Tuesday, October 2, 2012

daily herald the Brown

vol. cxxii, no. 78

INSIDE

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Global ed

New study abroad option offers masters program

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Political rodeo PolitiFact calls out congressional candidates Page 7

Minor issues Katz ’14 says minors should be included in curriculum today

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tomorrow

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U. seeks to attract faculty members to leadership roles

By Alexa Pugh Senior Staff Writer

Involvement in faculty governance remains persistently low — only one in seven faculty members regularly attend monthly faculty meetings, and the task of recruiting faculty for leadership roles is often extremely difficult, according to Faculty Executive Committee members. But as President Christina Paxson settles into office, she and Provost Mark Schlissel P’15 have taken an interest in incentivizing participation in faculty governance, said Harold Roth, professor of religious studies and a member of the FEC, adding that they have commissioned the FEC to suggest creative ways to support faculty members who choose to take leadership roles.

In general, faculty are invested in having a voice in University matters, wrote Professor of Philosophy and FEC Chair Mary Louise Gill in an

email to The Herald, but other obligations can make committing time to governance burdensome.

The Nominations Committee, which is charged with finding faculty volunteers for leadership positions, has often faced difficulty finding faculty to fill leadership roles and serve on various committees.

“It took six months for the Nominations Committee to find somebody to be vice chair of the Faculty Executive (Committee),” Roth said. “It was like pulling teeth.”

Finding faculty to fill leadership positions this year has been easier than past years, Roth said, but such jobs are still not the highest priority for faculty members.

“We’re expected to have very highlevel scholarship, but we’re also expected to excel in the classroom,” said Peter Shank, professor of medical science and past chair of the FEC. “Service tends / / Faculty page 2

courtesy of han sheng chia

Jayson Marwaha ’14 and Han Sheng Chia ’14 catalogued and repaired medical equipment supplies in Zanzibar this summer. SEE PAGE 3

Betaspring open house draws politicians, mentors

By Caroline Flanagan Senior Staff writer

Senators, representatives and other government officials addressed a packed room Sept. 27 at the fall open house for Betaspring, a startup accelerator located in Providence’s Knowledge District. The audience energetically welcomed the 13 new startups participating in Betaspring’s fall session.

Betaspring helps fledgling startups by connecting them with mentors and resources during an intensive 12-week program. It selects about 20 companies from an applicant pool of more than 500 for sessions held in the fall and spring, said Mike Rowan, vice president of re-

city & state

since 1891

Tuesday, october 2, 2012

search and development for SendGrid and a mentor for Betaspring. When the 13 new startups complete the program in November, Betaspring will have served a total of 57 startups.

The companies spend their 12 weeks meeting regularly with mentors, presenting their product to customers and testing and refining their business models. At the end of the program, the companies present their product to investors to gauge interest in their product. Betaspring expects one-third of its companies to fail within two years of graduation, while the other two-thirds usually remain on fast or sustainable growth paths, according to its website.

At the event, the chief executive officers of the 13 startups gave 30-second elevator pitches / / Beta page 5

By Caleb Miller

courtesy of Betaspring.com

Thirteen companies will start Betaspring’s 12-week program this fall.

Betaspring works to increase awareness and success rates for start-ups.

By mariya bashkatova staff writer

tom sullivan / herald

Singles players sweep at Penn Contributing Writer

Dining halls add seasonal food, crepe bar

New dining hall options will include local ingredients and additions such as a crepe bar and an allergen-free pantry.

M. Tennis

Over the summer, the University’s two main dining halls underwent a series of minor changes, including additions to the Sharpe Refectory dining area and new food options with an emphasis on local produce.

“We wanted to focus our menus around our most popular recipes, offer seasonal variety, more sustainable proteins and increased fish offerings, more fresh fruit and vegetables with more color and more crunch,” wrote Brown Dining Dietitian Gina Guiducci in an email to The Herald.

This includes adding a new variety of fresh vegetables, like beets, fennel, corn and carrots, wrote Executive Chef John O’Shea in an email to The Herald. Breakfast will incorporate more seasonal fruit, and students will also see more seasonal local New England food, Guiducci wrote.

More accommodations have also

been made for special diets, such as using gluten-free soy sauce and providing vegetarian “sausage” at Sunday brunch, she wrote.

The Ratty’s Sunday brunch will also now feature a crepe bar, which has so far been “the biggest hit,” she wrote.

Changes to the facilities include a new television and new seating in the back alcove of the Ratty and a new television in the main dining room, wrote Claire Sidla, director of residential dining, in an email to The Herald.

A new allergen-free pantry was installed in the main dining room of the Ratty as an addition to the Medical Dietary Accommodations program.

New tray holders will “support our ongoing semi-trayless efforts and overall commitment to sustainability,” Guiducci wrote.

The “Tastes of the World” line at the Ratty has been renamed the “Chef ’s Corner.” The change was made to broaden the variety of options the line was able to / / Dining page 4

The men’s tennis team took top honors in all four of its singles flights at the Penn Invitational this weekend, topping 15 teams in the national competition.

David Neff ’14, Daniel Hirschberg ’15 and Will Spector ’15 were singles champions for the Bears, dropping only six sets total en route to their final matches.

Ivy League foe Princeton was Bruno’s top singles competitor, facing off against the Bears in the finals of two of these first three flights.

An unusual scenario in the Bears’ fourth flight saw Lucas Da Silveira ’16 and Ivan Kravtchenko ’16 both reaching the final match, but the two opted to forgo the contest and accept co-champion titles. They finished their tournaments with exhibition matches against another flight instead.

The doubles teams were no slouches either, as Spector teamed with Justin To ’15.5 to take second place in the “A” flight.

Michael Hill ’13 and Da Silveira also competed as a duo, along with Hirschberg and Kravtchenko, but both pairs fell short of the final.

The tournament brought together Ivy League competitors and non-conference teams from across the country. Throughout the weekend, Bruno battled teams from the Big Ten and other conferences it had not played against before.

“There was some really good competition,” Spector / / Tennis page 2

2 campus news c alendar Today

Oct. 2

5 P.M.

ToMORROW

/ / Faculty page 1 oct. 3

5 P.M.

Classic Apple Pie Chef Demonstration

Sons of Providence Lecture

Faculty Club

Salomon 101

6:30 p.m.

7 p.m.

