Monday, September 27, 2010

Daily Herald the Brown

vol. cxlv, no. 78 | Monday, September 27, 2010 | Serving the community daily since 1891

Leave-takers miss contact with U.

Beat red: football shuts down Harvard, 29-14 cial,” added Chimso Okoji ’11. Norocea ’14 ties When asked if he had ever before played in front of a crowd as large team FG record; and supportive as Saturday’s, the linebacker replied, “No, not ‘D’ stifles Crimson senior even close.”

SPORTS

By Ethan McCoy Contributing Writer

In front of a nearly sellout crowd of 17,360 fans at Saturday’s Homecoming game, the Bears moved to 2-0 by convincingly defeating Harvard 2914 in the first night game in Brown Stadium’s 85-year history. “It was a great atmosphere,” said Head Coach Phil Estes after the game. “I can’t tell you what it meant to have so many people in the stands. It really gets the adrenaline going, and I think the team really fed off that.” “Tonight was something spe-

Medical leaves present unique challenges

The Crimson (1-1, 0-1 Ivy) scored all their points in a 21-second span bordering halftime, but for the remaining 59 minutes and 39 seconds of the game, it was all Bruno. The big story of the night was the Bears’ defense, which smothered Harvard’s high-powered attack, holding the Crimson to only 112 yards of total offense and a dismal -16 yards on the ground, which included a botched punt attempt that lost 34 yards. The front seven put continued on page 8

By Crystal Vance Guerra Contributing Writer

Leaves of absence are fairly common at Brown. But for some students taking medical leave for psychological reasons, miscommunication and frustration with the University dominate the experience.

FEATURE

tives.” While the Indian entrees available for a meal credit have garnered positive attention, reaction to the sushi from Shanghai, priced at $7.75 for a large box, was less enthusiastic. “It’s extremely overpriced,” said Raymond See ’13. “I can just

The long road back Okezie Nwoka was a member of the class of 2010, but in September 2008, he consented to deans’ suggestions to take medical leave. Since then, his status as a student has been in flux and his graduation year uncertain. “I entered into a manic state and was classified as bipolar,” Nwoka said, describing the reason for his first medical leave. Under the assurance that he could return when he was ready, Nwoka began his treatment in Washington, D.C., his hometown, with a therapist and a psychiatrist while also

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Lydia Yamaguchi / Herald

With a nearly sold-out crowd in attendance, the Bears never trailed Harvard Saturday night under the bright lights at Brown Stadium.

Menu lauded, microwaves missed at Blue Room By Amy Rasmussen Contributing Writer

In the newly reopened Blue Room, customers have found themselves surrounded by signs of change: an array of locally prepared food items, longer hours — and no microwaves. Along with the return of freshly made sandwiches and focaccia,

the Faunce House eater y now offers pastries from local LaSalle Baker y and dinner options from Thayer Street’s Kabob and Curry. “As par t of our ef for ts to provide authentic and locally produced items in our menu selection we decided that a par tnership with local vendors and restaurants was the best alternative,” Jacques Larue, director of

retail dining, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. Natalie Posever ’14 said she enjoyed the Kabob and Curr y entrees — of fered from 4 to 9 p.m. — and appreciated the Blue Room’s choice to ser ve the food on recyclable plates. Larue wrote that recyclable plates “fit with Dining Ser vices’ commitment to sustainable initia-

Fall production focuses on family fury By Amy Chen Staff Writer

Courtesy of Jessica Lillien

inside

Sasha Spielberg ‘12 and Morgan Ritchie ‘10.5 perform a charged scene of Sock & Buskin’s fall production, Sam Shepard’s “A Lie of the Mind.”

News.....1–5 Arts..........6 Sports.....7–8 Editorial....10 Opinion.....11 Today........12

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Sock & Buskin’s fall production “A Lie of the Mind,” written by Sam Shepard and directed by Lowr y Marshall, professor of theatre, speech and dance, traverses the challenging and complex landscape of family relationships and explores how these relationships can shape character and experience. The play opens abruptly, creating a confused and uneasy atmosphere among the audience. Characterized by consistent surrealistic and ultra-realistic elements, the play centers around physical violence and abuse, fiery emotions and the often dark relationships between families and loved ones. The play’s central stor y deals with the abusive relationship between Jake (Morgan Ritchie ’10.5) and his wife, Beth (Olivia Harding

’12). Jake, who suspects Beth of cheating on him, violently attacks her in a fit of rage. To recover from the physical and emotional trauma, Beth returns to her home in Montana. There, she struggles with her relationship to her family — her insecure and frustrated brother Mike (Zachary Segel ’13), naive and complacent mother Meg (Michelle Snyder ’10), and the often bad-tempered father Baylor (Ted Cava ’11).

Arts & Culture Meanwhile, Jake, believing he has killed Beth, returns home to his mother and sister. Described by his mother Lorraine (Ellen Shadburn ’12) as “death warmed over,” and by his sister Sally (Sasha Spielberg ’12) as “dangerous,” Jake acts like a savage child incapable of controlling his temper, lying about

moaning his guilt and anguish over “killing” and losing Beth. To find out if Beth is indeed dead, Jake’s brother Frankie (Dan Ricker ’11) sets out to Beth’s house in search of the truth. “These two families are desperately flawed,” Marshall said. “They are both highly dysfunctional.” The play is about the failure to obtain the American dream because of the complex problems that seize these families and relationships, she added. The play’s bold portrayal of the infuriated passion that seizes almost all the characters can be uncomfortable to watch but can ultimately provoke interesting contemplation. Jake’s uncontrollable, violent fits and Mike’s frenzied and desperate need to gain his father’s approval illustrate how relationship probcontinued on page 6

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Soccer streak

Go Bruno!

200 scholars joined faculty for global conference in June

Men’s soccer remains untouchable in Vermont

Deniz Ilgen ’13 has school spirit, do you?

News, 5

SPORTS, 7

Opinions, 11

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Shopping complicates room assignments By Ju Myoung Kim Contributing Writer

Aisles and floors full of students desperately trying to fit into a classroom or a lecture hall are a common sight at the beginning of each semester. According to University Registrar Robert Fitzgerald, it is part of the reality of Brown’s approach to shopping period. “Room scheduling in many places can be somewhat of a scientific process,” Fitzgerald said, but at Brown, it is rather “unpredictable.” According to Fitzgerald, before every semester begins, rooms are assigned based on past enrollment records, pre-registration numbers and the expected number of incoming freshmen. However, he said, “all the analyses somewhat go out of the window” once shopping period begins. “We don’t have any idea who’s going to shop the class or not shop the class,” he said. “It’s difficult because we try to balance faculty needs and student requirements.” Despite the shopping chaos, only 17 classes ended up moving this semester, Fitzgerald said. When a semester begins, some departments and faculty instantly request changes, but, Fitzgerald said, “we always tell them to really wait until the second week of classes have ended.” Ultimately, most classes do not end up moving. “Historically, things shake out to be what we expected” by the end of shopping period, he added.

According to Fitzgerald, most issues occur with popular class hours, such as C and D hours — 10 and 11 a.m., respectively, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays — during which large lecture classes, many of them common concentration requirements, are clustered. Fitzgerald said 11 of the 17 classes that moved this semester were taught during C hour. Classroom changes are more difficult for courses that require certain media or lab equipment. ENGN 0030: “Introduction to Engineering” was not able to move this semester because “there are demonstrations that only work in a particular setting,” said instructor Janet Blume, associate professor of engineering. According to Shaan Ahmed ’14, a student in ENGN 0030, seven or eight people still end up sitting in the aisles during the class. But “it’s not that big of an issue,” he said. This year, compounding the problem, Brown lost two of its large lecture rooms due to renovations in Metcalf Laboratory, Fitzgerald said, requiring the Office of the Registrar to “mix and match” by swapping smaller classes with larger ones. For Ngoc Pham ’12, who has already had two classes this semester moved to different locations, the uncertainty of shopping period is “not a huge deal.” Fitzgerald said he considers the “churning in and out of shopping period” to be part of “Brown culture.” And in the end, he said, “shopping period eventually works itself out.”

