Monday, March 18, 2013

Daily

THE BROWN

vol. cxlviii, no. 37

INSIDE

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Greek to me Panel discusses the presence of Greek life Page 3

Reel time

Independent theaters feel effects of technology change

Herald

since 1891

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Police searching for missing undergrad

By ELIZABETH KOH FEATURES EDITOR

The Department of Public Safety and the Providence Police Department are searching for an undergraduate student who has been missing since Friday evening.

Sunil Tripathi, a member of the class of 2013 currently not enrolled in the University, was last seen at his residence at 204 Angell Street around 7:30 p.m. Friday, Deputy Chief of Police for DPS Paul

Shanley wrote in an email to The Herald.

DPS and Providence Police were advised Sunday around 1 p.m. that Tripathi had gone missing, Shanley wrote. “We have been working with the Providence police in searching the area and assisting in any way we can to help locate Sunil Tripathi,” he wrote.

Tripathi, 22, was wearing “a black jacket, blue jeans and a Philadelphia Eagles cap,” according to an ABC6.com article posted Sunday evening. Tripathi

weighs 130 pounds and is 6 feet 2 inches tall. He was “possibly depressed and left home without any of his belongings,” according to ABC. Tripathi was “taking time off from Brown” and not attending classes at the time of his disappearance, said housemate Ryan Gladych ’13. Though Tripathi was rooming with Gladych and his housemates, he was independently subletting a room in the apartment and did not have close relationships with the

other residents in the house, Gladych said.

Tripathi’s housemates were informed of his disappearance Sunday when police arrived to investigate in the afternoon, Gladych said.

Gladych said he and his housemates were unaware of the missing person’s report, but added they were concerned for Tripathi’s safety.

“Our thoughts are completely with Sunil,” Gladych said.

Obama to nominate Perez for Labor Secretary slot

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Pencils down IFF’s contest features works from varied peer universities today

tomorrow

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If confirmed, Perez would be the first U. alum to take up a cabinet post since the Clinton administration

By MATHIAS HELLER UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

The White House announced President Obama will officially nominate Thomas Perez ’83 today to serve as U.S. Secretary of Labor, Politico reported Sunday night.

Perez, currently serving as the U.S.

assistant attorney general for civil rights, will become the first Brown alum to serve in a cabinet-level position since Richard Holbrooke ’62, a former Herald editorin-chief, was the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations during the Clinton administration, The Herald previously reported.

Perez’s nomination comes as no surprise, as multiple sources close to the selection process confirmed March 9 that Obama was likely to pick him. He must now be confirmed by the U.S. Senate to succeed incumbent Secretary Hilda Solis before serving in Obama’s second-term cabinet.

The White House highlighted Perez’s role in supporting veterans’ and students’ legal rights, prosecuting housing dis-

crimination and enforcing human trafficking laws as evidence that he would make a strong Labor Secretary, Politico reported.

Perez’s nomination marks the first time this term Obama has selected a Latino to join the cabinet.

Labor unions and civil rights activist groups have publicly voiced support for Perez’s nomination, and he is popular on the left wing of / / Perez page 4

Environmental studies program changes face protest Trustee’s Concentrators expressed concerns about new required courses in a forum Friday

By MICHAEL DUBIN STAFF WRITER

Students voiced sharp disagreement against proposed changes to the environmental studies concentration at a public forum Friday. Approximately 40 students and three of the 10 faculty members who served on the Committee to Review the Environmental Studies Concentration attended the forum, which was held at the Urban Environmental Laboratory to solicit student feedback on the changes.

The recommendations would reshape the concentration by establishing a new core of four required courses and creating four possible tracks, according to the report. If approved by the College Cur-

riculum Council, the changes would affect the class of 2017 and beyond.

The report’s proposed tracks are: land and coast, conservation science and policy, sustainable development and climate and energy. Students at the forum said their primary objection to the recommendations is the failure to include a food and health track, which would encompass topics like sustainable food and agriculture.

The recommendations will go before the College Curriculum Council’s Executive Committee Tuesday. If approved by the Executive Committee, the changes will then be voted on by the full CCC at a later time.

Food-related courses have been consistently enrolled to capacity, students said, adding that almost half of the Bachelor of Arts theses for environmental studies concentrators over the past three years have pertained to food and health topics. The students opposed to the / / Studies page 3 changes voiced

hedge fund settles with SEC SAC Capital Advisors faced a civil suit for one of five counts of alleged insider trading

By ELI OKUN UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

LYDIA YAMAGUCHI / HERALD

About 40 students attended the public forum, and those who opposed curricular changes voiced their opinions through a pre-written statement.

More than four humors: Campus comedy culture thrives As the U. comedy community grows and diversifies, more students are pursuing careers in comedy

By ANDREW SMYTH

culture at Brown.

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

For some folks on campus, cracking jokes is serious business.

Comedy groups run the gamut from sketch, improv and stand-up performers to humor blogs and print publications. Six of the groups are united under the mantle of the Brown Barrel, an umbrella organization formed last year to help facilitate collaboration and dialogue between groups.

Comedians identified overlapping membership, a shared sense of community and professional aspirations as distinguishing aspects of comedy

ARTS & CULTURE

Out of many, one The diversity of comedy groups and their high levels of activity on campus have established a tight-knit network of writers and performers. The performance groups include three improv troupes — Starla and Sons, Improvidence and Karin and the Improvs — a sketch comedy group, Out of Bounds, and Brown Stand Up Comics. Two humor publications, the Brown Noser, a satirical newspaper, and the Brown Jug, a humor magazine, dominate the written discourse. Every group except for Karin and the Improvs is a member organization of the Barrel.

The first annual Brown University Comedy Conference, organized by the

Barrel, will bring together groups from nine universities for performances, professional workshops and social exchange and will run April 5-7 in the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts.

“The comedy community has always been pretty rich,” said Will Ruehle ’13, president of Brown Stand Up Comics and co-coordinator of the conference. “But in the last few years since the advent of the Barrel … audiences are getting bigger, there’s more crossover membership between groups, and there’s more of a social scene for … comedy performers and fans.”

The Barrel was formed primarily to address logistical concerns, Ruehle said, but it has since encouraged dialogue and collaboration between groups at large.

“I have friends from all different parts of Brown, but I end up spending

a lot of time with my comedy friends because we’re always together,” said Noah Prestwich ’14, co-editor-in-chief of the Noser and member of Out of Bounds. “It’s a pretty tight group.”

“We have a good community, and we’re always trying to be more open,” said Samer Muallem ’13, editor for the Jug and a member of Brown Stand Up Comics. “There’s a real sense of supporting each other.”

The sheer number of students with professional aspirations influences the groups’ dynamics, members said.

“More people are interested in performing professional, more people are interning and more of our recent graduates are working in comedy right now,” Ruehle said.

The conference next month will be a chance for Brown to prove itself, organizers said. “I think that Brown is known to / / Comedy page 5

A Corporation trustee’s hedge fund made national news again this weekend with an agreement to pay out a total of $616 million in settlements with the federal government over two cases of alleged insider trading.

Traders connected to SAC Capital Advisors, founded and run by trustee Steven Cohen P’08 P’16, have faced five separate instances of alleged insider trading in the past few years. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil suit directly against the hedge fund for the first time in November. Cohen has not faced any direct charges, but national media outlets have portrayed the SEC as trying to tighten its web around Cohen — unsuccessfully thus far.

The larger settlement, at $602 million, will resolve the most recent case of alleged insider trading. Mathew Martoma, a portfolio manager who formerly worked for an SAC affiliate, was charged last year with acting on illegal expert information about new drug trials by buying and selling stocks in pharmaceutical companies just before the trial results were made public.