TEDxBrownU Student Challenge

Film Screening: Falling from the Sky

Metcalf 101, Friedman Auditorium

List 120

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL

LUNCH Grilled Reuben Sandwich, Baked Potato Bar with Toppings, Tomato Quiche, Grilled Vegan Malibu Patties

Shaved Steak Sandwich, Falafel, Onion Rings, Enchilada Bar,

DINNER Gnocchi with Pesto, Niman Ranch Quarter Pound Burger, Salmon with Provencal, Chipotle Cheddar Sausage

Roast Pork Loin Jour Ouvert, Broccoli Quiche, General Tso Chicken Stirfry, Carrot Casserole

Sudoku

Crossword

the brown daily herald tuesday, october 2, 2012

to be the last thing on the totem pole.”

The struggle to increase leadership participation among faculty is not new. A 2003 task force examined the faculty governance system in hopes of making service seem more relevant and interesting to faculty members, said John Savage, professor of computer science and former chair of the FEC. When the FEC reviewed faculty governance in 2008, the report expressed interest in increasing transparency in various decision-making processes, including budget matters and the selection of candidates for faculty leadership roles.

Get out the vote Faculty participation remains largely interest-driven, said Stephen Foley, professor of English and comparative literature and secretary of the faculty. As in any system of governance, some people are simply more inclined to be involved, he said.

“There is moderate and conscientious interest at every meeting, and that interest is peaked by topics and driven by issues,” he said, “I don’t see why it shouldn’t be that way.”

Shank estimated that around 100 faculty members attend each meeting, out of a population of nearly 700.

Limited attendance has at times prevented faculty members from passing legislation, Shank said. When a quorum was called on a vote to amend the charter of a committee, Shank said not enough faculty were present to obtain the requisite 100 votes for the motion to pass.

Increased awareness about the incentives offered for service could encourage participation, Savage said.

Currently, the Tenure, Promotions and Appointments Committee, which has a particularly intensive time commitment, is the only committee to offer compensation. Members are awarded research money in an amount proportionate to time served.

/ / Tennis page 1 said. “Some schools, like Iowa and Minnesota, we haven’t ever played before, so I didn’t really know what to expect.”

But the Bears rose to the occasion and defeated their Big Ten competitors for the tournament title.

“It’s good to play teams like this,” Hirschberg said. “We held our ground pretty good, and we were successful.”

Spector credited the team’s success, with nine flights won in its first three tournaments, to good practices and positive attitudes.

“We had really good energy this

Junior faculty are particularly less inclined to attend faculty meetings, in part because of an increased sense of competition among their colleagues, Savage said. The Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology discourages their junior faculty from participating in governance so they have time to build their research credentials, Shank said.

Both Shank and Roth emphasized that eligibility for tenure is based on scholarship first, teaching second and service third.

Prioritizing debate The University’s emphasis on scholarship was at the crux of a particularly contentious debate over improving tenure policies two years ago, Roth said.

The Corporation feared that the University was granting tenure to too many junior faculty in comparison to its peers. A review of tenure policies led to several changes regarding the standards for faculty tenure.

The new policies devalued undergraduate teaching and took decisionmaking power away from departments, causing widespread objection from the faculty, Roth said.

“In the wake of that, there was an impression among the faculty that service didn’t count for much,” he said. “The impact of that flap over so-called raising tenure standards left a really bad taste in the mouths of a lot of my colleagues.”

No faculty members have explicitly cited the tenure standards issue as a reason for declining leadership roles, Savage said, adding that frustration over the issue could just as easily serve as a motivating factor for seeking a voice within faculty governance.

If anything, the issue proved that faculty will be heard on certain issues, Foley said. “If you had a strong interest in a certain area of University policy, committee work would be exactly where you’d want to be.”

Members of the Academic Priorities Committee and the University weekend,” Spector said. “We have two really good captains who have been pushing us, so our practices have been really good, and the energy out there has really helped a lot.”

The successful campaign this weekend added to the team’s confidence, he added.

“We’re making really good progress and we’re going to try to keep getting better.”

Though this weekend’s experience against outside schools helps, Hirscherg said, the Ivy League competition remains the focal point of the team’s preparations.

“The goal is to be playing well come Ivy season,” he added. “Every win we can get is going to help us toward that goal.”

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Resources Committee have the most power to influence policy, and Foley and his colleagues agreed that the faculty culture allows and even encourages dissenting opinions.

Recent meetings have been relatively free of conflict, due in part to the arrival of a new provost and president, Roth said.

“There’s a honeymoon period with Chris Paxson,” he said. “She’s just such an ebullient, optimistic, high-energy person — nobody’s yet wanted to rain on her parade.”

Paxson’s attitude could open up new horizons for the University, Roth said. He also praised Kevin McLaughlin P’12 as one of the best deans of the faculty he’s ever worked with. Schlissel has been particularly receptive to faculty input and straightforward and informative about budgetary issues, Roth said.

In an email to the Brown community yesterday, Schlissel announced the creation of six new committees, including the Committee on Faculty Recruitment, Career Development and Retention; the Committee on Financial Aid; the Committee on Educational Innovation; the Committee on Doctoral Education; the Committee on Online Teaching and Learning and the Committee on Reimagining the Brown Campus and Community.

Many faculty expressed interest in joining the new committees, Shank said.

Overall, both Paxson and Schlissel have shown a genuine respect for faculty and the role that they play, Savage said, adding that there has been a general increase in the University’s esteem for faculty in his 45 years at Brown.

“This isn’t like a corporation that has a bottom line or a hierarchy,” Foley said. “There is a faculty of some hundreds of people, there’s a student body, there’s an alumni body, there’s a large staff ­— all of those elements have to work in consensus, not on every issue.”

campus news 3

the brown daily herald tuesday, october 2, 2012

Brown Plus One master’s program adds new partner school

By Molly Schulson Contributing Writer

Trinity College Dublin became the newest partner school in Brown Plus One, a study abroad program that allows students to earn one-year master’s degrees following graduation, last spring. Trinity College joins the University of Edinburgh and the Chinese University of Hong Kong as the three Brown Plus One partner universities.

“We were looking for partners that are leading world universities,” qualifications that Trinity meets, said Kendall Brostuen, director of international programs and associate dean of the college.

Students can begin studying in Dublin next semester, Brostuen said.

