Tuesday, September 2, 2014

THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 58

since 1891

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Grand jury Vicki Colvin replaces Schlissel as provost vice provost for decides not Former research at Rice University assumed role this summer to indict after national search students New records appear to implicate third Brown student in alleged incident of sexual assault

By MICHAEL DUBIN UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

A grand jury last week chose not to indict two Brown undergraduates accused of sexually assaulting a female Providence College student last November, news outlets reported.

The two Brown students, who were both first-years at the time of the alleged incident, were asked to leave campus in late April amid an investigation by the Providence Police Department into the allegation and were later dismissed from the football team, the Providence Journal previously reported.

The decision not to indict means the Providence County grand jury heard the case but opted not to bring charges against the two Brown students.

After the grand jury’s decision, police filings last Tuesday of cellphone records and emails — obtained through a search warrant — separately implicated a third Brown student, also a member of the football team, in the alleged rape, the Journal reported.

One of the two students previously under investigation mentioned a third student in messages to the other that read, “LML YO LIKE CLASSIC [name] THO. NO INVITE JUST WALKS IN AND STARTS RAPING HER.” Messages among all three included discussion of the alleged assault, mockery of the PC student and a graphic photo of her on top of one of them, according to the Journal. » See ASSAULT, page 2

By MICHAEL DUBIN

UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

Vicki Colvin, vice provost for research and professor of chemistry and chemical and biomolecular engineering at Rice University, replaced Mark Schlissel P’15 as Brown’s 12th provost July 1, the University announced in May. Colvin’s selection as the University’s top academic administrator concluded a national search that began in February, shortly after the announcement that Schlissel would leave at the end of last academic year to become the University of Michigan’s president.

“In two decades at Rice, Vicki Colvin has built a distinguished research record as a physical chemist and a national reputation as an effective academic administrator,” President Christina Paxson said in a University press release at the time, calling Colvin a “collaborative and energetic leader.”

Colvin comes to Brown after spending most of her academic career at Rice, which hired her in 1996 to grow its nanotechnology program. She was named Rice’s vice provost for research in 2011, placing her in charge of overseeing and growing the institution’s research projects.

She also served as director of the Center for Biological and Environmental Nanotechnology from 2001 to 2011.

Colvin graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry and physics in 1988 and received her doctoral degree in physical chemistry from the University of California at Berkeley in 1994. She then spent two years working at Bell Laboratories before joining the Rice faculty.

Colvin’s research has earned her praise in both academic circles and such mainstream publications as Discover Magazine and Esquire. She has also won several awards for her teaching.

Colvin stood out to the search committee because of her answers to questions about liberal learning and the open curriculum, Paxson told The Herald in May, adding that she expects Colvin to combine her respect for Brown’s » See PROVOST, page 2

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

New Provost Vicki Colvin will work to advance President Christina Paxson’s strategic plan, which Colvin called her “marching orders.”

Maud Mandel named new dean of the College After years of teaching and mentoring, history and Judaic studies prof. to focus on concentration advising

By WING SZE HO & JOSEPH ZAPPA SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

Maud Mandel, professor of history and Judaic studies and director of the Program in Judaic Studies, assumed the dean of the College position July 1.

Mandel’s selection as the University’s top academic officer for undergraduates concluded a national search that began last October, shortly after the announcement that then-Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron would leave Jan. 1 to serve as the president of Connecticut College.

Mandel replaces Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Margaret Klawunn, who served as interim dean of the College last semester.

“Professor Mandel has a deep appreciation for the value of the Brown curriculum to cultivate intellectually independent, creative and analytic minds,” President Christina Paxson said in a press release. Mandel has served in several different advising roles at Brown, Paxson wrote in a community-wide email at the time.

In an interview with The Herald,

Mandel cited her work on Team Enhanced Advising and Mentoring, a group that advises students of underrepresented backgrounds and first-generation college students, as the “most direct” preparation she has had for the dean of the College role, noting that the group has introduced her to issues like financial aid and career advising at Brown.

Mandel graduated from Oberlin College with a Bachelor of Arts in English in 1989 and received her master’s and doctoral degrees in history from the University of Michigan.

She began teaching at Brown as a visiting assistant professor of modern Jewish history in 1997.

Unlike incoming provost Vicki Colvin, Mandel is an internal hire, which some students called for this spring as searches for both positions were underway. But the two selections also leave the racial diversity of the senior administration — among the lowest in the Ivy League and another point of emphasis for some students — unchanged.

Mandel named her long-term experience at and consequent personal connection to Brown as one of three factors that drove her interest in the dean of the College position since it first became available. The vision of the current administration and the proliferation of » See DEAN, page 9

In welcome address, Paxson encourages student engagement

By MAXINE JOSELOW UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

inside

“I love talking to students; so do my two poodles. So please stop and say hello,” President Christina Paxson said in her welcome address to first-years and parents Sunday.

Paxson spoke to a crowd assembled on the Main Green beneath a muggy, overcast sky.

Besides urging students to approach her during her daily walks with her dogs across the Main Green, Paxson also encouraged students, parents and alums to take part in the virtual office hours she will begin hosting through the

University’s Facebook page this semester.

Adopting a more serious tone, Paxson highlighted several initiatives in her strategic plan, which outlines her agenda for the University over the next decade.

“Just as you will change, Brown will change while you’re here,” she said. “You’ll see the strategic plan come to life over the next four years.”

Members of the class of 2018 can look forward to the growth of the TRI-Lab, an initiative that brings together students, faculty members and community partners to confront social issues, Paxson said. While last year’s inaugural TRILab centered on healthy early childhood development, this year’s program will

explore healthy food access, and next year’s lab, set to begin this spring, will focus on climate change and environmental justice.

The class of 2018 will benefit from a “more robust” internship and research program to be unveiled soon, Paxson said. At a White House summit on higher education in January, Paxson announced the University will fund at least one unpaid internship or research opportunity for each student receiving financial aid.

The Engaged Scholars program, which incorporates community service into courses and research, will have seen considerable expansion by the time members of the class of 2018 are upperclassmen, Paxson said. Though the pilot phase of the program will include only four concentrations — anthropology, engineering,

University News

environmental studies and theater arts and performance studies — the program is set to “spread campus-wide,” she added.

Prior to Paxson’s remarks, Dean of the College and Professor of History and Judaic Studies Maud Mandel addressed the crowd, drawing from a metaphor in which she compared navigating a Brown education to charting a course on a map.

Mandel presented three pieces of advice. First, students should not be discouraged by “wrong turns” or “dead ends.” Second, students should chart their “own ways.” And finally, students should “ask for directions” from multiple sources, including peers, faculty advisers and Meiklejohn peer advisers.

This marked the first time Mandel spoke publicly to the campus community since becoming dean of the College July 1.