Monday, September 27, 2010

“Shopping period eventually works itself out.” — Robert Fitzgerald, University Registrar

news in brief

Group petitions against ‘homophobic’ ban on blood donation During the blood drive held Sept. 14–16, the Queer Political Action Committee circulated a petition protesting the policy that forbids any man who has had sex with another man since 1977 from donating blood. Though the policy was first implemented in 1983 in response to concerns about HIV, the Federal Advisory Committee on Blood Safety and Availability voted against lifting the ban this summer. Jessica Mitter ’13 and Gabriel Schwartz ’13, co-directors of the Queer Political Action Committee, wrote the petition and hosted a table on the Main Green collecting signatures. After three days, they collected 821 signatures, representing what Schwartz described as a “good cross-section of students and faculty.” The petition, which can be found online, states: “It is our belief that this policy is needlessly discriminatory, generalizing and ultimately homophobic.” Schwartz said he hopes that the group will ultimately send the petition to the Food and Drug Administration, which directs blood donation policy. He also mentioned the possibility of sending it to the Rhode Island congressional delegation. The ban has been the subject of heated debate. The FDA stands behind the policy, citing on its website that its “primary responsibility is to enhance blood safety and protect blood recipients.” The Red Cross takes a different stance, though, and recommends a one-year waiting period instead of a lifetime ban. Though some college campuses have banned blood drives on campus in protest of the policy, Schwartz said his group did not have this in mind. “Part of our message is that we think it’s discriminatory, but we also want to save as many lives as possible,” he said, adding that the committee plans to circulate the petition at blood drives in the future. — Ted Burke

sudoku Stephanie London / Herald

Normally only open for the Brown community, the Faculty Club will now serve the general public on Fridays.

Faculty Club opens Fridays to public By Greg Jordan-Detamore Contributing Writer

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Editorial Phone: 401.351.3372 | Business Phone: 401.351.3260 George Miller, President Claire Kiely, Vice President

Katie Koh, Treasurer Chaz Kelsh, Secretary

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement, once during Orientation and once in July by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Offices are located at 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. E-mail herald@browndailyherald.com. World Wide Web: http://www.browndailyherald.com. Subscription prices: $319 one year daily, $139 one semester daily. Copyright 2010 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

Earlier this month, the Faculty Club opened its doors on Friday nights to the greater Providence community. The club’s eatery, which is typically only open to University-affiliated members, functions as a small restaurant on these occasions. This change is a way for Brown to open up to the community, said Mar y Hogan, the club’s general manager, and Ann Hoffman, director of administration for Dining Ser vices. “Friday night is a night that we can share with the community,” Hogan said. “I think a lot of people like to dine out on Friday night and

have something special.” For now, the Faculty Club is not planning to open the facility to the community for other meals during the week. Hogan said the ser vice is like a “fine dining restaurant,” and while walk-ins are accepted, reservations are preferred. Dave Chabot, the University’s executive chef, prepares the food for the Friday night dinners. “Ever ything he does is phenomenal,” Hoffman said. Hogan said the club seeks local ingredients through groups such as Farm Fresh Rhode Island. An example of a recent Friday night dish, she said, is pan-roasted salmon with a fresh tomato basil

concasse. Hogan said the Friday dinners have been relatively small, typically attracting fewer than 15 guests. The community dinners followed a similar program late this summer, when the Faculty Club tested a similar idea on several Thursday nights. “It was very positive, and it continues to be positive,” Hogan said. “I think that this idea has opened up a sense of curiosity in a positive way to see what we offer.” This is the second recent initiative to expand Faculty Club access. Dining Ser vices introduced the Club Plan for Brown seniors last academic year as a supplement to a regular meal plan.

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“Therapies don’t come out of thin air.” — Justin Fallon, professor of medical science

Prof. tests muscular dystrophy treatment By Alejandro Dauguet Contributing Writer

Justin Fallon, professor of medical science, has been conducting research on Duchenne muscular dystrophy for 25 years. Now, with the help of external partnerships, his discoveries could be employed in clinics. Fallon’s work deals with a drug called Biglycan, which has proven to be a potential therapy for DMD in humans. “The most important thing is that we have identified our clinical candidate,” he said, “meaning the actual compound or formulation of the drug.” Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a genetic, sex-linked disease primarily affecting males that gradually degrades the muscles of the body. The disease plays out over the course of decades. Victims are typically diagnosed by age five, though degeneration is slow to emerge. At 10 years, there is difficulty walking, and most motor ability is disabled by the late teens. Few live past their twenties. Biglycan, Fallon said, is a recombinant protein that activates a chemical pathway which the body uses to develop muscles during early childhood. This pathway is turned off in all individuals at a certain age, but those

affected by the disease suffer from muscle degeneration as a result. “What we’re doing is working to reactivate that fetal pathway, which is good because the mechanism by which Biglycan works is a novel one,” Fallon said. Biglycan improves muscle function and encourages cell growth and regeneration, Fallon said. “There’s no other drug for DMD that works in this particular way. We didn’t know that going in, but we do know it now.” Though research is the most important phase, there are many other steps involved in taking a potential cure from concept to reality. One such step involves testing. So far, Biglycan has proved largely successful in lab animals, and recent evidence shows it is a good candidate for DMD therapy in humans. “We’ve made a modified form of Biglycan that we intend to take into the clinic,” Fallon said. “We will be doing a whole set of very formal safety studies to test that in a rigorous way.” Such studies help Fallon and his team eliminate potential dangers that could arise from the use of the drug. “So far we have not seen any signs of toxicity. We have not yet seen side effects, but it doesn’t mean we won’t see any,” he said. The team must also deal with dosage and manufacturing.

“We do have evidence that the level of dosing that we use is compatible for use in humans,” he said. “Everything looks very promising. We can manufacture it, and it is welltolerated.” Fallon stressed that “it will be possible to manufacture Biglycan with sufficiency and yield. We’ve done work showing the feasibility of manufacture.” The pharmaceutical company Tivorsan announced on Sept. 20 that it would be partnering with Fallon to license patents and conduct further research. “Tivorsan’s role is something that is very difficult to do in an academic setting,” Fallon said. “Without that, we could not have moved toward the clinic.” Fallon’s team has also worked with contract research organizations. “For manufacturing, it’s been done externally. Efficacy measurements are done externally. We have network of outside labs that provide services.” These groups do not necessarily drive the science, but are still important in running additional tests and other background work, Fallon said. Fallon said his successes have come from years of work. “The finding that Biglycan regulates this pathway is the result of 25 years of work

Prof ’s WHO committee fights cancer By Morgan Johnson Contributing Writer

Joanna Cain, professor and chair of obstetrics and gynecology at Alpert Medical School, is now at the forefront of the global fight against cervical cancer. In her position as leader of a new World Health Organization committee for fighting the disease, she will be dedicated to revising and implementing new guidelines for detecting and treating cervical cancer in the developing world. According to Edward Wing, dean of medicine and biological sciences at Brown, “since Joanna arrived in 2008, she has grown the faculty, redone the educational programs and has been a strong leader for an outstanding department.” Cer vical cancer is the second most common cancer af flicting women. According to the WHO, there are over 500,000 new cases and approximately 250,000 deaths from the disease annually. In the U.S., cer vical cancer is highly preventable due to readily available screenings and vaccinations for the human papilloma vi-

rus, a sexually transmitted disease responsible for most cases of cervical cancer. According to the Center for Disease Control, about half of sexually active people will contract HPV, but only a fraction will go on to develop cervical cancer. But in regions of southern Africa, South America and other developing areas, the incidence of cervical cancer and subsequent death is much higher because of economic instability and the low priority of women’s health, according to Cain. In addition, women in these areas must also cope with social stigmas regarding their affliction, especially in the late stages. “Women are ostracized for the bleeding and the smell,” Cain said. Receiving proper palliative care is also a problem. “In many of these countries there is no access to morphine for pain control, so people die in agony, and many of these women are the main providers for their family,” Cain said. The WHO periodically produces and reforms guidelines for treating cervical cancer and other dis-

eases in the developing world. “We started a cer vical cancer control group because we were concerned that the WHO had produced their guidelines in 2006, and most of the major changes using HPV testing and vaccines happened after that,” Cain said. During a recent trip to Geneva, Cain and a committee of 30 attendees went through the previous WHO guidelines in detail and started making changes. “The big goal is to have much of it done, especially the parts about vaccines and HPV testing, so that next year when the UN discusses non-communicable diseases, our work can be included in their thinking,” Cain said. “The big changes with vaccines means fewer women will be at risk, and the new methodology will be more affordable for impoverished countries.” Wing called Cain “an international research leader on women’s health issues.” “It makes perfect sense to have someone of her stature and knowledge to lead the fight for women and girls in developing countries around the world,” he said.