Currently, three students are taking courses at Chinese University, and no Brown students are participating in the University of Edinburgh program this semester, he said.

Participants in the program can opt to spend one or two semesters studying abroad at the partner school of their choice during their junior years. While abroad, they take full course loads, including up to two graduate courses. When a student graduates with a bachelor’s degree from Brown, he or she is invited to return to the partner school, Brostuen said. The graduate courses taken dur-

ing the study abroad semester will count toward the master’s degree earned in the fifth year.

“We know the caliber of Brown students,” Brostuen said. Brown Plus One “gives them an opportunity to dig deeper in their concentration.”

Students have a variety of master’s programs to choose from, ranging from international relations to comparative literature, according to an April 25 University press release.

Most one-year master’s programs are in the social sciences or humanities, Brostuen said.

“I think it’s a really lovely idea, and one of things that is nice about the Brown model is that because of the flexibility of our curriculum, it’s actually possible for us to imagine doing this,” said Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron.

The idea behind Brown Plus One formed after Brown’s Task Force on Undergraduate Education filed a report in September 2008 advocating more study abroad opportunities, Bergeron said. Programs such as the Global Independence Study Project and Brown Plus One were created as a response, she said.

GLISPs allow students on semester abroad programs to work on independent projects with Brown faculty members. All Brown Plus One students are required to complete GLISPs, which can then be used as

frank mullin / brown university

Trinity College Dublin is the most recent school to partner with the University through Brown Plus One, a program in which students earn one-year master’s degrees following graduation. senior capstones or honors theses, Brostuen said.

“In a way, it creates a kind of potential sequence of work where you learn more and more about a particular subject,” Bergeron said.

Though students are not required

to return to the partner school where they studied abroad, Brostuen said it is advantageous because students returning to partner schools will already feel familiar with their environments. “They have a network of people so they can hit the ground

running,” Brostuen said.

In order to maximize student participation, all courses in the Brown Plus One program are taught in English, no matter the destination, Brostuen said. This may change as the program moves forward, he added.

Nonprofit repairs med equipment in developing world

Courtesy of Han sheng chiA

MED International repaired about $50,000 worth of medical equipment at a hospital in Zanzibar as a part of their initiative to improve healthcare services in underdeveloped countries.

By Daniyal Khan Contributing Writer

Jayson Marwaha ’14 and Han Sheng Chia ’14, co-directors of Medical Equipment Donations International, spent about 10 weeks in Zanzibar this summer assessing medical equipment needs in the region.

MED International is a recently-formed nonprofit organization that focuses on the delivery and use of medical equipment in underdeveloped countries.

While in Zanzibar, Marwaha and Chia conducted an extensive field study to document what equipment was al-

ready available at the Mnazi-Mmoja Hospital in Stone Town, Zanzibar City.

In addition to the study, which involved cataloguing over 1,000 pieces of medical equipment at the hospital, the pair was able to oversee the repair of equipment worth nearly $50,000 using a volunteer team of biomedical engineers. The team was recruited by MED International through another organization, Engineering World Health.

Among the machines available at the hospital when they arrived was a set of infant incubators of which only two were operational, meaning that babies often

had to share incubators.

“On really bad days, (doctors) would fill up gloves with hot water and wrap the babies in blankets,” Chia said.

Without adequate equipment, the hospital recorded a 50 percent premature death rate in February, Chia said. When the team of engineers arrived over the summer, they restored the set of eight incubators to full functionality.

“It was a four-fold jump on incubators, and we believe this will go a long way in helping clinicians improve these figures,” Chia said, referring to the infant death rate. The maternity unit of the

operating theater at the hospital, where surgical operations are performed, also increased functionality from 30 to 80 percent, Marwaha said.

The business model of MED International is based on a three-part intervention.

“It’s one-third equipment management — repair and making sure that all machines are properly logged — one-third training of local technicians and one-third donation of equipment.”

Marwaha said. This model has changed from its original conception, when the action plan was broken down into three different steps — “supply, delivery and utilization” of equipment, The Herald reported in February. But ground realities forced the organization to seriously cut down on the first and second steps.

The group found the nonprofit sector “saturated with donors” and donations, which resulted in them shifting their focus from equipment donations to maintenance and repair, Marwaha said.

“I think they were able to pay close attention to what was and what wasn’t working and incorporated what they learned into their business model,” said Alan Harlam, director of social entrepreneurship at the Swearer Center for Public Service. Harlam serves as a board member for MED International and originally introduced Chia to Marwaha as a potential partner. The pair’s reflections during their summer experience are key, Harlam said.

“They did a fabulous job. Starting a new company is a long process, and what they are doing right is taking stock of what they have learnt during the summer,” he said. “Their knowledge of the problem is strong.”

Elaborating on the new business model, Chia said cataloguing the exist-

ing equipment in Zanzibar “was accomplished through working with a local programmer to input data into manageable software that the Ministry of Health (of Zanzibar) now runs.” Chia added that “the software helps us see gaps so we can make smarter donations.”

This program is currently being refined by computer science concentrators on campus, Chia said.

Training technicians, the second part of the model, is equally important, as it drastically reduces the cost of repair, Chia said. The organization is currently exploring ways to support Zanzibar’s public college training program to increase the number of qualified technicians.

Not including the funds needed to bring in technicians from abroad, the cost of repairing machines was less than $200 in total. Machines varied from simple suction machines to complex ultrasounds.

The two also stressed the importance of working through the government rather than setting up a non-governmental organization.

“Donations take pressure off of governments. They lose motivation, start relying on others and become dependent,” Marwaha said. “We are concretely in the business of equipment maintenance, but we’re also there to instill change. The goal is to systematically get the Zanzibar government off foreign aid for equipment and equipment repair.”

Marwaha said he believes that if their marketable service proves effective, as it has so far, they can take on more projects in Zanzibar and in other parts of Africa.

“It has always been part of the philosophy to go deep within a country’s health system because it is only through an investment of time that we understand the dynamics of a place,” Chia said.

4 city & state

the brown daily herald tuesday, october 2, 2012

Congressional races heat up

Today in Universit y History: oc t. 2

by Elizabe th Koh senior staff writer

Professor holds Saturday class In 1959, Professor of History James Hedges rescheduled a meeting of History 151 to be held on a Saturday despite “much eyebrow-raising comment.” Saturday classes had been suspended for that weekend in a faculty and administration vote. But undergraduate students voted to hold the class despite a Brown versus Yale football game in New Haven that weekend. “If they hadn’t so voted, there would be no session,” Hedges told The Herald in 1959.

