of making the application process more accessible to low-income students. Nguyen cited a study that revealed Brown, along with four other universities in the Ivy League, to have more students from the top 1 percent of the income scale than the bottom 60 percent. The proposal “is not just an anecdote,” Nguyen said. “This is a wellresearched topic that has scientific backing.” Both Nguyen and Rodriguez-Camacho were surprised by how quickly the proposal became official University policy. After initial meetings at the end of March and beginning of April, Powell brought the proposal forward
GWEN EVERETT / HERALD
The Community Safety Act, which unanimously passed Thursday evening, banned racial profiling by police, among other regulation aimed at strengthening relations between the police and the Providence community. and discriminatory profiling. We have Councilman Nicholas Narducci. His troduced. Observers held signs above the responsibility of ensuring people comment was met with applause from their heads reading “Police accountare treated with dignity and respect.” the part of the room where members ability now” and “Pass the CommuWith the CSA, the “community came of the Providence Fraternal Order of nity Safety Act”. When the ordinance to us with what they saw as a problem, Police — the Providence police union passed, the crowd broke out into apbut they didn’t just throw rocks at the — sat. plause and cheers before initiating a problem,” said Kevin Jackson, another Councilman Ryan Principe also chant of “Whose city? Our city”. city council member. The city council thanked the police department and The Fraternal Order of Police filed out had held two public hearings on the added that the CSA would serve the of chambers immediately after the CSA CSA, and public testimony on the or- Providence Police as well, because the passed. Though the Providence Chief dinance has leaned “overwhelmingly act offered a standardized policy on of Police has endorsed the CSA, the in favor,” Jackson said. “There’s been police conduct that would guide their Fraternal Order of Police opposes the discussion with anyone and everyone work in the field. ordinance, The Providence Journal prethat wanted (to be at) the table.” Spectators overflowed the chamber viously reported. The Fraternal Order “I want to thank the Providence Police as the meeting came into session, 45 of Police did not reference any specific department and their families,” said minutes before the CSA was even in- provision of the ordinance as reason their field” and invited them to speak, Blumstein said, adding that they received an enthusiastic response from the invitees. Carol Espy-Wilson, professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Maryland, presented her work on computer voice recognition. Using a phonetic framework to categorize speech into a combination of vocal gestures, Espy-Wilson and her colleagues improved the accuracy of computer voice recognition programs. These advances could help tailor voice recognition for people who speak with accents, Espy-Wilson said.
In her afternoon talk titled “A broader vision of vision,” Marlene Behrmann, professor of psychology at Carnegie Mellon University, described her research on how the brain processes visual information about faces. Using complex analysis of subjects’ brain activity, Behrmann and her team were able to approximately reconstruct an image of a face that test subjects were shown during a brain scan. Behrmann also spoke about obstacles for women in science. Women are represented in peer review panels for scientific journals at about half the rate they are represented in their
respective fields, Behrmann said, adding that while it is “a glorious time to be doing science, … it could be even more glorious.” Even in fields where women are represented equally at the undergraduate level, there is still a smaller proportion of women in higher levels of academia, Amso said. One way to respond to the problem of under-representation is to showcase the contributions that female scientists have already made, she added. “Yes, things are better for women in science, but perhaps equally important, things are better in science because of women,” Paxson said.
to President Chistina Paxson P’19 for approval, Powell said. Looking forward, Nguyen hopes to adapt the proposal for use at other schools. “We’re now tailoring it to make it a lot more generic, so that students can take that — and maybe add some stuff specifically about their schools — but have the original research and scientific backing already set for them,” said Nguyen. At the University level, Powell now aims to communicate the new policy to prospective students. “We need to let people know that this is an opportunity for them,” he said. Powell credited Nguyen and Rodriguez-Camacho with initiating the plan. “They identified an important issue, and the fact that they provided such great leadership on this from the very beginning is what allowed us to make this happen so quickly,” he said.
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for their opposition, but argued that the ordinance will not ameliorate but rather exacerbate tensions between the city and the police department, the Journal reported. Community members expressed more enthusiasm for the ordinance. “I just think it’s exciting that we’re creating one of the most comprehensive municipal” ordinances on racial profiling in the country, said Kodei Ishihara, who lived in Providence for 15 years before relocating. Though the CSA took three years to pass, debate in Providence around police misconduct goes back 30 years, Ishihara said. “It’s taken many groups to work together, and that’s what’s important,” said Anne Landis, a teacher at the Moses Brown School in Providence. Deliberations around the CSA brought to light the disparate treatment of people of color in Providence by police versus what “white people on the East Side” experience day to day, she said. “I’ve been with the CSA since the beginning,” said Kimberly Dy, a member of the main team that crafted the ordinance, adding that seeing the CSA finally pass had left her “speechless.” Reforms to the gang database and the language access provision — which ensures that individuals for whom English is a second language will be given a qualified interpreter before police questioning begins — are two points of the CSA that she found particularly impactful. “It hits home for me,” she said. For her, the three-year process of crafting the CSA has “been a hell of a fight.”
