daily herald the Brown
vol. cxxii, no. 76
INSIDE
Page 2
Radio tribute
NPR’s Cokie Roberts speaks at tribute to philanthropists
friday, september 28, 2012
Patent royalty income sharply on the rise for U. By Tonya Riley Senior Staff Writer
Page 4
Global security Seminar series kicks off with lecture on scholarship
Page 8
Going it alone
NYU professor discusses new book on perks of living alone today
62 / 55
tomorrow
66 / 52
since 1891
The income the University earned as a result of patent royalties stemming from its research increased by about 65 percent from 2011 to 2012. Gross licensing income climbed to $1,592,300 in 2012, an increase from $962,000 in the previous fiscal year, according to information provided by the Technology Ventures Office. Ninety-eight patents were filed during the fiscal year 2012, and 15 were issued, compared to 72 and eight, respectively, in 2011. This revenue growth seen by the Technology Ventures Office reflects a growing economy, more deals reaching completion and “a commitment by the University and its researchers to license potential products when opportunities arise,” wrote Katherine Gordon, managing director of the office, in an email to
The Herald. According to the annual Association of University Technology Managers survey, which the University did not respond to, total licensing revenue in 2011 for the 157 responding universities was nearly $1.8 billion and the number of patent filings was 12,090. The Technology Ventures Office did not respond to the survey because they wanted to ensure the accuracy of their findings before reporting them, Gordon said. The office will submit University numbers for inclusion in the 2012 survey, she said. The University’s 2011 fiscal year licensing income would have ranked it 88th among the survey’s responders, between the University of Arizona at $981,495 and Clemson University at $937,274, based on statistics published by the Chronicle of Higher Education. Comparing the Technology Ventures Office to / / Patent page 4
SaM Kase / Herald
Prospective students of the class of 2017 will attend an expanded A Day on College Hill that will span three days and two nights. See page 2.
testifies Production reimagines Latina stereotypes Dean in Congress By sabrina imbler
contributing writer
“On the count of three, do everything that goes against what you were taught about watching theater,” Alexandra Meda, executive director of Teatro Luna, announced at the start of the production “GL 2010: Not Your Generic Latina.” “Don’t be shy to throw something at the girls, though they might throw something back at you,” Meda continued, setting the tone for the feisty show. A quasi-revival of the Chicagobased company’s show “Generic Latina,” “GL 2010: Not Your Generic Latina” reimagines the Latina community’s battle against stereotypes — both negative and positive — that permeate society today. With a new cast on its first nonlocal
arts & culture
tour performing the reinvented show, Teatro Luna’s presentation at the opening convocation of the Latino Heritage Series was anything but stale. The series is part of an organization dedicated to raising awareness of Latino issues through collaboration with the Third World Center and other heritage series. The Latino Heritage Series’ theme for the year is “Next Generation Latinos,” which explores changing paradigms in the Latino community, said Holly Doerflinger ’13, one of the student programmers. “This show captures our cheeky fun-ness with our founding principles of using authentic, real original stories that use stereotype to challenge oppression and all those other –isms,” Meda said. Unlike most theatrical works, the material for GL 2010 derives largely from the personal stories of Teatro Luna associates.
The show, a fast-paced series of autobiographical vignettes told through short dialogues, monologues, raps and songs, was frequently accompanied by enthusiastic clapping from the audience. Each vignette offered a unique Latina perspective on everything from Brazilian waxes to intra-Latino discrimination. The script comfortably dealt with these issues while engaging students with pop culture references, at one point referring to the targets of suburban racism as “anything darker than a caramel macchiato at Starbucks.” Despite the relatively small turnout in the Martinos Auditorium in the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Teatro Luna was not intimidated by the empty seats, seizing the opportunity to involve their audience in a more inclusive show. Audience members were frequently heckled, most notably when a cast member pointed at
a woman in the front row and suggested “you should try that one, honey” in the midst of a song about Brazilian waxes. The clear strengths of the show were the myriad Spanish one-liners that never failed to incite a new eruption of cheering from the audience. Many audience members saw their own “tías” and “abuelas” embodied in the recurring trio of characters known as “comadres,” three gossipy Latina mothers. Immediately after the show, Meda and the cast of GL 2010 moderated a talk back in which audience members reflected on the performance and its treatment of Latina culture. Almost every statement was echoed by appreciative snaps of agreement by the audience. Sporting matching black shirts with a smorgasbord of pink accessories, the “Ladies of Luna,” a nickname / / Latina page 5 they coined
football
Bears gear up for Hoyas in second homecoming match-up By Lindor Qunaj Sports Editor
jonathan bateman / herald
Following a loss to Harvard last weekend, the Bears will take on the Georgetown Hoyas in Washington D.C. Saturday afternoon.
After a disappointing loss to Harvard in last weekend’s homecoming Ivy opener, the football team will take part in another homecoming match-up Saturday afternoon — except this time, the game won’t be at the familiar Brown Stadium. Instead, the Bears (1-1, 0-1 Ivy) will travel down to Washington, D.C. to battle the much-improved Georgetown Hoyas (3-1). The Bears will look to rebound from a lackluster performance under the lights and get another nonconference win in the books. The Hoyas’ narrow 21-20 victory over Princeton last Friday night broke their streak of 13 consecutive losses against Ivy League opponents. They are looking to continue the trend in their third Ivy bout of the season. “They’re 3-1,” Head Coach Phil Estes
said. “It’s not like we’re going in on a cakewalk.” One key to Georgetown’s recent success may lie in its strong ground attack. Led by junior running backs Nick Campanella and Dalen Claytor, the Hoyas have averaged 211 yards of rushing offense in their first four games, in comparison to the Bears’ 135. Sophomore quarterback Aaron Aiken, who was taken out of last weekend’s game because of an injury, has accounted for 248 of the Hoyas’ 845 total rush yards. Third-string quarterback Stephen Skon took over for the remainder of the Princeton game, leading the Hoyas to victory. “It comes down to stopping the quarterback from scrambling around and making plays,” said co-captain and defensive lineman Ross Walthall ’13. “Those are the guys that are adding to the rushing totals.” Though lim/ / Hoyas page 5
against grad student unions By Mathias Heller Senior Staff Writer
Dean of the Graduate School Peter Weber testified Sept. 12 at a U.S. House Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training hearing in opposition to graduate student unionization. The subcommittee’s Republican majority held the hearing in response to the National Labor Relations Board’s vote to revisit its 2004 ruling that found against grad students suing for the opportunity to form a union at Brown. The board’s decision to revisit the issue opens the door to a possible legal redefinition of the role of graduate students in higher education. The NLRB is currently in the process of reviewing two cases of grad students attempting to unionize, one at New York University and the other at the Polytechnic Institute of New York University. Weber, who was called by the Republican majority to testify, wrote in his congressional testimony that he believes “engaging in collective bargaining about issues at the core of the academic curriculum would wreak havoc with academic freedom.” The NLRB originally held in 2004 by a vote of 3-2 that grad students were not protected under federal labor law because they had a “primarily educational, not economic, relationship with their university.” But the partisan composition of the board, whose members are appointed by President Barack Obama, has markedly changed since its anti-unionization ruling eight years ago. President Obama has replaced the Republican-appointed majority that backed the previous ruling with a 3-1 / / Unions page 2
2 campus news c alendar Today
Sept. 28
3:15 P.m.
