Tuesday, November 7, 2017 by The Brown Daily Herald

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2017

VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 102

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ASL poet performs at Granoff Center Food Truck Friday ‘Flying Words Project’ performed by Deaf ASL poet Peter Cook, collaborator Kenny Lerner

arrives at Thayer Nine food trucks parked between Thayer, George Street for first Food Truck Friday

By BELLA ROBERTS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Words ‘flew’ in the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts auditorium Saturday, weaving together a tapestry of images and senses during the poetic performance “Flying Words Project.” Internationally acclaimed Deaf American Sign Language poet Peter Cook signed his work while his collaborator, Kenny Lerner, accompanied him with a translation in spoken English. The performance’s multidimensional form of communication created an accessible and intricate performance. Professor of Literary Arts John Cayley introduced “Flying Words”by speaking on the essential nature of expanding our understanding of how literature occupies space. “In our world, the languages of true writing have new potentialities of new readers,” Cayley said. “I know ‘Flying Words’ will show us more of the language of poetry and … many things we never knew language could do.”

By SOPHIE CULPEPPER

ARTS & CULTURE

STAFF WRITER

Nine food trucks parked between the Sciences Library and the corner of George Street last week for Food Truck Friday — the most food trucks Thayer Street has ever seen at one time, according to a Facebook blurb for the event. Though some food trucks park near campus every day, Friday represented the first time Food Truck Friday has ever come to Thayer Street, said Eric Weiner, who coordinated the event through PVD Food Truck Events, the local event-planning division of Providence-based organization FoodTrucksIn.com. From May to September, Food Truck Friday usually takes place weekly at Roger Williams Park in Providence, Weiner said. Judging from the crowds and the sold out

ARTS & CULTURE

SIMONE ZHAO / HERALD

Cook and Lerner have been partners since 1984, when they established the first Deaf poetry series in

the United States. Since then, Cook and Lerner have become a globally » See FLYING WORDS, page 2

menu items, Brown students and other community members would likely welcome a more regular food truck event in this area, said Purvi Goel ’19. “Whenever we get to October and November, when the weather cooperates, we’re always looking for locations that people are familiar with (and) that have a good density of population where people will enjoy having food trucks,” Weiner said. The gray sky initially threatened to put a damper on the evening, but, after a light drizzling between 5:30 and 6 p.m., the food trucks opened for business. With the skies cleared, the sidewalk grew crowded with customers chatting, chewing and enjoying everything from waffles on sticks to barbecue pulled pork. “The idea is that whatever type of food you like, there’s something there for you,” Weiner said. “It doesn’t matter if you are on a date, or you’re a student, if you’re younger or older, if you’re going out to eat with three or four people or a large group — everyone can eat the type of food they want,” he added. Each truck had its own style and » See FOOD TRUCKS, page 3

Heather Fleming talks intersection of design, humanitarianism Founder, CEO of Catapult Design seeks to address global, humanitarian problems through engineering By EMILY DAVIES SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Heather Fleming, founder and CEO of Catapult Design, gave a lecture Monday night that moved students in the room to take notes on their phones. Raised in Vanderwagen, New Mexico, less than a mile from the Navajo reservation, Fleming stressed the role of engineers and designers in addressing the inequities she witnessed growing up. Fleming is the third speaker to be featured at the Dana M. Dourdeville Lecture on Engineering in Service to Society, which was established in 2015 to feature the “profound impact science and technology can have on society,” said Dean of the School of Engineering Lawrence Larson. “I get invited to do a lot of these things, but this one I was really excited to be a part of because its exactly the kind of mission we should all be here for,” Provost Richard Locke P’18 said in his opening remarks. “We are

INSIDE

all working long hours to learn new things, to generate innovation, but innovation for what? What’s so important is innovation to make the world a better place.” Fleming highlighted the correlation between dramatic population growth and poorer nations to show the necessity of engineering in global development. She pointed to entrepreneurs who helped Rwandan women stay in school with a low-cost, locally-manufactured sanitary pad as an example of a design initiative addressing humanitarian challenges. “Engineers and designers are very powerful,” Fleming told The Herald. “These skills that you absorb don’t necessarily need to be applied to technical challenges all the time. There (are) so many different career paths for engineers and designers.” People-oriented problem solving first attracted Fleming to engineering when her cousin created a water tank that gave running water to those without it. “Engineers are humanitarians,

that’s what I was thinking in my head,” she said of seeing her cousin’s invention. “I decided then that I wanted to be an engineer, too. So I applied to college, and I got in. I started the civil engineering track, and I quickly realized how technical engineering is.” After graduating from Stanford, selling flowers for a year and working with remote controls and 3D TVs, it was through Engineers Without Boarders that Fleming rediscovered a link between engineering and humanitarianism. “After a year of stumbles, we incorporated Catapult Design to continue what we learned in our day jobs as product design consultants — and our night and weekend jobs as volunteers — to try to tackle these global development challenges,” she said. Nine years later, Catapult Design has taken on 60 design projects in 14 different countries to make design accessible to organizations working to solve global, humanitarian problems, she said. Fleming walked audience members through Catapult Design’s partnership with Innovations for Poverty

