Friday, November 1, 2013

Daily

Herald

THE BROWN

vol. cxlviii, no. 102

since 1891

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Teach-in addresses racial implications of policing practices

In the wake of Ray Kelly’s canceled lecture, faculty members examined issues like stop-and-frisk

By MATHIAS HELLER UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

The impact of race on policing practices was the focus of a teach-in held in a packed Salomon 101 Thursday in the wake of the cancellation of New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly’s lecture Tuesday.

The teach-in featured a panel of five faculty members who addressed the history and social context of race’s role in shaping law enforcement policies, including the controversial “stop-andfrisk” New York Police Department

policy Kelly has enforced. The discussion was sponsored by the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America and moderated by one of the panelists, CSREA Director and Professor of Africana Studies Tricia Rose.

The panel was organized after student and community protestors effectively shut down a lecture Kelly was scheduled to give Tuesday. Administrators ended the event after about half an hour of unsuccessfully trying to persuade protestors to let Kelly speak.

The panel was meant to go beyond rehashing the debate over Kelly’s lecture to contextualize stop-and-frisk policies within a historical-social framework, Rose said.

The policy emerged as part of a “complex and deep mode of » See TEACH-IN, page 2

Sock and Buskin’s staging of ‘A Streetcar named Desire’ seeks to return to the play’s Southern roots

By ELIZABETH KOH FEATURES EDITOR

ASHLEY SO / HERALD

The panel delved into the historical context of stop-and-frisk in hopes of fostering productive discussion within the community.

FOOTBALL

Bears seek victory over defending Ivy champs Leading scorer John Spooney ’14 returns to the backfield for a battle against Ivy-leading Penn

By CALEB MILLER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After a couple disappointing conference losses early this season, Bruno has a chance to make some noise in the Ivy League with a victory Saturday at Brown Stadium against defending Ivy League champion Penn.

The Quakers (4-2, Ivy 3-0) have frequently appeared at the top of the conference in recent years, and they have taken home the league championship trophy three of the last four seasons. A

hot start has them tied with Princeton (5-1, 3-0) for first in the Ivy League once again this season.

Ivy League title hopes are slim for the Bears (4-2, 1-2) but not extinguished.

Bruno picked up its first Ivy win in a 4235 shootout over Cornell last weekend, and a statement victory over Penn could propel the squad into a position to make a late-season run for the crown. Players are carrying this mindset into Saturday’s contest, said quarterback and co-captain Patrick Donnelly ’13.5.

“From here on out every game is a must-win, especially against a team like Penn,” he said. “It left a bad taste in our mouth — the way the game ended last year — so it’s going to be a big game for us.”

Last year in Philadelphia, Penn used

Students add heat to American classic

two field goals late in the fourth quarter to edge the Bears 20-17. But getting the Quakers on Brown’s home field this year might be enough to swing the outcome in the Bruno’s favor, said Head Coach Phil Estes.

“Last week it was a long trip at Cornell, and it’s good to be back home,” he said.

Both offenses picked up Ivy wins last week despite sitting their best player due to injury. For the Bears, leading rusher and top scorer John Spooney ’14 was sidelined with concussion-like symptoms, but he is expected to be back in action this weekend. The Quakers missed star quarterback Billy Ragone’s presence last week due to a lingering ankle injury, and Penn Head Coach Al Bagnoli said at a midweek press conference that the

senior is questionable for Saturday’s game.

Spooney’s big play capabilities — two 70-yard touchdown runs — and contribution to the running game could make a big difference Saturday because the Penn defense allows the fewest passing yards in the conference.

If the Quakers can shut down Donnelly’s aerial attack the way they have against most opponents this season, the Bears will likely turn to Spooney for offense.

If Spooney needs a spell, Andrew Coke ’16 and Jordan Riesner ’14 put up big numbers against Cornell last week and could power the ground attack.

The status of Ragone’s ankle might be a major tipping point entering the game.

Bagnoli said in the press conference that » See FOOTBALL, page 8

In the scene that gives “A Streetcar Named Desire” its famous name, Blanche DuBois, a fading SouthARTS & CULTURE ern belle fallen on hard times, chastises her sister Stella for marrying a man Blanche deems too common.

“What you are talking about is brutal desire — just — Desire! — the name of that rattle-trap streetcar that bangs through the Quarter,” Blanche says.

“Haven’t you ever ridden on that streetcar?” Stella chastises in response.

“It brought me here,” Blanche says, “where I’m not wanted and where I’m ashamed to be.”

While many themes imbue “Streetcar” with the symbolism that has enthroned it in American classrooms, Sock and Buskin’s staging reframes the Tennessee Williams classic, focusing on the New Orleans heat — both physical and metaphorical — representing passion and shame. The play, which opened Thursday night, conveys those themes with a rawness that makes its trainwreckin-motion narrative compelling, if at times difficult to watch.

The play opens with the arrival of Blanche, played by Anna Reed ’15, at the » See STREETCAR, page 3

U. looks to increase minority representation in STEM fields

By STEVEN MICHAEL SENIOR STAFF WRITER

inside

Administrators, faculty members and students are working to address the underrepresentation of students from certain minority groups in science, technology, engineering Missing Scientists and mathematAn exploration of minority ics — known as underrepresentation in STEM fields STEM fields — by Last in a three-part series expanding initiatives to address inequalities in stu-

dents’ pre-college preparation and by enhancing efforts to change the culture of science classrooms.

Such efforts date back to 1994, when the University launched a mentorship program for underrepresented minorities in the sciences, using money from an educational philanthropy called the Lloyd G. Balfour Foundation, said David Targan ’78, associate dean of the College for science education. In 2000, the Balfour Program was renamed the New Scientist Program.

“There was a recognition that during the 21st century the majority of students would be minority students,” Targan said.

The New Scientist Program is aimed to “increase presence, performance and retention of underrepresented minority students in STEM,”

said Joseph Browne ’11, the program’s coordinator. The program runs a mentorship initiative throughout the school year as well as the Catalyst pre-orientation program. Browne also meets with students individually and advocates for underrepresented minority students in the sciences at the University.

Catalyst selects students from underrepresented backgrounds — a category including not just underrepresented minority students, but also first-generation and homeschooled students — and helps ease the transition process with material that focuses on the process of learning in the sciences, Browne said.

“We’re looking for students who are motivated enough that they are going to do well, that are contending with a challenging first step going

from high school to college,” Targan said.

“My mission is that students walk out with the degree that they want,” Browne said, calling it problematic when students drop their intended concentrations because they do not believe they can succeed in those areas.

Bianca Duah ’16, who participated in Catalyst, said the program enhanced her experience in STEM courses by introducing her to minority faculty members. But she questioned whether Catalyst was large enough to be effective.

Of the roughly 100 students who apply for Catalyst, only 15 are accepted each year.

The University recently applied for a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute that would cover

Glass pass

D&C

Beyond divest

Some students got access to Google Glass as part of a preview program

We gave no coal this week — find out why!

Warren ’09 argues the U. can still do much to combat climate change

SCIENCE & RESEARCH, 3

COMMENTARY, 6

COMMENTARY, 7

weather

Officials and students have focused on mentoring programs and faculty diversity

expanding Catalyst from 15 to 50 students, Targan said.

Under the grant proposal, firstyears who participate in Catalyst would live in close proximity so Catalyst could offer programming in the dorms and students who live together could work together, Targan said. The grant also requests additional funding to overhaul first- and second-year STEM courses.

If the University does not receive the grant, Catalyst will likely undergo a smaller expansion, Targan said.

