Monday, December 2, 2013

Page 1

Daily

Herald

THE BROWN

vol. cxlviii, no. 119

since 1891

MONDAY, DECEMBER 2, 2013

TWC leaders aim to propose new name by July BSA The center’s mission and releases U. finances were also discussed at Tuesday’s preview of BUCC meeting new app By KIKI BARNES

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The app will include information on campus events and dining hall offerings

Leaders of the Third World Center hope to propose a new name for the center to President Christina Paxson by July 2014, said Mary Grace Almandrez, associate dean of the College and the center’s director, at a Tuesday Brown University Community Council meeting. The group also discussed priorities for a new dean of the College, the current state of the University endowment and an upcoming proposal for a new bike-sharing program. A new TWC strategic planning committee of administrators,

By KATYA BARRETT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Brown Student Agencies launched the online version of a new digital application earlier this month, in the first step toward releasing an official University-run app that distributes news at Brown and information from the local community. BSA’s new app provides online users with links to events and dining hall menus, news from Providence and contact information for the University’s departments and divisions. The app, which can be found at m.brown.edu, will be available to download for free onto both Apple and Android devices starting this spring. A BSA development team headed by Elisabeth Berger ’14 and Connor Shinn ’14 created the app in conjunction with Computing and Information Services, which aided with producing the technical structure. App developers said they have been working on the project for nearly two years. “We took a poll of about 350 students in the nascent stages of this project and asked them what they thought about a mobile app for Brown,” Shinn said. » See APP, page 3

ALAN SHAN / HERALD

The Brown University Community Council also discussed the search for a new dean and a proposal for a new bike-sharing program.

undergraduates, faculty members and alums will convene by December, Almandrez said. The center has already undergone a self-evaluation and external review, she said. The committee will strive to “develop a mission and vision that speaks to students of color,” including holding community-wide discussions to decide on a new name and reinvigorating the center’s commitment to student activism, Almandrez said. “We will try as much as we can to make this process inclusive,” she added. In a discussion about the search for a new dean of the College, council members highlighted communicativeness and accessibility as key traits a new dean must possess. So far, community feedback has emphasized that candidates should » See BUCC, page 2

Seeking ‘real world’ projects, midyear grads on the rise This December’s graduates took time off to pursue endeavors such as internships and community service By EMILY WOOLDRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Though the graduates at the Midyear Completion Celebration Dec. 7 will not be sporting caps and gowns, they will still be celebrating a momentous rite of passage. The number of midyear graduates has risen 28 percent over the past five years, according to data provided by the Office of Institutional Research. Between 2012 and 2013, 167 students completed their undergraduate degrees midyear, compared to 121 between 2009 and 2010. Many students graduate in the middle of the academic year after taking a semester away from the

University. Bridget Sauer ’13.5, who left Brown to pursue an internship in the Paris office of the fashion designer Hermes, said the experience was “life-changing and eye-opening.” Other midyear graduates shared similar sentiments about their experiences away from College Hill. Ian Trupin ’13.5, spent eight months in Tanzania working on community projects with his sister and getting to know his grandparents for the first time, he said. Rie Ohta ’13.5, who spent time abroad working for Habitat for Humanity in West Africa, said she came back “ready to take advantage of all Brown has to offer” and with a

perspective helpful for her development studies concentration. Other midyear graduates took time off to work on their senior theses or to pursue independent studies. Rob Bentlyewski ’13.5 stayed at the University for a ninth semester to conduct an independent study on Bruce Springsteen’s songwriting, while also squeezing in one more season with the rugby team, he wrote in an email to The Herald. By holding events such as potlucks off campus, leave-taking coordinators bring midyear graduates together to build a sense of community, Ohta said. Ashton Strait ’13.5 might not have been able to take time off without community support because her parents were already “a bit worried” by her plan, she wrote in an email

Midyear completions Since 2008, the number of students who graduated in the middle of year increased by 28 percent. 167 157 154 129

121

’08-09 ’09-10 ’10-11 ’11-12 ’12-13 Source: Office of Institutional Research

to The Herald “I think for their generation, people ‘took time off ’ as a way of dropping out of college, which obviously wasn’t my intention, but they still » See MIDYEAR, page 2

Foot traffic and culinary culture draw food trucks to Thayer Street

By CAROLINE KELLY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

On Thayer Street at dinner time, a veritable United Nations of aromas wafts through the air as Korean spices from Mama Kim’s mix with the savory aura of Plouf Plouf’s truffle frites. Behind the mobile walls of the trucks offering this variety of cuisines lie back stories as unique as the food served.

FEATURE

inside

‘Something different’ Many food truck owners said they decided to pursue their culinary dreams

by opening food trucks due to the comparatively lower startup costs of trucks over other food businesses. “You don’t have too much overhead at first, so I think it’s a great way to get your feet wet in the food industry if you want to own a business,” said Jason Vargas, co-owner of Fusion Gourmet, or Fugo, a Latin-and-Asian fusion truck. Mario Molliere, owner of Plouf Plouf Gastronomie, said he opted for a food truck because it made business sense given the “bad economy.” “I decided to do something different,” he added. “The operating costs are cheaper than a restaurant,” said Molliere, who previously owned two French restaurants in Connecticut. Owning a food truck “was a cheaper start for us, so that was much better than getting a full restaurant,” said Talita

Luna-Stackpole, who co-owns the Brazilian truck Lady Copacabana with her husband, Chris Stackpole. The increased flexibility of location offers another benefit, owners said. With a food truck, “you can go anywhere,” Luna-Stackpole said. “You go to people — you don’t have to wait for people to come to you.” “You have to choose your location if you have a restaurant, and it’s too much of a risk,” she added. “You can do a lot, actually, in a food truck. You can go places, you can go to fairs, and if you have a restaurant, you’re going to be just there.” Owners also described gratifying interactions with customers who wholeheartedly support their mission. “People really like coming, talking to you, because (food trucks are) » See FOOD TRUCKS, page 4

HERALD FILE PHOTO

Sook Kim P’01 and her son, Hyun Kim ’01, co-own Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ. Hyun Kim balances his work with an overseas job for the United Nations.

Year 40 for MPC

Time for Recess

Human works

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Minority Peer Counselor Program

Briz ’14 launched a website for Brown and RISD students to share nonfiction and art

Montes ’16 advocates for revamping the humanities to increase job prospects

UNIVERSITY NEWS, 3

ARTS & CULTURE, 5

COMMENTARY, 7

weather

Truck owners described lives of mobile adventure and connections with student customers

t o d ay

tomorrow

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