Friday, February 18, 2011

Daily

the Brown

vol. cxlvi, no. 18

Herald

Friday, February 18, 2011

Panelists debate gay marriage

Since 1891

Asst. soccer coach goes missing

R i t e s o f Pa s s ag e

By Tony Bakshi Sports Editor

By Katherine Sola Senior Staff Writer

inside

continued on page 3

news...................2-3 Arts.........................5 editorial..............6 Opinion.................7 SPORTS...................8

Hilary Rosenthal / Herald

Professor of Comparative Literature Arnold Weinstein read from his new book, “Morning, Noon and Night” at the Brown Bookstore yesterday afternoon.

Weinstein reflects on growth and discovery

By Emma Wohl Senior Staff Writer

Professor of Comparative Literature Arnold Weinstein read an excerpt from his new book “Morning, Noon, and Night” and discussed its creation in front of a small crowd of community members and students in the Brown Bookstore Thursday afternoon. The book of literary analysis touches on the same subjects of confusion, isolation and discovery experienced in adolescence that Weinstein teaches in the first-year seminar COLT 0610D: “Rites of Passage.”

But “Morning, Noon, and Night” goes beyond the scope of the class, looking not just at the process of growing up but at growing old as well.

Weinstein began with a defense of literature as a subject worthy of study, emphasizing that it is “not informational, but experiential.” He compared literature to the practice of trying on clothes in a store. It allows readers to “try on” an experience, he said.

But literature is also a voyage, he added, one that is cheaper and more comfortable than today’s air travel.

Magic class melds philosophy, science

By Anne simons Staff Writer

Your room is in complete disarray — clothes everywhere, books and notebooks scattered across your bed, old take-out containers littering the floor. You absolutely hate cleaning, but it has to be done — can magic help?

FEature This was the hypothetical problem recently posed to members of a student group studying magic.

You could clean your room and then practice a form of selfhypnotism to make your brain forget the unpleasant memories, the group proposed. As far as your

Weinstein also discussed the themes in his book. Growing up and adolescence are areas fitting for the college classroom because students are in a sort of limbo, he said.

But he said it is more difficult to bring attention to the subject of old age and aging.

“I have the wisdom to know that if I taught a class about growing old, I would have an attendance of zero,” Weinstein said.

The chapter he chose to read analyzes “a book that nobody’s ever continued on page 2

brain is concerned, your room was dirty one moment and clean the next. This may be possible through the practice of modern magic — a blend of magic, philosophy and cognitive science.

Evan Stites-Clayton ’11, who turned heads last semester with his Group Independent Study Project on lucid dreaming, is casting his spell on broader themes of magic in a course this semester called “Modern Magic and Mysticism.”

The class is not recognized by the University for credit and is instead what Stites-Clayton termed a “group unofficial student project,” or “GUSP.” It is sponsored

by Global Extensions, a support

Hilary Rosenthal / Herald

continued on page 3

Students attended the annual Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Event hosted by the Brown chemical engineering group yesterday in Barus and Holley.

Rip some rope

Rewind

Bears set sights on Ivy, national titles

Uhrick ’11 looks back on her education

Sports, 4

Denis Chartier, an assistant coach of the women’s soccer team, has been missing since Feb. 6, according to Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations.

Chartier’s family members have filed a missing persons report with the Burrillville Police, Quinn wrote in an e-mail to The Herald.

The team held a candlelight vigil for Chartier Tuesday at 11 p.m. on the Meister-Kavan Field behind the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center. Pincince and several members of the team spoke at the event.

Pincince, who was a captain with Chartier on the men’s soccer team at Woonsocket High School, said he last spoke to Chartier Feb. 5. “All our thoughts and prayers are with Coach Denis,” Pincince said. “We’re just focusing on finding him.”

Chartier concluded his 16th year as a coach on the Bears’ staff at the end of the 2010 season. He coached the team for 13 years from 1989-2001 and returned to the program in 2008, according to the athletics department.

The University “has made support services available to members of the community affected by the news,” Quinn wrote.

I scream for ice cream

opinions, 7

weather

“Separate is not equal.” At the end of the Janus Forum’s panel on gay marriage last night, Jesse McGleughlin ’14 — the daughter of two lesbian mothers — stood up to argue for the right of gay couples to marry, brandishing the familiar phrase to the applause of the audience in MacMillan 117.

The panel featured both proponents and opponents of gay marriage, but McGleughlin was responding to an argument from Douglas Allen, professor of economics at Simon Fraser University, who said gay couples should be granted a marriage institution separate from that of heterosexual couples.

In his presentation, Allen explored the costs and benefits of opening the institution of marriage to include gay couples. He said gay, lesbian and heterosexual couples are “much different” from each other, and traditional marriage should not include gay couples.The laws governing heterosexual marriage would have to adapt to accommodate the small number of gay couples, he argued, with negative effects on heterosexual couples, including a higher divorce rate.

He described civil unions as a parallel institution to marriage for gay couples, and suggested the possibility of creating one type of union for lesbians and another for gays.

On the other side of the debate, M.V. Lee Badgett, professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, said there was virtually no difference between heterosexual and gay couples and that gay marriage poses “no harm to the institution of marriage.” She highlighted similar divisions of labor and income disparity in gay and heterosexual households. Both gay and heterosexual couples want to marry for reasons of “love, commitment and mutual support,” Badgett said.

Andrew Koppelman, professor of law at Northwestern University, described two different models of marriage. The older, more traditional model sees couples getting married soon after they mature sexually for the purpose of procreation. He then described a newer model, in which couples

t o d ay

tomorrow

52 / 32

36 / 17

2 Campus News

The Brown Daily Herald Friday, February 18, 2011

calendar Today

february 18

1:15 P.M.

