Wednesday, September 19, 2012

daily herald the Brown

vol. cxxii, no. 69

INSIDE

Page 2

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

From swamp to Simmons: Lincoln, the legacy

By Amy Rasmussen

Endangered theses

city & state editor

Changes cause ‘abrupt decline’ in IR theses

Page 4

Defining doodles Computer program classifies sketches

Bound on four sides by all varieties of academic disciplines and student life, Lincoln Field, the University’s historic lower campus, lacks both the imposing splendor of the Main Green and the sleepy solace of the Quiet Green.

Its sloping expanse has long been a hub of academic life on campus, but it has also been home to the less intellectual but equally valued pursuits of lunch tray sledding, Frisbee slinging and sunbathing.

Until 1880, the space was “nothing more than a swamp … inhabited by a numerous colony of musical bull-frogs … bordered with a tropic growth of shrubbery and tall grass,” wrote alum Anthony McCabe in “Memories of Brown: traditions and recollections gathered from many sources” — a 1909 compilation of

Feature

Page 8

Health leads Students connect patients with local resources today

tomorrow CoRRINE SZCZEnY / HERALD

69 / 49

68 / 48

Caught between two names, Lincoln Field was originally dedicated to a well-loved Latin professor who passed away in 1891.

Social justice finds a new home in Diman

By Sonia Phene ContriButing Writer

This fall, the Social Action Program House opened in Diman House with 45 members. The new program house, which was approved by the Office of Residential Life last semester after a vacancy left by the Interfaith House, aims to promote social justice.

The purpose in creating the house was to bring together a group of people who have a “common language” in looking to do social justice work, said Ben Chesler ’15, who led the effort to create the house last semester. The house received 55 applicants last semester, but 10 dropped out due to other commitments and housing plans, so the house was able to accept everyone who applied, Chesler said. ResLife took longer than usual to approve plans for the house in the spring, which delayed recruitment, The Herald reported last semester.

since 1891

Students living in the house hail from a wide variety of backgrounds and interests, though most have participated in community service.

“We have people with different skill areas, so we can really make stuff happen,” Chesler said.

Many of the house members participated in the University Community Academic Advising Program — a pre-orientation program designed to introduce first-year students to service in Providence, said Elena Suglia ’15, a member of the house who did not participate in UCAAP. “Even though a lot of people know each other through UCAAP, they are all making a point to get know other people,” Suglia said.

The house is still in the developmental stages in terms of determining leadership and a vision.

“We’re still trying to figure out all the nuts and / / Diman page 5

By Eli Okun

herald file photo

Diman House is now home to the Social Action Program House, which will foster a community of students passionate about social justice.

By PHoebe Draper Senior Staff Writer

Frank Mullin / Brown University

With new director, slavery center plans events Senior Staff Writer

Nationwide search aims to identify new VP

Richard Spies, the interim senior vice president for advancement, plans to leave the University this December.

student accounts. In 1880, the swamp was formally laid out and named Lincoln Field.

Upon former President Ruth Simmons’ departure earlier this year, the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, formally rededicated the land as the Ruth J. Simmons Quadrangle.

Honorary naming and dedication is a responsibility of the Corporation, said Richard Spies, interim senior vice president for University advancement. There are no formal rules governing the process, but the members try to proceed in “an orderly fashion,” he said.

“They are the stewards of the physical spaces and assets of the University,” Spies said. “Ultimately the decision about naming something would be theirs.”

Currently, there are no plans to commemorate Professor John Lincoln, the quadrangle’s original namesake, in an alternate way. “It does happen in some / / Lincoln page 5

The University is conducting a national search to find a new senior vice president for advancement after Steven King ’91 resigned from the post in July. This turnover is one of several administrative changes over the last few months accompanying the University’s presidential transition.

King quietly stepped down after two years in the position, announcing his departure in a letter written to senior staff and others on campus, said Richard Spies, who is currently serving as interim senior vice president for advancement.

Both Spies and Marisa Quinn, vice president of public affairs and University relations, declined to comment on the reasons for King’s departure.

“I can’t speculate, and I can’t read between the lines,” Spies said. King could not be reached for comment.

Spies, who served under former President Ruth Simmons as executive vice president for planning and senior adviser to the president , also announced his resignation from the post in July. Spies said he knew he would resign “10 plus years ago” when he took the job under Simmons, he said, adding that he had decided to step down long before he found out who the new president would be.

Though Spies was set to leave the University after he stepped down in July, he was called back by the administrative team when King resigned. Spies was asked to fill the interim role as senior vice president for advancement while the University searched for a permanent replacement.

“I was still in the neighborhood,” Spies said. “All they really needed was someone who knew Brown pretty well, who knew the people and who could help provide / / Search page 3

The newly formed Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice has begun planning several campus community efforts this year under the leadership of Anthony Bogues, professor of Africana Studies, who was named the center’s director in May. Former University President Ruth Simmons will serve as the chair of the center’s external committee, Bogues said. Simmons created the Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice, whose 2006 report recommended the center’s creation. But the plan stalled for six years as two external candidates for director of the center turned down the University’s offer.

Since Bogues assumed his role July 1, the center has focused on creating a foundation for future initiatives.

“Basically we’re trying to lay down the institutional infrastructure for the center,” Bogues said. Planning efforts will likely accelerate when the center moves into a temporary location in Alumnae Hall Oct. 1, and the center’s manager — set to be officially approved this week — begins work next month, he added.

The center will probably remain in Alumnae Hall until 2014 while the permanent location undergoes major renovation. Bogues said the permanent location has been chosen but declined to identify it.

The first major event the center will host is an international conference this spring on slavery and the making of the modern world, Bogues said. The center will also sponsor a slavery and / / Justice page 2

2 campus news c alendar Today

sept. 19

12 p.m.

ToMORROW

Sept. 20

12 p.m.

Colors of Confinement

Sayles Hall

John Nicholas Brown Library 5 p.m.

Creative Medicine Series

Norb Vonnegut reading

Pembroke Hall, Room 305

Brown Bookstore

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL

LUNCH Popcorn Chicken with Dipping Sauces, Vegan Nuggets, Sliced Fresh Carrots, Oreo Chocolate Chip Bar

Sausage and Pepper Sandwich, Vegetarian Spinach Strudel, Oreo Chocolate Chip Fudge Bar

DINNER Orange Teriyaki Salmon, Bamboo Rice with Tofu, Sesame and Ginger, Yellow Cake with Frosting

Chopped Sirloin with Mushroom Sauce, Mixed Baby Mesculin with Honey Dijon, Yellow Cake with Frosting

Sudoku

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Crossword

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 1983 movie about a taxi company 6 Place for a sala 10 Home on the range 14 Kukla’s dragon friend 15 Israeli weapons 16 Optic layer 17 Leader for whom Houston’s airport is named 19 Really tired 20 Highlands honey 21 Narrow-bodied river fish 22 Intrinsically 23 Christmas __ 24 “The Chimpanzees of Gombe” writer 27 Fixed, in a way 29 Farm feed item 30 Salon supply 31 Saloon orders 32 Hot tub reaction 33 Bit of background in a Road Runner cartoon 34 “Superfudge” novelist 38 Nick and Nora’s pooch 41 Cold War agcy.