» W. LAX, from page 8 McDonald attributes Bruno’s lack of early scoring in the second half to over-excitement. We were “probably pushing a little too fast (and) getting a little too excited to generate shots,” she said. “It’s always important once you’ve scored a bunch to stay really poised and maintain discipline and offensive sets.” Carolyn Paletta ’18.5 snagged Brown’s first goal of the second half with 15:07 remaining in the game, but UMass Lowell’s Hana Caster scored again on a free position shot just two minutes later to bring the score to 8-4. The goal gave the River Hawks the momentum, and they threatened to score more. But Bruno halted the comeback with goals from Verni and Paletta. Then, with 2:36 remaining to play, Moinuddin collected a pass on a cutting run from behind the net and bounced a shot off the turf to give Bruno a 12-4 lead. It was Brown’s third three-goal burst of the night, and it all but sealed the win for the Bears. UMass Lowell’s Caster netted two goals in the waning minutes of the half to collect a hattrick, but Brown’s lead proved insurmountable, and the Bears grabbed the 12-6 win. Moinuddin and Verni led Bruno to victory, each recording four goals in the win. Brown outshot the River Hawks 3119, but converted only three of its eight free position shots. Preparing to finish off the season with two conference contests against Columbia and Dartmouth, the Bears look to build off the win. “We’ve kept improving all season long,” said McDonald. “We want to continue to do that for our final two games.”
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FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • PAGE 3
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» ACCRIP, from page 1 on sustainability and social responsibility less targeted on climate change and the environment, Zamindar said. “If it’s a weak committee that looks at social responsibility more broadly” then it would be “overlapping or replicating” the kind of work that ACCRIP is already tasked with, except that its members would be appointed by the president instead of representing the University, she added. “If it doesn’t include (climate change) components, then as an advisory committee, we will be concerned,” Zamindar said. In addition, Paxson’s latest feedback did not mention divestment as a possibility, she added. Paxson has not yet formally responded to ACCRIP’s recommendations or the feedback that ACCRIP provided on Paxson’s preliminary proposal, Zamindar said. But the president was “kept informed as this proposal was developed, and I have worked with the committee to develop a response to their recommendations,” Paxson wrote in an email to The Herald. ACCRIP’s December 2016 recommendations mark the culmination of several months of deliberation. “It has taken (ACCRIP) a while to respond, partly because the committee membership changes,” Zamindar said. When Zamindar took over in March 2016, the committee had undergone member changes, she said. Following the 2014 presentation, ACCRIP met with students, faculty members and staff members to solicit feedback from the wider Brown community. “There were strong ethical arguments in favor of divestment,” Zamindar said. But ACCRIP recognizes the practical challenges to divestment and questions its efficacy in addressing climate change, Silberman said. Since over 95 percent of the endowment is managed by those outside the investment office, the office often cannot realistically track the University’s endowment, which is over $3 billion, let alone request money managers to divest, said Sophie Purdom ’16, an alum involved in the creation of the BUSIF last year. Divestment makes a symbolic statement but may not present a practical solution, as Brown does not own a major stake in the large fossil fuel companies, Silberman said. Divestment “ is definitely
still on the table, we just don’t think it should be the only tool in the toolbox,” Silberman said. ACCRIP envisions that the Climate Change Task Force would evaluate the comparative merits of the many economic tools available to the University to address climate change, ranging from divestment to sustainable investment and beyond, Zamindar said. In the meantime, ACCRIP is pushing the BUSIF fund to center stage. Donations to the BUSIF are managed by Parnassus Endeavor Fund, a fossil-fuel free mutual fund that invests in “companies that are having a positive impact” in terms of environmental responsibility, internal governance and relationships with employees, social scores and strong governance, according to the Parnassus website. To date, the fund has received $6,600 in donations, said Jane Dietze, managing director of the Investment Office. “The Advancement Group is responsible for communicating and marketing the fund,” Dietze said. “And so that process hasn’t been done as aggressively as we would like … so I agree with ACCRIP that more marketing” is needed, Dietze said. “Someone within (the Advancement Office ) needs to take ownership of communicating the information,” she said. Members of the Office of Advancement were not available for comment, according to an email to The Herald from Vice President for Communications Cass Cliatt. “I don’t think we’ve done a particularly good job of directing people who might talk to advancement officers” to the BUSIF, Purdom said. “There’s a bit of a disconnect there between people who are asking for (a sustainable giving option)” with information about the BUSIF, she added. “My first suggestion would be to first train advancement officers with the language and the frequently asked questions and the details behind this fund so that they can advocate for it just like they can any other fund,” Purdom said. Donating to the SIF may appeal to alums and especially graduating seniors, Silberman said. “Unlike most endowed funds at Brown — which typically require a $100,000 minimum investment — the Sustainable Investment Fund will welcome gifts of any size,” according to a University news release published June 2016.