ToMORROW

News in brief

Holbrooke ’62 honored at U.N.

february 19

1 P.m.

Jumu’ah Prayers,

Free Super Smash Tournament,

J. Walter Wilson, Room 411

Harkness House

6 p.m.

6 p.m.

A Reading by Carlos Yushimito,

Men’s Basketball vs. Princeton,

Brown Bookstore

Pizzitola Center

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH

Hot Ham Sandwich, Green Beans with Garlic, Vegan Roasted Vegetable Burrito, Spanish Rice

Chicken Fingers, Vegan Nuggets, Corn Cobbets, Vegan Brown Rice Pilaf, M&M Cookies

DINNER Linguini Pasta tossed in Olive Oil, Mussels in Marinara Sauce, Stuffed Shells Florentine, Pound Cake

Beef Lo Mein, Egg Foo Young, Sticky Rice, Focaccia, Stir Fry Vegetable Medley, Pound Cake

Sudoku Julien Ouellet / Herald

“Morning, Noon, and Night” by Professor of Comparative Literature Arnold Weinstein.

Professor addresses age and transition in new book continued from page 1

Crossword

heard of ” — the out-of-print “Out of Mind” by Dutch author J. Bernlef. The story is a first-person narrative told by a man slowly losing his grip on reality as he succumbs to Alzheimer’s disease.

But Weinstein said the book is not entirely dismal. It shows us that there “must be some psychic law of conservation” — that despite losing awareness of the present, the protagonist regains the experience of some past event he believes he is living.

The passage Weinstein read notes that old age, accompanied by the loss of mental faculties,

Daily

the Brown

presents one with “deficits but also openings” in the form of remembering everything from past events, friends and long-dead family members to one’s “earliest erotic yearnings.”

The chapter certainly had its fair share of sadness, especially as Weinstein acknowledged his own connection to the final line he quoted — “I want to be found. I want to go home.” What began as a literary exercise — writing about the role of old age in classic literature — ultimately became a more personal, existential experience, he said.

“I think it could be the last book I write,” he added. “It has the feeling of a farewell to me.”

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Distinguished diplomat Richard Holbrooke ’62 was honored in a memorial ceremony at the United Nations on Thursday afternoon. “(Holbrooke) believed profoundly in this extraordinary organization.

He understood its potential,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon, according to a Feb. 17 article in the U.N. News Centre.

“But as a realist, he knew its limits … He demanded as much of it as he gave of himself. In other words, everything.”

Best remembered for his work brokering the 1995 Dayton Accords, which put an end to the violence in Bosnia, Holbrooke was a veteran public servant under multiple presidents in various roles, most recently as a special envoy to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Serving as the United States Ambassador to the U.N. from 1999 to 2001, Holbrooke was also instrumental in getting the Security Council to recognize the HIV/AIDS epidemic as a major security issue and ensuring that the organization continued its missions in Kosovo and Timor-Leste, according to the U.N. News Centre article.

But Ban said in the article, “perhaps his greatest coup was negotiating the historic deal on (withheld) U.S. dues to the United Nations,” a task Holbrooke accomplished by convincing dozens of congressmen and foreign ministers of the importance of U.S. aid. The U.S. eventually paid back the entire amount it owed to the organization — just under $1 billion.

Aside from his diplomatic work, Holbrooke was also involved in journalism, working as a managing editor for Foreign Policy magazine in the mid-1970s. While at Brown, he was editor-in-chief of The Herald. According to a University press release, Holbrooke was allowed to leave for France before his sophomore spring semester ended so that he could report on the Big Four Peace Summit for The Herald.

Holbrooke died Dec. 13, 2010, after complications resulting from emergency surgery intended to repair his torn aorta, The Herald reported Dec. 14. Since February 2007, he had been a professor-atlarge affiliated with the Watson Institute for International Studies.

President Ruth Simmons and Chancellor Thomas Tisch ’76 were in attendance at the U.N. ceremony, according to the University press release.

— Lindor Qunaj

Campus News 3

The Brown Daily Herald Friday, February 18, 2011

Magic class solves problems, not potions Janus Forum hosts

debate on gay marriage

continued from page 1 group that helps unusual projects at Brown, he said.

He defined magic as “actions that will result in experienced consequences.” This more modern, practical conception of magic includes lucid dreaming, awareness and hypnosis, according to the group’s website. But “anything could be defined as magic,” StitesClayton said.

The Harry Potter series has shaped perceptions of magic as potions, spells or wands. But that is fantastical magic, not the kind practiced by students at Brown.

One also would not see any rabbits pulled out of hats in StitesClayton’s group.

Their brand of magic is less about directly influencing the world and other people and more about influencing the self, StitesClayton said. They practice “more of an internal magic,” he added.

The goal of learning about this type of magic is to improve one’s life, Stites-Clayton said. Increased mental control in alternate consciousnesses can result in better control over the conscious world, he said. Students of magic can live a “more fully embodied existence” as a result of study. The study of magic has not been taken seriously in recent centuries because of the dominance of science and its ability to explain the world, Stites-Clayton said.

Magical techniques useful in the Middle Ages have been forgotten. But with an updated perspective and the use of modern technology, they can be relevant to the our world, he said.

Though last semester’s lucid dreaming project was approved as a GISP, Stites-Clayton decided not to pursue the same designation for “Modern Magic and Mysticism.” Getting the lucid dreaming GISP through the approval process was difficult, he said. Because this new project “is even more fringe,” it would have been extremely hard to get it approved, he added. Stites-Clayton also said he was frustrated by the GISP system, which limited the number of students in the course to 12, even though about 70 had signed up.

He also said that because the class does not bestow credit, people have to be more engaged in the subject matter to participate.