ToMORROW
Sept. 29
10 a.m. All That Rises Puppet Workshop
List Art 120
204 Westminster Street 7 p.m.
Pancakes for Poverty
Men’s Soccer vs. Columbia
Jameson Hall: Keeney Quad
Stevenson Field
menu SHARPE REFECTORY
VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL
LUNCH Honey Mustard Chicken Sandwich, Pasta with Eggplant and Olives, Sauteed Broccoli and Garlic
Breaded Chicken Fingers, Vegan Nuggets, Curried Chickpeas and Ginger, Frosted Brownies
DINNER Slow Roasted Pork Loin with Herbs, Stuffed Shells Florentine, Baked Potato Bar with Toppings
ADOCH expands to three-day weekend By alexander blum contributing writer
Brown-India Initiative Inauguration 10 P.M.
the brown daily herald friday, september 28, 2012
Ginger Pasta Chicken, Vegan Roasted Veggie Stew, Pound Cake with Peaches and Whipped Cream
Sudoku
This spring’s A Day on College Hill event for prospective members of the class of 2017 will combine three previously separate programs — the Science Technology Engineering Math program, Third World Welcome and ADOCH itself — into a single recruitment weekend lasting three days and two nights, a day longer than past years. The changes will make the University’s recruitment efforts more similar to those of peer institutions that host prospective students for multiple nights, said Jim Miller ’73, dean of admission. Feedback from previous years has indicated that prospective students would like to do more than attend planned events that may not accurately reflect the daily life of a Brown student, he said. “There was still stuff that was missing,” Miller said of the previous iteration of ADOCH. The previous two-day experience did not budget adequate time for students to attend classes, explore Providence and sample the campus in its entirety, he said. The incorporation of TWW and STEM into ADOCH is “more … lo-
/ / Union page 1
Crossword
Democratic majority. More board members are now receptive to arguments from unionization advocates that grad students meet the National Labor Relations Act’s legal definition of employees, according to Paul Secunda, associate professor of law at Marquette University Law School. “This is one of those topics that has gone back and forth for many years,” said Secunda, an expert of labor law. “It was pretty split on political lines in 2004 … and the same political disagreements apply here.” The NLRB’s decision to review its previous ruling was preceded by the board’s regional office in Manhattan, which declared in 2011 that NYU grad students had a “dual relationship” with their university that did not “necessarily preclude a finding of employee status.” But Weber said the University stands by the NLRB’s 2004 ruling decided in its favor. “We believe grad students are students,” Weber told The Herald, disagreeing with the view that federal law should treat them as employees. “The things grad students do are part of their studies.” Weber said grad students at the Uni-
gistical than philosophical,” he said, and the combination “allows us to plan one slightly larger, slightly longer event, rather than three separate activities.” The full STEM program will be part of ADOCH’s schedule, and TWW events will be folded in, too, he said. Some students lamented the loss of a separate TWW event. “TWW was the number one reason that I came to Brown,” said Isabelle Thenor-Louis ’16. “It makes me kind of sad that they are combining ADOCH and TWW.” Other students felt the extension of ADOCH was a step in the right direction. Dan Rothman ’16 said the additional day is “a great opportunity to showcase Brown,” though he acknowledged that “it depends on what they do with the extra time.” The ADOCH program will organize the extra day around a variety of social and academic events, Miller said. The revised schedule will also allow attendees extra time to explore and sample a broader range of Brown’s resources, including visiting the Sharpe Refectory and attending full lectures. Pheakdey Son ’15, who hosted
prospective students during ADOCH this past April, said the previous program felt “very rushed.” He added that the extra day will allow hosts to “get to know the students a little bit better.” But Son said the additional day could deter current students from volunteering to host because “it will be a bigger responsibility.” Miller acknowledged that the changes “will require the students to step up,” but said he has faith in the desire of current students to welcome their future peers. “The Bruin Club is very enthusiastic,” Miller said. Sameer Sarkar ’16 said he would not be discouraged by the additional time commitment. “My host during ADOCH played a big role in my decision to attend Brown, and I would like to do the same for a prospective student,” Sarkar said. But due to other obligations, Sarkar said he hopes the event is well-coordinated because he is “happy to entertain somebody, but not 24/7.” In past years, the three recruitment programs have brought more than 1,200 students and parents to campus, Miller said, and a similar turnout is expected this spring.
versity serve as teachers to further their academic training, adding that research has shown a link between learning to teach and becoming a better researcher. But Christian Sweeney, deputy director of organizing for the AFL-CIO and another witness at the hearing, disputed Weber’s view, saying he believes grad students meet the legal definition of employees. “The university relies on their teaching and research work,” Sweeney told The Herald, adding that he had been asked to testify because he was a teaching assistant while in grad school at the University of California at Berkeley. “We’re doing supervised, paid work for the university,” said Daniel Aldana Cohen, a PhD student at NYU who has been organizing pro-unionization forces there for five years. “The Brown ruling is a totally bizarre and arbitrary decision,” said Cohen, who expressed confidence the NLRB would overturn the decision. “Research assistants, teaching and course assistants … all constitute work.” Matt Canfield, a PhD student at NYU and a member of the United Auto Workers union local branch in Manhattan, said he was confident the NLRB would rule in grad students’ favor
and officially define them as employees protected under federal law. The UAW has worked to provide legal counsel and membership to grad students during their fight to form their own union. The legal ramifications of the board’s decision are significant for private university grad students, who lack collective bargaining rights and can be expelled if they attempt to unionize, Secunda said. Numerous grad student unions exist at private universities but have no formal recognition and are therefore left in a vulnerable position. “Regardless of what the NLRB says, these unions are going to continue to exist,” Secunda said, adding that he believes pro-unionization advocates have a strong argument in saying that they are entitled to legal protections as employees. Matteo Riondato GS, president of the Graduate Student Council, said he had not yet taken a specific position on whether private university grad students have the right to unionize because he lacked enough information about the issue. He said that if the NLRB rules in favor of unionization, he would support creating a committee to advise the GSC on any possible actions the council would want to take in the wake of the decision. “I’m always receptive of what the community wants,” Riondato said. “I’m sure the Graduate Student Council will be completely open to any decision that will be best for the graduate student community.” Nancy Cleeland, director of the NLRB’s office of public affairs, said the NLRB asked for briefs from any interested parties in June, but she declined to comment on when the NLRB is expected to issue its decision because the case is still pending review. Weber said that even if the NLRB overturns its previous decision, it is unclear what the board’s exact wording will be. He added that any new decision could be challenged in court but was not sure who would lead a legal challenge.