Commentary

Students remember wit of late professor emeritus of economics George Borts

Late assistant prof. of art history Rebecca Molholt Vanel leaves legacy of engaged scholarship

Madison ’16: Turmoil in Ferguson exposes troubling human rights violations

Editors’ note: A new school year brings opportunities for increased campus engagement

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UCS President Maahika Srinivasan ’15 urges students to be confident in their questioning and curiosity

Undergraduate Council of Students President Maahika Srinivasan ’15, whose speech concluded the event, told members of the class of 2018 to embrace their uncertainty.

“I’m still trying to figure out how to make my Brown experience meaningful,” she said. “It’s okay not to know.”

Srinivasan stressed the importance of advising, which she made a central part of her platform when campaigning for the UCS presidency last spring. Advisers are the “safety nets that will catch you every time you fall,” she said.

Sitting in the front row was Amelia Khoo ’18, who said she appreciated all the speakers but that Srinivasan resonated with her the most.

Erika Banuelos ’18 felt similarly about » See WELCOME, page 2 t o d ay

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2 university news » WELCOME, from page 1 Srinivasan, who is her Meiklejohn. “The fact that she herself is puzzled yet curious about what she wants to do in life is something I really liked,” Banuelos said.

The welcome addresses fell on the second day of orientation, which continues

through this week. The program of events kicked off Saturday, including events like the annual ice cream social on the Main Green, and will conclude Sunday.

Orientation has been “overwhelming” and “nerve-wracking” so far, Banuelos said. “But I think that’s what everyone’s feeling, to be honest.”

» PROVOST, from page 1 “distinctive approach to education” with new ideas.

The start of the school year marks a period of significant administrative turnover. Maud Mandel, professor of history and Judaic studies, was named the

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

new dean of the College a few weeks after Colvin’s announcement and also began in her role this summer. Mandel replaced Katherine Bergeron, who left Brown at the start of 2014 to become president of Connecticut College, and Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Margaret Klawunn, who then served as acting dean.

Paxson said Colvin’s background as a physical scientist was an appealing quality because it brings disciplinary balance to the University’s senior leadership — a topic the search committee discussed in the initial stages of the process. But Paxson added that Colvin was selected for her general credentials, not her experience in a particular field.

Colvin said in May that she was attracted to Brown in part because it “always seemed like the Berkeley of the Ivies” in that it has a special undergraduate culture, which she called the University’s “crown jewel.”

But Colvin also noted that the University has “collectively chosen to grow its research mission. … That ship has sailed.”

She said she values Brown’s emphasis on integrated scholarship — areas where “solutions to some of our worst problems are going to be found.”

Colvin said Paxson’s strategic plan “gives me my marching orders,” and she is looking forward to implementing it, citing its plan for growth as a particularly exciting component. “Growth is a time of opportunity and change,” she said.

Among Colvin’s greatest challenges will be charting the University’s financial future, she said.

“Higher education is in transition,” Colvin said. “What that means is that as you think about the future, it’s not clear that even elite private institutions like Brown are going to look the same in 10 or 20 years.”

Part of that change is the growing

influence of online education, which has received heightened attention from administrators and faculty members at Brown in recent years, including the development of several Coursera courses.

Colvin said she is one of a few professors in the nation to have taught multiple Coursera courses. Though more Coursera offerings will not be a priority for her as provost, more experimentation in digital learning will, Colvin said, adding that online education has the potential to improve learning at Brown.

“Distance learning begins in the third row,” she said, adding that flipped classrooms are one way of engaging more students and changing the “passive environment” of the lecture hall, particularly in large science, technology, engineering and mathematics courses.

But online courses do not benefit only Brown students, Colvin said. They are “a way for a small university to have a really big global impact.”

Colvin said she will not focus exclusively on her role as provost in her first few years. She said she would like to continue her ongoing research from Rice by setting up a small collaborative lab, in which other faculty members will take the lead and she will play a secondary role.

She added that she would like to continue teaching but is not yet sure whether and in what form she will be able to, suggesting that she might be able to make one of her two Coursera courses available to Brown students for credit with an inperson component.

Colvin will play a major role in developing fundraising priorities and cultivating resources for initiatives in Paxson’s strategic plan, Schlissel told The Herald in May, adding that he planned to advise Colvin to spend enough time getting to know Brown and the people on campus before “making important decisions.”

» ASSAULT, from page 1

added that the meaning of the word “raping” in the students’ message is unclear, calling it “vernacular.”

Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations, told The Herald the University has no comment on the grand jury’s decision and said the University’s policy is not to discuss “individual student matters.”

Administrators became aware of the criminal investigation in February when the Providence Police received an official complaint from the PC student, also a first-year at the time, against two of the Brown students, Quinn wrote in a June email to The Herald.

“Brown has cooperated fully with law enforcement,” Quinn wrote. “The University considers first and foremost the safety and security of campus and makes decisions in a timely way based on the best information available.”

The PC student said in her complaint that she met the Brown students at Louie’s Tavern, a bar that closed earlier this year, the Journal reported.

In her report to the police, the PC student said she had known one of the Brown students since third grade. During the night of the alleged assault, she felt “drugged,” despite having had only one shot of alcohol, she said.

The PC student told police that after being brought to a taxi, she awoke next to one of the Brown students. The other Brown student then allegedly asked her to perform oral sex on him, according to a police report on the incident.

PC barred the two Brown students from its campus by issuing a No Trespass order soon after the PC student filed her complaint, the Journal reported.

A lawyer for one of the two Brown students under investigation told the Journal his client is innocent, citing the result of the grand jury’s deliberation. He

obituaries 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Former economics prof. remembered for humor, brilliance George Borts, praised for his visionary outlook on economics, died in May at age 86

By KIKI BARNES, MAXINE JOSELOW AND TONYA RILEY UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITORS

A brilliant intellect, witty sense of humor and devotion to teaching and mentorship will mark the legacy of Professor Emeritus of Economics George Borts, who passed away May 2 at the age of 86.

Borts retired in the fall after 63 years of teaching at the University, which he called a “fruitful” experience in an interview with The Herald after his retirement.

“It’s a loss for the University,” said Robert Serrano, chair of the economics department. “We’ll all miss him.”

“He was surrounded by his family for the last week of his life. It was very peaceful,” said David Borts ’74, Borts’ son.

“We’ll try to live up to his legacy, which is huge,” David Borts said. “It’s a lot to live up to.”

An ‘unusual range’ Before coming to Brown as an assistant professor in 1950, Borts completed his graduate studies at the University of Chicago under famed economists Milton Friedman and Arnold Zellner.

Borts was influential in bringing the Chicago tradition of econometrics to the University, “even though he was too modest to brag about his Chicago background,” said Marvin Goodfriend PhD’77, a professor of economics at Carnegie Mellon University who was one of Borts’ students and thesis advisees.

