Wednesday, April 23, 2014

THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 56

since 1891

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

First-gen numbers rise, though U. funding steady

U. mishandled sexual assault case, victim says Alleged perpretrator received one-year suspension, will join victim on campus in fall

Students express concern over resources, funding and program’s home in Third World Center

By KATHERINE LAMB METRO EDITOR

By MOLLY SCHULSON SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Though a record 18 percent of students accepted into the class of 2018 will be the first in their families to attend college, the University does not plan on increasing its funding for first-generation student support, said Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services and interim dean of the College.

The University currently provides first-generation students with support through an initiative housed in the Third World Center, but some students feel there is not enough funding for programs and resources to meet their needs.

“We’re increasing every year, but for what purpose?” said Stanley Stewart ’16, who is currently enrolled in GISP 0009: “First-Generation in the Ivy League.”

“I’m really proud we’re bringing so many students who are going to be the first in their families to (go to college), but we need to think a lot more critically about what to do with those students once they’re here.”

KATHERINE LAMB / HERALD

Lena Sclove ’15.5 criticized the University’s sexual assault policies in a press conference in front of the Van Wickle Gates Tuesday.

The summer after her first semester as a transfer student, Lena Sclove ’15.5 was strangled and raped by another Brown student, she said at press conference Tuesday. Within two weeks, Sclove reported the incident to the Office of Student Life.

Eight months later, following three months of hearings, a disciplinary decision and subsequent appeals processes, University administrators are permitting the student Sclove identifies as her rapist to return to campus this fall. He received a oneyear suspension.

On Tuesday, students, community members and Sclove’s family and friends gathered outside the Van Wickle Gates as she publicly revealed the details of her rape and the University’s disciplinary decision on the case.

“This campus has come to mean a lot of things to me. And it’s become a really scary place,” Sclove said, addressing a crowd of more than 50 students, some holding signs that read “I stand in support of Lena” and “Maybe in the next 250 years Brown will realize rape is a crime, not a college prank.”

In the hours following Sclove’s press conference, Margaret Klawunn, interim dean of the College and vice president for campus life and student services, sent out a campus-wide email announcing that the University’s sexual assault policy would be a focus of discussion at today’s Brown » See SCLOVE, page 2

Fausto-Sterling retires with legacy spanning disciplines

Anne Fausto-Sterling will use retirement to ‘focus on research’ after 42 year career at the University

By RILEY DAVIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The Division of Biology and Medicine, the Gender and Sexuality Studies Program and the Science and the Technology Studies program may The right move? seem like three About seven years ago, both the very distinct Office of the Dean of the College and parts of the University, but they all the Office of Campus Life and Student have at least one thing in common Services initiated separate efforts to — Anne Fausto-Sterling. improve first-generation student supA professor of biology and gender port through programs that have since studies, Fausto-Sterling will retire » See FIRST-GEN, page 3 this June after 44 years at Brown. Her

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

career has been extensive, including publishing several books and dozens of articles, teaching thousands of students, and initiating and catalyzing change in departments and fields plagued by gender bias and sexism.

Developing an identity Fausto-Sterling received her bachelor of arts in zoology from the University of Wisconsin in 1965 and her PhD in developmental genetics from Brown in 1970. She then went on to work as a post-doctoral student with Professor Emeritus of Biology John Coleman. Immediately, FaustoSterling began challenging both the gender bias she found in the biology division at Brown and the scientific methodology being used by her male colleagues. » See RETIREMENT, page 4

COURTESY OF THE PEMBROKE CENTER

Anne Fausto-Sterling, professor of biology and gender studies, helped to establish the University’s Science and Technology Studies program.

Biology, computer science dominate sophomore declarations The top ten most popular sophomore declarations as of April 16 were mostly consistent with last year’s group. Computer Science rose from 6th to 2nd, Neuroscience dropped from 4th to 7th place and the renamed Public Health concentration debuted at 9th.

97

1. Biology 2. Computer Science

82

By ALBERT ANDERSON

78

3. Business, Entrep. and Organ.

STAFF WRITER

71

4. Economics 63

5. Political Science 6. International Relations

58

7. Engineering

57

7. Neuroscience

57 52

9. Public Health 43

10. History Source: Office of the Registrar

JILLIAN LANNEY / HERALD

No concentration in the humanities ranked in the top 10 most declared concentrations by sophomores this year.

inside

Recent spike in popularity leaves computer science department ill-equipped to support concentrators

Biology topped the list of most popular concentration declarations — submitted by sophomores April 1 — for the second consecutive year, while computer science displaced economics, which witnessed a significant drop in declarations, for second place in this year’s declaration process.

With 97 total declarations as of earlier this month, biology took the top spot, according to sophomore declaration data provided by the

Science & Research

Office of the Registrar. Computer science was the second-most declared at 82, continuing its decade-long upward trend. The number of sophomores declaring computer science has more than quadrupled since spring 2005, when just 19 sophomores did so.

Economics was once again among the most popular concentrations, but counted 30 fewer declarations than last spring.

Faculty members cautioned that sophomores continue to add or switch declarations through their spring semester.

“Computer science seemed intriguing, so I decided to continue on with it and realized how powerful it could be,” said Arun Varma ’16, a newly declared applied

Commentary

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weather

Most popular concentration declarations, 2014

math-computer science concentrator who said he had considered engineering before discovering his passion for computer science. The availability of jobs after graduation was likely a factor in the increasing popularity of the concentration, Varma said, adding that popular media portrayals of tech-centered characters, like Mark Zuckerberg in “The Social Network” and the character Q in “Skyfall,” have challenged the program’s stereotype as a “geeky” subject.

Roberto Tamassia, professor of computer science and chair of the department, said he does not see the rise in the concentration’s popularity slowing down any time soon.

“Computing is the future, and new discoveries in computing are what » See DECLARE, page 4 t o d ay

tomorrow

56 / 37

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2 university news » SCLOVE, from page 1 University Community Council meeting.

“Brown University takes issues of sexual assault and sexual misconduct with the utmost seriousness,” wrote Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations, in an email to The Herald.

Senior Associate Dean for Student Life Allen Ward declined to comment, directing The Herald to Quinn.

Klawunn did not respond to Herald inquiries.

From August to December Daniel Kopin ’16 “was a former friend of mine, and we had hooked up a couple times,” Sclove said, adding that they “decided we wouldn’t do it again.”

Sclove spent last summer — the summer following her first semester at Brown after transferring from Tufts University — in Providence. On Aug. 2, she attended a party, where she ran into Kopin.

At the party, Kopin, who was a junior at the time, strangled Sclove twice and raped her, she said.“I said no over seven times. I never said yes.”

Following the incident, Sclove filed reports with both the Providence Police Department and the OSL. “I knew what had happened. I knew it was wrong, and I had been counseled that I should go report, and that this process would bring me justice and would be part of my healing process,” she said.

Kopin did not return multiple requests for comment Tuesday night.

Though Sclove reported the incident to OSL within two weeks, a University hearing was set for Oct. 11, more than two months after the rape. During that time, Sclove said, she was constantly worried about Kopin’s presence on campus, unable to forget that he was “still living in that dorm — right over there.”

“I had to see him in the campus center, in the library, in the dining hall,” she said.

The Student Conduct Board, a group of students, deans and faculty members charged with holding and reviewing University disciplinary hearings, found Kopin was in violation of four items in the Student Conduct Code: (2a) “Actions that result in or can be reasonably expected to result in physical harm to a person or persons,” (5a) “Illegal possession or use of drugs and/or alcohol and/ or drug paraphernalia,” (3a) “Sexual misconduct that involves non-consensual physical contact of a sexual nature” and (3b) “Sexual misconduct that includes one or more of the following: penetration, violent physical force or injury.”

Following the board’s analysis, the case was referred to Ward, who made the final disciplinary decision, Sclove said. Kopin was suspended from the University for one year. He is set to return in fall 2014.

Sclove immediately appealed the University’s decision with a letter explaining her extreme unease with Kopin’s scheduled return.

“I still had two years left to finish my degree and was not going to be safe with those sanctions,” she said.

Kopin made no appeal to the decision, Sclove said.

In her appeal, Sclove wrote that the Student Conduct Board that had heard the testimony for the case

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

recommended a two-year suspension, but Ward finalized a suspension of one year.

Klawunn did not grant Sclove’s appeal, writing in a letter to her, “The Board determines the findings of responsibility but does not determine the sanction,” and in her case, “the precedent of similar cases needed consideration.”

But, Klawunn also wrote that “given the nature of the combined offenses in this case, Dean Ward, in addition to considering a period of separation, should have considered imposing a probationary period.” In response to Sclove’s appeal, Klawunn instituted the probationary status, amending the original decision. She also noted that a “No Contact Order” would remain in place should both Sclove and her perpetrator be enrolled at Brown together at any point in the future.

During the appeals process, Kopin remained on campus, leaving Brown just before Thanksgiving, Sclove said.

