SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2022
VOLUME CLVII, ISSUE 47
UNIVERSITY NEWS
UNIVERSITY NEWS
UCS members express concern with changes E-board members skeptical of possible constitution violations, removal of general body
6 of 200 students placed in gender-inclusive housing U. switched rooms upon request for students with incorrect placements
BY KATHY WANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER
BY NEIL MEHTA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
After the initial results of last year’s spring elections were repealed and a run-off election was held, the University’s Undergraduate Council of Students continues to face challenges with internal changes and debates. Executive board members have voiced concerns about the council’s internal management, including the elimination of the general body and the implementation of town halls, the failure to establish a Student Government Ethics and Accountability Board and a possible violation of the UCS Constitution.
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Removal of general body Christopher Vanderpool ’24, a member of the UCS Equity and Inclusion Committee and a member of the UCS general body for the past two years, received his first UCS communication
of the academic year Sept. 6, along with the entire student body. In this email, UCS announced that the council would be hosting town hall meetings on Wednesdays — which was when the general body meetings were held last semester. This transition from general body meetings to town halls — which essen-
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tially removes general body members from UCS — was first proposed by UCS President Ricky Zhong ’23 and Vice President Mina Sarmas ’24 during an executive board gathering shortly after last spring’s election results settled, said Daniel Newgarden ’25, UCS Chair
SEE UCS PAGE 2
Only six out of approximately 200 students who indicated their preference for gender inclusive housing were initially assigned to it, according to several firstyear students who requested gender inclusive housing for the 2022-2023 year. Students who were placed in incorrect housing assignments were emailed by the Office of Residential Life Aug. 18. The email, written by Brenda Ice, senior associate dean and senior director of residential life and sent to The Herald by Kate Porter, associate director of communications and outreach, asked students who wished to be assigned different housing to fill out a room change form or set up a meeting with staff from ResLife. “A number of students who opted
into gender-inclusive housing were not matched accordingly,” Ice wrote in the email. The Office of Residential Life “strive(s) to prioritize your wellbeing, including gender identity and inclusivity,” Ice continued. “I apologize that this caused concern.” The new room change form had a deadline of Aug. 25, according to the email. In an email to The Herald, Ice wrote that “we are happy to share that by the end of the placement process, all students who requested support were given it” with regard to gender inclusive housing. “We are continually working to improve our processes, in partnership with the LGBTQ Center staff, to provide the best experience for all students,” she continued. First-year housing assignments are made based on the results of the New Student Housing Questionnaire. The form, completed by all incoming undergraduates living on campus, gathers information about living habits and
SEE HOUSING PAGE 3
Mayor-elect on Zachariah Bolster GS remembered as adventurous, kind student zoning Family, friends reflect on Zach’s military service in Navy, academic creativity at Brown
Brett Smiley answers questions, discusses zoning regulations at Ward 1 meeting
BY MAISIE NEWBURY SENIOR STAFF WRITER
BY KATY PICKENS METRO EDITOR Brett Smiley, the next mayor of Providence, spoke with about 60 residents of Ward 1 in a community Zoom call Wednesday evening. He answered questions ranging from flooding infrastructure in Providence to rent control. Smiley also said he was looking forward to working with his former opponents Nirva LaFortune MA’19, Ward 3 Providence city councilwoman, and Gonzalo Cuervo, former deputy secretary of state and former chief of staff to R.I. Secretary of State Nellie Gorbea. Since there are no Republican or Independent candidates running for mayor, Smiley has already won the race and won’t be on the ballot come election day. Smiley — a resident of Ward 1 himself — discussed his support of a zoning provision which would restrict the num-
SEE WARD 1 PAGE 2
Zachariah “Zach” Bolster Sc.M’23, a graduate student in cybersecurity, died in an accident on Aug. 27. A native of Cedar City, Utah, Zach is remembered fondly by his family and friends for his love of adventure and excitement for life. “Our amazing son enjoyed the outdoors and extreme sports including skydiving, speed wing flying, scuba diving, dirt bikes, backcountry snowboarding and triathlons,” Zach’s mother, Sharon Bolster, wrote in an email to The Herald. Zach stood out as a curious, outgoing student with a deep appreciation for nature, said Bernardo Palazzi, director of graduate studies for the Master of Science in Cybersecurity program. “Zach was always coming to class from some remote areas in the open air with trees,” Palazzi recalled, standing out from the indoor Zoom backgrounds of other students. “It was a very partic-
ular meeting place for discussing code, and it stuck with me.” “The cybersecurity program was fortunate to have Zach as a student,” said Ernesto Zaldivar, director of the Master of Science in Cybersecurity program. “He was so energetic and kind. Our community will miss him greatly.” The Master of Science in Cybersecurity Program is a fully online degree program, so many of Zach’s professors and peers never met him in person, said Timothy Edgar, the program’s academic director for law and policy. Still, Zach’s loss has been felt throughout the program. “I didn’t have the opportunity to meet Zach in person, but I still felt like I got to know him,” Edgar said. “He was an outstanding individual with a very bright future.” “We are extremely grateful for the outpouring of love from the Brown faculty and staff,” Sharon Bolster wrote.
At the time of his death, Zach had been certified in information systems security and was employed as the division manager for information systems and cybersecurity operations for the city of Lakewood, Colorado, Sharon Bolster wrote. Prior to this, Zach served in the Navy for eight years, completing four regular deployments and four deployments by the Executive Orders for Naval Special Warfare Development Group, she added. Zach was an IT1 specialist for Seal Team Six and a decorated combat war veteran. He received an Achievement Medal and Joint Service Commendation Medals for combat, Sharon Bolster noted. Zach “found joy” through his Navy service, meeting his girlfriend of two years during his tenure. At the University, Zach began on the computer science track of his master program but switched to the policy track after developing a strong interest in the
policy implications of code, Palazzi said. Both Edgar and Palazzi described Zach as positive and supportive in class. “For him, it wasn’t about showing how smart (he was) but helping (everyone) learn,” Edgar said. “That’s something I always look for in students.” Zach’s life was an impactful one, Edgar said. He made a big difference through his military service, his interactions with fellow students and the ideas he presented to professors. “Whether our lives are long or short, the important thing is that we have a positive impact,” he added. “Zach contributed, in the time he was with us, to his classmates, the class itself and to me.” “Zach was very creative,” Palazzi said, adding that Zach was always able to offer a unique, original point of view on the topics they discussed in class. “Maybe it was because he was used to discussing in all that clean air.”
“Zach was always coming to class from some remote areas in the open air with trees. It was a very particular meeting place for discussing code, and it stuck with me.”
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