» CARIAGA-LO, from page 1 Plan, as well as the Presidential Diversity Postdoctoral Fellows Program and the National Diversity and Inclusion Summit. Cariaga-Lo said that in June she will likewise step down as interim director of the Title IX Office, a role she assumed following the departure of former Title IX Program Officer Amanda Walsh in January. Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, executive vice president of planning and policy, is currently leading the search for a the office’s new director. “There are some incredible candidates for that position,” Cariaga-Lo said. “I certainly do hope that they will be able to appoint someone in the not too distant future.” Neither Delalue or Marisa Quinn, the provost’s chief of staff, said who would lead the Title IX office between June 1 and the proposed July hiring of a new director. Delalue and the OIDI are in conversation about what her role will entail, Delalue said. She aims to ensure the University does not “lose any momentum as it pertains to work … in diversity and inclusion.” “I really think that Liza continuing to serve in a strong part-time role will be central to ensuring continuity, both in the interim and when her successor
has been named,” Quinn said. “We thought carefully about how we would manage things in my portfolio to make sure … all constituents on campus feel supported,” Delalue said. She will continue work on some of her previous projects, including the Mellon Mays fellowship, but most of her work in global engagement will give way to the incoming program director for international students, she added. “I have been in higher ed for almost two decades and have always worked in … diversity and international affairs,” Delalue said, adding that she was a first-generation, low-income African-American college student. “Just a combination of my personal and professional experiences really primed me for this particular role.” Delalue was made assistant provost for global engagement in October 2016 after serving as director of the Office for International Student and Scholar Services. “I have every confidence … in Shontay Delalue and in her ability to … lead the efforts in the interim as they search for a new vice president,” Cariaga-Lo said. “The office will continue … to step into the work intentionally and thoughtfully.” After June 1, Cariaga-Lo will continue teaching in the education
department, work two days a week in the Office of the Provost for the next year and continue developing a book and complementary initiative to address access to education in South East Asia, Paxson wrote. After she steps down as vice president, Cariaga-Lo would like to contribute to work around diversity and inclusion in a broader way, she said. “I have, for many years, been interested in and peripherally involved in access and equity issues … not just within the U.S., but in a larger way.” She will continue to assist academic departments as they implement the goals of the DIAP, which include expanding professional development for faculty members, creating academic pipelines and conducting qualitative campus surveys, Quinn said. “It is always challenging to try to do everything that you want to do to meet the demands that are out there … increasingly more so as people become ever-more attuned to and aware of what’s at stake around diversity and inclusion,” Cariaga-Lo said. Delalue looks forward to building collaborative and “respected relationships with students, staff (members), faculty (members) and constituents” in her new role, she wrote in a follow-up email to The Herald.
Follow Sports! twitter.com/bdh_sports DOROTHY WINDHAM / HERALD
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PAGE 4 • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017
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Rhode Island March for Science to take place April 22 U. members to attend march to advocate for importance of scientific contributions By JACKSON WELLS STAFF WRITER
Recent government attitudes have raised concerns about the future of science and spurred researchers and their advocates into taking action. Along with a number of Marches for Science taking place around the world April 22, Rhode Island will host its own event, beginning at the state house. The march “has the endorsement of an enormous number of well-respected scientific organizations,” said Susan Gerbi, professor of biochemistry and an organizer for the March for Science RI. The March for Science RI “advocates for publicly funded scientific research and evidence-based policies that are unrestricted by partisan politics, in solidarity with all who value science worldwide,” according to the mission statement on the march’s website. The march is meant “to show that people support science and that they recognize the value of science in their lives,” said Rich Ribb, an organizer for the march in Rhode Island. “The funding for scientific research is under attack at this point, and people who do recognize that value are taking the opportunity to speak out about it.” A campus-wide email sent April
13 by Provost Richard Locke and Vice President for Research David Savitz echoed these sentiments. They stressed the importance of science in fulfilling the University’s mission to create successful scholars and emphasized the necessity of advocating for science. While the University does not generally sponsor participation in marches, it does recognize that they are a form of advocacy, according to the email. While many organizations support marches, there have been concerns raised nationally about the politicization of science through these events. A Jan. 31 New York Times opinion titled, “A Scientists’ March on Washington is a Bad Idea” by Robert S. Young, a professor of coastal geology at Western Carolina University, claims that rather than persuading the government to support science, a march will only serve to reaffirm the notion that scientists are an “interest group.” But many University scientists do not share Young’s worries. Andrew Lynn GS, who is part of the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, said he has no immediate concerns about the march and that he plans on attending it “without reservation.” “We are in an era in which the way that people structure their beliefs around science is of concern,” Lynn said. “Maybe it is becoming a political issue, but I think that pretending that it’s not is potentially” a risk. Michael Monn GS, who studies in the School of Engineering, is helping to organize a group of students
who will attend the march in Boston. Advocating for any science is defending all sciences as well as the scientific process, Monn said. “To say ‘I don’t believe in climate change’ is to say ‘I don’t believe in the scientific method,’ and ‘I don’t believe in evidence to support hypotheses,’ and that is a more fundamental problem,’” he added. Christopher Kahler, professor of behavioral and social sciences, said that the purpose of this march is to advocate for policies in government and funding that would benefit science and to show the value of science to society as a whole. “I’m definitely in support of (the march),” said Joe Hogan, professor of biostatistics. Hogan also does not view science as political, but he sees science under attack by politicians. The marches are important in keeping the public aware of important scientific issues that should not be politicized, such as climate change and vaccinations, he said. Baylor Fox-Kemper, associate professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences, is also an advocate for the march. The event is meant to reveal to people the ways in which science is important in their lives as well as the amount of support there is for science in the United States, he said. While he does have some concerns about the politicization of science, Ira Wilson, professor of health services, policy and practice, thinks that it is more important for scientists and its advocates to “stand up and be counted” in a time when science is being both ignored and politicized.