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sports friday 3
the brown daily herald friday, september 28, 2012
Blatantly endorsing cricket, Lab unveils environmental studies research and the Pakistani team By Phoebe Draper Senior Staff Writer
By Daniyal Khan Contributing Writer
I’m one of those sports fans who needs to watch the game live to properly enjoy it. There are lots of words used to describe us — obsessive, perhaps, or even crazy — but most strike me as compliments. Sometimes, I have to go to great lengths to fulfill this need. For example, I have to wake up at 6 a.m. every other day to stay current with cricket. It’s nothing new for me, though. I had to do roughly the same back home to watch American “cricket,” or baseball to folks here. In the next few minutes, I hope I can convince you to adopt, for one morning only, the ways of the Cricket Crazy Clan as your own. Because this Sunday morning, around 10 a.m., Pakistan and India are facing off in the International Cricket Council World T20 tournament. Of course, anyone with an appreciable knowledge of world geography can determine that this would probably be a big deal. Well, it’s not. It’s a huge deal. I’m hoping the game will be screened somewhere on campus, because the atmosphere in that imaginary room would be absolutely incredible. Think Yankees and Red Sox, only both sides are still actually competitive. Moreover, unlike the Yanks-Sox game, this extravaganza doesn’t take place 19 times a year. The
matchup is one of cricket’s preeminent rivalries, a gem made more valuable by its rarity. The oddities of organized international cricket, coupled with the seesaw political relations between the two South Asian neighbors, mean that the teams sometimes don’t see each other for over a year. So when they square off, the cricket world stops and takes notice. Pakistan has a winning record against India in every format of cricket except for T20s. But Pakistan’s Greens emerged victorious in the warm-up game played between the two sides over a week ago. Both teams are in form, having cruised into the Super Eight stage of the tournament. The key factor, I believe, will be experience. Pakistan has the most T20 wins (34) since the format was introduced seven years ago, whereas the Indians have only played 29 competitive games since then. Granted, on an individual level, the Indian players have a lot of games under their belt, thanks mostly to the Indian Premier League. But cricket is a team game. It’s about gelling together as a unit. In that regard, Pakistan has the upper hand. The game promises to showcase cricket at its finest, in terms of both quality and competitiveness. So it’s a good way to discover a sporting culture that is treated as a way of life by many people across the globe. And contrary to what you may have heard, not every game is played over five days. In fact, the one on Sunday should be finished within three hours — quicker than the typical Yankees-Red Sox duel. In short, you can expect a fast, clean, competitive game with a nail-biting finish. Go Greens!
athlete of the week
Hannah Camhi ’16 wins Gold Flight Crown By Sam Rubinroit Assistant Sports Editor
Making the jump from high school to college can be difficult for many first-year students. For athletes, that transition is complicated by the addition of hours of practice and travel to away games to an already full schedule of classes and social commitments. As a member of the women’s tennis team, Hannah Camhi ’16 knows these difficulties firsthand. But she has taken them in stride as her first season has gotten underway. In the team’s season opener at home, Camhi went 3-0 in singles to capture the Gold Flight Crown, and, alongside Misia Krasowski ’13, went 4-0 in doubles to win the doubles main draw. After such an explosive start, Camhi will face great expectations on the court as the season continues. Because of her stellar play in her first collegiate match, Camhi has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week.
at Brown different than high school? There’s a different feel in the matches. It’s not so much that you’re competing against an opponent — it’s like you’re competing for your team a little bit more. How well have you gotten to know your teammates so far? Really well. We’re a small team, so we get to know each other and hang out a lot. What made you pick Brown? I felt very comfortable on the campus. I really liked the academic setup and the people here. Where else were you looking? Dartmouth and Columbia. Is it going to be tough playing against those schools you were looking at? Yeah, definitely.
Herald: How did you first get involved in tennis? Camhi: My parents met playing tennis, so we’ve always been a big tennis family, and I picked it up when I was younger.
What’s been the hardest part of the transition to college — the academic, athletic or social aspect? It’s just been being able to integrate all three and balance them. I’m not struggling socially, academically, or athletically, but when combined I think I’ve found that good balance.
How is the level of competition
/ / Athlete page 5
Talk of cyclones, community gardens and the Seekonk River punctuated the conversation in the Undergraduate Environmental Lab Thursday as students and faculty congregated around colorful posters detailing students’ summer research projects funded by the Center for Environmental Studies. Nine students who received the grants — worth up to $3,000 — explained their research and findings to colleagues, professors and passersby. The center awards summer research grants each year, giving recipients — approximately half undergraduates and half graduates — the chance to apply what they have learned academically to real-world arenas that captivate their interest, said Dawn King, visiting assistant professor for environmental studies. The center hosts an open house for the students who received the grants every fall, said J. Timmons Roberts, professor of environmental studies and sociology. Student grant recipients depict their work on a poster and explain their experiences verbally, allowing “people to learn more about more projects,” Roberts said. The students’ summer projects, while all related to environmental issues, represented a broad swath of interests. Chelsea Parker GS spent the summer running model simulations of Yasi, an intense cyclone that hit the coastline of
science & research
Queensland, Australia, in February 2011. Parker manipulated variables such as ocean surface temperature, atmospheric pressure and wind speed to determine ideal cyclone environments and predict the future of cyclone activity in the area. Parker traveled to Queensland to meet with local scientists, who helped verify the accuracy of her model. While abroad, she also attended a coral reef conference and initiated a collaboration with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Parker and the Park Authority combined forces — sharing collected ground data and simulation results to “build a bigger picture” of the future of the Great Barrier Reef ecosystem, Parker said. Hannah Ross GS decided to stay local. She studied the traditional agricultural practices of the Hmong, a Liberian and Burundian refugee group with a strong presence in Providence. Ross engaged in “participant observation,” farming side by side with the Hmong at local farms and community gardens. “My roommate loves it — our fridge is always full of vegetables,” Ross said. Ross also conducted oral history interviews, focusing on traditional agricultural practices and how the Hmong are adapting those practices in Rhode Island. “I found the people to be incredibly welcoming and warm and generous with their time,” Ross said. “I felt weird about imposing myself on them, but they were always willing to show me what they were doing,” she said. Ross, who wants to be a farmer, is now consolidating her experience into
a master’s thesis. She said she is looking forward to making soybean tofu with a Hmong woman she worked with in the coming weeks. Myriad other projects demonstrate the far-reaching effects of students’ summer research. Brianna Craft GS traveled to Bonn, Germany, to intern with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, working extensively with the Least Developed Countries bloc. Laura McLellan ’12.5, a former Herald copy editor, focused her efforts on conservation of the local Seekonk River. McLellan conducted interviews with local environmental leaders and developed a survey to identify a “shared vision” and “highlight common ground” for conservation of the sewage-polluted river. Hydraulic fracking — a technique that employs water pressure to release natural gas from underground shale — took center stage in the research of Rebecca Keane GS, who spent the summer in northern and western Pennsylvania. Keane interviewed farmers to determine fracking’s impact on sustainable agriculture, “filling a hole” in academic research in the area, she said. Keane said she hopes her master’s thesis on the topic will aid farmers in making more informed decisions about leasing land to natural gas companies. “The process made me reflect on the work I’ve done and the themes I see emerging in my work,” Ross said. “Before, it was all just a jumbled mess in my brain.”
