Daily
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vol. cxlvi, no. 69
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
City’s students settle into new classrooms By Lindor Qunaj Senior Staff Writer
When the school bells rang for the Providence public schools in late August, about 1,800 students started the year in unfamiliar buildings. They are former pupils of
city & state the five city schools — Asa Messer Elementary School, Asa Messer Annex, West Broadway Elementary School, Edmund W. Flynn Elementary School and Windmill Street Elementary School — closed last spring in response to a massive budget shortfall. Students were relocated to dif-
ferent schools based on seat availability and access to specific programs, such as English-language classes, said Christina O’Reilly, facilitator of communications and media relations for the Providence Public School District. Nearly all Asa Messer students moved to the Samuel W. Bridgham Middle School, while students from the other closed schools were distributed across other city schools. O’Reilly said keeping siblings together was also a priority during the reassignment process, but the department could not always place students in the school closest to their home. Social events and open continued on page 3
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Business, finance dominate on-campus recruiting By Aparna Bansal Senior Staff Writer
District Court for the District of Rhode Island ruled that the University itself has always functioned as a private corporation and that its actions were generally not covered by the Civil Rights Act. But the ruling also concluded that some DPS actions, because the department’s officers exercise full police powers, may be subject to the law. According to his attorney Lee Blais, Klunder was falsely arrested on campus by DPS Sergeant Robert
They came to do good, and ended up doing well. But Brown students fight this adage far more than the Quakers did in Philadelphia. Despite students’ tendency toward wide-eyed idealism, the recruiters who come to campus are largely from finance, consulting and computer science companies. On Wednesday, the Center for Careers and Life After Brown will hold its annual job fair, bringing more than 90 recruiters to campus. But only 24 of the recruiters on campus will fall under the Careers in the Common Good designation. “Our challenge is to identify the kinds of things students want,” said Andrew Simmons, director of CareerLAB. Students are asked to fill out a questionnaire about their
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James Hunter / Herald
The University joined a pledge to reduce binge drinking on campus. See full coverage on page 12.
Civil rights suit to proceed against U., Simmons A recent federal court ruling will allow Joe Klunder ’10 to go forward with a lawsuit against the University and President Ruth Simmons for alleged violations of his civil rights. The University had motioned for Klunder’s civil rights claim, brought last October, to be dismissed. Klunder was ejected from campus after being accused of sexually harassing two University employ-
ees and threatening undergraduate students in separate incidents. A University disciplinary committee ultimately found him responsible for sexual harassment, but not for making a threat, and suspended him. Klunder charged that the behavior was caused by medication prescribed to him by a University employee, that he was targeted by administrators for his conservative political views and that the University violated his civil rights. His suit sought to hold the University and its employees li-
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able under Section 1983 of the Civil Rights Act of 1871, which applies only to state actors, such as municipal or state governments and their employees. He argued that because Brown was originally chartered by Rhode Island’s colonial legislature as a “body politic” and because Department of Public Safety officers exercise police powers usually reserved for the state, the University could be held liable under the civil rights law. In a July decision, Chief Judge Mary Lisi of the United States
Limiting healthcare options on the table in Facilities contract negotiations By Jordan Hendricks Senior Staff Writer
Emily Gilbert / Herald
inside
The campus looks forward to honoring President Ruth Simmons in her final year at the University’s helm. See full coverage on page 12.
news...................................2 CITY & State.......................3 Career Fair....................5-7 Sports............................8-9 editorial........................10 Opinions..........................11
As the contract for Department of Facilities Management workers nears its Oct. 12 expiration, negotiations are underway that could allow the University to reduce the number of health providers available to workers from two to one. If the contract passes without an explicit guarantee that staff members may select between one of two providers — UnitedHealthcare or Blue Cross Blue Shield — the University would be able to limit its employees to one provider, said Karen McAninch ’74, business agent for the United Service and Allied Workers, a union representing Facilities workers. In the last two years, University Hall has signed contracts with other University unions representing the Department of Public Safety,
Dining Services and the University Library. The new contracts give the University the freedom to change health plans if the benefits offered are comparable. But the University cannot implement this option unless they also make the same change to the Facilities contract. Karen Davis, vice president for human resources, said administrators want flexibility in choosing health plans because it could save the University money, which could in turn save employees money. If University Hall were to offer all of its business to one provider, McAninch and Davis both said administrators would likely be able to convince the provider to offer lower rates. Davis, who is not a member of the University’s negotiating team, said employees would likely not have to change doctors if the University switched to a single carrier
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Campus news, 12
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By Lindor Qunaj Senior Staff Writer
because both carriers cover similar doctors’ networks. “In effect, our plans are the same,” Davis said. “What we’re going to offer you under Blue Cross is pretty much the same as you’re going to get under United. The only difference is the health card looks a little different.” But McAninch said switching to a single provider could be “disruptive” for employees. “Blue Cross is a very good plan for people who have certain needs,” she said, drawing on examples of workers who commute from Massachusetts or have children at college in another state. “United has great coverage in Rhode Island, but it’s not as good in other areas,” McAninch said. “Blue Cross, you can usually use wherever you go.” The sides will meet Thursday to continue negotiations.