SAC also arranged for a $14 million settlement on charges that it had engaged in insider trading surrounding stocks in Dell and other technology companies.

Some said / / Fund page 5

2 university news C ALENDAR TODAY

MARCH 18

NOON

TOMORROW

MARCH 19

8 P.M.

When Robots Evolve, People Listen

Impossibility of Sexual Consent

Science Center

Gerad House 119

8 P.M.

8 P.M. Bar Night Trivia

Amnesty International Teach-In

The Underground

Wilson 301

MENU SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEY-WOOLLEY

LUNCH Hot Roast Beef on a Sesame Roll, Italian Chicken Parmesan, Sauteed Rosemary Zucchini, Frosted Brownies

Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich, Swiss Broccoli Pasta, Enchilada Bar, Vegan Spanish Lentils, Green Beans

DINNER Cider-Glazed Turkey, Macaroni and Cheese, Baked Sweet Potato, Roasted Beets, Chocolate Sundae Cake

Spinach Pie Casserole, Italian Couscous, Italian Meatballs with Sauce, Rotini, Buttermilk Corn Bread

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Greek life fights stereotypes with panel An MPC Friends event emphasized the positive aspects of the fraternity and sorority experiences

By JILLIAN LANNEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

“Our image on campus might be different than our self-perception,” said Simon de Jesus Rodrigues ’15 of Phi Kappa Psi at a panel on Greek Life and Social Inequalities, a Minority Peer Counselor Friends Unity Day event Friday afternoon. “I came into Brown with a lot of negative stereotypes about what fraternity life was like,” he added, but he said he has found these stereotypes to be inaccurate.

MPC Friends Meghan Koushik ’13, Sabine Williams ’15 and Rahil Rojiani ’13 organized the event, which included members of various fraternities and sororities on campus as well as Terry Addison, associate dean of student life. “There seems to be limited dialogue between members of the Greek community and members of the TWC community,” Williams said. The event aimed to facilitate open discussion about issues surrounding Greek presence on campus, she said.

The approximately 50-person audience mostly consisted of students personally involved in Greek life, and the conversation was often peppered with snaps or cheers from audience members in support of their brothers or sisters on the panel.

Throughout the hour and a half

discussion, the panelists, prompted questions from Williams and Koushik and audience members, discussed topics such as non-Greek student perception of Greek life and racial and economic diversity within individual fraternities or sororities.

Rodrigues said he believes many students have inaccurate perceptions of Greek life based on a single experience or interaction with a specific fraternity. Often, fraternities are collectively portrayed as hyper-masculine and misogynistic, he said.

Harrison Tross ’13, a Phi Kappa Psi member in the audience, agreed with Rodrigues, saying the association of fraternities with parties mischaracterizes a group of people with varied interests and academic drives.

“I got an email from a friend worried I was going to lose my identity,” said panelist Alejandro Acero Murillo ’15 about peers’ reactions to his decision to pledge a co-ed fraternity, Zeta Delta Xi. Many of the panelists had similar experiences with friends concerned that fraternities enforced conformity.

Sigma Chi member and Herald opinions columnist Zachary Ingber ’15 said his fraternity attempts to help its members grow both as individuals and as brothers. When people interact with brothers outside of the house, he said, they often realize that there is diversity and individuality within the fraternity. “Greek life contributes nicely to a Brown experience,” Ingber added.

Addison said Greek life at Brown is unique because of its inclusive na-

ture, which he attributed partially to the general independence and freethinking nature of the student body.

He added that though Greek communities are open to all interested pledges and want a diverse group of pledges, they face a problem attracting people of different backgrounds.

He also spoke about historical racial segregation in Greek life. Many nonwhite fraternities and sororities were started by those prohibited from joining all-white organizations. Though anyone can technically join, Addison said that people are often drawn to organizations that consist of members with whom they can already relate.

For example, Murillo said some students believe they must be queer to pledge Zeta Delta Xi, which has a reputation for welcoming members of Brown’s LGBTQ community.

The position of different Greek organizations on campus also varies widely, panelists said. Zohra Kalani ’14, president of Alpha Chi Omega, said sororities have a very different role on campus than fraternities.

“We’re limited in the ways we can reach out to the Brown community,” she said, referring to sororities’ inability to throw “Class F’s,” parties or events at which alcohol is sold and admittance is charged. These events are often the primary way that nonGreek students interact with Greek life at Brown, Rodrigues said.

The panelists spoke highly about the beneficial aspects of Greek life.

“I really appreciate the idea of brotherhood and sisterhood spanning through all parts of life,” Kalani said.

UCS Week sees low attendance Eatery food sampling and Meals with Paxson were among five events UCS held last week

By MAXINE JOSELOW SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The Undergraduate Council of Students sponsored five events to bolster awareness of student government projects during UCS Week. UCS officials attributed low attendance at events featuring administrators to students being busy with midterms.

Multiple students said either they knew about UCS Week but were too busy to attend or were not aware the week was happening.

The events kicked off Tuesday with a

food tasting in which students sampled “new and recently introduced” menu options from eateries around campus, said Afia Kwakwa ’13, chair of the Campus Life Committee. Co-sponsored by the Council’s Campus Life Committee, Dining Services and the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center, the event drew over 300 students to the Underground in Faunce House to try “naked burritos” from the Blue Room, Cajun apple cake from the Sharpe Refectory and other offerings.

Kwaka said students who provided their email addresses were sent a survey about their food preferences that Dining Services will consider, adding that the food event was “a nice way to get student feedback.”

David Emmanuel ’13 said he enjoyed the event. “It made me jealous I’m not on meal plan,” he said. But he added that he

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noticed a lack of healthy options.

The week’s main events featured speeches from campus administrators about the current and future plans of the University. President Christina Paxson spoke about need-blind admissions, strategic planning and the University’s current financial situation at the fourth annual State of Brown address Wednesday.

The event drew about 50 to 60 students.

State of Brown gave students an opportunity to become more “aware and engaged about what’s happening at the University,” said Elise Rivas ’16.

Russell Carey, executive vice president for planning and policy, discussed planning for the University’s 250th anniversary Thursday at an open forum sponsored by the Student Activities Committee and the Academic and Administrative Affairs Committee. Though the event was open to the student body, eight students attended, seven of whom were from UCS. UCS Week concluded with two smaller events — a free yoga class at Brown RISD Hillel Thursday night and a student breakfast with Paxson Friday morning.

About 20 students attended the basic yoga class, sponsored by the Admissions and Student Services Committee, wrote class teacher Shira Atkins ’13 in an email to The Herald.

Melanie Fineman ’14 said the yoga class was a “great opportunity” because it was free. “I’ve wanted to go to a beginner’s class for a while, but it costs money,” she said.

The 20 stu/ / UCS page 4

university news 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

/ / Studies page 1 their concerns via a drafted statement they wrote before the forum.

Students cited Yale’s environmental studies undergraduate program, which has concentrations in food and agriculture and human health, as a model for the track they would like to see the Center for Environmental Studies adopt.

Dov Sax, assistant professor of biology and a member of the review committee, said a food and health track was originally included in the report but was removed due to limited financial and human resources. The committee decided a food and health track would be unfeasible given how few faculty members specialize in this area, he said.

Students responded to Sax by asking why the report did not endorse recruiting the faculty necessary to support a food and health track. Amanda Lynch, professor of geological sciences and a review committee member, said hiring recommendations initially included in the report had to be taken out. Because the environmental studies program does not belong in a single department, the Center for Environmental Studies is not allowed to make hiring recommendations, she said.

