Daily
Herald
the Brown
vol. cxlvi, no. 73
Bears Lair bare without machines
Monday, September 26, 2011
Since 1891
Empty seats and dubstep beats at free Fall Concert By kristina Fazzalaro Arts & Culture Editor
By Joseph Rosales Senior Staff Writer
Sam Williams ’12 wakes earlier this semester, knowing she will have to wait for machines at the Bears Lair satellite fitness center. Julie Rodriguez ’14 has postponed her workouts on certain days because she cannot afford to waste time in line for one of the two remaining treadmills. The Graduate Center gym has become a ghost town of empty space and broken-down machines since the semester’s start, when the Department of Athletics removed machines they deemed old or unsafe. It is unclear when these machines will be replaced. The Department of Athletics has taken out 10 machines from the Bears Lair since the start of the semester, said Matthew Tsimikas, assistant director of athletics and physical education. But these machines were removed before the department secured funding for new replacements, leaving limited options for students at the satellite gym. continued on page 3
Amidst confused and opportunistic WaterFire attendees, Brown students filtered into the intimate Rhode Island School of Design Auditorium Saturday night to hear psychedelic crooning and dubstep beats at Brown Concert Agency’s annual Fall Concert.
Arts & Culture Despite the draw of a free and — due to an unfortunate rain call — indoor seat, BCA Booking Chair Gillian Brassil ’12 said only between 350 to 400 students opted to attend the concert leaving over
100 seats empty. It’s a shame they weren’t filled. Real Estate and Starkey, this year’s headliners, turned out a good, balanced show. Real Estate, a five-person indie electronic band currently based out of Brooklyn, had a mellow, gritty vibe that called to mind the MGMT of yesteryear. They were a great start to the night, revving students up for the energetic, heart-thumping beats of Starkey. “Not sure how this seated auditorium works, but feel free to stand up and dance or come down,” said one of the band members, seemingly confused by the formal air of the venue. Brown students do not continued on page 4
Emily Gilbert / Herald
Real Estate invited the audience to “stand up and dance” at Friday’s concert.
Undergrads give high marks to academics Canvas By Jake Comer Senior Staff Writer
A majority of students rate their educational experience at Brown as “excellent,” according to the 2011 enrolled student survey, whose findings were released Thursday. Two thirds of all undergraduates participated in the confidential electronic survey, which the Office of Institutional Research kept open for three weeks last spring. The survey gathers information about students’ views on the undergraduate experience, includ-
ing relationships with faculty and advisers, extracurricular activities, accomplishments and plans — such as finding an internship or writing a thesis. Overall, respondents gave the University high marks. A particularly perspicuous item on the survey inquired, “If you could start all over again, would you go to Brown? Nearly 70 percent replied, “Definitely.” Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron wrote in an email to The Herald that she was pleased to find 80 percent of participants had “been
excited by class” and 83 percent of students indicated that they had engaged “often” or “very often” in “intellectual discussion with students outside class.” She wrote she would like to see improvements in student-faculty interaction. The OIR conducts the survey once every four years. The OIR reported that the composition of respondents with regard to demographics such as financial aid status, class year, sex, race or ethnicity accurately reflects the overall the undergraduate population.
The defeat came in front of a crowd of 18,585 at Harvard Stadium, including a large Brown contingent that braved torrential rain and made the one-hour trip north from Providence. Co-captain quarterback Kyle Newhall-Caballero ’11.5 could not replicate the efficiency of last week’s performance against Stony Brook University that earned him Ivy League co-offensive player of the week honors. Though he threw for 269 yards, he completed only 54 percent of his passes and threw three interceptions. Running back Mark Kachmer ’13 gained 157 yards from scrimmage but fumbled the football twice. The Harvard defense forced timely turnovers and successfully pressured Newhall-Caballero, shutcontinued on page 5
continued on page 3
inside
news......................2-3 Sports.....................5 editorial..............6 Opinions...............7 Arts........................8
Go For Geo
More students are choosing to study Geological Sciences Campus news, 2
Chop Cop Central Falls fires Police Chief City & State, 4
Poli Sci
Johnson ’14 argues importance of science Opinions, 7
weather
Emily Gilbert / Herald
Mark Kachmar ’13 ran for 98 yards but fumbled twice in Friday’s loss.
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. — When it rains, it pours. The football team made too many mistakes Friday, turning the ball over five times — including twice on the opposing goal line — in a 24-7 loss to Harvard. The Crimson (1-1, 1-0 Ivy) only outgained Bruno (1-1, 0-1 Ivy) by 14 yards, but Harvard was able to make big plays on both sides of the ball, whereas the Bears failed to capitalize on their opportunities. “When you turn the ball over and make some dumb penalty plays … that makes the changes in the game,” said Brown’s Head Coach Phil Estes. “We just squandered too many opportunities.” “It’s something that we have to fix,” Estes added. “Our ball security is not very good right now.”
By Sahil luthra Senior Staff Writer
Canvas will replace MyCourses as the University’s online learning management system next fall. Computing and Information Services has been searching for an alternative to MyCourses for over a year. Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron will announce the change in an email to faculty today. Some faculty members are currently piloting the system in their classes, with more planned to test it in the spring, and Alpert Medical School has adopted Canvas as of this fall. MyCourses will be available through spring 2013 for those who elect to use it. The organization of Canvas distinguishes it from MyCourses, said Jonah Kagan ’13, a member of the Academic Technology Steering Committee, which worked with CIS to find a replacement for MyCourses. Rather than clicking several times to view a single homework assignment for a class, students using Canvas can see all information they need aggregated on a single page. The interface is similar to a Facebook news feed, with recent stories — such as a changed due date or a student comment on a
Miscues bury Bears against Harvard By Ethan McCoy Sports Editor
slated to replace MyCourses
t o d ay
tomorrow
80 / 63
74 / 62