SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018
VOLUME CLIII, ISSUE 3
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Ban Ki-moon reflects on time at U.N. Cancellation of MAT Ban advises global track met with frustration outlook to solve issues of climate change, North, South Korean relations
2018-19 elementary program suspension to impact student-teacher ratios in local schools
By SOPHIA GRACE CARTER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Ban Ki-moon greeted the audience with a humble bow as he approached the podium in Salomon Hall. As part of the Stephen A. Ogden Jr. ’60 Memorial Lecture Series, Ban reflected on his two-term tenure as Secretary-General of the United Nations while also calling for partnership, global citizenship and sustainable development in his speech Monday afternoon. During his lecture, Ban spoke of his proudest achievements as SecretaryGeneral, a position he held from 2007 to 2016. In his role, he encouraged partnership between world leaders and helped create U.N. Women, an organization formed to advance women’s rights. Additionally, Ban addressed a dire need to focus on climate change. “Many people think climate change is something far away, but it is with us today. … We don’t have a planet B, therefore there cannot be a plan
By ALLIE REED SENIOR STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY
Former U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon discussed his work on the Sustainable Development Goals and the formation of U.N. Women. B,” he said. Ban notably led the U.N. initiative to establish the Sustainable Development Goals — which aim to eradicate poverty, inequality and climate change — as priorities of the U.N.’s agenda while he held office. In fact, for decades, Ban has been one of the loudest
voices in environmental protection — even dubbing himself “Mr. Climate.” This nickname doesn’t come unwarranted; one of his lasting achievements while at the U.N. was his work on the Paris Climate Agreement, a feat of global cooperation that brought 174 » See BAN, page 2
The School of Professional Studies has faced intense criticism from numerous alums and current students after announcing its decision to suspend the elementary track of the Masters of Arts in Teaching program for the 2018-19 academic year as the program undergoes a review. Because no new students will be able to enroll in the elementary MAT program, the suspension will affect not just potential applicants, but also numerous public and private schools that rely on and benefit from the teachers-in-training. The absence of elementary MAT candidates next year will increase student-teacher ratios in many Providence classrooms and temporarily end SummerPrep, a supplemental education program that serves about 100 Providence students each year, according to some alums, current students and members
of the Providence community. Seven alums and three current students expressed their shared frustration to The Herald, and another alum communicated similar feelings over email. Six teachers in both public and private schools shared their concerns about the harm this suspension will cause to the Providence community. Allison Gaines Pell ’96, head of school at The Wheeler School, Jon Green, director of the Hamilton School at Wheeler — which serves students with learning differences — and Dan Corley ’75, head of school at Community Preparatory School, also shared their concerns about the loss of the program. When asked if the program will return after the one-year suspension, Dean of the School of Professional Studies and Vice Chair of the Department of Education Karen Sibley MAT’81 P’07 P’12 said, “I can’t tell you that. I don’t know for sure.” The University’s MAT program is an “intensive one-year master’s and certification program that prepares tomorrow’s teacher leaders,” according to the department of education’s website. The program is split into two tracks: » See TEACHING, page 3
Students push Art exhibition explores themes of Asian migration, movement for Southeast Asian, Asian American express identities Asian studies artists through photography, development calligraphy, paintings Southeast Asian Studies Initiative hopes to hire specialized faculty, create classes, host lectures By ARJUN GANGA STAFF WRITER
The Southeast Asian Studies Initiative is a fledgling student-led project with the goal of increasing academic visibility for Southeast Asia and its diasporas. The initiative began when founders Quinton Huang ’19 and Xiao Wei Yeap ’19 worked with Professor of American Studies and History Evelyn Hu-Dehart to create a 24-person seminar on modern Southeast Asian history that was first offered in spring 2016. “What we found is that Brown has a lot of classes and a lot of focus » See INITIATIVE, page 3
INSIDE
By LIYAAN MASKATI SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Last Thursday night saw the usually silent Leung Family Gallery transform into a buzzing art exhibition entitled “The Asian Migration: Movement Within and Outside.” Organized by the Asian American Student Initiative, the event explored the theme of migration and movement of Asian and Asian American communities through various forms of art, including photography, paintings and calligraphy. The exhibition also featured three performance groups: a drumming group, a singer and a dancing group. Each year, the coordinators of AASI organize a community-focused event, said Sabrina Whitfill ’19, cocoordinator of AASI. This year’s event, which took the form of an art exhibition, “celebrated the arts and creativity within the (Asian/Asian American and
ARTS & CULTURE
COURTESY OF ADEIYEWUNMI OSINUBI
Attendees at last Thursday’s exhibition “The Asian Migration: Movement Within and Outside” admired the many art pieces on display, which featured narratives that explored the Asian diaspora. Pacific Islander) community,” she said. engage with the work of AAPI students — especially Asian and Asian Ameri“One of the benefits of having from Brown and the Rhode Island can artists — to express their voices an art exhibition is that it’s an open School Design, she said. and feelings through art, said Sumaiya space,” Whitfill explained. In just a “The Asian Migration: Move- Sayeed ’20, co-coordinator of AASI. single room, viewers can interact ment Within and Outside” aimed to Most of the artwork featured revolved with one another and simultaneously provide a space for different artists » See EXHIBITION, page 2
WEATHER
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018
METRO Providence Police Department training focuses on LGBTQ+ issues, elicits positive feedback
NEWS Campus crime includes large number of larcenies, robbery, cases of breaking and entering
COMMENTARY Editorial: U. right to change performing arts center plans after sustained community pushback
COMMENTARY Okin ’19: Dating apps distort expectations for real world decision making, rewards
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PAGE 2 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
City Police participate in LGBTQ+ inclusivity training Program covers inclusive vocabulary, relationship between law enforcement and LGBTQ+ individuals By DYLAN MAJSIAK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
By the end of this week, the Providence Police Department will have finished providing new LGBTQ+ inclusivity training to all of its in-service officers, said Providence Police Captain Kevin Lanni. Two hundred fifty-two Providence police officers have already completed the program, he added. “We’re reflecting (on and) evaluating how we can better serve different groups within the community,” Lanni said, adding that LGBTQ+ sensitivity training would encourage individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ to “feel comfortable calling the police knowing they’ll be treated with respect.”