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Kim Perley / Herald file photo

Professor of Medical Science Justin Fallon, pictured in 2008, is working with the drug Biglycan to treat Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

in my lab. And of those 25 years, 20 of that has been basic science. So all of this was made possible by a commitment to understanding how muscles work, and in this case how synapses work.” “Therapies don’t come out of thin air,” Fallon said. “To put a very simple analogy, a mechanic can fix your car

because a good mechanic knows how your car works. When it comes to disease, we need to understand the body.” Scientists’ knowledge of the body’s function is still limited, Fallon said. “That is the value of research, and it is important to put that into context.”

news in brief

Freshmen see border woes at Yale On Sept. 20, students in the first-year seminar ETHN 0090A: “The Border/La Frontera” got a closer look at the impact of the border issues they study in class. They attended the play “La Casa Rosa” — performed by Soame Citlalime, a group of 30 women from San Francisco Tetlanohcan, Mexico — on Yale’s campus. The production portrays the challenges faced by communities impacted by free trade and migration, as the performers tell their stories of how migration to the United States has affected their remaining community at home. Saudi Garcia ’14, a student in the class, said the actors did “a fantastic job of conveying their story.” The experience of those who remain behind while family members emigrate “has not been told as much as it should be,” she said. The play tells the story of two sisters attempting to gain control of their ancestral land, and the script is directly based on the struggles of the actors themselves. According to the production’s website, the group’s objective is “to use theater to bring awareness to the stories of families and communities affected by globalization in order to empower the people and help them understand the opportunities that exist in their country for development.” According to Daniel Carlton, a playwright who collaborated with Soame Citlalime to compose the piece, the group directly encountered the border conflicts portrayed in their play when they were initially denied visas to perform in the United States. In March, they presented invitations to perform and evidence of the project to the U.S. embassy in Mexico City, but their visa applications were denied with no explanation, according to a press release. The production’s sponsoring organizations were determined to fight this verdict, so instead of cancelling the scheduled performances, they played a documentary about the group’s work and the visa conflict and observed a moment of silence for the actors’ absence. The group’s visa application was finally approved July 1 with support from New Haven Mayor John Destefano and Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., according to the press release. The women who make up Soame Citlalime are part of the Migrant Family Support Center, which addresses the causes of unjust immigration policies and their negative effects on families by the promotion of art and culture. Carlton describes the play as a “community-based form of storytelling.” He said the story conveys an “important and often untold side of the international experience.” — Margaret Farris

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Students find lack of communication from U. when away continued from page 1 working at a consulting firm. Though he attempted to return the next semester, he was urged to take another semester off. Students can apply for readmission at any time, but most leaves for psychological reasons are longer than one semester, said Belinda Johnson, director of psychological services. “The important thing is that the student gets the appropriate help,” Johnson said. In summer 2009, Nwoka experienced another manic episode and his fall readmission to Brown was revoked, he said. He was allowed to return in January 2010, under the condition that he would follow a treatment plan, a basic requirement for most students returning from medical leave. But once on campus, Nwoka could not go to a psychiatrist to obtain his medication because his insurance did not have coverage in New England. Instead of seeking aid, “I tried to manage the medicine I did have by using it sparingly,” Nwoka said. “I was afraid that I would be placed back on medical leave if they knew I didn’t have a doctor.” “The University requires all students to have medical insurance prior to registering,” wrote Associate Dean of Student Life Maria Suarez in an email to The Herald. “If a student finds him or herself with limited coverage, the (Office of Student Life) works very closely to help them acquire the necessary coverage.” ‘Juggled around’ Nwoka’s attempts to avoid medical leave were thwarted after he experienced another episode at the end of last semester. Though he had successfully completed his finals and sought help himself from psychological services, Nwoka said, he was informed in early June that his status as an active student was being reconsidered in light of his recent episode. He was asked in August to submit letters written by himself, his doctors and his employer to determine whether he could enter as a student in the fall. Communication from the University was sparse, he said.

“Brown really didn’t keep in touch with me,” Nwoka said. “It was more me calling to see when I had to reapply for admission.” As the beginning of this semester approached, he was still uncertain of his status because his doctor’s letter did not arrive until Sept. 1. A week later, Nwoka met with Suarez to discuss his situation. “I was informed that I was officially on medical leave,” Nwoka said. A couple days later, a letter notifying him of his status change was sent to his home in Washington. Mandated medical leave, Suarez said, is only enforced “if it becomes clear that the student is a risk to themselves and others.” The reason for his mandated leave was explained to him in different terms, Nwoka said. “Although it was four months ago and I have two letters from doctors saying that I’m ready, they want to see a longer period of sustained recovery,” he said. “I think if Brown is going to make that decision, then they need to do the same work or more than the doctor they are disagreeing with.” Johnson said the emphasis on a student’s period of sustained recovery is to “avoid bouncing back and forth.” “The way that I have been placed — juggled around in the system — shows no commitment for us to have a timely education,” Nwoka said. ‘Going at it alone’ Another student entered Brown in 2004. She was having trouble adjusting to college life and chose to go on medical leave beginning in spring 2006. She returned two semesters later, but school had not become easier. The student requested anonymity because she did not want to be associated publicly with her story. After another two semesters, “I was having trouble adjusting to life here and it was decided for me that I should go,” she said. Thinking that her leave would be for just one more year, she attempted to apply for readmission in January 2008. But miscommunication on the terms of her leave led to a rejection of reentry. She said she was denied because she had not taken classes while on leave and had not worked

with a therapist enough. “I was completely blind-sided,” she said. She said she had spoken with an associate dean of student life, who no longer works at the University, about taking classes when she was first placed on leave, but was advised to focus on rehabilitating herself. “I took (the dean’s) word for it,” she said. “We are really aware that when a student takes a medical leave, that tends to be a highly emotional time for the student, so it is very possible that they do not absorb everything that was told to them,” Johnson said. “The biggest problem was not having more guidance, no specific place to help you through, to guide you,” the student said. “I was already off campus, already disconnected. I didn’t hear from anyone until I had to reapply.” “I felt that I was going at it alone,” she said. ‘Ambiguity … is rough’ Three types of leave are available to Brown students: personal leave, medical leave and academic suspension. The last case, according to Peggy Chang ’91, director of the Curricular Resource Center, is rare since many students decide to take a personal or medical leave before facing suspension. University policies for medical leave and involuntary leaves of absence are not currently available on the Office of Student Life’s website. “We are constantly revising our documents and are currently in the process of completing the most recent changes,” Suarez wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. She wrote that she would release them once their latest form is approved. Ernestine Jennings, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Alpert Medical School, said a lack of clearly stated protocol can hinder students’ efforts in treatment. “Ambiguity for that person in recovery is rough,” Jennings said. A ‘rewarding experience’ For some students who went on leave, like Chris Mendez ’10.5, the distance that the University kept during their leave of absence was not an issue. “Primarily, I was experiencing

a lot of frustration with academia,” Mendez said, “an internal crisis with what I was pursuing and what I want to pursue after.” “But the straw that broke the camel’s back was that I was experiencing symptoms,” he said, referring to the multiple sclerosis diagnosis he received at the end of his sophomore year. Though his decision to take leave was in part influenced by his medical condition, he took a personal leave, rather than a medical leave, after a student life dean told him a personal leave required less paperwork, Mendez said. “The dean didn’t see any reason to put it down as a medical leave,” Mendez said, “because to do a medical leave you need more paperwork.” In terms of communication, Mendez heard nothing from Brown until he had to confirm he was returning in the spring. “All in all, it was an extremely rewarding experience,” he said. “I couldn’t be where I am in my academic career had I not pursued these interests.” Lacking Nwoka and the female student both said they felt the resources available to them were insufficient. “Maybe if there were check-ins, even generic e-mails,” said the female student. “It would have been nice to have felt that someone was there.” “The system is so distant,” Nwoka said. “There should be people in Psych Services to check in with students so that students don’t feel afraid to talk to them about what’s going on.” “I wish we had more resources to connect with students,” Suarez said. “The support is there, but it is student-initiated.” Johnson said an Office of Student Life support staff member, who no longer works at the University, used to contact the students on leave to ask them about their decision to reapply. “She was really conscious about follow-up,” Johnson said, going “far beyond what (was) supposed to be her job.” Staff is another limited resource at Psych Services. According to the office’s website, there are six full-time, five part-

time and one on-call clinical staff. A new psychotherapist was hired this semester, raising the number of allowed appointments per student from five to seven a semester. Both sides, another way Mental health is clearly a complex condition to assess, especially when multiple needs are involved. “The situation that arises is that as an institution we are trying to support students,” Johnson said. “It doesn’t come from a place of rigidity. Let us as staff with experience help you out.” But there is a need for student voices to be heard within this process, Nwoka said. “What matters from a university’s perspective still needs to be looked at from a student’s,” Jennings said. “It’s a very unnerving process,” the female student said, “and a very ironic process. It puts a lot of stress on us.” “I think it is unjust,” Nwoka said. He said the episodic nature of bipolar disorder makes it hard to assess recovery. “What does sustained recovery mean for people like us?” Though “involuntary leaves are extremely rare and assessment is highly individualized,” Suarez wrote, another option for treatment is needed. “Why does that recovery process have to take place off campus?” Nwoka said. “There should be more collaboration with the student and the administration. Whoever is evaluating the student should also work in conjunction with outside doctors.” About 70 students go on medical leave for mental health concerns each semester, according to Suarez, though she wrote that her office does not keep exact figures. “There is a responsibility on both sides, with the common goal of coming back to school,” Jennings said. For the female student, the lack of communication translated into disinterest. “It would have been nice to have felt that someone was there,” she said. Nwoka said the difficulty of communication revealed “a lack of transparency about who’s making the decisions.” For now, Nwoka is at home in Washington. The female student plans to graduate in May.