Students also voiced opposition to the inclusion of ECON 0110: “Principles of Economics” as a newly required core course. The inclusion of ECON 0110 prioritizes economic analysis over other disciplines, students opposing the change said.

The proposed removal of ENVS 0110:

“Humans, Nature and the Environment: Addressing Environmental Change in the 21st Century” from the core of the concentration also drew criticism, as students described the course as vital to attracting concentrators.

Janet Blume, interim director of the Center for Environmental Studies and associate dean of the faculty, said Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron, who co-chaired the review committee and leads the University’s efforts to revamp concentrations, supported requiring environmental studies concentrators to take ECON 0110.

Sax said the committee included ECON 0110 as a newly required course because members agreed it was necessary for understanding all four proposed tracks of the concentration.

Blume, who also served as co-chair of the review committee, said she hopes a new environmental economics course will be developed in the future to replace ECON 0110 as a core requirement.

Though not required, ENVS 0110 would still be highly encouraged for concentrators, Blume said.

Students said the fast-paced timing of the proposed changes caught them off-guard, adding that there was no opportunity for the report to be altered in response to student feedback before the Executive Committee vote Tuesday.

If the report is presented to the committee without changes, “Everyone that spoke today is going to have been left out of the process,” said David Granberg ’13, one of two students who served on the review com/ / Studies page 5

Proposed Environmental Studies curriculum Required “core” courses (4): ▶▶ ECON 0110: “Principles of Economics” — “offers basic tools and concepts of economic analysis and its application to actual social problems” ▶▶ GEOL 0240: “Earth: Evolution of a Habitable Planet” — “introduces students to issues surrounding the climate, chemistry and physical composition of the Earth” ▶▶ New course: “Principles of the Living Environment” (tentative) — “would focus on ecology, conservation biology and biodiversity” ▶▶ New course: “Principles of the Social Environment” (tentative) — “would offer students perspectives from sociology, anthropology and political science”

Tracks (5 courses for A.B., 10 courses for Sc.B.): Climate and Energy: “Students pursuing this track will investigate the scientific causes of climate change, its potential effects on society and ecosystems and the political, economic and scientific attempts to curb the use of fossil fuels while adapting to a changing world.”

Conservation Science and Policy: “This track will allow students to investigate the range of factors affecting biological diversity, the implications of changes in the biosphere for human wellbeing and strategies that can be employed to adapt to or mitigate ongoing environmental change.”

Sustainable Development: “Students pursuing this track will develop a deeper understanding of the challenges experienced by those who seek equitable and sustainable improvements to their quality of life in both the developed and the developing world. The track considers tradeoffs and synergies between environmental change and improvements in human economic, physical and social wellbeing. It also covers both primary environmental problems and promising technological solutions, emphasizing the sociopolitical implications of each.”

Land and Coast: “This fourth option will provide a foundation for students to answer a range of questions about land change, water use and food production. Supplying adequate food and water equitably to human populations while preserving ecosystem functioning in a future altered climate is a fundamental challenge facing humanity in this century. Decisions about land use are made at the intersection of society and nature, reflecting and creating differences and inequalities within human societies.”

Additional requirements (5): Electives: “Three courses chosen either from ENVS offerings, the list of approved electives outside the concentration or the list of required courses from another track.”

Methods: ENVS 1920: “Analysis and Resolution of Environmental Problems” Capstone: Independent study or senior seminar — Report of the Committee to Review the Environmental Studies Concentration

Changeover in film technology spells end for age of analog

YONG JAE KIM / HERALD

Projectionists may find their jobs endangered by the switchover to digital projections already being pushed by film studios.

Theaters are being forced to invest in new equipment as 35mm technology becomes obsolete

By KATHERINE CUSUMANO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

At 24 frames and 18 inches per second, or 90 feet per minute, film negatives rush by at lightning speed, illuminated by the brilliance of burning carbon. A 75-yearold machine at the Avon Cinema still functions with the same projection technology it did when it was installed in February 1938.

But now theaters are being forced to go digital, said Peter DuBeil, a projectionist at the Avon.

The tide is overwhelmingly turning toward digital media, and by the

ARTS & CULTURE

end of 2013, most major production companies will complete the shift from 35mm film prints to the more advanced digital projection technology — a shift that has had resounding impact on independent cinemas around Providence.

The debate between analog and digital media has been a perennial conflict across the arts in areas such as music and photography, and the film industry is the most recent to confront the shift.

Silver screen becomes a machine Digital projections are far more cost-effective for film studios, said Daniel Kamil, owner of Cable Car

Cinema. It can cost between $2,500 and $3,500 for a company to “strike prints” on 35mm film, he added.

35mm prints also risk degradation. Every time they screen, the film is slightly damaged and quality worsens, said Richard Dulgarian, owner of the Avon. “(Digital film) is less subject to damage,” said Chris Mulligan, a projectionist at Cable Car Cinema.

For digital films, studios package movies on a hard drive with anti-piracy protections to be sent to theaters to screen, Dulgarian said.

With uniform, dedicated technology for film screenings, it is easier for everyone to play through the same medium industry-wide, Mulligan said.

“You kind of push a button and walk away,” DuBeil said.

Mulligan also described the “dark underbelly” of this transition — if a theater does not make the shift, it will inevitably go out of business.

Digital media also facilitates 3D projections, which sell more tickets, Mulligan said, emphasizing the greed he perceives in major film producers who care more about profit than the welfare of theaters.

A tale of two films In general, film studios own prints of their films, which they then license to theaters to screen, Kamil explained, adding that studios have vast archives of film reels. But because the transition from film to digital is expensive, the studios most likely will not transfer all of their film to the digital projection format.

“There’s a lot of films that are going to get lost,” he said.

It is difficult to judge the quality of the new projection, Mulligan said,

adding that it is a matter of taste — his own preference is film because it is “more soothing” due to a different light quality, which Kamil described as “soft” and “earthy.”

“If you like the look of it, that’s going away,” Dulgarian said of 35mm film, adding that the average viewer might not notice the difference.

But while certain aspects of film might be lost, the image and sound

clarity improve in digital screenings, Kamil said.

After viewing a demonstration of the new projection technology, Dulgarian said the picture is brighter with better resolution and focus.

“I was very impressed by how sharp it was, how vibrant the colors were,” he said.

Digital projections will also posi/ / Cinema page 4 tively affect

4 university news

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Professors compare cities across time zones, eras Academics hailing from universities around the world gathered to discuss global urbanism

By EMILY BONEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

“The problem of the present time is that the future is not what it used to be,” said Sonia Hirt, professor of urban planning at Virginia Tech, at a conference at the Watson Institute for International Studies Friday.

Professors of various disciplines from universities around the world gathered for “Comparing Cities — An International Conference on Comparative Urban Studies” to discuss issues ranging from segregation to sustainability to shopping habits, covering cities such as Sao Paulo, Paris and Mumbai, India.

The first group of speakers at the

/ / Cinema page 3 distribution range, Mulligan said, explaining that small studios without the funds to release 35mm prints are more likely to have the means to produce digital films for release.

Plot twist Major theater chains, such as the one Providence Place Cinema belongs to, receive subsidies from production companies to switch to digital film technologies. Approximately 80 percent of screens have made the transition with this funding, Kamil previously told The Herald.

Providence Place made the change in February, said Ryan, a Providence Place employee who could not provide his full name because he did not have permission from the corporate office.

The Avon will upgrade its equipment, including sound systems, within the next two months, Dulgarian said, adding that the project will cost an estimated $80,000 to $100,000 of his own money. The studios are the only ones that benefit financially from the transition, he said.

The Avon will keep its film projector in case of future opportunities to screen films — “It’s still a wonderful format,” Dulgarian said.