STEM reforms The University is looking to make changes that would improve all students’ STEM experiences — changes administrators said could particularly benefit underrepresented minorities. » See STEM, page 4 t o d ay

tomorrow

68 / 48

64 / 40

2 university news calendar TODAY

NOVEMBER 1

3:30 P.M.

TOMORROW

NOVEMBER 2

5 P.M.

Clean Water Action Info Session

Women of Color Discussion Group

CareerLAB 8 P.M.

Sarah Doyle Women’s Center 6 P.M.

A Streetcar Named Desire

The Brown Conversation: Ray Kelly

Stuart Theater

Campus Center 229

Dining Services employee dies Manuel Gomes worked at the U. for nearly 20 years, spending the last 15 of his career at the Ratty

By MATHIAS HELLER UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

A lead food service worker for Brown Dining Services, Manuel Gomes, has died at the age of 39, the University learned yesterday.

VERNEY-WOOLLEY

LUNCH Vegan Oven-Roasted Tofu, Tex-Mex Lasagna, Italian Sausage and Pepper Sausage with Sauce

Breaded Chicken Fingers, Greekstyle Asparagus, Vegan Nuggets, Vegetarian Baked Beans

DINNER Gnocci with Chunky Marinara Sauce, Italian Chicken Parmesan, Meat Tortellini, Baked Scrod (Garden Style)

Chicken Laredo, Cheese Ravioli with Vodka Sauce, Vegan Three Bean Casserole, Roasted Spaghetti Squash

sudoku

RELEASE DATE– Friday, November 1, 2013

Los Angeles Times Puzzle c r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Turn over 8 Copes 15 Banned 16 “To reiterate ...”

17 *Dive, surface, dive, surface, etc.?

18 *Lab growth below sea level?

19 Item in a tent 20 French spa town 22 Some amber orders 23 Zenith 25 Syria’s Bashar al-__ 28 Lorelei, notably 30 *Underwater speaker?

34 Invite to one’s tree house 37 Wilde’s “An __ Husband” 39 At least one 40 *Story line for “The Hunt for Red October”?

41 *Hatch?

42 *Underwater lateral surface?

43 Ages 44 Bob Barker’s longtime sidekick Johnny 45 Clearance events 46 *Position on naval warfare?

48 Lose it 50 Bivouac 52 Starting lineups 56 Toll rd.

59 Nintendo ancestor 61 Caviar, e.g.

62 *Sonar reading?

65 *Message from beneath the surface?

67 In real trouble 68 Flavored, like some vodka 69 Comebacks 70 Convertible couches DOWN 1 Word for a rough date 2 Throw for __ 3 Demotion in 2006 news 4 *Scenery for “Operation Petticoat”?

5 “Uncle!”

6 More wacky 7 Util. bill item 8 Annual parade sponsor 9 Sch. with a Mesa campus 10 3,280.8 ft.

11 Sonora, por ejemplo 12 King David’s predecessor 13 Dreadful 14 Stanzas of tribute 21 How some singles play 24 Flood 26 Vacillate 27 IM provider 29 Fifth of fünf 31 Fall flat 32 German finale 33 Grains used by brewers and bakers 34 Copycats 35 One in a Vegas row 36 Hawaiian coffeegrowing district 38 Cube maker Rubik 41 Where Zeno taught

42 Nigerian-born Grammy winner 44 Mo. for many Libras 45 Fulfill 47 Must 49 Berth place 51 Leaves 53 Leave one’s seat 54 Left town, maybe 55 Feeder filler 56 Schedule abbr.

57 Skunk Le Pew

58 ’50s-’80s pitcher Jim “Kitty” __ 60 Hemmed in by 63 Discount tag abbr.

64 Entomologist’s tool 66 Prefix for the answers to starred clues, and word needed for those clues to make sense

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

By John Lampkin (c)2013 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

11/01/13

11/01/13

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

» TEACH-IN, from page 1 criminalization” of black and Latino people in the United States, Rose said, highlighting NYPD statistics that show a stark racial discrepancy among those detained by police officers.

Fifty-three percent of individuals stopped by the NYPD in 2011 were black, while 32 percent were Latino and 9 percent were white, Rose said.

In contrast, 33 percent of city residents are white, 29 percent are Latino and 23 percent are black, according to 2010 U.S. Census data.

This discrepancy stems from efforts to criminalize minorities “as a class of people,” Rose said, so that structural problems like joblessness and generational poverty are overlooked and “racialized character flaws” are artificially created.

Stop-and-frisk policies divide law enforcement officials and communities and undermine trust within a community, Rose said, adding that a communal failure to speak out against racialized policing only perpetuates it.

Fear tactics and “activation of deepseated racial bias” lead some to believe stop-and-frisk reduces crime, a notion Rose criticized. She pointed to more substantial crime reduction rates over the past decade in cities that did not employ stop-and-frisk as evidence that the practice is ineffective.

“It’s extremely important to look for alternative models” of law enforcement to challenge the “myth-based” racial profiling of a stop-and-frisk approach, Rose said.

Panelists discussed their own experiences with race in the criminal justice system.

Richard Tyson Smith, visiting assistant professor of sociology, described his inability as a young, white college student to understand the significance of

Gomes’ death was unexpected, wrote Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations Marisa Quinn in an email to The Herald. She did not confirm further details surrounding the circumstances of his death.

Gomes, who became a University employee in 1994, spent the last 15 years of his career working at the Sharpe Refectory, Quinn wrote.

“He was admired and respected by his colleagues and students alike,” she wrote, adding that University-sponsored

support services and counseling are available to Gomes’ friends and colleagues.

University Chaplain Janet Cooper Nelson will hold a “private gathering” in remembrance of Gomes this afternoon with Gomes’ friends and colleagues, Quinn wrote.

Quinn wrote the University extends its “deepest condolences” to Gomes’ family, members of which could not be reached for comment. Dining Services employees declined to comment, citing BDS policy.

the 1992 police beating of Rodney King, a black man, in Los Angeles, Calif., as he watched news coverage of its fallout.

Smith said his “naive response” reflected a fundamental disconnect between white middle-class youths and racial issues related to law enforcement.

“We just simply didn’t know this was such a powerful American phenomenon with such deep roots,” Smith said.

Stefano Bloch, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cogut Center for the Humanities, said he experienced systemic abuse and repeated silencing by police officers as a Hispanic youth.

Bloch said he was “incredibly proud” of protestors when they told Kelly to “shut his (expletive) mouth” Tuesday. He added that he disagreed with President Christina Paxson’s statement that the shutdown of Kelly’s lecture was “a sad day for Brown,” a remark that received widespread applause.

The protestors’ action also received praise from panelist Linda Quiquivix, a postdoctoral fellow at the Cogut Center for the Humanities.

“We all recognize that the shutting down part was important because it wouldn’t have received as much publicity and as much news if it had just been a protest,” Quiquivix said.

“Acting out and speaking out is very important” to ending racialized policing practices like stop-and-frisk, Bloch said. He voiced support for U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin’s ruling in August that the NYPD policy was unconstitutional, adding that he agreed with Scheindlin that subjective criteria such as “furtive movements” could not be used to justify the disproportionate detention of racial minorities.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit stayed Schleindlin’s decision and removed her from the case, ruling that the judge had given “an appearance of partiality” in the

case, multiple news outlets reported Thursday.

“I got my most important political upbringing out on the streets,” Quiquivix said, urging audience members to reach out to the Providence community more frequently in order to understand social differences. She added that “a lot of learning” can happen beyond the College Hill “bubble” if students and faculty members are willing to engage with the broader community.

