SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2022
VOLUME CLVII, ISSUE 42
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Saxena Center to expand study of S. Asia Donors, scholars associated with center hope to strengthen research, relationships
BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
SPORTS
Football wins season opener in overtime thriller Bears finish secondhalf comeback to defeat Bryant University 44-38
BY AKSHAY AMESUR STAFF WRITER The idea of growing the Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia’s endowment sprouted from a conversation. Roughly two years ago, Ashish Jha, dean of the School of Public Health, and Ashutosh Varshney, professor of international studies and social sciences and political science and director of the Saxena Center, visited Parag Saxena P’13 P’14 P’15 at his home to discuss the project, Saxena said in an interview with The Herald. Jha, Varshney and Saxena bounced around ideas about the center’s possibilities in a nearly five-hour conversation that left Saxena feeling energized, he said. If only two professors could bring this much energy to the idea, an endowed center seemed to hold even more promise, Saxena said.
BY GABRIELLA SARTORI SENIOR STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF RYTHUM VINOBEN
The center was endowed with a $10 million gift from Parag and Usha Saxena P’13 P’14 P’15. Now, the Saxena Center, previously called the Center for Contemporary South Asia, has been inaugurated following a $10 million gift from Parag and Usha Saxena P’13 P’14 P’15, leaving stakeholders in the center hoping that its new funding can push research on South Asia forward. The center’s inauguration Sept. 9 was conducted by President Christina Paxson P’19 and was followed by an economics panel and a concert by musician Ali Sethi. Panels on politics and
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Students, faculty reflect on shopping period policies Students worry about lack of universal masking as professors try to remain flexible BY SOFIA BARNETT & ALEX NADIRASHVILI SENIOR STAFF WRITER & UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR When Olivia Booth ’24 returned to her dorm after her first day of classes with a sore throat, she took an at-home COVID-19 test as a safety precaution. Fifteen minutes later, two red lines appeared on Booth’s test, and she entered a period of isolation that would last through much of shopping period. “I feel hideously underprepared for the start of the semester,” said Booth, who is now out of isolation. Classes for the fall 2022 semester began Sept. 7, and students are experiencing their first in-person shopping period since the start of the pandemic without mask or testing mandates. Students and instructors shared concerns about COVID-19 safety without such restrictions in place and discussed how courses can better accommodate students in isolation.
According to an Aug. 10 University-wide announcement from Provost Richard Locke P’18, all classes must be held in the mode that they were originally listed as in Courses@Brown, even during shopping period. “Brown requires that courses be offered in the approved and advertised modality both for the benefit of students and to ensure the University remains in compliance with our accreditation and federal reporting obligations,” Locke wrote. For Matty Lichtenstein, postdoctoral fellow in International and Public Affairs, the return to in-person learning has brought “with it an energy and intellectual experience that remote classes don’t usually provide.” Lichtenstein said she wishes she had had the option to consider conducting some shopping period classes over Zoom, especially because of the difficulties of managing classroom density during shopping period. For some students, the lack of a mask mandate and regular testing during shopping period has been a source of concern. “My biggest worry has been the
SEE SHOPPING PAGE 8
culture followed on Sept. 10. The Saxena Center’s work focuses on urban development, pluralism, democracy and inequality across South Asia, according to a University press release. The new $10 million endowment, which was approved in February, will help expand the center’s offerings across disciplines and will allow the center to send more students to South Asia for immersive study, Varshney told
SEE SAXENA PAGE 6
The football team (1-0) completed a comeback effort to defeat the Bryant University Bulldogs (0-3) 44-38 in their season opener, the Bears’ first overtime victory since a 2016 home win over Cornell. The Bears, led by a standout performance by quarterback Jake Willcox ’24, won the game in second overtime after intense back-and-forth scoring throughout the matchup. Head Coach James Perry ’00 emphasized the importance of the “full team” effort that was necessary for the win. “A lot of hard work goes into pulling that off,” Perry said. “When you play a really good football team like today, I know they put the work in and when they lean on each other
and the leadership of this team in critical moments, we have a lot to build off of.” Despite striking first, the Bears struggled to hold the lead throughout the game. Brown got on the board with 2:48 to play in the opening quarter as kicker Christopher Maron ’25 completed a 39-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. But Bryant struck back quickly, breaking free for a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown to put the Bulldogs ahead 7-3 on the ensuing possession. After an interception on a Brown offensive possession, Bryant had a first and goal opportunity that led to a 26-yard field goal with 1:54 remaining in the second quarter. Brown ended the half behind the Bulldogs 10-3. The game continued to be a back and forth battle as both teams traded touchdowns to open the second half. Bryant scored on a 40-yard touchdown pass less than four minutes into the third quarter. Brown then responded with running back Jordan
SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 4
ARTS & CULTURE
‘Never Have I Ever’ season 3 triumphs Latest season of teen Netflix show sparks conversation on insecurities, healing BY SEOEUN CHOI STAFF WRITER This August, we saw the return of the lovable yet frequently infuriating Devi Vishwakumar (Maitreyi Ramakrishnan) in Mindy Kaling’s Netflix original “Never Have I Ever.” Between more love triangles than one can count on their fingers and a range of emotional breakdowns, Devi’s third year of high school is somehow an even greater mess than her life in the previous seasons. But this season also reveals deeper character development for Devi — while there are still incidents where she is frustratingly left off the hook out of sheer luck, Devi’s friends and loved ones finally tell her some of the much-needed harsh truths that were only previously hinted at by her therapist Dr. Jamie Ryan (Niecy Nash). This makes for the most emotionally aware season the show has seen yet. On more than one occasion, viewers are left feeling upset at Devi’s lack
COURTESY OF NETFLIX
The show appears to age with its viewers, with a nuanced take on relationships and characters who mature through the three seasons. of accountability in seasons one and two. Although it was easy enough for her friends to forgive her for her many mistakes, it was not necessarily the same for the audience — from dating both the highschool sweetheart Paxton Hall-Yoshida (Darren Barnet) and longtime nemesis-turned-lover Ben Gross (Jared Lewison) to unintentionally spreading a jealousy-filled rumor about the new transfer student Aneesa Qureshi (Megan Sur).
Sports
S&R
Arts & Culture
Commentary
Volleyball wins over Lindenwood for final nonconference victory Page 2
Researchers find brain pathway linking light to mood, cognition Page 3
Review: Disney’s recreation of Pinocchio misses the mark Page 5
Sender ’25: Highwayfocused transportation is unsustainable Page 7
Devi and Paxton’s relationship sparks a captivating discussion on insecurities. Dating the most popular and experienced guy from your high school is no easy feat. Devi constantly compares herself not just to Paxton’s previous girlfriends but also to Paxton himself, a phenomenon the teenage target audience is likely to relate to. She wonders whether a geek like her
SEE NEVER PAGE 6
TODAY TOMORROW
DESIGNED BY BEN GLICKMAN '23 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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JACK WALKER '23 SENIOR EDITOR