» BAN, from page 1 different parties to agreement. Ban fondly recalled how the “whole world’s leaders were united” at the twoyear anniversary of the Paris Accord last December. But he voiced his frustration with the United States’ being the only delegation not in attendance and President Trump’s unwillingness to take climate change seriously. He is “the president of the world’s richest, most resourceful country, to whom people of the world are looking to lead,” Ban said. “What President Trump has said is politically shortsighted, economically irresponsible (and) scientifically wrong.”
The program came to fruition in part thanks to Jodi Glass of the Rhode Island Commission on Prejudice and Bias, who reached out to the Providence Police Department in 2016 following the Pulse Nightclub massacre in Orlando. As a result of Glass’ efforts, the PPD, the Rhode Island Commission on Prejudice and Bias, Sojourner House and the Providence Human Relations Commission came together to create the Providence LGBTQ+ partnership. The city received an Open Societies Foundation Grant to fund the program, said Sojourner House’s Director of Operations Sarah DeCataldo. The partnership has “evolved substantially” over the last two years, DeCataldo added. The LGBTQ+ inclusivity curriculum was officially mandated to be administered department-wide in January after a successful set of trainings with the 68th recruit academy
in summer 2017. The recruits completed a retrospective evaluation at the completion of the program and demonstrated improvement in their “thoughts, feelings, attitudes and knowledge” about LGBTQ+ issues, DeCataldo said. The trainings — which last four hours according to DeCataldo — address and explore four facets of identity: sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and biological sex, DeCataldo said. The session works to help officers move away from interpreting gender and sexual orientation as binaries and rather understand them as spectrums. The program seeks to encourage effective communication regarding LGBTQ+ issues by providing officers with a more nuanced and inclusive vocabulary, DeCataldo said. It also highlights the barriers that have historically existed between the LGBTQ+ community and the police.
“There’s so much history as to why LGBTQ communities can’t trust law enforcement (and) why communities of color can’t trust law enforcement,” Glass said. “I have been training law enforcement in Rhode Island for almost 15 years on various issues, and I have never received as much positive feedback about a training … as I have with this one,” DeCataldo said. “We had officers come up to us on breaks, in between sessions (and) before sessions just to say ‘this was really helpful, I learned so much, thank you so much.’” Moving forward, Glass hopes that the trainings continue to enable officers to responsibly report and respond to hate crimes. “What is lacking is community-police relationships,” Glass said. “My personal ongoing feeling is that if we can get in the door and build relationships, that’s what’s going to make the difference,” Glass added.
While Trump’s leadership style isn’t one of international cooperation, Ban recognizes that the United States is “vitally important” to future relations between North and South Korea. Though “we must remain focused on the danger and threat that North Korea’s nuclear missile program poses to the Republic of Korea, the United States and the world,” Ban said seeing signs of cooperation between North and South Korea during the Winter Olympics has made him hopeful for the future. Ban also discussed how serving as the leader of an international organization such as the U.N. requires a global outlook and urged those in the
audience to have one as well. “We must remain confident in our international systems … and institutions like the United Nations,” Ban said, adding that “solving the problems of the world today is intrinsically global in nature. They continue to require global cooperation and global solutions.” Ban recalled meeting former President John F. Kennedy at the White House as a teenager, where Kennedy advised him, even at the height of the Cold War, that “national boundaries do not mean much.” “At that time, I had been asking myself what I could do … for my country. I never thought about what should I
do for the world,” Ban said. He cites this influential moment as a reason he became a world leader. His closing words were hopeful; Ban said he is confident that future generations will be able to take on the challenges presented by the current political climate as long as they do it with a global attitude, cooperation and partnership. “Look outside your immediate surroundings, your state and your country,” he said. “Think beyond yourself. … You hold the keys to unlock a more sustainable, peaceful and prosperous future. You are the innovators, you are the change makers, you are the leaders and you are the global citizens of today and tomorrow.”