Borts had an “unusual range” of knowledge extending far beyond econometrics, encompassing monetary economics and price theory, Goodfriend, adding “People are much more specialized today.”

Borts excelled at applying theoretical concepts to real-world situations, offering courses such as ECON 1550: “International Finance,” which carried a “fabulous” reputation, said Elizabeth Fuerbacher ’13.5, a former Herald opinions columnist.

“His material was so applicable and practical, even though there was a substantive theoretical underpinning,” Fuerbacher said.

“He was, regardless of whether you wandered off into international finance, a very keen economist,” said Rakesh Kochhar PhD’81, associate director of research for the Pew Center’s Hispanic Trends Project and former PhD student and thesis advisee of Borts. “There wasn’t anything under the sun in economics that he could not give you insight on.”

When David Borts was growing up, the Borts household was constantly visited by an array of people from different fields and with different viewpoints, he said, adding that his father’s “humble nature” allowed him to interact with anyone. “He never reached a point in his career where he couldn’t listen to ideas he disagreed with.”

Borts held a number of positions outside the University: He was a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a twotime visiting research fellow at the London School of Economics, a visiting professor of economics at Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan, and managing editor of the American Economic Review, President Christina Paxson wrote in a communitywide email May 4.

Teaching and mentoring Former students also recalled Borts’ outstanding commitment to teaching and mentoring.

As a Brown faculty member, Borts mentored dozens of renowned alums, including Chair of the Federal Reserve Janet Yellen ’67.

“I use Professor Borts and his unwavering dedication as a teacher as a standard for other professors at Brown,” Fuerbacher said, “He was there not just for research, but for being dedicated to students. He was exactly what a professor should be.”

Borts was a “tremendous thesis adviser” because he urged students to achieve their potential, Goodfriend said.

“I don’t know if I would have gotten my PhD without having him as an adviser, because I needed to have a push, and he was that person.”

During office hours, Borts spent hours with students, working through problems and providing feedback, said Kenneth Kopecky PhD’70, former chair of the economics department at Temple University and former PhD student of Borts.

“Whenever you would talk with George, it was a learning experience, sometimes as much for him as for his student,” Kopecky said. “In my own academic career, I’ve always tried to emulate him in whatever I was teaching.”

In an email to Borts’ family that was read at a memorial service May 5, Yellen praised his teaching abilities and influence on her life. Her decision to switch concentrations from psychology to economics was “entirely his fault,” Yellen wrote in

the email, Paxson said at Tuesday’s faculty meeting.

Beginning in 2010, David Borts worked with his father and several undergraduates to analyze economic and immigration reform. “The interplay and exchange of ideas was incredible,” he said, adding that his father was completely dedicated to helping his students learn and grow both academically and on a personal level.

Borts’ love of mentoring also inspired him to become a peewee soccer coach in the 1960s, his son said.

“He didn’t play it. He read books about it, trying to figure it out,” David Borts said.

‘A big laugh’ One of Borts’ most striking qualities was his “very insightful sense of

humor,” Serrano said.

Borts often entertained students by interrupting guest speakers and accurately predicting the rest of their lectures, Kochhar said.

“Students used to get a big laugh out of it.”

After economics department faculty-student softball games in the 1970s, Borts used to invite players over to his house, treating them to amusing stories, Kochhar added.

On the first day of “International Finance” last fall, Borts cracked a joke about international systems that made the entire classroom erupt in laughter, Fuerbacher recalled.

“The whole economics department will remember Professor Borts not only as a scholar, but also as one of the funniest people they have ever met,” she said.

4 obituaries

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Dedicated mentor, physics prof. led the way on Noble-winning work Gerald Guralnik. enthusiastic teacher and colleague, contributed research to Higgs boson discovery

By ISOBEL HECK AND RILEY DAVIS SCIENCE AND RESEARCH EDITOR AND SENIOR STAFF WRITER

A brilliant physics mind, witty coffee date and caring mentor, Gerald Guralnik is remembered as a father figure both inside and outside of the classroom.

Guralnik, a professor of physics who coauthored one of the three papers that laid the groundwork for the discovery of the Higgs boson, passed away from a heart attack April 26 at age 77. After

collapsing on stage following a lecture at the Department of Physics’ “Degree Day,” he was transported to Miriam Hospital.

Despite doctors’ efforts, Guralnik died later that night.

Guralnik’s death was shocking and devastating, said Cengiz Pehlevan ScM’06 PhD’11, a graduate student of Guralnik’s. But Pehlevan said he took comfort in the fact that Guralnik died doing what he loved — explaining science.

“There is no good death, but that was, I think, a noble death,” he added.

“If there’s any solace in this, it’s the fact that it all happened pretty much under Gerry’s terms: lecturing his life’s work, among his students, laughing and joking, doing what he loved,” wrote Visiting Scientist Daniel Ferrante ScM’01 PhD’09 in a letter to his colleagues.

Nobel-winning work Guralnik’s work in physics led to some of the most complicated experiments in history — those that resulted in the discovery of the Higgs boson, a particle that explains how other particles acquire mass.

With all the other authors of the

three key papers, Guralnik won the 2010 J.J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics for his work on the Higgs mechanism.

While the authors of the other two papers were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics last fall, Guralnik and his coauthors were not recognized due to the prize’s cap of three winners.

Guralnik told The Herald at the time that he was “a little hurt” not to be awarded the Nobel Prize, but was happy the work they all had done was recognized.

Guralnik was “very graceful” in giving credit to the winners, said Professor of Physics J. Michael Kosterlitz.

Despite the acclaim the work eventually received, when Guralnik and his collaborators first began the research that led to the discovery, prominent physicists of the day told them they were wasting their time, said Carl Hagen, a professor of physics at the University of Rochester, who, along with Tom Kibble, professor emeritus of physics at Imperial College London, collaborated with Guralnik on one of the papers that led to the discovery.

Guralnik had “the strength and conviction and curiosity of mind” to move forward despite criticism from top researchers, Hagen added.

“He was always very imaginative, took very individualistic directions,” said Roman Jackiw, a professor emeritus of physics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology who met Guralnik when Jackiw was a postdoctoral fellow.

The contributions Guralnik has made to the field of physics are “so large that the knowledge he gave us will stay for thousands of years,” said Professor of Physics Antal Jevicki.

‘A passion for Brown’ Guralnik was “a giant as a scientist, but a very kind and generous man in the department,” said James Valles, professor of physics and chair of the department.

His work “was a point of light from our department that shone brightly.”

Starting his time at the University in 1967 as an assistant professor of physics, Guralnik remained at Brown for the next 47 years, wrote President Christina Paxson in a campus-wide email April 27.

He was a “magnet” that attracted faculty to the physics department, said Professor of Computer Science John Savage, adding that many people came to Brown just to work with Guralnik.