Despite his presence on campus for the majority of the fall semester, Kopin did not receive academic credit due to his suspended status.

As a result of the assault, Sclove said, she suffered a cervical spine injury and was forced to take a medical leave of absence this semester.

“I lost my one semester of freedom, and my next opportunity to come back as a student to matriculate here at Brown is the same semester that the rapist is allowed to come back and matriculate here at Brown,” she said.

Disciplinary decisions “In cases where a crime may have been committed, the reporting student is counseled about criminal justice options and may be encouraged to file a criminal complaint,” Quinn wrote to The Herald. “Whether or not such a complaint is filed, the student receives substantial support from deans, counselors or advocates.”

The disciplinary hearing process took an “incredible amount of time and energy,” Sclove said. But with her parents’ financial and moral support, she was able to take a reduced course load in the fall to “maintain some semblance of sanity” throughout the process, she added.

“I was really sort of encouraged that reporting to the University is much safer than going to the police and pursuing a criminal case,” Sclove said. “I was not treated terribly during the hearing, but at the same time, I was not kept safe.”

When she was notified that she needed to pick up the charge letter for the case — a document both she and her perpetrator were required to obtain in accordance with University policy — she found herself in the same building as Kopin and his father, who were picking up the letter in a room nearby.

“I thought I was just going to pick up a piece of paper, so I went by myself,” she told The Herald. “There was no sensitivity to my state of trauma, to my state of shock or to the potential thought that he could be guilty.”

Sclove said she was not notified when her perpetrator was asked to leave campus and found out that he had left Brown after another week of “living in fear.”

The assault itself followed by the administration’s decision-making process felt like a “double rape,” said

COURTESY OF LENA SCLOVE

Richard Sclove, Lena’s father, at the Tuesday press conference. “It’s hard for me to localize my rage.”

“We understand the trauma of sexual assault and while we are working to ensure we have a good and fair process, it does not always yield a completely satisfying outcome for someone who has been victimized,” Quinn wrote.

“We are and will continue to work with students to develop the best possible process for managing sexual assaults on our campus,” she added.

“The process has to be reviewed and revamped,” said Mitchell Garabedian, Sclove’s attorney, told The Herald. “The sanction, which allows for the perpetrator to be attending Brown University while the victim

is attending Brown University, is in essence harmful to the victim and sends a message by the University that they are throwing sensitivity and understanding of sexual harassment or assault out the window.”

Culture of disbelief Though many of her friends and other Brown students had previously spoken out against sexual assault, Sclove said it is easy to “stand against an issue until it’s your best friend who’s accused of it.”

The denial she experienced on campus “speaks to a culture of disbelief,” Sclove told The Herald. “There are students on this campus who hate me for doing this.”

While some of Kopin and Sclove’s

mutual friends testified against her allegations of rape, another Brown student submitted a letter to the University describing her own assault

by Kopin.

“The University has on file a letter that this person has assaulted another woman on this campus but does not acknowledge it in their decisionmaking process because the rapist objected to it being included,” Sclove said. Kopin’s objection was in line with University policy on reviewing sexual assault cases, which stipulates that new cases cannot be utilized as supplemental information to ongoing analysis.

During Tuesday’s press conference, » See SCLOVE, page 3

university news 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

» FIRST-GEN, from page 1 fused, Klawunn said.

Increased support for first-generation students developed after the Admission Office began to report how many first-generation college students were being admitted, she added.

While Associate Dean of the College for Fellowships Linda Dunleavy began efforts to support advising for first-generation students, the OCL received a donation from an alum interested in creating first-generation student programming. At that time, the University was “recognizing that we were starting to get a critical mass of first-generation students here,” Klawunn added.

The first-generation student population is a “really diverse community, so it’s hard to generalize what their needs are,” said Joshua Segui, assistant director for co-curricular initiatives at the TWC. As the first members of their families to go to college, first-generation students may not be able to seek advice from their parents on certain issues due to their inexperience with the college experience. They also may feel unprepared for classes or disoriented by the college environment and culture, said Manuel Contreras ’16, another GISP 0009 participant.

“Figuring out this culture for a lot of (first-generation) students is like decoding another language,” Stewart said.

Once the Office of the Dean of the College and the OCL decided to work together, they began to solicit student opinion, create faculty focus groups and bring in guest speakers to spark

» SCLOVE, from page 2 Richard Sclove, Lena’s father, pointed to a study co-authored by Paul Miller, a Boston-based psychologist and former postdoctoral fellow at Alpert Medical School, which found that 90 percent of rapes are committed by repeat rapists, and rapists who also choked victims are at a higher risk of repeat offenses.

Victims can be seen as “vindictive” or “doing it for attention,” but “this is about safety,” said Emma Hall ’16, who is a survivor of sexual assault on campus and underwent a hearing process similar to Sclove’s.

“You can’t have a good education unless the person feels safe, and (Lena) doesn’t feel safe at all,” Robert Hoatson, co-founder and president of Road to Recovery, Inc., a nonprofit

conversation about the challenges and needs of first-generation students, Klawunn said.

When these two offices were in charge of support, “there (were) a lot more resources allocated to firstgeneration programming” than there are now, said Jenny Li ’14.

Ultimately, the first-generation student support group was moved to the TWC as the University realized that many conversations among first-generation students focused on race and class, Klawunn said. Shifting support to the TWC would not only enrich these conversations, but also provide the TWC with more staffing, she added.

But students and administrators are now questioning whether the initiative belongs in the TWC, and the University is conducting an evaluation of the intiative’s “home,” Klawunn said.

Contreras said housing the initiative in the TWC “sends an interesting message to conflate students of color and first-generation students.” Students who do not identify as people of color might feel uncomfortable going to the TWC to talk about being firstgeneration students, he added.

“The TWC is already doing a million things for students on campus,” Li said, adding that the center’s resources are stretched thin.

First-generation students are “low on the totem pole” priority-wise, said Mya Roberson ’16. “We don’t really have the numbers compared to all of the minority students put together.”

‘Love, support and care’ According to its website, the TWC’s that assists victims of sexual abuse and their families, told The Herald.

“We want this person expelled from this campus, permanently.”

“Unfortunately, (this case is) typical of college campuses across the country where individuals being sexually harassed or sexually assaulted are then re-victimized by the process, wherein the process is not effective,” Garabedian said.

In preparation for the University’s review of the Code of Student Conduct and its disciplinary processes in the fall of 2014, “this spring we have been meeting with and listening to student concerns” surrounding “guidelines, policies and sanctioning standards for sexual misconduct hearings,” Klawunn wrote in her email to the University community yesterday.

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first-generation student initiative is “committed to providing academic and social support for first-gen students.”

Academically, the initiative does a “good job” supporting students, said Tolulope Lawal ’16, the initiative’s student coordinator. It has hosted events this year related to funding passions, studying abroad, LINK/SEW awards and internships, all specifically aimed at first-generation students, said Maitrayee Bhattacharyya, associate dean of the College for diversity programs.

“Everything that is done in the current initiative is done out of love, support and care,” said GISP 0009 participant Kim Charles ’16.

Bhattacharyya, Segui, Lawal and Mary Grace Almandrez, director of the TWC and assistant dean of the College, act as a “first line of resources and contacts for first-generation students,” Bhattacharyya said.

“Our mission is to support every student the best way we possibly can,” she said. “As an ongoing process, we’ll continue to collect input and feedback and think about what we need to do going forward.”

Outreach begins early, with a firstgeneration event during A Day On College Hill, Bhattacharyya said. Then, over the summer, the initiative sends a welcome email to incoming firstgeneration first-years. Once they arrive on campus, the initiative hosts an orientation week event where the students can meet each other for the first time, Segui said. This year, the initiative has created 13 different events specifically for first-generation students, including a welcome dinner, various panels and a bowling night.

The initiative seeks to partner with students to plan and organize programming, Bhattacharyya said, noting that some events are “studentinitiated” and others are created based on student interest.

Improvements identified Many first-generation students said they wished the University offered them more resources, better mentorship and opportunities to build a stronger sense of community.

“Funds allocated to first-generation events are very minimal in comparison to a lot of other programs,” Lawal said.

Funding is key to building a community of first-generation students, Roberson said. “Because of limited funding, there are only a couple of events held each semester.” As a result, there is “not as much of a community as there should be,” she added.

Though funding for first-generation student support will not increase next year, Klawunn said if there is a need and students come forward to say what resources would be helpful, the University will look into whether more money should be allocated to the initiative.

A few years ago, a first-generation student group existed that facilitated weekly or bi-weekly discussion, Li said.

“It was a small community, but it was a community,” she added. By Li’s junior year, the group no longer existed.

The current initiative does not address the social challenges that come with being a first-generation student, Lawal said. “There might be a need for a student group,” he added.

Having a student group would

allow for more funding and would make it easier to request space for events, Roberson said. “That’s something I’d like to see before I graduate.”

In 2007, a group of first-generation students created a mentoring group called First-Gen, The Herald reported at the time. Though this group is no longer active, many students feel that having a mentor who understands their perspectives would be beneficial.