42 Shell propellers 45 Starfish arm 46 WWII craft 47 Not a good thing to be at the wheel 49 Pro Football Hall of Famer nicknamed “Crazylegs” 53 Traffic cops gp.?

54 Maxim 55 Do lunch, e.g.

56 Speaker with a .345 career batting average 57 Stallion feature 58 TV series that first aired 9/23/1962 whose family shares first names with 17-, 24-, 34- and 49Across 61 Henry VIII’s fourth 62 Verdi slave 63 Squander 64 Ponies up

65 Office furnishing 66 Some McFlurry ingredients

Theses drop under new IR rules

By Corinne Cathcart Staff Writer

Fall Career Fair 5:30 p.m.

the brown daily herald Wednesday, September 19, 2012

33 Square food?

35 Salt sprinkle 36 Himalayan myth 37 Dance in a pit 38 Visitors center handout 39 Zoe of “Avatar” 40 Abuse of power 43 Flower for one’s honey 44 Foreknow, as the future 46 Caustic stuff

47 Part of a Molière comédie 48 Avoids an F 50 Arches with pointed tops 51 Oboist’s supply 52 Noted vowel seller 56 Nicholas II, e.g.

58 Wee bit 59 Hotfoot it, oldstyle 60 Pair

DOWN 1 Zigzag hole feature 2 Chop chopper 3 __ held: in few hands, as stock 4 Snob’s affectations 5 Avoid, as an issue ANSWER TO PREVIOUS 6 Like many Miamians, by birth 7 Clear blue 8 Girl sib 9 Campfire remains 10 Like ice or dice 11 Run-of-the-mill 12 Spotty condition?

13 Kneecap 18 “I say!”

22 Patio planter 24 Savior in a Bach cantata 25 Purpose 26 Interstate H-1 locale 28 __ vu 32 “Modern Family” xwordeditor@aol.com network

PUZZLE:

09/19/12

No international relations concentrator in the class of 2013 is currently approved to complete a thesis this year, marking a steep drop from previous years.

On average, about 15 undergraduates usually complete theses each year, but in the past two years there has been a “very abrupt decline,” and none are now planning to do so this year, said Mark Blyth, director of the international relations program and professor of political science.

The number of completed theses last year was in the low single digits, said Andrew White ’13, co-head of the international relations department undergraduate group.

Recent changes in concentration requirements, in addition to the already demanding criteria for international relations theses, likely contributed to this year’s decline, said Ian Slater ’13, a department concentrator.

The Watson Institute reorganized the undergraduate program in international relations in Feb. 2011. The effects of these changes are being felt for the first time with the current senior concentrators who declared after the changes were instituted. The changes included narrowing the concentration from three specific tracks to two and adding a mandatory language requirement to be completed in the concentrator’s geographic area of focus. In addition, core course requirements were increased from four to five courses, and the number of courses in a specific track grew from three to five. Two required courses were added in a concentrator’s area of focus, and the number of re-

/ / Slavery page 1 justice lecture this year. Bogues said he also hopes the center will add one or two fellows by the end of the year.

Looking to the future, Bogues envisioned work in curricular development, connections with undergraduate and graduate students and research across a wide variety of subject matters, bringing to bear “all the traditional things of higher education around questions of slavery and the meaning of slavery,” he said.

Bogues said he has been in contact with Roger Nozaki, director of the Swearer Center for Public Service, to discuss ways the two organizations can collaborate on issues of social justice in Providence and Rhode Island. Bogues said the center will have a scope broader than just slavery in the United States.

quired courses increased to 16 from 14.

Even before these changes were instituted, the international relations thesis was an extremely difficult project to take on, Slater said. He is not planning on doing a thesis as part of his concentration.

“It’s original social research abroad in your language,” Slater said. “It’s intense.”

“You have to be really, really committed if you want to do it,” White said. “It’s a time-intensive thesis program compared to others.”

Professors and Watson administrators also attributed the sharp decrease in thesis writers to a combination of factors. It was “already a tough thesis requirement, but with the upgrade in requirements it’s much tougher,” Blyth said. Brown students like to get involved in many other activities, so if they want to do a capstone project instead, giving them more time for other commitments, that makes perfect sense, he said.

The numbers are alarming, Blyth said, but because the decline was so sudden, the department is going to wait and see whether this is just an adjustment period, or if there are serious roadblocks to students completing theses, Blyth said. If the latter case is true, the department will consider re-working the program.

Despite the “misconception that (theses) are impossible,” Hannah Braun ’14 said she is planning to do a thesis in her senior year following her study abroad trip to Berlin this spring. “The standards are high, and the expectations are high,” she said, but there is also a lot of support for students who are doing a thesis.

The old requirements made the program “too large, too unwieldy and too ambiguous in intellectual rationale,”

Blyth said, adding that the Watson Institute “wanted to make (the program) cumulative. So you’re actually growing to something.”

At the time of the changes, students had already registered for courses, and then-sophomores were required to declare their concentrations in the spring.

After much protest from prospective concentrators in the class of 2013, the Watson Institute made a separate set of requirements for their class that was slightly less rigorous than the one in place for future classes. Concentrators who were already part of the program could finish their study with the old requirements.

White had already declared his concentration before the changes, though he said “people were kind of caught in the headlights.”

“Things could have been planned better,” White said.

“I think my class was a little lost,” said Slater, who had not declared at the time of the changes. They just happened so abruptly, he said, adding that if they had happened earlier in the year or more gradually it might have been easier to adjust.

“Logistically, it would be impossible for a lot of people in my grade to fulfill the requirements,” Slater told The Herald in 2011. Many people switched to other concentrations because of the reorganization, Slater then told The Herald.

Now Slater said he thinks completing the requirements, especially if students begin as underclassmen, is completely feasible. The added rigor, he said, “weeded out a lot of people who don’t want to be (international relations),” or who did not show a real commitment to the course of study.

“It will also be attentive to other forms of historical injustices and contemporary injustices,” Bogues said, “which means that the center will have a public profile in trying to address or speak to some of those larger injustices.”

“If we want to think about issues, we have to think about issues in the framework of a certain kind of globality,” he said.