With a strong interest in computational physics, specifically in a model of particle physics called quantum

chromodynamics, Guralnik also influenced the use of computing at Brown, said James Anderson, professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences.

Because of his interest in QCD, Guralnik was vital in instituting high-performance computers across departments.

He was one of the first people to run a super-computer at the University, said Bruno Harris, professor of mathematics and long-time friend of Guralnik’s.

Many of Guralnik’s colleagues said his openness and willingness to work with anyone in any field proved how invested he was in the University. He even welcomed his colleagues to sit in on his classes. “He had a passion for Brown,” Savage said.

Guralnik was also known for his sense of humor and sharp wit, Harris said.

A mentor for many Guralnik’s devotion to his students did not just manifest itself inside the classroom. He was the type of professor who would bump into his students in a coffee shop and sit down with them to help them with the problems for his class, Valles said.

Pehlevan said Guralnik “never missed a lunch” with his graduate students to discuss physics. Even since graduating, Pehlevan said he still stopped

by Guralnik’s home when in the area, calling it a destination for students close with him.

Guralnik had a genuine interest in his students and their success, Pehlevan said, citing one summer that Guralnik used money from his own salary to fund students in his lab.

“He’d go way beyond the call of duty for his students. He was very protective of them,” Kosterlitz said.

Up until his death, Guralnik worked to make sure his graduate students were all able to find positions, Savage echoed.

Dina Obeid, a visiting scientist in the physics department, said Guralnik’s devotion to his students was a great rarity in the academic profession. “In academia you start to have a lot of managers, but very few mentors,” she said. “Gerry was one of the very few scientists who was a mentor to students.”

Since his death, students of Guralnik’s from around the world have offered condolences to his family, his son Zachary Guralnik said, adding that many students have also visited Guralnik’s house in the past few days. » See GURALNIK, page 9

obituaries 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Art history prof. remembered for wit, warmth and intelligence Rebecca Molholt Vanel pursued interests while engaging students, fellow faculty members

By KATE KIERNAN METRO EDITOR

Rebecca Molholt Vanel, assistant professor of history of art and architecture, strongly believed in engaging with an object’s historical context. Lying on the floors of exalted art galleries, she would often risk a scolding from a security guard in her quest to see an ancient Roman mosaic from the perspective of its original viewers — under their feet.

Other times, when no one was looking, Molholt Vanel would splash a little water on a mosaic, illustrating how it would have looked as a wet floor in a home, said Elizabeth Marlowe, an assistant professor of art history at Colgate University and friend of Molholt Vanel’s since graduate school.

Molholt Vanel died July 12. She was 44 years old and suffered from pancreatic cancer, friends and colleagues told The Herald.

President Christina Paxson sent an email July 14 notifying the Brown community of Molholt Vanel’s death, describing her as “a remarkable and promising young scholar, a dedicated and inspiring teacher and a warm and caring adviser and colleague.”

Molholt Vanel came to Brown in 2008 as an assistant professor in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture. She was a core faculty member of the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World and worked closely with the Department of Italian Studies and the Program in Medieval Studies.

Beginnings of a ‘brilliant’ career Molholt Vanel graduated cum laude from Clark University in 1992 with a bachelor’s degree in art history. She then received her masters in art history summa cum laude from Williams College in 1996 and earned a doctoral degree in 2008 from Columbia’s department of art history and archaeology.

Even before arriving at Columbia, she had accumulated considerable knowledge through her curatorial work in the Worcester Art Museum’s extensive collection of Greek and Roman art, which impressed and excited her peers, said Marlowe, also a historian of Roman art. As a student, Molholt Vanel had already “cut her teeth in the field,” offering “brilliant insights” while remaining “unpretentious” and considerate of her classmates, Marlowe added.

Molholt Vanel also traveled extensively throughout her career to view the ancient Roman art that inspired her scholarship.

Through the friends she made throughout her studies, Molholt Vanel helped form a network of Romanist students and professors at schools in the Pioneer Valley area of Massachusetts. The group of historians expanded over the years and became known colloquially as “the Pioneer Valley Roman Forum,” said Marlowe, a member of the forum.

By the time Molholt Vanel arrived at Brown, she was already seen as a rising star in her field and more “seasoned” than other scholars her age, said Professor of History of Art and Architecture Douglas Nickel, who

helped hire Moholt Vanel and mentored her as a new professor.

She received several awards before coming to Brown, including the esteemed Arthur Ross Rome Prize from the American Academy in Rome in 2004-2005 and the David E. Finley Fellowship from the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts from the National Gallery of Art. Molholt Vanel’s scholarship earned her growing recognition in the ancient Roman art history field after she started teaching. She authored a 2011 article in Art Bulletin, a premier journal of art historians.

‘A gifted teacher’ and scholar Professors and students praised Molholt Vanel for her enthusiasm for teaching and passion for art history.

Her command of a wide range of historical knowledge and her growing reputation as a creative and eager instructor led many students to enroll in classes like HIAA 0010: “Introduction to the History of Art and Architecture” — a survey course that she volunteered to teach as a way to serve the department and engage with students, Nickel said.

Molholt Vanel’s intellectual curiosity and thoughtfulness made her lectures on contemporary art as captivating as those on the objects of antiquity in which she specialized, said Monica Bravo GS, a former teaching assistant to Molholt Vanel.

Molholt Vanel was open about the challenges archaeologists and historians face in determining the ownership and context of ancient objects. After being invited to attend a January 2012 symposium at Bowling Green State University on the university’s recently purchased ancient Roman mosaics, Molholt Vanel notified the school that she had uncovered evidence that the pieces had been looted from an archaeological site along the Euphrates River in Turkey.

Her expertise helped the university determine the origins of the mosaics and consider repatriation of the materials to Turkey, according to a 2013 Journal for Roman Archaeology article.

She “was as original and inspiring in her teaching as she was in her research, reinvigorating the study of ancient art in our department after a long period in which it seemed to have fallen out of fashion,” wrote Professor of History of Art and Architecture Evelyn Lincoln in an email to The Herald.

Molholt Vanel was invited to lecture numerous times on Romanist art, including at the Rhode Island School of Design, John Hopkins University and Mount Holyoke College.

Molholt Vanel could bring students “to the edge of their seats,” said Julia Telzak ’15, an art history concentrator who took Molholt Vanel’s intro course as a first-year. Molholt Vanel “instilled in me a curious attitude” about art history, Telzak added.

“Sometimes students would clap after lectures and she would push it aside, but that is a testament to what they saw in her,” Bravo said.

Molholt Vanel was “a gifted teacher,” said Emilia Mickevicius GS, adding that she had “a beautiful way with words when she was talking about art.”

An intellectual and ‘brilliant friend’ Even after receiving her diagnosis, Molholt Vanel continued to engage with scholars in the field and came back to Brown to teach in the fall of 2012 after undergoing chemotherapy.