» EXHIBITION, from page 1 around the theme of the exhibition — migration and movement — which was chosen by the coordinators. “The key event that triggered my passion about this topic was the refugee crisis in past years — specifically, the Rohingya refugee crisis, which affects a place close to home,” said Sayeed, whose parents hail from Bangladesh. “Not only are refugees a global problem, but the fact that it was so close to me really mattered to me.” Yet, the subject of the exhibition itself is broader than the refugee crisis. Migration and movement “is intrinsic to (Asian American) identities,” Whitfill said. And indeed, a lot of the artwork featured is heavily inspired by specific experiences and the identity of the respective artist. For instance, a psychedelic painting entitled “Hold my Foot” decked one of the walls of the gallery. Created by RISD student Christine Cho, the painting depicts a scene inside a car, featuring her immediate family. “I was thinking less about a large migration to the United States and (more about) actually navigating the space of America,” Cho said, explaining the connection of her work to the overarching theme of the exhibition. The title of the painting is inspired by memories of Cho’s parents holding her and her brother’s feet while they were in the backseats of the car, as their own arms were too short to reach their parents, she explained. “It’s a memory of intimacy I have with (my family),” Cho added. “A lot (of) Asian American memories of migration are about trauma and harder life events — but there’s also memories of intimacy and love in those moments,” Cho said. “I (chose to explore) the latter.”
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NEWS
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
» TEACHING, from page 1 elementary and secondary. This year, 11 students are enrolled in the elementary MAT program and 31 are enrolled in the secondary MAT program. Both the elementary and the secondary MAT tracks are under review, but just the elementary track was suspended. “The secondary track is easier to keep running” during the review process, Sibley said. Sibley asserted that this review is a standard process. “It’s about … the opportunity here to take a look at something we do that is really valuable to society and to ensure that we’re doing the best job that we can.” Sibley, a secondary MAT alum herself, said she has “more than just an administrator’s stake in the game.” The University is just beginning the review process and plans to be more communicative with current students and alums in the future, as well as to incorporate their feedback as the review progresses, she added. While most MAT degree programs span two years, the University’s MAT program combines pedagogy and inclassroom experiences into one year. A normal day for an elementary MAT student at the University includes traveling to their placement school and studentteaching from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., coming to the University for three to four hours of class and then going home to complete graduate level homework as well as prepare for the next day of teaching, said Margot Miller MAT’11, elementary MAT alum and fifth-grade teacher at The Wheeler School. The decision to suspend the elementary track was not made lightly, said Diane Pimentel, director of teacher education. A number of other administrators and teachers involved with the program declined to comment, including Joan Gujarati, director of elementary education and Jeanette Epstein, adjunct lecturer in elementary education. Laura Snyder, lecturer in education and director of English education, did not respond to a request for comment. The University “often seems to have a hard time taking seriously” its community responsibility to Providence and Rhode Island, said Keith Catone
» INITIATIVE, from page 1 on Asia, South Asia and East Asia. But there really isn’t a focus at all on Southeast Asia,” said Andrew Ton ’20, co-president of the group. “We think it’s an important region, and if you want to study racism or power structures, you can’t have a full conversation without talking about the full Southeast Asian experience.” After completing the course, the students created the initiative to expand on their learning experience, said Taing Nandi Aung ’19, co-president of the group. For one of the initiative’s first events, the students hosted an exhibition that showcased undergraduate work, including thesis projects and poems, that highlighted the region. “The point of (the exhibition) was to show that there are people on this campus who are interested
Students and alums in the elementary track of the Masters of Arts and Teaching program expressed concern and frustration regarding the track’s suspension, which could last longer than a year. ’00, executive director at the Center for helps the teachers who are mentor- the MAT program is in “alignment with Youth and Community Leadership in ing … to be more reflective and more the University’s priorities as outlined Education at Roger Williams University. intentional in their practices,” Gaines in the strategic plan, Building on DisFor example, the elementary MAT Pell said. tinction,” wrote Provost Richard Locke program has collaborated with the In addition to staffing SummerPrep P’18 in an email to MAT students. The Community Preparatory School in and student-teaching, many elementary ongoing review processes are meant to Providence to create SummerPrep, a MAT students feed into the Providence ensure “the academic excellence and free program that allows students enter- school systems after graduation. “We’ve rigor of (the University’s) educational ing grades one through six to catch up gotten some amazing teachers from the programs,” Locke wrote. in school. No one from the University MAT program. … I feel like we’ve reHowever, the decision to suspend communicated with Corley about the ally benefited tremendously,” Gaines the program in the name of assessing elementary program’s suspension, which Pell added. rigor feels insulting to many current means that SummerPrep “won’t be hapThe decision to suspend just the el- students and alums. The University pening” this year, he said. Advertising ementary program appears to reflect a has “always questioned the rigor of the for the program still remains on the shift in the