ANITA SHEIH / HERALD

Heather Fleming presented an example of her company’s partnership with Innovations for Poverty Action to improve hand sanitation in Kenya. Action to improve hand washing in rural Kenya. The presentation featured video clips that showcased Fleming’s trip to Kenya, conversations to identify how people think

about and use soap, meetings with stakeholders and manufacturers, prototyping and the end product — a functioning, durable hand-washing » See FLEMING, page 3

WEATHER

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2017

NEWS Contemplative studies department holds first-ever public poetry reading

NEWS Republican, Democrat talk about political future of both parties under Trump administration

COMMENTARY Campanelli ’18: Virginia gubernational candidate Gillespie evinces Trumpian race baiting

COMMENTARY Savello ’18: Universities must offer broader, more accessible classes in civic literacy

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TOMORROW

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ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 2 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2017

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Contemplative studies hosts public poetry reading Poets Genine Lentine, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, Koshen Paley Ellison share personal poems By ANNABELLE WOODWARD CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TIMOTHY MUELLER HARDER / HERALD

Peter Cook, internationally acclaimed Deaf American Sign Language poet, stands in front of his translator and collaborator Kenny Lerner incorporating movement and sound to create a multidimensional poetry performance.

» FLYING WORDS, from page 1 recognized duo, performing at a multitude of venues including the Poetry Days Festival in Latvia, the 36th International Poetry Festival in Rotterdam and the Theatre Lucernaire in Paris. Lecturer of Language Studies Tim Riker commented on the notion of literacy as more than just a written form. “Spoken word plays with sound. ASL plays with handshakes, repetition, motion, location. It’s not about the words; it’s about the blending of the

four parameters of the sign language,” Riker signed to the audience. Riker instructed the estimated 175 attendees to audibly clap above their heads to signify approval or praise during the event, incorporating both spoken English and ASL methods of clapping. “The poetry that he’s able to produce literally captures the stunning linguistic possibilities that ASL has,” said Siena Rafter ’20. “The poetry is composed first in ASL and then later voiced in English, which even my hearing non-signing friends were able

to notice — like the English almost takes away from his signing, because what he’s doing is such strong, pure ASL that English can’t even begin to articulate that.” The show also incorporated comedy, reenacting a baseball game, bad love poetry and banter. The poetry itself touched on serious geo-political conflicts and social issues. “To see such a legendary performer given that space last night literally brought me to tears, because we need more Deaf voices in these platforms (and) institutions,” Rafter said.

Ties That Bind: Unraveling Disease Through Biomechanics Gilda Barabino, Ph.D. Dean of Engineering and Frances H. Berg Professor at the City College of New York; President, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering

The link between cell biomechanics and disease is a complex phenomenon that holds great promise for new approaches in disease diagnostics, prognostics and therapies, yet the underlying mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. Join Gilda Barabino as she explores the mechanical basis of disease and how it provides insights for improved health and well-being.

November 14, 2017, 5:30 p.m. 85 WATERMAN STREET, ROOM 130 Online registration is now open at: brown.edu/thinking-out-loud

Last Friday night, the Contemplative Studies Department hosted its firstever public poetry reading in SmithBuonanno Hall, inviting poets Genine Lentine, Gabrielle Calvocoressi and Sensei Koshen Paley Ellison to read their respective work and discuss the changing role of poetry and meditative practice in the modern world. According to Contemplative Studies Department Coordinator Anne Hart, the poets were chosen because their craft demonstrates “the nexus between creativity and mindfulness,” an intersection the department has recently addressed by creating a third track, “Contemplative Studies and the Creative Arts.” The third track is for students who want to study the literature and history of contemplative art and, in turn, use contemplative practice to inform their artistic endeavors, Hart said. Lentine, currently a teacher of writing at the San Francisco Art Institute, approached the podium first. Effectively distilling the symbolic significance from seemingly simple moments, poems like “The Chamber” and “My Father’s Comb” made listeners smile and sigh, as they shared in Lentine’s feelings of gratitude in spite of helplessness. Lentine spoke sincerely about patience as she showed the audience a picture of a begonia plant in bloom, its big leaves silvery in the sunlight. Later, she used a grotesque sketch of a saber-toothed creature preparing to devour a bunny rabbit to demonstrate how poets must be comfortable “being in uncertainties.” Musing on the intersection of creative practice and contemplation, Lentine said that “poetry is about a sense of receptivity