Stop-and-frisk was not the only target of panelists’ criticisms for the NYPD. The force’s surveillance tactics employed in relation to Muslim communities since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks drew a sharp denunciation from Nancy Khalek, assistant professor of the humanities for religious studies.

Police surveillance of Muslim community centers, schools and mosques plays into a “long history” of U.S. law enforcement officials’ targeting of minority communities due to a “gap between reality and myth” when it comes to identifying public safety threats, Khalek said.

The panelists fielded a host of questions from audience members on community members’ rights to be heard during polarizing discussions such as Kelly’s lecture.

“I’m not entirely sure there’s a onesize-fits-all way for determining what constitutes free speech,” Khalek said.

Some attendees said they appreciated the panel’s grappling with the complex issues of race and policing that underlay the cancellation of Kelly’s lecture.

“Overall, I’m really proud of the faculty who came here,” said Hayward Leach ’14. “I think they addressed the question of identity in a constructive way.”

“This is a nuanced issue and there’s no one way to approach it,” said Liam Dean-Johnson ’16.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

» STREETCAR, from page 1 less-than-modest home of her younger sister Stella, played by Sarah Gage ’15. But her arrival sparks tension with Stella’s husband Stanley, played by Arjun Pande ’14, that eventually leads to the exposure of Blanche’s sordid past, causing her nervous breakdown.

Though the play follows Blanche’s journey, it is Stella who embodies the struggle between Blanche and Stanley.

Stella “tries to make other people comfortable,” but she is torn between Blanche’s and Stanley’s worlds, said Gage, who plays the torn character with aplomb. Both Stella’s sister and her husband end up fighting for her attention and allegiance during the play’s course, though neither succeed in the end.

If there is any victory between the two in the play, it belongs to Blanche, Reed said.

“There’s something triumphant in that last scene, that last exodus,” Reed said, referring to her character’s famous line betraying her dependence on “the kindness of strangers.” There’s a misconception that the play’s most violent scene breaks Blanche, “but really it’s ruining Stanley,” she added.

Overall, the production is “trying to

science & research 3 honor the text as much as we can,” Gage said.

The setting itself plays a starring role in this production of “Streetcar,” augmented by the music called for in Williams’ script.

“It’s like an extra character in the play,” said director and Professor of Theater Arts and Performance Studies Lowry Marshall, citing its “ancient charm” and “polyglot of people.”

“Around every corner is a band.

Around every corner is a bar,” she said, adding that she traveled to New Orleans over the summer to immerse herself in the city. “I wanted to have that sense of New Orleans music and popular music of the time (in the play).”

At times, that vision can feel too large for the two-bedroom set on the Stuart Theater stage. Though the play captures the variety and liveliness of New Orleans music, even a jazzy intermission does little to distract from mishaps on set. During Wednesday’s dress rehearsal, Pande’s imposing physicality unintentionally knocked over props, a struggle also faced

by Skylar Fox ’15, who plays Blanche’s well-meaning suitor Harold Mitchell. The set’s problems were not limited to character interactions, but also resulted from technical problems — the bedroom fan refused

to turn off when dictated by the script and a misplaced electric candle tipped over, momentarily causing the actors to break form.

Despite those hiccups, the play succeeds in sustaining the central tension and conflict, even if the acting often seemed forced. Reed plays flighty yet emotionally sensitive Blanche to the hilt, though her delivery occasionally strains even the character’s predisposition to hysteria. Hovering nearby, Gage portrays the ever-suffering Stella with just the right touch of infatuation and familial angst, and Pande sells Stanley’s respective turns at anger and remorse with ease. Nuanced performances from both Fox, who expertly conveys heartbreak through well-placed outrage and tears, and Celeste Cahn ’15, who captures the right shade of gentle and gruff in landlady Eunice, round out some of the play’s best moments.

Clocking in at just under three hours long, “Streetcar” will leave you emotionally exhausted, as the play’s themes manage to overcome time and place. Whether that is because of the actors’ obvious effort or the enduring power of Williams’ script remains up for debate.

“A Streetcar Named Desire” runs Oct. 31-Nov. 10 in the Stuart Theater.

DAVID DECKEY / HERALD

Despite technical difficulties on set, the production successfully depicted Williams’ original script through vivid acting.

Exhibit provides glimpse Profs praise brain stimulation initiative The project is aimed to into artmaking process improve the technology The collaboration aims to bridge the divide between galleries on Providence’s East and West Sides

By MARCUS SUDAC CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A glance around the newest exhibit at the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts can be disorienting.

With a miniature bike rack across the room from equestrian-inspired sketches and images of stars and fish, the display could at first be mistaken for a child’s show.

This may be part of the intent of “Industrial Evolution,” an exhibit that sets out to foment a welcoming ambiance. A closer look yields greater understanding — the sketches of stars and depictions of fish are actually designs for public art.

The imaginative illustrations are concepts for functional, custom-designed trash bins, bike racks and fences.

The display is a collaboration encompassing the creations of nearly 50 artists who work through the Public Projects department of the Steel Yard.

The Steel Yard was founded in 2001 by Clay Rockefeller ’03 and RISD graduate Nick Bauta, who sought “creative revitalization of (Providence’s) industrial valley district,” according to their website.

The “original concept sketches, models and prototypes” have also been shown to the broader Providence community by the Steel Yard and represent “a window into (the organization’s) process,” said artist and Public Projects Director Howie Sneider.

Prototypes are stationed throughout the exhibit, with actual works represented by miniatures and fragments.

The artist might find himself more at home in the space than the unaccustomed gallery-goer. But the Steel Yard balances this understanding with an educational atmosphere, welcoming artistic neophytes with a motif of explanation.

“We’re adding a layer of cultural

value to functional objects,” Sneider said. But members of the organization “haven’t done something to this level before,” he said, alluding to the prominence associated with the display in the Granoff Center.

“Industrial Evolution” is one of many installations the Steel Yard carries out annually. Each year, anywhere from 20 to 50 pieces are commissioned, leading to a “constant exhibition of work around the city, and around the state,” Sneider said.

“It’s natural for us to want to exhibit the process, and we have a clear connection to Brown,” said Islay Taylor, the Steel Yard’s program director.

“We were really interested in what (the Steel Yard) was doing. This is a way to show a variety of artists’ work,” said Jo-Ann Conklin, director of the David Winton Bell Gallery and a member of the Creative Arts Council.

She added that “there really is an east-west divide” among Providence galleries, as the West Side galleries tend to be “rougher.” Conklin said she hopes the Steel Yard’s exhibit at the Granoff Center might help bridge that divide.

A non-profit organization supported by fund-raising initiatives, the Steel Yard “is a local alternative that keeps money in the local economy,” Sneider said.

The exhibit is intended to send a message of gratitude to those who have contributed to the Steel Yard’s work.

“One of my goals is to publicly thank the artists we’ve worked with,” Sneider said.

The Steel Yard also looks “to challenge and engage the community to make things like this,” Sneider said.

“Otherwise, the default is purchasing items from a catalogue.”

“I expect it to be popular,” Conklin said of the exhibit. “Turnout is good for local groups.”

Artists may find it easiest to love “Industrial Evolution,” but that shouldn’t dissuade less artistically-inclined students from a visit. The show does, after all, bring to campus one of Providence’s most prominent hubs of artists.

used to treat Parkinson’s disease

By ELAINA WANG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

University professors lauded a federal initiative to fund brain research aims to improve treatment for a variety of neurological and psychiatric conditions that was announced last week.

Funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the initiative will allocate more than $70 million over the next five years to improve deep brain stimulation, which involves the surgical implantation of a device that generates electrical impulses in the brain.

DARPA hopes to better understand mechanisms behind neurological and psychiatric diseases and to apply this knowledge to the creation of a new medical device to be implanted in the brain during the deep brain stimulation procedure. The new device will be more specific and sensitive than those currently available and will respond to constant feedback from the patient’s body.

“This field is something we have been talking about at Brown for some time,” said Benjamin Greenberg, associate professor of psychiatry and human behavior. “I think DARPA getting involved and making this a priority in research will certainly push the whole field forward.”

Though currently used as treatment for particular brain disorders, many of the potential applications of deep brain stimulation remain unknown.

“We only understand a little bit about how it works, but it has a huge amount of promise for improving the lives of patients,” said Michael Frank, associate professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences. “We need to understand the mechanisms by which it works,” which will lead to improvement of the technique and more effective application in the medical realm, he said.

About 100,000 people in the world have been treated with deep brain

stimulation for Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, Greenberg said. The procedure is less commonly used to treat psychiatric patients, he added.

Psychiatric conditions such as obsessive compulsive disorder are more challenging for clinicians to treat with deep brain stimulation.

“It’s easier to observe the changes in movement than it is to observe the changes in habits and compulsion and obsessions,” Frank said. “We understand the brain circuitry that underlies Parkinson’s better than we understand the brain circuitry that underlies OCD.” Though it offers potential benefits for patients, deep brain stimulation sometimes has side effects, such as bleeding or infection, Greenberg said, adding that it can also potentially

induce seizures after implantation. “The stimulation itself can produce changes in behavior that can be side effects,” he said.

Deep brain stimulation may cause some patients with Parkinson’s to “become impulsive,” Frank said. “They make risky decisions, their personalities can change. They might become gamblers, or they might say things that they wouldn’t normally say.”

A benefit of deep brain stimulation is that it is reversible, and the electrodes can be removed, said Nicole McLaughlin, assistant professor of pscyhiatry and human behavior.

“It is possible that something may be developed within five years,” McLaughlin said. “Whether or not it will function effectively in psychiatric populations has yet to be seen.”

4 science & research » STEM, from page 1 Over the next three years, the University will revise introductory STEM classes in efforts to keep students engaged and boost retention rates in science disciplines. The changes come through an initiative partially funded by the Association of American Universities.

Targan said he expects underrepresented minority students to benefit most from the overhaul of the introductory STEM curricula.

“If there’s a problem, it may not affect everyone, but it will affect them,” he said.

Due to the starkness of the physical sciences gap, the initiative’s emphasis on improving math competency may prove especially beneficial.

James Valles, physics department chair, said the optional problem sessions that have been added to more physics courses this semester “build community in structured problem solving.”

Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron said though there is a sharp underrepresentation of minorities in the physical sciences, there is not one in the life sciences.

Last spring, underrepresented minority students at the University received 16.9 percent of life science degrees but only 5.6 percent of

Missing Scientists An exploration of minority underrepresentation in STEM fields A three-part series

physical science degrees, according to data provided by the OIR. Bergeron and Browne said the trend may be the result of greater opportunities to participate in research in life sciences at an earlier stage.

“There are a range of causes, from differential preparation students have had before coming to Brown and the kinds of experiences students need to feel they belong in a particular discipline,” Bergeron said.

Faculty diversity Underrepresented students’ senses of belonging in science disciplines would be enhanced by greater numbers of minority faculty members, students said.

Faculty members from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups hold just over 4 percent of positions in both the life sciences and physical sciences, compared to 7.5 percent of positions across the University, according to data from the OIR. Ricardo Mullings ’15.5, a Caribbean-American student concentrating in chemical engineering, said it is hard not to ask, “Do people of your color make it in this field?”

“You begin to wonder if this is the path for you if no one resembles you,” Targan said.

The faculty hiring process includes a number of steps designed

to promote the hiring of underrepresented minorities. Every search committee includes a diversity representative whose role is to advocate for minority candidates, said Associate Dean of the Faculty Janet Blume.

Blume, Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughlin P’12 and Associate Provost for Academic Development and Diversity Liza Cariaga-Lo are responsible for approving the advertisements for open faculty positions, the composition of the search committees, the short list of candidates and the final hiring recommendations, Blume said.

When the search committee presents its short list of top candidates for approval, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty’s may push for bringing a top minority candidate to campus for an interview even if the candidate is not on the initial short list, Blume said.

“Just because someone’s in the second tier, doesn’t mean they’re an inferior candidate,” Blume said. “It has to do with how well they fit into the department’s technical area of expertise.”

Departments without vacancies are also allowed to “prepone” the upcoming retirement of a faculty member by hiring a strong minority candidate before the position is open through the “Target of Opportunity” program. During the

This series investigates the underrepresentation of certain racial minorities in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines, probing the cause, breadth and ramifications of the disparity, as well as its impact on individual students and University efforts to combat the trend.

Read it online at: thebdh.org/ms.

Wednesday: Part one analyzes the scope of STEM underrepresentation of certain racial minorities on the national and University levels, honing in on the broad social and economic consequences.

Yesterday: Part two explores the personal experience of underrepresented minority students in STEM fields, highlighting lack of high school preparation, stereotyping and academic support issues as major contributors to the gap.

Today: Part three critically examines current efforts and future plans of University administrators to address the underrepresentation of certain minorities in STEM fields.

overlap of the two faculty members for the same position, the Office of the Dean of the Faculty will pay the new faculty member’s salary, Blume said. The program is not solely for hiring minority faculty members — it also enables the hiring of outstanding candidates outside of the typical hiring process.

Blume said her office wants to hire more science faculty members from underrepresented groups, but they are often faced with a small applicant pool.

Student initiatives Many students have taken it upon themselves to create programs and launch initiatives that address the issue of minority underrepresentation in the sciences.

Jamelle Watson-Daniels ’15, a black student who is concentrating in physics and Africana studies, developed her own initiative to improve underrepresented minority students’ experiences in STEM. Specifically, her initiative has focused on the hiring of a black physics professor.

By hiring a black professor, Watson-Daniels wrote in the description of her initiative, “Brown will not only produce scientifically prepared physicists ... but also students with a certain respect and dedication to a more diverse group of people.”

Earlier this year, the physics department appointed a black faculty member, James Dickerson, as an adjunct associate professor of physics.

Assistant Dean of the College and Director of Science Center Outreach Oludurotimi Adetunji also serves as an adjunct assistant professor of physics.

“We’re excited about him being here,” Valles said of Dickerson’s appointment. “It’s a nice opportunity on many levels,” Valles said, adding that his research overlaps with other research being conducted in the department.

Both appointments preceded Watson-Daniels’ initiative, Valles wrote in an email to The Herald, but her

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

proposal “will be helpful” in “future faculty searches.”

Mullings, a chemical engineering concentrator, has been involved in setting up the Brown chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers.

The National Society is a community service based nation-wide program that provides opportunities for minority students in engineering to collaborate on different projects, he said.

The University has been really supportive of the program, he said, adding that the president of the National Society has been in direct communication with Dean of Engineering Larry Larson.

Jesus Leyva ’16, a student from Mexico concentrating in human biology and applied math, said he has been “disenchanted by minority groups on campus.”

He said he feels many groups don’t address the right issues — specifically, they do not promote the sciences, reinforcing the notion that people from certain backgrounds do not fit into the science fields.

There should also be more advertising for events that address academic issues for underrepresented minority students, Leyva added.

