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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 30

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WBRU vote to potentially authorize sale of FM license Staff members cite decline in radio listeners, student interest as reasons behind possible sale By ISABEL GENSLER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

LILLY NGUYEN / HERALD

Students came together in the Petteruti Lounge to listen to presenters speak on widespread issues in the modern music industry Saturday. The group discussed the challenged the industry is facing today.

Students talk music industry issues, solutions Music2020, Benevolent Records host “A Music Industry With More Winners Than Losers” By AMY WANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER

“How do we create a music industry with more winners than losers?” In an attempt to answer this question,

Benevolent Records, a student-run record label at Brown, and Music2020, a growing organization advocating for positive change in the music industry, teamed up to host a three-part event fittingly entitled “A Music Industry With More Winners Than Losers.” The series began several weeks ago with its first installment, featuring an information session on current issues

ARTS & CULTURE

in the music industry. This was followed by the second installment: an opportunity for interested students to pitch potential solutions to such issues. Five elevator pitches were selected, and students were invited to present their ideas at the culminating event, which took place Saturday. After introductions by Founder and President of Benevolent Records Lindsay Sack ’19 as well as the co-founders » See MUSIC2020, page 3

The student membership of radio station WBRU will vote on whether or not to authorize the exploration of the sale of their FM license Saturday. This vote follows the board of directors’ unanimous vote in January to look into this option and a “straw poll” vote of student members who supported the same, The Herald previously reported. “A vote Saturday to authorize the sale does not mean that there will be a sale,” said Ted McEnroe ’89 MAT’92, a member of WBRU’s board of directors. In January, the board of directors voted to authorize the station to “begin reviewing the possibility of selling the station. In order to even move forward to explore that, it needs to be approved by the station members,” McEnroe said. The board of directors will look into multiple options in order to “ensure the long-term viability of the student workshop,” he added. The station, which had an

operating budget in 2015 of $1.38 million, has been losing money since 2012, McEnroe said. In 2015, WBRU accrued $54,000 in losses, a decrease from the $79,000 it lost the year before, according to WBRU’s IRS 990 Form. According to a “WBRU FAQ and Fact-Checking” document created by current staff members of WBRU obtained by The Herald, “WBRU has always been, first and foremost, a student workshop. … In the past, the student experience and the goals of the business were much more closely related, so the distinction between the workshop and the business was not relevant to those involved in the station at the time.” Though “radio is not dead,” the student workshop has felt the negative affects of a decline of the radio industry, especially for the younger listeners, according to the document. “WBRU is much easier to run in a growing market than in the declining market we have faced for the last decade and will probably be facing forever if we stay with the same basic operation targeting young adults,” the document stated. “The board and the students have spent years looking at this. We are determined to find the solution » See RADIO, page 2

Students introduce anti-trafficking bill Student group unBUYnd committed to seeing state take action against human trafficking By LIORA MORHAYIM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Students from unBUYnd, an anti-human-trafficking advocacy group, drafted the Rhode Island Transparency in Supply Chains Act to restrict corporations from importing goods produced by coerced, trafficked or child labor. The bill was introduced to the Rhode Island General Assembly by District 1 Rep. Edith Ajello, D-Providence, and co-introduced by Rep. Moira Walsh, DProvidence, and Rep. Aaron Regunberg ’12, D-Providence, Feb. 8. UnBUYnd started as a small studentbased anti-human-trafficking organization in spring 2016 with the mission of taking concrete action to buy out of systems that put profits before people.

INSIDE

“It is intellectually dishonest and morally outrageous that we walk around with clothes made by kids and slaves and we don’t do anything about it,” said Dylan Elliott-Hart ’19, president of unBUYnd. Though federal law currently prohibits imports that are produced with any kind of slave labor, current legislation is not sufficient, Elliott-Hart said. “The Department of Labor tracks where people are importing goods, and, in the last five years, Rhode Island has imported $10 billion of stuff from countries that were identified as high risk for using child and forced labor,” Elliot-Hart added. Supply chain transparency will make it easier to enforce current legislation and remove the loopholes in federal law, he added. The motivation for drafting this legislation was to increase transparency and hold “businesses responsible for their supply chains,” Elliot-Hart said, adding that “it gives a chance to people » See UNBUYND, page 2

COURTESY OF CARLO LADD

Bloco da Brown, a student Afro-Brazilian percussion group, specializes in three primary rhythms: samba, maracantu and samba reggae. According to oral tradition, they rarely document their arrangements.

Bloco da Brown drums up Afro-Brazilian beats Afro-Brazillian percussion group collaborates, performs with different music groups on campus By ELIZABETH TOLEDANO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Mateus Picanco Lima Gomes ’18 grew up playing music in Brazil. When he was

11, he learned to strum the four-stringed cavaquinho. But as time went on, his interest in traditional Brazilian music waned, and he and his friends became more drawn to the rhythm of rock music. During his first weeks at Brown, he encountered a familiar sound. He heard a pondeiro, a Brazilian tambourine, at the activities fair and followed the sound to a

ARTS & CULTURE

booth. The musician playing the instrument was Maris Jones ’15, who founded Bloco da Brown, an Afro-Brazilian percussion group based on a similar club she had been a part of in high school. Picanco Lima Gomes joined Bloco da Brown and the organization has been integral to his college experience ever since. The club has been his way of “coming back to Brazilian music,” he said. » See BEATS, page 2

WEATHER

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

NEWS Todd Stern discusses the future of climate change under Trump administration