The center will also be looking to develop some course offerings for undergraduate students, and Bogues said he is meeting this week with Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron to discuss “ways in which the undergraduate education and the center can have synergies.”

Though the internal faculty committee has yet to meet or set its schedule, its members expressed excitement and enthusiasm for the center’s

long-awaited opening when Bogues was named director in May. The center will boost Brown’s reputation as a site of scholarship on slavery and justice, taking advantage of the University’s interdisciplinary strengths to examine these issues, said Professor of English Philip Gould ’83, who will serve on the center’s faculty board. “(The center) has large historical breadth, and it really is germane to the politics of slavery and the problems of enslavement globally today,” Gould told The Herald last May. Matthew Guterl, a professor of Africana studies and American Studies who will serve on the faculty board this year, praised the University for using the center to “aspire to a higher ethics” in an email to The Herald.

“This should be a part of university life,” he wrote in May. “And I’m impressed at Brown’s eagerness to take a leadership role in this critical work.”

The faculty board was chosen by Simmons, Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughlin P’12 and Provost Mark Schlissel P’15. Associate Professor of History Seth Rockman voiced enthusiasm about its potential. “I think we’re going to bring a lot of disciplinary perspectives and a lot of different kinds of political commitments to the table,” he said.

Schlissel said the center’s development will be a major boon for the Brown community.

“We think it will really be a stimulus to fantastic research and teaching that will help us better understand these important issues,” he said.

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the brown daily herald Wednesday, September 19, 2012

campus news 3

Software recognizes subjects of sketches

By Caroline Flanagan Senior Staff Writer

If there is one thing people have learned from programs like Draw Something, it’s that artistic ability varies greatly from one person to another.

Though computers are capable of image recognition, the sketches of the average person are usually too abstract for a computer to process. But thanks to a new program, computers can recognize drawings with 56 percent accuracy, allowing them to process artwork by even the most amateur of artists.

James Hays, assistant professor of computer science, developed the program along with researchers from the Technical University of Berlin, Marc Alexa and Mathias Eitz.

Eitz led the research and started out by compiling a list of 250 everyday objects, such as a comb or a camel.

Then, through a crowdsourcing program called Mechanical Turk, he and his team collected 20,000 sketches by offering one or two pennies for sketches of the objects.

Originally, Eitz collected thousands of hand-drawn sketches from students at his university to scan into a computer, but the method was too messy and time-consuming.

But the crowdsourcing method also presented a number of challenges.

For instance, because participants were using a tablet or computer to create the drawings, their drawings were slightly different than if they had been drawn by hand.

Additionally, many sketchers

science & Research

the researchers employed were not motivated to help for the sake of the research itself. As a result, the team had to sort through the drawings to remove the profane sketches and those created by internet bots for financial gain. But there were fewer unusable sketches than Hays expected based on other experiences with crowdsourcing, he said. The team only had to get rid of 1 percent of the sketches.

“For whatever reason, it was a lot cleaner here,” Hays said. “I think because people were enjoying it to some degree.”

After sorting through the sketches, the team had a comprehensive database of drawings with 80 pictures for each of the 250 categories.

“The cool thing about this project is that Mathias (Eitz) collected the first database of how humans sketch things,” Hays said, “As far as we know, that’s never been done before.”

In addition, the program uses new ways to recognize drawings. Most programs that recognize imagery only process the geometric shapes of the image, while this program is the first to use category-based recognition.

As users draw an image on a tablet or computer, the program suggests categories that the image may fall under by comparing the sketch to the images in its database. When the drawing is completed, the program displays possible categories from most to least likely.

“We gave (the computer) the highlevel knowledge that these 80 images are the same semantic identity versus another sketch-based program that focuses on geometric (identity),” Hays said. “We were surprised to find that that hadn’t been done before — it’s a

fairly common programming tool. … Nobody had applied that pipeline to sketches.”

Hays believes that someday imagebased communication with computers may facilitate access to computers in countries where the literacy rate is not high enough for interaction with computers, which are almost entirely language-based.

Hays is also excited by the sociological and anthropological implications of the program. For instance, the program distills each category down to the most common method for representing that object.

“The data is pretty interesting from a sociological standpoint,” Hays said.

“It says something about ourselves and our cultures, like how Americans draw bread differently from Europeans.”

He added that almost all people are bad at drawing lobsters.

The team will leave it up to Eitz to decide if it will expand the program, but Hays said that it would not be hard to add more categories, and they might even move on to more abstract concepts such as emotion. In addition, he thinks accuracy might be improved if the program could monitor the timing during a sketch and the order of the strokes. For now, Eitz has introduced the program in an application for iPhones and iPads, allowing the researchers to collect even more data for their database.

/ / Search page 1 some transition support.”

Spies said the transition was smooth.

“It wasn’t as if they needed someone to come in and suddenly rewrite the playbook for them. The playbook was pretty good,” he said.

The search for a new vice president for advancement began during the summer and, administrators hope, will reach its conclusion by the end of the fall semester, Quinn wrote in an email to The Herald.

The firm Spencer Stuart is assisting the University in the search, Quinn added.

The University also contracted with Spencer Stuart last year when searching for a new president.

Spies plans to leave the interim position in December and pass the reins

over to the new hire when the search is concluded.

In the future, Spies hopes to find an initiative-based position at another University or organization, similar to the interim position he has been filling this year, he said.

Despite the leadership turnover, Spies said he doesn’t expect any major initiatives or campaigns to stall.

“The more visible initiatives are very much moving forward,” Spies said, citing engineering and humanities campaigns, along with residential life improvements.

“They’re getting, if anything, more attention during this transition,” he said.

“I think one thing you learn about advancement is there is no such thing as normal,” he said. “Every year has its own intensity, and this year certainly does.”

www.browndailyherald.com

4 science & research / / Yoga page 8 But for Davidson, yoga has been a longtime interest. He spent time in India and has worked with experienced yoga practitioners.

He drew inspiration for the studio from a similar one near the University of California at Berkeley.

“I saw the success of that studio and how popular it was, and I realized it was a similar demographic, very similar type of neighborhood to Thayer Street,” Davidson said.

But Davidson said Brown students are not his primary target demographic.

“I would like to have people from all walks of life come to the studio,” he added.

Though attendance has been sporadic thus far, with some classes drawing four or five students and others none, Davidson said he is confident the studio will eventually prosper.

“There’s a niche for this place,” he said.

A hard sell Though the studio lacks a streetlevel space, some students have already noticed its presence.

Georgia Tollin ’15 said she noticed the NOW Yoga and Fitness sign when she first moved in and received a flyer advertising a free class last Thursday.