In the future, Browne said he would like to see programs consolidated into one advising program that shares resources and better addresses the needs of a wider student audience.

Programs that address the needs of underrepresented minority students should be integrated into daily activity, he added.

If some students are succeeding in the sciences while others are failing, “I’m a person who says we can do better,” he said.

“Brown is sold to ... every person coming in as this magical place of self-discovery,” Browne said. “I don’t think we should ever underestimate the responsibility we have to students for whom we’ve recruited under that promise.”

— With additional reporting by Isobel Heck

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Students experiment with Google Glass prototype The glasses-like device, currently in demo mode, allows users to access the Internet and take photos

By ANDREW JIANG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

While the advent of smartphones brought the Internet to users’ pockets, Google Glass has made it possible to bring it right in front of people’s eyes.

Before the product goes live, a select few Brown and Rhode Island School of Design students are previewing a beta version of a product that could potentially revolutionize the technology industry.

FEATURE

‘OK, Glass’ For the past few months, RISD students have been experimenting with the artistic possibilities Google Glass could offer.

Glass responds to voice commands prefaced with “OK, Glass” followed by specific instructions, according to the Google Glass website. The device has a touchscreen mounted on the right side of its frame, next to a translucent display over the right eye that displays the requested data.

The cutting-edge, “smart” glasses can access the Internet and take pictures and video. Android users can use the glasses to make calls through an app called MyGlass.

RISD was loaned three Google Glasses and given $4,000 this summer as part of the Google Glass Explorer Program, thanks to RISD Professor of Film, Animation and Video John Terry, according to a RISD press release.

The Explorer Program, which is intended to promote Glass and provide feedback about how users incorporate it into their lives, recently gave several film schools across the country the opportunity to test-drive early versions of Google Glass, according to an article in PCMag. The program also gave select individuals — chosen based on 50-word entries submitted via Google Plus or Twitter with the hashatg #ifihadglass — the opportunity to obtain Glass prototypes for $1,500 this year.

RISD is using its Google Glasses in “collective experiments” and video classes, RISD Associate Professor of Film, Animation and Video Daniel Peltz wrote in an email to The Herald. Peltz teaches Intermediate Studio Video, one of the classes experimenting with Glass.

“It’s important that there be spaces where open-ended, non-commercial research overlaps with commercial product research and development,” he added, referring to using Glass in an academic setting.

Glass goes to class “We engage with the Google Glass

as a pure research group,” Peltz wrote.

Each student takes a week to explore the equipment and reports back in “weekly conversations,” he added. Peltz wrote that he wants to engage students with questions about “what it means to be human in an increasingly mediated world.”

Out of each five-hour class, about 30 minutes revolve around that week’s student project with the device, said Marianne Abbott ’15, who is enrolled in the course.

Projects have so far ranged from a music video for the song “Blurred Lines” to a RISD rooftop-climbing showcase from the point of view of the climber.

Glass “changes the way you can do first-person filming,” said Marissa Goldman, a RISD junior. Compared to traditional camera shots, videos filmed with Glass better emulate natural head movements, she added.

“It’s closer to reality, but it’s not the way we’re used to seeing reality” on a screen, Abbott said.

Information overload?

Outside of the classroom, Google Glass’s reception has been mixed.

“A lot of people have been saying that they feel impaired by them, that they take you out of things,” Abbott said.

“But I feel empowered by them.”

Glass is different from using a smartphone because “it’s instant,” Abbott said.

“I was walking by (Avon Cinema) and movie times just popped up,” she said.

Using smartphones or computers to find information is an “action that I’m doing, a choice I’m making,” Abbott said. “With Glass, it just happens.”

Google Glass is “probably the easiest way I’ve taken pictures or videos ever before,” Goldman said.

But for some, Glass’ flaws overshadow its convenience. The display can be distracting and might present an “information overload” for some, though users have the ability to control what kind of information appears, Abbott said. Goldman said she dislikes the device’s awkward aesthetics and limited functionality.

“I found it to be very uncomfortable and weird to wear … the screen is in the top right corner, and it’s very unnatural to look at, especially when you’re talking to someone,” Goldman said. “It looks pretty ridiculous.”

Goldman said she prefers her phone to Glass because with her phone, she can perform more tasks, more easily.

“Maybe this is the first technological advance that my generation is too old for,” she said.

Goldman raised concerns about being recorded without permission by Glass users.

Google has not announced an official release date for the final release of Glass.

“It has to be something people can wear and have fun with and be sexy with,” Abbott said.

sports friday 5

Jump on the beardwagon MIKE FIRN sports columnist

Back in March, rhetoric surrounding the upcoming 2013 MLB season was uncharacteristically pessimistic in Boston. Coming off their worst season since 1965, the Red Sox had slashed $33 million in payroll during the offseason and seemed poised for a second consecutive year in the cellar of baseball’s toughest division. The phrase “rebuilding” was tossed around Fenway Park for the first time in many years. At a point in the season when every team is undefeated and every fan typically radiates optimism, the Red Sox already appeared destined for mediocrity. Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy wrote a piece titled, “It’s hard to get excited about these Red Sox.” With a spring training roster composed partly of aging question marks (i.e. John Lackey, Shane Victorino) and partly of fresh-faced prospects (Jackie Bradley Jr., Xander Bogaerts), Boston was a team caught between rebuilding and contention — committed to neither.

All in all, it seemed pretty fair to write off the 2013 Red Sox. But when April rolled around, the Sox started to win. And to the surprise of many, they kept on winning. After compiling an MLB-best 97 regular season wins, the Red Sox stormed into the playoffs, having reestablished themselves as a powerhouse of the American League. The rest of the tale has been well-told in the sports world as of late. Behind a show of bearded solidarity, the Red Sox wrapped up their season by clinching the World Series Wednesday night at Fenway Park for the first time since 1918. No other World Series champion in history has ever rebounded from such a dismal winning percentage the previous year.

The unprecedented one-year turnaround of the Boston Red Sox has been nothing short of astounding. In the Moneyball era of Billy Beane and Bill James, the analytics guys would

have you believe success always boils down to a formula. They’re not wrong — any examination of the Red Sox’ worst-to-first journey must include a discussion of statistics. By the numbers, it’s easy to see how they did it. Boston bats scored 119 more times in 2013 than in 2012. The pitching staff allowed 150 fewer runs. Hitters slugged, starters delivered and the bullpen shined. The improvements were reflected in the scoreboard and the standings: Boston’s run differential spiked from -72 in 2012 to +197 in 2013. But in the case of the 2013 Red Sox, numbers don’t tell the whole story. Why did the team take such quantitative leaps despite fielding what scouts generally agreed was a less talented roster?

Underlying the transformation of the Red Sox has been a profound change in clubhouse culture that stems from the leadership of first-year manager John Farrell. Every sports team has a distinct identity. For the successful ones, this identity binds the clubhouse together and manifests as camaraderie that elevates everyone’s play. In 2003, the Red Sox were unified under the rally cry of “Cowboy Up.” The curse-busting 2004 squad built momentum as the “Idiots.” In 2011, the lack of team chemistry culminated in an epic September collapse marked by disunity, distraction and fried chicken. The disastrous 2012 Red Sox were defined by manager Bobby Valentine, who alienated all of his players and created an entitled team at war with itself. Sure, a successful season results directly from the combination of stellar hitting and pitching. But talent often falters in the absence of a unifying sense of brotherhood.

Unlike their immediate predecessors, the 2013 Red Sox had no shortage of brotherhood. For the first time since the era of Terry Francona, Boston’s manager had the full support and respect of his team.