No microwaves at Blue Room, yet continued from page 1

Glenn Lutzky / Herald

Students reported they were happy with the new Blue Room menu.

go to Haruki Express and get better sushi.” See said he would like to see Haruki Express, along with some kind of pizza option, included in the menu. Posever said she would be interested in a wider variety of Asian food. Although the new Blue Room has brought more diverse food options to its customers, other things have quietly gone missing. The microwaves, once used to heat up

muffins and soups, are no longer available to Blue Room patrons. Isabel Platt ’14 said she has noticed their absence, even though she had no experience with the old Blue Room. “I bought a cup of noodles here once and had to go all the way back to my room to heat it up,” she said. Larue wrote of the microwaves, “All our Blue Room menu items don’t require the use of the microwave and therefore no adequate space for a microwave was included in the ser ver y and dining room

layout.” Because of requests, “we are evaluating the best location to accommodate a microwave,” he wrote. The menu and other features will not remain stagnant, Larue wrote. “Throughout this first year of operations, our Blue Room team will respond to our customers’ feedback,” he wrote. “We have a suggestion box available at the Blue Room, and we welcome all our customers to share their suggestions and ideas.”

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

C ampus N EWS news in brief

MyStuff service decommissioned Brown’s network-based online file storage program, MyStuff, was discontinued Saturday. This shutdown was indirectly caused by Brown’s overall switch to Google Apps for Education, according to John Spadaro, director of technical architecture and outreach for Computing and Information Services. Google’s service provides one gigabyte of storage for each file type, such as spreadsheets and word documents, in comparison with MyStuff’s 250 megabytes. Not many students used MyStuff, according to Chris Grossi, assistant director of Desktop Support Services. Only six students called the CIS Help Desk about MyStuff after CIS announced that the service would be discontinued, Grossi said. But exact figures of how many people used the service are not available because students could unknowingly activate their MyStuff accounts simply by using computer clusters, Spadaro said. The shutdown of MyStuff was timed to coincide with the expiration of the accounts of students who graduated in May to make it less disruptive, according to Grossi. MyStuff was created about five years ago, Spadaro said. It existed under the name Campus File Service prior to that. “It was more heavily used five or 10 years ago,” Grossi said. “The level of use has been dropping. You can tell by how many people ask questions about it.” Sharmala Narasingam ’13 said she had “never heard about” MyStuff. She said she uses Google for her file storage needs. Andrea Sassenrath ’14 said the service’s end would “probably not” affect her. — Tiffany Phu

Monday, September 27, 2010

“You really are sacrificing important parts of your quality of life.” — Associate Prof. Judith Owens ’80, on not getting enough sleep

Owens ’80 advocates later start for more sleep By Jake Comer Contributing Writer

Thanks to a study conducted by Judith Owens ’80, associate professor of pediatrics at the Alpert Medical School, more high schools could push back their daily schedules to better accommodate their students’ sleeping patterns. Owens conducted an experiment at St. George’s School in Newport, R.I., a private coeducational high school where, until the beginning of the 2009–10 school year, classes began at 8 a.m. The faculty at St. George’s was skeptical at first, Owens said, but she presented biological evidence that supported a later start. The school agreed to begin classes at 8:30 a.m. for the fall semester and to monitor the change’s effects on the students and their academic performance. Owens kept track of reports of

tardiness, visits to the health center and academic performance. The results were such that by the end of the semester, Owens said, nobody wanted to switch back to an 8 a.m. starting time. The head of school, Eric Peterson, contacted Owens after hearing about the positive results of starting classes later each morning at Deerfield Academy in Massachusetts, Owens said. Owens’ colleague, Professor of Psychiatr y and Human Behavior Mary Carskadon, began studying the teenage sleeping pattern extensively in the ’90s. Owens said the results of Carskadon’s work inspired her to aim for a practical purpose in her research. “My dream would be to develop a toolkit for schools that has all the factual information, that has an evidence base, that has information about different ways of doing

this,” Owens said. At the onset of puberty, children start to get tired two hours later due to a delay in their bodies’ natural production of melatonin, Carskadon’s research found. At demanding schools, such as St. George’s, students stay up late to try and get their work done, Owens said. But instead of taking advantage of the extra half-hour by going to sleep later every night, students at St. George’s reported going to bed 18 minutes earlier on average after the scheduling shift, according to a Sept. 17 article in the Philadelphia Inquirer. They also said they felt more motivated and experienced fewer symptoms of depression. Owens said most high school and college students need eight to nine hours of sleep each night. “Their academic performance, their health, their mood — all of these things are intricately tied to

getting enough sleep, and you really are sacrificing important parts of your quality of life by not getting enough sleep,” she said. Owens’ findings at St. George’s supported the results of her previous research as well as Carskadon’s. But the endorsement of professional organizations, such as the American Academy of Pediatrics, will be necessary before more schools make similar schedule changes, she said. “The more we can get the backing of groups like this, I think it will lend credibility to our efforts and hopefully bring this issue to the attention of the school administrators who need to be aware of this being an option,” she said. Ultimately, Owens said, she hopes changes will occur on the regional and state level. “We need to approach this on both an individual school system level and a policy level,” she said.

Conference connects international scholars By Tiffany Zabludowicz Contributing Writer

About 200 scholars from 55 countries visited Brown for three weeks in June for a hybrid program of lectures, group work, round tables, field trips and social events. The University’s second annual Brown International Advanced Research Institutes conference was held June 6–26. The conference included four discussion programs this year, focusing on development, climate change initiatives, the critical humanities and global technology en-

trepreneurship and management. The conference emphasized the issue of inequality, said Professor of Sociology Patrick Heller, who took part. It also looked in depth at networks of exchange between the global North and South. The conference is part of the University’s multi-year internationalization project and aims to promote Brown’s vision of what a global university should be, according to Keith Brown, associate professor of international studies and the conference’s director. The interdisciplinar y forum aims to connect emerging scholars

from around the world who might not otherwise have the opportunity to meet. In order to ensure that alums of the conference stay in contact, the initiative provides access to a “virtual academic network” to help participants keep in touch. The conference “sets together a train that will lead to other collaborations,” Heller said. He described it as “a learning experience for ever yone to think outside of their own context.” “It is really important that, as part of Brown’s internationalization initiative, Brown is at the cutting edge of developing these kinds of

learning and networking experiences,” Heller said, adding that the 2010 conference “went really well.” The conference was organized by the same central team this year as in 2009. They “learned a lot of lessons in putting it together the first year that they were able to apply in the second,” Brown said. In the future, organizers hope to expand the range of topics discussed at the conference, Brown said, and to continue to respond to pressing issues in the world where Brown faculty interests match those of young scholars and practitioners in the global South.

Arts & Culture The Brown Daily Herald

Monday, September 27, 2010 | Page 6

Brown/Trinity Rep production serves a ‘slice of life’

By Kristina Fazzalaro Senior Staff Writer

William Saroyan’s drama “The Time of Your Life” kicked off the Brown University/Trinity Rep MFA Program’s 2010–11 season this weekend at the Pell Chafee Performance Center downtown. Set in 1939 San Francisco, the play revolves around the happenings of Nick’s Pacific Street Saloon, a local honky-tonk catering to regulars, eccentric passersby and the occasional society couple taking a break from the more sophisticated watering holes uptown. Nick, played by Charlie Thurston MFA’12, is a good, sensible guy, ver y protective of his bar and patrons. Throughout the play, he attempts to help his customers navigate the turbulent and dark corners of their lives while battling his own demons — namely his lack of faith in humanity. Thurston’s steady performance

is well-delivered with subtle sarcasm, providing the audience with a counter weight to the shocking events of the play. As with any good bartender, the audience leaves feeling like they can trust Nick to have their backs and keep their secrets. One of Nick’s most frequent customers — and the principal character of the play — is Joe, played by the charming and endearing Philippe Bowgen MFA’12. Joe describes himself in the show as a man with “a Christian conscience in a world that’s got no conscience.” Keeping himself in the money through all manner of tricks and trades, Joe spends his days at Nick’s, drinking champagne and trying to live “a civilized life — a life that doesn’t hurt any other life.” To this end, Joe takes care of his infinitely loyal though simpleminded peon Tom (Lovell Holder MFA’12), farm-girl turned prostitute Kitty (Lauren Lubow MFA’12)

and various other patrons who spark his generosity and kindhearted nature. The world tests Joe continually, though. As hard as he tries to make ever yone happy, the city itself presents him with more and more obstacles. Whether it be money, the law or societal norms, Joe cannot succeed in protecting ever yone. The play is about the “darker side of humanity with people who have been put to the side in society,” Thurston said. Despite the heavy themes, Saroyan’s play remains hopeful and even comedic at times. For example, Tommy Dickie MFA’12 plays the jovial and often drunk Kit Carson. An ex-cowboy who has sur vived three wars, four wives and countless children whose names he can’t recall, Kit comes into the bar looking like a man on a mission. After chugging a beer, he asks Joe an important question:

Ensemble depicts search for father By Natalie Villacorta Contributing Writer

Men are always looking for their fathers. This is “The Search” explored by Aurea Ensemble, which premiered Sunday at the FirstWorks 2010 Festival in the Chace Center at the Rhode Island School of Design. The performance was inspired by a print series by Morris Nathanson, a Rhode Island artist and designer. Aurea Ensemble calls its performances “the alchemy of music and words.” Through music infused with spoken word, Aurea unifies the humanities and fine ar ts. In this par ticular per formance, Aurea depicted Nathanson’s journey to find his father through music played by their string quar tet, narration and harmonica by Chris Turner and a series of photographs and images by Nathanson himself. The search began at the foot of a snow-capped mountain with a violin duet. Then Turner, in his engaging British accent, recited the poem “For, Brother, What Are We?” by Thomas Wolfe, which discusses the widespread desire of men to follow in the footsteps of their fathers. During the poem, Nathanson’s family photos scrolled on three screens — on the back wall, stage left and stage right. There were pictures of Nathanson as a young boy, of his mother and his brothers, in black and white, cracked and faded. But there were no pictures of Nathan-

son’s father. His father left his family during the Great Depression, which was the impetus for “The Search.” The first part of the performance repeated this pattern of music played to a slideshow, followed by readings, which were chosen by Teaching Associate in Music Consuelo Sherba. Sherba also plays the viola for Aurea, and her husband, Teaching Associate in Music Charles Sherba, plays the violin. The photographs were taken by Nathanson on his many travels. One measure the audience was in a crowded depot in India, and the next in a narrow waterway in Venice. Mixed with the photos were pieces of Nathanson’s art, black and white paper cutouts of disproportional people and palm trees on a beach. At some points, it was difficult to see the connection between the narration, the images and the music. Though the juxtaposition of these media generated a unique experience, it lacked a cohesive plot other than the theme of “searching.” Part two of the performance, though, was less abstract and more comprehensive. The second search, which illustrated Nathanson’s print series, was broken into six sections of narration separated by music. An unpleasantly shrill harmonica marked the start of the journey: “I left my house and began the search for my father.” This narration accompanied a

print of a man in a field, carrying a small suitcase. The man crossed a river, visited many villages, rode many trains and sailed the ships of many nations, looking for his father. Along the journey, the man fell in love, had a son and encountered war. The prints were black and white and very basic, almost cartoon-like. It was the music that provided the detail and color and conveyed the complexity of the experience. When the man found himself in the midst of war, the quar tet aggressively played a movement by Shostakovich. When the man sailed on the seas and fell in love, they played a beautiful, soothing piece by Mendelssohn. The story took an ironic turn when the man, caught up in finding his own father, abandoned his son. But in the end, it is not his father whom he finds, but his son: “I came to a strange harbor and saw a face I knew … my son and I embraced … he finished his search and I became my father.” At the end of the performance, the artists hosted a talk-back. Nathanson explained that the story is both allegorical and autobiographical. His father left his family when he was young, but the purpose of the print series is to portray a search that has been going on for centuries, he said. This search is in religious scripture and is the subject of many stories. It is a fate that is impossible to escape, Nathanson told the audience. “We are our fathers,” he declared. “We repeat their mistakes.”

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“I don’t suppose you’ve ever fell in love with a midget weighing 39 pounds?” The production’s strength came from the terrific interactions between various patrons. The large ensemble cast — featuring 18 actors — worked together seamlessly to por tray a realistic and absorbing day in the life of the down and out. The city threatens to swallow its inhabitants as they struggle to make it to tomorrow. The play called into question many relevant themes for individuals today: hope, greed and loss of self are just some of the notes the play touches on. “It’s a real slice of life play,” said Director Michael Perlman ’05 MFA’10 of the Pulitzer Prizewinning drama first performed in 1939. “It’s about people tr ying to find hope and optimism in a time where there is little hope and optimism left.” The cast included second-

year graduate students from the Brown/Trinity Rep acting and directing programs. “It’s a studio project,” Perlman said. “So the focus is really on the acting. Ever yone has something fun to do.” The actors, having worked together for two years, have seen each other’s shor tcomings and triumphs, which can sometimes make working together a challenge, Thurston said. The play, with its themes of compassion and support, reflects what the actors do together each day, he added. Perlman said Brown/Trinity Rep productions often feel removed from College Hill. They generally attract a dif ferent set of patrons, including Trinity Rep faithfuls and local theater enthusiasts. “Trinity is Providence’s theater, and we’re aware of that connection,” Thurston said. “We have an obligation to our community to show them good art.”

Production questions the ‘easy answers’ in life continued from page 1 lems can manifest themselves in severe levels of physical violence and emotional shock. “I think the line between passion and abuse is very evident,” said Assistant Director Mica Fidler ’12. The play’s many troubled relationships reveal that love and passion can lead to anger and violence. As the title suggests, the mind is capable of deceiving us. Denial and memory are significant themes that explore the boundaries of truth and lie. Throughout the play, people create lies by locking away certain memories, selectively choosing what to believe, even though nothing may be truthful. “Young college students want to believe how we want to change the world. … There is the idealism that goes on here,” Fidler said. The play serves to make us aware of the ways our mental projections of the world can blur “the line between truth and lie,” she said. The play also incorporates live music played by a small ensemble. The jazz, bluegrass and folksy blues not only make scene transitions smoother but often elaborate on the emotional energy of the recent scene. Most of the time, the music plays on the scenes in a darkly humorous way, creating what Harding called a “great juxtaposition.” The music “also adds so much color and flavor to the American West,” Fidler said. One of the greatest directorial challenges for this play, Marshall said, wa s to make the scenes around bedridden characters “active and moving all the time.” Fidler pointed out the “strategic challenges of working in Leeds Theatre.” Because viewers are seated

on multiple sides of the stage, “you always have to be conscious of the audience and the picture you’re creating,” Fidler said. “I hope the audience leave thinking about the relationships in their lives, the balance between self and others, passion and fear and hatred,” Fidler said. As Marshall noted, “it’s a morally and ethically confusing play.” It is confusing in the sense that characters are not viewed as flatly belonging to one categor y. Undoubtedly, Jake is an abuser, and Beth is a victim, but by carefully unwrapping the characters’ pasts, the play reveals the impact of their familial relationships and how kinship shapes the people they turn out to be. “I want (the audience) to realize that it’s definitely not a black and white play. It’s ver y gray,” Harding said. In spite of its seriousness, Shepard’s play “has lots of laughing moments,” she explained. “It’s the little things about family life that we can find humorous.” “All of us who are working on ‘A Lie of the Mind’ have thought long about family, about (guilt), and blame, about victims and abusers. We’ve thought hard about resistance and enablement and about people’s complicity and responsibility in the breakdowns of individuals and families,” Marshall wrote in an e-mail to The Herald. Marshall wrote that she hopes “our audiences will take a similar journey of discovery that may lead to a questioning of the easy answers about guilt, blame and the acceptance of personal responsibility in the lives of the people we love and the health of the wonderful country and deeply flawed society in which we live.”

SportsMonday The Brown Daily Herald

SCOREBOARD

Monday, September 27, 2010 | Page 7

M. Water polo

M. Water polo

Tennis

Volleyball

Field Hockey

Brown 19 Conn. College 2

Brown 9 St. Francis 14

Mike Hill ’13 and Timmy Klanke ’13 Doubles “C” - first

Brown 3 Stony Brook 2

Brown 2 Dartmouth 4

Queens College 9 Brown 10

Jessica Harrow ’14 and Ariel Caldwell ’14 - first in flights

W. GOLF Dartmouth Invite Fifth place

W. SOCCER

Bruno tops UMass, opens Ivy campaign with away loss to Big Green By Madeleine Wenstrup Contributing Writer

This week marked a number of firsts for the women’s soccer team. The Bears (4-3-1, 0-1) took on the University of Massachusetts Minutewomen (3-6-0) for the first time in 20 years, pulling away with a 2-1 win. Brown also faced its first Ivy challenge on Sunday afternoon, falling short at Dartmouth, 2-1. Brown 3, UMass 2 Bruno was hungry for a win as it stepped out on Stevenson Field Thursday afternoon. Coming off a scoreless draw with Sacred Heart, the team took charge on the offensive side of the field. In the 19th minute, midfielder Mika Siegelman ’14 scored her first career goal on a free kick to start things off for the Bears. She sent the ball high into the corner from 35 yards away to give the team a 1-0 lead. But UMass would not go down that easily. The Minutewomen answered two minutes later when midfielder Therese Smith beat goalkeeper Amber Bledsoe ’14 with an easy close-range shot, tying the game at one. The back-and-forth battle ensued for the rest of the half. Gina Walker ’11 scored five minutes after UMass’ equalizer, sending a corner kick from midfielder Maddie Wiener ’14 into the net. Rising to the challenge again,

UMass scored with six minutes remaining in the first half, keeping the game even. The teams remained at a draw throughout most of the second half as UMass and Brown traded scoring opportunities. As the minutes ticked by, the game seemed to be heading into extra time. But with just 2:35 left, for ward Mar ybeth Lesbirel ’12 sent the ball high into the right corner, breaking the tie and bringing the Bears a victory. The goal was Lesbirel’s first of the season, but her presence on the front line has been imperative to the team’s offensive success. Dartmouth 2, Brown 1 The game against the Minutewomen revved up the team for its Ivy League opener against Dartmouth on Sunday. “The league is ver y competitive and there is a lot of parity in the league,” said Head Coach Phil Pincince about star ting up the league competition. “It’s anyone’s championship to win.” The Bears traveled to Hanover, N.H., to face the Big Green. They stepped onto the field with intensity, earning three corner kicks in the first 10 minutes. But Dartmouth took advantage of its opportunities first, scoring off of the first corner kick to take the lead, 1-0, in the 24th minute.