University’s values, multiple (elementary MAT) program, which is University department of education’s alums said. “It feels like a slap in the absurd,” Miller said. “Anybody who’s website. face to eliminate elementary and only done the program would tell you it’s Green believes the program’s suspen- keep secondary, as if to say that Brown the most rigorous year of their entire sion will be a great loss. “The children I is ‘too prestigious’ to train elementary life.” All seven of the alums interviewed work with, their futures are determined school educators,” said Ana Lopez ’10 expressed similar feelings. by third or fourth grade in this country. MAT’11, elementary MAT alum and Many alums agree that the UniverWhen kids are behind in fourth grade, third-grade teacher at the Oyster Ad- sity seems to question the value of the statistics show they never catch up. ams Bilingual School in Washington, elementary MAT program, but “noNever,” Green said. “Engaging young D.C. “Quite frankly, I thought we were body has ever come to sit in on a class,” talented teachers in an innovative and better than that.” Miller said. successful special education program “I think this (elementary) program Current students and alums of the can shine a light to show us one way has been shafted for a few months — if elementary MAT program have felt a to improve education for all children not years. It seems like secondary gets general lack of transparency from the in our country,” he wrote in an email a lot more attention than we do,” said University regarding the suspension. to The Herald. Jess Williams GS, a current elementary For example, in the fall, Sibley asked The presence of teachers-in-training MAT student. current students to gather and provide helps “the kids in the classroom and The University’s decision to review feedback on the program without being
informed that the program was under review, Williams said. Students spoke about a disappointing required course — POBS 2010A: “Language Theory and Curriculum Development” — which cost them an extra $6,500, Williams said. Other complaints included having to pay to print “copious course readings” and a particularly “disorganized professor,” said Suzanne Keating ’89 GS, another current MAT student. “We were misled, and a lot of us feel really bad about the constructive criticism we had, because instead we felt that it was twisted in order to further the University’s agenda to cancel the program,” Williams said. Keating agreed, adding that “Dean Sibley knew she and the Provost would be deciding on the program’s immediate future. We did not.” “We would have appreciated honesty. Instead, we were given free pizza,” Keating said. The students who gave feedback put “too much weight on their influence,” and hearing about their disappointment “pulls on my heartstrings,” Sibley told The Herald in response to the criticism. The only form of contact between the University and elementary MAT alums was a survey the University distributed asking for feedback on the program. On the survey, numerous alums left their names and contact information in hopes that the University would reach out. Of the alums The Herald asked to comment, none were contacted by the University. These concerns may have a longterm impact, but ultimately, the program’s suspension “will be Brown’s loss,” Green said. The Hamilton School plans to offer a two-week training course inspired by the University’s elementary MAT program for new and veteran teachers. Community Prep is actively looking for other partners to help build a replacement for SummerPrep. Although some of the best teachers at the Hamilton school are elementary MAT graduates, “we will fill the void,” Green added. “At best, the decision was capricious,” Keating said. “At worst, the provost and dean were diligent, sought to understand who would be affected by this decision and decided to withdraw Brown’s support of these classrooms anyway.”
in studying the region and they are doing so independently,” Aung said, adding that the University should be able to provide students with the resources to conduct studies in a collaborative setting. The group has also hosted University faculty lunches with staff who study the region and collaborated with other student groups, such as the Vietnamese Student Association and the Khmer Student Association. The students hope to invite faculty from nearby universities to give talks about their research on Southeast Asia in the near future, Ton said. “That’s an opportunity for students to network as well as learn about what a faculty member who is studying the region is doing,” Ton added. “Those resources aren’t available to students at Brown at the moment, and we are trying to change that.” Director of the Center for
through the University’s Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, the Brown Asian American Alumni Alliance and various private foundations and federal language initiatives, Ton said.
COURTESY OF JESS WILLIAMS
Contemporary South Asia and Professor of Political Science and International and Public Affairs Ashutosh Varshney, the second speaker in the group’s faculty lunch series, agreed that Southeast Asian study is a distinct area of academic focus, stating that “both East Asia and South Asia are studied greatly, but Southeast Asia as an arena of inquiry … tries out for serious attention and has much to offer.” Currently, the group is petitioning the University to recruit an adjunct professor who focuses on the region, a Southeast Asian language instructor, a presidential diversity post-doctoral fellow or a graduate student to teach undergraduate courses on Southeast Asia. The group hopes that at least one of these positions will be created by spring 2019. “I think those are the right things to ask for. The question is going to be
REMY POISSON / HERALD
how to raise funds for these activities,” Varshney said. “Both the student community and the University will have to think creatively, and then something substantial can happen.” The group plans to seek funding
NEWS
PAGE 4 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
DPS, students discuss safety concerns on College Hill
ANITA SHEIH / HERALD
Since the beginning of the fall semester, there have been 51 cases of larceny on campus, one robbery and nine breaking and entering occurrences among other crimes on College Hill.