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Alum’s suit raises DPS’s legal status continued from page 1
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Enos despite never having been charged with an offense. Enos ordered Klunder to stay in a hotel, forbade him from setting foot on certain public streets and compelled him to leave Rhode Island, according to Blais, who said the University did not have the authority to do any of these things. Enos died earlier this year. The lawsuit highlights the peculiar and problematic status of DPS officers, who sometimes act as campus security guards and other times act as sworn police officers with powers usually reserved for government agents. The issue may become more salient as Brown’s campus expands further into the city, and DPS’s presence expands with it. The court must now determine whether Enos was acting as a police officer — liable to civil rights claims — or as a campus security guard in his interactions with Klunder. Beverly Ledbetter, the University’s vice president and general counsel, was not available for an interview but wrote in a statement to The Herald, “The University maintains that the officer was not acting as a sworn police officer but instead as a University security guard in his interactions with Klunder.” Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean of the University of California at Irvine School of Law and renowned scholar of constitutional law, said though private actors are not constrained by constitutional limits on government action, federal law would apply if there is “significant entanglement” between the government and a private actor. Establishing this connection,
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though, appears difficult when the precedent set by case law is examined. In the case of Rockwell v. Cape Cod Hospital, referenced in Lisi’s order, the First Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that “private institutions meet the state action requirements only in rare circumstances.” Blais said he is confident he can demonstrate that Enos was exercising powers typically delegated to the state, pointing to DPS’s authority to makes arrests and engage in search and seizure operations. But Steven Brown, the executive director of the Rhode Island affiliate of the American Civil Liberties Union, said that Lisi’s opinion suggests “there are a variety of factors that need to be considered.” The Rockwell decision states that, “In order for a private actor to be deemed to have acted under color of state law, it is not enough to show that the private actor performed a public function. The plaintiff must show that the private (actor) assumed powers traditionally exclusively reserved to the State.” The job description for DPS officers posted on the DPS website states, “The campus police officer is licensed by the Superintendent of the State Police under Title 12, Chapter 2.1, of the General Laws of Rhode Island.” That section of the law, “Appointment of special police,” states that private employees designated as special officers “have the same immunities and may exercise in and upon the lands and buildings of the institution by which he is employed, and upon streets and highways immediately adjacent to said lands, the same powers and authority of a police officer.”
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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. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily. Copyright 2011 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. editorial
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Joe Klunder ’10 is suing the University for allegedly violating his civil rights.
Though the U.S. Supreme Court has left open the question of whether private police forces are state actors, Blais said he would not need to rely on case law precedents because it is “abundantly clear” that DPS is carrying out state functions. Ledbetter wrote in her statement that the University would appeal any decision that found that Enos’ actions were subject to the Civil Rights Act. Blais said DPS is charged with two sets of duties that “cannot properly be executed at the same time” — enforcing the regulations of the University and the laws of the state of Rhode Island. Whatever the final decision may be, Chemerinsky said it could have significant implications: “All private Universities have private security forces, so the issue would come up across the country,” he said. A court conference with the judge will be held in the next week or two, and a schedule will be laid down for subsequent motions.
The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, September 20, 2011
City & State 3
Public voices concern at Providence teachers rehired, teacher contract hearings class sizes remain the same continued from page 12
School District were assigned to new positions through a system of job fairs that was based almost entirely on seniority. Since then, a criterion-based hiring policy approved by the state’s education department has been in effect. Under this policy, displaced teachers were interviewed by a committee during the spring and summer and were recommended for positions based on a composite score with five categories: content, knowledge and pedagogy; achievement; critical thinking; communication skills and professional engagement. Officials also took seniority into consideration, adding points to the scores of teachers who have been employed over six years. The five most senior teachers were automatically given interviews. The new mediated criterionbased hiring plan, though in many ways quite similar to the 2009 policy, includes a matching process for displaced teachers in January and February of each year. This process requires that teachers who do not get positions through the spring process be matched based on “preferences and certification” in order to fill every vacant position in the system, Cottone said. Several parties voiced concern that, due to its timing, the matching process will replace the criterion-based hiring process. The state Department of Education and the teachers union are also currently at odds over an “ambiguity” in the plan as to whether the matching process “allows bumping at the expense of more junior teachers,” Cottone said. The Department of Education maintains that the matching process applies only to vacant positions, and that any interpretation
of the plan that allows bumping violates the state’s Basic Education Plan, while the teachers union believes bumping could still be a possibility under the new plan, Cottone explained. Councilman Sam Zurier, the chairman of the subcommittee and former school board member, raised concerns over displaced teachers from schools deemed “persistently low-achieving” being placed in classrooms under the matching process. But, he added, “Past history is not necessarily an indicator of future performance.” Former President of the School Board Kathleen Crain, who resigned in July in protest of the transfer of negotiation powers, said the new plan is “basically eviscerating” the current system and is “taking the district 10 steps back.” She added that due to the increased number of persistently low-achieving schools, the district will have a larger number of displaced teachers. With the matching process, “we’ll just be moving people around,” she said. Warren Licht, a local parent, expressed concern that the proposed matching system is just an “opportunity for a teacher who fails to succeed at (criterion-based hiring) to get back in.” Prior to the transfer of authority, the school board voted for a year-round criterion-based hiring plan in May that did not include a computerized matching system. It did not promulgate the policy due to a request from the mayor’s office not to disrupt ongoing teacher contract negotiations, Crain said. Zurier said the hearing was meaningful because “we wanted to help people understand that this is not just a contract about wages and benefits but also has a major impact on teacher assignment and education quality.”