Cable Car has encountered a greater struggle in funding the transition. For the past month, the theater has undertaken an online fundraising campaign through Kickstarter to raise the necessary capital, approxi-

conference, which was co-sponsored by the Urban Studies department, outlined the focal point of the event by focusing on the importance of urban comparison today. Keynote speaker Jennifer Robinson, professor of human geography at University College London, opened the conference by discussing the challenges of global urbanism and the growth of cities worldwide.

Robinson said “the geography of urban theory,” which she described as the context in which theorizing takes place, is changing — studying cities individually is no longer as useful as the world becomes increasingly globalized, she said.

“Something needs to be done to mately $42,000. With two weeks remaining, the project is two-thirds complete.

Digital projectors do not require a projectionist, Dulgarian said. As a result, approximately half of his projectionists are leaving the theater, while the other half are taking up his offer to work at the theater in a different capacity.

“It will become a lost trade,” said DuBeil, who has been a projectionist for most of his life. With the advent of new technology, he is losing his job and the usefulness of an acquired skill.

Already semi-retired, DuBeil said Sunday may have marked his last day as a projectionist before switching to part-time work tearing tickets at the Avon.

Mulligan said he is still unsure how his job at the Cable Car will evolve with the advent of digital technology.

“I don’t expect it to be radically different or much more difficult,” he said, explaining that the job will be much less hands-on because there is no “behind-the-scenes building and breaking films.” At the Cable Car, 35mm reels require assembly from 20-minute segments that get taped together.

“It’s sort of cataclysmic,” Kamil previously told The Herald, adding that smaller theaters not making the transition will not be able to provide relevant programming.

“I’m nervous,” he said. “I don’t really have a plan B.”

change urban studies,” Robinson said.

“We do not have a complete theory of urbanity and never will, but there is a future that is open for us if we allow ourselves to transform our craft of theorizing.”

Jane Jacobs, professor of urban studies at Yale-NUS College, Singapore, followed with a presentation about using comparative research methods to create a general hypothesis about all cities. Jacobs advised students that studying cities individually or comparatively to make such a statement is very difficult and sometimes unsuccessful but nonetheless important. “Not everyone who looks at cities is interested in ... explaining what they see,” Jacobs said, adding that observation is just as critical as analysis.

Comparisons made at the conference crossed not only time zones but also

EMILY GILBERT / HERALD

and explored the idea of spatial segregation, or how the geographic layout of cities can reinforce existing cleavages.

Hirt teamed up with Virag Molnar, assistant professor of sociology at Eugene Lang College The New School for Liberal Arts to lead a section about postsocialist cities. They compared private and public housing in Budapest, Hungary and Berlin, discussing how cities evolve differently after being ruled by facist governments.

Sharon Zukin, professor of sociology at Brooklyn College and CUNY, used the lens of shopping to understand urban life. “Local shopping streets are important to me ... because when we talk about change in cities, we often see that change first on shopping streets,” Zukin said. “We see the change in the faces of the shops.”

IFF competition solicits screenplays Competitors were given prompts with specific props, lines and locations to use in their screenplays

By MARIA BUGANE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As a precursor to the Ivy Film Festival next month, the student group hosted its second annual seven-day screenplay competition for graduates and undergraduates of Brown and other universities.

The competitors wrote and submitted screenplays March 11 to March 17 in response to a prompt that included elements the writers were required to incorporate in their scripts. The first-place winner will take home an all-access pass to the 2013 IFF and a $150 cash prize as a reward for producing a high-quality

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/ / Perez page 1 the political spectrum for leading the U.S. Justice Department’s challenge to voter identification laws in South Carolina and Texas, The Herald previously reported. Opponents of the states’ ID laws charged they discriminated against racial minorities.

But Perez could face a challenge in winning confirmation in the Senate —

/ / UCS page 2

During UCS week the 20 students who attended Meals with Paxson dined with the president to discuss topics including Divest Coal and minors.

time periods. Sukriti Issar GS, a doctoral candidate in Brown’s department of sociology, delved into the changes — or lack thereof — in poverty structures within India from 1880 to 2010. Issar emphasized the importance of comparing cities across time periods.

Edmond Preteceille, senior researcher emeritus at the Observatoire Sociologique du Changement, and Setha Low, professor of environmental psychology, geography, anthropology and women’s studies and director of the Public Space Working Group at the Graduate Center at City University of New York, both made comparisons about segregation between different parts of the world.

Preteceille studied Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, looking for differences and commonalities between the cities.

Low took a more theoretical approach

dents selected by raffle to attend Meals with Paxson asked the president about minors, the Divest Coal campaign, new buildings, pre-professionalism and balancing different departments, said Fineman, who also attended the breakfast.

“It’s great that Paxson wanted to be honest and open with students,” she said.

“It seemed like she really wanted to be there.”

Though UCS Week engaged many students, some events suffered from poor attendance.

“Talks with administrators are helpful if you’re interested in going,” said Kyra Mungia ’13, chair of the UCS Communications Committee. “But you have to be interested in the first place,” she said. “The yoga and the food draw more people in because they can engage and do something fun.”

“When you get into mid-March, there are so many things pulling students

story and most successfully integrating the required elements into the script.

The winner’s script will also place as an automatic finalist in the IFF’s annual screenplay competition in one of the short-form categories. There is also a second place prize of $50.

The prompt required participants to incorporate a location, character role, line of dialogue, narrative device and two props from enumerated lists.

The list of props included a spatula, lava lamp, beeper, wizard’s hat, Capri Sun pouch and cheese grater, while the list of locations featured a nail salon, a high school gym, airport security, a Department of Motor Vehicles office and a petting zoo. The list of lines of dialogue featured expressions such as “Stop clenching — you’ll make it worse!”

The scripts were limited to 20 pages excluding a cover page.

“The prompt hasn’t changed much from last year,” said Samuel Torres ’15, co-coordinator of the IFF’s screenplay

committee. The only change is that competitors must choose two props instead of one, he added.

The seven-day competition is judged by the 14 members of the screenplay committee, including Torres and co-coordinator Rachel Borders ’13, a BlogDailyHerald contributor. Each staff member judges every screenplay on a rubric that is then turned in to the co-coordinators, and the scores for each screenplay are averaged. The members then converge to deliberate and choose the winner.

“I like getting to read what students from around the country are writing and talk about (the scripts) with others,” said Leah Michaels ’13, who has worked on the IFF for two years. “I think it has helped me as a writer and as a viewer of movies.”

Torres said the competition aims to involve students who do not have much experience with screenwriting. “It’s actually really fun. Some of the prompts are meant to be silly,” he added.

Republican senators have criticized him for his leadership of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, The Herald previously reported.

His Republican critics have pointed to an inspector general’s report released March 12 that stated Perez gave misleading testimony about whether Justice Department political appointees were involved in the decision not to continue with a lawsuit in a 2010 case investigating

possible voter intimidation in Philadelphia, Politico reported. Perez will likely face questions about this incident in his confirmation hearing.

Perez, who concentrated in international relations and political science at the University before receiving a law degree from Harvard, received the Brown Alumni Association’s William Rogers Award in 2010 for outstanding public service, The Herald previously reported.

in different ways,” said UCS President Anthony White ’13, citing exams and papers as examples.

Connie Emerson ’14 said she purposely did not read White’s campuswide email about UCS Week, because she knew she would be too busy with midterms to attend any of the events.

“There’s just a lack of time,” said David Correa ’15, who did not attend any of the events.

Arjun Mehra Kukreja ’15 said he wished he had attended State of Brown because he cares about need-blind admission for international students, given his own background as a student from India.

“But I pulled two all-nighters this week, so I couldn’t really have gone,” he said.