The “GUSP” started with the practice of lucid dreaming. StitesClayton said it is crucial to reveal magical techniques gradually. If students are deluged with methods from the start, they will become frustrated by their initial failures and give up, he said. The most basic method of learning to lucid dream is the reality check — pinching one’s nose and trying to inhale. The idea is that if one does this many times throughout the day, one will accidentally do it while dreaming. If one cannot breathe, he is in reality, but if he can breathe, he becomes aware that he is in a dream. The other initial step is keeping a dream journal, he added, which allows students to become more con-

continued from page 1 use contraception to delay childbearing and marriage until after their education, with the result of falling marriage rates and higher income families. Gay couples resemble the latter sort of married couples, but not the former, he said.

Badgett and Allen also clashed over statistics. Badgett said several surveys suggest that 2 to 3 percent of Americans are gay or bisexual, while Allen cited data that only 0.7 percent of Canadians identify as gay, with only 6,900 children living in gay households. He said the low Canadian figure meant legalizing gay marriage is not worth the “inclusion costs.”

Maggie Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, drew attention to the relationship between marriage and responsible procreation. Gallagher argued that children “long for” a mother and a father and

Courtesy of Evan Stites-Clayton This image, drawn by Evan Stites-Clayton ’11, depicts potential magical solutions to the problem of an unattractive boyfriend.

scious of their dreaming world.

The class meets weekly to discuss concepts, view videos and brainstorm about magical scenarios. Stites-Clayton has a collection of books that are relevant to class discussions which he lends out for students to read. Titles on the online syllabus include “Psychic Self-Defense” and “The Runes of Sweden.”

A recent class meeting of roughly 15 students featured a discussion about the relation between sexual mojo and magical powers. For Stites-Clayton, “sexual energy and magical energy are exactly the same,” he said.

The group worked on a magical practice problem involving controlling perceptions of attractiveness. In the proposed scenario, Sue has a boyfriend who does not resemble her ideal man, Brad Pitt. How can Sue use magic to find her boyfriend more attractive?

One group member’s suggestion was to use mind control techniques to change Sue’s idea of the perfect man, from Pitt to her boyfriend. Another proposal was to use mind control to supplant Brad Pitt’s face on her boyfriend

whenever she wanted. The group acknowledged that figuring out how to accomplish these goals practically would be more difficult.

Some aspects of this “magic” are more like behavioral therapy and psychology than anything else. This is certainly not a wandwaving class, Stites-Clayton said, though they might make wands later on in the semester. He acknowledged that the practice shares similarities with psychology but said the distinction is that psychology relies on hard data as proof, while magic is the “science of experience.” The group learns about what others have tried as well as the results they reported, but group members must try techniques on their own to determine what works for them, Stites-Clayton said.

But, Stites-Clayton said, we must be careful about who begins to learn magic. Magic is very dangerous in the hands of those who cannot tell the difference between a dream state and reality, he said. Citing the famous quote from “Spiderman,” he said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

that marriage should support the nuclear family. A student asked her whether infertile heterosexual couples should be prevented from marrying. In response, Gallagher highlighted the historical importance of sexual potency rather than fertility in marriage. Allen added that infertile couples are “freeriders” on the institution of marriage, because they do not negatively impact heterosexual couples.

The panelists also addressed the symbolic importance of gay marriage. Badgett said gay married couples felt a sense of “social inclusion” after they married. She also said that, historically, marriage’s exclusivity has helped to create the social identity of lesbians and gay men. Allen said gay marriage devalues the institution of marriage. While Gallagher said it is “not discriminatory to treat different things differently,” Koppelman described civil union as a palpable insult to gays.

4 Sports Friday

The Brown Daily Herald Friday, February 18, 2011

A magical remedy Bears eye nat’l championship for the Wizards M. Lacrosse

By Ethan Mccoy Assistant Sports Editor

Coming off a 2010 season in which the men’s lacrosse team finished 8-6, won five of its last six regular season games and finished in a four-way tie for the Ivy League championship, the Bears are hungry to get on the field once more.

“I think last year, a lot of us would say, finished on the disappointing side,” said defenseman Peter Fallon ’11, one of three captains. “We finished in a four-way tie for the Ivy League championship, which was obviously really exciting, but we lost in the first round of the tournament to Cornell, so I think going into this year we have really high expectations.”

But the team is hoping for success not only on the field, but also in the classroom.

“The first objective for this program is a successful academic year,” said Head Coach Lars Tiffany ’90, adding that the team grade point average must remain a 3.25 or higher.

“Second goal is to win the Ivy League, and the third objective is to pursue and win a national championship.”

Brown has recently proven it can compete on a national stage, and Fallon called a national championship a “realistic goal.” The Bears earned an NCAA playoff bid in 2009 and lost by only one goal last year in a

regular season game against Duke, who went on to win the national championship. The Bears will have another shot at the Blue Devils this season on March 29.

“In terms of the biggest challenge, it’s exciting to have Duke on the schedule again,” Tiffany said.

“They’re the national champions, and to go to Durham two years in a row to play against the defending champions is a unique opportunity for us. It’s one that we’re looking forward to.”

“I think a lot of us would say that we outplayed them and should have and could have won the game,” Fallon said. “So I think that’s something that we hang our hats on now — that we can play with anybody.”

The 2011 Bears feature a mix of experienced veterans and a large freshman class expected to contribute from the start. On defense, Fallon is a two-time All-Ivy and All-New England selection. On the offensive end, fellow captain Andrew Feinberg ’11 — whose 98 career goals rank 11th in school history — will lead the Bears’ attack. The third captain, Jimmy Wittpenn ’11, is a physical force in the midfield. Other top scorers should include Parker Brown ’12 and David Hawley ’11, who was selected 40th overall in this January’s Major League Lacrosse draft.