Jonathan Bateman / Herald

Marybeth Lesbirel ‘12 tries to get ahead of the ball against the University of Massachusetts last Thursday.

The Big Green doubled its margin 10 minutes into the second half with a touch into the far corner of the net. Dangerous attempts by Walker and Siegelman were halted by Dartmouth goalie Colleen Hogan, but the Bears were unable to get on the board. With eight minutes remaining, Brown was awarded a penalty shot after a foul in the box. Siegelman took the shot, sending it high, past

the goalie and into the net. Fueled by Siegelman’s goal, the Bears tried to even the score, but Dartmouth held firm for the last eight minutes to take the win. The shot advantage was barely in Dartmouth’s favor, 12-11, but Hogan’s five saves made the difference for the Big Green. Competition in the Ivy League is fierce and the Bears’ first conference game reflected that. “They did play very, very physi-

cal,” Coach Pincince said. “It was a lot of battles all over the field.” Considering the team lost to Dartmouth 3-1 last year, the Bears are optimistic about their upcoming league matchups, Pincince said. League play will continue this weekend. The Bears will play Columbia on Saturday afternoon after facing the University of New Hampshire on Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. Both games will be played at home.

M. SOCCER

No. 22 Bears still undefeated after winning at Vermont By Zack Bahr Spor ts Editor

Jonathan Bateman / Herald file photo

Midfielder Jon Okafor ’11 scored one of the team’s three goals in Saturday’s 3-0 win.

As one of just a handful of unbeatens in the top 25 of Division I soccer, the men’s soccer team (5-0-2) continued its streak with a decisive 3-0 victory at the University of Vermont on Saturday. “I don’t think this is just a streak,” said defender Eric Robertson ’13. “We’ve put in the work with 26 great players and this is the result.” Robertson — last week’s Eastern College Athletic Conference defensive player of the week — in tandem with goalkeeper Paul Grandstrand ’11, led the Bears in their shutout effort. Grandstrand, who is currently third in the countr y for save percentage, recorded three saves in goal on the evening

for his sixth shutout of the year. The Catamounts did not record their first shot on goal until the second half. For ward T.J. Popolizio ’12 scored the lone goal in the first half and midfielder Jon Okafor ’11 found the back of the net midway through the second. Forward Sean Rosa ’12 sealed the deal for the Bears, scoring with just under five minutes left in the game. “Our team’s success is welldeser ved,” Roberston said. “We play for keeps.” Bruno currently has the best record in the Ivy League but is ranked one spot below No. 21 Har vard in the national polls. The Bears return to home action Saturday, as they begin their quest for an Ivy League title with a game against Columbia at 7 p.m.

Page 8

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

S ports M onday

Monday, September 27, 2010

“If we get it inside the 30 or thereabouts, he’s money.” ­— Football Head Coach Phil Estes, on kicker Alex Norocea ’14

FOOTBALL

Bears start strong, don’t look back continued from page 1 pressure on Harvard quarterback Andrew Hatch all night, logging four sacks and forcing two interceptions. Hatch was continually flushed out of the pocket, and the Crimson offense was never able to get into a rhythm. “We came into the game with a good gameplan,” Okoji said. “We wanted to put a little heat on (the quarterback). We wanted to give them different looks defensively.” While the Crimson offense sputtered, the Bears were able to grind out 142 yards rushing, as they dominated time of possession and made several key third-down conversions. Running back Mark Kachmer ’13 scored both of Brown’s touchdowns as he found the end zone twice from short yardage. The quarterback duties were split between starter Kyle NewhallCaballero ’11, who is still recovering from a hand injury, and last week’s starter Joe Springer ’11. The two combined for 154 yards through the air. Newhall-Caballero seemed “ready to go” by Friday’s practice, Estes said, but he wanted to ease in last year’s First Team All-Ivy quarterback. “Joe’s been terrific, so we just decided to rotate every series, and I don’t think we missed much with either one,” Estes said. Saturday night’s game also saw one Bear enter the record books. Kicker Alex Norocea ’14 connected on five field goals, including a 44yard boot, to tie the Brown record for most field goals in a single game. Norocea, who put points on the board early and often, became the fourth Bear kicker in history to score five FGs. With a comfortable 15-point lead in the last minute of the game, Norocea had a chance

to claim the record outright, but missed a 34-yard attempt. Norocea’s early season success — he was honored as Ivy League Rookie of the Week after the Stony Brook game — has given the Bears a tremendous boost, Estes said. “If we get it inside the 30 (yard line) or thereabouts, he’s money,” Estes said. “It really does make a difference to have him there to make some big plays for us.” Norocea, who had never made five field goals in a game at any level before Saturday, focused on crediting his teammates. “The offense put us in a good position and I just went out there and did my job and what I’m expected to do day in and day out,” Norocea said. The Bears set the tone for the game early. In an eight-minute opening drive, Brown completed four third-down conversions to set up Norocea’s first field goal and claim a 3-0 lead. In the second quar ter, the Bears seized control of the game as Kachmer took a direct snap and leapt over the line to give Brown a 13-0 lead. The play was set up by linebacker Robert Gillet’s ’11 key interception. Gillet caught Hatch’s overthrown pass and weaved his way 41 yards down the sideline near the end zone pylon. With 31 seconds left in the half, Kachmer found the end zone for the second time to cap off a long drive orchestrated by Newhall-Caballero, giving Bruno a commanding 23-0 lead. But Harvard quickly cut the lead to 23-14, after a score in the final seconds of the first half and a kick return for a touchdown to start off the third quarter. Both touchdowns were scored by senior wide receiver Marco Iannuzzi. This was as close as the Crim-

son would get. Norocea added his fourth and fifth field goals as the Brown offense controlled the clock in the second half. On Harvard’s final chance to get back in the game with under five minutes left, defensive lineman John Anderson ’11 batted down a fourth-down pass at the line of scrimmage, giving the ball back to Brown and elating the home crowd. On the final whistle, the Brown players stormed onto the field to celebrate the memorable win. “They played hard-nosed, tough, and physical,” said Harvard Head Coach Tim Murphy. “They were a mentally tougher and physically tougher team tonight.” Estes credited his team’s effort for the win in the conference opener. “All we needed to do was be better on this Saturday than Harvard, and we went out and did that.”

Jonathan Bateman / Herald

Teammates swarmed LB Robert Gillett ’11 after his second quarter interception, which he ran back 41 yards to just outside the goal line.

Jesse Morgan / Herald

Running back Mark Kachmer ‘13 ran 19 times for 89 yards and two touchdowns in the landslide win.

With bedbugs on the rise, no clear solution forthcoming By Sarah Avery McClatchy Newspapers

RALEIGH, N.C. — For anyone hoping there’s a quick, easy treatment for bedbugs in the near future, take note of the hesitation in Coby Schal’s response. Schal is a North Carolina State University urban entomologist — the academic title for a guy who studies cockroaches and, of late, bedbugs — and he gets asked all the time whether a miracle might soon hit the market to stem growing infestations of the blood-sucking pests. Pause. Long, scary pause. “I wish I had a short-term answer to that,” he says. Another pause. “But I don’t.” Oh, agony and woe. And the pessimism among leading bug scientists is nothing compared to the downer from exterminators, who now rank bedbugs among their worst and most prevalent problems. Donnie Shelton, owner of Tri-

angle Pest Control in Raleigh, said his bedbug business has increased 400-fold — just this year. He bought a dog, named Scout, who is specially trained to sniff out bedbug infestations. Next month Shelton will offer a heat-based eradication system, which uses industrial heaters to roast the bugs dead in their tracks. Pesticides, he says, are increasingly ineffective. “They become more resistant ever y single day,” Shelton says. “They’re insane. You can’t do anything with them. Everything in the arsenal isn’t working.” Overuse of pesticides has likely contributed to the bedbugs’ resurgence, and that exact process is one of the mysteries Schal’s team at NCSU is trying to figure out. Until only recently, bedbugs seemed to be a scourge of the past, but their comeback has been a triumph of selective resilience that would be a marvel if it wasn’t so creepy. “Bedbugs just drive people mad,”

Shelton says. “The thought of an insect coming out and biting you when you’re sleeping — it makes people crazy.” Infestations have hit area hotels, North Carolina State University and Wake Forest University dorm rooms, a home for the elderly in downtown Raleigh and untold numbers of private residences.