“My Meiklejohn wasn’t first-generation and therefore couldn’t relate to the same issues,” Roberson said.

It would be “greatly helpful” if firstgeneration Meiklejohns were matched with first-generation first-years, she added.

Klawunn said she wants to work on educating more advisers and deans so that they are aware of issues firstgeneration students face and know how to support them.

But the problem surrounding firstgeneration support may not be a lack of resources but rather students’ failure to take advantage of them, Stanley said.

Though many students often have a hard time asking for support, first-generation students who actively look for a mentor will find one, Li said. “There are some really wonderful people who look out for first-generation students,” she added.

But not all first-generation students think targeted support is necessary.

“I don’t think first-generation students need help specifically designed for them, but rather we should have broader initiatives to help all first-time college students,” wrote Ronnie Wu ’16 in an email to The Herald.

4 university news » RETIREMENT, from page 1 When Fausto-Sterling began working in Coleman’s lab, molecular biology approaches to problems were beginning to dominate the field.

“Those approaches were very reductionist — meaning you try to couch things in simple terms and add layers of complexity,” Coleman said. “I don’t think she ever agreed with that approach.”

Fausto-Sterling established herself early on as someone with evolving ideas in the field of biology, he added.

“She was not easy to work with,” Coleman said, laughing while adding that he has always recognized himself as being “one of the few males in our department who could in fact work with her in the classroom.”

Fausto-Sterling said she is often cited as “challenging entrenched scientific beliefs,” which have often overlapped with gender bias. “(Male) scientists were saying, ‘Well, women can’t do this because they menstruate every month, or they’re weak, or they just don’t have the aggressive personality it takes to succeed,’” she added. “That sent me on a path of really looking (at) where those ideas come from in the biological literature.”

Initiating the interdisciplinary Despite her extensive career in the fields of biology and gender studies, Fausto-Sterling said she is proudest to have helped establish a new program — Science and Technology Studies. The science and society concentration within STS was not officially approved until 2006, but Fausto-Sterling has been involved in the program ever since it was just a reading group of professors.

Fausto-Sterling said she hopes the program will continue to exist and thrive once she retires. “I think the students who gravitate towards it are especially interesting,” she said, adding that she thinks the program

has gained good ground since its inception.

“She has always been the driving force behind getting it from a reading group to the program it is now,” said Tara Nummedal, associate professor of history. Nummedal recently replaced Fausto-Sterling as head of the STS program.

“They’re big shoes to fill,” Nummedal said.

It’s (not) a man’s world Fausto-Sterling’s impact on gender and sexuality studies at the University as well as women’s rights have also been palpable, many students and faculty members said.

Fausto-Sterling said her favorite moment in women’s history at Brown was the Lamphere v. Brown class action case. In 1974, Louise Lamphere, assistant professor of anthropology, was denied tenure. Lamphere filed charges against the University for sex discrimination, and eventually won her case. As a result, the University instituted new policies regarding the hiring of women.

This action put the University ahead of other institutions in the development of women’s rights, FaustoSterling said. “We’re doing a lot better than we were and a lot better than other schools,” she added.

Much of Fausto-Sterling’s work has been focused on continuing to fight gender discrimination and define sexuality in the public image. Fausto-Sterling has written two books for a general audience, “Myths of Gender: Biological Theories about Women and Men” and “Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality,” according to Fausto-Sterling’s website.

Throughout her career, she has challenged traditional gender norms, such as in her seminal paper “The Five Sexes,” in which she questions the dichotomy of the traditional gender system. Much of her work in gender studies is based on her

background in developmental genetics.

Deborah Weinstein ’93, assistant director of the Pembroke Center and director of the Gender and Sexuality Studies Program, met Fausto-Sterling 25 years ago when Weinstein was an undergraduate at Brown. Over the years, Fausto-Sterling became her adviser, mentor and eventual colleague.

One of the things that sets FaustoSterling and her auspicious career apart from others is her dedication to both scholarship and institutional development, as well as the way she thinks, Weinstein said.

Fausto-Sterling is “an incredibly sharp and critical reader. She has a very insightful way of cutting right to the heart of an issue,” Weinstein said. “These are things that I value tremendously about her.”

A lasting impression Faculty members and students who have worked with Fausto-Sterling described her as a force to be reckoned with. But undergraduates also found her to be warm, approachable and always willing to help.

Shelby Wilson ’15 said she knew she wanted to be a science and society concentrator as a first-year, but she was not particularly sure why. She made an appointment with FaustoSterling “without realizing how big of a deal she was.”

Wilson said Fausto-Sterling was “very sweet and encouraging, but also very direct” in the advice she gave.

Gopika Krishna ’13 MD’17 worked with Fausto-Sterling on her honors thesis and said she always found her to be “really approachable.” She said Fausto-Sterling encouraged her to take the initiative on her own research. “She really wanted to share her knowledge with me, but she also wanted me to develop a lot of thoughts on my own.”

- With additional reporting by Isobel Heck

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

Notable trends in concentration declarations Over the past few years, some of the College’s larger concentrations have seen major increases or decreases in the number of students declaring those concentrations. For example, Human Biology, which was modified and renamed Health and Human Biology prior to the spring of 2012, has seen a large decrease while Biology has seen an increase.

NUMBER OF SPRING CONCENTRATION DECLARATIONS:

120

Biology 90

Computer Science Economics International Relations

60

Health and Human Biology

30

2009

’10

’11

’12

’13

’14

Note: 2014 figures are as of Apr. 16 while previous year figures are as of the end of the spring semester. While most concentrations are approved by Apr. 16, a small number are not.

Source: Office of the Registrar GREG JORDAN-DETAMORE / HERALD

» DECLARE, from page 1 will create economic growth and prosperity,” he said.

Tamassia expressed concerns that the increased number of concentrators has placed a strain on the department’s resources, saying that he looks forward to receiving additional support from the University as President Christina Paxson’s strategic plan is implemented. In the meantime, “we are experiencing a major crisis as resources we get from the University have remained flat or declining while enrollments have exploded,” he said.

Economics, which has been one of the most popular concentrations in recent years, witnessed a 28 percent decrease in declarations from last year and a 41 percent drop from 2012.

The department recently added two additional curricular requirements stipulating that concentrators in the class of 2016 or later must take two econometrics courses, rather than one, and must take MATH 0100: “Introductory Calculus, Part II” or a higher-level calculus course.

But Roberto Serrano, professor of economics and chair of the department, said decreasing the number of concentrators was not an objective of the curricular revisions. “The change was motivated because economics is a very rigorous and quantitative discipline, and we felt that we had to do something about making an undergraduate curriculum more like economics is today,” Serrano said, adding that the curriculum is now more in line with other universities’ requirements.

“We don’t want to be the department with the highest number of students because we are very aware of the strain that puts on the resources that we have,” Serrano said. “The emphasis in recent years has been to create a better learning environment for our concentrators.”

At 78 declarations, business, entrepreneurship and organizations was the third-most popular declared concentration for the second consecutive year.

Rounding out the top five declared concentrations was political science, which had 63 declarations, an increase of 16 over last year’s total.

Vanshika Goenka ’16 said the curriculum and faculty played a primary role in her decision to concentrate in political science.

“There aren’t as many requirements, which allows you to take other classes at the same time you fulfill your political science requirements,” Goenka said, adding that similar concentrations like international relations can have burdensome course loads that limit exploration of other academic interests and can make it difficult to focus on a thesis.

English experienced a notable decline in declarations, falling to 23 from 39 last year.

History has decreased from a recent high of 88 declarations in 2005 to 43 declarations as of this year’s April 1 deadline.

While Department of English faculty members declined to comment on the concentration’s recent trend, Cynthia Brokaw, professor of history and chair of the department, said she hoped her department’s downward trend is leveling off based on an increased number of declarations in 2013 as compared to 2012 and a large number of overall students enrolled in history courses.

“What’s been happening at Brown is a national problem, and I’m cautiously hopeful that we’re turning a corner,” Brokaw said.

“In the wake of the recession, people are more and more concerned about majoring in courses that appear to be giving them an economic advantage,” she said, citing such concerns as a possible explanation for the recent dip in history concentrations.

Neuroscience also experienced a decrease in declarations, declining from 76 last year to 57 this year. The concentration had the fourth-highest total last year, but fell off the top-five list for sophomore declarations this spring.

Ayumi Tsuda ’16 said she chose the concentration in order to prepare for medical school and because she found the material interesting.

“I think the decrease in popularity can be attributed to the increasing interest in concentrations like computer science that are perceived as very employable by students right now,” Tsuda said.

university news 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

Position title affects paycheck, not student approval University treats nontenure-track professors better than other schools do, profs. say

By WING SZE HO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Students may not pay much attention to their course instructors’ official titles when picking classes, but faculty members said their tenure-track status influences their work experiences.