Even though the leadership and talent is there, Tiffany’s squad will

also have to rely on its 10 freshmen to contribute immediately to help fill the shoes of last year’s seniors, including Thomas Muldoon ’10 and Reade Seligmann ’10, who ranked second and third on the team in points, respectively.

“As a whole, every one of them has done a wonderful job acclimating to Division I lacrosse,” Tiffany said.

“Every single man has sacrificed his own personal goals ... to go from the big man to the little man on campus, every one has made the transition well and left their egos behind.”

Fallon pointed out the team’s balance of veterans and underclassmen when asked about the team’s greatest strengths going into the new season.

“The senior and junior class, a lot of kids have played a long time as three or four-year starters,” Fallon said. “I think it’s that, complemented by the younger guys who are going to step up and embrace their roles.”

The Bears’ season begins Feb. 26, when they host Quinnipiac at Stevenson Field. Tiffany said he sees the game as a great chance to get off to a strong start.

“Quinnipiac was 8-6 last year. We were 8-6 last year,” Tiffany said. “It’s the opening game for both of us, and it’s a big one. I look to this one as the first opportunity for the version 2011 Brown lacrosse to really prove ourselves as a team, as a program, as a united front.”

Aboubakare ’11 hopes to be a role model continued from page 8 now, I like to watch (Rafael) Nadal because he’s such a fighter, and it’s nice to see that kind of heart — it’s really tangible when he’s out there.

What is the strongest part of your game?

I guess I just never give up. People find it hard to play me because even when I’m down, or really way down, I can pick myself up and keep fighting. ... I’m not anything special. I’m much smaller than everyone else, so I just have to grind it out.

Are you and your sister (teammate Carissa Aboubakare ’12) competitive with each other?

Because we were available to each other when we were little, we pushed each other. But we were also supportive of each other. We were doubles partners. We were best friends growing up, and we’re still best friends.

What are your personal and team goals for the rest of the season?

My personal goals are to keep improving. It’s funny because this is my last season, and for me to keep improving, it’s like, ‘Well, what’s it for?’ But I just think having growth in this game is important. It makes it more fun, and it just gives me a goal always. I obviously want to win all my matches, but it’s going to be hard

— I play a lot of tough people. One of my main goals is to be a leader out there and set a good example for the younger players. And for the team, I just want us to keep playing as a team and supporting each other. Although tennis is an individual sport, you really take a lot of energy from the people around you.

Do you have any plans of playing competitively after college?

Everyone has asked me if I want to go pro. And that would be awesome, but it’s expensive. I guess my main competitive stuff will be going back out to the public tennis courts and playing against those old guys again. That’s like some of the best memories I’ve had in my life.

continued from page 8 2. Find a way to dump Rashard Lewis’ toxic contract.

The second order of business is getting rid of the turd sandwich that is Rashard Lewis’ contract. When I was looking to move him, I had to keep a couple of things in mind. The team that would take the contract would have to be a contender that just needs role players because that’s what Rashard is now, in a desperate situation of their own — like injured or misbehaving players and/or slipping in the standings ­— and have a ton of money to throw around, so they won’t blink at the money Rashard is owed. Give up?

Ladies and gentlemen, the Los Angeles Lakers! Cue Lakers fans getting put on edge by the Celtics fan suggesting that they would trade for Rashard.

Hear me out. Because it sounds crazy, but think about this threeteamer with the Sacramento Kings.

The Wiz get Samuel Dalembert’s expiring contract and Ron Artest, who has been a distraction all year, can’t shoot and has a bad contract of his own. But his contract is much cheaper and a year longer than Rashard’s, and his “excellent” defense could easily be mimed by Matt Barnes who is just sitting on the bench. The Kings get Andrew Bynum and one of the Wizard’s expiring contracts, Yi Jianlian or something like that. Lakers get Rashard for spot-up shooting off the bench and DeMarcus Cousins from the Kings. Cousins has been putting up numbers but is a behavioral nightmare for the Kings. A scary dad figure like Kobe Bryant would whip him into shape.

I can see everyone rolling their eyes, but why not? Who says no to this? Bynum is always hurt and will never have a healthy season in the NBA — mark my words. Not to mention the Lakers are better without Bynum because then Gasol plays center and Odom plays power forward. Seriously, since he’s been back, they have been worse. Cousins is a monster talent, can contribute right now and will only get better. Shannon Brown, or Barnes for defense, can start in Artest’s spot. Maybe even Rashard! Too much.

The Kings get rid of the troubling Cousins, who could get into an Arenas-esque situation any day now and be suspended and useless, pick up Bynum who, when he plays, is very good — he won’t be healthy, but the Kings don’t know that — and make themselves cap room for next season.

The Wiz are stuck with Artest’s contract, but would you rather pay Rashard $20 million over the next three years or pay Artest $7 million dollars a year over the next four?

Also, Artest’s defense renders him serviceable. Plus, Dalembert’s monster $13 million dollar expiring really frees up some cap room to get involved in the hunt for a young free agent.

The Wizards have some expiring contracts and guys like Josh Howard

that they could use to sweeten the deal if anyone needs more convincing. Really, though, it’s a trade where everyone wins. The Wizards build for the future, the Kings think they are getting a good center, the Lakers get better. Wait, what am I doing?

Dear God, What am I doing? Oh wait, this can’t happen because of the enormous man-crush that the Lakers’ GM Jerry Buss has on Bynum.

Trades like this, though, Wizards fans — I could get them done.

3. Keep losing and draft guys like Jared Sullinger.

The Wiz need a Russell Westbrook to John Wall’s Kevin Durant.

An overachiever to complement a hyped second-round draft pick. So I’m telling the coaches to put us in the tank and get some lottery picks.