NEWS Author Lois Lowry discusses upcoming projects, reflects on past novels

COMMENTARY Colby ’20: Democrats should avoid ultra-partisianship in order to accomplish goals

COMMENTARY Braga ’16: U. shows best attributes by providing support for middle school students during tour

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

»UNBUYND, from page 1

LAURA FELENSTEIN / HERALD

» RADIO, from page 1 that is the best thing for the student workshop,” said Kishanee Haththotuwegama ’19, the general manager of the station. Haththotuwegama supports looking into the sale to be able to explore all options, she said. No plans have been laid out should the license be sold. McEnroe pointed out that financial issues are not the only problems the station faces. “There are questions as to how vibrant and strong the student workshop is when it’s focused on terrestrial broadcast radio in 2017,” he said. The board wants to come up with a solution that “addresses both the shorter term financial concerns … but also the longer term ones of making the student workshop — the organization — something that students want to be a part of and will dedicate time and effort to,” McEnroe said. Anna Horowitz ’19 a DJ for WBRU who also works on the promotional and events team agreed the station is struggling to maintain student

» BEATS, from page 1 Carlo Ladd ’17 had a similar introduction to Bloco da Brown. A lifetime musician with an interest in percussion, Ladd decided to join with Picanco Lima Gomes and Jessica Kenny ’17. Today, Ladd leads the percussion group, taking care to ensure it remains a collaborative operation. “You can learn,” Ladd said. “Everyone has a rhythm in them.” Gabriela de Queiroz Campos ’19 became involved “kind of by accident,” she said. After receiving an email from fellow Brazilian students about Bloco da Brown, she showed up assuming she would attend some kind of performance. “I was handed drums,” she said. “I kept coming because I liked it.” De

interest. “Since people don’t necessarily want to go into radio, they’re not going to come and work at BRU,” she said. “As a student group, we’re starting to fade.” “WBRU is an extraordinary, rare, precious institution” said Bill Lichtenstein ’78, a former program director at WBRU. “It is the pre-eminent student radio station in the country, but it’s also a formidable commercial station and has produced an extraordinary string of professionals,” he added. “The vote to sell before you have a plan seems like (putting the) cart before the horse,” Lichtenstein said. When Lichtenstein saw that the student members of the station had done a straw poll vote along with the board of directors’ official vote in favor of selling the station, he responded with a letter posted in the “I worked at WBRU” Facebook page. “I don’t want to sell BRU at all. I’m very against it,” Horowitz said. “The fact that the board hasn’t put in place a plan for what we would

do with the money after we sell … scares me.” Horowitz fears alums and current listeners would lose their loyalty to WBRU if the license is sold, she added. “What I still don’t fully understand — especially now that you have an outpouring of (alums) clearly stating the value of working at and operating a real major media outlet and who have offered to help in so many ways — is the urgency to vote to sell,” Lichtenstein wrote in his post. “We have no digital presence,” Horowitz said. Rushing to sell before building up a stronger digital platform would force WBRU into losing much of its current following, she said. Since WBRU made the student straw poll vote public, “so many more (alums) have come forward offering to help” make alternative plans to selling, Horowitz said. Horowitz has been in correspondence with one alum who created a task force to find alternatives and was involved in turning the station around in 1992 when the

board wanted to sell the license then. “All media outlets in the world right now are struggling with how you bring traditional media into the 21st century. It is a very difficult prospect and process,” Lichtenstein said. In order to succeed, media outlets need to have both a “bonafide news outlet along with a vigorous new media presence,” he added. WBRU is owned by the non-profit Brown Broadcasting Services, which started in 1962 and operates independently from the University. The governance is composed of three parts: the board of directors, which is composed mostly of WBRU alums and serves as the overseeing body; the executive board of student leaders and the student station membership. There are about 50 station members, and all have to apply and take a test to join. Important decisions must be made by both the student station members and the board of directors who “co-exist,” McEnroe said.

Queiroz Campos sees the group as “a great way to stay involved with things that are culturally important to me.” The group has played all around New England and has been featured at gatherings ranging from events hosted by the University’s Department of Portuguese and Brazilian Studies to performances at Harvard for Carnival. Bloco da Brown has even played at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, where they hosted Brazilian soccer player Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, affectionately referred to as “Kaká.” Bloco da Brown has gone from jamming at local events to the main stage without compromising their open attitude, according to Ladd. “I don’t know if there’s another group quite like us at Brown,” he said, adding that Bloco

is “a culturally-grounded group that still plays concerts for large amounts of people.” The group plays three core rhythms: samba, maracatu and samba reggae, Kenny said. They also play more popular music, including funk, which is often played at clubs or parties in Brazil. Recently, the group has even taken on some American pop songs to play during some of their collaborations and shows. This helped when they played with the acapella groups Brown’sTones, the Bear Bones and the Chattertocks, which served as an opportunity for Bloco da Brown to develop a space for the interface of Brazilian percussion and pop music. Bloco da Brown combines “a new wave of Brazilian music and old traditional music,” Ladd said.