Fox Point houses slated for rehabilitation torn down

sam kase / herald

In the race for U.S. House of Representatives in the first congressional district, recent comments by both Rep. David Cicilline ’83, D-R.I., and his opponent, businessman Brendan Doherty, have been called false.

By Adam toobin senior staff writer

President The first debate of the 2012 presidential campaign will take place tomorrow at 9 p.m. on cable and network news channels. President Obama will face off against Republican challenger, former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney, in a confrontation that many speculate will be a definitive moment in the race.

Romney made his debating ability a major part of his primary campaign, arguing that he was the only candidate in the Republican field who could defeat Obama.

Each candidate has promised to fact-check his opponent during and after the debate. Up to this point, the race has been punctuated by allegations of lying from both sides. The Obama campaign has even arranged to send a team of politicians who worked with Romney while he was governor to battleground states after the debate to “tell the truth” about Romney’s record, according to Politico.

U.S. Senate In his bid for reelection, Barry Hinckley Jr., the Republican nominee opposing Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., has gone on the offensive in the past few weeks in an attempt to blunt the incumbent’s polling lead.

Hinckley connected Whitehouse to the 1,000 jobs Rhode Island will lose from layoffs at a General Dynamics plant if Congress allows major cuts planned

/ / Dining page 1 serve, to add more new alternatives and to have more chef demonstrations to showcase culinary talent, O’Shea wrote.

Though some students did not notice the changes, most offered overwhelmingly positive reactions. The crepe bar is a welcome addition that livens up Sundays at the Ratty, which can otherwise be somewhat bland, said Chris Janigian ’13.

“I really enjoy the seasonal fruits,” said June Choo ’13.

for January 2013 to go into effect. The congressional Super Committee’s failure to reduce the federal deficit will trigger automatic cuts of $500 billion in January if Congress does not move to stop the process.

Hinckley proposed holding an “upor-down” vote — meaning neither side would be allowed to filibuster the vote — on Obama’s National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform, instead of playing a game of “chicken, in which thousands of Rhode Islanders and millions of Americans are political pawns.”

Early last month, Whitehouse released his first advertisement of this election season, which celebrated the healthcare reform bill Congressional Democrats passed and highlighted the economic recovery stewarded by Democratic policies.

U.S. House of Representatives In the first congressional district, where incumbent Rep. David Cicilline ’83, D-R.I., is defending his seat against Republican businessman Brendan Doherty, statements from both candidates have recently been judged by the non-partisan website Politifact — which ranks the politicians’ statements as true or false — as mostly false.

Cicilline received a “mostly false” rating for his assertion that Doherty wants “to repeal Obamacare, increasing drug prices for seniors.” While Politifact conceded that repealing the health care law would raise drug prices for seniors, it clarified that Doherty has expressed support for retaining the

component of healthcare legislation that closes the “donut hole” — a gap between cost and prescription drug coverage. Doherty has also said he wants to keep the mandates that prevent companies from denying coverage to individuals with preexisting conditions and those that continue to allow children to remain on their parents’ health care plans until they turn 26.

Doherty received a false rating after he claimed that his campaign, “unlike the Cicilline campaign, is funded mostly by individual donors — not the big PACs that Cicilline relies on” in a Sept. 26 news release. Cicilline’s campaign receives 75 percent of its funding from individual donors and 24 percent from PACs, according to Politifact. Doherty’s campaign has raised 86 percent of its funds from individuals and 10 percent from PACs. In its ruling, Politifact argued that “Cicilline may have gotten more money from political action committees than Doherty has, but the scope — 24 percent of $1.7 million raised — doesn’t even come close to supporting a statement suggesting that Cicilline is getting most of his funds from PACs.” The second congressional district, which is playing host to a race this year between incumbent Rep. Jim Langevin, D-R.I., and Republican Michael Riley, has also heated up in recent weeks. In a new radio ad this week, Riley accused Langevin of neglecting Rhode Island families and encouraging high gas prices by voting against the Keystone pipeline and the expansion of offshore drilling.

Students also said they like the seating additions in the back alcove, which come on the heels of last semester’s overhaul of the dining room’s front alcove. These areas are “conducive to studying,” said Corey Scult ’13.

Students suggested various improvements the Ratty could make, such as getting bigger glasses and serving more fresh vegetables.

Brown Dining Services is selffunded, and changes and improvements to services are paid for using surplus revenue from the previous year, wrote Ann Hoffman, director of

administration and human resources, in an email to The Herald. The structure of the student meal plan has not changed from last year, but a meal credit is now worth $6.60, up from last year’s $6.40, she wrote. No concrete plans have been finalized to keep the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall open on weekends, she wrote.

Special events in the Ratty this semester will include Wednesday dinner chef demos, pep rallies before most home games, a chili and bread bowl special and other seasonal specialties, Guiducci wrote.

In 1969, the Providence Redevelopment Agency demolished two Fox Point houses that had been allotted funds for rehabilitation earlier that day. The Rhode Island Department of Community Affairs had granted community group Churches Concerned $30,000 to begin work on the site. Its director said no one in the group was informed of the agency’s decision to tear down the buildings until the demolition group arrived. At the time of the demolition, the agency planned to construct tennis courts on the site instead.

Possible cancer risk found in U. labs In 1979, Rhode Island health officials expressed concern over the unsafe use of carbon tetrachloride, a possible carcinogen, in Chemistry 3 lab experiments.

“Any instructor who would allow this is completely nuts or doesn’t know what he’s doing,” said Herbert Kilgus, principal industrial hygienist of the state Department of Health. The University safety office said it would monitor the toxic vapor levels of the chemical in upcoming lab sessions to see if they met federally mandated levels.

Rally protests police brutality In 2006, over 100 students and alums protested police brutality on the Main Green, reading students’ anonymous accounts of police misconduct to chants of “DPS, we are watching you.” The newly created Coalition for Police Accountability and Institutional Transparency organized the rally in response to the arrest of Chipalo Street ’06 MS’07 three weeks prior. Street refused to show his I.D. upon request by DPS and was consequently assaulted and pepper-sprayed.