When she told friends Wendy Ginsberg

’15 and Lee Bernstein ’15, a Herald contributing writer, about the free class, “we all kind of decided to try it out together,” she said.

“I’ve only taken that one class, but I’ve enjoyed it,” Tollin said. “The instructor was really knowledgeable.”

Tollin, who practices yoga at home, said she prefers hot yoga to other types of yoga “to get a work out.”

“I was hoping it was going to be a little more rigorous and more active,” Tollin said, but “I definitely want to go back to check out their other courses.”

Bernstein, who has also done yoga in the past, took free classes offered by a student-run club inside Hillel last year, she said.

“I definitely think this space is nicer and more inviting,” she said. “I personally am a very clean person so that space was nice for me.”

At $15 for a drop-in class, NOW Yoga and Fitness charges rates comparable to those of University Athletics, which also holds a variety of yoga classes but lacks the equipment for hot yoga.

But the Thayer studio charges substantially more on a monthly basis — unlimited classes begin at $130 a month while Brown charges $75 per semester — and additional fees for equipment rentals.

Hillel’s free classes come with accompanying free rentals for mats and blocks.

Tollin acknowledged that charging money for yoga might be a hard sell

for students, who have access to free classes at Hillel. “I know it’s often hard to get college students to pay for extra,” she said.

But NOW Yoga and Fitness has value for people looking for other options, she said.

the brown daily herald Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Biomarkers predict patient outcomes

By Alyssa Self

Namaste Davidson said he thinks three to five months should be enough time to see the studio reach peak enrollment, and he hopes to have at least a dozen people in each class.

Until then, Davidson plans on expanding the number of instructors at the studio and possibly hiring Brown students as receptionists.

But last Friday, the future was far from anyone’s mind. As the class came to a close, Souza led her students through the final relaxing poses and turned out the lights as they lay face up on the floor.

“Relax,” she said. “You have the opportunity today to let go, a little bit.” She moved from one student to the next, correcting their posture, relaxing the muscles, running her hands over the temples of their faces. After they sat up and assumed the last yoga pose, she paused for thanks.

“I’m very humbled and honored to share my practice with you,” she said.

She pressed her hands together and bowed. “Namaste.”

www.browndailyherald.com

Contributing Writer

A study published yesterday found that a combination of biomarkers, rather than DNA alone, is a more effective way of determining the involvement of human papillomavirus in causing head and neck cancers. Brown researchers — working with colleagues at Dartmouth, Boston University and other institutions — found that patients with head and neck cancers caused by HPV fared better than patients with head and neck cancers caused by other factors, such as smoking. The study, published in the journal Cancer Research, determined that a combined biomarker approach that examines both DNA and biomarkers provides the best prediction of patient outcomes.

“It is important to assess which tumors are driven by a virus and which ones aren’t,” said Karl Kelsey, professor of community health, pathology and laboratory medicine and contributing author of the study.

HPV, commonly known as a cause of cervical cancer, is also a known cause of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. The study in particular focused on HPV16, a strain specifically associated with increased risk of throat cancer.

When HPV infects a host and integrates into its genome, two viral proteins, called E6 and E7, are constructed and activated. The E6 and E7 proteins then inhibit the function of tumor suppressor proteins, notably retinoblastoma protein ­— the inactivation of which can lead to the development of cancer.

Kelsey defined biomarkers as indicators of particular conditions that allow clinicians to make decisions about a patient’s care. In this study, researchers examined blood serum levels of antibodies to E6 and E7 viral proteins. They also stained the tumors for p16, a protein

that signals the inactivation of tumor suppression. They found that HPV E6 and E7 antibodies, in the absence of p16 overexpression, were associated with improved patient survival — and this combination of biomarkers proved superior to other biomarkers in predicting patient outcome. Through identification of antibodies to the E6 and E7 biomarkers, researchers can glean a more accurate measure of HPV DNA in tumors.

The study also shows that amplification and identification of HPV16 DNA from head and neck tumors alone is not an accurate method for predicting patient mortality.

Patients who were HPV16 DNA positive but lacked antibodies to E6 or E7 did not demonstrate reduced mortality, while patients with the antibodies showed a significant reduction in overall mortality, regardless of HPV16 DNA detection.

In addition, “Individually, p16 overexpression is not informative to predict overall survival,” said primary author Caihua Liang GS, a doctoral student in community health.

Pierre Saintigny, assistant professor at MD Anderson Cancer Center, said the study could have a “major impact in defining patients having poor prognosis.” Saintigny praised the use of a large population sample and the study’s methodology.

Since the treatment for head and neck cancer is aggressive, identification of the cause of head and neck tumors could allow physicians to use less harmful treatment options with tumors caused by HPV. “These tests might be useful in the future for early detection,” Saintigny added.

Though less aggressive treatment for HPV-related cancers may be possible, “the most important part (of the study) is the correct diagnosis of virusassociated tumors,” Kesley said.

features 5

the brown daily herald Wednesday, September 19, 2012

/ / Lincoln page 1 cases that buildings are demolished and names disappear,” Spies said.

“The memories are usually captured somehow, but not always.”

(A)Live on Lincoln John Larkin Lincoln 1836 was a Latin professor at the University from 1844 until his death in 1891.

References to Lincoln’s character and teaching are frequently scattered throughout “Memories,” often taking the form of reminiscences on his academic prowess, imposing presence and sharp sense of humor.

By most accounts, Lincoln seems to have been one of the professors originally responsible for making the University’s name synonymous with great teaching. While Simmons was often considered a rock star at Brown, stories suggest that Lincoln may have been one of her 19th century equivalents.

“Seniors were frequently invited to his table, and they adored him,” wrote Benjamin Wheeler 1875 in “Memories.” “I was sure no college had such remarkable professors as Brown,” he wrote.

Lincoln also showed great enthusiasm both for the Latin language and for teaching. “How he beamed and glowed over a happy translation …

How he radiated his own joy in the Ars Poetica!” wrote former University president William Faunce 1880 of his colleague. “Latin a dead language?

No one ever said that who sat under ‘Johnny Link’ in 23 University Hall.”

The pieces also recount tales of Lincoln’s quick wit and dry sense of humor. One unfortunate student, caught off-guard in class by a question about the Roman historian Livy, replied that he had forgotten the answer, James Angell 1849 recalled.

Lincoln’s retort was devastating: “Forgotten? Did you ever know?”

Adoration aside, the classics professor was equally talented in the discipline of his young charges. “Students in that group will never forget

the impressive and indignant manner with which Professor Lincoln fixed his eyeglasses and glared through the window at the offenders,” wrote August Swift of an incident involving former University president Francis Wayland’s dairy cow and an incessantly ringing University bell.