and availability to experience. … Contemplation is often understood as a ‘fixed’ thing or a ‘still’ thing, and (yet) there is this deep continuous movement that constitutes stillness, as paradoxical as that might sound. Contemplation is not antithetical to action, and poetry is not antithetical to being of use in the world. Part of our job as poets is not to turn away.” Next to read was Koshen Paley Ellison, co-founder of the New York Zen Center for Contemplative Care. Ellison approached the podium wearing a monastic robe and said, “To me, the life of poetry is just the life. The beauty of poetry is of taking the time, because that’s all we have.” Throughout Ellison’s reading, he spoke slowly and meditatively, using personal anecdotes about his aging family members and friends to confront mortality and grief. He often posed universal questions like, “Why is there so much fear in just being with another person?” and, “How do we relax in our own experience?” Alexandra Walsh ’19 said she was particularly affected by Koshen’s words. She said she was moved to tears when “Koshen was talking about fully loving someone. … The idea of being able to fully embrace something without trying to understand it, that’s sort of an underlying message that all (three poets) were saying.” Finally, Gabrielle Calvocoressi, a professor of English and comparative literature at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, read from her latest book of poems, “Rocket Fantastic.” At some points theatrical and vulnerable, her poems included intimate reflections on uncertainty, love and her mother’s suicide. One poem, “The Sun Got All Over Anything,” contained the lines, “Somewhere my mother was dying / and someone was skinning a giraffe / and I let it go. I just let it go.” In the question-and-answer session after the reading, Calvocoressi explained, “I don’t try to heal my trauma. I try to be in the presence of it.”

NEWS

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2017 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» FOOD TRUCKS, from page 1

» FLEMING, from page 1

colors, from the camouflage print and cheery fairy lights of Open Season, which serves hearty game options, to the bright red of Poppy’s Place, which serves up gourmet waffles. The waffles from Poppy’s Place had “better toppings” than those served in the Verney-Wooley Dining Hall, said Troy Li ’20, and managed to be somehow simultaneously “fluffier and doughier,” according to Katie Armstrong ’18. Fork in the Road, a truck built around a farm-to-table ethos with gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian menu options, is one of the newest additions to the local food truck scene. “I decided to start this food truck with my wife around May, so I’ve been open on the road since Memorial Day,” said Lou Cruz, the truck’s owner. After being in the restaurant industry for 22 years, Cruz said leaving the brick-and-mortar setup gave him more flexibility. “All the hard work I was doing (had been) for somebody else. I decided to do for myself.” Cruz said he strives to run a uniquely “food-conscious truck.” Many food trucks have a less health-conscious fast food model, and, by not conforming to this model, Cruz’s truck, which is not equipped with a fryer, faces less direct competition, he added. Further up toward Waterman Street sat the distinctive green-andpurple Buddha Belly, which has been in business since June 2013. Founder Paul Gervais owns one of the few Chinese food trucks between New York and Boston. His food is set apart by his use of “wholly imported authentic ingredients” complemented by an authentic process of preparation, Gervais said. Gervais has visited Brown before, he said, but had faced complaints from restaurants and parking disputes, which is why he spends weekends at his “sweet spot” by the Rhode Island

system. With the growth of her business, Fleming was able to bring product design home to address the very inequities that jump-started her career. After staying alert on holiday visits home, Fleming noticed that there were hardly any entrepreneurs or formal businesses across the Navajo nation. With further observation, she realized that there was in fact no word in Navajo for “entrepreneur” or “business.” “It’s not part of our cultural identity,” she said. “Even if you do exhibit entrepreneurial qualities or you are business-oriented, we may not be able to recognize it immediately or even be able to identify those qualities.” Fleming also observed little available information surrounding how to start a business. To address the gaps in knowledge, she followed the trajectory that Catapult Design had established. After a process that included many conversations with the few entrepreneurs they could find, Fleming and her team prototyped “Build Navajo” in December 2016, she said. The website visually illustrates the process of starting a business, as detailed by successful Navajo entrepreneurs. Nadia Goldberg ’21 said the talk has changed the way she thinks about her career. “I thought she was really cool,” Goldberg said. “I hadn’t previously thought about engineering in the humanitarian sense.”

JASMINE RUIZ / HERALD

Food trucks parked on Thayer Street provided students multiple multicultural and distinct food options. The event, which usually takes place at Roger Williams Park, made its way up College Hill. School of Design Museum instead. Several spots down, inside of the FanTex-Mexical food truck, a stovetop sizzled as steam wafted from homemade queso. Similar to Gervais, the owners occupy a gastronomic niche, said Dylan Brown, who works on the truck, which is an offshoot of the grilled cheese-offering Fancheezical food truck Owning two trucks creates more options and business, which affords them a competitive edge in the business, Brown said. But establishing a food truck and keeping it running is not exactly a piece of cake. “The first challenge is definitely getting the name out there; starting out, it’s definitely hard to try to book events because the hardest part is … trying to find something that hasn’t already been done,” Brown said. Other food truck chefs described

the time commitment as the greatest challenge and sacrifice of the industry. “Before I’m even on the truck, I’m on the road four hours per day before I even actually really get going,” Cruz said. “The time. The time is a killer,” Gervais confirmed. “This is three times more than I ever anticipated,” he added. “Tonight … you see me for three hours, … but no one’s seen the four hours ahead of time,” he explained. Yet each chef expressed appreciation for perks of the industry. When Gervais started out, buying a truck presented less of a business gamble than being “tied into a three-year lease” or other binding contracts associated with a brick-and-mortar investment, he said. Cruz voiced his own appreciation

of the industry’s benefits. Not only can you be independent, but it also allows for creativity and mobility, “instead of being stuck in one location, as in a restaurant,” Cruz said. “It’s … all a family, so we trade our food off of different vendors, and you get to try everybody’s different stuff. It’s really cool — (an) awesome culture to be a part of,” Brown said.