At Brown, professors and associate professors are tenured, which means that they are entitled to guaranteed job security and additional benefits at the University. Assistant professors are on the tenure track and, in most cases, are given eight years to earn their tenures. Non-tenure-track faculty members include lecturers and senior lecturers, while non-regular faculty members, such as visiting and adjunct professors, are hired on a temporary basis. Just 9 percent of regular faculty members are not on the tenure track, according to data from the Office of Institutional Research.

“I do see a divide between the tenure-track faculty and the nontenure-track faculty,” said Catherine Imbriglio, senior lecturer in English.

“I do not feel that non-tenure-track faculty have as much status and respect in the University in practical terms, such as monetary and retirement compensation.”

Even among non-tenure-track faculty, divisions arise between regular and non-regular faculty members, Imbriglio said. Poor treatment of nonregular faculty members is “a problem in higher (education) that should be addressed,” she added.

Adjunct lecturers who are not hired on a full-time basis are not eligible for sabbatical or scholarly leaves, Imbriglio said. These faculty members

FEATURE

are also not eligible to receive funds for travel and course development.

But many faculty members did not characterize the division between tenure- and non-tenure-track faculty as problematic, with several saying that the University cultivates strong relationships regardless of position.

“Brown treats (non-tenure-track faculty) very well,” said Susan Resnick, visiting lecturer in English, who is currently on a full-year contract. “We are treated with kindness.”

Being an adjunct or visiting professor at other institutions is “very tough” as those professors often receive low pay and do not get offices, Resnick added. But the University pays adjunct and visiting professors “one of the highest (salaries) per course across the country,” she said.

Non-tenure-track faculty members tend to stay for long periods of time, said Luther Spoehr, senior lecturer in education, who has been at the University since 1996.

Though contracts with non-regular faculty members only last for short spans of time, they are easily renewed from year to year, Imbriglio said, noting that some non-regular faculty members have been teaching at Brown for as long as 18 years.

Lecturers and senior lecturers do not receive promotional benefits, such as salary increases, when they renew their contracts, she said. “It’d be great if such issues are addressed,” Imbriglio said.

Several faculty members highlighted a difference in the types of courses taught by tenure-track and non-tenure-track faculty members.

In the Department of French Studies, non-tenure-track faculty members teach language courses and tenuretrack faculty members teach literature and civilization courses, said Lewis Seifert, professor of French studies and chair of the department.

Along the same lines, non-tenuretrack faculty members usually teach

$155,000

Median salaries of University faculty Across the University, non-tenure-track faculty members make less than tenure-track and tenured faculty members, though salaries vary significantly between departments.

$100,845 $85,500

$81,000 $68,000

51.8% of regular faculty

17.7%

Professors

Associate Professors

21.3%

5.3%

Assistant Professors

3.9%

Lecturers

Senior Lecturers

AVERY CRITS-CHRISTOPH / HERALD

introductory science courses and writing courses, Imbriglio said.

The two types of faculty have different responsibilities, Imbriglio said, noting that non-tenure-track faculty members do not have a research obligation.

Though faculty members may teach different types of courses depending on position, some administrators and course instructors praised Brown’s across-the-board focus on the quality of teaching.

“I am not convinced that there is a difference in the level of teaching quality between tenure-track faculty and non-tenure-track faculty,” said Kevin McLaughlin P’12, dean of the faculty.

“At Brown, teaching is a large part of the culture,” Spoehr said. “Tenuredtrack (faculty members) spend a lot of time on teaching.”

The University describes itself as a “university-college,” which suggests that the school is “not just about research,” Spoehr said. “Research-oriented tenure-track professors spend

less time on teaching, but when they are teaching, most of the time they are quite effective.”

“Among the best teachers I know, some are in tenure-track positions, some are in non-tenure-track positions,” said John Stein, senior lecturer in neuroscience. Teaching quality “is not determined by their positions,” he added.

“Professors who are engaged in research actively want to teach undergraduates and are very concerned about their quality of teaching,” Seifert said.

But Imbriglio said she does not think “the University values teachers as much as it could.”

Students said faculty members’ titles and tenure status generally do not make a difference in their course selection.

Haley de la Rosa ’17, an intended education concentrator, said her two favorite course instructors are Zoe Langer GS, a teaching assistant in ITAL 0200: “Elementary Italian,” and Margary Martin, a visiting assistant

professor in education, who is considered a non-regular faculty member.

“She is a very available professor,” Rosa said of Martin. “She matches every student with a mentor, and reaches out to the Providence community for youth events.”

“My professors who are doing research are much less engaging and don’t take ownership of the material they teach,” wrote computer science concentrator Susan Goldblatt ’14 in an email to The Herald.

“Sometimes it’s clear they didn’t make the slides they’re presenting or they haven’t programmed the languages they are teaching for many years,” she added.

Naishad I ’17, a history concentrator, said he did not know the difference between his professors’ titles, though he was aware that his Arabic instructor, Visiting Lecturer in Language Studies Alla Hassan, is not on the tenure track.

“If the professor is engaging, you become more interested in the subject and you will learn more,” he said.

6 university news

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

Poll finds heightened faculty disapproval of Paxson, Corp.

Do you approve or disapprove of the way Christina Paxson is handling her job as president of the University?

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Just over half of faculty members approve of President Christina Paxson’s job performance, while the share of faculty members who disapprove has increased from last spring, according to the results of a Herald poll conducted April 14-18.

Almost 20 percent of the faculty disapproves of Paxson’s handling of her job, with 16 percent somewhat disapproving and 3 percent strongly disapproving. Last year, only 4 percent of the faculty expressed disapproval. This year, roughly 26 percent strongly approve and 26 percent somewhat approve.

About 29 percent expressed no opinion. Last year, about 66 percent approved, while 30 percent had no opinion.

Roughly 40 percent of respondents indicated they strongly or somewhat approve of the Corporation’s handling of its job. This marks a substantial decrease from last spring, when roughly 60 percent of the faculty indicated approval. Twenty-two percent of the faculty strongly or somewhat disapprove of the Corporation’s job performance, compared to 16 percent one year ago.

The declines in faculty approval of both Paxson and the Corporation come after a series of controversial events last fall, including the shutdown of a lecture by former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly and the Corporation’s decision not to divest from major fossil fuel companies.

About 41 percent of faculty poll respondents indicated that they believe the students who caused the

Faculty opinion on President Christina Paxson

ng

By KIKI BARNES UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

shutdown of Kelly’s lecture should not receive any disciplinary action.

Roughly 59 percent said they believe the students involved should receive disciplinary action, but were divided on what these actions should be. Seven percent believe the students should be expelled or suspended, while 17 percent believe they should be put on probation and 35 percent favor a lesser degree of disciplinary action.

Approval of the Faculty Executive Committee’s handling of its job has also dropped since last spring, with about half of the faculty expressing approval, compared to 60 percent last year. Another 42 percent indicated no opinion of the committee’s performance, while 9 percent indicated strong or moderate disapproval.

Expanding financial aid emerged as a leading priority for faculty members, with roughly 47 percent of respondents indicating this should be one of the University’s top three priorities in the coming years.

Strengthening research and improving undergraduate teaching are also strong faculty member priorities, according to the poll — about 40 percent of respondents included one of those options among their top three. About 32 percent indicated that the University should make more opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration a top priority in the coming years, and the same percentage of respondents included the Graduate School among their top three priorities.

Roughly 29 percent of respondents said boosting faculty diversity should be a top priority, while 27 percent selected increasing faculty salaries and benefits. Upgrading physical facilities ranked in the top three of about 16 percent of respondents.

Only 3 percent of respondents chose the School of Engineering as one of their top three priorities for the University, and less than 1 percent of respondents selected the

St ro

Faculty members list improving financial aid, research, undergraduate teaching as top concerns

JILLIAN LANNEY /HERALD

Alpert Medical School or the School of Public Health.

Roughly 17 percent of respondents believe that the faculty had a significant level of input in Paxson’s strategic plan, while 27 percent responded that the faculty had a moderate level of input and 21 percent believed they had a small amount of input. About 6 percent said the faculty had no input in forming the strategic plan. About 28 percent had no opinion.

Paxson’s strategic planning proposal to increase the total student and faculty population by roughly 1 percent per year for the next decade received general approval from faculty poll respondents. About 58 percent agree with the tentative growth plan, with 19 percent expressing strong agreement and 39 percent declaring moderate agreement. Roughly 12 percent somewhat disagree and 5 percent strongly disagree. About a quarter of respondents indicated that

they had no opinion.

The faculty is divided on approval of the University’s childcare resources and spousal support for faculty members, according to the poll. Roughly 28 percent of the faculty strongly or somewhat disapprove and 20 percent strongly or somewhat approve. A majority — about 52 percent — of the faculty had no opinion.

A large majority of the faculty expressed the belief that first-year students are prepared for academic success when they come to Brown.

About 31 percent of poll respondents indicated that first-years are very prepared and 63 percent indicated that they come somewhat or moderately prepared. Just 3 percent responded that first-years are mostly or completely unprepared, while 2 percent had no opinion.