Lincoln’s name will live on in history books, but how deeply attached it will be to the field in the future remains to be seen. “Is the Lincoln name removed, or is it in effect shared?” Spies asked. “I don’t know the answer to that yet.”

Battleground Throughout the years, thousands of students have used the field as a sun-drenched spot for studying, sports and a bit of lounging between classes.

But in the 1800s, the field had yet to be surrounded by its current array of academic buildings. Baseballs flew freely — until one crashed unceremoniously through the window of St. Stephen’s Church, leading to a hasty reorientation of home plate.

The ability to bring together a community, whether through a 19th century baseball team or a 21st century dance class, seems to be a longstanding feature of the space. Each spring, hundreds now gather on the field for an evening of traditional African Mande dance. In years past, sporting events were the major draw for crowds.

The quad has also witnessed its fair share of mischief over the years — even Victorian-era Brunonians were not without the characteristic streak of sly troublemaking.

On a spring night in 1899, students celebrating a baseball victory over Princeton set the field alight with bonfires on a “never-to-beforgotten night on Lincoln Field,” an unidentified student wrote in “Memories.” It was an event perhaps responsible for setting the precedent for an age-old struggle well-known to any student who has ever called Keeney Quadrangle home.

The bonfires “transformed the arena of Lincoln Field into a battleground,” he wrote. “The warring factions were the students of Brown University and the fire department.”

In perpetuity?

On the opening day of the 20122013 academic year, bewildered firstyears and transfer students consulted freshly labeled maps directing them through the Simmons Quadrangle.

After the Van Wickle gates swing inward to admit three more classes, the field’s original name may be lost to all but historians and alums.

But for three-quarters of the current undergraduate community, the majority of memories related to the field — Fall Concert, Live on Lincoln and the annual Foam Party, to name a few — will exist under a different name, at least for now.

Though the name does not yet roll easily off the tongue, most upperclassmen and recent alums seem to be aware of the change. Juan Lorenzo ’12, who had just informed his friend Cristina Alvarez ’13 of the new title, said he thinks the quad is desperately in need of a nickname.

But both thought the name would catch on fairly rapidly “because Ruth was so adored,” Lorenzo said. And they agreed that Simmons deserved the remembrance.

“It’s a huge honor,” said Briana Garcia ’14. “It’s one of my favorite greens on campus.”

Several more recently dedicated buildings have yet to answer to their name in the minds of students. New Dorm seems almost certainly entrenched as the unofficial title for the Vartan Gregorian Quad and Faunce House is still fairly universally the name of choice for the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center.

“Some things are instantaneously accepted, and other things take forever,” Spies said. “Sometimes four years is a reasonable estimate of ‘a while’ before they become part of the popular lexicon, but some things happen a lot faster.”

The Corporation’s resolution of gratitude towards Simmons states, “In high honor and lasting legacy of her Presidency, the historic lower campus between Soldier’s Arch and Sayles Hall will be henceforth and in perpetuity known to all as The Ruth J. Simmons Quadrangle.”

“There’s a time and a place for everything, including naming,” Spies said of campus rededications. “Not everything is forever.”

More than 100 years later, student knowledge of the once illustrious Professor Lincoln has all but faded from memory, raising a lingering question.

Centuries later, in perpetuity even, what remains of a name? Even one as powerful as Ruth J. Simmons.

/ / Diman page 1 bolts,” said Meiling Jabbaar ’15, also a member. The members have discussed what leadership the house should have and what the positions would entail, she said.

The students have also discussed developing goals and crafting a mission statement, which is pending further deliberation.

“The energy is really great, but we don’t have anything tangible yet,” Chesler said.

The students have many ideas regarding what initiatives the house should undertake, Suglia said.

“First, we’re trying to help each other with our own projects,” she said. “It’s easier to start with (existing projects), and it’s a way to get to know each other.”

Many of the students living in the house are already involved in community service work through the Swearer Center for Public Service.

Students also plan to use the house to encourage collaboration on campus, said Thomas Yim ’15, a member of the house.

“We hope it will become a hub on campus for others as well,” Yim said.

The house may host informational dinners as a way to engage the larger student body. Though members are still figuring out the details, the students spoke about hosting dinners “where leaders in Providence related to social action can talk about their projects and how students can get involved,” Jabbaar said.

“I am excited to see how our ideas for the house will grow,” Jabbaar added.

These dinners could provide an opportunity to collaborate with the Swearer Center, she said.

/ / Health page 8 its high risk of lead exposure and old and crowded housing, which is associated with asthma, Beachler said.

Typical resources patients might be connected with include Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, the Rhode Island Department of Human Services, local food pantries and neighborhood childcare programs. But these resources aren’t always guaranteed.

“We can’t always expect success,” Levine said. She spoke of hours spent researching resources for clients, though ultimately a client did not have the qualifications or programs were full.

But “we always celebrate our victories,” Gutierrez-Jimenez said. “It’s very easy to be downtrodden because you can’t help everyone.”

Volunteer Emily Liu ’14 recalled a case where she worked with a mother and her newborn. The woman’s electricity had been shut off and her

comics Join the Club | Simon Henriques

The new program house is “fantastic” and “a great potential partner,” said Roger Nozaki MAT’89, director of the Swearer Center and associate dean of the College for community and global engagement.

The amount of collaboration with the Swearer Center is up to the students, he said.

“We have offered our support for their endeavors. We can provide them with connections in the community and advise them in the kinds of conversations to have in the house,” Nozaki said.

But the Swearer Center recognizes the house as a separate entity from its own projects.

“We believe in student leadership,” said Alan Flam, director of advising and community collaborations at the Swearer Center. “We understand all program houses need to be driven by students, and we absolutely respect this.”

For some students, living in Social Action Program House is a way to further their community involvement.

“I’ve always been interested in social justice,” Jabbaar said. “Community service has always been part of my life and living in a place where others care about many issues can be very eye-opening.”

For others, the house provides a new opportunity they said was missing from their college experiences. “I did a lot of community service in high school and felt a little out of it last year. This is a way for me to get back into it and living in close quarters is a really great platform,” Suglia said.

“The house has lots of potential,” Flam said. “It will continue to keep Brown as a campus where commitment to working to change the world is part of the ethos.”

boiler had also exploded. Liu found that the woman was eligible for National Grid’s utilities subsidy program but then faced the problem of finding a boiler. As a college student, “it’s frustrating not to be able to commit all of your time to it,” Liu said.

The hardest cases are those in which the individual is not documented, Gutierrez-Jimenez said. “But if you can help them with one thing, that’s much more than what they had before,” he added. While the organization cannot directly provide for material needs, it is good at helping people allocate their budgets, Levine said.