Ladd arranges the music with help from Picanco Lima Gomes and other members of the group. In keeping with Bloco oral tradition, the group rarely writes anything down. “You do it so many times it gets drilled in your head,” de Queiroz Campos said. “I was going to say you can do it with your eyes closed … (but) of course, it’s drumming,” she added. “We speak a lot of Portuguese,” Kenny said. “Our goal is to be open and share.” “I always translate the jokes,” Picanco Lima Gomes added. Bloco da Brown invites anyone interested, with any level of experience or skill, to join them in making music. “I step in there and I feel at home,” Kenny said.

to vote with their money.” None of the members of unBUYnd had previously drafted legislative documents except Elliot-Hart, who worked at Energize Rhode Island on an environmental campaign last year. Elliot-Hart and fellow member Anna Croley ’19 took the California Transparency in Supply Chains Act, which went into effect in 2012, as a starting point and then contacted Regunberg, Ajello and Walsh to revise it. Ajello introduced the bill Feb. 8 and referred it to the House Committee on Corporations. The time and date of the hearing will not be known until 48 hours before, but it will likely occur in the next month, Ajello said, adding that representatives will know if the bill will be voted on by the end of May. “There has been conversation in Rhode Island about human trafficking — mostly regarding sex trade, not so much for forced labor,” Ajello said. “Because (supply chain transparency) is a new concept, (the bill) is not likely to pass or (be voted on) this year, so it is likely that it will be introduced again next year,” she said. “Almost everything is held for further study. It is routine,” Ajello added. Democrats are more likely to be in support of this bill than Republicans, Ajello said, adding that she also expects some Democrats to oppose the bill, especially if there is testimony in opposition from business groups or groups that claim to be supportive of businesses. “I think this is something that should have bipartisan support — this is not a radical idea. If all representatives read the bill, it would pass, but politics isn’t that simple. People in power — people with money — aren’t necessarily in favor of this,” Elliot-Hart said. Ajello said she thinks this bill will be effective if it becomes law in multiple states. Since Rhode Island is a very small state, companies will simply choose not to do business for such a small market instead of following the regulations, she said. But there aren’t impenetrable walls around states, so if several states adopt this legislation, it will also be effective as consumers become more informed about supply chain decisions, she added. Creative Director of unBUYnd Zuriel Mbonde ’19 said unBUYnd garnered some support by phone banking and petitioning in Providence. The group hopes to continue its community outreach, contact local press to spread the word and show representatives statewide support for the issue, Mbonde said. If the bill passes in Rhode Island, unBUYnd’s next step will be to empower student groups in other states to undertake similar initiatives, Elliot-Hart said. Their ultimate aim is to introduce a similar bill at the federal level, he added. The biggest barrier the group must overcome is apathy, Elliot-Hart said. While many know where the labor that makes their shoes and technology comes from, he added, people “(choose) to live in willful ignorance” because they do not believe they can act against slave labor, he added. “But this is something we can do about it.”

Got something to say? Leave a comment online! Visit www.browndailyherald.com to comment on opinion and editorial content.

NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Todd Stern discusses future of climate, energy policy Push for clean energy will coninue despite Trump, says ex-U.S. special envoy for climate change By ELI BINDER STAFF WRITER

“Don’t give up and don’t be resigned” in the fight against climate change, said Todd Stern, former U.S. Special Envoy for Climate Change in his Distinguished Speakers Series lecture Wednesday. The fight against climate change should not be viewed as a burden but as an opportunity, Stern said, who led the U.S. negotiations at the Paris Climate Accords. “There is no question that the transformation to low-carbon technology is not just one of the biggest challenges, but (also) one of the biggest economic opportunities in front of us right now,” Stern said. “No country in the world has a comparative advantage in this area that’s bigger than the United States, because it’s all about innovation, and we have an innovation infrastructure and culture that is second to none.” “From the point of view of somebody committed to action on climate change, the results of the election were unwelcome,” Stern said. But he added that the rapidly decreasing price of clean energy will continue under the Trump administration. “Despite this speed bump with respect to the Trump administrations policies” the shift to clean energy will continue, he told The

» MUSIC2020, from page 1 of Music2020, Scott Kirby and Visiting Professor of Music George Howard, students presented solutions to ongoing challenges facing the artistic community. Presentations were followed by a roundtable discussion. Students examined a variety of different issues — some focused on organizational obstacles faced by independent musicians not affiliated with a label or manager, while others explored the imbalance of power between record labels and artists. Julia Elia ’17, who has worked with multiple artists and record labels, delved into the effects of the pressures of touring and live concert performances on artists’ mental health. “It’s just something I’ve been really aware of, working with artists for as long as I have … I’m constantly surprised (that it) doesn’t get more attention and more discussion,” Elia said. “It’s a really hard issue to try to tackle and try to ultimately solve, and I think the first step is just talking about it (and) bringing it to people’s awareness.” Sack’s inspiration for the event occurred last semester when she found herself in Howard’s course, MUSC 1270: “Making it in the Music Business: The New Artist Model.” Benevolent Records came up during one class conversation, prompting the idea of a collaboration between the record label and Music2020. Howard referred Sack to Music2020 staff member Jennifer Howe as a contact, and planning progressed from there. Sack described the event’s purpose as twofold: “On the one hand, we really wanted to provoke discussion. Then the other aspect of it was to … encourage action.” Though it was founded in 2016, Music2020 is “really a continuation of (Scott Kirby and my) ongoing work,” Howard said. “This is something that