ESPN’s Chad Ford made a cool Draft Mock Lottery oddsmaker you can run and see who gets what. Almost every time I ran it, the Wizards got Jared Sullinger, a talent who has had some rough games that have made his draft value fall, but a guy whom I think is going to be a great talent when he gets here. If we lose another year, we’re back in the lottery and looking to do some damage.

4. Sign Eddy Curry to a $60 million dollar contract when he becomes available at the end of this season.

Cue laugh track. Cut to Knicks fans glaring at me before screaming “But we are getting Carmelo!”

Nets fans rub hands together and cackle to themselves in a dark corner, plotting.

4 (Actual). Use cap room in three to four years to toss around weight on the free agent market.

Washington isn’t New York or Los Angeles, but it’s a serviceably big market. And a lot of guys would want to play with John Wall. We could make a run at Dwight Howard, for example. I’m sure someone else pays him more, but we can try.

We can pursue big-name guys like Kevin Love or sneaky ones like J.J. Redick. We will have the cap room.

Use this to build around Wall and JaVale McGee, who is blossoming into a quality starting center, and we have ourselves a contender.

What do you think Wiz fans?

Yes? No? Stop treating hypothetical situations like they could happen? Fine. But when my plan works and President Obama meets The Wiz in his second term after they win the championship and gives a speech that includes him gesturing at John Wall and exclaiming “Not even Mr. Gorbachev could tear down this Wall!” you remember what I did for you.

Sam Sheehan ’12 came up with this column idea while playing around on ESPN’s Trade Machine for three hours on Valentine’s Day and, yes, he thinks he has his priorities straight. Tell him how awful you think his trade is at sam_ sheehan@brown.edu or follow him on Twitter @SamSheehan.

Arts & Culture 5

The Brown Daily Herald Friday, February 18, 2011

Ensemble embraces Turkish tradition

By Sarah Mancone Staff Writer

For musicians with an interest in Middle Eastern music, the University is now offering a performance group students can enroll in for credit — MUSC 0691: “Middle Eastern Ensemble,” directed by Mehmet Sanlikol, visiting assistant professor of music.

The ensemble focuses primarily on Turkish music, which is Sanlikol’s expertise, said Ezra Mauer ’13, a cellist in the group.

Though the music the group performs is of a specific origin, there is still “huge variety,” Sanlikol said. Within Turkish music, there are Jewish, Greek and Armenian influences.

The group also plays music from nearby areas such as northern Greece and the Balkans and will feature music of Kurdish and Arabic origin, he said.

Though the group originally formed last semester, advertising for the spring semester was more effective and led to the creation of a larger, “more official” group, Sanlikol said.

Sanlikol was hired last year to teach a lecture course on Turkish music, and he “came up with the idea of adding an ensemble to the class that would follow it,” he said, adding that the department “welcomed the idea.”

Though he is Turkish, Sanlikol said he did not come to the U.S. with an interest in Turkish music.

He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston as a jazz pianist.

In his time touring and performing jazz music professionally, he became interested in ethnomusicology — the study of music in relation to its social and cultural contexts. It was then, he said, that he started taking an interest in Turkish and Ottoman studies.

David Fossum GS, a member of the group, said he discovered an interest in ethnomusicology while he was a member of the Peace Corps in Turkmenistan.

His interest was piqued when he

“got involved in the music scene there,” he said.

When he returned home, Fossum discovered Turkish music after meeting a Turkish musician, he said, and learning “how to play some Turkish folk music with him.”

But a background in Turkish or Middle Eastern music is not necessary to be a member of the group — “everyone is invited,” Sanlikol said.

“I saw it in the Morning Mail,” Mauer said, and “thought it would be a nice idea.”

“Everybody’s new to it,” Fossum said, and even with his prior exposure, he is “learning the ropes pretty much like everyone else.”

The group does not require auditions, Fossum said. Of all the students that came to the first class, only one left when he decided the music’s difficulty was beyond his level.

“It is a self-selecting group,” Mauer said.

There are seven to eight musicians in the group currently, which is a good number, Fossum said. “It is big enough that we can have a lot of fun.”

The group is open to almost any instrument except instruments that have “fixed tones,” like piano and guitar, Sanlikol said.

Some of the current instruments include cellos, trumpets, clarinets and voice. Sanlikol sings and plays an instrument called an oud, which is a type of lute, Fossum said.

The ensemble will not be giving any public performances yet since there have only been two meetings so far, but there will probably be a concert at the end of the year, Sanlikol said.

It is uncertain if the group will continue in future semesters, and “depends on whether I will keep on teaching at Brown,” Sanlikol said.

Until then, he said, “The more people who want to come learn about Middle Eastern music the merrier.”

Where Celtic sounds meet Motown soul

By Kristina Fazzalaro Arts & Culture Editor

Take a healthy dose of punk, more than a little rock-and-roll and a heaping cup of traditional Irish music. Now crank up the bass, mix and repeat. The end result — the soulful lyrics, fast rhythms and driving melodies of Celtic-punk band Flogging Molly — is sure to send listeners to Ireland and back by the end of the song.

The band will perform at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Feb. 22 as part of its seventh “Green 17 Tour,” the band’s annual countdown to St. Patrick’s Day. This year’s performance will include a preview of the band’s newest album, “Speed of Darkness,” to be released May 24.

Flogging Molly has been together for over a decade, combining their Irish roots with punk rock sounds to create a kick-upyour-heels-and-do-a-jig — while moshing at the same time — sound.

According to accordionist Matt Hensley, the new album will “definitely sound like Flogging Molly, but it’s definitely different also.” It recalls more punk rock and rockand-roll influences, Hensley said.

That does not mean the beats are faster but that the arrangement of the instruments lends itself to this sound.

“We are continually trying to change ourselves,” Hensley said.

The sound of the new album calls to mind good music from 20 or 30 years ago, but that is new for Flogging Molly, he said. “It has an old, sentimental vibe that I like, but I’m so close to it,” he explained.