Larceny leads crime on and around campus, concentrated in half-mile radius By COLLEEN CRONIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
On Nov. 8, Eliza Hicks ’21 went to bed with her laptop and phone on her desk and her backpack on the ground by her bedpost. When she woke up the next morning, her backpack was gone; she immediately thought she had misplaced it. After checking places she frequents on campus, she asked her roommate, Alexis Jackson ’21, if she had seen it. Jackson told Hicks that she had seen a man in their room the night before. Both roommates “started crying” when they realized a man in his boxers
had been in their room, Hicks said. “He wasn’t really in any rush to get out of here,” Jackson said. “That he could be so close to Eliza … that grosses me out.” Since the beginning of fall 2017, there have been 51 larcenies, one robbery, one attempted robbery, nine breaking and entering occurrences and one motor vehicle theft on or around campus, according to the Brown DPS weekly incident summaries. The Department of Public Safety’s records and individual students’ stories provide a comprehensive picture of safety on College Hill. Nearly half of the larcenies were bikes, with 23 stolen bikes reported to DPS since last September. Other frequently stolen items include backpacks, wallets, computers and cellphones. DPS crime reports do not include sensitive incidents. Hicks’ experience
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is not in the DPS crime report. This is often to prevent identifying information — particularly in cases of assault — from reaching the public, said University Deputy Chief of Police Paul Shanley, adding that these reports can be found in the Clery log in DPS Headquarters at 75 Charlesfield Street. The four buildings that have seen most theft are all located within the same half-mile radius; the Facilities Management building at 295 Lloyd Ave., Pizzitola Sports Center, the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center and Jonathan Nelson ’77 Fitness Center each had more than three incidents reported since September. Shanley believes that most theft is carried out by individuals outside of the University community. For example, if there is a pick-up game of basketball at the OMAC, “someone might let someone who isn’t a part of
the Brown community in,” Shanley said, adding that it’s those individuals who have a tendency to take things. In Hicks’ case, she believes that the theft was carried out by a Brown student. The afternoon of Nov. 9, the stolen backpack was left in the hallway of Hicks’ and Jackson’s dorm and later found by a Resident Peer Leader. This led both Jackson and Hicks to believe the man who had been in their room was a Brown student. “I got my backpack back, but I was still affected by it,” Hicks said. “I felt disempowered.” After she discovered the theft, Hicks first went to an RPL, who then helped her file a report with Brown DPS. But Hicks felt blamed by the DPS officer, as he responded by saying “you should have locked your door,” she said. On the other hand, the University,
including the Office of Residential Life, was supportive when she reported the incident, she said. They immediately offered to change her lock at no charge, as her key had been in the stolen backpack. “The assistant dean of students sent me an email so the school took some formal steps which is nice,” Hicks said. Jackson said she received emails from administration as well. Both roommates still believe it’s important to know these things do happen on campus. “I think people should lock their doors,” Hicks said. According to Shanley, students can help prevent stealing by staying vigilant and not holding the door open for individuals who might not have swipe access to the building. “We try to preach awareness,” he said. “We believe Brown is a safe campus … especially for an urban campus,” he added.
TODAY
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • PAGE 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
menu
wa l k i n g t o wa r d s t h e e n d o f m i d t e r m s
SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Pizza: Cheese, Spinach and Feta, Pepperoni, Sausage and Jalapeño, Bacon Chicken Ranch, Pepperoni JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Chicken Wings Bar, Rodeo Burger
Chicken Mushroom Xacuti, Vegetable Mango Curry
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Italian Sausage Soup with Cheese Tortellini, Carne Asada, Black Bean Tacos, Pasta Fagioli
Pork Chili, Stuffed Shells, Marinated Artichoke Veggie Melange, Moussaka
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Shaved Steak Sandwich, Bruschetta Mozzarella, Swiss Fudge Cookies
Tuscan Pork Roast, Ginger Pasta, Au Gratin Potatoes with Fresh Herbs, Lentil Chili TIFFANY DING / HERALD
sudoku
With midterms in full swing, many members of the student body busy themselves with their schoolwork. This pedestrian sign warns preoccupied young minds to look both ways before crossing.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
“It feels like a slap in the face to eliminate elementary and only keep secondary, as if to say that Brown is ‘too prestigious’ to train elementary school educators.
”
— Ana Lopez ’10 MAT’11
See teaching on page 1. crossword
CORRECTION A previous version of the article “University changes site for performing arts center” stated that the University’s original plan would have resulted in the demolition of five historical buildings. In fact, the original plan would have resulted in the demolition of four historical buildings. The Herald regrets the error.