Herald. Stern discussed the implications of climate change as a partisan issue in the United States. With the election of Trump, “it’s clear domestically that there’s going to be a pullback” of climate-related action, he said. Despite this, around “75 percent of Trump’s supports are strongly in support of clean energy development.” Globally, the treatment of climate change — with some notable exceptions in India and Middle Eastern states dependent on oil — is very different. “Mostly, climate change politically around the world is a post-partisan issue,” Stern said. China, for example, “has become quite invested in the development of renewable energy and clean energy,” and “is going pretty much full tilt” in trying to fulfill its commitment under the Paris Agreement, he added. Stern also spoke about his career negotiating climate accords, beginning with the Kyoto Protocol in 1997. There, negotiators drafted an unrealistically ambitious plan that required ratification from the U.S. Senate, he said, but this approval never came. Today, the United States is the only signatory to the protocol that has not ratified it. During the Bush administration, the United States stepped back from climate change response leadership. But Stern noted that after the 2007 UN Climate Change Conference in Bali, Indonesia, global leaders widely desired to draft a new agreement. Under both of us together, and before we even knew each other, were working on … We both have devoted our lives to the idea that we want a system where musicians and artists have more direct power and control over their careers.” One of Music2020’s core missions is to reduce constraints surrounding the production and distribution of music. In an ideal world, “music, information, rights and money (would be) transferred between artists and fans in the most efficient, productive and profitable way,” Kirby said. Both founders of Music2020 agreed that major record labels, performance rights organizations and streaming services dominate the music industry, leaving little room for artists to make their own voices heard. Saturday’s event was one of several Music2020 has conducted since its establishment. Howard hoped that simply attending the event, listening to the presentations and participating in the discussions would inspire students to stir up change, he said. “For a lot of reasons, going and speaking to college students is the right approach,” Howard said. “(College students) tend to care about music; they tend to be eager to get involved. I think if you look historically, much activism began at the college level.” Change in the music industry can be made in a variety of ways, such as using technology, increasing support for individual artists and changing laws surrounding musicians’ rights and the relationship between artists and record labels, according to Saturday’s presenters. Everyday consumers can also help change the industry. “Being an educated consumer and a knowledgeable consumer and trying, in whatever ways you can, to do what’s best for the artist … I think that’s really where to start,” Sack said.

ELI WHITE / HERALD

Todd Stern, former U.S. special envoy for climate change, discusses the future of clean energy and environmental policy in President Trump’s era. Stern stressed initiatives would continue despite Trump’s policies. the Obama administration, the United States jumped “onto a moving train of negotiations” that produced the Paris Agreement, Stern added. Going into the negotiations, Stern said he knew that “we could not repeat the (Kyoto Protocol) experience of the United States saying ‘yes’ and then having it dead on arrival in the U.S. Senate.” He helped structure an agreement that did not have to be ratified by the Senate. “This agreement is partly legally binding and partly not,” Stern said. For example, the targets for emissions

reduction are not legally binding, but transparency and accountability requirements are. The Paris Agreement “absolutely did not go far enough” because the targets it sets do not put the world on track to sufficiently stop rising temperatures. But “you can’t start unless you start,” he said. Looking forward, Stern said that he is worried about the possible consequences of the French election on the European Union’s role in climate leadership. If France elects Marine Le Pen and leaves the EU, “it will be very

challenging for the EU” to lead climate action, he added. “In my experience in climate, there’s a lot of truth in” the notion that the United States is an “indispensable nation” in global leadership, Stern told The Herald. But while it seems that the Trump administration will shy away from leading the world in the fight against climate change, Stern said that the future of technology is unpredictable. Perhaps, in the near future, innovation will make it much easier to meet the targets of the Paris Agreement, he added.

ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

The tricky optics of news in age of Trump By DANIEL WAYLAND ARTS & CULTURE CRITIC

LITERARY ARTS PRIZES 2017

For CNN and its media brethren, attacking President Trump hasn’t paid off … or has it? Painted by Trump as “fake news” outlets deceiving the American populace, the role of media publications as the arbiters of fact and fiction in American society seems to be increasingly imperiled. But their coffers tell a decidedly different story. This reflects a dubious symbiosis between the liberal media and Trump that is particularly uncomfortable for any progressive blissfully retweeting clips of Jake Tapper criticizing the president. Interestingly, Trump himself isn’t a boon for ratings. Events featuring Trump, like the inauguration or his recent congressional address, have failed to eclipse the viewership numbers that former President Barack Obama routinely received while in office. Rather, as Josef Adalian of Vulture points out: “Even if viewers aren’t flocking to see Trump himself on TV, viewers are very interested in watching shows about Trump.” Indeed, responses to Trump’s outbursts have proven to be an extremely profitable business model for news outlets. MSNBC liberal heavyweight Rachel Maddow’s viewership numbers last month more than doubled February 2016’s numbers. The late-night television landscape mirrors this development: Stephen Colbert’s politically conscious “The Late Show” on CBS rode a wave of Trump-bashing to its current position at the top of the late-night talk show rankings, a position it hadn’t held in nearly two years. Colbert passed his NBC rival Jimmy Fallon, whose rather shameless brand of anti-politicking and humanizing of Trump has rightfully drawn ire from critics. CNN has been Trump’s most conspicuous target, the original victim of the president’s now-viral “fake news” label. Jeff Zucker, president of CNN Worldwide, recently spoke at the INTV media conference about the network’s antagonistic relationship with the president. “I think there has never been a more important time to do journalism and that many of the organizations in the United States have never done better work or

more important journalism,” Zucker said. “It is really the renaissance of journalism in America because of the nature of what is going on.” But for all of Zucker’s attempts to wax poetic about the state of journalism, he was later forced to admit the network’s obsessive interest with Trump has increased profit margins. Indeed, CNN’s viewership ratings reached