According to a Jan. 19 article in Alternative Press, the fans can expect to hear some blues and

influences from the 1960s on the new album as well.

The band began working on “Speed of Darkness” in Detroit, hometown of the band’s fiddler Brigdet Regan. “We spent three months there,” Hensley said.

“Some of the songs definitely have a Motown vibe.”

“Lyrically, we are all affected by the world around us,” Hensley said. The new album “talks about where we are at in the world and what we want to see happening.”

“Don’t Shut ’Em Down,” the first single released off “Speed of Darkness,” definitely has a different feel to it. Punk and rock influences are prevalent, but the song begs the question: Has the band lost some of its signature sound?

The change in sound after “Float” — the band’s previous album, which reached the number one spot on the Billboard executive chart — is surprising but not altogether unwelcome. It highlights the band’s versatility and growth, though diehard fans may be skeptical upon first listening.

Regardless of the musical arrangements, the lyrics of “Don’t Shut ’Em Down” are powerful and carry with them an important message for today. They sing, “Lately, the 21st century’s been crazy / It’s a sign of the times / Buildings decomposing in slumber / There’s no work for all till they wake.”

One of the best qualities of Flogging Molly’s music is the group’s storytelling ability — their lyrics do not purely aspire to be catchy but also to weave together a message that is relatable and true for its listeners. The group succeeds here again.

Though the band wrote the

music in the heart of Motown, “Speed of Darkness” was recorded in a converted church in North Carolina. And though the chuch was not a traditional studio, the atmosphere did have its perks — including beautiful stained glass windows and exceptional acoustics, Hensley said.

The band also chose to record one of the songs on the album together as a group, Hensley said.

“When you record together, you can’t help but hear or feel ambient sounds,” he said. “We are a better live band than a recorded band,” he added, explaining that recording together lends that live sound to the album as well.

Flogging Molly welcomed back producer Ryan Hewitt, who worked with the band on “Float.”

“He’s really excellent at hearing stuff with his ear,” Hensley said.

“He’d come in and rearrange things, manipulate it — and when he was done, it was just so much better.” Hewitt also joined the band during their writing process in Detroit. “We’re all so close to it that it’s good to have outside ears that say, ‘Try this,’” Hensley added.

“Everybody’s my brother and sister,” he said. The band has its good days, bad days and its struggles — “like a retarded, boozy family,” he added.

A boozy family perhaps — but it is one known for its energetic live performances, meaningful lyrics and unique sound. Though that sound has undergone some changes recently, “Speed of Darkness” captures that Flogging Molly spirit.

“We are Flogging Molly at the end of the day,” Hensley said, “so we’re going to sound like Flogging Molly.”

comics Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline

BB & Z | Cole Pruitt, Andrew Seiden, Valerie Hsiung and Dan Ricker

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6 Editorial Diamonds & Coal

The Brown Daily Herald Friday, February 18, 2011

Editorial comic

by erik stayton and evan donahue

Coal to the Corporation, for raising tuition 3.5 percent. We didn’t know this was what you meant by “Plan for Academic Enrichment.”

A cubic zirconium to Maggie Gallagher, president of the Institute for Marriage and Public Policy, who said it’s “not discriminatory to treat different things differently.” Except in the dictionary.

A cubic zirconium to Herald athlete of the week Bianca Aboubakare ’11, who set the school record for career singles victories this week and told The Herald, “Playing against those old Vietnamese guys is crazy. They play with beer bottles, paddles, chairs, and they’re really smart.” Congratulations, but when did we stop talking about tennis and start talking about the most epic drinking game of all time?

Coal to Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14, who plans to visit Baltimore, Cleveland and Pittsburgh for ideas about jump-starting the state economy. Chafee then plans to tour Russia and China to inform his efforts to protect civil liberties, before swinging through England and Ireland to learn about improving Rhode Island’s cuisine.

A cubic zirconium to Professor of Economics Glenn Loury, who said, “A month is way too long and not long enough to look at black history in the context of American history.” That makes no sense. Or maybe it makes way too much sense.

A diamond to the adorably naive owner of the Colosseum — a nightclub vying to replace the Wednesday night hole left by the Fish Company’s closing — who said of the club’s first “Brown night” that he “had no trouble. Everyone was great.” Just wait.

A diamond to Senior Lecturer in Neuroscience John Stein, who told The Herald, “Humans regularly do things that don’t make sense within the realm of biology.” Now we know why Toledo Pizza in a Cone is still in business.

Coal to Vice President for Alumni Relations Todd Andrews ’83, who told The Herald, “Brown is a very romantic place.” Clearly he hasn’t spoken to Jeb Koogler ’11, who estimated “Valentine’s Day can be rough for, I would say, 90 percent of people.”

A cubic zirconium to Tom Miotke ’14, who called a weekend speed dating event at Peterutti Lounge a “cluster(expletive).” We appreciate the enthusiasm, but Sex Power God isn’t until November.

Coal to Michael Kennedy, director of the Watson Institute for International Studies, which shocked the world last Friday by increasing requirements for all future international relations concentrators, before backing down Wednesday night and making concessions to sophomores who have not yet declared. In the five-day Providence Requirement Crisis, Kennedy blinked first. We see Watson Senior Fellow Sergei Khrushchev’s fingerprints all over this one. Adlai Stevenson to be played by Professor of Political Science Mark Blyth.

quote of the day

“Anything could be defined as magic.”

— Evan Stites-Clayton ‘11, see magic on page 1.

Correction A front-page article in Tuesday’s Herald (“McCormick motions for second recusal,” Feb. 15) incorrectly indicated that McCormick’s motion was filed Feb. 14. In fact, the motion was filed Feb. 11. The Herald regrets the error.