continued from page 1 houses were held to make the children and families feel welcome in their new communities, she added. The school closings also affected Swearer Center for Public Service community service programs at Asa Messer Elementary School. The approximately 30 volunteers who work with the Swearer Classroom Program to provide students one-on-one literacy mentoring will now work at Bridgham, said Christine Joyce ’12.5, one of the program’s coordinators. Joyce added that because the school district has implemented a new reading curriculum this year, “there may be a need for more assistance.” But structurally, the program will not change much. Each volunteer will continue to be assigned to specific classrooms and work with students whose reading proficiency fails to meet curriculum standards. Brown Arts Mentoring, the Brown Language Arts Program
and Providence Science Outreach also operated at Asa Messer. Last February, the city issued lay-off notices to all 1,934 of its public school teachers in compliance with a rule stipulating that teachers must be informed of potential changes in their employment status by March 1, O’Reilly said. By May, about 1,500 notices had been rescinded, and those teachers retained their positions. In the next few weeks, the remaining teachers were rehired in a process that attempted to match teachers with their preferred schools and principals with their preferred candidates, she added. The 100 teachers who were left unassigned applied for additional positions through an application process known as “criterion-based hiring,” leaving only about 50 to 60 teachers jobless. The fact that these individuals were still unemployed at this late point in the summer was “no judgment on their quality,”
O’Reilly said. “It may be that nothing matched their certifications or they were a runner-up in a dozen jobs. They are not an inferior group.” Despite the rearrangement of students, O’Reilly said class sizes have not increased. The maximum class size is 26, she said, though teachers can receive extra pay for each of up to three additional students in the classroom. As a result, O’Reilly said the department seeks to limit the number of classes filled to maximum capacity. To ensure appropriate class sizes, new classrooms for students from closed schools were designed to fill excess capacity in existing school buildings, including those that had been only partially used. Though enrollment projections are “essentially flat” at the moment, O’Reilly explained that the city will continue to monitor student enrollment numbers. “We’re not trying to fit square pegs into round holes,” she said.
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4 Career Fair
The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, September 20, 2011
The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Career Fair 5
Map of Sayles Hall
10 tips and tricks for navigating the Fall Career Fair •
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CareerLAB
Do your research. A list of the employers who will be in attendance can be found on the CareerLAB website. Prepare a 30-second introduction you can use at the fair to introduce yourself, express your interest in the company and convey your desire to learn more. Prepare questions ahead of time. Demonstrate that you have done your research and ask relevant and specific questions about the company. Dress appropriately. Business casual attire is recommended. Bring several copies of your resume. Not all companies will ask you for one, but many will. In many cases, companies have alums staffing the tables. Alums will be designated with a red ribbon on their name tag. Take advantage of this additional networking opportunity. Take business cards from the representatives you speak with. Follow up later with a thank you email. If a table is busy, get a business card from a representative and follow up by email with your questions. Companies from several industries, not just business, will be on hand. For example, in the Kasper Multipurpose Room, there will be employers from non-profit, education and government organizations. Thinking about internships? Many of the employers will be posting internships in the future. Now is a good time to inquire about these opportunities. First-years and sophomores should attend the employer panel at 4:30 p.m. in MacMillan 117. Employers from several career fields will be discussing what students need to know about the job search. It is never too early to start thinking about this important process. — Courtesy of CareerLAB
6 Career Fair
The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, September 20, 2011
CareerLAB changes Map of Kasper Multipurpose Room name, direction By Nicole Grabel Contributing Writer
The Center for Careers and Life After Brown has gone through many changes over the last couple of years, and perhaps the most obvious is its name change — until this year, CareerLAB was called the Career Development Center. Andrew Simmons, director of CareerLAB, said the nominal switch reflects a myriad of program changes CareerLAB has made. The old name did “not represent to us exactly what we do,” Simmons said. The name sounded too narrow, he said, and failed to convey the many services that CareerLAB wants to provide to students. Initially, the Career Development Center was simply “a place to look at job postings,” he said, so the name made sense. But the center has been in continual progression, and today, it does not only focus on careers. The center now has a “broader focus” on initiatives, such as recruiter and employer outreach and internships, Simmons said. Its purpose is no longer just to
inform seniors of available jobs nor simply to offer advice. The office wants to take on a greater role in helping students learn all their options, for both the short and long terms, and in providing more complete support through the process of exploring careers. Last year, the center made changes including hiring new staff and focusing more on alumni relations. CareerLAB provides many ways for students to talk with an adviser. For example, they can schedule appointments, go to walk-in hours or attend Coffee and Careers, where they can speak with career advisers over a morning snack. This summer, CareerLAB restricted access for seniors to its list of on-campus recruiting events until students watched a video on Facebook about the recruiting process and took an online quiz. The Fall Career Fair will take place this Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. The fair will feature over 90 employers with stations spread among Sayles Hall, Petteruti Lounge and the Kasper Multipurpose Room in Faunce House.