Looking ahead, White said he has spoken with the Office of the President about moving UCS week to February next year to maximize attendance.

university news 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Undergrads consider impact of Chavez’ death The former president’s death has prompted discussion of his legacy and the coming elections

By SONIA PHENE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Since former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez’s death March 5, the country has been preparing for elections April 14 to elect a new leader after Chavez’s 14-year rule. The election will present opportunities for change in U.S.-Venezuelan relations, and some Venezuelan students and scholars said these broader political changes could also affect Venezuelan students at Brown.

Venezuela at Brown One possible impact could be an increase in Venezuelan international interest in attending Brown, said Maria Victoria Moreno ’16, a student from Venezuela. More people might want to leave the country, and one way they could pursue that is through higher education in the United States, she said.

Some Venezuelan students said Chavez’s death will not affect who comes to Brown as much as it will affect the prospects for Venezuelan students at Brown after graduation.

“The people who come to study in the (United States) have always been part of a more privileged class,” said Rafael Contreras ’15, a student from Venezuela. “People who can apply to Brown and afford it will continue to do so,” he said, adding that Chavez’s death might lead students to think there are more opportunities back home in Venezuela.

“I didn’t see myself working with the (Venezuelan) government because of ideological differences. Now, I might consider it,” he said.

‘The only president you know’ Many Venezuelan students said they were personally affected by Chavez’s death.

Contreras said he was both sad at the prospect of someone dying and happy because the former president’s death will allow the country to move forward. Before, the country was “paralyzed” trying to determine what to do with a president sick from cancer, Contreras said.

/ /Studies page 3 mittee.

Katie Parker ’14, an environmental studies concentrator, said she felt the review committee did not properly solicit input from students. The committee created a written form to encourage student responses, but Parker said she did not think those responses were incorporated in the report.

/ / Fund page 1 the news indicated that the SEC had been unable to ensnare Cohen in direct charges. Traders who have been previously charged have refused to cooperate with investigations against Cohen. The settlements were “a de facto admission from the SEC that it’s throwing in the towel on its investigation into

Despite his health struggles, Chavez’s death still felt sudden and surprising, Moreno said, adding that this is not “something you can be prepared for.”

The length of Chavez’s rule also added to their surprise in accepting the situation, Moreno and Contreras said. “(Chavez) was the person that I knew for most of my life. Imagine having Obama as the only president you know and (the) only political figure you have seen in power,” Contreras said.

There is also the possibility that Chavez will become a sort of “popular cult figure,” said Guy Edwards, research fellow at the Center for Environmental Studies and co-founder of a climate change website targeted toward Latin American countries.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if you could buy a Hugo Chavez t-shirt in the next 10 years despite the good or bad things he might have done,” he said.

The change in the Venezuelan government is also an opportunity for the country to reevaluate its position on climate change, Edwards said.

“Venezuela is in a position to do a lot more itself on climate change at the national level,” Edwards said.

An uncertain future President Obama issued a statement offering the federal government’s “support for the Venezuelan people and its interest in developing a constructive relationship with the Venezuelan government,” according to a March 5 White House press release. The April 14 elections in Venezuela could allow the United States and Venezuela to repair a currently weak relationship, wrote Mark Sullivan in a report for the Congressional Research Service. “(Chavez’s) administration and socialist agenda has been vehemently anti-U.S. from the outset,” Edwards said, adding that despite this tension, there is a history of trade between Venezuela and the United States.

The future depends on the outcome of the upcoming elections, Sullivan wrote in the report.

Contreras said Chavez’s 14 years in power leaves him wondering what the policies of Venezuela’s next president will be. “There’s a lot of concern of how this will affect the country long term.

Is someone going to come and fix our problems?”

Blume told The Herald after the forum she thought the implication that student input was ignored is inaccurate.

She noted that she took the initiative of organizing the forum specifically to hear student responses and set up the online feedback form, adding that only three students filled it out.

“We really want to serve students,” Blume wrote in an email to The Herald.

“That’s what it’s all about. That’s why we are here.”

Cohen,” lawyer Andrew Stoltmann told Fortune magazine.

Martoma denied any wrongdoing, and his lawyers continued to stress his innocence this weekend. “SAC’s business decision to settle with the SEC in no way changes the fact that Mathew Martoma is an innocent man,” one of Martoma’s lawyers told the New York Times’ DealBook.

/ / Comedy page 1 have this ... well-established comedy scene, and our comedy conference in the spring is going to help solidify that,” said Jenny Gorelick ’14, a member of Improvidence, Brown and RISD’s oldest improv troupe.

The common practice of switching between writing and performing engages two different skill sets, said Drew Dickerson ’14, editor for the Jug and writer for the Noser. “I feel more pre-professional in my writing than I do in my performance because I’m building a packet that’s very permanent as opposed to my improv, which is a little more plastic,” he added.

“Because there are so many groups, there’s never a lull. There’s always something to go to,” said Evan Finkle ’14.5, founder of Brown Open Jam. Long-form, short-form Improv comedy in particular has gained considerable national attention in the last decade, owing to the success of comedians like Tina Fey, Amy Poehler and Bill Murray, who were trained at The Second City improv theater in Chicago. Though each of Brown’s three improv troupes practices different iterations of long-form and short-form improv methods, they all engage with comedic impulses to play with funny circumstances in spontaneous spaces. Short-form improv is a series of brief, unrelated scenes sometimes involving wordplay or games, while long-form tends to be longer and involves more complex characters and narratives.

“It’s scene work and building a sustainable world,” said Tess Plant-Thomas ’13, a member of Starla and Sons, which performs long-form improv. “There are six members, and we all work together to create a cohesive environment.”

“Our theory is that anyone can learn improv and learn to be good at it — anyone who’s passionate about it,”

said Sarah Lewin ’13, co-head of Karin and the Improvs, a long-form group that does not hold auditions for new members. “If you were to come to our rehearsals, I don’t think you would find the other groups more serious.”

“We’ve always been a short-form and a long-form group, but I think the history of Starla is a bunch of members in Improvidence broke off from the group and formed Starla because they wanted to do more long-form,” Gorelick said.

A new, more informal group, Brown Open Jam, was started by Finkle as a space for relaxed collaboration between established groups and newcomers.

“Once a week, we come together and we do improv,” Finkle said. “Anyone can come and play. We try to make it an open space … for all experience levels.”

Engaging female voices Though many believe Brown has a reputation for openness to gender equality, some members of the comedy community said the issue of women’s participation in comedy still affects groups on campus. Members described a mistaken belief that women aren’t funny affecting interest in applying to or auditioning for comedy groups.

In that vein, The RIB, an all-female comedy blog, seeks to create a space for women to write comedy.

“Even though Brown is such a warm, welcoming community, we feel the pressures outside,” said Rachel Borders ’13, co-editor-in-chief and co-founder of The RIB and a BlogDailyHerald contributor.

“It was really intimidating to break into these comedic groups that were already settled on campus,” said Maria Acabado ’13, the other co-founder and co-editor-in-chief of The RIB and a Herald sports staff writer. “We’d go to auditions, and there’d be a room full of boys.”

“We just found that for us The RIB would be a place where females who were funny could just get together and

not have that intimidation factor, not have anything to worry about and just create a safe space where we can have an open dialogue about things that make us laugh,” Acabado said.

“I’ve been the only girl on (Starla) for two years,” Plant-Thomas said. “It’s definitely been a frustration for me, just because I don’t know why there aren’t more.”

Female authorship in comedy should be a non-issue, Acabado said.