Clarification An article in Thursday’s Herald (“Fish no: staff adjust to quieter Wednesdays,” Feb. 17) stated that Ann Hoffman, director of administration for dining services, wrote in an e-mail to The Herald that Josiah’s managers have adjusted to the Fish Company’s closing. Hoffman wrote that Jo’s managers were aware of Fish Co.’s closing.

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Opinion 7

The Brown Daily Herald Friday, February 18, 2011

Peeking into the dark corners of history Michelle Uhrick Opinions Columnist As I face my graduation and possibly the last semester of my education, I am tempted to look back and ask, “What have I learned?”

The answer — which is especially relevant in debates about the value of a liberal arts education — is that in college, you often find yourself learning the same thing over and over again. In different forms, in different places, with different skills sets — but still, at the end of the day, the same basic concepts.

The social sciences in particular fall into this pattern. When we study the foreign, we study the dysfunctional and dark. When we study the domestic, we are often myopic and limited in our scope. A true liberal arts education should examine what works in society as well as what’s broken, and should question things that we take for granted, from democracy to liberalism to free trade.

In many ways, the story is the same across the different fields of social science, and even across time from high school to college: We learn about the broken and the interesting, not the functional and “boring.” We learn about the devastation of World War II but not about the European unification that came after it. We learn about the horrors of the Cultural Revolution and the hypocrisy of China’s “Communist” Party but not the

stories of the millions of families lifted out of poverty. We learn about the depths of sectarianism in the Middle East but not the success of the Ottoman Empire in keeping much of it under one rule for centuries. We learn about the developing world, and we sympathize with its struggles. We learn about the developed world and its struggles, and we see a warning, but rarely do we study a place and actually learn.

American history, on the other hand,

filled with ever-increasing amounts of awesome.

We learn, of course, about the demons that we faced along the way — racism, sexism, classism. Demons that we have, to the best of our collective ability, vanquished, but whose regrettable stain is still spilled across the pages of our history books. That we continue to actively guard against these problems and examine these stains really is evidence of how far we have come and how noble we are.

In many ways, the story is the same across all the different fields of social science, and even across time from high school to college: We learn about the broken and the interesting, not the functional and “boring.”

which most people know from high school, always seems to be taught on fast-forward: Start with the colonies, the American Revolution, George Washington, Native Americans and the War of 1812. Fast-forward to the Civil War, the fantastic defeat of the South and slavery in one fell blow. Fast-forward to World War I, briefly, and then World War II, America in all its world-saving glory. And then time always seems to run out for the epilogue, the insignificant and uninspiring Korea-Bay-of-Pigs-Vietnam-WatergateGulf-War footnote to this tale otherwise

Unexplored, however, are often the demons that we might still be avidly embracing — from Vietnam to higher education to CIA involvement in foreign coups.

Brown offers high hopes for this dichotomy to change — finally, a chance to light up all those dark corners of history. But when we study the foreign, we still focus on the broken and warped, and when we study the domestic, we still focus on the demons of days past, of the comforting we-know-better now.

The dirtiest secret in all this, and one

that comes to light after spending time in a foreign country, is that all countries teach history this way. Domestic history is about glories accomplished, demons vanquished. Looking at foreign countries through foreign eyes makes you realize that all countries and cultures can have their horrifically negative qualities drawn into the light. When I studied international relations in Ireland and Germany, I realized that students abroad learn about the United States in the exact same way — they point out our burgeoning obesity, our violent crime rates, the irrationality of our politics and sometimes ignore all that is good about us.

Look at them, they say, how broken they are. How they keep spiraling further into their violence, their lack of care for each other and the world, their hedonism and decadence. That does not mean they are right — but it is shocking to realize how easy it is to demonize something by simply removing the good qualities from the bad, without teaching any lies at all.

Break the cycle. Take those courses about developing countries and definitely explore the darkest corners of the United States’ past. But also take courses on what works around the world — what other countries are doing right that maybe we are not, and come to it with the mind that you have something to learn.

Michelle Uhrick ’11 is an international relations and economics concentrator from Connecticut. She can be reached at michelle_uhrick@brown.edu.

It’s your right — use it now.

Write opinions for The Herald. opinions@browndailyherald.com

Daily Herald Sports Friday the Brown

Taking a Wiz (-ards franchise) to the playoffs

By Sam Sheehan Sports Columnist

As I sat in front of my computer preparing to write this column, I stared blankly at the screen, desperately racking my brain for how on Earth I was going to sneak a Valentine’s Day theme into it. Sports and romance mix about as well as oil and water.

Sure, they touch at some points, but everywhere else they stay apart. Remember “Jerry Maguire II?” “Love and Basketball II?” No? That’s because they didn’t happen. No one would go see a movie in which Omar Epps gets fed up with babysitting his daughter, can’t take watching his wife play in the WNBA anymore and goes back into the NBA with the Bobcats.

And the Bobcats are about as romantic as a truck-stop restroom stall.

So instead, I’m going to glaze over the topic of love, put my snarky comments about disgustingly happy couples at nice restaurants on the shelf and not comfort the single people glaring at the aforementioned couples through the windows with thoughts of the easiest way to slip cyanide in their bottle of Merlot.

No friends. Today, my valentine is for the good people of Washington. I suppose it is actually more of a request than a valentine: Make me the Washington Wizards general manager.

You might ask yourself, “Well Sam, this is all fine and well, but isn’t this what your role model/favorite author/number-one-person-youwant-to-meet, ESPN’s own Bill Simmons, did when the Timberwolves job opened up?”

Yes. Yes, it is. And current Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld actually did a pretty good job dumping Arenas’ contract for the shorter, but still putrid, contract of Rashard Lewis. But let me outline my plan for you Wiz fans, and let’s see if I can win you over.