Another challenge volunteers face is reconciling their opinions about what is best for their clients with what the clients think. For example, families may oppose applying for food stamps even though volunteers may think food stamps are a good resource. “Obviously they know their lives a lot better than we do,” Levine said, “and so we have to trust their priorities and trust their intent.”

6 editorial

the brown daily herald Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Editorial Please sir, can I have some more?

When students return to campus for a new semester, they look forward to many things — Ratty food, though, isn’t one of them. It is true that there have been many recent improvements to on-campus dining choices. While we commend Brown Dining Services’ efforts to expand the culinary options at Brown’s satellite eateries, it is no secret that the meal plan has long been received with grudging resentment by students. We believe the meal plan takes advantage of many students’ inability or unwillingness to obtain food by other means, and we advocate major changes in the BDS system, particularly in pricing.

Institutionally-prepared food is likely never going to be delicious, particularly compared to eateries like East Side Pockets that are only a few steps up Thayer Street. But on-campus meal plans also come with an incredibly hefty price tag, and it is with this price tag that we take the most issue. Brown offers two tracks of meals: Weekly and Flex Plans. The price for the full option of either plan is $4,284. This can be used as either 20 weekly meals and 200 points per year, or as 230 meals and 250 points per semester.

When one crunches the numbers the University unquestionably receives a far better end of the deal. One reason for this is the absolute rigidity of the meal credit — when spending the credit at a satellite eatery like the Blue Room, the full $6.60 gets charged no matter what. In many cases, the meal credit at a satellite eatery does not cover the cost of an entire meal. This is exacerbated by the policy of expiring credits on the Weekly Plan, where failing to use one of your credits for the day means you lose it forever. This might point to Flex being a better option, but students get shortchanged there as well. The full value of 230 meals and 250 points per semester is only $1,768, which is more than $300 less than the $2,142 per semester charged for the meal plan. This essentially boils down to students paying $300 for “flexibility.”

The problem becomes even more pronounced when less comprehensive plans are examined. The weekly 14 meal per week plan provides the user with about 105 fewer meals and 50 points less than the full plan users get, and yet it is only $254 cheaper. This vein continues for all the meal plan pricings — it just makes no financial sense to go on anything less than the full plan, which is overpriced in the first place. Many students argue that eating out on Thayer Street is actually cheaper in the long run, and they have a point. Some might argue that the convenience of having food prepared whenever you need it trumps the financial burden that accompanies the meal plans, and we gladly concede that point.

We also do not intend to criticize BDS employees, who have put in a huge amount of effort to create variety and convenience for students at all campus eateries. The continually rising cost that students are forced to bear, as well as the pressure that Brown puts on students to choose an overpriced plan — especially by mandating it for first-year students — speaks to an unappealing eagerness on behalf of the administration to reap the monetary benefits of our participation.

Possible solutions to these problems include allowing freshmen to opt out of the plan, perhaps giving them a free trial to decide what works best for their needs or reducing the cost of the lower-tier meal plans to make them financially feasible or even increasing the value of a meal credit at venues such as the Blue Room and Josiah’s. The short surveys students are asked to complete by BDS when they go off meal plan, which ask the reasons for the decision, obviously aren’t working. The administration needs to listen to students and make improvements to the meal plan system — otherwise, students may decide that Chicken Finger Friday and Ratty omelets just aren’t worth the pain.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

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Correc tion An article in Tuesday’s Herald (“Salciccioli GS wins first Simmons education scholarship,” September 18) incorrectly stated that the Annenberg Institute runs the Urban Education Policy master’s program. In fact, the University’s Department of Education runs the program. The Herald regrets the error.

quote of the day

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— Anonymous student in1899 See lincoln on page 5.

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opinions 7

the brown daily herald Wednesday, September 19, 2012

Why so down on Brown?

By Liz Mills Guest Columnist A discussion of happiness has the potential to devolve into something needlessly existential. I say needlessly because, in my not-at-allscientific assessment of what makes people happy, it’s often small details — like the state of traffic on one’s commute or, yes, whether or not the salad bar has garbanzo beans — that make or break a day.

Call me simple-minded, but if I’d been in Cara Dorris’ ‘15 shoes at the salad bar (“Dorris’15: Who’s the happiest?,” Sept. 17), I’d think, “It’s great that they’re enjoying their salad so much!”

Admittedly, I’d also probably think something snide like, screw “garbanzo” — ­ why can’t we all agree to call a chickpea a chickpea?

And speaking of calling a chickpea a chickpea, let’s consider the merits of calling a spade a spade. Me? I’m all for it. I’m taking my senior fall off from Brown and interning in DC, and I’m under no illusions: It’s hard.

Primarily because, even though I’m surrounded by colleagues all the time, my days can be incredibly lonely. I miss being with my friends, the people around whom I can be an unadulterated version of myself.

I very much sympathize with Brown’s current freshmen, who are confronting the conflicting realities of starting college. They are both overwhelmed by how much they have

to juggle and underwhelmed by Brown, by the fact that they have yet to truly “get” the hype. Many are likely engaged in the charade of not wanting to be the one who says “uncle” first and admits that he or she isn’t quite at home.

And, as Dorris aptly points out, faking it doesn’t necessarily pay off. She references an Academy of Management Journal study which notes that bus drivers wielding fake smiles “actually experienced deteriorating moods.” Brown’s so-called happy culture un-

positive reservoir of memories to draw upon when we’re struggling. If we can strike a balance between wallowing and faking, we can at least get ourselves on the road to a more genuinely happy place. And if we can talk about the state of happiness at Brown in a productive way — discussing the problem, yes, but also posing solutions — our community as a whole can strengthen.

The hallmark trait of Brown students is not happiness, genuine or otherwise. The hallmark trait is accountability, whether we

But the effort to find joy in the little things — as little as chickpeas in the salad bar — is crucial. The Ratty, a “seemingly unhappy place,” is where I’ve had some of my favorite moments at Brown. fortunately cultivates the pressure to seem happy or else be left out.

But Dorris neglected to mention what else the study found, the information that people who are struggling can productively use. A New York Times article contemplating the same study elaborated: “On days when the subjects tried to display smiles through deeper efforts — by actually cultivating pleasant thoughts and memories — their overall moods improved, and their productivity increased.”

So what Dorris posited as a hopeless study in fact had a very uplifting component. If we can find activities that make us genuinely happy in the moment, then we can create a

like it or not. We have been gifted the freedom to create something out of our experience here, something that suits our academic interests and human needs, even those that we can’t quite put our finger on. Our support system, which spans from our roommates to our professors to our deans to our Meiklejohns to Gail at the Ratty to our family a mile or world away, is not “indulgent.” It’s exceptional. And it certainly takes courage to use it, to admit that things are not going quite as we imagined the day we first stepped through the Van Wickle Gates.