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the brown daily herald tuesday, october 2, 2012

Higher ed ne ws r oundup

by tonya rile y senior staff writer

Grinnell reviews need-blind policy In a letter to alums last Thursday, Grinnell College announced it would consider amending its financial aid policies, prompting rumors that the college could end its need-blind admissions policy, though nothing in the letter explicitly referenced such a plan. The school has the fifth-highest endowment of any liberal arts college, but Grinnell President Raynard Kington expressed concern about its financial sustainability in the letter, Inside Higher Ed reported.

Kington’s letter comes on the heels of an announcement from Wesleyan University in June that the school would be ending its needblind admissions process.

“If we took the path of least resistance, what we were inevitably going to do is cut and cut and cut so that we would find ourselves having an inferior education, so that the least painful thing in the world would be to slide into mediocrity,” Kington told the Scarlet and Black, Grinnell’s student newspaper.

The school’s financial future is still under review.

Former U. president under heat for $7.7 million expense account Former Brown President Gordon Gee has earned $8.6 million dollars so far during his five-year tenure as president of Ohio State University, the Dayton Daily News reported. The Daily News investigation has sparked national attention after revealing that Gee also has a multimillion-dollar personal account he uses for parties, luxurious travel accommodations and bowtie memorabilia. His expense account neared $7.7 million, the Huffington Post reported.

This past fiscal year, Gee’s salary reached nearly $2 million, according to the Daily News. The Ohio Ethics Commission reported last month that Gee failed to report over $150,000 in travel expenses. Gee’s term as president has been marked by a football scandal that arose last year and resulted in the firing of Coach Jim Tressel.

Ohio State released a statement in defense of Gee’s large bowtie and party budget, clarifying that gifts to the University fund his expense account.

“Given the size, stature and reputation of Ohio State University, the glad handing that comes with being the university chief executive officer is a requirement of the job,” Dan Hurley, spokesman for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities, told the Daily News.

After search, Northwestern sophomore found drowned The search for Harsha Maddula, a sophomore at Northwestern University who disappeared last week, ended last Thursday when his body was discovered by a fisherman in Wilmette, Ill. Officials have confirmed that the cause of death was drowning, according to ABC News Chicago WLS-TV. Maddula went missing after attending a party off-campus, the Chicago Tribune reported. There were no signs of theft, and Maddula was found with all his belongings.

“Some other media outlets have written that he was ‘party hopping,’ (but) that statement is a clear misrepresentation of Harsha and his character,” Nasira Rafiq, a former teacher of Maddula, told the New York Daily News.

A memorial service was held for students at Northwestern, and Maddula’s funeral took place Monday in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

/ / Beta page 1 about their companies. They were preceded by speeches from Betaspring’s founder and managing partner, Allan Tear, as well as from sponsors and officials.

Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., both praised Betaspring in their opening comments, heralding the organization for bringing young, ambitious CEOs to Rhode Island, especially in the current struggling economy.

“You make Rhode Island look great,” Whitehouse said.

Rep. David Cicilline ’83, D-R.I. also applauded Betaspring and expressed hope that the fledgling startups would keep their businesses in Rhode Island.

“You’ll all stay here as you develop your companies and come to enjoy this beautiful city and state,” he said.

If the companies remain in Providence for 12 months after the program’s completion, they will become eligible for a $50,000 equity investment from the city of Providence, according to the Betaspring website.

The introduction also featured updates from alumni companies such as Sproutel, which developed a character called Jerry the Bear, a stuffed bear with diabetes to help diabetic children learn how to cope with their disease. Sproutel recently raised $300,000 at a fundraising drive and is currently developing a new product.

The new startups included AutoBike, which developed an automatically shifting bicycle, and Crunchbutton, a fooddelivery app based on a database of the best food and restaurants in a community.

Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 also addressed the crowd before the companies were introduced.

“With (Betaspring’s) help, we’ll make Rhode Island a hip, hip, happening place,” he said.

Fall session participants Thirteen companies were selected to participate in Betaspring’s fall development session. These organizations will spend 12 weeks networking and undergoing advisement to build their companies and promote their products.

AutoBike makes a bicycle that shifts automatically to enhance the biking experience.

Crunchbutton collects information about the best food and restaurants within a community, creating databases that allow users to order favorites with a click of a button.

Greentape created an app that coordinates with stores — particularly in the organic food market — to provide loyalty rewards to consumers and notify them of sales.

HealthID Profile makes a bracelet that serves as a mobile solution for sick patients, helping them track and manage their conditions, share information with doctors and family and transmit information to first responders in the event of an emergency.

Kuratur creates attractive web pages for marketers to present information in an accessible and well-organized fashion.

Pennant created a tool that allows advertising agencies to provide

comics Fly by Night | Adam Kopp

Class Notes | Philip Trammell

interactive advertisements to phones, desktop computers and tablets.

Plandree hosts an online vacation planner that allows collaboration and networking between family and friends to simplify the planning process.

Rootless created an online community that connects drivers and passengers interested in carpooling. The company has already seen success in organizing carpools for large events like concerts and sports games.

Scholryly created a search engine that facilitates the research process by clearly showing connections between papers, authors and topics.

TennisHub built a social platform that helps tennis players connect with each other based on a number of factors, like their skill levels, and simplifies the process of booking courts.

TouchVu created a tool that allows businesses to convert their Facebook pages into fully-functioning websites that can work on phones — many of which do not support Flash — as well as tablets and desktops.

Umbie DentalCare is an online management program for dentists that encourages the use of electronic health records.

WorldBrain built an online program that creates a model for successful school trips and makes trips easier for teachers and parents to plan and finance.

6 editorial & letter Editorial Reconsidering ROTC Almost a year has passed since former president Ruth Simmons recommended the University continue its campus ban on the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. These recommendations engendered controversy and discussion both on campus and nationwide at the time, but recently, they have faded from the public eye. In light of a recent Herald article about the state of ROTC on campus (“ROTC looks to increase campus involvement,” Sept.