1. Extend John Wall’s contract.

First and foremost, I’m signing Wall to a contract extension. He’s the centerpiece of this franchise. He knows it. We know it. I’ll push for a longer contract, four years with a player option for five. Honestly, price is not an issue. We are going to have the cap room, and even if he asks for a max contract, I give him that money. Right now, for this franchise?

Worth it.

And honestly, he probably won’t.

That’s just a worst-case scenario.

Washington isn’t really a small market and, considering the high esteem the team holds him in, I think he’d really want to play here.

Once we’ve got John Wall locked : continued on page 4

Friday, February 18, 2011

W. LACROSSE

Bruno Sets Sights On Ivy League Title

By Sam Wickham Contributing Writer

Despite a seventh-place finish in the Ivy League last season, the women’s lacrosse team believes it has the potential to challenge for the conference title in 2011.

“We want to make Brown history,” said tri-captain Paris Waterman ’11. “A big goal of ours is to get to the Ivy League tournament and win a championship, and I think we have all the pieces to do that this year.”

But to make that goal a reality, Head Coach Keely McDonald ’00 said the team must commit to hard work.

“We’ve talked a lot about this group of women competing to be their best in practice and games and really bringing everything they have to every opportunity they have,” McDonald said.

Even though the Bears have lofty goals for the year as a whole, they are making a conscious effort to take the season game-by-game.

“I haven’t allowed myself to look past the second game,” said tri-captain Alexa Caldwell ’11.

“It’s our first home game against Boston University, and it’s going to be huge.”

The team lost four players to graduation, but the upperclassmen are eager to fill their roles, McDonald said.

“The seniors from last year were

Herald file photo

Paris Waterman ‘11 and women’s lacrosse hope to build a successful season.

a group that helped lead a very successful season for us, so their leadership will be missed,” she added.

“I think this year’s senior class, all six, are excited to follow up where the senior class of last year left off, and they are just as motivated and determined to make this season a really great one for Brown lacrosse.”

Eight first-years will join the

squad, and they will be looking to make an impact in these initial games.

“The entire freshman class has done well in the fall and preseason, and I think several of them will look to contribute right away in our first game,” McDonald said.

“Finally, we have all the pieces we need,” Waterman said. “Last

year, we had three one-goal losses and were playing really well towards the end of the season. … It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. We’re going to play the way we know how to play.”

The Bears will start their season at Sacred Heart Feb. 26 and will play their first home game three days later against BU.

athlete of the week

Aboubakare ’11 hits top of Brown record books By tony bakshi Sports Editor

Bianca Aboubakare ’11 walked on the court a Women’s tennis player last Saturday. She walked off it a school record-holder. With a straight-set win, 6-4, 6-0, over Alison Rauh of Davidson College, Aboubakare clinched her 85th career singles victory, breaking a Brown women’s tennis record set nearly 12 years ago

by Saranga Sangakkara ’99. Aboubakare — partnered with Jessica Harrow ’14 — also notched her 72nd doubles win on the same day and now needs just one more victory to take sole possession of the career doubles mark.

For her day of record performances, The Herald has named Aboubakare Athlete of the Week.

The Herald: How did it feel to break the singles win record?

Aboubakare: It was really cool.

I thought it was really revealing in terms of seeing how far (Head Coach) Paul (Wardlaw) has taken this program. … It was just really nice because I put in a lot of hard work as a kid and to see it manifest itself in breaking this record was cool.

What are you most proud of accomplishing in your Brown tennis career?

I’m most proud of how this team

has shaped up. The results that I have are a result of the wonderful people around this team. They’re my sparring partners, they’re my teammates and they’re my friends. We all push each other, so these results are not just something that I came up with on my own. And to come up with this record — it’s not really anything, I’d say, because I know someone else in the next two years will probably break it, which is really cool.

When did you start playing tennis?

I started competing when I was 10, almost 11. I started picking up a racquet when I was seven or eight.

Did anyone influence you to start playing?

I watched my dad play on the public courts, and that’s where I started. That’s what I did my whole life. That’s what I attribute my craftiness or whatever — playing against those old Vietnamese guys is crazy.

They play with beer bottles, paddles, chairs, and they’re really smart. They can do whatever they want with the ball, and I had to adjust to that as a kid. I would have to do the same thing to beat them. So that was really fun. And because I had to do that, that’s what kept me playing. I had to push myself against these older guys.

You went to Morning Star Academy, a home schooling program.

How was your high school experience, and what made you decide to come to Brown?

I always did well in school. Doing an independent study, you had to figure things out on your own and teach yourself. I think it helped to establish or fuel my critical thinking because I wasn’t having people feed me information all the time. I had to go around and find it to do well in these courses. As for getting into Brown, that was a shocker for me.

I was mainly looking at big sports schools. When I was accepted to Brown, I was like, “Oh, that’s cool.

I might as well get an education.” (laughs) And it turns out that was the best decision I could have made.

What are you studying?

Human biology with a theme in brain and behavior.

What are your plans after graduation?

Well, I would like to take extra classes, like a postbaccalaureate program, but at the same time do assistant coaching for tennis. I’m hoping those two come hand in hand. That would be really nice. I’m hoping to eventually go to medical school in two or three years.

What do you like to do off the court?

I really like music. I mean, I don’t have any specific musical talents, but

Sam Rubinroit / Herald

Aboubakare broke Brown women’s tennis career single wins record last weekend in a victory over Davidson.

I do like music.

Do you have a favorite band?

Not really. I like to listen to everything. I dabble in everything.

Are you a big follower of professional tennis? Do you have any favorite players?

I thought Martina Hingis was really cool for a while. I thought she was really smart, and I try to play smart, too. I’m not someone who will try the same thing every time. I like to mix it up, and people have told me that I’m unpredictable. But right continued on page 4