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Study Abroad 101 12:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson, 440
EEB Tuesday Seminar Series 12:00 P.M. Biomed Center, 291
Bologna, Italy Summer Info Session 4:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson, 440
Telescope Observing Night at Ladd 7:00 P.M. Ladd Observatory
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Quaker Meeting for Worship 12:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson, 409
Wellness at Brown: Breath & Bliss Yoga 12:00 P.M. 200 Dyer Street, 122
LaTeX Workshop: Thesis and Lab Writing 12:00 P.M. Science Center, 3rd Floor
BAI Songwriting Series: Kishi Bashi 7:00 P.M. Granoff Center, Martinos Auditorium
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
EDITORIAL
In support of the new performing arts center plan On Feb. 20, the University announced plans to change the proposed location of its new performing arts center “to a smaller plot on The Walk between Angell and Olive streets, facing the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts.” The choice of the original site would have resulted in the demolition of four historic buildings that are central to campus life, including the beloved Urban Environmental Lab, a storied building that houses the environmental studies program, the Native American and Indigenous Studies at Brown initiative and a variety of student organizations. Following sustained criticism from students, faculty members and Providence city residents, the University has wisely decided to shift course. We support the University’s decision to respond to community feedback and compromise on the performing arts center’s location. While efforts to enhance the spaces available
to students and practitioners of the arts at Brown are certainly welcome, they should not be pursued at the expense of infrastructure with historical and educational significance to many members of the community. The revised plan successfully reconciles the need for new arts facilities with demands for the preservation of existing structures. The new location renders the proposed demolitions unnecessary and allows more of the structure to be built underground, a move that is expected to alleviate traffic congestion and parking pressures. Just as importantly, we applaud all the activists — on- and off-campus — who mobilized community action around issues of sustainability and historical preservation on College Hill, initiated important conversations about Brown’s footprint in the wider community and proved that committed individuals can hold powerful entities accountable.
Resistance to the original construction plans emerged almost immediately after they were first unveiled. Last year, students seeking to preserve the UEL circulated a petition that garnered over 300 signatures and organized outreach efforts on social media. And according to last spring’s undergraduate Herald poll, 39.8 percent of students opposed the site of the new performing arts center, while only 26 percent supported it. Professors, too, were vocal about the costs of the UEL’s removal to environmental education at Brown. Originally a carriage house when it was erected in 1885, the UEL was later renovated by students in 1979 to “showcase the maximum of what can be done in an urban environment.” Public opposition from Providence locals fully crystallized in the last few months. Earlier this year, the University asked the Providence City Plan Commission to delay a vote on the
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construction from Jan. 16 to March 20. Though Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, the University’s executive vice president for planning and policy, did not guarantee any changes to the original plans, he did acknowledge that “it was clear that the proposal was not ready to be acted on at (the Jan. 16) meeting.” Representatives of the Providence Preservation Society — which placed the four buildings at risk of demolition on its “2018 Most Endangered Properties List” — argued that the new performing arts center could be built in other places without necessitating the elimination of historic buildings. Comments solicited from the public also revealed concerns about the original site’s effects on parking and traffic. Taken together, the University’s eventual accommodation of community input and activists’ steadfast defense of community institutions underscore the enduring power of grassroots movements. A few weeks
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ago, it would have been easy to write off the UEL as a lost cause — a building irreversibly condemned to erasure. Yet, in sustaining their resistance despite the odds, today’s community activists once again have done an invaluable service to the University, advancing a legacy of informed, inclusive action that will enrich life at Brown and protect the historical vibrancy of College Hill for generations to come. As one student told The Herald last week, “This change is really about having a community survive and history maintained.”
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: Anuj Krishnamurthy ’19, Mili Mitra ’18, Rhaime Kim ’ 20 and Grace Layer ’20. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
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COMMENTARY TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Making good choices in an age of Tinder swipes REBECCA OKIN staff columnist Perhaps the only phenomenon that rivals the prevalence of dating apps on campus is the amount of energy we spend discussing them. A familiar scenario: At Ratty dinner, the “ping” of a new match breaches your roommate’s black iPhone display, and suddenly everyone is debating the virtues of messaging first on Tinder. Or maybe: Your dad emails you this viral New York Times piece, with the subject line “is this what you’re doing now?!” Suffice it to say, whether or not we use dating apps ourselves, we’re all becoming experts in the mentality of quick, detached swipes. College may be the time to experiment and figure out who we are, but it won’t be for long if we approach real-time decisions with the same logic we use on Tinder. I will not be contributing to the endless back-and-forth that is the digital dating debate, as I am neither qualified nor patient enough to conjure up my own opinion of the Bumble sphere. Rather, there is a specific element embedded in the fad that is worth writing about: the impact of these limitless choices on our daily decision-making. The mindset with which we swipe in a controlled and instant world — distracted and rushed — should not be the same one we apply in our everyday real lives. In their article “The Tinderization of Feeling,” Alicia Eler and Eve Peyser point out how Tinder represents the “speeding up and mechanizing (of) decision-making, turning us into binary creatures who can bypass underlying questions and emotions and instead go with whatever feels really good in the moment.” Both the
disconnect from our emotions and the instant gratification we derive from these choices warrant concern. When we log onto dating apps, we process uncountable quantities of dog-holding, shirtlacking men with the hope that the more we do, the higher chances we have of swiping upon the perfect one for us. Meanwhile, we are able
or soon-to-be dismissed failure, rather than accounting for the myriad possibilities in between. The problem is that this seemingly endless stream of digital choices leaves us feeling a sense of control and instant gratification that does not exist in the real world the way it does in the world created by our devices. Thus, we may find
When we become too accustomed to quick choices that bring near-instant gain, we start to lose perspective of the benefits of unexpected and delayed rewards.