26), we would like to revisit the decision that was made last October and urge President Christina Paxson to reconsider the campus ban on ROTC. Last year, The Herald published an editorial (“A plea for ROTC’s reinstatement,” Oct. 19, 2011) that disagreed with the ban for several reasons, and this rationale is still applicable. The campus ban furthers a sense of separation between the University and the rest of the nation, particularly from a socioeconomic perspective. Though cross-institutional partnerships exist, they are logistically challenging, and only options for Army ROTC exist in Providence. These logistical concerns help explain why there are only a handful of students involved in Army ROTC at Providence College or Bryant University, and no Brown students involved in Navy or Air Force ROTC at all. To top it all off, there are only six student veterans attending the University.

We are quite proud of Brown’s reputation as an outspoken liberal institution. But this reputation may discourage students with other political beliefs or backgrounds from matriculating at Brown. This is a distinct loss to the community, as we could all benefit from thoughtful and rational debates with those with whom we disagree. While we do not want this reputation to change — nor do we think it will ­— we are concerned that the symbolism of the campus ban dissuades potential ROTC students who could contribute to political and intellectual diversity on campus from attending the University.

Furthermore, we believe that allowing ROTC on campus would further efforts to increase socioeconomic and geographic diversity. Many high school students interested in ROTC specifically matriculate at universities that have these programs. Given the tuition benefits of the ROTC program, many students who look into this program have financial reasons for doing so. As The Herald’s “Money Matters” series observed last spring, lack of socioeconomic diversity is still a problem for the University and perpetuates a divide in the campus community. Continuing the campus ban on ROTC promotes the notion that the University is primarily the domain of wealthy students, and reinstating ROTC could provide an avenue for increased economic diversity.

In response to the well-founded concern in the Brown community about the relationship of the military to the LGBTQ community, we agree that the policy of transgender discrimination should be halted. However, the University still receives federal funds from the military for research purposes, as well as federal funds for student financial aid. Instead of sticking our heads in the sand, we would be better served to change problematic aspects of these institutions from within. Though we appreciate the creation of an on-campus office to support veterans and help students participate in the military, we believe the symbolism of the on-campus ban sends a dangerous message to the community at large about our values. We should engage those with whom we disagree, and we should remove the campus ban on ROTC. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

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the brown daily herald tuesday, october 2, 2012

Editorial cartoon b y a n g e l i a wa n g

le t ter Renovations undercut financial aid funds To the Editor: Brown’s push towards Ivy League-standard facilities sweeps the University’s appallingly substandard financial aid under the rug, as Daniel Moraff ’14 pointed out in a column last week (“Hiking tuition and blowing money on sparkly things,” Sept. 27).

New buildings don’t just require targeted fundraising efforts. They also require maintenance. The new fitness center, for example, will cost Brown hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. That comes out of our operating budget, not gifts.

Another kind of gift to target is an endowed scholarships.

Putting $67 million toward housing might make Brown a little nicer, but it means at least 15 students in every class whose Brown experiences will be inarguably worse — 15 students who will choose the safe desk job over the risky policy internship because of financial strain.

Scholarships are good investments: They allow students to take the kinds of early-career risks that pay out later. That’s good for Brown’s repute and coffers. Amenities are often bad investments — rather than paying you back, they add costs.

Nevertheless, the “fear the Corporation” undertones of

Moraff ’s column are too convenient. Alums lavish incredible fortunes on Brown because they’re generous, not because they’re suspect. If you’re wondering why the Corporation thinks Brown’s housing needs a sparkly update, look back in this paper’s archives. It’s exactly what our committees and columns have been telling them.

There’s a time for building up. Maybe that was the past decade. But it’s not what Brown needs today. Financial aid tramples any other issue in polls as the top priority of students.

Try pitching Brown to prospectives, and you usually end up talking about price. It’s an embarrassment, out in the open. It’s just not visible in the way that an alum would see on a flyover.

Brown for Financial Aid started last spring in part because members of the Corporation might not have the clearest insight into what student priorities are. It’s the job of students and recent alums to make clear the importance of financial aid to their experiences.

In the meantime, you might as well go for a swim in the new pool. Haven’t you heard?

Anish Sarma ’12 Brown for Financial Aid Alumni Ambassador

Correc tion An article in Monday’s Herald (“As Paxson seeks strategic plan, committees form,” Oct. 1) incorrectly referenced Peter Weber as dean of the graduate school and chair of the chemistry department. In fact, Weber stepped down from his role as chair when he was named dean. The Herald regrets the error.

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the brown daily herald tuesday, october 2, 2012

Why Brown should have minors Jaclyn Katz Opinions Columnist Like most Brown students, before arriving on campus for the start of the semester, I spent time playing around on Banner. With two concentration requirements set, I had two courses to choose from among over 40 academic departments.

The freedom to choose exactly which courses to take is an exhilarating process and one of the reasons why I came to Brown. In fact, prior to the start of my freshman year, I had compiled a list of academic departments in which I hoped to take courses before graduation.

Yet as I stared at a confused, chaotic shopping cart, I wished that in addition to the freedom to handpick my own courses, Brown would provide students the freedom to choose how to structure their degree programs in the form of majors and minors.

Minors would give students the opportunity to organize a portion of their nonconcentration courses into a coherent program of study. Minors were eliminated with the implementation of the New Curriculum. Susannah Kroeber ’11 noted in 2009 that the designers of the New Curriculum feared allowing minors would limit students’ desire to experiment with classes outside of their concentration in “which they did not have sufficient interest or ex-

perience to eventually declare a minor” (“Kroeber ’11: A minor change, a major difference,” Oct. 4, 2009).

In the absence of minors, Brown students can pursue a concentration and take other courses that interest them, or they can double or even triple concentrate, a task made easier without the burden of distribution requirements.

But doesn’t double concentrating also limit students’ ability to take courses in a variety of departments? Why, then, does

terest and to earn a degree while doing so.

At Harvard, “secondary fields” — which are equivalent to minors — “provide the opportunity for focused study (four to six half-courses) outside of the primary area of concentration, but they are entirely optional and are not required for graduation,” according to the Harvard Student Handbook for the 2012-13 academic year.

Because minors are not simply a jumble of electives strewn about a student’s transcript, they would also serve to more easily

It does not go against the integrity of the New Curriculum to provide students the tools to highlight their qualifications and pursue a secondary field of interest. the New Curriculum allow students to double concentrate, but take the option of minors off the table?