4 campus news NPR analyst speaks at tribute to RIPR By Elizabeth Koh Senior Staff Writer
Rhode Island Public Radio honored longtime philanthropists Henry Sharpe ’45, a former Herald editor, and his wife Peggy Sharpe and welcomed NPR political analyst and famed journalist Cokie Roberts as a featured speaker Thursday night. The event, held at the Hope Club, drew over 200 public radio supporters including Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 P’16, who delivered remarks preceding Roberts’ speech. The event was a “dual program” to both celebrate the Sharpes’ contributions to RIPR and host Roberts, said RIPR Operations Manager James Baumgartner, who helped coordinate the event. Joseph O’Connor, the station’s general manager, opened the evening, praising all donors and singling out the Sharpes, without whom “we would not be on the air today,” he said. The Sharpes helped launch RIPR in 1998, and it has been broadcasting ever since. Until RIPR began broadcasting, Rhode Island was one of only two states without a public radio station. In his remarks, Chafee described the Sharpes as “a couple who embodies the true meaning of philanthropy.” “‘(Public radio) is free of the scramble from ratings,’” he said, quoting former U.S. President Jimmy Carter. “(It) makes room for experiment and risk-taking.” “I particularly like the political coverage,” he added jokingly to laughter
and applause. Chafee’s comments were followed by a video that featured leaders of various Providence nonprofit organizations and former University President Vartan Gregorian paying tribute to the Sharpes. The main event of the evening was Roberts’ speech, in which she described her childhood in Washington, D.C. and analyzed the upcoming presidential election. Roberts, who contributes to NPR’s Morning Edition, discussed her experiences at the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, the immigrant voting bloc and her predictions for the outcomes of the presidential race. “Where we are right now is a place where the president is coming ahead in most of the battleground states,” she said. But the remaining 40 days in the election could still make a difference, she added. “This election is nowhere near over.” After her comments, Roberts held a brief question and answer session for the audience. Questions covered topics ranging from future books to the changing landscape of reporting in an increasingly fast-paced news environment. Roberts stressed the importance of “solid news gathering” instead of “what sounds good in pajamas in the middle of the night.” “(Public radio) is listened to by people of all ages and all income brackets,” she told The Herald after the event. “It is key in the lives of millions of Americans but also in setting the news agenda for other news organizations.” Contributions from donors like
the Sharpes, she added, were “huge” in maintaining the medium. “You have to have some very committed, large donors, because way too many people freeload,” she said. Many of the event’s attendees were familiar with the Sharpes, who have deep ties to Rhode Island. Henry Sharpe hails from the noted Sharpe family, whose members include former University chancellor Henry Sharpe of Sharpe Refectory fame. Peggy Sharpe studied landscape architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. Over the years, both have donated significantly to charitable organizations, including the Providence Preservation Society and the Rhode Island Foundation. “They’re everywhere in Providence, everywhere in Rhode Island,” said attendee Heather Florence of the Sharpes. Florence, who supports many of the same organizations as the Sharpes, described the couple as “a lot of fun.” “It’s Rhode Island,” said attendee Carolyn Benedict-Drew. “All of us know each other, all of us that are in favor of great things.” Benedict-Drew, who said she worked with Roberts to open a shelter for battered women in Trenton, N.J., called her remarks “perfect.” “I celebrate her goodness and her continued support of human rights,” she said. But underlying the event itself was a deep-seated appreciation for the mission of public radio. “It’s professional, responsible journalism, and I trust it,” said attendee Barbara Schoenfeld.
the brown daily herald friday, september 28, 2012
Technology Ventures Office Statistics Gross Licensing Income
2010 $502,100
2011 $962,200
2012 $1,592,300
Invention Disclosures
39
59
58
New Patent Applications Filed
43
72
98
Patents Issued 14 8 15 Start-Up Companies Formed
1 4 1
/ / Patent page 1 similar bodies at other schools is difficult because they cater to differently sized institutions and handle different things, Gordon said. The office’s goal is to make research accessible to the public sector while still maintaining academic freedom for researchers, Gordon said. Under the 1980 Bayh-Dole Act, universities receive preference in intellectual property rights for ideas resulting from federally funded research, making the Technology Ventures Office essential to University researchers looking to commercialize their work. “Well, they’re instrumental,” said Christoph Rose-Petruck, professor of chemistry. “Without them, there is no patent.” Petruck currently has a provisional patent for a cancer X-ray imaging technology he helped developed that detects the disease more accurately by tracking particles attached to antibodies that seek out cancer cells. He said he is currently trying to get an international patent. Even if he were free to patent his research himself, he said the enormous cost of the patenting process would remain an obstacle. “Without that office, I may have 100 percent of nothing, but with it I may have a fraction of something,” Petruck said. The desire to patent research often comes from the inventors themselves, wrote Michael Black, adjunct professor of computer science, in an email to The Herald. “The University usually has to push back because the budget for patenting is limited and they have to choose, among all projects, the ones most likely to have an impact,” Black said. “I don’t know that there’s been any increased pressure” from the University to promote commercialization, said
Kenneth Breuer, professor of engineering. The nature of engineering is to create projects for public use, so the department has always had an interest in technology ventures, he said. Beppie Huidekoper, executive vice president for finance and administration, said that in her 30 years of experience, she has rarely seen revenue from technology ventures meet expected earnings levels. “It’s not that easy,” Huidekoper said. “You have to invest in something (that actually makes money).” Though a minority of projects end up earning substantial sums, the University always tries to work with companies interested in projects, she said. The office’s website has a feature that allows companies to search for technologies that University researchers seek to license or commercialize. Petruck said he is satisfied with his involvement with the Technology Ventures Office, but he said the University could provide more support for start-ups that develop alongside research. The companies could help bring in research money for the University, and while the connection could wane over time, it may not if Brown personnel remain involved, he said. The relationship between universities and start-ups is an “interesting dynamic,” Gordon said, citing schools such as Stanford University and the California Institute of Technology as institutions that heavily involve themselves with start-ups based on institutional research. In the 2011 fiscal year, Stanford reported approximately $67 million in licensing income, and Cal Tech reported about $29 million. Gordon said the office offers help to researchers interested in creating startups, but limits its involvement to the initial stages.
sports friday 5
the brown daily herald friday, september 28, 2012
/ / Latina page 1 for themselves, seemed to have strong ties despite hailing from various Latin American communities. Very few of the actors’ responses were not interrupted or completed by another in a rapid-fire stichomythia of Spanglish. Judging from the audience’s uproarious reactions to the Spanglish repartee, the majority of viewers seemed to have had similar experiences. “Even though the audience was mostly Latino, it should have been attended by the rest of the University so they can understand us, not just tolerate us,” Kendra Cornejo ’15 said. “In terms of academics, (stereotypes) can be a hindrance,” said Diana Garcia ’13, another series student programmer. “Latinos don’t tend to go to four-year, Ivy League institutions. Information like that is always in the back of your head. You only hear about the high drop-out rate or Latinos in jail. That’s what we’re here for, just like the Third World Center and the (Minority Peer Counselors).” The need to dismantle these stereotypes in today’s political climate was another discussed topic. “In an election year, you hear soundbytes of trying to capture the ‘Latino vote.’ There is no Latino monolith,” said ensemble member Kristiana Rae Colón. “You can’t target a marketing campaign as though the Latino community is thinking from the same background. You can’t expect for there to be one voice.”