Half of faculty respondents to the poll strongly support the addition of pluses and minuses to the University’s grading system, and another

21 percent somewhat support the change. Roughly 6 percent somewhat disapprove and 14 percent strongly disapprove, while 8 percent had no opinion.

Support for adding pluses and minuses to the grading system has fallen slightly from 2003, when 82 percent of faculty members backed such a revision, according to a poll conducted that year by the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning.

Methodology Questionnaires were sent to the email accounts of all faculty members currently teaching undergraduate courses. One hundred and thirtyfive responses were recorded out of a population of 680. The poll has a 7.6 percent margin of error with 95 percent confidence.

The Herald’s editorial board coordinated the poll, with assistance from Graphics Editor Greg JordanDetamore ’14.

university news 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

Corliss-Brackett House has rich history, unexplained secrets Building contains several unique features including early thermostat system, hidden rooms

By ALEKSANDRA LIFSHITS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

One in an occasional series of articles spotlighting the architectural and social history of spaces at Brown.

Functioning over the years as a home, a movie set, the Admission Office and now the Department of Philosophy, the Corliss-Brackett House has seen it all.

Its dynamic nature and hidden secrets make it not the typical red-brick University building. Sitting at the corner of Prospect and Angell streets, the mansion is one of six Brown buildings listed under the National Register of Historic Places.

George Henry Corliss, who famously invented a more efficient steam engine, constructed the house in 1882. Though Corliss came to Providence to receive support for a machine that sewed leather, he later became famous for creating a “great 1,400-horsepower engine that supplied the power used in Machinery Hall at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia,” Raymond Rhinehart ’62 wrote in his book “Brown University: The Campus Guide.”

As an innovator, Corliss applied

FEATURE

many of his new engineering ideas to the house. When Corliss’ second wife fell ill, her doctor advised her to spend the cold winter months in Bermuda, so he set out on a mission that most husbands would not dare take on: bringing Bermuda to Providence. Corliss installed one of the world’s first heating systems controlled by a thermostat.

“In the stable complex adjoining the house Corliss installed a steam boiler and a small version of his famous steam engine,” according to the National Register of Historic Places. With all these innovations, it is little wonder that the house took seven years to construct.

Charles Brackett, Academy Awardwinning screenwriter of “The Lost Weekend” and “Sunset Boulevard,” acquired the house from Corliss’ daughter. Finding no use for the space, Brackett gave it to the University in 1955. After a renovation, the building housed the Admission Office. The house’s exterior was also used in the television series “Doctor Doctor” as a character’s office.

Tour groups used to meet at the Admission Office instead of at the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center, as they do now. But there is no longer the same need to impress visitors with a grand house, said Bernard Reginster, professor of philosophy and chair of the department. “The reputation of the University is solidified.”

As part of the process of moving all administrative buildings out of the core campus, the Admission Office moved to the Jewelry District last year.

CORRINE SZCZESNY / HERALD

Sitting on the corner of Prospect and Angell streets, the Corliss-Brackett House was constructed in 1992 by George Henry Corliss, who is known for his invention of a more efficient steam engine.

The philosophy department settled in its place last June. The Gerard House, the philosophy department’s previous location, was becoming too small for the growing department, Reginster said. “Yet now the graduate students not only have their own quarters, but also have access to the building’s grand library and lounge,” he said.

Though the Victorian mansion has been functioning as an office for decades, it continues to feel more like a luxurious family home than like an office building. The grand entrance opens into a space with portraits, a lounge with fireplaces and a seminar

room that more closely resembles a dining room. The creaky wooden staircase leads upstairs to offices as well as a library. The building even comes equipped with a food elevator that is labeled in bold font with the warning: “Transport of human beings is strictly prohibited.”

Yet the true hidden gem is the fourth floor. The steep staircase that is concealed by a door leads to an enchanting, unobstructed view of all of downtown. The fourth-floor offices remain vacant because the rooms do not yet adhere to the Rhode Island Fire Safety Code, which states that two

exits must be available, Reginster said.

The top floor hopefully will soon be renovated, and a utility closet may be turned into a steep second exit staircase, Reginster said.

One of the bookshelves on this vacant floor is actually a secret door.

Rumors among faculty members say that the swiveling bookshelf leads to a bathroom with a glamorous bathtub.

Yet now the bookshelf is jammed, and only a crack of light can be seen coming from behind it. Why a bathroom needs a secret door or a window will remain a mystery until Corliss-Brackett’s top floor is renovated.

8 science & research

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

This Week in Higher Ed

BY MAXINE JOSELOW, UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

Supreme Court upholds Michigan’s affirmative action ban

The Supreme Court issued a decision Tuesday allowing Michigan’s ban on the use of race in public university admission to continue, multiple news outlets reported.

The Supreme Court voted 6 to 2 in Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, the Chronicle of Higher Education reported. The court’s ruling reversed a federal appeals court’s 2012 decision that the ban was unconstitutional because it violated the Constitution’s equalprotection clause.

The majority of justices rejected the argument that the ban denied equal protection under the law to Michigan’s residents of color, the Chronicle reported. But Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg wrote a dissent alleging that the measure discriminated against minorities by denying them “the right to participate meaningfully and equally in self-government,” Inside Higher Ed reported. Justice Elena Kagan recused herself from voting on the case because it had been making its way through federal court when she was U.S. solicitor general in the Obama administration.

Michigan voters passed the ban in 2006 through a ballot measure called Proposal 2, the Chronicle reported.

Similar bans are in effect in California and Washington, where they have also been met with legal challenges, Inside Higher Ed reported.

College of Charleston clashes with lawmakers over book, theater performance

COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE

A recent study led by Associate Professor of Medicine Erna Milunka Kojic found that HIV-positive patients, who suffer from weakened immune systems, still created protective antibodies when vaccinated against HPV.

HPV vaccination safe for HIV patients

International clinical trial suggests HPV vaccines could protect HIV-positive patients from the virus

By MARINA RENTON STAFF WRITER

Though effectively vaccinating HIV patients against other viruses can be difficult due to their weakened immune systems, the human papillomavirus vaccine shows promise for creating the desired immune response in HIV-positive women, according to the results of an international clinical trial led by Erna Milunka Kojic, associate professor of medicine.

The trial looked at the vaccine’s immunogenicity, or its ability to elicit an immune response in the body, Kojic said. It did not measure the vaccine’s efficacy — whether it is capable of preventing disease — but if the body produces antibodies in response to the vaccine, then researchers “have every reason to think that these antibodies would keep them from getting further (forms of) HPV,” Kojic added.

The clinical trial was the first to examine the effects of the HPV vaccine on women whose HIV had progressed to AIDS, Kojic said. Since they, too, developed antibodies, the vaccine is “very immunogenic,” she added.

“It’s likely that the vaccine fires off a type of antibody response that is long-lasting and very potent and very good at hitting the virus as it’s trying to get in,” said James Hoxie, professor of medicine in the Division of Hematology/Oncology at Penn and director of the Penn Center for AIDS Research, who was not involved in the study.

To measure the vaccine’s success, researchers studied whether vaccinated women developed antibodies

and, if they did, whether the antibodies developed at a level vaccine manufacturers deemed successful, Kojic said.

The vaccine — FDA-approved Gardasil — protects against four forms of the virus, two of which can cause various types of cancer, including cervical cancer, and two of which can cause anogenital warts. There had been speculation as to whether HIVpositive women could benefit from the HPV vaccine since they may have previously been exposed to HPV and have weakened immune systems. But the results of the study indicate that the vaccine is safe and immunogenic even for individuals with HIV, Kojic said.

HIV-positive women “have a lot more problems with HPV,” Kojic said.

Not only are HIV-infected women likely to have more types of HPV, “they’re also less likely to clear the infection and therefore are more likely to develop some bad outcome from this,” she added.

Between 20 and 35 percent of HIVinfected women have been exposed to any of the types of HPV that the vaccine protects against — a much higher proportion than among women without HIV. But only 4 percent of the subjects had been exposed to all four types of HPV the vaccine targets, she said.

“Human papillomavirus is a massive public health burden, and all the bad things that it does are magnified in a person who is HIV-infected as well,” Hoxie said. Women who are infected by both viruses commonly can control their HIV through medication but still develop cervical cancer that stems from their HPV at young ages, he added. The clinical trial was “a very important step” in understanding whether there is a way of preventing HPV infection in these women, he

said.

The results of the clinical trial align with the World Health Organization’s recommendation that people with HIV be vaccinated against the disease, Hoxie said.

The trial had an international focus. Researchers selected women from three countries — Brazil, South Africa and the United States. The international scope of the study was important because the “burden of (HPV) in HIV-infected is even higher in the developing countries,” and different types of HPV are more prevalent in certain regions, Kojic said. Researchers selected Brazil and South Africa specifically because the HPV vaccine is available in those countries.