“This has been a team that’s come in every day with a very consistent approach, a positive attitude,” Farrell told the Boston Globe in August. This quote may sound like a cliche declared

comics A & B | MJ Esquivel

School Daze | Christina Tapiero

by every manager in the big leagues at some point or another, but in context of last year’s train wreck, it rings true for the 2013 Sox. While Farrell served to minimize distractions and keep the team evenkeeled, rejuvenated veterans provided mentorship and a renewed sense of motivation. No one exemplified Boston’s grizzled leadership more than David Ortiz.

No moment summed up Ortiz’s intangible contributions more than his pep talk during Game Four of the World Series. In an effort to rally the troops, Ortiz huddled up his teammates in the dugout and delivered some powerful inspiration. As Jonny Gomes told ESPN, “it was like 24 kindergartners looking up at their teacher.” Unlike the Red Sox of 2011 or 2012, this was a team full of players who wanted badly to win for each other and for a city beset by tragedy. This season was about redemption.

But this tale isn’t just about the Red Sox. It’s about what it takes to build a successful sports team. The Sox have epitomized the importance of team dynamics on one of the biggest stages in sports, but the notion holds true in every locker room of every sport.

Teams win games because of performances — not friendships. But as the 2011 and 2012 Red Sox proved, talent is only one variable in the formula for success. The road to a championship is always grueling, both physically and mentally. Chemistry and unity are crucial catalysts for a team slogging through the playoffs with one collective ultimate goal.

It is in this regard that the 2013 Red Sox stand in starkest contrast to the 2011 and 2012 versions. Gone are the egos, the rebellions and the scapegoating. In their place is the World Series trophy.

Mike Firn ’16 wishes he could grow Mike Napoli’s beard.

Celebrate with him at michael_firn@brown.edu.

6 commentary

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

DIAMONDS & COAL Cubic zirconia to the sophomore who said of student activists in favor of coal divestment, “I wish that I had picked up a drum and beat it with my classmates as they walked across the green in their protests.” Ah yes, we heard from Corporation members that had there been drums, they would have supported divestment.

A diamond to the town of Portsmouth for having a “more than ample supply of marijuana that is available for purchase,” according to Ray Davis, coordinator of the Portsmouth Prevention Coalition. High five.

Cubic zirconia to Shelia Nirenberg, a professor at the Weill Medical College of Cornell, who said when she was contacted about being awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, “I thought the call was from a guy I’d gone on a date with.” Sorry.

Your MacArthur Fellowship won’t hold you at night.

A diamond to University undergraduates in the 19th century who used to steal the president’s cow and lead it to the top of University Hall. Nice MOOve — we’re udderly impressed.

Cubic zirconia to Newport Mayor Harry Winthrop who said of potentially taking on Tamsui, Taiwan as a sister city, “We’re willing to look at it, but we wouldn’t take it on just to put another notch on our belt. We really want to make the existing relationships work.” We had no idea Newport had so much in common with Hugh Heffner.

A N G E L IA WA N G

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A diamond to the Brown Student Agencies project manager who said of BSA’s bartending course, “We’re trying to spread awareness of drunkenness.” We think those fourteen voicemails we received of you singing Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You” did the trick.

A diamond to the student who said about Google Glass, “It has to be something people can wear and have fun with and be sexy with.” Exactly. This way we can Google “other positions besides missionary” even during sex.

Cubic zirconia to Leonard Lardaro, an economics professor at the University of Rhode Island who wrote in an email to The Herald, “Unfortunately, Rhode Island is known as well for its unemployment rate as for its beaches.” At least all the people out of work can enjoy the surf?

We’re not awarding any coal this week. Too soon.

C L A R I F I C AT I O N In an article in Wednesday’s Herald (“Hundreds assemble to confront Kelly controversy,” Oct. 31), Director of the Taubman Center Marion Orr is reported to have asked students for a list of speakers they would not want to see on campus. Orr later clarified the statement was intended to imply such a list should not in fact exist and to provoke thought about such a list’s implications.

Protest reflects lack of engagement Let’s face it: The overwhelming majority of people who berated the speaker and prevented other dissenting (but respectful) students from constructively debating “stop-andfrisk” did so not after thoroughly educating themselves about the nuances of the topic but because it’s the cool thing to do at Brown. It was the same way 10 years ago. I remember passing through an anti-sweatshop rally en route to a class as an undergrad and saying to somebody, “Where do you think the Nike sneakers and Gap sweater you’re wearing came from?”

Name-calling and obstructing legitimately curious people from having

a meaningful dialogue accomplishes nothing except refuting the notion that people admitted to Brown are rational thinkers. Sadly, Brown has become the laughingstock of the Ivy League. You don’t need a high SAT score to make reductionist and unrefined statements like “cops are oppressive, racist assholes” or “Ray Kelly is a terrorist.” While on deployment with the military in Iraq (a war I opposed if that matters, but feel free to make assumptions about me), my team searched for a real terrorist, who had strapped a suicide vest to a mentally retarded child in a mosque — it’s a big deductive leap to equate

Ray Kelly with someone like that.

Words matter, especially at the policy level, where real change occurs.

Racial profiling sucks, but it’s not terrorism. Equating racial profiling with the generally accepted definition of terrorism hinders any effort to effectively remedy suspect policing. Brown students are supposed to be the best and the brightest, the future leaders of their communities and even the world. Simplifying complex issues into divisive sound bites is not the solution. Brown can do better.

Doug Kechijian ’02

CORRECTION An article in Wednesday’s Herald (“Hundreds assemble to confront Kelly controversy,” Oct. 31) incorrectly reported Josette Souza ’14 said New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is “terrorizing our community.” In fact, Souza said Kelly is “terrorizing our communities.” The Herald regrets the error.

CORRECTION

Q U O T E O F T H E D AY

“It has to be something people can wear and have fun with and be sexy with.” ­— Marianne Abbott ’15 See google, page 1.

An article in Wednesday’s Herald (“Lacking foundation, minorities struggle in STEM fields,” Oct. 31) incorrectly identified David Hernandez ’16 as a student from Mexico. In fact, he is from Colombia. The Herald regrets the error.

Editorial Leadership

Sections

Visuals & Production

Business

Editors-in-Chief Lucy Feldman Shefali Luthra

Arts & Culture Editors Hannah Abelow Maddie Berg

Head Photo Editor Emily Gilbert

General Managers Julia Kuwahara Samuel Plotner

Managing Editors Elizabeth Carr Jordan Hendricks

City & State Editors Sona Mkrttchian Adam Toobin

Senior Editors Aparna Bansal Alexa Pugh

Features Editors Jennifer Kaplan Elizabeth Koh

Strategic Director Greg Jordan-Detamore

Science & Research Editors Phoebe Draper Kate Nussenbaum

BLOG DAILY HERALD Editor-in-Chief Meredith Bilski

Sports Editors James Blum Connor Grealy

Managing Editor David Oyer

University News Editors David Chung Mathias Heller Eli Okun

POST- MAGAZINE

Editorial Page Editor Rachel Occhiogrosso

Editor-in-Chief Ben Resnik

Opinions Editors Gabbie Corvese Garret Johnson Maggie Tennis

Photo Editors Brittany Comunale David Deckey Samuel Kase Sports Photo Editor Jesse Schwimmer Video Editors Henry Chaisson Assistant: Danny Garfield Data Science Editor Andersen Chen Web Producer Joseph Stein Design Editors Kyle McNamara Mie Morikubo Julia Shube Assistant: Sandra Yan

Directors Sales: Eliza Coogan Finance: Nicole Shimer Alumni Relations: Emily Chu Business Dev.: Justin Lee Office Manager Shawn Reilly Sales Managers Regional: Jennifer Aitken Regional: Jaqueline Chang Regional: Leslie Chen Regional: Wenli Shao Regional: Carolyn Stichnoth Student Group: Anisa Holmes Finance Managers Collections: Sameer Sarkar Collections: Timothy Sharng Operations: Sarah Levine

Copy Desk Chief Sara Palasits

Alumni Relations Manager Engagement: Alison Pruzan

Illustrations Editor Angelia Wang

Business Dev. Managers Project Leader: Melody Cao Project Leader: Kaden Lee

facebook.com/browndailyherald

Location: 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. www.browndailyherald.com

@the_herald

Editorial contact: 401-351-3372 herald@browndailyherald.com

browndailyherald.com

Business contact: 401-351-3260 gm@browndailyherald.com

Corrections: The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

Commentary: The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only.