/ / Solo page 8 scientists lament the end of a golden age, Klinenberg said this so-called golden age never actually existed. He said he dismisses fears of isolation, disconnectedness and destruction of marriage and traditional family as mere nostalgia. Klinenberg said he has found that “singletons” are in fact more social than their counterparts. A clear distinction needs to be made between “living alone and being alone,” he said, because in our urban Internet age people are never really alone. With new communication technologies as tools along with an abundance of free time, the author said he found “singletons” actually more capable and more likely to be highly social then those living with others. It is our new “interdependence that allows us to be independent,” Klinenberg said. It is the great irony of the book that though it is about being alone, ultimately it is about the new ways in which people can come together.
/ / Athlete page 3 Do you have any idea what you’re going to concentrate in yet? Nope. Definitely not. What was it like getting to open the season at home? I found it to be very nice. It was comforting being somewhere I knew and I had played before. How did your performance com-
Picks from Ivy League Sports Writers Dartmouth vs. Penn Total Votes Dartmouth: 4 Penn: 3
Columbia vs. Princeton Total Votes Columbia: 5 Princeton: 2
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Penn. Penn hasn’t won yet and Dartmouth hasn’t lost, but the Quakers have the weapons and history behind them — they’ve lost to Big Green only once since 1997 – to pull through. As long as they don’t throw another seven interceptions.
Penn. “Dartmouth may give the Quakers trouble, but Penn should be able to get back on track after starting the season 0-2 to two tough opponents.”
Dartmouth. “They are hot.”
Dartmouth. “The home team has won five straight games; the road team has lost four. Even with Penn on the other side, can’t pick against that.”
Dartmouth. “Enough about last year. Forget last year’s loss, forget Nick Schwieger, forget Connor Kempe. On Saturday, Alex Park and Dominick Pierre show why this team, this year, can make some noise in the Ivy League. Dartmouth 21- Penn 17.”
Penn. “Yes, Dartmouth is 2-0, and yes, Penn is 0-2. But at the end of the day, the Quakers are still the stronger team, so look for them to finally get their offense rolling on Saturday night after averaging under 15 points a game in their first two contests.”
Dartmouth. “Dartmouth has already shown an ability to win games on both sides of the ball.”
Columbia. Marcorus Garrett will lead Columbia’s offense to a victory, routing the lastplace-on-everything (according to Ivy League Sports rankings) Tigers and sending them back to their eating clubs. If they’re even allowed in.
Columbia. “If running back Marcorus Garrett can help control the clock with another 100+ yards on the ground, Columbia has a great chance to start the Ivy season 1-0.”
Princeton. “Columbia is still in major rebuilding mode.”
Princeton. “This won’t be a fun game to watch, but the Tigers’ front seven will harass Brackett and shut down the run, leaving the offense without much work to do.”
Columbia. “A close matchup comes down to the Lions’ running game. Columbia 13Princeton 10.”
Columbia. “Despite a near-victory last week against Georgetown, I don’t see Princeton winning a game this season, even against fellow bottomdweller Columbia.”
Columbia. “Home field advantage will give the Lions the edge over the Tigers.”
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/ / Hoyas page 1 iting the Hoyas’ mobile QB and overall run game will be important to the Bears’ defensive strategy, Estes said “it’s not about one thing.” The team will also need to do a better job of making stops on critical third down situations, Estes said, adding that it was particularly unacceptable to allow teams to convert on third and long. Bruno allowed the Crimson to convert on nine of 13 third down opportunities in Saturday’s 45-31 loss. On the other side of the ball, the Bears will continue to rely on the talent of running back Spiro Theodhosi ’13, whom Estes said is critical to the team’s offensive success. “We’ve done some things that compact the defense and make holes, but we also need to get him out on the open field,” Estes said. “He’s a tough guy to arm tackle.” Theodhosi has had a strong start to his first season back after being out with an injury the past two years. He ran for 120 yards in the season opener at Holy Cross and scored an important touchdown in the Harvard match-up along with gaining 85 rushing yards. “Harvard has a very good defense, but so does Georgetown,” Theodhosi said. “So it won’t be much different — we still have to be on point with our assignments and not make any mistakes.”
“As a running back, I’m going to have to be prepared to pick up linebackers on pass protection,” Theodhosi added. “Their linebackers are very athletic and very aggressive. They’re not afraid to hit you, and they bring a lot of pressure.” Some of that pressure will likely come in the form of zone blitzing, which Estes said is a trademark of the Georgetown defense. Aside from this focus on the running game, Estes said the team continues to have confidence in quarterback Patrick Donnelly ’13. Though balance is often seen as a precursor for success in football, “you only need to be balanced if that helps you win,” Estes said. “I don’t mind throwing the ball 80 times or running it 100 times if we still win.” A significant part of the team’s strategy each week will depend on its opponent’s strengths and skill set on both sides of the ball. “We need to figure out what they’re trying to hang their hat on and what are our answers to that,” Estes said. Being on the road will add to the Bears’ challenge. A large homecoming crowd is expected to come out in support
comics Join the Club | Simon Henriques
pare to your expectations? It was definitely better than I was expecting. I was expecting that I’d be a little bit nervous, and play tighter and more conservative. What’s been the biggest thing you’ve learned about tennis since coming to Brown? That when I go on the court, whatever was going on in my day before that doesn’t matter. It’s three hours out of my day that I just get to compete and have fun.
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of the Hoyas, but Estes said the large Brown alumni base in D.C. will ensure a substantial showing of support for the away team as well. Regardless, Walthall said that Georgetown’s excitement would not affect the Bears. “For us, it’s not a homecoming,” he said. “It’s like any other game.” Estes said there are some advantages to travelling. It’s tougher for players to focus on the game and get a good night’s sleep when there are parties and other activities taking place on campus, he said. While travelling, “we can control the environment,” Estes said. “We put them to bed, and we wake them up.” He added that the excitement on
Cashew Apples | Will Ruehle
campus for the homecoming showdown at Brown had an effect on the players. “They exhaust themselves with emotions alone,” Estes said. “I think they expended more energy in the locker room than on the field.” But with the Crimson behind them, the Bears are ready to move on to their next opponent. “It’s about taking the bad taste in our mouth from Harvard and getting rid of it so we don’t let it linger,” Estes said, stressing the importance of looking at it as just another game. In 2005, the Bears fell to Harvard early in the season, but that ended up being their only loss of the year on the way to an Ivy League championship.