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The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Map of Petteruti Lounge CareerLAB’s focus restricted continued from page 1
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career interests, and the results of the survey are used to formulate an “employer outreach strategy.” In the 2010 survey, 75 percent of students indicated interest in careers in the common good, prompting CareerLAB to organize a separate fair dedicated to jobs in education, government and the non-profit sector, which will be held in the Kasper Multipurpose Room simultaneously with the fairs in Peterutti Lounge and Sayles Hall. CareerLAB is “geared more toward engineering and business,” said Ora Star Boncore ’12, a visual arts and American studies concentrator. She said she would like to see a career fair for students interested in arts and advertising as well. But companies in finance and consulting are often the ones with the most “formal recruiting processes,” Simmons said. Students interested in smaller businesses can instead turn to resources like field notes available online, career advisers in their areas of interest or the alumni connections available on BRUnet, Simmons said. In some departments, concentration advisers and faculty take on the role of career advisers — and some feel they are uniquely qualified to counsel students.
“Only those in the business and who understand the business can help people who want to be in the business,” said Lowry Marshall, professor of theatre arts and performance studies. Resumes for students applying for jobs in theater are very different from regular business resumes, and faculty members of the TAPS department can provide necessary advice in this area, she said. TAPS concentrators are also required to take a senior seminar that provides them with career advice and access to alums who work in the creative arts. Chantel Whittle ’12, a TAPS concentrator, said the popularity of the seminar, even among nonconcentrators, speaks to the “job that CareerLAB isn’t doing.” But she said she thought the center has improved during her time at Brown. “It’s a lot better for people who can use it,” she said. Marjorie Thompson ’74 PhD’79 P’02 P’07 P’09 P’12 P’14, associate dean of biological sciences, also said her department could be more useful to students than CareerLAB. “It’s different with the sciences,” she said, adding that it would not make sense for CareerLAB to replicate the department’s advising system. “I’m not sure if more could be done,” she said. Kelsey Collins ’13, a human biology concentrator, said she found CareerLAB office hours
useful, but that she wished the center had more advisers with backgrounds in science. She said she would like to see information sessions on securing research jobs in the sciences and more summer opportunities that are not business or consulting-based on the CareerLAB website. “We’re very cognizant of the need to add breadth to what’s available,” Simmons said. Fifty percent of the undergraduate body used CareerLAB services last year, Simmons said, and he hopes to increase this proportion with new initiatives. This year, the CareerLAB will host a Sunday conversation series to bring alums on campus to speak about their professional experiences and a three-day symposium in January to facilitate alumni-tostudent networking. “They’re moving in the right direction,” said Haley Strausser ’12, who uses CareerLAB’s new Facebook page to keep track of the center’s events. She said she plans to enter business or consulting upon graduation and found CareerLAB useful in getting an internship and revamping her resume. “They’re not outwardly present, but if you go to them, they’re great,” said Grace Dalrymple ’13, who used CareerLAB to learn about funding for an unpaid internship.
8 Sports Tuesday
The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, September 20, 2011
M. Soccer
Bears choke after taking down Gamecocks By Sam Rubinroit Assistant Sports Editor
The men’s soccer team had a weekend of highs and lows down south, defeating the University of South Carolina 2-0 in a thrilling night game before falling to the University of Kentucky 5-1. Brown 2, South Carolina 0
The Bears kicked off the Gamecock Classic Friday night with a matchup against host school South Carolina. The Gamecocks (2-41) boast a reputation for hosting a rowdy home crowd, and the game had a restless feel as South Carolina sought to avenge their continued on page 9
Jesse Schwimmer / Herald
Thomas McNamara ’13 and the Bears went 1-1 at the South Carolina tournament.