LAURA FELENSTEIN / HERALD
Wilson will be attending the March for Science in Washington, D.C. “As a scientist, I was never really involved in activism,” said Stephon Alexander, chair of the physics department, adding that the current political landscape has spurred him to “march to make sure the next generation of scientists have a fighting chance.” Alexander said that it would be hypocritical not to protest because science is inherently political, as researchers’ work are used to create weapons such as missiles. It would also be hypocritical for anyone to claim that they are against science
because “if you use a cellphone, if you use an airplane, you’re trusting science,” he added. The march is a response to the “perceived exclusivity of science,” as scientists want the general public to understand that everyone is part of the scientific endeavour, Alexander said. As a form of “local activism” to combat notions of science being elitist, he is also developing a fall 2017 course, PHYS 0150: “The Jazz of Modern Physics,” which is designed for students outside of the physics concentration and aims to make physics more approachable.
An Evening with Ian Maxtone-Graham ’83 and Professor Ted Widmer Winner of seven Emmy Awards, Ian Maxtone-Graham will talk about his work in television as writer and producer for Saturday Night Live,The Simpsons, Man Seeking Woman and Veep.Ted Widmer is director of the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, teaches for Brown’s History Department and is author of Brown: The History of an Idea. Tuesday, April 25, 2017 at 5:30 pm Martinos Auditorium Granoff Center for the Creative Arts 154 Angell Street, Providence
“An Evening with Ian Maxtone-Graham '83 and Professor Ted Widmer” is made possible thanks to the generous support of the Levin-Hokin Literary Arts Program Fund gifted to Brown University by Glenn I. Levin ’80 P’21 and Alexandra D. Hokin ’92 P’21. Additional support was provided by the Brown Arts Initiative.
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menu
t h i n g s a r e lo o k i n g u p
SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Pizza: Bacon Alfredo, Harvest Cajun Chicken Pasta JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Mac and Cheese Quesadilla
Soup: Minestrone Earth Day Special Bowl
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Cuban Stir Fry with Beef, Roasted Butternut Squash, Banana Chocolate Cupcakes
Cilantro Chicken, Carrots in Parsley Sauce, Lemon Rice, Boston Cream Donuts
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Breaded Chicken Fingers, Steamed Green Beans, Banana Chocolate Cupcakes
Ham Fried Rice Bowl, Stir Fried, Tofu, Focaccia Bread, Boston Cream Donuts
sudoku
SAM BERUBE / HERALD
A warm and rainy day greeted students Thursday morning, many of whom, with only one week left until reading period, may be feeling the strain of academia.
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ACROSS 1 Calm 8 High chairs? 15 Experts 16 Harvard’s __ Library 17 Attacked on the fly 18 1996 Olympics city 19 1984 Nobel Peace Prize winner 20 Per diem hire 22 Longish blog post 23 Blue Note’s parent co. 24 Diddly 25 BYU, e.g. 26 What gets Obama started? 28 Reaction at the gas pump 30 Juillet is in it 33 Ancient inhabitant of Western Europe 37 Cite 38 Diddly 39 1997 Spacey/Crowe movie 41 Around-the-world journalist 42 __ country 43 Pelé’s given name 45 Like many dicts. 46 Naturalist on California’s state quarter 49 Sold-out letters 50 Thrifty rival 53 Red states?: Abbr. 54 Sylvia of jazz 55 Tommy’s forte 57 Follower of the Bushido code 59 Western port named for a fur tycoon 60 Trendy 61 Time to relax 62 Crowd annoyance DOWN 1 Pilsner choice 2 Youngest Oscar winner
3 Relevance 4 Old Testament twin 5 Org. that added “Explosives” to its name in 2003 6 Center of the Minoan civilization 7 Large sea duck 8 Meet deal 9 Young beaver 10 Hot air 11 __ law 12 Some seaside retreats 13 Spanakopita need 14 Inbox, sometimes 21 Early alcázar castle resident 24 Variance issuer, often 25 “Bei Mir Bist Du __”: 1930s song 27 Enemy of un ratón 29 “The Best of the Alternative Press” magazine, familiarly 30 International Washington neighborhood
31 Custom 32 Tolkien creature 34 Help with 35 Chisholm Trail city 36 Installed, as brick 37 Org. with an “At Bat” app 40 Mil. honors 44 Comparatively curious 45 South __, N.J. 47 Latin bears
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“Yes, things are better for women in science, but perhaps equally important, things are better in science
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because of women.
— President Christina Paxson P’19
See scientists on page 1.
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CORRECTION Correction: A previous version of the article “Students protest University investment in Citizens Bank” misstated that the open letter to President Christina Paxson P’19 said the Dakota Access, Bayou Bridge, Mariner East and Trans-Pecos pipelines are responsible for “releasing a total of 111,000 gallons of oil into the environment.” In fact, the letter said Sunoco Logistics and Energy Transfer Partners were responsible for the spillage. In addition, the article misstated that the letter said the four pipelines are responsible for desecrating Lakota burial grounds. In fact, the letter said the Dakota Access Pipeline is responsible for threatening Lakota burial grounds. The Herald regrets the errors.