Colleagues and friends noted that though she was serious about her scholarship, Molholt Vanel was warm and optimistic about life.

Despite her humble and gentle nature, Molholt Vanel also had a “wicked sense of humor,” said Georgina Borromeo, curator of ancient art at the RISD Museum.

Students commented on her wit, which was at times unexpected in the middle of a lecture on ancient art, but always “fresh and interesting,” Mickevicius said.

Molholt Vanel remained engaged in Romanist art and history throughout her treatment. She attended a seminar in Paris last year with other leading experts in the mosaics field, said Mary Hollinshead, associate professor of art history at the University of Rhode Island. Molholt Vanel brought her characteristic sense of humor to the experience, describing the conference as a chance to meet the entire

bibliography of her dissertation, Hollinshead added.

Molholt Vanel also stayed dedicated to her students, encouraging them to pursue their scholarship. Even when she was on medical leave and living in Paris, she responded to emails with career advice and encouragement, Bravo said.

“Rebecca’s colleagues and students loved her. She will be missed for her grace, intelligence, courage and warmth,” wrote Professor of History of Art and Architecture Jeffrey Muller in an email to The Herald. » See VANEL, page 9

6 obituaries

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Friends remember St. Louis ’15 as passionate, generous polymath From Frisbee to neuroscience, St. Louis is remembered for his strong leadership

By EMMAJEAN HOLLEY ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

Mark St. Louis ’15 was an asker of questions and a seeker of answers.

“He was always excited about everything, about learning so many different things,” Maris Jones ’15 said. “It didn’t matter if it wasn’t his area, because obviously if you were interested in it, then there was something there that was worth it to him.”

Academically and athletically,St. Louis was gifted. Though he was concentrating in neuroscience, classmates said he took several classes in the engineering department and intended to earn a combined MD/PhD after college.

As a student at the prestigious United World College of the Adriatic, he played for the Italian Junior National Ultimate Team in the Junior World Championship.

He also played for Brownian Motion, Brown’s men’s ultimate Frisbee team, for three years.

But former teammates, classmates and friends remember St. Louis — who died July 18— for the indefatigable spirit he brought on road trips, to dinner tables and to every conversation.

Spirit of the game The ultimate Frisbee team held a vigil for St. Louis following his death, which former and current players from across

the country attended, said former team captain Dan Jacobson ’14.

In interviews, teammates recalled St. Louis’ enthusiastic involvement with the game as a defining aspect of his life at Brown.

“He was in his element playing Frisbee — a uniquely powerful force of nature,” said Isaac MacDonald ’15, a teammate.

But his pivotal role on the team extended beyond sheer skill, teammates said.

When St. Louis was sidelined with a back injury, he was “the first guy” running onto the field to provide players with whatever they seemed to need, in the form of water bottles, ice or moral support, said Aron Lesser ’15, another teammate.

Jacobson first met St. Louis at the National Ultimate Training Camp, a weeklong summer program for competitive high school ultimate Frisbee players. The encounter was colored with expectations — rumors were circling around the camp about “some really good, sick-nasty guy named Mark St. Louis” who had played on the Italian Junior Nationals team, Jacobson recalled.

But over the course of the week, Jacobson realized the buzz about St. Louis’ reputation was only partially due to his technical skill. What truly made him stand out as a player, he said, was being “incredibly good at helping people find their own strength.”

Speak your mind Frisbee team captain Ryan Brown ’15, a friend who also took several classes with

St. Louis, said his “fire and commitment” on the Frisbee field was reflected in his academic pursuits.

St. Louis began to carve out a tentative academic path for himself early on at Brown, Jacobson said. While others were still “putzing around,” St. Louis had already planned what to work on as a sophomore and a junior, pouring over graduate students’ research in preparation for the future, he said.

For his thesis project, he was investigating whether the simulation of sensory feedback through the BrainGate system — which researches how technology can assist those with neurological disorders — would help patients “to improve their neural control over external devices” such as robotic arms, wrote Beata Jarosiewicz, a BrainGate researcher and assistant professor of neuroscience, in an email to The Herald.

Camille Spencer ’14, a friend and former lab partner, called St. Louis’ thesis “a characteristically ambitious project that could have probably spawned like three different possible theses” in an email to The Herald.

In addition to serving as assistant director for the student group Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math (STEAM), he was also the manager and STEAM liaison for the SpeakYourMind (SYM) Foundation, wrote STEAM director Victoria Wu ’15 in an email to The Herald. SYM, an offshoot program of BrainGate research, aims to design assistive technology for those whose neurological disorders impair their ability to communicate.

St. Louis “was passionate about

HERALD FILE PHOTO

Friends remember Mark St. Louis ‘15, who played on the ultimate Frisbee team for three years, as a star athlete and caring teammate. learning and applying his engineering and neuroscience background to solve real issues,” Wu wrote. “It was apparent in the way he spoke and in everything that he did.”

“I really expected to see his name get published all over the place in the next 20 years,” Jacobson said. “I miss seeing what good he could have brought into the world.”

‘The Mark St. Louis smirk’ In interviews with friends, the word

“intense” repeatedly surfaced to describe St. Louis. MacDonald called this one of St. Louis’ “defining traits.”

Many spoke of St. Louis’ engrossed conversational style. Not one for halfhearted small talk, he would “stop whatever he was doing, sit down, stare you in the eyes and really listen,” Aron Lesser said.

“For that time, you were going to be the only thing in the world that mattered to him,” Brown said. » See ST. LOUIS, page 9

obituaries 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

Stephen Rodrigues leaves legacy as a thoughtful and ‘gentle soul’ Rodrigues followed a ‘non-linear’ path at Brown, studying geology and biology SENIOR STAFF WRITER

announced his death in a communitywide email.

Stephen Rodrigues’ loved ones remember him in many ways: as a lover of the Earth, a thoughtful poet, a late-night conversationalist and, in the words of friend Michaela Lewis ’13, a “gentle soul.”

“Stephen was an exuberant and creative spirit with an amazing laugh, tremendous curiosity, a playful and loving heart and an encyclopedic knowledge of music, geology and zoology,” Zohar Atkins ’10, Rodrigues’ former hall- and housemate, wrote in an email to The Herald.

Rodrigues, 26, came to Brown in 2006 but took multiple leaves of absence. He was enrolled in classes at Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design as recently as last year.

Rodrigues, who was studying geology and biology, was on leave again and living in Providence when he died late July. President Christina Paxson first

‘Smart with words and smart with people’ “There was this mystical world that I associate with his mind,” said Stephanie Hudon, a friend who met Rodrigues in November while living in Rhode Island. Meeting during “transitional periods” in both of their lives, the two connected quickly, she said. They often met for ginger tea on Wickenden Street to discuss books, music and family.

Rodrigues had a “contagious” energy, she said. “It doesn’t make sense that he’s not a physical person anymore.