“I think it’s likely that men would have the same good response to this vaccine as HIV-infected women,” Hoxie said. “So it’s all good news.”

The next phase of testing will involve verifying the safety the initial study determined and examining how long the vaccine’s protection lasts.

While the vaccine’s effectiveness “has to be determined in a longer study,” the development of antibodies is an “encouraging” result, Hoxie said.

Though an increased sample size could help in future studies, this research provides strong support that people at various stages of HIV infection can still develop antibodies, Hoxie said.

The Center for Disesase Control recommends the HPV vaccine for both adolescent females and males, regardless of immune status, according to its website.

A different research group conducted a study examining the effectiveness of the vaccine in HIV-positive men, Kojic said, but it “excluded men with very low (immune cell) counts … so that makes our study a little more unique.”

Socially conservative South Carolina state legislators are threatening to cut funds for the College of Charleston after the institution sponsored a production of a play featuring several gay characters, the Washington Post reported Tuesday.

The university hosted an off-campus performance Monday of “Fun Home,” a finalist for the 2014 Pulitzer Prize for Drama that features a lesbian woman dealing with her closeted gay father’s suicide.

In response to the production, socially conservative state lawmakers threatened to impose funding cuts to the university, with Sen. Lee Bright, R-Spartanburg, alleging that the play challenges the “traditional family values” that he claimed are central to South Carolina’s culture, the Post reported.

The state’s House of Representatives already recently cut $52,000 from the university in response to the inclusion of the book that inspired the play in a first-year reading program.

At a gay rights rally on campus Monday, George Benson, the university’s outgoing president, urged students and faculty members to protest the budget cuts, the Post reported. “University faculty must be able to generate, discuss and transfer ideas to students and society without fear of censorship,” Benson said.

The University of South Carolina Upstate in Spartanburg, S.C., is also facing a $17,000 funding cut after it assigned undergraduates a different book about gay identity in the South, multiple news outlets reported.

Bryant seniors say goodbye to selfies

Administrators at Bryant University in Smithfield have instructed graduating seniors not to take selfies during commencement, the New York Times reported last week.

The university’s commencement committee worries that snapping selfies could slow down the procession, the Times reported. Concern has also surfaced that selfies would be unnecessary in the presence of a professional photographer.

“We have about 850 graduates, and we have a professional photographer snapping their picture when they shake my hand and get their diploma,” Ronald Machtley, president of Bryant, told the Times.

“I don’t think their mom and dad and grandma want to get a picture of them holding up their cellphone.”

Despite dissuading selfies, administrators are encouraging graduating seniors to post on social media using a Bryant graduation hashtag on the day of the ceremony.

Machtley enjoys a strong social media following on campus, with approximately 67 percent of the student body following him on Twitter, the Times reported.

The selfie ban will only be in effect during the ceremony, which will allow students to snap shots with Machtley beforehand. “I’ll stand there with anyone who wants one,” Machtley told the Times.

U. of Minnesota poised to publicize course evaluations

The University Senate at the University of Minnesota is considering a proposal to publicize feedback from student course evaluations for the first time, Inside Higher Ed reported Monday.

Under the proposal, students’ responses to questions about course content and quality would be made available in a university database starting this fall, Inside Higher Ed reported. But responses to questions about faculty members’ teaching abilities would remain private in accordance with state laws protecting employee privacy.

If the proposal passes, students would have access to data helping them make more informed decisions about which classes to take, Robert McMaster, vice provost and dean of undergraduate education at the University of Minnesota, told Inside Higher Ed.

today 9

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

p r e - f r o s h pa r t y

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEY-WOOLLEY

LUNCH Sesame Chicken Wings, Cheese Ravioli with Pink Vodka Sauce, Spinach Pie Calzone

Chicken Fajitas, Vegan Garden Chili, Caesar Salad Pizza, French Fried Onion Rings

DINNER Lemon Sesame Chicken, Tortellini Angelica, Crispy Thai Tofu with Fresh Lime, Parslied Rice

Texas BBQ Brisket, Grits Souffle, Fresh Vegetable Melange, Chicken Broccoli Pasta Alfredo

JOSIAH’S

THREE BURNERS

QUESADILLA OR GRILLED CHEESE

Crepes

Grilled Cheese

BLUE ROOM

SOUPS

DINNER ENTREES

Chicken and Wild Rice, Butternut Squash and Apple, Baked Potato

Naked Burritos

ALAN SHAN / HERALD

During A Day On College Hill, which began yesterday and continues through Thursday, hundreds of students admitted to the class of 2018 gathered to enjoy a barbecue, meet each other and learn about the University.

sudoku

comics Eric & Eliot | Willa Tracy ’17

The Unicomic | Eva Chen ’14 and Daniel Sack ’14

RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle crossword Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Spice organizer 5 48-Across brand 9 Right-angled supports 14 K-12, to textbook publishers 15 Neck and neck 16 Slightly moisten 17 “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” collaborator 19 Green hue 20 Camcorder button 21 Google executive chairman Schmidt 22 Had too much, briefly 23 Antlered animal 24 “The helpful place” sloganeer 28 Mu followers 29 Pt. of a sentence 30 Vote against 31 Certain commuter’s destination: Abbr.

32 The Belmonts frontman 34 1930s migrants 36 Many a circus employee 42 Scheherazade’s milieu 43 Designer St. Laurent 45 Tech sch. overlooking the Hudson 48 Iced drink 49 “Just an update” letters 52 Pipe bend 53 Wayne Manor resident 56 Actress Peeples 57 Sasquatch cousin 58 “The Dukes of Hazzard” deputy 59 Mt. Sunflower is its highest point 60 Antacid, briefly 62 Light bulb-overthe-head instance, and a hint to 17-, 24-, 36- and 53Across 64 When many take morning breaks 65 Proofreading mark 66 Winans of gospel

67 Calf-roping loop 68 Sign 69 You might steer one with your feet

37 Field with roots and logs 38 __ rug 39 King with three daughters 40 Symbol of balance 41 Faith 44 Italicized 45 Sunglass Hut brand 46 Mexico’s __ Vallarta

47 Altogether 49 Fireworks highlight 50 Naval petty officers 51 “Make __”: Picard catchphrase 54 Movie listing listings 55 Bring up again?

61 What two heads are better than 62 Disturbance 63 Intro givers

DOWN 1 Behind, or hit from behind 2 Christian chant 3 Inspects 4 “Kid-tested” cereal 5 Pasta or potato, e.g.

6 More slippery ANSWER TO PREVIOUS 7 Nut-bearing tree 8 Big name in ice cream 9 Wall St. deal 10 Subordinate to 11 Athletic brand founded by Adolf Dassler 12 Backslide 13 Birthplace of Bergman and Garbo 18 Accumulation 25 “Eso Beso” singer 26 Picnic worry 27 Turned green, say 33 Bethesda-based medical org.

34 Resistance unit 35 Devious xwordeditor@aol.com

Against the Fence | Lauren Stone ’17

PUZZLE:

calendar TODAY 04/23/14

APRIL 23

6 P.M. FASHION INDUSTRY PANEL

Sponsored by the CareerLAB, professionals in the fashion industry will talk about their experiences in the workforce. A question-and-answer session will follow the panel. Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Arts, Martinos Auditorium 7 P.M. FREE ADVANCED SCREENING OF “NEIGHBORS”

NBCUniversal, in collaboration with Brown University Motion Pictures, presents “Neighbors,” an upcoming comedy film starring Seth Rogen and Zac Efron. Avon Cinema

TOMORROW 4 P.M. SHOULD U.S. SUPPORT ISRAEL?

APRIL 24

Presented by the Political Theory Project, featured speakers Noam Chomsky and Dennis Ross will discuss whether America’s support for Israel promotes peace, justice and democracy. Salomon 101 7 P.M. F@B ANNUAL FASHION SHOW

By Matt Skoczen (c)2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

04/23/14

Various student designers will showcase their work in the Fashion at Brown annual fashion show. There are two shows: one at 7 p.m. and one at 9 p.m. If there are seats available, tickets will be sold at the door for $10 a person. Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Studio 1

10 commentary

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

EDITORIAL

Beyond year 250 The 1968-69 academic year at Brown was one that forever changed the trajectory of both the University and higher education in the nation at large. In December 1968, black students at Brown boldly organized a walkout to push for increased minority recruitment and a more diverse faculty. Over the course of the next few months, a committee collected a set of recommendations based on a student report calling for what would essentially become the New Curriculum.

By May, a faculty meeting was held in Sayles Hall to vote on the reforms. Over 80 percent of the student body waited outside to cheer for the reforms that would pass overwhelmingly after a year of student pressure on faculty members and administrators, many of whom were at first quite reluctant to endorse anything resembling the New Curriculum. By the end of that academic year, the University was to dramatically increase its black student population, to disband Pembroke and to establish the creative and student choice-based curriculum we have all come to know and love.