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EcoReps Clothing Swap 11:00 P.M. Multiple locations
Poet Cole Swensen 5:30 P.M. Brown Bookstore
SATURDAY Voice Recital 2:00 P.M. Grant Recital Hall
The Badmaash Show XII 7:00 P.M. De Ciccio Family Auditorium
SUNDAY Orchestra Concert 2:00 P.M. Sayles Hall
Amira Belly Dance Show 6:00 P.M. De Ciccio Family Auditorium
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
BROWN BITES
Brown Bites April 13-20 Mightier than the sword no longer The Undergraduate Finance Board cut funding for student publications’ printing expenses for the spring semester of 2018. Publications, which were informed of UFB’s decisions April 17, were largely surprised by the decision. Many expressed sentiments similar to those of Katherine Dunham ’19, editor-in-chief of the Brown Noser, who felt that the cuts were made “out of the blue.” Other publications expressed their disappointment at losing the opportunity to forge relationships with their readership and the Brown community through hard copies. Blazing with Bruno Brown opened its doors this week to almost 1,000 disoriented, duffle bag-laden, lanyard-adorned prospective students for its annual “A Day on College Hill” event. The three-day gathering, which ended April 20, featured a jam-packed schedule — from 7 a.m. to 2 a.m — of special lectures, talent show events, performances and the big finale: APOCH (A Party on College Hill — good one, ADOCH coordinators).
D O R O T H Y W I N D HA M
comic Cat Ears | Najatee’ McNeil
ResLife takes the W To the chagrin of rising sophomores and Young O residents, ResLife has finally decided to renovate Emery, Woolley, Morris, Champlin and the upper-year halls Young Orchard #2, #4 and #10. Expected to be completed by the first week of August, the renovations will cost approximately $5 million. ResLife will replace beds and carpets, repaint hallways and revitalize lounge areas. Though opinions regarding the necessity of the renovations range, it certainly is time to take care of the infamous “ant problem” cited by Malwina Skowron ’18. Visit from an idol Introducing a certain note of levity, political satirist and star of the Daily Show Trevor Noah will speak at the University April 30. The event, hosted by Brown Lecture Board, will take the form of a “moderated lecture.” Tricia Rose, director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America, will moderate and field submitted questions.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Printed publications empower students To the Editor: I’m greatly disturbed that the Undergraduate Finance Board has chosen not to provide funding to cover printing expenses for student groups that release paper publications. Such an announcement reveals an ignorance in UFB about the power of paper and the importance of creating a diverse array of media on campus. Printed press is essential to a vibrant university experience. This week high school students visiting campus through the ADOCH program had the opportunity to look at the
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media our community produces and physically take it back home when they departed. The very existence of these texts is exciting, artistic and radical. They allow students to experiment in the genres of fiction, non-fiction and journalism as well as give them valuable experience for summer internships and, later on, employment. Perhaps most importantly, they provide an opportunity to exchange ideas with the wider Providence community. Paper, unlike website links, are significantly easier to share in places such as coffee shops and pizza places around the East Side.
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COMMENTARY FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
What sustainable investing can do CLARE STEINMAN opinions editor
It’s been three and a half years since the Corporation voted “no” on a divestment proposal submitted by the group then known as Brown Divest Coal in October 2013. When the class of 2017 leaves Brown in a few weeks, they will take with them the last institutional memory of the original manifestation of Brown’s divestment movement, a movement to rid the University’s endowment of all investments linked to coal. Brown Divest Coal restructured itself as Fossil Free Brown a year after the Oct. 2013 vote and extended their proposed negative screen to include oil and natural gas. It continues to exist nominally under the emPOWER umbrella, yet the energy behind the divestment movement is all but gone. Despite this stagnation, divestment remains the focus of the conversation around the link between the Investment Office and environmental sustainability, particularly in the environmental activist community. Symbolically, divestment is a powerful move: It sends an institutional message that profiting off the continued use of fossil fuels is egregious and unethical. The further rationale behind divestment is that if it spreads widely enough, it can send shock waves through the fossil fuel economy, making hard-to-reach reserves — which tend to be the dirtiest to burn — suddenly unprofitable.