“Between Amy (Poehler), Tina (Fey), Maya Rudolph and Aubrey Plaza, people should know that girls are hilarious. If you think it’s an issue, then you aren’t familiar with any of their work,” she said.

For men involved in Brown’s comedy scene, the task of drawing more women into comedy groups is an ongoing challenge.

“We need more women in these comedy groups,” Prestwich said.

“I always think that women bring something different to comedy that I really appreciate. It’s just a different approach.”

“That question sort of plagues comedy at all levels,” Dickerson said. “We want the ladies. We really want them.

But we just can’t get them.”

Why comedy?

When taken seriously, there is an opportunity for drawing deeper meaning from joke-making, comedians said.

“Comedy is a social corrective, among other things,” Ruehle said.

“The humor in it is recognizing that this thing that we normally accept is actually kind of absurd. So it’s sort of teaching. It shows us how we are as people. It’s like holding a mirror up to a society and saying, ‘Isn’t this silly what we do?’”

Others are in it for the entertainment.

“It’s a lot of fun to just run around and make things up as you go,” Gorelick said. “It’s scary, but it’s also extremely thrilling when you get it right.”

Woman hit by vehicle at Waterman, Thayer The victim was able to walk to the ambulance after the accident, an eyewitness said

By ELIZABETH KOH FEATURES EDITOR

An unidentified woman walking with a Brown student was struck by a vehicle at the intersection of Thayer and Waterman streets around 8 p.m. Friday.

Department of Public Safety officers arrived at the scene within “three to five minutes,” said Natasha Nguyen ’15, who witnessed the accident. The Providence Fire Department arrived with an ambulance shortly after and transported the woman from the scene, Nguyen said.

The woman was walking south on Thayer Street and was crossing Waterman Street when she was hit, said Cynthia Susai ’15, who witnessed the accident from the other side of Thayer and called DPS. The collision occurred when the vehicle turned left onto Waterman Street as the light changed to green, she said.

“The driver stopped right away,” Susai said. “(The driver) didn’t even run into her full force because she realized she was there and then stopped.”

The woman “fell backward and hit her head,” Susai said.

When struck, the woman was walking with a man who later identified himself to police as a Brown student, Susai said. The man was not injured “even though they were (walking) hand in hand,” she added.

After the woman was hit, the student

COMIC A & B| MJ Esquivel

walking with her “came over and tried to get her up,” Susai said. “They were on the sidewalk waiting when I called (DPS).” The driver of the vehicle asked if the woman was all right, “but she couldn’t understand them because (the man and the woman) were both speaking Chinese,” Susai said.

Police cars first blocked off traffic, and a fire truck arrived at the intersection and transported the woman and man from the scene, Susai said.

The woman “managed to walk to the ambulance by herself ” after being hit, Nguyen said. “I think she’s okay.”

DPS declined to comment. The Providence Police Department directed questions to the Investigative Division, which had not responded to calls at the time of publication.

6 editorial Fulfilling institutional responsibility The California State Senate introduced a bill last Wednesday that would force its state institutions to give credit for online courses from outside the universities.

This legislation is attempting to fix a chronic flaw of the University of California system, where courses are over-enrolled and students are sometimes unable to graduate in four years due to overcrowding. The legislature is correct to focus on this issue, since ensuring that its students can graduate in a four-year period should be one of the highest and most basic of institutional priorities. But online education is a rapidly changing field, and the proposed solution is misguided and represents an attack on the academic freedom of the institutions. Instead of forcing the universities to lower their standards by offering credit for outside online courses, the legislature should work with them to ensure they have the funding necessary to carry out their basic institutional responsibilities.

Only 16 percent of students in the 420,000-student California State University system graduate in four years, according to California Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, author of the bill. And as the New York Times reported last week, hundreds of thousands of those students face the inability to register for general education and major requirement classes.

In addition, each of the California’s 112 community colleges had an average of 7,000 students on waitlists for necessary courses. Many students across the state are forced to spend several additional semesters, sometimes years, earning credits to graduate.

No student should be forced to delay graduation, which often incurs additional debt, due to a university’s inability to provide access to necessary classes.

But the proposed solution — forcing institutions to accept approved online courses for credit — is premature and problematic. Online courses should be given years to evolve and be tested before any change in California should occur.

There is still significant debate over whether an online course can fully replace the classroom experience. While this debate continues, several years of testing should precede any institutional change. The proposed legislation would utilize a panel of nine professors to initially choose 50 introductory online courses to receive credit. This proposal is wholly inadequate — any decision on specific courses should be made with significantly more input and representation. It is far too early in the evolution of online courses for any university to be forced to accept them for credit.

The proposal was brought about because “budget cuts have sucked public higher education dry of resources” and the changes were just the state legislature “saying we should give away the job of educating our students,” Lillian Taiz, president of the California Faculty Association, an organization that represents faculty of the California State University system, told the New York Times. We believe that if done hastily and without proper consideration, the Senate proposal could fundamentally devalue a California degree. This proposal should be a wake-up call for the entire California system and higher education in general. The financial burden of taking extra time to finish a degree cannot be fully shouldered by the chronically underfunded state system. The legislature is right to be concerned with California’s four-year graduation rate, but it should commit additional funding to provide for necessary required and introductory courses and work with university administrators to address the problem. Only with cooperation and mutual sacrifice on both the institutional and legislative levels can the California system redirect its focus to where it belongs: its students.

EDITORIAL CARTOON b y A a n c h a l S a r a f

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EDITORIAL

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

CL ARIFIC ATION Due to changes made in the editing process, an article in Friday’s Herald (“Amidst test anxiety, some profs turn to alternatives,” March 15) stated that Liza Gibbs ’16 experienced “crippling test anxiety.” Gibbs has experienced feelings of panic during at least one testing situation.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editor, Dan Jeon, and its members, Mintaka Angell, Samuel Choi, Nicholas Morley and Rachel Occhiogrosso. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

t h e b row n da i ly h e r a l d Editors-in-Chief Lucy Feldman Shefali Luthra

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EDITORIAL Greg Jordan-Detamore Strategic Director Sections Hannah Abelow Arts & Culture Editor Maddie Berg Arts & Culture Editor Sona Mkrttchian City & State Editor Adam Toobin City & State Editor Elizabeth Koh Features Editor Alison Silver Features Editor Sahil Luthra Science & Research Editor Kate Nussenbaum Science & Research Editor James Blum Sports Editor Connor Grealy Sports Editor Mathias Heller University News Editor Alexandra Macfarlane University News Editor Eli Okun University News Editor Dan Jeon Editorial Page Editor Matt Brundage Opinions Editor Lucas Husted Opinions Editor Maggie Tennis Opinions Editor Multimedia Emily Gilbert Head Photo Editor Sam Kase Photo Editor Sydney Mondry Photo Editor Tom Sullivan Photo Editor Danny Garfield Video Editor Angelia Wang Illustrations Editor Production Copy Desk Chief Sara Palasits Design Editor Brisa Bodell Design Editor Einat Brenner Design Editor Kyle McNamara Assistant Design Editor Sandra Yan Web Producer Joseph Stein Assistant Web Producer Neal Poole

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QUOTE OF THE DAY

“Imagine having Obama as the only president you know and (the) only political figure you have seen in

”

power.

— Rafael Contreras ‘15 See venezuela on page 5.

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opinions 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

Minimum wage column flunks on all counts BRADLEY SILVERMAN Guest Columnist Oliver Hudson ’14 recently argued that raising the minimum wage will increase unemployment (“The $9.00 minimum wage: A policy to increase unemployment,” March 7).