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Sports Tuesday 9
The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Bears’ ‘wheels fell off’ in 5-1 mauling by Kentucky continued from page 8 1-0 loss last season to the Bears at Stevenson Field. “The night games are always exciting,” said Ryan McDuff ’13. “There’s a huge crowd energy, and the environment is great.” But the Bears gave South Carolina fans little opportunity to cheer as first-year goalie Alex Carr ’15 earned his second shutout of the season with three saves on the night. T.J. Popolizio ’12 scored both of Bruno’s goals, the first in the 25th minute and the second just two minutes into the second half. Popolizio currently leads the team in goals and has scored six times in the last five games, with three goals this weekend. He was named Ivy League Player of the Week for his recent goal streak. “He has always been a hard
worker,” McDuff said of Popolizio. “He’s a two-sport athlete, which says a lot about his commitment and his effort. He’s had amazing growth since last year. He went from being a spark plug off the bench and has transitioned to playing every game.” Brown 1, Kentucky 5
The Bears concluded their weekend with a match-up against Kentucky (6-2-1) Sunday morning. Despite being held on the same field, the game had a distinctly different feel from Friday night. “It’s a totally different atmosphere and experience playing a night game against the host of the tournament and playing at 11 a.m. on a Sunday,” said Head Coach Patrick Laughlin. “Friday night, we were mentally and physically prepared and focused on the game,
and our performance showed that. On Sunday, none of those qualities were there for us. Kentucky just outcompeted us.” The Wildcats dictated the tempo from the start, jumping out to a 2-0 lead by the 26th minute. Bruno was able to respond with a goal from Popolizio in the 77th minute, narrowing the deficit to one. But
shortly after, “the wheels fell off,” McDuff said. Kentucky piled on three goals in the final 11 minutes of the game to run away with the victory. The Wildcats allowed Bruno to make unforced errors because they applied less pressure on the Bears. “They laid back, and that wasn’t something we’ve dealt with before,”
he said. “A lot of teams typically like to press us. These guys let us keep possession of the ball, and we didn’t move the ball as efficiently as we should have.” The Bears will look to bounce back from the disappointing loss when they take on Boston University in front of a home crowd Friday at 7 p.m.
comics Fraternity of Evil | Eshan Mitra, Brendan Hainline and Hector Ramirez
Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman
10 Editorial Editorial ResLife makes room After last year’s on-campus housing crunch, it is a relief to see students’ need for dormitories and the dormitories’ need for students breaking even. Though it came largely at the expense of the endearing Saunders Inn, which closed over the summer, we applaud the decisions and changes in off-campus policy that allowed the Office of Residential Life to virtually eliminate temporary housing. Greater availability of lounge space and less disruption for students fosters a better sense of stable community on campus, one of ResLife’s primary tasks. With the University’s eye on expanding enrollment, ResLife’s plans to update and reorganize select dorm buildings are also encouraging. The completed renovations to New Pembroke have been met with student approval, and we hope for the same result from upcoming projects. Though it would be sad to see Perkins Hall — with all its auspicious match-making mystery — lose its status as a first-year dorm, the proposed changes to Metcalf and Miller halls could have a significant positive effect on the first-year experience. Consolidating first-year communities will not only increase student safety, but allow for a more contained social space with fewer first-years traveling between remotely located dorms. Of course, reassigning dorm layouts alone will not automatically produce a more tight-knit first-year class, so serious consideration must be given to the organization of units. And although the Residential Peer Leader program is strong, it may take even further improvements to replicate the kind of bonding that tends to happen in smaller dorms. The first-years are not the only ones who stand to gain from projected renovations — the Graduate Center is often only grudgingly accepted by students. Giving it the serious attention it deserves will allow the University to avoid a divide in campus life between underclassmen and older students who may be itching to get off campus for better living conditions. As the Corporation gives consideration to each of these undertakings, we hope it will consider the dramatic effect housing can have on students’ experiences. According to Richard Bova, senior associate dean of residential and dining services, ResLife is “broad in its consultation with students,” and we hope the Corporation will take seriously the proposals offered by ResLife on behalf of the Residential Council and the Undergraduate Council of Students. Brown prides itself on fostering collegial community and this happens most often in informal settings. For at least nine months of the year, students call this place home, and making living conditions more inviting should be a high priority. Though we will not be here to witness the completion of these residential housing projects, we are pleased to encourage their inception for the sake of future generations of students. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
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The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Editorial comic b y lo r e n f u lto n
Letters, Please! letters@browndailyherald.com Clarification An article in yesterday’s Herald (“‘SlutWalk’ confronts rape perceptions,” Sept. 19) contained quotes from Sara Molinaro ’09. Molinaro is a former Herald metro editor and editorial page board member.
Correction An article in yesterday’s Herald (“Federal cuts hit GS loans,” Sept. 19) incorrectly stated that the admissions process for master’s students is need-aware. Though financial need is considered by the students’ respective departments or programs for funding, it does not impact admission decisions. The Herald regrets the error.