Though I support divestment for its symbolism as a rallying point for environmentalists, there is more that can be done to demonstrate a positive commitment to a carbon-free future. In fact, some of these alternatives are arguably more powerful than divestment, whose effectiveness has been hotly debated. This is where sustainable investing comes in. Generally defined as investing that takes into account both
corporation to become more sustainable. Though the Investment Office is deservedly focused on the size of the endowment, there is no need for an absolute trade-off to exist between financial success and environmentalism; a belief in this trade-off ultimately harms both sides. There is a strong case to be made that corporations now aligning themselves with the goals of the environmental move-
ity in investment policies,” released a proposal to President Christina Paxson P’19 suggesting two things: the establishment of a Climate Investment Task Force and the further promotion of the Brown University Sustainable Investment Fund. BUSIF in particular strikes me as an exceedingly underutilized resource; with no minimum giving requirement, a donation to BUSIF is invested in the Parnassus Endeavor Fund, a portfo-
Though the Investment Office is deservedly focused on the size of the endowment, there is no need for an absolute trade-off to exist between financial success and environmentalism; a belief in this trade-off ultimately harms both sides.
fiscal performance and environmental considerations — though the balance between the two can vary widely — sustainable investing is a way to make strides in the direction of a fossil-free future. It provides a positive incentive for businesses to prioritize the environment in their practices. From the investor standpoint, it is a way to profit from sustainability and potentially engage in shareholder advocacy, the practice of using one’s status as a shareholder to lobby for a
ment — efficiency, resource conservation, clean technology and avoidance of fossil fuels — are best positioned to outperform down the line, as resources become depleted and the shift toward renewable energy (whether driven by the market, activism or policy) gains traction. In December, the Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies, which makes recommendations to the University on “ethical and moral responsibil-
lio whose companies must “offer outstanding workplaces and must not be engaged in the extraction, exploration, production, manufacturing or refining of fossil fuels” — in other words, they are divested from fossil fuels, according to Parnassus’ website. I know of recent alums who have decided not to donate money to the endowment until the University divests from fossil fuels, and I respect that commitment. But it’s a missed
opportunity for both the sustainability-minded alums and for Brown. Making a donation to BUSIF sends a stronger message than withholding a donation to the endowment, and it actively increases the share of the endowment that has essentially been divested. While a primary reason given for the rejection of divestment in 2013 was the fact that Brown owns very few stocks directly and has most of its holdings in funds, we can be more selective about the funds we choose. And for what it’s worth, Parnassus Endeavor performed within the top percentile of funds in the large growth category over the past one, three, five and 10 years, according to Morningstar, Inc. BUSIF is not just a fund for idealists, it is a remarkably strong investment. I’m not calling for environmentalists, whom I count myself among, to give up their work. But when domestic climate policy is at a standstill (if not in full-fledged retreat), innovative ways to drive change are more needed than ever. We need to look for ways to drive the private sector toward sustainability, especially when the public sector is actively ignoring it. Rather than viewing divestment as the only solution, we can broaden our understanding of the different ways to invest in environmental sustainability and bring closer the dream of a carbon-neutral economy.
Clare Steinman ’19 is a student in ENVS 1545: “The Theory and Practice of Sustainable Investing.” She can be reached at clare_steinman@brown.edu.
Make smart the new cool FABIANA VILSAN staff columnist When I was younger, I was an idealist; I assumed voters, when given the chance, would only select the best and the brightest to lead them. I looked up to authority figures, especially ones as powerful as presidents, because I assumed they must have done something right for millions to elect them into positions of power. Doesn’t it seem logical — and profoundly comforting — that people would elect someone who is eminently qualified to lead them? Unfortunately, the current political climates in many countries would suggest otherwise. Recently, we have seen voters support politicians who are charismatic, but lack expertise or experience and are not well-versed in the subjects they talk about. This pattern bodes poorly for the future of democracies around the world. Former President Barack Obama called this phenomenon the “strand of anti-intellectualism” in his address to Rutgers University students. He, like myself, was baffled by the common practice of electing candidates who can be less knowledgable and experienced than citizens themselves. After all, as Obama put it, “It’s not cool to not know what you’re talking about.” With this sentiment, we should take steps to improve our education systems to ensure that the scourge of anti-intellectualism — the rejection
of expertise, experience and evidence — doesn’t permanently harm our democracy. We must remain aware that anti-intellectualism in our politics manifests itself in a variety of ways. Even in our highly intellectual societies — dependent on constant innovation, scientific advancement and unthinkable technological sophistication — we elect individuals that are often unqualified and unprepared to lead. In other words, we elect anti-intellectuals. At some point, we stopped valuing intellectualism, and worse yet, we began to demonize intellectual-
clear that being unqualified isn’t just a laughing matter — it’s a threat to the democratic system. A recent segment on “Last Week Tonight” with John Oliver mocked the presidential candidates in the upcoming French presidential election. Though I spent the majority of the segment chuckling to myself, when the comedy routine stopped, I couldn’t help but realize I was no longer laughing. It’s good that outlandish claims by politicians provide a lot of easy fodder for latenight television. But when citizens fail to hold their elected officials responsible for the posi-
We must remain aware that anti-intellectualism in our politics manifests itself in a variety of ways.