Flash forward almost 50 years to the 2013-14 academic year at Brown. Over the past few years, we have witnessed largely successful student-led campaigns for marriage equality in Rhode Island, for more progressive drug policy at the state level, for stronger commitments to financial aid and for improved labor standards, to name a few. Still, the 2013-14 year in particular will likely be remembered for the former New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly protest and for the Brown Divest Coal campaign, both of which were examples of studentadministration conflict, rather than progressive collaboration. Following what many students perceived to be losses in both ideological and substantive battles with the administration, a definite attitude of dissatisfaction with the current administration dominated the dialogue in certain circles.

Clearly, we still have much to accomplish in order to dismantle the War on Drugs and racist policies like stop-and-frisk. We face further choices that will determine the fate of mankind in terms of how we as an institution choose to address climate change. On the brink of potential for great change, we ought to learn from our institution’s history. The history of Brown in successful years like 1968-69 teaches us the value of student-led activism in concurrence with faculty and administration. This university comprises more than students, and thus it cannot move forward with the voices of students alone. In working toward a better future, we should learn from the mistakes of our leaders in Congress and recognize the value of cooperative progress. In the face of losses to the administration’s interests, students ought to seek improvements, not remove themselves and treat the administration as the ultimate enemy.

In the following academic year, we believe we ought to take steps toward better cooperation with the administration in the name of practicality. The world is no one’s ideological haven, but we consistently manage to enact real progressive change at Brown nonetheless. For one, we can work better with largely underutilized avenues for communication with the administration, like the Undergraduate Council of Students, which in the upcoming year will be led by a woman of color who strongly supports student representation on the Corporation. What better time than now to amplify the voices of traditionally marginalized communities on Brown’s campus, and to make tangible changes in a nation plagued by racist drug policies and poor environmental practices? This next year, let’s challenge President Christina Paxson to offer stronger alternatives to coal divestment or, better yet, to change Brown and other elite institutions’ investment model altogether, if indeed it is the case that divestment from one sector of the economy simply isn’t feasible. Among the worst things we could do, if we care about enacting real changes, would be to make the administration an absolute enemy.

I VA N A L C A N TA R A

CORRECTION An article in Monday’s Herald (“UFB grants higher rate of group funding,” April 22) incorrectly stated that the Undergraduate Council of Students voted last semester to raise the student activities fee from $250 to $262. In fact, UCS voted to recommend such an increase, but the University Resources Committee opted to keep it at $250. The Herald regrets the error.

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

“We’re increasing every year, but for what purpose?”

— Stanley Stewart ‘16

See first-gen on page 1.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editors, Matt Brundage ’15 and Rachel Occhiogrosso ’14, and its members, Hannah Loewentheil ’14 and Thomas Nath ’16. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

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commentary 11

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

A new voice for campus ANDREW FELDMAN opinions columnist

Brown’s rich traditions make the school extremely unique. Traditions like walking through the Van Wickle Gates and graduating with a concentration rather than a major have long enriched Brown’s history. But while certain traditions are vital to the Brown experience, others seem to be outdated and only kept for the sake of tradition itself. One of these traditions is the commencement speaker policy.

For each Commencement, two Brown students are selected to address their fellow classmates and their accompanying family and friends.

Brown educates these speakers to the extent that they can write and speak as well as any professional who could have spoken. In doing so, Brown uses the commencement platform to showcase the high level of education students have received. But how can even the best student speakers fully embody the spirit of Commencement when they are beginning their careers at the same time as those they are addressing? How can they help prepare their peers for an area that they are just as unprepared for?

Student commencement speakers can give fantastic overviews of the last four years of our college education — or, for transfers, two or three

years — but these speeches can be somewhat provincial. While inside jokes will most likely be positively received by students, and while joy and laughter should obviously complement the day’s festivities, there are better ways to relate to the students without ostracizing family and friends, who should just as much be a part of the intended audience.

A commencement speech is not the quintessential point of a student’s education, without which a graduate will no longer be prepared for

relatively easy. Using an alum speaker offers both the Brown element and the experience. Alums would have the ability to relate to students by telling stories of how they lived in, say, Slater Hall back in their day, while they would also serve as examples of what a Brown degree can be used to accomplish. This dynamic would appease both the nostalgic graduates and their parents who want one more thing to brag about at work. Most importantly, if the chosen alum’s background is of interest, it will motivate

possess. Brown has the capability to bring in renowned speakers from all across the world. For many people, it’s one of the last chances they will have to see a speaker of such significance, so why limit that? The students should have the privilege of listening to a highly regarded speaker to culminate a highly regarded education, if that is in fact their preference.

A voting system should allow upcoming graduates to choose whom they would prefer to hear speak. And if that election ended with two Brown

Student commencement speakers can give fantastic overviews of the last four years of our college education — or, for transfers, two or three years — but these speeches can be somewhat provincial. life after college and should therefore enroll in a graduate program just to get another chance at a quality commencement speech. In reality, Commencement is a long, arduous day, and there will be just as many captivated people as there are those who just wish to change out of their gowns and celebrate with their families. One of the benefits of surviving the day is getting both the entertainment of having a high-profile speaker and the wisdom of someone who has made great strides in a particular field.

Solving this problem would be

people to take the most away from the speech.

It is not as if we don’t have extremely impressive alums to choose from. Just for the 250th anniversary, we brought in Jim Yong Kim ’82, president of the World Bank. Kim brought the exact real-world experience and intrigue that could captivate a commencement audience.

Another potential speaker could be Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal ’91.5.

But while Brown has had a number of extremely impressive alums, the speakers do not have to necessarily be limited by the degree they

students speaking, then at least we had the democratic opportunity to choose whose voices are among the last we hear while at Brown. I could be the only student who holds this opinion, and if so, that’s fine. But for others who would also like the option of bringing in one more renowned speaker before we leave, we deserve that chance as well.

One of the arguments against hiring a speaker is that it is a waste of money. But regardless of the funding Brown does or does not have — I’d argue that we have plenty — this is not the type of occasion that Brown

should attempt to be frugal on. It is one of our few events over the course of the year whose impact reaches both the local and the national community. By spending the funds to bring in a renowned speaker, we would also advertise to prospective students.

Commencement isn’t just for the students. It’s also a gift to the parents, friends and relatives who helped us reach that point. So as they sit waiting in the audience for our names to eventually be said, wouldn’t it be nice if we rewarded their patience? Personally, I know my parents will come to Commencement regardless just to have proof that I actually graduated — because a diploma somehow won’t be enough. But I’m pretty sure they might be a little happier if someone like President Obama were there reassuring them that they spent their tuition dollars properly. And if not the president, I’m sure my parents wouldn’t mind settling for the secretary of state — but that’s just as a last resort.

If a renowned speaker cannot be brought in for next year’s address, Andrew Feldman ’15 is more than willing to accommodate private audiences with the likes of Michael Jordan or either Clinton and can be reached at andrew_feldman@brown.edu with information about how to make his dreams a reality.

LeBron James: the best in NBA history JAY UPADHYAY opinions columnist

After Sunday’s victory at home over the Charlotte Bobcats, the Miami Heat are in the midst of their quest to capture a rare third consecutive NBA title and even rarer fourth consecutive trip to the NBA Finals. LeBron James, the four-time league Most Valuable Player and reigning back-to-back Finals MVP, is the locomotive that drives the Heat’s championship runs. But lost in the chatter about the team’s roller coaster ride over the past four years and the challenges it still faces is a clear, undeniable fact: LeBron James is the best player in basketball history. Simply put, there has never been another player who dominates every facet of the game the way he does.

James has no peer in today’s game. Greats like Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell played in an uncomparable era of basketball, in which the number of teams was severely limited and the talent pool was solely domestic. Seasons were also shorter, teams were afforded byes in the playoffs and competition was astronomically lower than today. LeBron is often compared to greats such as Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. Though these athletes all achieved greatness, none of them is a match for James.

Statistically speaking, Johnson doesn’t hold a candle to James’ scoring prowess: He averaged nearly eight points fewer per game than James does, and he was never a comparable defender.

Bird could never facilitate or defend like LeB-

ron does, and even though he’s known for his shooting skills, his points-per-game average is still over three fewer than LeBron’s average total at a less efficient rate. Bryant, too, pales in comparison. Since Bryant has one MVP award to LeBron’s four, zero seasons of 50 percent or better shooting averages to LeBron’s five and the same number of Finals MVPs despite being six years older than James, any comparisons of the two are borne more out of emotion than fact. The last potential rival standing, Jordan, is LeBron’s closest match.

It’s difficult to cast aside the non-rational attachments basketball fans have to Jordan.

the floor and his off-ball defense, which is unmatched even by computer simulation.

James’ numbers exceed Jordan’s and those of other historic greats even though the NBA’s pace has slowed over time, scoring has decreased, international competition has risen, and players are bigger, faster and stronger. Defenses are more complex, as zone rules have changed and schemes have evolved. The complex paint-packing and zone traps played against James would be illegal in Jordan’s time.