His claim is empirically unfounded. A 1994 paper by Princeton economists David Card and Alan Krueger found no employment impact of an increase in the New Jersey minimum wage. The study used a cross-sectional method to compare changes in employment outcomes between New Jersey and eastern Pennsylvania, which have similar seasonal patterns of employment. Using information gathered from employers before and after the increase, the authors found no statistically significant change in employment.

Card published two other minimum wage studies in 1992. One used regional variations in wages to measure the impact of an increase in the federal minimum wage.

The other compared employment changes in California, which increased its minimum wage in 1987, with outcomes in similar states that did not increase their wages. Both found raising the minimum wage transfers wealth from employers to workers, but has no effects on overall employment rates. Numerous studies since 1992 have shown similar results. One 1994 paper that replicated the Card and Krueger study using administrative data rather than survey responses did find a negative relationship between employment and the minimum wage. But it drops

certain data included in the original paper.

When these are restored, no employment impact is found.

Hudson candidly acknowledges the Card and Krueger study, although he incorrectly states that it found a positive relationship between employment and the minimum wage — the correlation wasn’t statistically significant. Many studies showing an adverse impact on employment use flawed time-series analyses examining all cross-state variations in minimum wages to estimate employment effects. Perhaps Hudson understands this approach fails to account for numerous unobserved variables that can yield false conclusions. Moreover, when updated with more

than private information is an information cascade. When these occur, crowds are likely to make incorrect decisions. Furthermore, there is significant evidence of a publication bias in favor of studies showing a significant negative link between employment and the minimum wage.

More disturbingly, Hudson asserts that “empirical studies do not provide enough evidence to reject the theoretical model.” Hudson’s conception of scientific inquiry is backwards. Theories are only credible to the degree that they accurately explain real-world phenomena. Until supported by empirical evidence, theory by itself lacks explanative authority. The dominant explanation for

Hudson’s opposition to increasing the minimum wage is itself religious dogma, not scientific belief. recent data, the negative link between employment and the minimum wage often disappears. Hudson cites no evidence to support his premise, only that which debunks it.

His is the rare column that refutes itself.

Hudson also notes that “the economics profession leans strongly toward endorsing the textbook view that a minimum wage increases unemployment.” This in and of itself is neither revelatory nor interesting. Diverse groups possess superior wisdom to individuals when they benefit from the aggregated contributions of each member’s unique knowledge. But crowd wisdom requires that discrete opinions be unique and independent. Many economists base their opinions not on firsthand research or independent observations but on signals from others — i.e., conventional wisdom. The result of individuals basing opinions on others’ views rather

the cholera epidemic in Europe in the early 1800s wasn’t germs or infection but the “miasmas” theory that illness is caused by tiny airborne poison particles. Theories can be conjured to support anything. This doesn’t make them true.

The neoclassical theory of supply and demand rests on three assumptions: perfectly competitive input markets, perfectly competitive output markets and diminishing marginal utility of labor and capital. If any of these assumptions are violated, the model is invalidated. In real life, all three are suspect.

There is a theory that explains how increasing the minimum wage can have no effect on, or increase, employment. The monopsony model, an alternative to neoclassical theory, disregards the unrealistic assumption of perfectly competitive labor markets.

It holds that employers are price-setters,

meaning they have market power in determining wage levels. Employers set workers’ wages rather than accepting wages given by the market. This means they cannot hire as many workers as they want at the prevailing wage, as neoclassical theory assumes. If they want to hire more, they must raise wages. Because raising wages entails paying more to all existing workers as well, the marginal cost of labor exceeds labor supply, allowing employers to maximize profits by paying workers less than the “equilibrium” intersection of marginal cost and marginal revenue, accruing rents.

When a minimum wage is set, however, the marginal cost and labor supply curves partially converge, which can cause profitmaximizing employers to both raise wages and hire more workers. So long as the increase is small, raising the minimum wage constitutes a pure wealth transfer from employers to workers, reducing deadweight loss and increasing efficiency.

Karl Popper wrote that “the scientific status of a theory is its falsifiability.” When a theory persists despite its failure to withstand empirical scrutiny, adherence is based in ideology, not fact. Writing on religion, Richard Dawkins criticized the attitude that the “book is true, and if evidence seems to contradict it, it is the evidence that must be thrown out, not the book.” Hudson’s opposition to increasing the minimum wage is itself religious dogma, not scientific belief.

Bradley Silverman ’13 is a concentrator in economics, public policy and political science. He can be reached at bradley_silverman@brown.edu.

Have a voice and use it ELIZABETH FUERBACHER Opinions Columnist This week, Facebook’s Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg released her book, “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.” Geared toward a female audience, Sandberg’s first literary work encourages women, particularly those of the professional set, to cultivate their ambitions and behave more assertively when pursuing their goals.

Though some discount her understanding of the average woman’s obstacles due to her educational and professional pedigree — she is a top-performing alum of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, and worked for The World Bank, McKinsey and Company and Google before Facebook — Sandberg’s words should be carefully considered . This debate and fearlessness of showcasing ambition should enjoy a larger scope that reaches the classroom context. Too often do people characterize “intensity” negatively or feel intimidated by those who participate frequently. We need to stop associating boldness with precociousness and inspire people to think big.

I am sure that at some point we have all thought of the student who constantly pitches in during class discussions, “Does this person just like to hear himself or herself talk?”

And in many cases, peers think their workaholic friends are insane or overly ambitious for their ages. The guy who has wanted to be a doctor or the girl who has wanted to serve

on Capitol Hill since eighth grade seems too myopic, too pre-professional for his or her own good. People like this are often told to relax, slow down and smell the roses.

While taking time to reflect and avoiding a nervous breakdown are important, these sorts of admonitions tend to bear connotations that discourage the intense focus and acute attitudes that have characterized history’s most illustrious figures. People who are passionate about their interests — whether they be academic, athletic, artistic or commercial — want to dedicate inordinate amounts of energy toward these pursuits, and this drive should not be abated. I often

O’Connor was one of only three females attending Stanford Law School during her time there, and irrespective of her impressive academic record, she was rejected from most law firms upon graduation. Despite these roadblocks, she never took “no” for an answer and in 1972 was elected America’s first female majority leader of a state legislature.

As we know, she would earn a similar pioneering badge eight years later by becoming the country’s first woman to sit on the Supreme Court. The point is that patently determined people who make their presence known should not be cast off as obnoxious, idealistic or attention-hungry. Perhaps these

We should all grow our determination and never feel ashamed to communicate steadfast conviction when interacting with peers, raising our hands in the classroom or assuming leadership roles on campus. wonder if those advocating a more balanced approach to life consider the fact that their workaholic comrades likely thrive on such rapid paces and might feel unchallenged if they did not tackle things with zealous vigor.

Larry Ellison and Sandra Day O’Connor are prime examples of gutsy, spirited personalities who made revolutionary strides in their fields. Ellison, founder of Oracle Corporation, is known for his brash demeanor and rogue business moves. Is he the most agreeable person and does he hesitate to speak his mind for fear of hogging the spotlight? Most certainly not. Did he worry about antagonizing others when hustling his software products to customers and squaring off against competitors? Hardly.

elements partially reflect their personalities, but we should not try to reign in their passions. Instead, we should celebrate these traits and try to emulate them because they usually define the qualitative facets of extraordinarily successful people.

How does this relate to the classroom and to college experiences? Whether a student of art, science, economics, politics or engineering, one should not be told to weaken his or her intensity or dedication. A lot of people propose a more balanced approach to school years because we only live them once and should not spend them just planning our careers. Even if intended to be a perfectly innocuous, well-meaning recommendation, this can lead people to believe that incred-

ible tenacity and laser-sharp focus are not totally laudatory and can potentially segregate one from his or her peers. Students in grade school, high school and college should be encouraged to think boldly, voice their opinions and make their presence known in group settings. Furthermore, they should know that distinguishing themselves by virtue of their strong interests in particular pursuits are welcomed rather than sedated. Engendering a paradigm shift toward motivating genuine competition with oneself and one’s peers and continually looking forward to attaining the next objective is a healthy trend to establish.