ism and glorify ignorance by electing politicians who deceitfully associate themselves with everyday people. Don’t get me wrong; there’s genuine value in electing someone that’s actually in touch with the daily realities of voters. But politicians who feign humility may be elitist leaders who cater to the problems of their elitist friends, and that doesn’t make for a good leader either. Second, political commentators inadvertently facilitate anti-intellectualism by making light of unqualified leaders without making it
tions they espouse and the things they say, and instead make a joke out of such positions, they end up normalizing the ridiculousness. Third, once elected, anti-intellectual rhetoric can turn into damaging policies. Throughout U.S. presidential election cycles, we have witnessed candidates reject the existence of climate change, despite the fact that the scientific consensus points firmly in the direction of global warming. Here’s the problem: Hearing highranking politicians denying climate change will
lead to at least a portion of the average voter population denying it too. So how do we get people to value intellectualism in their lives and value experience over being an outsider? After all, more often than not, outsiders are just that: outside of the system, unaware of what makes the system work and what it takes to change it. I understand that, often, receiving a good education requires a degree of privilege that many are not afforded. Thus, to combat anti-intellectualism in our politics, we need to prioritize teaching voters and future politicians how to separate fact from simple narratives and deceitful campaign promises and instead value learnedness and lived experiences. A good place to start is to change school curriculums so that children from a young age understand that knowledge is a virtue not only in theory but also in practice. Further, we have to dial back our emphasis on wild aspirations and teach kids that dreams require knowledge and skill they have to work for. This culture of impulsive dreaming has serious implications for the quality of our leaders and candidates. Instead of seeking positions of power on a whim, people must be motivated to learn about policy, law and current events themselves before becoming leaders. As a society, we must understand governance isn’t a game, and aspirations of higher office come with enormous responsibilities.
Fabiana Vilsan ’19 can be reached at fabiana_vilsan@brown.edu.
SPORTS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
FRIDAY, APRIL 21, 2017
W. LACROSSE
Tough defense secures win against UMass Lowell Zoe Verni ’19, Hafsa Moinuddin ’19 net four goals each in women’s lacrosse first win of month By CAL BARASH-DAVID SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Searching for their first April win, the women’s lacrosse team braved a cold and rainy night for a contest against UMass Lowell on Stevenson-Pincince Field Wednesday. A strong defensive effort propelled the Bears (5-8, 0-5 Ivy) to a 12-6 win over the River Hawks (6-8, 2-5 America East). Bruno grabbed three early, unanswered goals, the first coming from Hafsa Moinuddin ’19 and the next two from Zoe Verni ’19. The River Hawks
grabbed one back on a goal from Jane Dudley, but Bruno tallied three more unanswered finishes to take a 6-1 lead. Dudley scored again, but Emma DeGennaro ’20 responded to give the Bears a 7-2 lead into the halftime break. Conceding only two goals in the first 30 minutes of play, Bruno’s defense was solid throughout the night. “It’s a veteran crew (that) was playing smart,” said Head Coach Keely McDonald ’00. “We had a good game plan by our defensive coach, … (and) it was an overall team effort that was strong.” The beginning of the second half was a defensive gridlock, and for 10 minutes, neither team netted a goal. Dudley scored again to break the drought for the River Hawks, recording a hat-trick in the process. » See W. LAX, page 2
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Zoe Verni ’19 helped Brown get off to a quick start in Wednesday’s win over UMass-Lowell with two early tallies. Verni’s four goal-performance brings her season total to 21, third-highest on the team.
MLB uses a double standard on replay reviews JAMES SCHAPIRO sports columnist The Mets played an exciting game last week against the Marlins: Deadlocked at 8-8, they fought into the 16th inning before a Travis d’Arnaud home run and a Hansel Robles save. Hidden within that marathon of a game was a less visible issue, but one that may well be more important. In the top of the seventh, on a bang-bang play at the plate, Yoenis Cèspedes was called out. The way in which the conclusion was reached poses a remote but real threat to baseball’s integrity. I’ve previously written about replay in baseball. That time, Adrían Gonzàlez — who was called out at the plate — contested the required “clear and convincing evidence” standard and thought that the call should have been changed. But I disagreed. “While it may appear that Gonzàlez may have touched the plate before being tagged, I can’t say definitively that he did,” I wrote. That time, the replay umpires got
the call right — they avoided the temptation to rule by instinct, and instead, examined the actual evidence available. This time, they did the opposite. As Cèspedes sprinted home, Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto caught the throw and reached back to make the tag. Watching the play live, it wasn’t clear whether he’d made contact with Cèspedes or not. Home plate umpire Àngel Hernàndez thought he had not. Hernàndez called Cèspedes safe, and the Marlins challenged. And that’s when “clear and convincing evidence” came into play. Watching the enhanced, slowmotion replays, I had no idea whether Realmuto had tagged Cèspedes or not. If he had, it had been by the absolute slightest of margins: His glove hadn’t changed direction at all. If he had missed him, it was not by much: No space was visible between Realmuto’s glove and Cèspedes’ pants. The replay lasted almost four minutes, and not one shot on the broadcast provided a definitive answer. On replay, it looked like Cèspedes was probably out. A preponderance of evidence pointed that way — but barely. Fortunately, replay reviews