WORLD & NATION Treatments can be extensive and expensive, requiring repeat visits that can run costs to well over $1,000. When bedbugs first star ted showing up in North Carolina four years ago, Shelton says, a pesticide that relied on the chemical compound pyrethroid worked well. That didn’t last. Exterminators then switched to another chemical, also a pyrethroid-based compound, and it, too, failed. Schal says he has dunked bedbugs in pyrethroid — literally soaked them — and they live. “They

just walk away,” he says. As a result, he suspects the bugs that are now infesting the United States hitchhiked here from Africa or South America, where pyrethroid-based insecticides have been sprayed liberally to eradicate mosquitoes that carry malaria and so-called kissing bugs that transmit Chagas disease. When poisons are used over and over again, the vulnerable bugs die, while the hardy ones live and breed, creating a master race that is impervious to the toxins. And since bedbugs are notorious travelers — they can hop on luggage, clothing, purses — they easily spread in a go-go world. Schal’s group at NCSU has a $350,000 grant to use DNA sequencing to trace the origins of current bedbug populations in the United States. The information, he says, will clarify “where they came from and why they’re here and why we’re having problems now that we didn’t have two decades ago.” The failure of pyrethroid-based

insecticides has created a unique situation in the battle against bedbugs. With cockroaches, which have also grown resistant to the pesticide, exterminators have other weapons. They can use baits to attract the insects. The baits, spiked with another poison the insects eat, kill the critters and others that come in contact with them. But bedbugs are built to suck blood, not scrounge food particles. In addition, scientists don’t know exactly what draws bedbugs to humans, other than the prospect of a blood meal. Answering that question is another goal of Schal and his team at NCSU, in hopes the knowledge may result in something that lures bedbugs from the nooks and crannies where they hide. That would be a major advance, because it’s a sneaky breed. Bedbugs can go months without a meal, burrow deep into furniture and continued on page 9

World & Nation The Brown Daily Herald

Monday, September 27, 2010 | Page 9

Program aims to end campus rudeness Entomologists: Don’t panic for bedbugs’ sake By Patricia Alex The Hackensack, N.J. Record

continued from page 8 walls, and are creative in where they hide their progeny; eggs have been found in picture frames, behind baseboards, even along the threads of headboard bolts. Pest experts note that such survival skills make it hard for trained exterminators to clear an infestation, let alone do-it-yourselfers. They particularly caution people from using pesticide “bombs,” which contain pyrethroid and are generally ineffective. Multiple bombs only put residents at risk, not the bugs. Mike Waldvogel, another NCSU entomologist, says there are steps people can take to prevent infestations in the first place. He says people who travel should check

their hotel rooms for tell-tale signs of bedbugs, notably brown stains along the seams of mattresses, and keep their luggage off the floors, beds and chairs. Once they return home, he says, people should unpack in the bathtub, where they’re more likely to see a hitchhiking bug, and immediately wash and dry all their clothes. He also recommends sequestering the suitcase outside or in the garage. And while Waldvogel urges diligence, he also says there’s no reason to panic. “You can’t just stay at home and hunker down and watch TV and never invite anyone into your house,” he says. Then again, that doesn’t sound quite so bad.

HACKENSACK, N.J. — Next up from the state most recently associated with Snooki and table-flipping housewives: civility. Rutgers, New Jersey’s state university, is launching a two-year, campuswide initiative called Project Civility, designed to make “a strong case for good manners, politeness and civility in contemporary society,” the school announced this week. The project is designed to go beyond the superficialities of good manners, however, and promote more thoughtful and caring interactions — particularly at a campus that is among the most culturally diverse in the nation, school officials said. “These questions about what counts as civil in different cultures are important,” said Kathleen Hull, director of the university’s first-year

seminar program. “It’s needed because Rutgers University, like every other university, is just a microcosm of the culture,” she said, citing the uptick in such uncivil behavior as road rage and bullying. Even the way people generally talk to one another needs closer examination, Hull said. The so-called civility movement has gained momentum on campuses during the last decade and many, including most in New Jersey, have included statements on civility in student handbooks. Those statements generally express schools’ inclusiveness and tolerance for other viewpoints. The Rutgers project will encourage small acts of kindness to encourage positive changes in the overall campus atmosphere, reduce hostility and foster communication, the school said. Project Civility events scheduled for this academic year include “fire-

Sun rises, sun sets Herald inbox waits for you Your letters, your love letters@browndailyherald.com

side chats;” a debate, and panel discussions on bullying, hazing, stalking and sportsmanship. The impact of technology on civil behavior also will be explored. P.M. Forni, a professor at Johns Hopkins, author and noted advocate of civil behavior, will be featured at two public events to inaugurate the project. The kickoff event, a public lecture, is at 8 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the Rutgers Student Center, 126 College Ave. The following day, Forni will moderate a panel discussion, “What Does Civility Do for Us? Respect, Restraint and Responsibility in Public and Political Life.” The event will take place at the Rutgers Student Center at 3 p.m. Both events are free. Forni is the author of “Choosing Civility: The Twenty-Five Rules of Considerate Conduct” (2002) and “The Civility Solution: What to Do When People Are Rude” (2008).

Editorial & Letters The Brown Daily Herald

Page 10 | Monday, September 27, 2010

l e t t e r to t h e e d i to r

Anti-dogma column equally dogmatic To the Editor: David Sheffield’s ’11 column “God and Man at Brown” (Sept. 21) attempts to convince us that religion has no place in academia and prohibits proper learning by adhering to fallacious beliefs in such things as creationism. Unfortunately, where Sheffield goes wrong is in his critique of the dogmatism that many religious institutions strictly adhere to, whilst squelching not only creative elements of learning but also fundamentally logical and reasonable scientific theories. It seems that Sheffield’s own dogmatism, and perhaps the dogmatism of many of Brown’s more liberal policies, could be equally “religious” in nature. I could argue that the Open

Curriculum allows certain people at Brown to ignore many scientific and foundational portions of academia. In this sense, our own tolerance of academic liberty may also cause ignorance. Is this a bad thing? Not necessarily. We believe in academic freedom and choice; in many respects, this frees us to pursue our passions and makes taking science classes or English courses more meaningful. I think Sheffield should allow the folks at Liberty (who willingly attend and teach at a conservative Christian institution) to do the same — pursue their passions and explore what they find most meaningful, their relationship with God. J ulia S treuli

Christopher Unseth ’11.5 Sept. 24

e d i to r i a l

We’ve got spirit

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It’s rare to see Brown students with painted faces yelling at the top of their lungs. Such displays of pure excitement are generally reser ved for Spring Weekend. But on Saturday night, students and alums channeled their spirit for Brown football’s first-ever night game in the homecoming matchup against Har vard. For those who packed the bleachers to witness the football team’s 29-14 victor y, the game was a tremendous show of solidarity. Sadly, such showings of solidarity are rare in the realm of Brown athletics. At some schools, sporting events routinely generate excitement all across campus, but Brown’s student body has unfortunately developed a reputation for apathy towards athletics and school spirit. As The Herald reported on Friday, the general perception is that few of us can actually sing the fight song along with the Brown Band. We commend the staff, parents and alums involved with the Brown Football Association. They decided to tackle head-on the student body’s apparent disinterest and ver y much succeeded. The logistics of arranging lighting for a night game requires extensive planning and funding, and we hope that none of the estimated 17,360 people who attended the game take their hard work for granted. In an era of budget cuts, we’re especially grateful to those whose financial backing allowed for a seemingly unprecedented celebration of community. Of course, the football team also deserves a lot of credit for making the evening so

special. The Bears put forth an inspired effort against the Crimson and electrified the crowd with their dominating performance. Kicker Alex Norocea ’14 tied a school record with five field goals, and the 15 points that resulted turned out to be precisely the margin of victory. Brown’s defense also came up big, forcing Har vard’s quarterback — who formerly started three games for Louisiana State University — to throw two interceptions. Perhaps one day, permanent lighting fixtures for the football stadium will make raucous, spirited night games a routine occurrence. Until then, we’d love to see a night game at least become an annual tradition. Because so many students had a great experience on Saturday night, we imagine that more students will want to get involved with planning and fundraising for future night games. We encourage the Brown Football Association to leverage Saturday night’s success by soliciting student input on promoting a night game next year. Many Brown students are big sports fans generally but only tepid fans of Brown’s teams. But last night may have been a turning point in countering the belief that Brown isn’t a “sports school.” In recent years, Brown students have been named the happiest, the douchiest and among the most intellectual. We have no idea what could be next, but we’re ready to make a run at “most spirited.” Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@ browndailyherald.com.