He’s still a person to me.”

Hudon said the joy in Rodrigues’ voice when he talked about things he loved was striking. “He was so good with words.”

Even his Facebook messages were eloquently phrased — instead of writing a simple “Hey, how are you?” he would write, “I would be much obliged if you

By EMMA HARRIS

could drop me a line soon,” she added.

“He wrote poetry that was just unbelievable,” said Mikala Murphy, a friend who met Rodrigues in 2011 when they both attended the University of California at Irvine and carpooled together.

They formed a weekly art group where they, along with a few others, would share paintings and poetry, she said. “He was honestly the most brilliant person I’ve ever met. He was book smart and intuitively smart, smart with words and smart with people.”

Rodrigues wrote poetry that “resonated,” said Lewis, who knew Rodrigues through Finlandia, the co-op on Waterman Street. “There was silence between his words, like he was considering every one of them.”

“He was a person to sit quietly with.

He was a deep night owl, a caring presence to talk to and really connect with,” she added, recalling long, late-night conversations about literature and poetry at the dining table over tea.

“I can still see images of Stephen with his curly hair in a comfy Brown sweater, sitting around the Findy table,”

Lewis said. “I miss him.”

Fascinated by the world Rodrigues was curious about the world, said friend Mindy Phillips ’10. “He found the world intriguing and fascinating. He loved geology and the environment — he loved the way things worked.”

Phillips and Rodrigues lived across the hall from one another in South Wayland their first year. They ate meals at the Sharpe Refectory, attended an orchestra concert and went to their first yoga class together, she said. “We knew each other in a time filled with exploration.”

Rodrigues, whose passions included nature and the ocean, would “never even hurt a fly,” Murphy said, recalling that he loved his animal books while taking biology at UC Irvine.

At Rodrigues’ celebration of life in July — a memorial service held shortly after his death — his family spoke of this love for the ocean, Hudon said.

His brother, Tom Rodrigues, picked an E. E. Cummings quote to include in the pamphlet: “For whatever we lose (like a you or a me) it’s always ourselves we find in the sea.”

“It is the perfect Stephen quote,” Hudon said. “He loved the ocean.”

‘Thoroughly human’ When Phillips returned to Providence for a visit in May, she met Rodrigues for breakfast at Loui’s and saw him in person for the first time since he left Brown temporarily in 2008.

“He said that Brown had been really supportive of him taking time off and that was something he was proud of,” she said, adding that he planned to finish his degree.

Rodrigues enjoyed living a “nonlinear lifestyle,” Hudon said. Given that his original class had graduated, he didn’t know many people when he was taking classes last fall at Brown and RISD, but he loved the Providence area, she said.

“He liked living on the fringe of things.”

Rodrigues was a complex person, Lewis said. “Interacting with Stephen taught me something about being human — he was thoroughly human.”

The loss of his brilliance is a loss for the world, Murphy said. “Stephen could have changed the world,” she said. “And he did for people who knew him.”

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

» ST. LOUIS, from page 6 When he had an opinion or an idea to express — which friends said was nearly always — his excitement was palpable.

“He had this smirk — the ‘Mark St. Louis smirk,’” said Gab Lesser ’15. “If he had to say something … that maybe other people were afraid of saying, or if he thought of something crazy he needed to tell everyone, he had that smile ready to unload knowledge on you.”

Spencer recalled outdoor lunches at picnic tables, listening to St. Louis pontificate on “deterministic universes and the nature of free will as a philosophical argument, and why Daniel Dennett is frustrating to read in front of all these older science people,” she wrote.

Even as she thought, “My God, Mark, you sound so full of yourself,” she was so struck by his sincerity that she “couldn’t help feeling … more fond of him,” she wrote.

In his larger-than-life presence, it was the “little things” through which the depth of his thoughtfulness shone, Aron Lesser said. He kept a mental record of what others liked, storing away tidbits of information to perform small acts of kindness in the future.

“If he knew you’d had a bad day, he’d bring you your favorite cookie. If he heard you say you loved this kind of fruit, he’d buy it for you if he found it,” he added.

In addition to tokens of generosity, St. Louis willingly sacrificed his time when he sensed his support was needed, Gab Lesser said. Once, midway through a 12-hour study binge at the Sharpe Refectory — when “most people wouldn’t even give me two minutes” — St. Louis devoted two hours to helping Lesser set up Frisbee drills, he said.

If it was late at night, he would “just

drink another cup of coffee and go off to help you,” he added.

Spencer recounted a particularly stressful night: In addition to “desperately trying to complete my thesis on time to make my second deadline extension,” she was cramming for a test the next day in her neural systems class, she wrote.

When St. Louis showed up, she initially “snapped at him.” But he rubbed her shoulders and “gently explained … how the oculomotor reflex pathways were thought to work.” He brought her French fries and tea. It was 2 a.m.

‘Putting the world together’ “A lot of times when people die, you hear that the world is going to be a worse place because of his or her death,” Brown said. “For the first time in my life, I really understand what people mean when they say that.”

MacDonald agreed. “I think that in some ways, it makes it more of a tragedy that someone that dedicated, that committed and that forceful is no longer here to improve the world,” he said. “But in a weird sense, he — more than anyone else — lived the years that he had incredibly fully and with a tenacity that will multiply his time here.”

St. Louis’ friends and teammates said they will continue to be inspired by the uncommon intensity St. Louis brought to his endeavors.

“He thought about everything, synthesized it, thought about it again, questioned it again — always putting the world together,” Gab Lesser said. “It’s rare to find someone who so consciously does all that, and with such excitement.”

“We lost something big here,” Brown said. “In a global community, however small one person can be — I’m going to miss him.”

» DEAN, from page 1 massive open online courses, which has challenged traditional ideas about what universities can offer students, also drew her in, Mandel said.

As a veteran faculty member, Mandel witnessed changes to the advising program under Bergeron and said she hopes to expand on those reforms.

While Bergeron built up first-year and sophomore advising, Mandel hopes to strengthen concentration advising, she told The Herald.

Advising, which Paxson called Mandel’s “personal priority” in her email, must address all the opportunities available to Brown students, Mandel said — a goal she describes as “advising the whole student.”

“We want students who come to Brown to feel like they got an experience here that’s unique and important that would not be available to them at other places,” Mandel said.

Mandel’s scholarship and teaching focus on an array of topics within Jewish and French history, including immigration, the Holocaust, anti-Semitism and nationalism. Her most recent publications have explored the relationships between Jews and Muslims in France.

As a scholar of European history, Mandel said, she is particularly interested in the international impact students can make. She said she is also especially intrigued by engaged learning and sophomore seminars and was one of a few professors to teach a sophomore seminar last semester, HIST 0980B: “Becoming French: Minorities and the Challenges of Integration in the French Republic.”