the future of journalism as the president’s branding the media as “the enemy of the people.” When asked about the media’s tendency to explode after a Trump tweet, former late-night host David Letterman responded “Let’s stop (treating every Trump tweet as breaking news). We don’t need more confirmation that there’s something wrong with Donald

by outlets like Fox News, CNN, MSNBC and others nearly doubled that of the next twenty candidates combined. As a society, we are well removed from Cronkite-era levels of trust in news anchors and broadcasts as purveyors of truth and logic. But even today, when networks repeat a narrative enough times, it begins to take the shape of fact. Talk about Trump’s candi-

an all-time high in the aftermath of the election. For all the talk of journalistic integrity, it’s impossible to ignore that media outlets who chase Trump’s tweets and misdirections down the proverbial rabbit hole routinely resurface with gold in their hands. Sensationalizing Trump’s unfounded claims and profiteering off that hyperbole represents as much of a threat to

Trump. Let’s instead find ways to rebuild what is rational.” Letterman’s warning proves particularly poignant when considering how Trump has benefited from the faux war he has waged with the media. The GDelt Project tracked the number of mentions that major news networks gave to various candidates during the presidential election — Trump’s 1.5 million mentions

dacy enough times, and he begins to look like a legitimate candidate. Moreover, in hunting profit over journalistic integrity, news networks have taught Trump a dangerous lesson. Through the production of sensationalism, he can misdirect attention away from the myriad issues in his administration that require serious investigation. Last week, amid a swelling tide of allegations

The Literary Arts Department is sponsoring the following prizes for the Brown community:

Academy of American Poets Prize: For the best poem (up to 10 pages). Open to all Brown students. Kim Ann Arstark Memorial Awards: For the best poem or poems (up to 20 pages) written in celebration of life. Open to all Brown students. Feldman Prizes in Fiction: For the best story or stories (up to 50 pages). Open to all Brown students. Beth Lisa Feldman Prize in Children’s Literature: For the best story or stories for children four to eight years old (up to 50 pages). Open to all Brown students (and may be a collaboration). Frances Mason Harris ’26 Prizes: For a book-length manuscript of poetry or prose fiction by a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate woman. John Hawkes Prize in Fiction: This contest honors the memory of John Hawkes, the internationally-recognized author and dedicated professor of creative writing at Brown University. The contest is open to all students currently enrolled in the Graduate Program in Literary Arts. The submission must be a work of fiction (up to 50 pages). Edwin Honig Memorial Prizes in Poetry: Honoring the memory of Edwin Honig — poet, translator and founder of the Literary Arts Department at Brown University (up to 10 pages). Open to all Brown students. Keith and Rosmarie Prizes for Innovative Writing: For literary work, any genre, that best exemplifies the spirit of innovation found in the writings and translations of Keith and Rosmarie Waldrop. Up to 15 pages. Open to all Brown students. DEADLINE: 11 PM ON 16 MARCH. ALL APPLICATIONS ARE COMPLETED ONLINE. TO APPLY,VISIT: HTTPS://WWW.BROWN.EDU/ACADEMICS/LITERARY-ARTS/LITERARY-ARTS-PRIZES-2017-LISTING

about the White House’s connections to Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak, Trump unleashed a series of tweets accusing Obama of wiretapping phone lines in Trump Tower in the weeks prior to the election. For nearly a week now, almost every major media outlet has treated Trump’s unsupported claims as an explosive breaking news story. Reports quickly emerged that Trump had likely based his claim off an illogical conspiracy theory spewed on live radio by conservative firebrand and moral blackhole Mark Levin. Breitbart News, the former domain of Trump’s chief strategist Steve Bannon, then picked up the story. Upon that reveal, networks should have turned their attention to more serious news. Trump repeats what he hears from ethically compromised sources — end of story. Instead, CNN and its fellows whipped themselves into a collective frenzy, and applying the classic elements of investigative journalism to the “story” only lent credence to the idea that a Trump tweet could morph itself into a legitimate news narrative. News outlets didn’t cover every time Obama stepped out of the oval office to take a bathroom break. Trump’s tweets are essentially the same thing. Of course, simply ignoring Trump’s manic episodes does a disservice to the American people as well. How then, should news networks and late-night hosts approach Trump without compromising their integrity? The answer is perhaps best understood in juxtaposing the work done by two late-night hosts, John Oliver and Samantha Bee, against “Saturday Night Live.” Certainly, while all three participate in Trump-based satire, John Oliver and Samantha Bee play the journalism hawk role in a way that SNL decidedly avoids. But, as Mark Harris of New York Magazine points out, “Samantha Bee and John Oliver always know why they hate someone; sometimes, SNL just knows that it hates someone. That’s not enough.” CNN, as well as its fellow news networks and late-night hosts, have made it clear that they hate Trump and will continue to challenge him. Too often, though, it feels like they love to hate him. After all, that hate has turned quite a pretty penny.

TODAY

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

e n d e av o r i n g o n t h e g r e e n

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: BBQ Bam Bam, Spicy 5 Cheese and Garlic, Cheeseburger Pizza Steam Bun Tacos JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Cobb Salad, Pizzadilla, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burger

Frittata, Beef Chili with Beans, Bread Bowl

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Cajun Turkey Cutlets, Steamed Broccoli, Falafel, Mediterranean Eggplant Sauté

Basmati Rice Pilaf, Herbed Turnips, Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Pasta

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich, Steak Fries, Ginger Snap Peas and Carrots

Spaghetti Pasta, Caribbean Tofu and Mint Stir Fry, Meatloaf with Mushroom Sauce

sudoku

ELI WHITE / HERALD

Carolyn Paletta ‘19 receives a pass on the field, asserting Brown’s gameplan and attack with a deft stroke of her lacrosse stick on an unseasonably warm winter evening.