to ignore the effects of our decisions in more ways than one: Not only are we distracted as we swipe and tap (by other apps, by our walk to class, by the real-life boy sitting next to us in the Blue Room), but we also are spared any response besides the positive, definitive, “You’ve got a match!” In this world, all choices can be framed solely in terms of immediate success
ourselves disappointed when we try to assume the expectations of Tinder-swiping in our everyday lives. There is no wonder why I consider dropping a class when I am not immediately captivated by the thrilling recital of the course syllabus when I am so used to instant gratification. (I’m not alone in sometimes losing interest fairly quickly: The average human attention
span is now just eight seconds, according to a 2015 Microsoft study that blamed our constant mobile multitasking for the drop.) Rather than instill us with confidence in our ability to make choices, the all-or-nothing attitude and instant gratification that we begin to live by actually leave us more averse to taking risks in all aspects of our lives. When we become too accustomed to quick choices that bring near-instant gain, we start to lose perspective of the benefits of unexpected and delayed rewards. As an English major, my decision to take a statistics class was not founded in the belief that the only thing standing in the way of me and my true academic passion was understanding the mechanisms of a t-test. Rather, the choice came from the desire to try something new and the hope — though not the certainty — that maybe its worth would be revealed to me in a future undertaking. The solution is not to exclude the mechanisms that allow these choices from our lives, as they have indisputably made certain things easier. However, we need to consciously decide to make other, real-time decisions grounded in the principles of risk and delayed gratification. If our choices define us, what does it mean if we get too used to turning to the quick and easy decision, one solely focused on instant gain? We need to practice our ability to make emotionally nuanced, thoughtful decisions if we want to see ourselves in the choices we make.
Rebecca Okin ’19 can be reached at rebecca_okin@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@ browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
ARTS & CULTURE THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 2018
Student-produced film sheds light on substance abuse “Anybody in There” selected to show at film festival last month, depicts alcohol, opiate addiction By JACOB ALABAB-MOSER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
“Anybody in There,” a short film produced by Brown students about substance abuse, was shown at the Quincy, Massachusetts independent film festival “Stories by the River” Jan. 26. The Brown Motion Picturesproduced project initially premiered on campus last September. Co-director Alexandre Davis ’20 became inspired to create the film about an addict’s road to recovery through his personal experience as well as those of his friends and their families, he said. The film addresses substance abuse — encompassing opiate abuse and binge drinking — and Davis’ concern with how many people refuse to acknowledge the severity of the issue, especially in university settings, he said. “No one says that any kid in college or high school has a drinking problem; they just say they party too much,” Davis said. “But this is a real issue. I know kids that do suffer from this that go to Brown.” After an actor suggested that the production crew apply to “Stories by the River,” a film festival centered around topics of social awareness and change, “Anybody in There” was selected for showing last month. The film was one of 10 to be selected from a
pool of 80 entries, said Kristina Kaiser, co-founder and judge. “(The film) opens up the opportunity for conversation about what to do with young people that are exploring drugs and alcohol,” she added. We like to “have a film that allows us to help people get through various difficult things in their lives.” “Anybody in There” is based on a short story Davis wrote in his senior year of high school, which he developed into a full script for his screenwriting class final last year, he said. He then approached his friends, co-directors David Holmes ’20 and Robert Capron ’20, to transform the script into a film. Davis gathered the film’s crew from “Facunda,” a Brown Motion Pictures film he previously worked on, held auditions to cast actors and obtained funding through a Kickstarter campaign. They shot the movie in February 2017 and finished editing the film last summer. “Anybody in There” was released in September with a premiere in SmithBuonanno Hall, which attracted 100 people, including President Christina Paxson P’19, Davis said. It was followed by a panel in which the three directors, Assistant Dean of Chemical Dependency Shannon O’Neill and Scott Bienenfeld, an addiction psychiatrist, discussed the effects of binge drinking on college campuses and the reality of the film, he added. “It’s an in-depth look (into substance abuse) for people not familiar with how this disease affects young people, … and for those who are
COURTESY OF ALEXANDRE DAVIS
“Anybody in There,” produced by Brown Motions Pictures, was shown at the Quincy, Massachusetts independent film festival “Stories by the River.” The film depicts young adults’ struggles with drug addiction. familiar with it, to feel support for Gord said he prepared for his role but Davis, Holmes and Capron have what they’ve gone through,” Davis by watching existing films recom- already begun production for their said. mended to him by Davis that portray next project, “Issued at Random,” “I had people come up to me and substance abuse. “I was kind of struck which is another message-oriented tell me, ‘I’ve had experiences like that by … (those films’) degree of glorifica- short film, Davis said. It presents a love and you guys portrayed it well,’” said tion of addiction,” Gord added. “There story that addresses eating disorders, Andrew Gord ’20, who played Peter, was something (portrayed as) poetic inspired in part by Holmes’ personal the film’s protagonist who eventually and beautiful in it.” experiences, he added. ascertains his need to quit his addicThe film crew is still in the proThe directors plan to release “Anytion. cess of applying for other festivals, body in There” for free online soon.