NEW COURSE FOR SPRING 2018 PHILOSOPHY 0991N: ETHICAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES IN GEORGE ORWELL'S NOVELS Felicia Nimue Ackerman Monday, 3:00-5:30 You may be familiar with Animal Farm and 1984, but did you know that George Orwell wrote four other novels? These other four novels are much less well known nowadays than they should be. This seminar will consider Orwell’s six novels in chronological order and will discuss, not only the usual points about the evils of totalitarianism, but also his wide-ranging insights about people, language, and politics (such as “If you kept the small rules, you could break the big ones”). In order to include students with varied backgrounds and interests, this seminar has no prerequisites. If you would like more information about the seminar, please email Felicia_Ackerman@brown.edu telephone me at 863-3240, or come to my of�ice at 212 Corliss Brackett. Do as it liketh you!

NEWS

PAGE 4 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2017

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Democrat, Republican discuss future of America under Trump Republican, Democratic strategists discuss mid-term elections, public trust in media during panel Monday By JACKSON WELLS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

As is the case with many modern political issues, Democrats and Republicans are divided on how they see the future of the United States under President Trump. In “Politics in the Age of Trump: the 2018 Midterms and Beyond,” a Democrat and Republican came together to discuss this topic. The panel, which was moderated by Eric Patashnik, director of the public policy program, was held in the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs’ Joukowsky Forum Monday. Jenny Backus ’90, a Democratic strategist and owner and president of political consulting firm Backus Consulting, and Brian Jones, a Republican strategist and partner at the Black Rock Group, discussed a myriad of topics concerning Trump’s past and future impact on their respective parties and what the parties should be doing to prepare for the future. The two panelists began by posing one integral question to the audience: How did America get to where it is now? Both sides are currently trying to answer this question, Jones said. The historical distrust Americans have of the government comes from the

perception that the government does not work for the people, Backus said. This, in turn, has led to an increase in political polarization, as people only seek out political discussions with those they agree with. The resulting and ever-exacerbating dichotomy between red state and blue state is dangerous, she said. There has also been an increase in distrust of the media since the 1990s, when a narrative that the media was not for the people arose, Jones said. This sort of political dissonance led to someone like Trump being able to enter the political sphere, he said. The political battle with the media existed before Trump, Backus said. For example, Dick Cheney “waged war” on the New York Times, Backus said. Someone like Trump is uniquely able to capitalize on today’s political divide when he combines his politics with a distrust in media, Jones said. Trump has been taking advantage of the media for 30 years, making him adept at doing so, he said. Democrats underestimated his potential impact on the media, Backus said. Whereas Democrats struggled to become viral in the media, Trump mastered doing so with his “short, pithy sound bites that usually picked on someone else,” which were tailored to proliferate in the news, especially

THE STEPHEN A.

on Twitter, she added. The 2018 midterm elections are uncertain for all of the parties, though the early ballots appear to be in the Democrats’ favor, Backus said. Influencing the upcoming election is what Backus calls the “M Factor”: the “Madman” in North Korea, Kim Jong Un; Robert Mueller, who is investigating any of Trump’s potential wrongdoings and John McCain, who is one of the lone Republicans to stand up against Trump, she said. As far as the 2020 election is concerned, there is not a single candidate that is the clear frontrunner for either party, Backus said. She notes the instantaneity with which an election can change and said both parties need an Eisenhower-like candidate. An important mistake to avoid is running the same campaign as was ran in the last election cycle, she said. Patashnik raised the question of whether or not traditional conservatism was still present within the Republican party. Whereas traditional conservatism stands for principals such as limited government and strong military, Trump seems to stand for different ones altogether, Jones said. As long as Trump is ascendant within the Republican party, this status will remain so, he said, binding many of the Republicans in Washington, D.C. in a “straight-jacket.” The Democrats, on the other hand, seem to have a “vacuum,” which they are

JACKSON WELLS / HERALD

Eric Patashnik, director of public policy program, moderated a panel Monday evening on the political future of America. waiting for someone to enter. The candidate who convinces people that they care about them the most will win elections, Backus said. There have been certain parts of the country that feel as though they have been left behind, and, to them, Hillary Clinton represented this status quo. At the same time, Trump represented the candidate that would “break up” this paradigm, Jones said. The panel then went into a question-and-answer section. One of the

OGDEN

questions involved the difference between each party’s radical sides and how there can be discussions between both sides when there are no commonalities between the extremes. Backus responded that it is important not to conflate propaganda with Republican policies: While there are extreme or false claims coming from the right, these claims do not originate from within Congress. Elected officials should be separated from the “media machine.”