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

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich c rNorris o s sandwJoyce o rNichols d Lewis

ACROSS 1 Pressured, with “on” 7 NASA citrus drink 11 Digital doc format 14 Cry from an oversleeper 15 Smokehouse order 16 Meyers of “Kate & Allie” 17 *Career soldier 19 Quaint curse 20 Yellowish green 21 “Gotcha!” 22 Small craft concern 23 End of a New Year’s song 24 *1995 movie flop dubbed “Fishtar” by some critics 26 Word before chi or after mai 28 Long tale 29 *Much-soughtafter celebrity 35 Baker’s 13 38 Campfire residue 39 Beijing-born, say 41 Madhouse 42 Green stuff 44 *Sun emanation responsible for the northern lights 46 Unveiler’s cry 48 British verb ender 49 *Petal pusher? 54 Walrus feature 58 Dieter’s gain? 59 Singer Erykah 60 Political channel 61 Word of repulsion 62 Brangelina, e.g.— or, in a way, each of the answers to starred clues 64 “__ Big to Fail”: 2009 account of the financial crisis 65 Gets to 66 Mourn 67 Clairvoyant’s gift 68 Soft “Yo!” 69 Beginning bits DOWN 1 Oscar night rides 2 “Our Town” girl 3 Too pooped to pop

4 Unworldliness 5 Sermon ending? 6 Deal-busting org. 7 Behind-closeddoors event 8 ’Til Tuesday lead vocalist Mann 9 Cavs and Mavs 10 “The Pyramid” channel 11 29-Across chasers 12 Dryly amusing 13 Not likely to move 18 River valley formation 22 Disco adjective 24 Fingers-crossed thought 25 Angler’s gear 27 Place to play “Space Invaders” 29 “Skyfall” director Mendes 30 GI’s hangout 31 Image-editing software 32 “__ a pity” 33 Year abroad? 34 Fam. reunion attendee 36 Years and years

37 Bob of hope, maybe 40 Take a trip by ship 43 Congressional output 45 Triathlon attire 47 Vine yards? 49 Champagne glass 50 Java’s coffee cup et al. 51 Stares stupidly

52 Latin clarifier 53 1921 robot play 55 Shoe top 56 Simultaneous weapons discharge 57 Oft-patched clothing parts 60 Trite stuff 62 Humdinger 63 Software-driven film effects, for short

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

“One kid sent me an email saying, ‘Can you please list all of the similes and metaphors in this book?’” — Lois Lowry, author of “The Giver”

See LOWRY on page 4. CORRECTION An earlier version of the article “Paralysis patients achieve fastest typing yet with new brain-computer interface” stated that patients in the study could type at rates above 3.5 words per minute. In fact, they could type at rates of about 2.5 words per minute. The Herald regrets the error. A previous version of the article “Med School programs provide assistance for refugees “ misstated that VyVy Trinh ’11 MD’17 is president of BRYTE. In fact, Trinh is a tutor and former summer camp director for BRYTE. The Herald regrets the error.

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calendar

04/03/13

TODAY MARCH

04/03/13

Innovation in Education 12:00 P.M. Jouskowsky Forum

Lunch Talk: Linda M. Rupert 12:00 P.M. CSSJ

The Path to Mental Health 7:30 P.M. Faunce

Ballet Méchanique 8:00 P.M. Grant Recital Hall

TOMORROW Education in Africa 9:00 A.M. Joukowsky Forum

Actually we are Mongols 12:00 P.M. Rhode Island Hall

Piano Workshop 4:00 P.M. Grant Recital Hall

In the Heights 8:00 P.M. Stewart Theatre

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

K I M B E R LY S A LT Z

comic A Horse of Any Other Name | Zachary Silberberg

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COMMENTARY THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Learning from the plight of Republicans OWEN COLBY staff columnist

Last Thursday Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, R-WI, made the imprudent decision to travel up to Providence, Rhode Island for a meeting with a local nonprofit, Year Up. Unsurprisingly, he was met with hundreds of protesters chanting “Coward!” These demonstrators were energized by various issues ranging from Ryan’s support of President Trump to Congress’ impending repeal of Obamacare. Ryan has championed dismantling Obamacare, telling constituents to expect repeal and replacement by March or April. It is now March and just four days after his visit to Providence, the first real replacement bill for Obamacare was introduced Monday. Was this the day these protesters were dreading, the day dreams of more equitable healthcare finally fell apart? Not really. But Democrats would do well to learn from the experience of Republicans — who were driven to the right by populist backlash during the Obama years — to ensure that their party does not suffer the same fate at the hands of ultra-liberal partisans. It is already clear that House Republicans’ Obamacare replacement, called the American Health Care Act, is far from a sweeping success and may already be dead in the water. Ryan has been assigned the near impossible task of securing majority support from the various factions of the Republican Party. To make matters worse, Republican groups like

the Tea Party Patriots, Heritage Foundation, and House Libertarians have already come out against the American Health Care Act for not going far enough, effectively destroying the bill’s chances in the House of Representatives. Meanwhile, four Republican Senators — Sen. Rob Portman, R-OH, Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-AK, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV, and Sen. Cory Gardner. R-CO — all have come out against the American Health Care Act’s cuts to Medicaid, also preventing its passage in the