6 diamonds & coal Diamonds & coal
the brown daily herald friday, september 28, 2012
Editorial cartoon b y s a m r o s e n f e l d
Coal to Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, who said the Office of Campus Life is working to improve the housing lottery for sophomores to ensure that it is less “melodramatic” than it’s been in the past. But can’t she feel the heat of the fire burning in our souls for the chance to live in Caswell doubles? A diamond to Assistant Professor of Political Science Michael Tesler, who said of President Obama’s reelection campaign, “It’s hard to recreate that magic.” “Harry Potter” author J.K. Rowling, whose novel “The Casual Vacancy” was published this week and is said to feature a graveyard sex scene, might have just learned that same lesson. Coal to the students who, according to Klawunn, broke 56 exit signs in Keeney last weekend alone. Get it together, rowdy first-years. Back in our day, we broke at least 60 exit signs before calling it a night. Cubic zirconia to Director of the CareerLAB Andrew Simmons, who said of the center’s recent renovations, “We went very quickly from ideas to actually doing something.” If only we could muster the same can-do attitude about our post-graduation job prospects. A diamond to the junior who said of Trader Joe’s recent peanut butter recall, “I may even buy the peanut butter next time I’m there. … Everyone has recalls.” We like the way you think. So if we recall this paper, will you pay us for Monday’s copy? And every other copy this semester? Cubic zirconia to the Brown quarterback who said after last weekend’s game, “If we played (Harvard) again, we could beat them. We’re not lacking in confidence.” Tyra Banks would love you. Coal to the Harvard international affairs professor who said of academics, “Given how smart all of us are, you would think that policy makers would be beating a path to our doors to get our advice.” With that kind of humility, it’s a wonder they’re not also hell-bent on gaining your companionship. A diamond to deeper bowls in the Sharpe Refectory, which will soon be brought to campus through the tireless efforts of the Undergraduate Council of Students. Thanks for understanding that bigger servings of Cocoa Puffs are always our top priority. Coal to the School of Engineering for rescinding engineering students’ free printing privileges. Now how are we going print out the entire “50 Shades of Grey” trilogy? God knows we can’t be seen buying those in a bookstore.
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Column ignores actual athlete needs To the Editor:
I took issue with points raised in Daniel Moraff’s ’14 column in Thursday’s paper (“Hiking tuition and blowing money on sparkly things,” Sept. 27). In the piece, Moraff decries the new Nelson Fitness Center as a “pile of unnecessary excess.” He questions why the “swimmers, divers and water polo aficionados (couldn’t) get together and make some kind of schedule.” Clearly Moraff fails to recognize that the new pool replaced an undersized, temporary pool that those athletes had to deal with for four years because the previous pool was demolished due to structural failings. The “bubble,” as it was called, only had one diving board and practice space for a single team at a time. It also was not large enough for any of the teams using it to hold home meets; many would practice and compete at area high schools. Would Moraff have had those athletes undergo four
more years without a home game? Or perhaps have had them keep practicing until the roof caved in on them? Moraff also refers to members of the water polo team as “water polo aficionados.” They are Division I athletes and current Ivy League champions who can spend upwards of 20 hours a week in the pool. Not only is his label offensive, but it is also ignorant to put them in the league of hobbyists and fans. Lastly, Moraff claims that all athletes have their laundry done for free. This is not the case. The University launders uniforms, and in some cases practice wear. That is to say, these clothes are mostly items that the school is loaning to the athletes. I still pay $1.50 per load just like everyone else. If you would like to join me, you can find an athlete doing his own laundry in the basement of Hope tonight. Walker Mills ’15
Clarifying the ‘student-lawyer’ system To the Editor:
In an article in Wednesday’s Herald (“UCS discusses dorm renovations, maintenance,” Sept. 26), Undergraduate Council of Students Admissions and Student Services Chair Abby Braiman ’15 was quoted as describing the developing Student Advocate Service as a “student-lawyer” system. Because the Brown American Civil Liberties Union, along with UCS, has taken the lead role in formulating this program, I want
to clarify that student advocates would not assume lawyerly or legalistic roles. Our goal is to empower students to make informed decisions in the face of possible disciplinary action by providing them with a better understanding of their rights and responsibilities in accordance with the Code of Conduct. Bradley Silverman ’13 President of Brown ACLU, former Herald opinions columnist
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taking sides 7
the brown daily herald friday, september 28, 2012
Should the Bush-era tax cuts be repealed for the wealthiest Americans? yes
no
Some sort of revenue increase is necessary, and it should come from the wealthiMatt est — not necessarily because they owe the Brundage guilty liberal’s “fair share,” but because it is simply the most efficient way to increase Opinions Columnist revenue with a minimal blow to job creation and economic stability. As an individual’s income increases, his or her marginal In fiscal year 2011, government outlays to- propensity to consume decreases, meantaled approximately $3.83 trillion while rev- ing that the wealthier the person, the lowenues totaled only $2.57 trillion, leaving the er the influence of taxes on his or her total nation with a nearly $1.3 trillion deficit. At consumption. The wealthiest of Americans this point, a common goal among most ide- are not the ones who will have to fire peoologies is to eliminate this deficit. The two ple if their income is slightly reduced — but methods of reducing the national deficit are small business owners are, which is why tax to increase revenues or to decrease outlays, hikes on the middle and upper middle class more commonly referred to as government would likely be more detrimental to job crespending. ation. Given these Some sort of revenue increase In this debate, numbers, in order bleeding heart libis necessary, and it should erals are painted as to have a balanced budget simply by come from the wealthiest having a moral arcutting governgument while conment spending, — not necessarily because servatives have the the government better argument would need to cut they owe the guilty liberal’s from an economover 33 percent of “fair share,” but because it is ic standpoint, yet spending, which I find that the exis entirely unre- simply the most efficient way act opposite is true. alistic, if not imGiven that we need to increase revenue with a to do something possible, since the majority of gov- minimal blow to job creation about our whopernment spendping national debt, and economic stability. ing is mandatory: it makes sense in Medicare, Medicterms of fiscal reaid and Social Security. All are in need of sponsibility, equality, and I might even arserious reform that cannot come within a gue efficiency to repeal Bush tax cuts for the year. Spending cuts would therefore have to wealthy. The only opposing argument that come almost entirely from defense and oth- might stand is moral — that the wealthy are er discretionary spending, areas in which more entitled to their extra bit of income cuts would not only directly facilitate job than the United States is entitled to a balloss but would in turn reduce revenues, thus anced budget and a more competitive free making the already painful spending cuts market with ample job creation. To this, I less effective in reducing the national deficit. can only say that I disagree. It is therefore clear, at least for the time being, that we must either increase revenue or accept many more years of national defMatt Brundage ’15 found it difficult to icits until Medicare, Medicaid and Social maintain a calm demeanor while writing Security are reformed so that they do not “Bush” more than once. require more revenue to reach a balanced He can be reached at budget. matthew_brundage@brown.edu.