JR.’60

95th M e m o r i a l L e c t u r e o n I n t e r n a t i o n a l A f f a i r s

HIS EXCELLENCY

FERNANDO HENRIQUE CARDOSO

PRESIDENT OF BRAZIL (1995-2002)

Democracy and Corruption in Brazil and Latin America Today This event is free and open to the public Doors open at 3:30 p.m. Reception to follow For more information please visit www.brown.edu/ogden

To request special services, accommodations or assistance for this event, « i>Ãi V Ì>VÌ Ì i 1 ÛiÀÃ ÌÞ Ûi Ì E viÀi Vi -iÀÛ ViÃ "vwVi >Ì universityevents@brown.edu or 401-863-3100

T H U R SDAY, NOVEM BER 1 6 , 2 0 1 7 at 4 p.m. J O HN C ART E R BROWN L IBRARY

TODAY

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2017 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

bake for a cause

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Bacon Chicken Ranch, Spinach and Feta, Pepperoni Poke Bowl JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Chicken Pot Pie Bowl, Make Your Own Grilled Cheese

Organic Black Bean Soup, Turkey Sausage and Kale Soup

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Corn Chowder, Italian Antipasto Salad Bar, Peas with Mushrooms, White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Honey Bran Flax Seed Bread, Roast Pork Loin, Sweet and Spiced Baby Carrots, Brownies

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Corn and Tomato Soup, Pork Carnitas, Creole Red Beans, Cranberry Chocolate Blondie Bar

Chicken Soup with Tortellini, Brown Rice Pilaf, Mexican Salad Bar, Pumpkin Cannoli

sudoku

MARIANNA MCMURDOCK / HERALD

A bake sale hosted in the Rochambeau House and by the Hispanic Studies department raised money for the United Way of Rhode Island Monday.

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

C c r o s s w o rDd Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Cross in some hieroglyphics 5 Guinness of “Star Wars” 9 Most of its panhandle is in the Pacific Time Zone 14 “Star Wars” princess 15 “Hawaii Five-O” nickname 16 At lunch, say 17 Reminder to be polite 20 Pond growth 21 Churn up 22 “__-haw!” 23 Assets-andliabilities statement 27 Judge at a base 30 Flower pot filler 31 Something to brag about 32 Perform perfectly 36 Dance movements 39 Rower’s blade 40 “Congratulations!” 42 Be a contender 43 Word with whisper or fright 45 It’s a gas in Canada 46 Copper-plated coin 47 Without ice 49 Millionaire’s accumulation 51 1993 film about a novice Olympic bobsled team 56 Incoming flight info: Abbr. 57 Any minute now 58 Hop out of bed 62 What risktakers have ... and what the starts of 17-, 23-, 40- and 51Across can be? 66 Nursery rhyme tart taker 67 Large cross 68 Blessing ender 69 Repaired, as a shoe 70 Approximate figs. 71 Ties the knot DOWN 1 __ mater 2 Astronaut Armstrong

“We were already concerned, and shots fired definitely

3 Checkmate victim 4 Tasted, with “of” 5 “And now, without further __ ...” 6 2000s first lady Bush 7 2001 bankruptcy filer 8 Stand-up individual? 9 Road trip stopover 10 Crime family boss 11 Right in front of one’s face 12 New recruit 13 Beginning 18 Magazine subscription period 19 Many microbrews 24 “Stormy Weather” singer Horne 25 “Nothing special” 26 Bit of Google success 27 Sci-fi transports 28 Veggie platter’s lack 29 Like “The XFiles” cases

33 Thumbs-up vote 34 For what __ worth 35 Part of LAPD 37 Ice cream buy 38 “Family Guy” creator MacFarlane 40 Wash-and-__ 41 Prom attire 44 Hair goo 46 Source of legal precedents 48 Rear end

50 “Thick & Fluffy” breakfast brand 51 Big barrels 52 Maine campus town 53 Bete __ 54 Verboten things 55 Weighty gold bar 59 Weighty work 60 Pre-owned 61 Rollerballs, e.g. 63 First lady? 64 Actor Danson 65 QB’s scores

ANSW R

increases those concerns.” — College Hill Neighborhood Association President Josh Eisen

See club on page 4.

O S

calendar TODAY NOVEMBER MARCH

LGBTQ Book Give 11:00 A.M. Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center

Managing Email 12:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson, 203

Build Your Social Confidence 12:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson, 501

Brown EMS Information Session 8:00 P.M. Smith-Buonanno, 101

TOMORROW

Pattern Theory Seminar: Todd Zickler 12:00 P.M. 170 Hope Street, 108

Macro Seminar - Daniel Keniston 4:00 P.M. Robinson Hall

Columbia Law School 4:00 P.M. CareerLAB

Connecting with Alumni 8:00 P.M. CareerLAB

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2017

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

comic Comic | Olivia Reavey

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COMMENTARY TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2017 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Making the right choice in Virginia handle the issue of race in the consequential 2018 midterm elections. Ever since his victory in the primary, Gillespie has been on the offensive about immigration and crime. In a series of advertisements, the Republican candidate has highlighted the threat posed by felons who now have the right to vote — a reference to McAuliffe’s 2016 decision to restore voting rights to citizens with past felony convictions. In addition, Gillespie has been highly critical of Northam for opting not to ban sanctuary cities in