Outside of Paxson’s strategic plan, Mandel is concerned about the decreasing number of undergraduates

» VANEL, from page 5

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Molholt Vanel’s “total engagement with art, music and literature from antiquity to the present, and the meticulous care with which she wrote about and taught it, changed the people who were fortunate enough to engage with her in this life,” Lincoln wrote, adding that Molholt Vanel was “an intellectual in a truer sense of the word than we usually use it.”

In her memory, there will be a Rebecca Molholt Vanel Memorial Fund established “to support student programs” in the Department of the History of Art and Architecture at Brown, according to an email from the Molholt family sent to friends and colleagues.

Molholt Vanel is survived by her

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concentrating in the humanities, a trend she has personally witnessed at Brown, she told The Herald. As dean of the College, Mandel will be poised to make clear to students and parents that the humanities teach valuable skills, she said, adding that tackling the problem also “has to do with admissions and the type of students we want to bring to Brown.”

Mandel will also confront the issue of grade inflation, which was discussed during the selection process, she told The Herald. “President Paxson has made clear that one of the initiatives of the dean of the College will be to address grade inflation.”

At Brown, Mandel has been appointed as a faculty fellow at the Pembroke Center and the Cogut Center for the Humanities, according to the press release.

Her teaching has also been acclaimed by students: On the Critical Review, several of her most recent ratings are close to the highest possible score of 1.

Mandel will have a leading role in implementing the components of the University’s strategic plan that focus on strengthening undergraduate education, according to the press release.

Though she will not teach this year, Mandel hopes to get back in the classroom shortly after that, she told The Herald, adding that she would not have taken a position that would isolate her from students.

Mandel recently started work on a book project and will continue doing research in some capacity as she moves forward with administrative work, she said.

The search committee that selected Mandel was chaired by former Provost Mark Schlissel P’15 and staffed by several professors, staff members and undergraduates. husband, Herve Vanel, a former assistant professor of history of art and architecture at Brown and now a professor of art history at the American University of Paris. The couple met as colleagues in Brown’s art history department.

A funeral was held on July 18 in France, friends of Molholt Vanel said.

As a scholar, Molholt Vanel was “perfectly positioned to write,” Lincoln wrote. “It is a tragedy for our field that we will never have those books, and it is hard for those of us who knew and worked with her to now forever be deprived of our glamorous and brilliant friend and colleague.”

-With additional reporting from Sabrina Imbler

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» GURALNIK, from page 4 ‘Computers, cars and cameras’ Beyond physics, Guralnik had one other well-known fascination: cars.

Around the department, Guralnik was known for his love of cars and his taste for higher-end automobiles. While faculty members would always look to him for car-purchasing advice, they could not always afford his recommendations, said Professor of Physics Chung-I Tan. He “would drive one Porsche home and come back with another version of the same car,” Jevicki said.

Guralnik’s passion for technology extended beyond cars. He was a “renaissance man when it comes to technology,” Tan said. “Everyone would ask him for advice on the latest computers, cars and cameras.”

He was also a “phenomenal photographer,” Tan said. Guralnik had a darkroom in his basement where he developed his own photographs, he added.

Through high school Guralnik spent most of his time in the darkroom, Ferrante said, adding that at one point, he even worked as a newspaper photographer.

A ‘disarming smile’ Guralnik had a large heart as well — he was a wonderful friend and a father figure to many, those who knew him said.

Zachary Guralnik, also a theoretical physicist, said he worked with his father up until the time of his death, adding that they were currently working on a paper that is not yet finished.

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with my own father on these things. I’ve been very fortunate in this respect, and we’ve had a lot of fun,” Zachary said. “His influence on me has been profound.”

Guralnik was also a friend to colleagues at Brown and around the world.

“He was honest, straightforward, creative, thoughtful and kind,” Savage said, recalling Guralnik’s regular lunches with other professors in the Ivy Room.

“Gerry is a true friend,” wrote Professor of Physics Xinsheng Sean Ling in an email. He had a “disarming smile” and “always (had) the best interest of the Department and the University in heart.”

Kibble said though he and Guralnik lived on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, their families had a strong connection. “I have happy memories of times we spent together in many different places, as indeed do our children. I shall greatly miss our warm friendship.”

-With additional reporting from Sarah Perelman, Andrew Jones and Jason Nadboy

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menu SHARPE REFECTORY

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LUNCH Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy, Roasted Red Potatoes with Herbs, Salmon Salad, Frosted Brownies

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Parmesan Baked Chicken, Vegan Italian White Beans, Macaroni and Cheese, Onion Rings, Enchilada Bar

DINNER Pork Sukiayaki, Vegetable Egg Rolls, Lo Mein Noodles with Sesame Oil and Red Pepper, Peach Cobbler

Eggplant Rollatini, Best Ever Roast Beef, General Tso Chicken, Stir Fried Tofu, Sauteed Zucchini and Rosemary

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SEPTEMBER 2

11 A.M. “RACIAL MICROAGRESSIONS” PHOTO SESSION

The Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America welcomes students, faculty members and staff members to share life experiences with racial and ethnic microagressions. The exhibit promotes the strengthening of a community by making racial microagressions visible. 80 Brown St., Floor 3R 4 P.M. OPENING CONVOCATION

Welcome to the Class of 2018! The incoming class of first-years is talented and diverse. The applicant pool is the secondlargest yet, represents all 50 states, and has the largest number of international applicants in University history. Main Green

TOMORROW

SEPTEMBER 3

7 P.M. MUSIC DEPARTMENT OPEN HOUSE

Students interested in taking musical courses or participating in one of the many music ensembles on campus can learn more about campus programs, hear from ensemble directors and meet student representatives. Grand Recital Hall, corner of Hope Street and Young Orchard Avenue 8 P.M. LGBTQ WELCOME DINNER

Students of all identities are welcome to take part in a discussion of the LGBTQ Center, student groups on campus and LGBTQ life at Brown. Petteruti Lounge

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commentary 11

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 2, 2014

EDITORS’ NOTE

Greetings from The Herald Dear class of 2018 and new transfer students, Welcome to Brown!

C A R A D O R R I S A N D C E C I L IA B É R R I Z

An American tragedy ARMANI MADISON guest columnist

The tragedy that occurred just past noon on Aug. 9 was not simply an “incident,” not an “accident” and not an “unfortunate situation.” The reaction from communities of color across the nation, protests against both police brutality and the murders of black and brown bodies by police that followed are also not, as Fox contributor Linda Chavez put it, attempts to enhance racial fears and animosity by employing a “mantra of the black unarmed teenager shot by a white cop.”

Instead, the tragic murders of Michael Brown and countless other unarmed victims of color over the past few months are violations of the highest order. This situation served and continues to serve as a bitter reminder for millions of people of color that our lives are valued less than those of our white peers. This serves as a reminder of the continued dehumanization, demonization and devaluation of the black and brown that have been as much a staple of American tradition as apple pie.