Letters to the Editor: Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed.

Advertising: The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during Orientation by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily.

Copyright 2013 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Postmaster: Please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906.

commentary 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

Brown can still be a leader on climate change SCOTT WARREN guest columnist

On Feb. 25, 2006, I gathered with more than 40 students on a cold Saturday morning on the then-Faunce House steps, urging the Corporation to divest Brown’s assets from foreign companies aiding the Sudanese government’s genocidal campaign in Darfur. At the conclusion of the rally, which was the pinnacle of a yearlong campaign, then-Chancellor Stephen Robert ’62 P’91 emerged from University Hall, grabbed our bullhorn and announced the University’s decision to divest from six problematic companies. We were thrilled — Brown became the fifth university in the country to divest in a movement that soon totaled over 50 institutions of higher learning. The move also helped spark successful efforts in Providence and Rhode Island.

Brown turned out to be a leader amongst universities in the inter-

national effort to end the genocide in Darfur. But divestment was just a spark.

In the months to follow, the University provided significant support and resources to a Darfur-focused conference that featured Mia Farrow and former National Security Advisor Anthony Lake. Former President Ruth Simmons frequently brought up Darfur with prominent speakers like Cornel West and the Chinese Ambassador to the United States and even provided funds for students to travel to Washington for a rally. Throughout her presidency, Simmons spoke truth to power and garnered national attention with her commitment to make Brown a leader in ending the genocide.

Given Brown’s decision to refrain from divesting from coal companies, why is this relevant? I am not a climate change expert, and I know the benefits and downsides of coal divestiture can be argued ad nauseam. But by actually making a decision not to divest, President Christina Paxson put herself, and the University, at the front and center of the climate change debate. With

that offers the possibility that Brown can serve as a national leader on the issue of climate change, just as the University did with the genocide in Darfur. For the climate change movement, it is advantageous that the Corporation actually ruled on divestiture rather than kicking the can on the decision — which would have been a much more politically expedient conclusion.

It forces Brown to actually confront the issue of climate change head-on.

Proponents of divesting will argue that the real position of leadership would have been to divest. But even so, Brown only held approximately $2 million, or .1 percent of its assets, in problematic coal companies. While I am not arguing whether the decision was right or wrong, it would have been largely symbolic.

But Paxson also acknowledged Brown’s vital role in “stemming the progression of climate change and mitigating its effects.” Instead of attempting to re-pressure the University to divest, which will almost certainly be futile, I urge student groups to ensure Paxson actually follows through

on her promises. The letter to the community was a start, but creating a task force is much too weak. Students and the larger Brown community should urge the Corporation to come up with innovative solutions — from pushing state-level coal emission legislation at the State House to sponsoring a national conference to providing funding for post-graduate fellowships for students interested in founding climate change organizations in the Ocean State.

While one might argue it was necessary for Brown to divest in the case of Sudan in order to become a leader on the issue, George Washington University followed a different path. Refusing to divest its assets from companies doing business in Sudan, the university instead helped create a fellowship specifically for Sudanese students. This fall, while Darfur is almost completely forgotten, GWU welcomed Jacob Mator Aketch to campus, a South Sudanese man dedicated to bringing peace back to his region after receiving a degree. GWU has played a leading role in Sudan activism, despite

of, and possibly because of, its decision not to divest from Sudan.

For climate change activists, I sympathize with the frustration towards the University’s decision. But I strongly believe that the route forward is not one of blame and shame. By actually stating its decision on the question of divestiture, Brown emphatically entered the climate change debate. And while there were few mechanisms at Brown’s disposal to make a difference on Sudan, there are many on climate change. Rather than shaming Paxson, let’s make sure she holds true to her promise to ensure that Brown “can lead and contribute to the societal response to climate change.” An effective leadership role might actually prove more influential than a decision to divest from coal companies.

Scott Warren ’09 can be reached for comment at scott.l.warren@ gmail.com. He wishes he could divest his own tax dollars from funding the U. S. Congress.

SexPowerGetouttahere: A message from the rejected EMILY KASSIE guest columnist

Most first-years quickly learn Sex Power God is one of Brown’s most famous — or infamous — traditions. The SPG Facebook event page calls itself “the greatest party of the year.” So who wouldn’t want to go? SPG is intended to be an inclusive event, during which students can feel free to explore themselves and their peers in a safe space.

But after attempting to purchase tickets for this year’s event, I found it to be quite the opposite — judgmental, exclusive and just a little bit rude.

I am a senior and have been to SPG twice already. I had a decent time, though I assure all of you who have not attended that it is somewhat overrated.

I embraced the environment, danced with friends and that was about it. Because this is my final year, I’ve been trying to participate in as many Brown events as possible — football games, theatrical performances, debates and so on. SPG was definitely on my list. I wanted to go one last time.

I arrived at the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center close to the “line up time,” which was 10 p.m. We set up chairs and were toward the back of the line. After about an hour, two event organizers came toward us. One of them aggressively told us to back up. We happily complied, even as she tapped her foot impatiently. As they began to herd us like cows, I tried to ask a question about tickets and was completely ignored.

An organizer returned at 11:45 p.m. and demanded we move all of our chairs out of the way and sit in the Underground, the small room at the back of Faunce’s narrow basement. After 10 minutes of shuffling, she told us to sit down. To my recollection, this is how the night’s conversation continued: “Do you mind if we sit in chairs?”

I asked.

“No. You need to just sit on the floor because we’re going to snake the line in here,” she replied.

“OK then,” I replied, a little put off.

“Ugh, this is so tedious,” she said, rolling her eyes.

Five minutes after we were settled, she returned again.

“Hey, so we actually brought you in

here to let you know you won’t be able to come to SPG this year. We have given out all the consent forms, so you can leave now.”

Jaws dropped. Did they really lie to us and get us in here just to smugly tell us we wouldn’t be invited to the event this year?

“What about us seniors?” one boy protested sadly.

“Yeah sorry, but you need to leave now,” she replied.

As my friends and I made our way out, two people in line decided SPG wasn’t for them and offered us their consent forms. Feeling a little rejected, we reluctantly took them and sat down to discuss whether it was worth it. After oscillating for five minutes, we decided SPG wasn’t for us this year, especially after the way we had been treated. As we made our way out, toward the door, the two organizers stopped us.

“Excuse me, but you didn’t have those consent forms 10 minutes ago.

What do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

I assured her they had been passed on by others. How else could we have gotten them? Stealing? Photocopying?

These are all tactics that I am not devi-

ous enough to pursue.

“I don’t believe you,” she replied.

I told her that was fine and that she was welcome to take the consent forms back — at this point we were on our way out. I handed them to her and left with my friends. They watched us until we left, suspecting that we might sneak a spot in the very “competitive” ticket line.