Minors would allow students to pursue a second field of interest without the burden of taking on a second concentration, which would undoubtedly reduce the amount students could experiment with courses in other departments. Especially for students who consider double concentrating after their sophomore year, having the ability to minor would allow them to more easily pursue another academic passion. Instead of simply taking a cluster of courses in a given field, a minor could function as a way for students to structure their secondary in-

showcase a student’s acquaintance with disciplines other than his or her concentration to employers. Kroeber argues that a resume, not an academic transcript, is the paper tool that helps you get a job.” In the fiercely competitive job market beyond the walls of Brunonia, minors would allow Brown students to present relevant credentials and demonstrate their interests and expertise in multiple disciplines. Without minors, students have fewer avenues through which they can display their academic interests other than their concentrations, since employers rarely read a full list of coursework.

Of course, a Brown education is not about accumulating a list of credentials for

future employers. This would not be the purpose behind a minor, either. A minor would simply allow students to organize a second field of interest, if they have one, as an alternative to double concentrating. And while it is possible that some students may “pick up” a minor for the sake of enhancing their resumes, this is already the motivation behind why some students double concentrate.

Furthermore, minors might encourage students to pursue advanced coursework in fields other than their concentration. Instead of dabbling in a multitude of introductory classes, minors would provide students an incentive to challenge themselves in upper-level courses while still allowing enough room in their schedules to reap the benefits of the New Curriculum. For example, a student who might otherwise stop language instruction at the 400 level may continue onto more advanced levels if Brown offered minors or their equivalent for completing a certain number of courses.

It does not go against the integrity of the New Curriculum to provide students the tools to highlight their qualifications and pursue a secondary field of interest. If the University permits double concentrations, which hinder a student from taking a wide variety of courses more so than minors would, then it should also allow students the option to complete a minor.

Jaclyn Katz ’14 has no idea if she would minor if given the option and can be reached at jaclyn_katz@brown.edu.

Let’s talk about relationships David romero Opinions Columnist “Well, you know how it is with him — he’s in a monogamous relationship so he barely has any time for his friends.”

“People don’t have the time for monogamous relationships? That’s like saying that you don’t have the time to love.”

The above quotes are snippets from conversations I have had with friends about the status of relationships at Brown.

The first quote derides the constraints of being in a monogamous relationship at Brown, while the second quote laments the lack of emotional commitment in the “hookup culture” present in college.

Both perspectives examine two opposite sides of the relationship spectrum, but by no means encompass the only types of healthy relationship models at Brown.

These two types seem to be the most popular at Brown. But there are more relationship types available, despite Cara Dorris’ ’15 claim in her column declaring that the only two kinds of relationships at Brown are “rigid, Facebook-official romances and hurried, efficient and occasionally chronic hookups” (“Dorris ’15: The fiction of relationship?” Feb. 10).

The myth that there are only two types of relationships at Brown creates a stigma for students who want to explore any type of relationship — whether a monogamous relationship, hook-up or other kind of relationship. In other words, there’s a

lot wrong with the relationship scene at Brown. Students get criticized either for being in a committed relationship, for hooking up consistently with the same person or for having a relationship that is outside of those two categories, such as a polyamorous relationship or multiple casual hookups.

Let me first discuss the prevailing notions of the two most recognized types of relationships on campus. The “rigid romance” that Dorris describes is the relationship type that is most accepted by popular society. A misconception about

pectations,” Nov. 28, 2011). A 38 percent plurality had no sexual partners, while 36 percent had only one partner. Though these numbers might suggest that people are hooking up with the same partner, it also suggests that the myth of the “crazy hook-up culture” at Brown is exaggerated.

Sure, we may not see many couples holding hands on Thayer or going out for dinner in a fancy restaurant, but couples at Brown do exist, despite the popular notion to the contrary.

The other common relationship type, the hook-up, also dominates conversa-

There is a spectrum of relationship types, and preferences can fall anywhere on that spectrum — even outside of the spectrum. To pretend that there are only two types of relationships effectively shames those who do not choose those two types.

the exclusive relationship is that very few people at Brown want one — that everyone just wants to hook up and not be limited by a monogamous relationship.

In reality, there are a fair number of people who choose to engage in monogamous, romantic relationships. The Herald published an article in Nov. 2011 about the surprisingly low number of different sexual partners Brown students had in the fall of 2011 (“Students fall short of sex ex-

tions about the general atmosphere of romances at Brown. Everyone just wants to hook up, no one wants to feel a special connection, no one has time for real love.

This notion is false.

As The Herald’s poll shows, reports of the hook-up culture at Brown have been greatly exaggerated. Even when people do decide to hook up instead of following more traditional relationship models, it doesn’t mean that they are any less “com-

mitted” as they probably hook up with the same partner.

Indeed, both monogamous relationships and hook-up relationships can foster positive, healthy and consensual relationships. The stereotype that hooking up only entails meeting someone at a party, having sex with them and then never speaking to them again is false and is damaging to people who have empowering experiences with this type of relationship. A hook-up relationship can be “committed” or “exclusive” or have any of the other positive qualities usually associated with romantic monogamous relationships.

And what about other kinds of relationships that do not fall neatly under these two categories? There are many types of relationships people can have positive experiences with, whether they be open relationships, online relationships, asexual relationships or other kinds.

Preferences can fall anywhere on the relationship spectrum — even outside of it.

To pretend that there are only two types of relationships effectively shames those who do not choose those two types. More education on what a positive relationship entails could help many students seek what they’ve been looking for without having to settle for someone else’s notion of what a relationship should be.

David Romero ’14 encourages you to not be ashamed of your relationship preferences and can be reached at david_romero@brown.edu.

daily herald sports tuesday the Brown

tuesday, october 2, 2012

M. Golf

Difficult Yale course strands Bears at bottom of pack

By Connor Grealy Sports Staff Writer

The men’s golf team trudged through the challenging MacDonald’s Cup this past weekend, finishing 13th out of a field of 15 teams with a team score of 591 — 292 on Saturday and 299 on Sunday — ­ on the par-70 Yale Golf Course.

“It’s frustrating to finish so far down,” said Head Coach Michael Hughes, “but I felt it was a step in the right direction. … If we didn’t drop a few strokes, we could have been in the middle of this.”

The Bulldogs paced the tournament and captured the victory on their home course. Yale Golf Course, known for its difficult approach shots and greens, forced teams to more effectively plan their shots.