BRYCE CAMPANELLI staff columnist Today voters in both Virginia and New Jersey will head to the polls to cast their ballots in two highly anticipated gubernatorial elections. The New Jersey race appears to be a shoo-in for Democratic candidate Phil Murphy, as he has consistently polled well above his opponent, current Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno. This comes as no surprise as the state tends to lean heavily Democratic and current New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, is coming off an incredibly unpopular second term. Virginia is, however, far more interesting. This state only allows a governor to serve one four-year term, so the relatively popular incumbent Democratic governor, Terry McAuliffe, is ineligible to run for reelection. In Virginia’s neck-and-neck contest, the current Lt. Governor Ralph Northam is facing the establishment Republican candidate and former chair of the Republican National Committee Ed Gillespie. Gillespie’s campaign is notable, for he continues to use Trumpian tactics of race-baiting to rile up support. As such, today’s election isn’t just important for the state of Virginia, a microcosm of the United States — its outcome will influence how candidates

ate in 2014, promising to lower taxes and repeal Obamacare. His extensive history serving the Republican Party suggested that he would tout the “traditional” party line and message. But this election is different. Now even the Republican establishment is using Trump’s dangerous race-baiting tactics. By constantly talking about the non-existent threats of sanctuary cities and using racially charged depictions of immigrants in TV ads, Gillespie’s campaign represents a dangerous trend in American politics:

group supporting Northam released an advertisement in which children of color are seen running away from a truck outfitted with a Confederate flag and a Gillespie bumper sticker on the back. Gillespie called this advertisement — which critics allege glamorizes and exploits the plight of minorities — detestable. The Latino Victory Fund PAC, sponsor of the ad, retracted it from the air, but refused to back down on its message. Northam has said that his campaign did not have anything to do with the adver-

Today’s election isn’t just important for the state of Virginia, a microcosm of the United States — its outcome will influence how candidates will handle the issue of race in the consequential 2018 midterm elections.

Virginia, calling this a significant step toward a lawless commonwealth. Gillespie’s campaign is deliberately trying to mimic the language of President Trump and emulate his inflammatory law and order rhetoric. This tactic comes as a surprise because, by all measures, Gillespie is the definition of an establishment candidate. The former RNC chairman and counsel to former President George W. Bush ran a traditional — but unsuccessful — Republican campaign for the Sen-

Race has become nothing more than a political weapon to scare voters to the polls. This tactic inspires support without any solid evidence or policy behind it, and fits solidly within the Trump brand of the Republican Party. Sadly, it has infiltrated the establishment and may be here to stay. The issue of race has gotten so heated and controversial in the Virginian election that it has compromised the judgement of advocates on both sides of the aisle. For example, a

tisement, and though it is fair to say that Northam’s campaign isn’t as provocative as Gillespie’s, he has yet to denounce the advertisement. This attempt on the part of progressives to co-opt the eye-catching and deliberately inflammatory tactics of Gillespie and use them against him has clearly backfired. From this episode, it has become clear that Democrats need to find a rebuttal to Republicans’ race-baiting that does not also depend on harmful tropes and stereo-

types. As establishment Republicans move to embrace Trumpian tactics, Democrats across the country must find a way to neutralize the attentiongrabbing appeal of populist rhetoric. At the same time, moderate Republicans should stand by their principles and run on the issues that matter to their constituents — not flashy, but ultimately empty, promises. Regardless of who wins the election today, the ability of Gillespie to bring what many thought would be a relatively easy race for Northam into such a tight contest means that his Trumpian strategy may become a fixture of American politics. Even as Trump continues to endure low approval ratings, his style of campaigning and racialized rhetoric seem to remain a successful tactic for Republicans. To beat this trend, Democrats need to think of new strategies, because, if Virginia’s election is any indication, they currently do not have a good answer. Either way, as Virginians go to the polls today, they must ask themselves whether we as a country ought to embrace this terrible perversion of race relations or if we want to send a strong message that we will not stand for politicians who stoke divisions between us. I hope they make the right decision.

Bryce Campanelli ’18 can be reached at bryce_campanelli@brown.edu.

Improving our civic knowledge SAMANTHA SAVELLO staff columnist Last week, while investigating a politician using public records from the Rhode Island Superior Court and State House for a course, I made a startling discovery: I quickly realized my basic high school education about American government had slipped away from me. As I spoke to administrators who asked me what type of court case I was looking for and whether the politician had been in the R.I. Senate or the U.S. Senate, I could barely answer their questions. It was embarrassing to confront how little I know about the way government works — especially considering that I go to Brown, where so many students actively engage in political discussions on a regular basis. Rather than take advantage of the opportunity to learn more, I’ve let my lack of knowledge scare me away from political conversations for fear of sounding stupid or not having enough to bring to the table. Over time, the problem has only gotten worse, to the point that I can’t remember basic governmental facts. I am not alone in this. Studies routinely show that Americans are not as knowledgeable about their own democracy as they should be. For example, a 2014 survey released by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at Penn showed that 35 percent of adult respondents were unable to name even one branch of the federal government, and only 36 percent could identify all three. Similarly, in a 2017 survey by the Brookings Institution, four out of 10 college students in a 2017 survey seemed to misunderstand the First Amendment. Overall, while Americans have complet-