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Opinions The Brown Daily Herald

Monday, September 27, 2010 | Page 11

Liberating environmentalism SARAH YU Opinions Columnist I grew up under a hole in the ozone layer. Australians have an extraordinarily heightened sense of danger — being geographically situated away from global security issues but close to poisonous animals probably accounts for this national characteristic. From an environmental perspective, Australians deserve every right to be hyper-sensitive. In addition to the persistent UV rays, there are constant droughts, an unstable ecosystem and a necessarily high level of greenhouse gas emissions. I remember a childhood filled with water bans, stigma against plastic bottles and Styrofoam, and obsessive-compulsive recycling. At Brown, I have been scoffed at by my peers for making suggestions that they turn off the bathroom taps while brushing their teeth —“Why do you care so much about saving water anyway? I didn’t know you were an environmentalist!” I suppose I missed out on the moment when “environmentalism” became just another negative “ism” word, when “environmentalists” were to be detested for their tendency to impose their own values on others. These words have evolved such that the simple act of expressing a concern about running water can lead to accusations of radicalism. We tend to put “environmental issues” under a big umbrella of politically- and activist-charged debates, encompassing anything from the belief of the existence of global warming to the international com-

petition and security concerns around ratifying the Kyoto Protocol, from researching renewable energy sources right down to separating our domestic trash and recycling. To be an “environmentalist” today contains the (mostly negative and sometimes inappropriate) connotations of loud activism, culminating in incidents such as Brown’s very own Thomas-Friedman-andpie affair in the spring of 2008. The Greenwash Guerillas, responsible for the procurement and creative use of the pie at New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman’s talk on environmentalism in April 2008, crit-

than not align with the liberal spectrum of policy debates. These stereotypes are troublesome: When we incorporate a seemingly objective and standard social value such as caring about the environment with a larger picture of political debates, we are taking the focus away from actually helping create a sustainable future. It is using environmentalism as an excuse to further other political causes, and I don’t believe that environmentalism deserves to be treated thus. Let us think back to our childhood, when we watched Free Willy and learned about saving endangered animals and how to dis-

Being sustainable is not about activism or imposition of values — it’s about common sense.

icized his legitimacy in calling himself an environmentalist because of “his influential support of U.S. wars for oil in the Middle East.” It is as if being an environmentalist is only permitted after fulfilling rigid socioeconomic and ideological criteria. Does environmentalism always come in a package deal with political liberalism and a fanatical willingness to engage in activism? Does being relatively privileged automatically account for a disregard of sustainability? Conservative political parties in many Western countries are typically those against lowering greenhouse gas emissions through restrictions and sanctions, and parties based on a “green” agenda more often

pose of our trash properly. We should have experienced the natural progression from learning about wildlife and nature to liking wildlife and nature (and who didn’t love Willy?) to wanting to help the environment maintain its existence. Somewhere along the line, unfortunately, we ceased to care about Mother Earth except when there is the possibility of some other type of gain. How to care about the environment should not be a debate involving morals and ideology. It should not be so sensitive, nor should it be so contentious. Being sustainable is not about activism or imposition of values — it’s about common sense. In order to help the environment (which is what environmentalists should be con-

cerned with, above all else), I can think of many logical and practical measures that everyone can take, regardless of what political alliance we choose. Simple and undeniably efficient practices, such as making sure faucets are not running needlessly or turning off the lights when leaving a room, should not be clouded by personal political stances or ideology. These are things that young children are taught in households and schools early on, and just because these ideas are elementary does not mean that we, as adults and mature political thinkers, should set them aside in search of larger, arguably “more important” goals. It is a shame that much of our youthful idealism toward preserving wild animals and saving trees has disappeared in our adolescent journeys in a politically realist world, because, unlike many other childish beliefs, the one about the environment is not far-fetched, unrealistic or impractical. A small dose of common sense is really all that anyone needs to become, by my own definition, an environmentalist. I don’t believe that this requirement should be in any way difficult for students at Brown. There are absolutely no benefits that can be attained from leaving taps running or lights on, and attempting to remedy these faux pas does not inconvenience anyone. We need to think of the “environmental” before we add all the unhappy thoughts that come with the “ism.” It wasn’t that long ago that we wanted to free Willy, and there should not be anything preventing us from holding on to these ideals.

Sarah Yu ’11 drinks tap water and has great teeth because of the fluoride. She can be reached at xia_yu@brown.edu.

Show some spirit BY DENIZ ILGEN Opinions Columnist The first athletic event I attended this semester was a men’s soccer game against Providence College. Not a particularly zealous fan of soccer, I didn’t expect to be enraptured for the entirety of the game. However, as the clock counted down, I found myself unable to tear my eyes away from the field. The players showed such determination and exhibited a grace under pressure that I hadn’t witnessed until then. They ran nonstop throughout the game, and if they were at all tired, they definitely didn’t show it. The offense and defense worked together to seamlessly create a cohesive unit. For the duration of the event, I didn’t even feel like I was watching a sports game; I was so absorbed, I felt like I was playing in one. The show doesn’t just take place on the field, though. The loyal, supportive fans are also a sight to be seen. Often decked out in face paint and sporting Brown paraphernalia, some students show so much spirit and energy that they become some of the reasons I go to games. Seeing my peers actively rooting for our teams and cheering on our players so enthusiastically makes me feel comforted in knowing that these positive, encouraging people are my classmates. All in all, it’s a unifying experience in that it brings people from various backgrounds to-

gether. It isn’t everyday you see strangers sitting with each other and getting along famously because they happen to support the same team. I feel that many students take the athletics department at Brown for granted. Coming from a high school where academics were prioritized and athletics were subpar, I realize how lucky I am that Brown’s sports games are actually worth watching. It sometimes comes as a shock to me to go to a home game and see so few students in the

“Go Bruno!” to less encouraging jibes directed at the opposing team — such as “Harvard sucks!” — a majority of the fans vocally showed their support and Brunonian pride. After an intense game against Harvard, our football team became the victor, owing some of its credit to the loyal fans. At several points during the game some of the players motioned to the crowd to keep up the cheering, resulting in louder shouts of encouragement and consequently louder jeers directed at the other team. This essentially

College doesn’t last forever, and now is the best chance we have to show our spirit and support our school.

stands; why not go when it’s so convenient, not to mention free? College doesn’t last forever, and now is the best chance we have to show our spirit and support our school. While it may not seem like a big deal to some, showing up at games and supporting athletic teams actually helps. An amazing example of such spirit was exhibited at this year’s homecoming football game. The stands were packed, bodies were painted and incredible amounts of noise were made. From booming, multitudinous cheers like

showed that the players want all the support they can get and enjoy being cheered on, hence the copious amounts of advertising as well as spreading the word about upcoming games. It’s hard to miss sports announcements; they seem to constantly show up everywhere: table slips and LCD notices in the Ratty, huge signs hung on Wriston Quad, messages via the Brown Morning Mail and, of course, notifications in The Herald. Even the athletes themselves encourage students they don’t know to go to events. The more

support they receive, the more likely they’ll perform better during the games. The amount of enthusiasm and excitement present at these events is almost palpable; from the second the fans begin to arrive until after the game ends, there’s a constant positive energy in the atmosphere. The moment a point is scored or a goal is made, the people on the bleachers erupt in cheers and get on their feet in excitement. Whether it is by young students, elderly grandparents or tiny toddlers out in the stands, support is appreciated regardless of age and gender. This just goes to show that there is no discrimination in school spirit. Athletic events aren’t just for watching athletes perform. They are also chances to express school pride, meet new people, make new friends and have fun. While some people may not believe themselves to be the “game” type, it never hurts to go out and watch some games. So, if you don’t have anything to do on a Friday night or Sunday afternoon, check out a sporting event and support your fellow classmates. You might even enjoy it! Overall, Brown sporting events are a great way to support your school and simultaneously have a fun time.

Deniz Ilgen ’13 is a civil engineering concentrator from Los Gatos, Calif. She can be reached at deniz_ilgen@brown.edu.

Today The Brown Daily Herald

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CIS ends cloud storage service

Brown/Trinity Rep season opens

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c a l e n da r Today

SeptemBER 27

12:00 P.M.

ToMORROW

comics SeptemBER 28

Bat & Gaz | Sofia Ortiz

11:00 a.M. U.S. Department of State

Study abroad fair, Lincoln Field

Undergraduate Student Info Session, CDC Library

12:00 P.M.

3:30 P.M.

Harvard Law School Visit, CDC

Did Time Begin? Will Time End?

Library

Barus & Holley, Room 168

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH

Popcorn Chicken, Vegetarian Submarine Sandwich, Gyro Sandwich, Israeli Couscous

Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman Closed

DINNER Roast Beef Au Jus, Macaroni and Cheese, Gyro Sandwich, Israeli Couscous

to m o r r o w

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crossword Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline

Fruitopia | Andy Kim

The Adventures of Team Vag | Wendy Kwartin

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