protests and a student walk out happening in the past couple of weeks. It is still unclear whether this wave of progressive energy really is a durable political movement or a reactionary movement that will eventually fade away. Still, protests like those against Ryan’s visit suggest that liberal activism could become a sustained force in American politics. If backlash against Trump really is maintained, it will be hard to ignore the parallels between the rise of the power of the divisive Tea Party and

have a similar history, and it is not fanciful to imagine that Democrats will nominate far-left progressives during the midterm elections. As the Democratic platform moves further left, seeing far-left progressive candidates take office will become increasingly normal. Whether this is a positive or negative trend remains to be seen. But it is important for Democrats to make sure that extreme progressives don’t hijack the party like the Freedom Caucus has hijacked the Republican Party. The Freedom

Democrats would do well to learn from the experience of Republicans — who were driven to the right by populist backlash during the Obama years — and ensure that their party does not suffer the same fate at the hands of ultra-liberal partisans.

Senate. Ultimately, what damned this bill is not Republican incompetence but rifts within the party. With Democrats well-positioned to retake seats in the coming midterm elections, organizers like those protesting in Providence must get to work now to prevent a Democratic majority from facing the same fate. The backlash to Trump’s presidency and Republican leadership has been visceral. In Rhode Island alone, protests have become regular occurrences, with two large anti-Trump

the grassroots anti-Trump movements gaining steam now. The Tea Party emerged out of former President Barack Obama’s election, united by clear anti-Obama messages and hardcore conservatism. The movement maintained salience with effective organizing and voter mobilization, leading to the election of farright representatives and the emergence of the Freedom Caucus — a coalition of Tea Party Republicans — on Capitol Hill. The rise of anti-Trump protests

Caucus is openly sympathetic with the values of the Tea Party, and the 29 members of the caucus have actively opposed the broader Republican Party’s agenda. Considering just 22 Republican defections in the House would sink any replacement plan — assuming Democrats don’t cross party lines — the Tea Party and Freedom Caucus essentially control the Republican Party. An ultra-progressive caucus within the House seems like a dream to many progressive Democrats, but it is

worth remembering that such a caucus could have prevented the passage of Obamacare on the grounds that it didn’t do enough. When Obamacare was first introduced in 2009, the option of single payer healthcare — a long-standing progressive dream — was sidelined. Progressive voices calling for a government-run healthcare system were shouted down. Had Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-VT, and a large coalition of progressive Democrats maintained that single payer insurance reform was the only way to garner their votes, federal health insurance reform would not have been implemented. Assuming Republicans will eventually find success in their larger effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, Democrats should strive to maintain party unity as activists and protests become increasingly progressive. While Rhode Island’s Obamacare-sanctioned health insurance exchanges remain competitive and well-functioning compared to the rest of the country, one-third of American counties have only one insurer in what are supposed to be robustly competitive exchanges. Obamacare was not perfect, and if Democrats regain control of Congress and the presidency, they will need to rehash the healthcare debate once again. Having the same sorts of internal divisions that hamstrung their Republican counterparts will only make such considerations even more difficult.

Owen Colby ’20 can be reached at owen_colby@brown.edu.

Brown at its best JUSTIN BRAGA

op-ed contributor Last Friday, on your way to class or while dining at the Ratty, you may have noticed a large group of young, enthusiastic middle school students taking in Brown for the first time. These 48 seventh-grade students attend Roosevelt Middle School in New Bedford, Massachusetts and were visiting Brown on a trip sponsored by the New Bedford High School Young Alumni Association. Most of these students will be the first in their family to attend college, and this was the beginning of the conversation about applying to, paying for and attending college. In January 2015 during my junior year at Brown, a group of recent graduates of New Bedford High School founded the school’s Young Alumni Association. Over the past two years, the organization has grown, and as alumni we have committed ourselves to ensuring that every student in our city has a real and equal opportunity to achieve success through education. As graduates of an urban school system, we understand the challenges that students in our community face, but we also appreciate the diverse, hard-working culture that makes New Bedford an exceptional place to attend school and to live. Through a combination of camaraderie and shared understanding, we empower

students by encouraging them to set high standards for themselves and providing them with resources to help them to succeed. I recall my own challenges at Brown that stemmed from growing up in a very different environment than most of my peers. At times, it wasn’t easy being the person who hadn’t traveled much, who worked and stayed home over spring break rather than take expensive trips and who didn’t come to Brown with all the gadgets many of my peers possessed. Fortunately,

ganization, we decided to use our collective college experiences to help prepare students in New Bedford for life after high school and encourage them to be active on their college campuses and in their home community. That being said, I would be remiss if I didn’t attribute our success to institutions like Brown that help transform our various initiatives from thought to reality. On behalf of the New Bedford High School Young Alumni Association, I’d like to recognize and thank the individuals