ed more schooling now than they did 60 years ago, they’ve continued to remain just as ignorant about politics. It’s unclear why this is the case, but for most students, it’s not fear driving this lack of knowledge — it’s disinterest. Given that individual votes do not count, people feel less inclined to make well-researched decisions and maintain a polished political repertoire. There’s also the concept of political distance: Many young people

litical system. But the evidence increasingly suggests that our generation, while more involved in large-scale elections, is less well-informed about the nuances of the political process than our participation would suggest. In response to this knowledge gap, schools should take action to improve civic literacy — especially at the university level. Most public high schools have government course requirements, but the majority of university students

Our generation, while more involved in large-scale elections, is less well-informed about the nuances of the political process than our participation would suggest.

who don’t yet pay taxes feel disconnected from the government and, as a result, don’t feel compelled to learn exactly how it works. This lack of knowledge doesn’t mean that people are voting less. In fact, our generation is more politically engaged than ever, based on the number of college students who voted in the last presidential election. As we see every day here at Brown, there are many students who have very developed understandings of our country’s po-

have no obligation to take courses to enhance civic knowledge, and as a result, only some put in the extra effort to do so. Keeping this lack of motivation in mind, institutions can do more to tackle the root of this ignorance. At Brown, for example, there is an abundance of introductory courses in public policy and political science that impart a wealth of information about the government. But these courses often have lengthy reading assignments and can be

tedious for students who are not fully engaged in the material, discouraging many students from even shopping them. To combat this, Brown and other institutions should work harder to incorporate civics into the curriculum of other, related courses in the social sciences and humanities, so that a broader audience can learn about the importance of government in various contexts. Perhaps universities could also offer workshops or trainings for first-years and others who could benefit from a basic introduction into the political world. Another obstacle to engaging more deeply with our governmental processes is that many of us don’t understand what information and resources are out there. With fake or sensationalized news infiltrating our social media feeds and television screens, it’s hard for students to know what sources to trust and where they should look to broaden their understanding. Universities can step in to this gap by compiling these sources and databases so students find it easier to access the information they need — both for their academic work and their personal political decisions. It may seem like everyone at Brown is well-versed in political understanding, but I’m willing to bet I’m not the only one who feels out of their depth investigating and discussing politics. As we face a looming governmental crisis, it’s more important than ever that the American public be politically literate so they can critically evaluate the unprecedented events of the last year. This change needs to start with young people in the classroom, as these students will be the ones to shape our country’s political landscape in the years ahead.

Samantha Savello ’18 can be reached at samantha_savello@brown.edu.

NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 07, 2017

City revokes Penthouse nightclub’s licenses following violations Sgt. David Tejada said at the emergency Nightclub loses licenses meeting that police found five bullet shell following multiple casings near the club. According to the violations, complaints from meeting’s minutes, the board ordered neighborhood association Penthouse to temporarily close Oct. 31 By JACOB ALABAB-MOSER STAFF WRITER

At a hearing Nov. 2, the city’s Board of Licenses unanimously revoked all licenses of the Penthouse nightclub, owned by 334 South Water LLC, for incidents that occurred between Sept. 30 and Oct. 22. The delayed revocation of the nightclub’s licenses, along with other failures of the Board of Licenses, led to Mayor Jorge Elorza’s calling for the resignation of the board’s chair Juan Pichardo, who resigned Nov. 2. Vice Chair Charles Newton said at the hearing that Penthouse had multiple counts of four violations: a breach of conditions on their liquor license, disorder, late hours of operation and nudity on premises where alcohol is being served. The board also took note of the nightclub’s history in making its decision, Newton added. The state’s Department of Business Regulation issued a sanction against the club Aug. 1, 2016. It also received a warning regarding a nudity ordinance. “The continuing nature of the same violations after contact with the police (is) indicative of a lack of responsibility and lack of concern for the welfare of the public,” Newton said, adding that this decision would also preclude 334 South Water LLC from applying for licenses in the future. Commissioner Dylan Conley added that the board should take into account the administrative record of both the owner of the nightclub and its managerial staff for past incidents. An emergency board meeting Oct. 28 ordered the club to close for 72 hours due to shots fired after 2 a.m. the night before, as reported by the Providence Journal.