But the effort to find joy in the little things, as little as chickpeas in the salad bar, is crucial. The Ratty, a “seemingly unhappy

place,” is where I’ve had some of my favorite moments at Brown. It’s where I sat with my teammates after an awesome crew race against Yale and relived every victorious second. It’s where I studied for my Islam exam as I tried to cover a semester’s worth of reading in the time it took me to eat “these-weresupposed-to-be-over-easy” eggs. It’s where I loudly regaled my table — and probably those in the near and far vicinity — with the story of when I woke up in Health Services freshmen year. And it’s where I discovered Magic Bars, which, again and again, have made mediocre days feel that much better.

As for who’s the Happiest, though? Not me.

But I am happy, lower-case “h.” And this is a subtle but crucial distinction. Whereas being Happy sounds overly declarative, has finality to it, happy is more humble, leaving room for other emotions in my day. I can be happy and stressed and uncertain about the ever-looming future. I can enjoy components of my Brown experience and still engage in an authentic conversation with my peers about how I can be happier still. I can delight in the chickpeas in the Ratty without being accused of performing because I have accepted the fact that the existential quest for Happiness is perhaps never-ending. In the meantime I have the right, the opportunity or even the responsibility to fill my days with meaningful conversations and genuinely joyful moments.

Liz Mills `13.5 will happily continue this conversation through email at ElizabethSMills@gmail.com.

A pattern of prejudice

By Cara Newlon Opinions Columnist Imagine that during the course of your sophomore year, you experience an episode of multiple sclerosis so severe that you take a medical leave from Brown. Your doctor places you on medication and pronounces you ready to return to school at the beginning of the next semester. But Brown won’t let you come back. You’re informed that Brown’s medical leave policy requires you to remain out of school for two full semesters before you can return, regardless of what your doctor says.

Fortunately this isn’t generally Brown’s practice for students with physical problems.

While the “official” policy states that students cannot return until two full semesters have elapsed, students with physical conditions can usually come back as soon as their physician deems it appropriate.

But what if the illness is psychiatric?

Medical leaves are intended to allow students sufficient time to recover from their illness, physical or mental. These leaves are often involuntary, though, leading students at many universities to protest rather than praise the policy. Virtually all universities institute forced medical leave if a student appears to endanger himself or others. Once on leave, a student can submit an application for readmission, typically consisting of a physician recommendation and a personal statement.

Yet readmission to Brown has a catch: A

medical leave must last for two full semesters.

The policy is generally enforced for leaves taken due to psychiatric problems, but often not for physical illnesses. Yale has a similar distinction in the enforcement of their policy, requiring students with mental illness to take leave for a full year.

Brown enforces the two-semester minimum inflexibly when a student leaves for psychiatric reasons, often regardless of what the treating physician recommends. Undoubtedly, an extended medical leave is beneficial for some psychiatric patients, but who is in a better position to judge a student’s readiness

forced to take medical leaves. The difference?

A personal leave has no time-length requirement, unlike a medical leave.

“The dean didn’t see any reason to put it down as a medical leave,” one student said.

This disparity in treatment illustrates Brown’s discriminatory attitude toward those who suffer from mental illness. In our society, mental health problems still carry a stigma, and Brown’s practices seem to disappointingly perpetuate prejudicial attitudes.

Belinda Johnson, director of psychological services at the University, has a different take. “The situation that arises is that as an

Undoubtedly, an extended medical leave is beneficial for some psychiatric patients, but who is in a better position to judge a student’s readiness to return to college than the student’s doctor? to return to college than the student’s doctor?

Apparently, in cases of physical ailments, Brown accepts medical opinions. But the opinion of a mental health professional is disregarded.

Brown’s medical leave policies have stirred controversy in the past. In a 2010 article, a Herald reporter interviewed three students — two taking leave for mental health reasons, and one for multiple sclerosis (“Psychological leave-takers miss U. contact,” Sept.

27, 2010). The student with multiple sclerosis was allowed by Brown to take a “personal leave” rather than a “medical leave.” The two students with mental health issues were

institution we are trying to support students,” she said in the article. “It doesn’t come from a place of rigidity.”

Yet, where is the evidence that enforced extended periods away from school benefit students with mental conditions? Short-term treatment, like cognitive behavioral therapy and adjustment to medication, is often effective in dealing with episodes of many mental health problems. Yes, people with chronic depression, bipolar disorder or an eating disorder can relapse — but so too can a student with multiple sclerosis. The University has shown no clinical evidence that extended enforced idleness alleviates these conditions.

Common sense would suggest that imposed separation from friends, peers and vibrant college life could harm rather than help.

Ironically, the enforcement of Brown’s medical leave policy seems designed to promote anxiety and uncertainty. Medical leave takers receive little communication from Brown during their time away. The readmission process is long and uncertain, and decisions are received less than two months before the semester begins. Students who attempt to complete additional coursework at a different university receive little Brown credit, due to Brown’s inflexible course transfer policies. They are also not permitted to pursue study abroad programs until they have returned to Brown for one semester. These onerous policies undermine attempts to pursue productive or educational activities during the leave.

Perhaps the University administration is concerned about liability if a student with a mental condition harms him or herself. But this begs the question: What is Brown’s mission — to protect the institution and its administrators or to help its students?

Medical leaves undoubtedly allow students to recover from serious illness, mental or physical. But readmission policies should be equitably enforced for all illnesses. Furthermore, the mandatory two semester policy, which few other schools have in writing, is gratuitous and irrational. Brown prides itself on its acceptance of all peoples, including those with mental illness. In this case, the University’s practices contradict its rhetoric.

Cara Newlon ’14.5 is a psychology concentrator.

daily herald features the Brown

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

‘Hot yoga’ turns up heat at new Thayer Street studio

By Elizabeth KOh Senior Staff Writer

Marked only by an orange and white sign on the second floor and an unmarked staircase at street level, the new Thayer Street addition NOW Yoga and Fitness may only be noticed by eagleeyed pedestrians. Nestled above College Hill favorites East Side Pockets and Kartabar, the fledgling studio opened its doors Aug. 22 — and it hopes to draw more eyes than those that occasionally look up while passing by.

Upscale oasis The studio’s decor walks a fine line between modern and traditional, painted in bold shades of slate gray and orange. Most of the lights are switched off during classes, letting the sunlight from the large wall-to-wall windows stream in over the wood floors. The room is wide and the ceilings are high — the openness draws the eye to the Asian-inspired carvings and leafy plants that created a muted atmosphere.

On a quiet Friday afternoon last week, that atmosphere inspired a sense of calm.