aren’t determined by the balance of evidence: Rather, by rule, a call can only be changed if replay umpires detect “clear and convincing evidence” that the original call was wrong. It’s essentially the baseball equivalent of the justice system’s “beyond a reasonable doubt” — no call can be changed unless it is certain the change is correct. So, by standing replay procedure, there was no way that Cèspedes could have been out. The clearest shot of the play was a zoomed in, blurry, overhead shot — barely Zapruderian in quality — certainly not clear and convincing. But Cèspedes was called out. On the basis of a tag that looked like it was there, but that no one could actually see, they changed the call and took the pivotal go-ahead run off the board. But what’s the issue with this? What’s wrong with calling it as you see it, and not worrying about showing clear and convincing evidence? Once again, I’ll look to the justice system. There’s a reason we require proof beyond a reasonable doubt: no person’s status should ever be changed from “innocent” to “guilty”
unless guilt is beyond doubt. If it appears likely that someone committed a crime, that doesn’t mean they can be convicted for it: So long as there’s any level of doubt, a defendant remains innocent. It’s not hard to see that branding a person a criminal and sentencing them to receive punishment is unjust if there is doubt as to whether they actually committed the crime. Return to baseball, and the parallels are clear. Baseball doesn’t have such a default: There’s no “innocent until proven guilty.” Rather, its default is simple: the call on the field. If the call on the field cannot be clearly and conclusively disproven, then it stands. Why is this correct? Because a call should never be changed from one that might be right to one that might be wrong. If there’s no conclusive evidence either way, then the call cannot be conclusively made either way — which means the original call on the field must stand. There’s no justification for switching it. When an MLB manager challenges a call, there are three possible outcomes: call confirmed, call stands or call reversed. Call confirmed means that replay proved the original call correct, and call reversed means that
the original call was proven wrong. Call stands is in the middle — and it’s what should happen in the vast majority of cases. It means that there’s no evidence on replay to make a definitive call either way — so the officials stick with the original call, because that’s all they can use. I still don’t know whether Realmuto really tagged Cèspedes. I believe that he may have, but that’s not the question. The question is whether I, and the umpires reviewing the play, can tell for certain. In this case, they could not. No one who saw the replay could have, because there’s simply no evidence either way. He may not have made the tag — and if that’s the case, as it very well may be, the umpires changed a call and cost the Mets the go-ahead run, despite making the correct call all along. That should never happen. And that’s why we need the “clear and convincing evidence” standard — and why replay officials need to actually uphold it.
James Schapiro ’19 can be reached at james_schapiro@brown.edu.
Has Chris Sale escaped the fate of other first-year Red Sox? CHARLIE BLASBERG sports columnist It has become common knowledge that any highly touted player coming to the Red Sox from another team will struggle in his first season. Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, Hanley Ramírez, Rick Porcello, David Price — the list goes on. Many players attribute their lack of initial success in Boston to the heightened stakes and ruthless fans and media. As a result, when Chris Sale arrived in Boston this offseason, I was not expecting him to pitch to his full potential in his first starts with the Red Sox. Sale proved me wrong, allowing just three runs in his first four starts. His aus-
picious opening begs the question: Has Chris Sale broken the trend of underperforming first-year Red Sox? Sale has been nothing short of spectacular this season. In four starts for the Red Sox, he has surrendered three runs and struck out 42 in 29.2 innings. Pitching at least seven innings in each of his starts has been invaluable this spring, as the Sox staff has been routinely pummeled in the opening innings, causing the bullpen to be overworked. The one loss on his record is misleading, as he pitched a gem that day — working 7.2 innings and giving up just two runs. Sale’s ability to limit opponents’ contact and to work into the late innings of games will be invaluable to the Red Sox down the road. Sale does most of his damage by getting ahead early in counts. He rarely starts batters off with balls and
has only allowed six walks this season. He began Thursday’s start by throwing 32 of his first 36 pitches for strikes and recorded seven strikeouts in the first four innings. His 67.8 percent strike rate keeps his pitch count low and, once ahead in the count, Sale has three primary put-away pitches. His slider and changeup are so effective because his fastball routinely reaches the high 90s, while his off-speed pitches can be in the low 80s. His tall stature and his threequarter, left-handed delivery often make sliders impossible to hit. Many have compared Sale’s first few starts with the Red Sox to early Boston seasons of Pedro Martínez. Like Martínez, Sale has shown the willingness to pitch inside. Sale, in fact, led the American League in hit batters in both 2015 and 2016. Of course, it is too early to tell
whether Sale will fall victim to the fate of Price, Craig Kimbrel and Ramírez, but he is off to a good start. Generally, when players from other teams come to the Red Sox and struggle in their first years, they begin the season struggling and level out their performance by the end. When Porcello had a disastrous season in 2015, he finished with a string of quality starts through August and September. The same was true for Kimbrel, who had a mediocre start to the season last year, but bounced back from his knee injury and was able to pitch well in August and September. Sale, up to this point, has not needed time to adjust to the Red Sox, even after coming from the Chicago White Sox, a medium-market team whose fans and media coverage do not rival Boston’s. Sale has handled
the media gracefully by delivering a consistent message — that his sole focus is winning baseball games. This offers a clear counterpoint to David Price’s soaking up the big stage in Boston. He featured his dog Astro in numerous promotional videos and appeared in Dunkin’ Donuts commercials. Sale sees his role in Boston as a pitcher and veteran leader on the Red Sox, not as a media personality. Based on his hot start on the mound and ability to resist media spotlight outside of baseball, Sale could very well have shattered the mold of first-year Red Sox players who failed to translate success in other cities to Boston.
Charlie Blasberg ’18 can be reached at Charles_Blasberg@brown.edu.