until the board’s final meeting Nov. 2. In an Oct. 28 statement, Elorza said he would recommend the board revoke all of Penthouse’s licenses for good. Elorza was disappointed by the Department of Business Regulation’s overturning of the Board of Licenses decision to revoke the nightclub’s liquor license — which was named “The Loft” at the time — in April. Local neighborhood associations also encouraged the revocation of the nightclub’s licenses. In a statement addressed to the board Oct. 25, the College Hill Neighborhood Association wrote: “We strongly oppose this entertainment license and request that the license be revoked and that future requests for renewal be denied.” The CHNA wrote the club was located within 200 feet of many residences, in which “Providence zoning laws prohibit both nightclub and adult use.” The CHNA also wrote that it had received complaints from residents as a result of excessive noise and public nuisance. In an email sent to The Herald after the gunshots Oct. 28, CHNA President Josh Eisen wrote, “we were already concerned, and shots fired definitely increases those concerns.” Sharon Steele, vice president of the Jewelry District Association and neighborhood realtor, said the surrounding neighborhood had dealt with Penthouse’s issues since February. “There has been a continual and habitual pattern of violence literally for all of 2017,” she said. Steele added that the police force has been very cooperative with residents throughout, but the board was not cooperative. There are now only three nightclubs in the Jewelry District, Steele said, compared to 10 in 1997. “We systematically closed the other seven because they were a scourge on the neighborhood.” “It’s a discrimination issue,” the

owner of Penthouse, Stamatould Mitrelis, said to NBC 10 News in response to her treatment in theEast Side. “They do not want certain people of color in the neighborhood.” “There is not one ounce of truth to that statement,” Steele said, responding to Mitrelis’ statement. “The East Side is one of the most diverse communities … because of Brown University, Rhode Island School of Design (and) all of the hospitals.” In a news release from Oct. 30, Councilman Seth Yurdin, whose ward includes the club, said the Oct. 28 gunfire incident “occurred just a day after (the) City’s Board of Licenses failed to move forward with a hearing to revoke the club’s license” and a month after the board issued the club licenses despite objection from the Providence Police Department. Councilman Yurdin wrote in an Oct. 19 letter addressed to Elorza that the board has been performing poorly despite efforts by the Elorza administration due to “larger underlying issues of poor recordkeeping, out-of-date policies and procedures and insufficiently trained board members.” Due to these failures, “it is extremely difficult for the board to uphold its duty to enforce our licensing laws and promote safe and responsible nightlife in Providence.” In a statement released on Oct. 30, Elorza called for the resignation of Juan Pichardo as chair of the Board of Licenses. “Providence deserves leadership on our licensing board that reflects the shared values of the communities that they represent,” Elorza said. Pichardo resigned Nov. 2. “We were working in a way that was very progressive along with everyone here,” said Pichardo at the Nov. 2 meeting. “I was disappointed … to come here and be removed as chair.” Representatives from the Board of Licenses and Penthouse nightclub did not respond to multiple requests for comment by The Herald.

CATHERINE HABGOOD / HERALD

BENJAMIN TURUNO / HERALD

The Board of Licenses unanimously agreed to revoke all licenses of the Penthouse nightclub after multiple violations and incidents.

Annual free concert features works from composer Bach Organizers of event hope concert inspires interest in music among underserved Providence communities By LIYAAN MASKATI STAFF WRITER

Sunday afternoon saw Providence community members filing into the MacMillan Reading Room at the John Carter Brown Library for the Freda Bromsen Bolster Memorial Concert. Affectionately named “Bach and Friends,” the concert is an annual event presented in collaboration with Community MusicWorks and features works of Baroque composer J.S. Bach. “Bach and Friends” aims to “invite people from the community into the John Carter Brown Library for a free

and public concert,” said Tara Kingsley, coordinator of academic programming and public outreach for the library. The Sunday performance marked the eighth year the event has taken place. “It’s a great way to connect the local community with institutions like the (JCB) and with organizations like (Community MusicWorks),” Kingsley added. Community MusicWorks is a community-based organization in Providence that uses “music and music study as a strategy to help people gain a creative voice in society,” said Sebastian Ruth, founder and artistic director of the organization. Its members are

comprised of “professional musicians (who) commit themselves to a career that combines performing, teaching, community activism and community development,” Ruth said, adding that this year marks the organization’s 21st season. Community MusicWorks’ primary mission is to bring change to the lives of children from underserved communities in Providence, said Katie Sklar, director of development for the organization. Community MusicWorks hopes to help children “speak up for themselves,” become “more community minded, envision whatever dreams they might have and help (their dreams) become realities,” she said. Ruth cited C ommunity

MusicWorks’ focus on serving the west end and south side neighborhoods of Providence as an important factor in achieving its goal. “Our work is very much intentionally focused on access,” Ruth said. Their programs are “situated in (these areas) because they are underserved neighborhoods, which have a higher percentage of families living in poverty than anywhere else in the city.” The “Bach and Friends” concert was not only a traditional chamber music performance but also a reflection of Community MusicWorks’ focus on social justice and community building. Though the program was centered on Bach, it also featured a contemporary piece composed by Linda Catlin Smith

— part of Community MusicWorks’ efforts to play more pieces composed by women, Ruth said. “Female composers are generally underrepresented in classical music,” he explained, adding that the current concert season aims to have equal representation of women and men as composers. The concert also featured a concerto by Joseph Hadyn, which showcased a student in Community MusicWorks’ free education program. A standing ovation ended the concert, representing the awestruck audience members impressed with both the quality of the performances and Community MusicWorks’ success in leveraging classical music as a tool for social justice.

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