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Opinions 11
The Brown Daily Herald Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Shielded from the costs of war By Oliver Rosenbloom Opinions Columnist On Sept. 11, the University hosted a service commemorating the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks against our country. While none of us will ever forget the tragedy of that day, I’m afraid it’s all too easy to feel disconnected from the war on terror that ensued. Like so many Brown students, I have very few direct connections to the military or to the war on terror. The majority of the Brown community has been shielded from the costs of war. We have not been asked to serve in the army, and it’s likely that many Brown students do not even know anyone in the military. We do not have to live with the rationing of any goods or other material sacrifices. The U.S. taxpayer has yet to even pay the burden, as taxes have declined on most income brackets over the last decade. Previous American wars have all required a higher level of shared sacrifice than the war on terror. Soldiers could look back to the home front and see that the battles they were fighting required shared emotional and material sacrifice from civilians. Today, citizens still rely on our armed forces to protect us, yet we do not have to give the military anything in return. The connection between citizens and the military has evolved into a one-way relationship, in which citizens gain great advantage from the armed forces without being
forced to make any personal sacrifices. From one perspective, this new relationship between the military and civilians can be seen as a positive development. College students no longer face the possibility of being drafted to serve in a war that they do not support. Fewer Americans live with the fear that their loved ones will die in combat. War no longer disrupts everyday economic decisions for citizens. As a nation, we can defend our interests abroad without making too many direct, immediate sacrifices at home.
While many Brown students have undoubtedly helped their nation through their regular academic and volunteer pursuits, this service to country is normally incidental. Students usually attend college and become active community members for reasons other than national service. Patriotism can certainly be taken to an extreme, but the concept of civic duty should still play at least some part in our decisionmaking. There are many ways to serve our country outside of the military, and I’m sure
Regardless of our beliefs about the war on terror, we should all acknowledge that some Americans have paid a much higher cost in this war. Yet the current relationship between the military and citizens also has tragic components. It is fundamentally unfair that such a small percentage of our population pays such a high price to defend us. The distribution of sacrifice and suffering is far from equal. A minority of our population must risk their lives and leave their homes while the rest of us live in comfort. This realization inspired a rush of guilt. Some men and women make a conscious decision to place their country above their own dreams in life. While I profess to love my country, my life decisions have rarely been motivated by a sense of duty to it.
that Brown students will make great citizens. Some young men and women devote their entire lives to civic service. As students at an elite institution, we should be mindful of the extent of their sacrifice and be willing to use our education to serve our country in at least some capacity. When the immediate guilt subsided, I was left feeling immensely grateful. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to spend my formative years in a college setting instead of in a war zone. We should all be grateful for the chance to pursue our own self-fulfillment in college. The realization that some people our age are fighting battles should make us
even more thankful for all of the academic and social opportunities available to us at Brown. One way to express our gratitude to our armed forces would be to build a stronger connection between the military and the academy — at least on an emotional level. I doubt I am alone in feeling guilty about the disconnect between my life as a student and the lives of college-aged soldiers. There are many possible ways to bridge the divide between the University and the military. Reinstating the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps may accomplish this goal, but this may conflict with University academic and discrimination policies. There are many less controversial ways in which the community could open its arms to the military. For example, we could sponsor more lectures given by soldiers and generals, offer courses on military history and become stronger advocates for veterans’ rights. Regardless of our beliefs about the war on terror, we should all acknowledge that some Americans have paid a much higher cost in this war. The community should express gratitude to the young men and women who spend their youth in combat zones. We should also work to learn more about the military and forge a deeper emotional connection to it.
Oliver Rosenbloom ’13 is a history concentrator from Mill Valley, Calif. He can be contacted at oliver_rosenbloom@brown.edu.
Science and relativism By David Hefer Opinions Columnist Here at Brown, we love other cultures. There are student groups celebrating the Taiwanese, German and Greek cultures, among many others. According to the University website, this entire year is dedicated to the “history, politics, culture, arts and economy of China.” You can practically smell the multiculturalism in the air — minute particles of Pacific Island art bouncing off each other and up your nose. A healthy respect for these cultures goes hand in hand with appreciating them. Things would be very different if we looked down on people with other institutions and art as quaint or cute. And we accomplish this admirably. Brown students learn about and love the Other without unduly exoticizing him or her. But in an attempt to be properly respectful, many of us go a step too far and take on a certain sort of relativism, claiming that there are many valid ways of looking at the world, and that no one has privileged access to the truth. Because of facts about our own culture, the claim is most naturally that science is not necessarily a better way of discovering truths about the world than any other method. This is both false and more disrespectful of non-scientific cultures than admitting that they are wrong and we are right. To take a specific case, let’s look at a belief popular in certain areas of Africa. While we have long since concluded that
there are no witches, many people in Congo, Ghana and Kenya believe in witchcraft to this day. Some are tempted to say that while witches don’t exist for us, they do exist for the Africans concerned, and neither of us is wrong. This is not supported by the facts. Rudimentarily, science is based on two modes of reasoning, induction and inference to the best explanation — called abduction. Induction allows us to generalize from particulars and infer about the future. After seeing the sun rise day after day, we conclude that the sun will rise tomorrow. It is famously hard to jus-
witches cause suffering. But there is more data available, and if by “x causes y” they mean anything like “y wouldn’t happen without x,” their explanation is no good because people get sick even after the witches are stopped. Other beliefs are subject to similar attacks. Divination is usually incorrect. Good times do not stop when libations or sacrifices do. If a belief cannot be put to the test, such as vague prophecy or spiritualism, Occam’s razor cuts it away. Almost tautologically, it is unreasonable to believe in something when there is no positive reason to do so.