“It’s important to balance your life,” said instructor Dawn Souza to the class, as her feet padded about the wood flooring. “It can be difficult when there’s nothing but chatter happening in the background.”

Her four students balanced somewhat unsteadily, but took her comments in literal stride, shifting from the warrior one position, with one leg lunged forward, to downward dog.

“Open your heart up to the uni-

verse today,” Souza said as her students stretched their arms skyward. “What does the universe have in store for you today?”

Uniting technology and tradition Students may not know what the universe has in store for them, but owner Per Davidson has ambitious plans.

The new yoga studio, Davidson said, is meant to be state-of-the-art, with infrared heating units to augment existing heating and “Sun Squares” — seasonal affective disorder light therapy meant to provide more natural lighting. Both technologies will supplement “hot yoga,” a type of yoga conducted in 90 degrees Fahrenheit that is supposed to naturally relieve stress and flush the body of toxins.

“It’s more similar to sunlight, the way it heats things,” Davidson said of the infrared lighting. Davidson said he hopes the Sun Squares will also be a draw during the colder months for “wintertime blues.”

The Squares themselves are already hung carefully from the ceilings and walls throughout the main room. The current schedule includes 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. yoga classes daily which differ in intensity and focus, though Davidson said the studio will also begin offering fitness classes such as Pilates and Zumba.

Davidson said the Thayer location was a deciding factor in opening the studio.

“I wouldn’t have even considered it if I hadn’t found a place like this because the economy is very bad in general,” he / / Yoga page 4 said.

Elizabeth koh / herald

Yoga enthusiasts on College Hill can seek balance at NOW Yoga and Fitness, a new studio on Thayer Street that opened in August.

Health Leads helps patients address personal needs

By Meia Geddes Staff Writer

Health Leads volunteer Adele Levine ’14 listened to the woman’s story for the first time.

The woman, whose name was not provided because of patient confidentiality, was a recent refugee from Haiti and a former newspaper editor. But when she came to the United States, her paperwork and diplomas were not deemed valid.

“It’s such a difficult transition for a lot of recent immigrants to have to start over from scratch and have to navigate this whole different system of resources,” Levine said. Several days later, Levine provided the woman with some basic job searching skills and the location of a community center where she could apply for utilities assistance.

Beyond resources, Levine gave the woman her presence. “We ended up just talking a lot at length — she would express a lot of her frustrations, and I think it was the first time that someone had really listened to her story,” Levine said. “We’re not just machines that connect people to resources — everyone has their own story,” she added.

Levine volunteers with Health Leads, a national organization founded by a Harvard sophomore in 1996.

Health Leads uses a combination of paid staff and trained undergraduate volunteers and coordinators to

connect hospital patients with social resources such as food, affordable housing, childcare, health insurance, job training and utilities assistance.

The organization currently operates in six cities across the country.

Looking out of ‘the bubble’ Providence volunteers have a desk at the clinic in Hasbro Children’s Hospital, the Pediatric Division of Rhode Island Hospital. The desk is just outside the clinic’s waiting room that offers a mural of whales and a miniature slide for rambunctious children.

Health Leads volunteer Daniela Rojas ’15 was working at the desk Friday evening. After speaking with two patients, she said she could feel her excitement growing. Discovering a way to help clients is always exciting, she said — “being able to make that call and say, ‘Hey, I found this for you.’”

Daniel Gutierrez-Jimenez ’14 once helped a mother of two who had respiratory problems find food pantries and apply for a program that kept her home heated.

“By far it’s the most impactful organization that Brown students can be a part of,” said Samantha Sanders ’13, a former campus coordinator for Health Leads and a current volunteer.

Sanders spoke of a case that has stayed with her through the years: a father who could not afford to give

his children toys for the holidays.

Sanders said she spent hours calling all 15 of the Toys for Tots Foundation facilities and finally found one that could help. While she has dealt with clients who had more pressing needs, this was a small example of how volunteering could make a difference to a family, she said.

“I really love it. I think it’s a super wonderful opportunity,” said Levine, who has volunteered for Health Leads in Providence, Boston and New York City. Levine received a C.V. Starr Fellowship from the Swearer Center to work at Health Leads’ national office in Boston this summer. Her work with Health Leads, she said, has led her to explore other social justice and community health-oriented programs.

“My personal favorite part is meeting with families ... and being able to tangibly see their progress,” she said. “There aren’t a lot of programs on campus that allow you to interact with the Providence community and see outside of the College Hill bubble,” Levine said.

‘The real world’ The organization hopes to provide a model for all hospitals, demonstrating the importance of addressing basic needs, said Brian Beachler, operations coordinator for Health Leads.

Last year, Health Leads served 1,270 families, he said.

“We’re tracking how successful we are,” he said. Patients who are interested in participating in the program undergo “a social needs screen for their family to make sure all of their basic needs are being met,” Beachler said. These basic needs are directly related to the individual’s health, and it’s important to address them in a hospital setting, he added.

Health Leads was formerly called Project HEALTH. But as the organization received more national recognition, leaders adopted the new name in 2010 because it conveyed that the organization worked for more than a temporary “project” and because it sounded more professional, Sanders said.

The name “Health Leads” is a triple entrendre, Sanders explained.

Firstly, the organization seeks to create leaders in the healthcare industry.

Secondly, health leads everything else in the lives of those the organization works with. Lastly, the name reflects the organization’s actual efforts to give client leads to social resources.

“We don’t just look at people as a number,” Guitierrez-Jimenez said. “It’s real work, real change and real people.” The program is always working for “a better system, a better model,” he said.

Health Leads expects about 70 Brown students to be involved at the Providence site this year, Beachler said. Volunteers face a time commit-

ment of at least seven hours per week, doing two-and-a-half hour shifts with one or two fellow volunteers. They also attend a weekly program development meeting, a weekly small group meeting for support and are expected to follow up with clients.

“We want to make sure our volunteers are accountable for the families they’re working with,” GutierrezJimenez said.

Health Leads also provides “a great sense of community,” GutierrezJimenez said, adding that many of his closest friends are from Health Leads.

As a former program coordinator, Gutierrez-Jimenez dedicated around 14 hours a week to Health Leads. “But you enjoy every moment of it,” he said. He may have been guilty of procrastinating on homework, but he was always making progress with Health Leads, he said.

Gutierrez-Jimenez said he came to Brown wanting to fulfill the premed requirements, “had an existential crisis,” but ultimately returned to his desire to become a primary care doctor. Health Leads is “something that’s definitely impacted my career options,” he said. “It’s kept me very in tune with the real world.”

Different places and problems The challenges volunteers face in Providence include the city’s high unemployment rate, one of the worst in the country, / / Health page 5