“The greens at Yale are pretty difficult and were actually pretty slow this weekend,” said co-captain Jack Mylott ’13. “Since they’re so large and tilted, I don’t think we made the transition too well.”

The team practiced at Metacomet Country Club to prepare for Yale but ended up playing on much slower greens than they expected.

“I think we had the most putts in the field,” Hughes said. “We should be able to handle those greens.”

The team did put together a num-

ber of solid rounds in the cup but was outplayed by a strong field. After not being able to play last weekend, Nelson Hargrove ’13 was the top scorer for the Bears, shooting 73-72, fiveover for the weekend, and earned himself 29th place as an individual.

“Nelson played great this weekend,” Hughes said. “He had the third most pars in the field…If a few of his putts go differently, he could have been in the 60s for both rounds.”

Justin Miller ’15 had Bruno’s best round with a one-over 71 on Saturday, but he was not able to carry that momentum into Sunday, carding an 80.

“For me, I learned a lot from last weekend (at the Big Red Invitational),” Miller said. “I put everything I learned into play on Saturday, but it’s easy to revert back to what you’ve been doing.”

Jack Wilson ’16 and Peter Callas ’14 both shot 74 on Saturday, while Wilson improved to shoot 73 on Sunday and Callas shot 76. Mylott followed in the scoring with rounds of 80 and 78.

Though the scores may not have shown it, the squad shot the ball well, with a number of players recording a high percentage of greens hit in regulation — a statistic used to measure shots played onto the green with a chance of scoring either birdie or par.

“Peter hit 14 and 15 greens, Nelson

hit 16 and 15, and I had 15 on Sunday,” Mylott said.

There were other positives to be taken from the team’s play this past weekend. The team placed first in the field in par-three scoring — the cumulative score shot on par-three holes — at four-over, and was third in the field with 119 pars in the tournament.

“If everyone minimizes the big mistake and comes away with a bogey instead of a triple (bogey), these close matches will end up working in our favor,” Mylott said.

Hughes expressed concern about major miscues on a few holes taking away from overall competitive performances.

“We were once again plagued by playing 14 great holes and a couple holes poorly,” he said.

“The biggest problem is big numbers in our short game,” Miller said, referring to putts and approach shots near the green.

Hughes said he viewed the weekend as a learning experience for his relatively young team.

“Every time we go out there, it’s a chance for them to learn,” Hughes said.

The team will use this weekend to fine-tune its game in a scrimmage before heading to Philadelphia Oct. 13 and 14 to participate in the Big 5 Classic.

Courtesy of David Silverman

Bruno returned from Yale Golf Course having placed at the bottom of the tournament. The young team’s next tournament is Oct. 13 in Philadelphia.

Cross Country

Women’s team shines at Lehigh

By James Blum Sports Staff WRiter

Annabel Ruddle / herald

Bruno men’s singles swept the top spot in a field of 15 at the Penn Invitational last weekend. SEE PAGE 1

The cross country teams ended competition at Lehigh University this weekend with mixed results — the women finished 8th in a field of 40 and the men 14th of 37. The Paul Short Invitational was the Bears’ first major meet of the season. Though the women placed three runners in the top 20, the men did not give “a representative performance of where we are at our fitness level or racing ability,” said Tim Springfield, men’s cross country head coach and interim director of track and field and cross country.

This was the first meet of the year for the women at which their top runners competed. The women’s “fitness is far superior to where it was a year ago,” said women’s Head Coach Mitchell Baker.

“The majority of athletes ran much faster” than at last year’s race, he added.

“It was a good first effort and I am excited by all of the things we can improve,” Baker said. “I thought we executed a much higher percentage of the race plans than we have in the past.”

Co-captain Olivia Mickle ’13 led the women and finished the 6-kilometer course 11th overall in 20:37.

Mickle, who set the school record in the 10,000-meter run in the spring, has continued to build off her success.

She is now a “different level athlete than she was in the spring,” Baker said.

“I haven’t had success with cross

country yet, so I felt more nervous than I’m used to, and I was glad to finish 11th,” Mickle said. “It gave me the confidence I think I need to perform well in later meets.”

The other two runners to finish in the top 20 were Margaret Connelly ’14 and Heidi Caldwell ’14 who finished in 20:54 and 20:57, respectively. Though the top three for Brown finished in quick succession, the last two scoring competitors were almost a minute behind Caldwell. One of the things that the women will work on during the next couple of weeks is “pack running”, Mickle said, which means closing the gaps between the team’s runners so that they run as a team.

“I think the next step is getting people physically and mentally able to stick together,” Baker said. “Especially the chase pack behind our top three, we’ll be looking to really try to get them to gel and run together the whole time.”

Explaining the men’s disappointing performance, Springfield placed the responsibility on his own shoulders. “I didn’t have the team as prepared as we needed to be,” he said.

One bright spot for the men was the performance of co-captain Conor Grogan ’13, the first of the Bears to finish the 8k course in 24:55 and 46th place overall. Springfield said Grogan raced well and did a good job “leading the way” for his teammates.

“It was a step forward for me in terms of where I’m at as a runner,” Grogan said. “We were looking to place a lot higher. It’s kind of a wakeup call this early in the season.”

About 330 runners competed in the men’s race at Paul Short. In such a large field, “it’s really important to get off the line aggressively,” Grogan said, because a passive start makes it difficult to pass other runners later in the race.

“As a team, we need to have a more aggressive mindset early in the race,” Grogan said. “In the future, we’ll put more of an emphasis on running as a group in the early stages of a race.”

Kevin Cooper ’13 and Colin Savage ’14 were the next two runners to finish for Brown, and recorded times of 25:12 and 25:36, respectively. Jeff Bush ’14 and Brendan Boyle ’14 rounded out Bruno’s five scoring competitors. The spread, or time difference between the first and fifth runners to finish, was 51 seconds.

Springfield has emphasized that he believes a small split is the key to success, pointing to this meet’s large spread as a “big mistake.” Despite this race, the men will “almost automatically get better” to avoid another similar performance, Springfield said.

Both teams will send runners to compete at the New England Championship next weekend. The runners who race there will not compete at the Adidas Invitational hosted by the University of Wisconsin the following weekend.

Both Grogan and Mickle characterized the Adidas Invitational as “extremely competitive,” since many of the best teams in the country will be present.

“We need to be aggressive and not be intimidated by some of the higherranked teams,” Mickle said.