“American,” or “fair” (or “Christian,” or ” or any other doctrine we alex “progressive, may choose). The markets make us all drechsler better off, naturally. The market for human capital works Opinions Columnist in the same way. Capital naturally flows to those people who use that capital most effectively. Steve Jobs was filthy rich and My opponent and I likely have a similar for good reason — he created unfathomgoal: to improve the financial position of able social value. The same is true for inAmericans and provide everyone oppor- vestment bankers and venture capitalists. tunities for success. At the very least, I’d By taking on the risks and providing relike to state that as my main goal. Too of- sources to start-ups, these financiers are ten the debate over tax cuts focuses on increasing the social welfare for every“fairness” — a subjective term almost uni- one. We cannot deny that even the poorversally exploited to benefit one portion of est Americans are vastly better off today Americans over another. On the contrary, than at any point in history. Our goods my orientation is what are better, varied and is better for everyone. cheaper. If we suspend the ideo- Allowing income to be The people who logical lenses through make that possible determined naturally should receive the which we naturally view these contentious determined will improve society in wealth tax cuts, we may conby their social valsider the implications general by allocating ue as an incentive of a decision one way to take on risk and capital and resources improve our society. or another and whether these are in line with the immediin ways that maximize While our goals — mine beate effect of extending to strengthen our economic well-being for ing Bush tax cuts national economy for may be to decrease everyone. everyone. the burden on the One of the greatest very wealthy, allowwisdoms of modern ing income to be deeconomics is that markets naturally allo- termined naturally will improve society in cate capital and resources to those who general by allocating capital and resources use that capital to produce the most so- in ways that maximize economic wellbecial value. Governments, whether run by ing for everyone. When money is instead Republicans or Democrats, have trouble redistributed from the wealthy to those with this concept because government the government deem more worthy, this cannot actively predict this allocation. money is not invested in ways that will Apple has the largest market cap in his- maximize common welfare. Ultimately, tory and more cash than any company I everyone — even those that the policy was can name, not because a politician decid- intended to help — will be worse off. ed it had value, but because people want their products. Had government looked at the technology sector and decided which products should be winners, we might all be walking around with Microsoft smartAlex Drechsler ’15 is not interested in phones right now because some admin- your Obama bumper sticker. He can be istration believed its values were more reached at alex_drechsler@brown.edu.
Drechsler’s Rebuttal While I applaud my opponent’s pragmatic, economic approach, I do disagree with his underlying assumptions. Repealing these tax cuts will have detrimental consequences for our economy both in the immediate and long-term. My previous analysis discussed the consequences to our long-run economic prospects, and to that I’d like to add the necessity of addressing entitlement spending such as Medicare and Social Security that easily eat up a significant portion of our annual budget without stimulating our economy. Rather than kicking the can down the road and utilizing a short-term BandAid fix, politicians on both sides of the aisle should come together to address these central problems so that contractionary fiscal policies such as tax hikes will not be necessary in future years. Should we adjust our scope to the near term, we will see that the economic analysis provided by my opponent simply does not stand reason. Read any finance, business or economics-oriented newspaper, and you will hear incessant fretting over the aptly named “fiscal cliff,” a significant part of which consists of increased belt-tightening from re-
peal of the Bush tax cuts. While placing the tax burden on the wealthy may reduce their consumption to a comparatively lesser degree, our economic system is based also on a complicated yet sophisticated financial industry largely based on confidence. When investors get worried or uncertain, we see an immediate contraction of the economy. This decreases household wealth, causing consumption to fall, and job growth (which in fact is overwhelmingly dependent on huge companies, not small business owners) to come to a halt. Allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire will have exactly this effect on our economy. Perhaps these consequences would be acceptable if it could solve our fiscal problems — but in reality the revenue from repealing these tax cuts would cover only a small part of our deficit. The only real option to fix these structural problems is to scale back government spending. This may require rolling over our debt another year as we implement these difficult cuts, but unfortunately, it is the only viable way to fix the accumulating debt with which my opponent is so (justifiably) concerned.
Brundage’s Rebuttal Drechsler’s argument against taxes on the wealthy leaves out that the function of the taxes is not only to redistribute wealth but also to pay for public goods. I am left confused about the distinctions among his use of the terms resources, capital, social value and welfare, and I only halfheartedly agree that markets “naturally allocate capital and resources to those who use that capital to produce the most social value.” Markets do not appropriately recognize the social value of, say, a teacher. Furthermore, markets do little to determine a favorable distribution of that produced social value, and they do nothing to pay for necessities like infrastructure and education. I find it naive to suggest that the poor in this country are vastly better off solely because of the people — the ultra-wealthy — who made it possible. Certainly their successful participation in a near free market economy benefits everyone more than it would if the government determined wealth distribution, but the poor are largely better off because of what tax dollars directly pro-
vide that would not otherwise be provided. Whether you believe it is good or bad that the government does this is irrelevant, but to suggest that the living conditions of the poor are only better because of the social value produced in a free market simply isn’t factual. My opponent’s point that wealth redistribution does not maximize common welfare is a fine argument. I recognize that my goal is a formulaic balance of maximizing this common welfare and fairly distributing it, even if it makes the total welfare pie a bit smaller — this is the classic debate of equality versus efficiency. Still, his point suggests that all taxes are bad, and my counter is a bit more theoretical than determining whether we should maintain Bushera taxes. It would further require that I put on my ideological lenses, which I was asked to suspend for this argument. As for this debate, I maintain that more revenue is needed to balance the federal budget and taking it from the wealthy has a lower economic impact than taking it from the poor.
daily herald campus news the Brown
friday, september 28, 2012
Speaker addresses declining value of academia Sociology prof discusses
rising appeal of living alone
By Mark Valdez Senior Staff Writer
University scholarship is in decreasing demand in the real world, Harvard international affairs professor Stephen Walt said in a lecture Wednesday night about the gap between academic research and its applications to recent policy debates. This lecture is part of the newly reinstated Global Security Seminar Series, which had been defunct since 2008. “This particular seminar series tries to bridge the academia-policy divide, bringing in a mix of distinguished policy-engaged scholars, journalists and practitioners,” said Peter Andreas, interim director of the Watson Institute. Though Andreas only formally reinstated the series this year, he said the institute continued bringing lecturers to campus to speak on the subject of global security even when the series was not active. Walt’s talk was the first of a threepart seminar series. A packed audience that included undergraduates, graduate students, faculty and community members attended Wednesday’s lecture in the Joukowsky Forum. Walt’s speech focused on connecting “the insular world of academia with the outside policy debate,” Andreas said. Since the general series aims to connect the academic world and the real world of practitioners, Andreas said he hopes the lectures will “stimulate greater interest in global security issues among faculty and students.” “Bringing visitors is very important as it offers perspectives that differ from the conventional and U.S.-centric ways of studying global security,” said James Der Derian, research professor at the Watson Institute and former director of the global security program from 2003 to 2008. Walt began his speech echoing this idea of bringing fresh perspectives to familiar issues. “I want to offer provocative, maybe even controversial arguments, and then see what your reactions are,” Walt said. Walt began his argument by stating that university research does not have the impact that it could in influencing policy.
By william watterson contributing writer
Annabel ruddle / herald
Harvard professor Stephen Walt discussed the gap between academia and real-world policy in the first event of the Global Security Seminar Series. “Given how smart all of us are, you would think that policymakers would be beating a path to our doors to get our advice,” he said. Walt outlined the ways in which scholars could make unique contributions to the policy field and gave his explanation as to why there exists a gap between what happens at the university and what happens in the real world. “The idea that a book or article is a fire and forget weapon — you send it out there and there is immediate impact — is just plain wrong,” Walt said. He then gave a list of eight suggestions on how to fix this problem, including new ideas such as “engaging policy makers in the research process” and “reconfiguring the field of international studies,” before opening up the discussion for a question and answer session. Academics in the field of global security are raising many important global issues but few people are hearing them, Der Derian told The Herald. “Universities are one of the last quasi-independent institutions, and they need to get the message out there,”
Der Derian said.“If you don’t use multiple media to get your message out to a broader public, you’re preaching to the choir.” The security seminar series also includes a lecture by Pulitzer Prize winner Tim Weiner, and Stephen Flynn, professor of political science at Northeastern University, in October and November, respectively. Despite not having final confirmation on speakers for the spring semester, Andreas said he is confident they will be the same caliber as those who spoke in the fall. Though the long-term future of the series is unknown as the institute searches for a permanent director, Andreas said, global security will remain one of the institute’s priorities. The institute has also planned two other global security series, Andreas said. The Cyber Security and International Relations series will work closely with the Department of Computer Science, and the New Security Challenges in America series is co-sponsored and co-organized by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Andreas said.