To say that we are both right is patronizing. Treating another person like a reasonable adult requires taking their disagreement seriously and saying they are wrong when they are.
tify the use of induction. No group that I am aware of denies induction across the board, so that isn’t really on the table. Abduction is where the action is. We seek the simplest and most powerful explanation that fits our observations and what we know about the world more generally. If two explanations both fulfill the criteria, we go out, collect more data and revise appropriately. This is where nonscientific cultures fail. The witch-believers know that people suffer. They abduce and conclude that
There is no reason to believe that comforting explanations that fit with one’s culture have any bearing on the reality of the situation, whereas by induction, we have reason to believe our abductive inferences are good. Technology based on science allows us to wield a certain power over the world that would be inexplicable if science were just one good practice among many. To say that we are both right is patronizing. Treating another person like a reasonable adult requires taking their dis-
agreement seriously and saying they are wrong when they are. And they do mean to disagree with us. After all, if you told a witch-believer that there are no witches, they would contradict you. If you are satisfied to say, “Well then witches exist for you,” you are failing to give them due respect. After your encounter, you’d go about your regular life, never fearing the witch around the next corner. How is this any different from allowing a child to believe in Santa Claus for fear of interfering with “child culture”? One might object, saying that since our culture is scientific, we too are looking for explanations that conform to tradition. I happily grant this, but note that science has caused many Westerners to give up deeply held cultural beliefs, including geocentrism, spiritualism and — almost paradigmatically — witchcraft. If, in the future, we choose a comforting explanation instead of a scientific one, that will tell only against us. In summary, a scientific worldview offers us a way to get at the truth that other approaches do not. This does not mean anyone is better or worse than anyone else nor that we should aggressively introduce science to the non-scientific, which is colonialism. That said, it is irresponsible and disrespectful to give everyone a medal just for participating.
David Hefer ’12 is a philosophy and math concentrator who secretly believes some cultures are just better than others. He can be reached at david_hefer@brown.edu.
Daily Herald Campus News the Brown
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Cells bite off more than they can chew City Council to vote on
new teacher contracts
By Natalie Villacorta Senior Staff Writer
“We cannot eat a lollipop longer than us,” and our cells face similar limitations, according to an author of a recent paper that found that cells often try to engulf objects too large for them when they mistake them for more bite-sized nanomaterials. The outsized nanomaterials — carbon nanotubes and asbestos fibers, which can sometimes be larger than the cells themselves — get stuck partway through the cell membrane, said the author, Huajian Gao, professor of engineering, who was a part of the team of Brown researchers behind the study, which was published Sunday in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. Eating more than our fill is unhealthy, but people and cells still do it. The researchers set out to discover why cells bite off more than they can chew. Using scanning electron microscopy, they imaged mouse liver and human mesothelial cells exposed to onedimensional nanomaterials, which entered the cells tip-first. Gao and his team hypothesized that the nanomaterials, by coming into contact with the cell membranes at wide angles, mimic small particles to initiate engulfment. Simulations confirmed that the nanomaterials were rotated to nearly a 90-degree angle before being ingested. “This has to do with geometry … not chemistry,” Gao said. No matter if asbestos fibers, gold nanowires or carbon nanotubes were used, “the cells mistake them
By Hannah Abelow Staff Writer
After a year of negotiations, the Providence Teachers Union voted 868 to 79 to approve a three-year collective bargaining agreement — backed by Mayor Angel Taveras — in early August. As the Providence City Council Finance
city & state
Courtesy of University Media Relations
Long, thin nanomaterials can fool cell membranes into ill-fated attempts to engulf them, causing inflammation.
for small spheres,” he said. What these materials have in common, Gao explained, is a high aspect ratio, or outsize length relative to breadth. The vertical alignment of the nanomaterials makes it impossible for the cell membrane to anticipate their length. So after initial wrapping of the material’s tip by the cell membrane, engulfment discontinues — a process known as frustrated phagocytosis. The nanomaterial is left jutting out of the cell like a toothpick protruding from a morsel of cheese. This incomplete job is toxic. Cells think that they are being attacked and call for help, causing inflammation. The rapid proliferation of cells increases the likelihood of mistakes being made in the
copying of genetic material as cells divide. Such nanomaterials, which are often airborne, can escape out of laboratories or electronics and cause lung cancer in those exposed, Gao said. The problem is, nanomaterials have many applications — in computer chips, as agents for drug delivery and in protecting space shuttles from the intense heat of the atmosphere. But as long as they’re floating around in the air, they can cause our cells trouble. Gao said he and his team want to learn “to fully utilize their beneficial effects without causing harm to ourselves.” The next stage of his research will be to study carbon graphene, a two-dimensional nanomaterial, to understand how it enters cells.