Celebrating individualism is an essential ingredient to cultivating people’s talents effectively, and “leaning in,” as Sheryl Sandberg suggests, is advice that transcends gender, race, age, concentrations and careers.

We should all grow our determination and never feel ashamed to communicate steadfast conviction when interacting with peers, raising our hands in the classroom or assuming leadership roles on campus. The adverb “overly” should never be attached to the adjective “ambitious” because that tempers drive and attitude — placing limits on ambition constrains our imaginations and then stifles personal and societal growth. As Donald Trump says, “If you’re going to be thinking anyway, you might as well think big.”

Elizabeth Fuerbacher ’14 isn’t ashamed to idolize the brazen industrialists who transformed America at the turn of the century.

She can be reached at elizabeth_fuerbacher@Brown.edu.

daily herald sports monday THE BROWN

MONDAY, MARCH 18, 2013

M. ICE HOCKEY Brown 3 RPI 1

SCOREBOARD

Brown 3 RPI 2

RPI 6 Brown 2

W. TENNIS

W. LACROSSE

W. WATER POLO

Va. Commonwealth 5 Brown 2

Brown 16 Quinnipiac 7

Brown 19 Conn. College 10

NC State 4 Brown 3

Brown 11 Harvard 9

M. LACROSSE

Hartwick 21 Brown 8

M. LACROSSE

Bears catch Crimson in fourth quarter comeback The squad earned its fourth-straight win before a coming road trip to North Carolina

By SAM WICKHAM SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The men’s lacrosse team opened Ivy League play with a come-from-behind win Saturday, beating Harvard 11-9 under the lights at Stevenson Field. The Bears (4-1, 1-0 Ivy) got off to a slow start against the Crimson (2-3, 0-1), but lock-down goaltending by Jack Kelly ’16 and a team-wide offensive effort helped Bruno surmount the early deficit. The win is Bruno’s fourth in a row.

“Our resilience comes from that warrior mentality — never, ever give up,” said Head Coach Lars Tiffany ’90.

“That’s what I’m proud about in terms of our team.”

Though the Bears got on the scoreboard first thanks to an unassisted goal from Tim Jacob ’15, the Crimson had the momentum early in the game. Four straight goals from Harvard put the Bears down 4-1 at the start of the second quarter. Bruno’s offense came alive when Alex Jones ’13 snapped the Crimson’s scoring run by putting home a feed from Henry Blynn ’16. The Crimson found the net a minute later to bring the score to 5-2, but the Bears responded with three straight goals to tie the game at 5-5 with eight minutes remaining in the quarter. A small run from Harvard put them up 7-5 going into the third.

Bruno struggled with face-offs all night, winning five to the Crimson’s 19. The Bears were also slower to pick up ground balls, grabbing 25 to Harvard’s 34.

“To be down 14 possessions to the opponent puts so much more stress

EMILY GILBERT / HERALD

Kylor Bellistri ’16 scored a man-up goal in the fourth quarter to match the Crimson at a score of 9-9 after struggling to catch up to Harvard in the first three quarters of Saturday’s game.

on the rest of the phases of the game,” Tiffany said. “That meant we had to be really sharp in those other phases.

Fortunately, we played well in the goal, had good team defense … we stepped up in other areas.”

The sides battled for possession for the majority of the third quarter, with most of the scoring coming in the final three minutes. Nick Piroli ’15 scored his second goal of the game to bring the Bears level at 7-7 with 2:41 remaining.

But Harvard again answered with two of their own tallies in the final minute to take a 9-7 advantage heading into the last quarter.

“We try to earn (our resiliency) in practice,” Tiffany said. “We have ‘Big Mondays’ with very, very intense practices … running up Meeting Street hill — all the lifting. Everything we do is about developing that warrior mentality.”

Bruno’s will to win proved too much for the Crimson in the fourth. The Bears again found a way to level the score, this time on a man-up goal from Kylor Bellistri ’16 to even the sides at 9-9. The breakthrough came just three minutes later after George Sherman ’13 put away an unassisted effort to give the Bears the lead for the first time since the opening minutes. A final strike from Blynn with 1:44 sealed the win for Bruno.

The squad will travel to North Carolina to face High Point University (2-6) Sunday and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (3-3) the following Wednesday.

“This next week is always a busy week for academics … so we certainly have a lot on our plate off the field,” Tiffany said. “But on the field, we won’t do anything different. We’re going to beat the heck out of each other at Monday’s practice and keep sharpening the sword.”

March Madness turns charitable with donations to CCChampions Proceeds will benefit CCChampions, an organization that pairs sick children and professional athletes

By ALEXANDRA CONWAY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When March Madness hits, most basketball fanatics are busy building their brackets in hopes of making a buck.

But Lex Rofes ’13 has put a twist on this time-honored tradition by running a pool, the proceeds of which will go to the charity CCChampions.

The organization, founded by Sidney Kushner ’13, a friend of Rofes’, helps form meaningful and enduring friendships between children with cancer and professional athletes, The Herald previously reported.

The NCAA announced the teams in the tournament last night on “Selection Sunday.” Participants — and en-

thusiasm — will build through March as the 68 teams in the tournament are chiseled down to the Final Four and one is ultimately crowned champion.

Participants can donate and customize their own scoring systems online at rally.org/ccchampions, which will allow as many people as possible to participate in this “super fun and large pool,” Rofes said.

Rofes has five years of experience running charity brackets — he began in high school starting with a community service project. He credits his mother for helping him come up with the idea.

“I decided that instead of money going to the winner, like typical brackets, it would go to a charity,” Rofes

said. “A lot of people like following college basketball this time of the year, but some feel uncomfortable betting on it, so a lot of people were into this idea.”

For those who do not care about college basketball, this is a great way to donate to charity, he said, and for those who do not give to charity often, it is a way to have fun for a good cause.

For Rofes’ first two years running charity brackets, proceeds benefited the Make-A-Wish Foundation, an organization that seeks to help children with “life-threatening illnesses” realize their dreams. For the past two years, Rofes donated the money to ‘nPlay Foundation, a charity fighting childhood obesity, raising just over $10,000.

Rofes, who is Jewish, explained that in Judaism individuals are re-

quired to give 10 percent of their incomes to charity every year, which is difficult for many college students who do not earn regular incomes.

“For me, it’s spending 10 percent of my time donating to a cause, but I enjoy doing it — it’s not just required of me,” Rofes said. “That’s how I feel like I’m doing my part. It’s not hard for me.”

Rofes said Kushner and CCChampions are doing great work and making a large impact.

“Over the past year and a half (Kushner) has really built up an infrastructure, and I know for a fact he’s about to really kill it,” Rofes said, adding that he plans to continue to donate funds from future brackets to the organization. “From a bangfor-my-buck perspective, I realized that helping his organization could

go a long way.”

“It’s an unbelievable service to the kids and their families who are spending so much time in the hospital and working through this tough time,” he said.

Rofes said he hopes to reach the ambitious goal of raising $10,000 this year with help from a friend at Washington University in St. Louis, Elan Baskir, who is running a smaller scale bracket to benefit CCChampions. The Brown Sports Business club has helped spread the word in emails to friends, family and others to encourage people to make a bracket and donate.

“What Lex and Sidney are doing is truly special and allows the excitement and fun of March Madness to help a great cause,” said Connor Sakwa ’15, co-president of the club.