In that context, the five all-NBA first team defense awards, previously mentioned MVPs and rings, scoring title, countless other accolades

There has never been another player who dominates every facet of the game the way James does.

Understandably, he transcended the sport of basketball by rebranding the game, marketing, movies, shoes and more. When he is shrunken down from his larger-than-life stature, even the purported “greatest of all time” can’t match what LeBron James brings to the hardwood.

Again, grounding the comparison purely in numbers, James is a better three-point shooter despite not having the advantage of a shorter three-point line for several years. He is also a better rebounder and passer and an equally efficient scorer. Top that off with LeBron’s unparalleled ability to guard every position on

and jaw-dropping numbers are even more impressive. For context, LeBron shot nearly 57 percent from the field this year. That is 7 percentage points above Jordan’s career average and the seventh straight year James has improved his efficiency. What makes all of this even more astounding is that James is only 29 years old. With a decade of basketball left for him to play, he will shatter every precedent set forth by NBA legends.

Whether or not James captures another championship ring is beside the point. He’s shown the capacity to win during the past two

years, particularly when he carried a team of hapless journeymen to the NBA Finals in Cleveland. Rings are always team accomplishments; Jordan couldn’t post a winning season without Scottie Pippen, Johnson had the help of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy, and Bird played alongside multiple Hall of Famers. In any case, James has demonstrated his ability to perform under pressure with one of the highest points-per-game totals for an elimination game in NBA history, clutch playoff performances against the Detroit Pistons in 2007, Boston Celtics in 2012 and San Antonio Spurs in 2013, and countless game-winning shots during the regular season.

It’s understandable why many fans refuse to accept LeBron’s greatness. He beats your team in the playoffs and dominates every aspect of the game physically and mentally. He chose Miami over your favorite team in 2010.

He complains to referees about their calls just as much as Jordan did, but it’s more noticeable because of social media. As a player crowned as the “Chosen One” out of high school before he could even legally drive a car, James has shattered expectations. Moreover, he’s done so while staying out of personal trouble and maintaining a nearly impeccable public image. He’s worthy of the utmost admiration on and off the court, and we should anticipate his future success solidifying his standing as the greatest player to ever step foot on a basketball court.

Jay Upadhyay ’15 has watched LeBron James since high school and has a bedroom lined with his posters. He can be reached at jay_upadhyay@brown.edu.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 23, 2014

THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD science & research IN CONVERSATION

Author posits different beginning of environmentalism Thomas Jundt discusses latest book, titled “Greening the Red, White and Blue”

By JASON NADBOY STAFF WRITER

Visiting Assistant Professor of History Thomas Jundt published a book earlier this month that contests popular beliefs about the origins of environmentalism. Jundt argues that, contrary to common belief, the movement began decades before Rachel Carson’s iconic 1962 book “Silent Spring,” which discussed the dangers of pesticides and, according to many people, eventually led to the founding of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Jundt spoke with The Herald about his new book, entitled “Greening the Red, White and Blue: The Bomb, Big Business and Consumer Resistance in Postwar America,” which explores evidence that the influence of both the Cold War and capitalism inspired the environmental movement.

Herald: Why is the beginning of environmentalism always linked to the ’60s and ’70s, and what made you decide that it shouldn’t be?

It’s funny that we are talking about it on Earth Day because I actually set out writing a book about Earth Day. I wanted to write about why Earth Day came about. Some people point to that as being the beginning of popular environmentalism. There is always this figure that stands out that 20 million people took to the streets in the 1970s to celebrate or show their concern for the Earth.

So one of the things I had to wrestle with was: What explains 20 million people? The common answers for that so far had been Rachel Carson’s book in 1962 or just the ’60s era — ­ that’s what people did, took to the street. But 20 million was an enormous number. It was the biggest number since the end of World War II when people took to the streets in celebration.

Neither of those seems terribly satisfactory.

So like historians do, I started going backwards and started to think about what might explain this. I started to think of things in my own life that maybe gave clues. One was walking into church with my dad when I was 5 years old and asking him what the sign on the side of the building meant and he explained — it was a fallout sign and if the Russians attacked this is where we could go, and there would be food and water and we could take shelter there. I was terrified for years, imagining what it would be like when the bombs dropped. I wondered how far back that went — this kind of fear that it could all end in an instant. I started looking at things from the late ’40s and found that people were talking about it. Indeed, in both (William) Vogt and (Fairfield) Osborn’s books, they both already talked about the dangers of DDT and its threat to the planet and mammals and life and humans.

There were also critics talking about (the fact) that business was attacking labor, they were attacking this new idea of conservation. They hoped to eliminate it because they saw it as a threat. There were others (who) gave similar critiques throughout the ’50s that tried to oppose business (for their lack of support of environmentalism), particularly in the era of the Cold War where to make these kind of critiques, if you weren’t very careful, you would be labeled a communist and marginalized at best.

So I think a lot of (the start of environmentalism) was the context of the Cold War, that critiquing capitalism was really dangerous, and I think a lot of it too was that business really relayed itself against these folks.

Why didn’t environmentalism start before the ’40s?

I think the metaphoric power of atomic bombs was a big part of it. It’s not that there weren’t environmental

concerns before the ’40s. There was already great concern about conserving spaces that were particularly aesthetically pleasing. There was already concern about efficient use of natural resources for production. But they were local. With atomic bombs there was all of a sudden a realization that humans could destroy the Earth. It really opened people up to thinking about other ways humans might destroy the earth too.

Why do you think that environmentalism is a reaction to corporate capitalism?

I think it’s long been seen that corporate capitalism poses one of the major threats to the environment. It not only poses a threat in terms of its processes, but the very structure of it focuses on profits, which means the environment takes a backseat and is seen as a factor of production instead of something to be preserved.

In the United States, where business seems to have an undue amount of power compared to citizens and the government, (environmentalism has) been a way that citizens have tried to negotiate that imbalance in some ways politically. For other citizens who maybe have lost hope for that, it’s a refuge within the system where they at least can live true to their ideals and at least try to take care of themselves and their family as best they can, whether or not the policy will ever catch up in the way they hope it will.

What impact do you hope this book has on how people view environmentalism?

I think my major hope is that it opens up further discussion about the situation of democracy in the U.S. and how (the country is not) responding to the concerns of citizens as well as it might because of the increasing power of big business. I think that the environment and environmentalism is a good vehicle to get at that.

What do you think has been the biggest shift in environmentalism

from the ’40s to today?

The way that (environmentalism) continued to build and play up in consumer culture was just very small, oftentimes called a cult in the 1940s.

Today it’s hard to imagine a product that doesn’t have a greener alternative that we can buy. The key part of my argument in the book is that this is the way environmentalism plays out in the daily lives of most of us.

Critics of that will say that’s a great example of environmentalism being co-opted by big business and sold back to them as organic soy lattes. But what I’m trying to argue is that it’s not so much that, as it’s that in the current system — where both parties are beholden to the same corporations that are devastating the planet — that citizens really don’t have much of a place to go, and so as we’re watching the seas rise, the only game in town sometimes feels like buying a Prius.

What role has the government historically played in environmentalism, and what role do you see it playing today and in the future?

It has played a regulating role.

But for most environmentalists it’s an inefficient regulating role. It’s funny we’re talking on Earth Day because the strongest legislation came in with Earth Day. There was kind of this great hope that came with (these bills), but it wasn’t long until they were shown to be ineffective.

(Politicians realized that) those laws were only as good as the enforcement mechanism and if you staff those agencies with people who are acceptable to big business concerns, then that’s what really matters. I think as long as politics are funded the way they are now then it’s hard to imagine it really changing much. The laws will respond somewhat to public pressure, but they will never quite be enough and they will never quite be enforced as vigorously as they should be. In 2007, there was a Washington Post poll that found seven out of 10 people polled wanted the government to do more about global warming, and half of those wanted the government to

do much more. But here we sit — it hasn’t happened because those citizen voices are being drowned out by more powerful voices that are benefitting from the status quo.

What misinformation is out there on this topic?

I think the biggest misinformation is that this all started in the ’60s and that eco-consumers are misguided and self-indulgent. They are sometimes criticized that instead of doing the hard work of participatory politics, which means stuffing envelopes and organizing and knocking on doors, they retreated into this personal politics of consumption because they’re lazy, essentially. That’s one of the things I pointedly wanted to spell out because I used to feel that way myself. I opened up that book talking about being at Whole Foods across from Central Park in Manhattan and looking at shoppers and having, at best, mixed feelings about what was going on there. As I got into the research, one of the things that really crystallized for me is that it’s easy to criticize in that way. But when you look at the structures of power in our current political system, I’m not sure if citizens really have a viable alternative.

What advice do you have for people who want to conduct historical research like this?

I think to not accept traditional explanation for why movements have started and how they have become popular.

What are your next steps?

My next project, which is called “Cash Cows: When Animals Went Corporate,” is looking at when animals went from being in pastoral settings and into corporate confinement, and why that happened. (I hope to look) at this intersection of business and government and how that brought that about.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.