Author Eric Klinenberg ’93 discussed the growing trend of people living alone in a talk in Petteruti Lounge last night and urged his audience to be particularly aware of the phenomenon, since its largest increase is among young adults under the age of 35. Klinenberg, a professor of sociology, public policy and media, culture and communications at New York University, was promoting his new book, “Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone.” Klinenberg first developed an interest in the topic through the process of writing his previous work, “Heat Wave: A Social Autopsy of Disaster in Chicago.” The book analyzed the disastrously high mortality rate of the great heat wave of 1995 in Chicago. One of the most interesting things he found in the course of writing the book was the huge number of elderly people who were living alone when the heat wave occurred and thus died alone, he said. At the time, he thought of these people as “isolated” and “really vulnerable,” and saw their living situation as “a social problem that needed to be addressed,” he said in an interview with The Herald. This led him to begin research on a new book about people living alone in America. When he began to conduct research, he quickly found that his initial premises were incorrect. This was not a phenomenon limited to Chicago — rather, “record numbers of people (were) living alone … more so than ever in human history,” he told The Herald. He discovered this was not simply about “aging alone,” because middle-aged people and people under 35 were living alone in greater numbers than the elderly, Klinenberg said. In fact, most of these “singletons” were living alone by choice, and despite preconceptions, they were for the most part happy and even willing to pay a premium just for the ability to live alone. Suddenly, a book originally entitled “Alone in America” became “Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone” — no longer a
book about a social problem, but rather about a whole new realm of social possibility and the most important social experiment of the modern era. Klinenberg said he attributes the sudden rise of living alone, a trend that has never been seen in our species, to fundamental changes in our modern society. While more affluent communities have the luxury of choosing how to live, Klinenberg also discovered a change in widows’ places of residence after their partners’ death. Prior to the past few centuries, approximately 80 percent of widows moved back in with their children or into assisted living, but now approximately 80 percent live alone. The communications revolution has also been central to the ability of people to live alone successfully, he said. Now people can be alone and still be connected to ideas and voices in ways which were before never imaginable. This phenomenon is by no means limited to the United States alone. Many countries, especially in Europe, have even higher rates of living alone than the U.S., he told The Herald. In Paris half of all households are singles, and in Stockholm numbers reach 60 percent. As well as having the fastest growing economies, China, India and Brazil have the fastest growing “singleton” populations, Klinenberg said. Klinenberg told The Herald that “for you (as a Brown student), a big part of this book” is that the “biggest spike in living alone is young adults under the age of 35.” Coming from the era of the “divorce revolution,” many people of this demographic don’t see immediate marriage as the right path and often desire to take time to focus on careers and develop networks, he said. While there is still pressure, especially for women, to beat the biological clock, he said, there is now as never before the option to develop alone as professionals, as human beings and as ourselves. Today’s environment and modern values — freedom, personal control, self-realization, solitude, connection— have encouraged people to live as they so choose. There is no longer such a “clear plan” or “right way to live,” and while / / Solo page 5 many social
track & field
Track and field director moves on to Stanford By Nikhil Parasher Sports Staff Writer
Michelle Eisenreich, director of track and field and cross country, is leaving the Bears for a position as associate head track and field and cross country coach at Stanford University starting next week. Her departure follows that of Marc Mangiacotti, former associate director of track and field, who left Brown over the summer for an assistant coaching position at Harvard. Eisenreich, a throws coach who has been at Brown since 2000, said she has appreciated her time with Bruno but that coaching at Stanford is a great career opportunity. “I’ve been here 12 years, and it’s provided a lot of opportunity for success that I wouldn’t necessarily get at other places,” Eisenreich said. “Stanford is in one of the most competitive track and field conferences in the country, so it’s
just a terrific opportunity to progress my career and work with really great athletes in a really great setting.” Neal Rooney ’13, a javelin thrower, said that while team members were surprised at Eisenreich’s departure, they are happy for her. “It was a little bit shocking, I think,” Rooney said. “Because we have a coach that’s there for that long, you kind of just expect them to be out there every year. … We understand that it’s a good career move for her because she works really hard.” “I guess we’re a little selfish in that we wish that she’d stay, but we understand,” he added. During her tenure at Brown, Eisenreich has coached over 50 All-Ivy throwers, six NCAA championship qualifiers and Craig Kinsley ’11, who was the top American thrower at the 2012 London Olympics. Eisenreich’s departure forces the
squad to search for a new throws head coach. In the interim, it is left with a throws coach in Volunteer Assistant Bryan Powlen ’10 and a javelin coach in Volunteer Coach Nicholas Lam. Eisenreich said that Lam, who only arrived this season, will be valuable to the team because of his experiences working with multiple coaches during his career at Montana State, which has helped him understand “differences in coaching philosophy and what works and doesn’t work.” She added the squad can benefit from his fresh perspective. “Often, having that kind of outsider’s perspective is helpful,” Eisenreich said. “And now that I’m leaving, his role is even more important.” The absence of Mangiacotti, who coached sprints and hurdles, has also left the squad without a designated coach for those events. Assistant Coach Reuben Jones has temporarily taken over Mangiacotti’s coaching duties in addition to his
own jumps and multi-event duties until the University hires a replacement for Mangiacotti. Eisenreich said the squad already has a candidate in mind, and is only waiting for approval from Human Resources. Tim Springfield, who has been named Interim Director of Track and Field and Cross Country, said that taking on more athletes and events is a “big challenge” but added that Jones has taken it in stride. “(Jones has) been terrific,” Springfield said. “One of the great things about Reuben is that he has boundless energy. He needs all that energy right now to coach those athletes in different events. But he’s over at the track running four, five, six practices a day. And he has enough energy that the sixth practice is just as dynamic as the first one. So I can’t say enough about how well he’s been handling all that.” Nathan Elder ’13, one of the squad’s
captains, also attested to Jones’s coaching performance. “I have noticed no drop-off from our fall training from last year under (Coach Mangiacotti) to this year under Coach Jones,” Elder said. Though the coaching changes provide a challenge for the squad, Elder said it is also a testament to the program’s success under Eisenreich’s tenure. “If anything, it’s a testament to where this program has been and where it’s going, because people are seeing that the work that (Eisenreich and Mangiacotti) put in was so great,” Elder said. Springfield also said he feels that Eisenreich has built a strong program at Brown that has a promising future. “We wish (Eisenreich) all the best as she moves forward,” Springfield said. “I think the important thing is that we’re committed to maintaining what she’s built and improving on it. We don’t want to stand still. We want to move forward.”