Each member of the Brown community — student, staff, alumni, faculty — can change the course of a young person’s life. I had a strong core group of family, friends at Brown and mentors who made my Brown experience both enriching and very enjoyable. But, as I told the students from Roosevelt Middle School, my time at Brown made me realize the full potential of the worthwhile experiences I had accumulated growing up in a community like New Bedford. I also realized from my fellow high school graduates that I wasn’t alone in facing these challenges in transitioning to a college community that was, in some ways, worlds apart from where we grew up. Thus, as an or-

and groups at Brown who made last Friday’s trip possible. During the planning process, we received ample assistance from the Office of College Admission, which helped coordinate the visit and paid for the students’ lunches. Specifically, Matthew Price, associate director of admission, took time out of his busy schedule to run an exclusive information session for these students. Also, we are thankful to the for FirstGeneration College and Low-Income Student Center for hosting a panel of Brown students who discussed their experiences as the first in

their family to attend college. I would especially like to recognize UCS President Viet Nguyen ’17 for his work putting the panel together and opening FLIC to these students from New Bedford. Additionally, I’d like to thank Brown Dining Services for accommodating the students, and all other Brown personnel who made the visit a success. Each member of the Brown community — student, staff, alums, faculty — can change the course of a young person’s life. The most inspiring words spoken at my commencement by far were delivered by Thomas Catena ’86, who addressed the class of 2016 from Sudan where he was administering medical care to less fortunate people living near his hospital. Catena encouraged us to spend our lives giving all we could muster to help those who have nothing. Brown’s willingness to open its gates to these students from New Bedford and use its vast financial and intellectual capital to extend a helping hand to those who most need support shows that Brown stays true to the words of Catena. That, in my opinion, is Brown at its best.

Justin Braga ’16 is a co-founder and cochair of the New Bedford High School Young Alumni Association and a Juris Doctor candidate at Georgetown Law in Washington, D.C. He can be reached at jrb325@georgetown.edu.

NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THURSDAY, MARCH 9, 2017

Lois Lowry discusses past novels, current pursuits Author talks about book adaptations, continuing effect of novels on young readers By BELLA ROBERTS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Author Lois Lowry spends her days with her Tibetian Terrier, Alfie, looking out over her bird feeder in Felmouth, Maine. Lowry, 80 next month, sits by her laptop, where she still writes children’s novels. After 40 years, Lowry has written a number of notable books including “The Giver” series, “Number the Stars” and “A Summer to Die”. Lowry began her writing career at Brown as part of the class of 1958. She left Brown as a sophomore to get married and later resumed her education at the University of Maine. After the death of her husband Martin six years ago, Lowry moved back to Maine to be closer to her son and grandsons. Lowry still writes children’s novels and will be “as long as her brain holds up.” Herald: What has changed most over the time you have been writing books? Lowry: My first book was published in 1977. My style hasn’t changed that much. What has changed, oddly, is that within those 40 years I transferred from a typewriter to a computer. I would keep those early manuscripts in the bottom drawer of my refrigerator, where your mother keeps her lettuce, under the

assumption that if my house burned down the refrigerator wouldn’t burn. Now, of course, they live in my computer, and I can make copies of them and email them to people, and I can revise and revise and revise. Why do you think mature themes are important in children’s novels? All kids are going to grow up in this world, and that means there will be problems they will have to face. Facing those things through reading and fiction, a safe and comfortable place, is a way of rehearsing for real life. I think it’s a mistake when teachers prevent a book from having a message or try too much to hound in the themes the author deals with. As a reader reads and thinks they are simply enjoying the story, they are placing themselves in the situation and thinking, “What would I do?” It’s a way of preparing for life. When they are out and have to make those choices in real life it will never be easy, but it will be easier if they prepare for it by reading good books. Why do you choose to write children’s books? I became aware for the first time how profoundly young readers are affected by books and affected in a time of their lives when they are still practicing who they’re gonna be when they grow up. I wrote my first book, “A Summer to Die.” I knew it was a book for kids — what I hadn’t anticipated was the response I got from readers. Almost immediately I began to get letters from young people

who were affected by the book. I now of course hear from kids for assignments. One kid recently sent me an email saying, “Can you please list all of the similes and metaphors in your book?” Those I can chuckle at and write a reply and move on. But I still get these very profound and passionate letters from young readers. One recently from a boy who lives in the south said his father was a very conservative pastor. The boy said, “I am gay and I haven’t come out, and I am scared, and I am lonely. Reading this book about a boy, scared but hoping to change the world, who sets out to unknown places, made me feel differently about myself.” I wrote him back and got a second email from him. All it said was — “I love knowing someone out there cares about me.” This is why I write for kids. How does “The Giver” series continue to affect readers? Next year, “The Giver” will be a graphic novel. I’ve had mixed feelings toward that. What I’ve seen of “The Giver” graphic novel is that is sticks entirely to the original and it’s very well done artistically. I think this will bring a whole new and different audience. There are kids who are not really enthused about sitting down with a novel, but they will pick up a graphic novel and be swept up into it. I think it will probably come out 2018. Have you seen the movie? I actually went and watched the filming of it in South Africa. I have somewhat mixed feelings about the movie. There are

COURTESY OF RANIA MATAR

Lois Lowry, who will turn 80 next month, sits in a room dedicated to her work. As her past novels begin to take new shapes, she continues to write. certain aspects of it that they changed that I wish they hadn’t changed. At the same time, I know why they changed them. I asked them to not change the story into a teenage romance, and they were pretty good about not doing that. There were other things I was sorry about, but they did as good of a job as they could. I think it’s unlikely any of the other three books will become movies. Right now, one of my books is being made into an animated film, but I’m not involved in the making

of that. It’s a book called “The Willabees,” which is a satire. It certainly wouldn’t be out until 2018. Why do you choose to keep writing? I can’t imagine my life without it. It’s such an important part of my existence. It’s what I most enjoy. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.

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