Committee prepares to vote on the agreement later this week, it is holding a series of public hearings to explain the effects of the proposed agreement. Deputy City Solicitor Anthony Cottone presented a summary Monday night of the mediated criterion-based hiring plan included in the proposed collective bargaining agreement to the Education Subcommittee of the Finance Committee. The plan was proposed in response to the Rhode Island Department of
Education’s 2009 order that the Providence Public School Department not assign teachers positions based solely on seniority. The hearings constitute the latest installment in a series of union-related events that have taken place over the course of the past several months. In past years, the teachers’ collective bargaining agreement has been negotiated directly between the teachers union and the school board. But this summer, the General Assembly passed a bill backed by Taveras that transferred negotiation powers from the board to the mayor, citing the board and union’s “inability to reach an agreement,” Cottone said. The transfer of power has provoked controversy over “legal issues that are currently being grappled with,” Cottone added. Prior to 2009, displaced teachers within the Providence Public continued on page 3
U. joins alcohol forum By Hannah Loewentheil Contributing Writer
Brown joined a multi-university effort to reduce the amount of binge drinking on college campuses this summer. The Learning Collaborative on High-Risk Drinking — spearheaded by Dartmouth President Jim Yong Kim ’82 — has garnered support from 32 colleges and universities since its May 2 launch. Kim began the campaign because he saw increased high-risk alcohol consumption despite recent efforts to combat it, said Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services. Over the next 18 months, teams from the 32 participating institutions will gather for three meetings to brainstorm, test and evaluate strategies to lessen the harms of binge drinking. A team of faculty, staff and students from Brown attended the first meeting June 29. Klawunn, a member of the Brown delegation, said Kim’s medical background has influenced his approach to reducing high-risk drinking. The collaborative “will apply a medical approach to hu-
man health,” she said. Marylou McMillan ’85, senior director for planning and projects, is also involved with the initiative. “We are working with faculty at the Brown Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies,” she said, “Their research has influenced our practices and policies to reduce drinking.” But the multi-university initiative differs from traditional approaches. “This new collaborative is about momentum,” McMillan said. Rather than spend time on long-term research, the joint initiative will work on a shorter cycle. Frances Mantak ’88, director of health education, said the bingedrinking rate at Brown “is similar to the national rate.” Mantak added that college students’ drinking habits are difficult to change because they reflect our culture and laws and are influenced by the alcohol industry and advertising. Once students arrive at Brown, “we must work against 18 years of social habits,” which are “hard to change,” Mantak said. Still, “77 percent of Brown students claim to have zero to four drinks on a typical night, a statistic that has been consistent over
time,” Mantak said. Yasmine Beydoun ’14 was surprised by this statistic. Most students she observes seem to be drinking more than the survey results suggest, she said. Three levels must be considered when attempting to change students’ drinking habits, McMillan said. The first is the environment. For example, Brown can increase late-night funds dedicated to supporting non-alcoholic events and ensure food is present at parties where alcohol is served, she said. The second level is the community, McMillan said, including “bystander behavior and students’ willingness to call EMS.” The third — the individual level — involves arming students with the knowledge to make smart choices, she said. “Brown has a good, long-standing history of supporting students in their sobriety,” Mantak said. She is hopeful the right changes can reduce high-risk drinking. “If we make a cultural change around alcohol, we can change drinking behavior,” Mantak said. “We can choose to make this change.”
Herald file photo
Local communities will commemorate President Ruth Simmons before she steps down in May.
Campus to honor Simmons in her final year at helm By Tony Bakshi News Editor
Though the University has not yet made official plans to commemorate President Ruth Simmons this year, there will be “opportunities throughout the year to honor and express appreciation to the president,” said Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations. Simmons announced Thursday she would be stepping down from her position at the end of the academic year, culminating an 11-year tenure. “There’s a tremendous amount of appreciation and gratitude for the amount of work that she’s done and the progress that has been made
under her leadership,” Quinn said. “I’m sure every community will want to do something” to honor her, she added. Simmons was the first black president and the second female president of an Ivy League institution when she was named to head the University in 2001. Quinn said groups, both on campus and outside the University, will likely “extend invitations to honor her” now that she has publicly announced her decision to step down at the end of the academic year. Planning for Commencement normally begins in October, so no plans related to the year-end ceremony have been formalized at this point, Quinn said.