I left with a bad taste in my mouth.

The first-years I had come with also felt discouraged and uncomfortable and didn’t want to try to attend SPG again.

Something about the interaction made me deeply disappointed in some members of this community.

It’s no secret that there has been a lot of talk recently about nudity. I was a big advocate of protecting the sanctity of Nudity in the Upspace because of the positive messages and inclusive attitude it promotes. I think it is a thoughtful and constructive event. But SPG seems to be something very different.

In our collective response to Fox News, we claimed to have respect for one another and that our exploration of sexuality and other body-related issues have merit. But then we throw an event

that encourages “sexy underwear,” and elicits Facebook comments like, “yes, getting (SPG) tickets IS a competition.”

What kind of message are we sending to our community? I don’t think there is anything wrong with a party that just allows you to have fun and wear as little or as much as you want or interact sexually in a more open way. But I do think there is a problem with making what is meant to be an explorative, open event into an exclusive competition. SPG in its current form runs contrary both to the all-embracing environment Brown promote, and to a lot of what the Queer Alliance stands for.

I think it’s time for the organizers of the event to re-evaluate the way they approach the community and how they treat people who want to support or participate in their events. With an emphasis on exclusivity, competition and organizer power-trips, SPG has turned off a number of students this year. If if you ask me, that’s missing the point entirely.

Emily Kassie ’14 can be reached at emily_kassie@brown.edu.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

More respond to Ray Kelly controversy The past few days have shown us the best and the worst parts of being part of the Brown community. We’ve seen people organize some incredible movements, win battles, lose battles, fight all over Facebook, find common ground with unexpected partners, agree, disagree and agree to disagree. We’ve yelled at each other, with each other, and many of us have even cried out of visceral emotion and frustration.

Tuesday afternoon, I was angry. I felt silenced by all the emotions around me and by my own

conflicting feelings of allegiance to a variety of friends and communities.

Sometimes it is best to be silent and to just listen.

The past few days, I’ve listened to people all over the spectrum of views on this campus. I’ve argued with some, and I’ve sat quietly and tried to understand others. Wednesday night, I sat in Alumnae Hall with 600 of my peers, and I listened some more. And I can honestly say that I have never been prouder to be a part of this community of Brunonians.

We are different colors. We are

different genders. We come from so many different backgrounds and experiences. We are intellectuals, and we are protesters, and we are activists and thought-leaders, but first and foremost, we are one passionate community. And to be at a place where we can have these conversations, even while our differences persist, makes me prouder than I’ve ever been to call myself a Brown student.

Elena Saltzman ’16

I thank Professor of Biology Ken Miller ’70 P’02 for sharing how he was able to withstand the pleas of Holocaust survivors and walk past them to gain a lesson on the attractions of fascism from an American Nazi. I don’t think I could have done so. On the other hand, as a historian, I wouldn’t have needed that lesson. That said, I want to point out that every movement toward social justice in U.S. history has included “misbehavior.” “Misbehavior” is a tactic of the disempowered toward disrupting the status quo. Closing off discourse was not the protesters’ intention. A demand for a level playing field in that discourse was. I

suspect that had Ray Kelly been invited to speak as part of a Janus Forum, it would not have roused nearly as much opposition, if any at all. So unlike Miller, I applaud the student protesters for their moral courage in a righteous cause against racial profiling and brutal police tactics and for their resolution in the face of the harsh criticisms they have since endured. I am proud of you.

You inspire me to try to be a better teacher, scholar and person.

Naoko Shibusawa P’14 Associate Professor of History

daily herald sports friday THE BROWN

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 2013

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Naclerio ’16 ignites season in opening tournament The forward scored the game-winning goal in victories over Yale and Dartmouth

By BRUNO ZUCCOLO SPORTS STAFF WRITER

Mark Naclerio ’16 is starting his second season on men’s ice hockey with a bang after scoring two goals Friday in a 4-1 victory over Yale, the defending national champion, and notching another score in a 5-3 win over Dartmouth Saturday. He was recognized for his explosive start by being named ECAC Hockey Player of the Week.

But Naclerio is no stranger to the spotlight. In his first season on the ice, the forward was one of only seven to play in all 36 games and was the second top scorer on the team (1614-6, 7-9-6 ECAC), which advanced to the ECAC finals before falling to Union College. Naclerio received the James H. Fullerton Memorial Trophy as Brown’s Rookie of the Year at the end of last season.

For his notable contributions in kicking off the season, Naclerio is named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week.

The Herald: What did you think of your performance this weekend?

Naclerio: I was really happy with

it. The team as a whole played really well. We came out hard and we were really excited to play Yale, the defending national champs, and we really worked a lot and came out with a win.

What’s the feeling of scoring two goals in a match against the current national champions?

Well the focus was get a couple goals early on with the first couple games of the season. Sometimes guys get frustrated if they don’t get one for a couple games, so it was really good to get that under my belt.

Do you have any rituals, either personally or as a team, that you do before big games?

We always stretch as a team, we do the same thing, coach gives us a pep talk and we kick around a soccer ball a little bit. And then we get our sticks and go into warm-up, so nothing out of the ordinary, but we have little things that we do.

What’s the most memorable goal you’ve ever scored?

I guess it would be in high school, my junior year — I scored the gamewinner in a New England Championship Semifinals. I scored two goals that game, the fourth and fifth goals.

So I guess those would two of my most memorable goals, because then we went on to win the championship after that.

When did you start playing hockey?

I started when I was 5-years-old, so I started a long time ago.

What’s been your favorite class so far?

I really like (ENGN 0090: “Management of Industrial and Nonprofit Organizations”), with Professor (Barrett) Hazeltine. I took that my first fall freshman year, and it was really interesting and he’s a really good teacher.

What’s your favorite place on campus?

I’d say it’s the hockey house on

Angell Street. That’s where we all hang out and mess around as a team to have fun.

What do you do in your free time?

Free time? It’s pretty much all spent on hockey and homework. We play some video games every now and then, nothing too crazy.

What are you looking forward to this year?

Just really the start of the hockey season. I really hope that we can push beyond this year. … The goal is of winning a ECAC Championship and going on to the national tournament.

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Mark Naclerio ’16 has picked up two honors, ECAC Player of the Week and Liberty Invitational MVP, in two breakout games to start the season.

» FOOTBALL, from page 1 the injury is particularly problematic because Ragone’s strength comes with running the ball. Estes was quick to point to the opposing quarterback as Penn’s biggest weapon.

“Ragone, he’s one of the best quarterbacks in the league,” Estes said. “He’s a winner. He’s a very strong runner, he can throw the football and he has a lot of tools.”

If Ragone cannot go, senior Ryan Becker is a capable backup who led the team to victory over Yale last week.

Ragone and Spooney aside, the matchup to watch may be Donnelly and his receivers against the Penn secondary, the only defensive backfield in the conference to allow less than 200 yards per game. The Bruno signal-caller has thrown for over 290 yards in two of the last three games, thanks in large part to two games of over 100 yard receiving by wideout Jordan Evans ’14. “(Jordan and I) have played together for a while,” Donnelly said of their successful combination. “Jordan is a guy I talk to a lot, and it’s more just having trust in each other.”

The clash will be nationally televised and carries major Ivy League title implications. Estes said the Bears can prevail if they limit long scoring runs that hurt them in conference losses to Princeton and Harvard (5-1, 2-1).

“Somewhere within the game, we tend to have a quarter where things go a little haywire,” he said. “We have to do a better job of executing the game plan the whole way.”