Five must-watch 2017 films ignored by Academy Alternatives to Oscar nominees feature intriguing themes about queer love, race relations By ZACHARY BARNES STAFF WRITER
The Oscars are coming up this weekend and, as tradition dictates, many of the year’s best films will not be represented. But just because the Oscars are missing out does not mean you have to. So, in the interest of expanding our collective cinematic palate and resisting the cultural hegemony of that looming golden statue, here are five seldom seen films from the past year that deserve more attention: “A Ghost Story” The beginning scenes of David Lowery’s astounding, emotionally wrenching meditation on grief and time operate as kind of litmus test: We watch a woman sit on her kitchen floor and eat nearly an entire pie over the course of a few minutes. If the moment makes you fall asleep, maybe this one’s not
for you. But if you find that you can’t look away, then “A Ghost Story” may affect you as few other films do. It rests on a simple concept: After a man dies, he returns, draped in a white sheet, to the house where he lived before his death. At first, it’s just him and his wife, silently mourning from opposite sides of the grave. But as the film moves on, it becomes more cosmic in scope and goes in directions you’d least expect. Shot under wraps and on a shoestring budget, “A Ghost Story” is a minor miracle of a movie. “Lady Macbeth” If you’re on the lookout for a complex, powerful depiction of female rage, skip “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” and watch this. Based on a novella by Nikolai Leskov and adapted by British playwright Alice Birch, “Lady Macbeth” concerns a young woman living in rural 19th century England, married to a brute of a man and stuck in an isolated country mansion. When her husband leaves the estate for a business trip, she starts to push back against constricting patriarchal values and act on her own desires. But what begins as
a story of Victorian repression and liberation quickly morphs into something more interesting, as our leading lady reveals a chilling psychopathy buried beneath the folds of her elegant gowns. With a discomfiting, focused performance by Florence Pugh in the lead role, “Lady Macbeth” is a fascinating work of supremely knotty feminism whose transfixing power only increases the more shocking and despairing it becomes. “The Lost City of Z” Of all the undersung films of 2017, James Gray’s extraordinary explorer’s tale may be the finest. A chronicle of the career of the early 20th century British explorer Percy Fawcett (Charlie Hunham), who spent decades searching for an ancient city in the jungles of Brazil, the film strikes a delicate balance, portraying Fawcett as a man ahead of his time who still could not completely break out of the colonialist mold. Throughout, Gray displays breathtaking classical film craft, making not just pretty pictures but images that are as full of intention as they are lovely. Also featuring terrific performances from
Robert Pattinson and Siena Miller and a sensational score from Christopher Spelman, the film is a near-masterpiece about reaching for the sublime — and “The Lost City of Z” finds it. “Princess Cyd” 2017 was a great year for queer cinema, from the high-profile “Call Me By Your Name” to lesser-known but still worthy titles like “BPM.” Among all these, don’t miss out on “Princess Cyd,” Stephen Cone’s gentle, funny film about growing up and coming out. It takes place over the course of a few weeks in the summer, when Cyd, a high school student who is played with enormous warmth by Jessie Pinnick, goes to Chicago to stay with her aunt, novelist Miranda Ruth. Cone depicts the relationship between the two women with an intimate sensitivity, acutely mapping their awkward differences, accidental insults and cautious affection. Eventually, Cyd meets Katie, who provokes feelings and desires Cyd didn’t know she had. When she talks to Miranda about it, audiences are gifted with a moving, refreshingly low-key coming-out scene. Pair it with
the father’s monologue in “Call Me By Your Name” for a soothing brew of queer parenting fantasy. “The Work” The only film of 2017 to match “Dunkirk” in terms of sheer intensity might be “The Work,” a documentary from directors Jairus McLeary and Gethin Aldous. Set in Folsom State Prison, the film depicts a yearly project that brings together convicts and men on the outside for four days of group therapy. Together, they dig into their deepest emotional struggles and force themselves to each feel their own pain in its ravaging totality. “The Work” will almost certainly make you cry, because in the face of such raw humanity, there’s nothing else you can do. But the film is also a primal scream of a wake-up call to a contemporary America torn by seemingly insurmountable differences and entrenched hatred. It shows us an impassioned embrace between a former member of the Aryan Brotherhood and a black man, suggesting what is possible without resorting to a facile vision of reconciliation. They’ve put in the work. Will we?