On a personal level, both the historical and the recent series of incredible violations of human and civil rights have had a profound emotional impact.

Those not of a certain set of “person-ofcolor” backgrounds take it for granted that the police are unlikely to harass them, harbor prejudices against them or even murder them when they are unarmed. Those who possess such backgrounds are keenly aware that their livelihoods — and even their lives — are at stake at all times, even if they are completely innocent of any wrongdoing.

Incidents of police brutality, harassment and even murder are all violations of not just civil rights but also basic human rights. Situations like the one resulting in the death of Mr. Brown are not only “black” problems, nor simply “people-of-color” problems. Any injustice that plagues any of the people of our country, regardless of their identities or backgrounds, is an American problem.

As citizens and humans, we should expect to be able to gather in peaceful assembly without police harassment and intimidation. We should be able to expect that, as long as we are not engaged in illegal activity, the police will serve to protect us — not to murder and intimidate. And we should expect that regardless of our involvement in illegal activity, we have the right to due process. We should expect timely and equal justice in our court systems. We should expect to be treated equally and fairly, to be free from discrimination based on gender,

race, class or any other distinction. The issue that Ferguson, Missouri, has highlighted is that we are not guaranteed the protection of our civil — or even human — rights. This fact is an American tragedy. As Martin Luther King Jr. famously said, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” It is time for Americans to realize that police brutality, intimidation, bias, an unjust “justice” system and general identity discrimination are not merely the problems of a certain subset of the population.

The police actions in Ferguson have prompted protest from activists, politicians and journalists across the world.

Ferguson has found itself the subject of a human rights investigation by Amnesty International, as well as an inves-

Any injustice that plagues any of the people of our country, regardless of their identities or backgrounds, is an American problem. tigation by the Department of Justice on the basis of the high possibility that law enforcement violated federal civil rights provisions and, lastly, a $40 million lawsuit — one of several — which was declared by a collective of five plaintiffs to be levied against the Ferguson police.

These civil and human rights violations, committed on American soil — not a new phenomenon but an incredibly visible instance — have drawn international criticism from government and media outlets in China, Iran, Egypt, Cuba, North Korea, the United Kingdom, Mexico, Sri Lanka and Canada.

These violations have also drawn ire from Palestinian activists and Tibetan monks, among many other groups. In an incredibly telling quote, the Russian Foreign Ministry made the observation that though America “has positioned itself as a ‘bastion of human rights’ and is actively engaged in ‘export of democracy’ on a systematic basis, serious violations of basic human rights and barbaric practices thrive.” The Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese state press agency, similarly wrote that “the Ferguson incident once again demonstrates that even in a country that has for years tried to play the role of an international human rights judge and defender, there is still much room for improvement at home.”

It is quite apparent, even from an international angle, that something is profoundly wrong in this nation.

Where to start? We must look to

raising the bar for the standards required for hired police officers. It makes no sense, for example, that Officer Darren Wilson, who previously was employed in a police department with so much tension between its mostly white officers and its mostly black residents that the city council voted to disband it, was not more closely watched by superiors.

It is imperative that we push for drastic diversity increases in our police forces. A community must feel that it has representation in the force that polices it. Although the town of Ferguson is 67 percent black, only three of the 53 officers employed in the local department are black. We must demilitarize an American police force that employs weapons and tactics against its own citizens that are more appropriate for use in war. We must find a way to force the justice system to punish violations of the law by officers in the same manner that it does for civilian offenders. We must vote locally — for local officials who reflect a healthy set of values. We must more actively involve ourselves in police watch forces and citizen review boards.

Lastly and more immediately, we must demand full transparency and accountability of our police forces. That journey starts with the support of the proposed “Mike Brown” law, a proposition that asks the White House to consider imposing a requirement upon all state, county and local police forces to wear body cameras.

It is up to all Americans to take to task every department, organization and force that exercises authority over us. We must make them accountable for their actions, and we must use the tools at our disposal to utilize the latent power that we have to change the current landscape. This issue is not one that can wait until injustice claims the life of another American. The broken pieces of our nation that have been exposed by the recent events in Ferguson are the most pressing issues facing our nation, and the manner in which they are dealt with will determine the nature of our future definitions of “justice.” We live in a broken society. The time to learn, to speak, to act, to vote, to demand accountability and transparency, and to fight for a just future is this very moment. Whatever your identity and background, you have the responsibility and the ability to make a positive difference.

Armani Madison ’16 demands a society in which no innocent person has the need to fear an authoritative force that supposedly exists to “protect and serve” him or her.

The past few days have likely been a whirlwind of forgotten names and mad scrambles across an unfamiliar campus. During your time on College Hill, things will settle into a rhythm — but only to a point. Now is an incredibly exciting time to be at Brown: We have a new provost and dean of the College alongside a relatively new president, with a major strategic plan being set in motion and a capital campaign following shortly. It’s also, as of last year, a time of significant campus turmoil ­— conversations about Ray Kelly, coal divestment and sexual assault have dominated discourse.

You are here, in large part, for the academics. The New Curriculum, which turns 45 this year, is Brown’s scholastic touchstone and guiding document.

Notions of “no requirements” and “take anything pass/fail” may have attracted you here, but they’re still abstract ideas, hard to make sense of fully. What you’ll find is that the curriculum’s spirit has actually seeped into the fabric of the University, creating an ethos of independence, autonomy and questioning.

Seize that. Create your own course or concentration; carve out a new extracurricular niche; shake loose some personal inhibitions. Take advantage of what this school has to offer.

As you inch forward along your own path, we hope you’ll stay informed about and engaged with the campus community. That’s where The Herald can help. We print every weekday when classes are in session, covering campus and local news, sports, arts, science, culture and more. Starting next week, you can also read Post-, our weekly Thursday insert offering commentary on pop culture, food and sex. Read us online at www.browndailyherald.com, our website that also includes videos and interactive features, and stay up to date on on- and offcampus events, student spotlights and more at our blog, Blogdailyherald.com.

The Herald’s office is located at 195 Angell St. We’re independent from the University and student-run, in both editorial and business operations. And we’d love to have you join us in any number of capacities, including writing, photography, design, web and videography. If you’re interested, come to an info session (details are at browndailyherald.com/join). Even if you’re not, we hope you’ll contribute to our community by commenting online, submitting feedback and writing letters to the editor or opinion columns.

This first issue is especially for you: It’s filled mostly with the biggest news we published online over the summer, including new top administrators, investigations into an alleged sexual assault and, sadly, the obituaries of several students and faculty members who died since May. Tomorrow’s paper will include more summer articles, as well as a variety of new content. We hope these editions kick off a year of providing information and entertainment to you.

Best of luck with your time here. We can’t wait to write about it.

Editors’ notes are written by the 124th Editorial Board: Eli Okun ’15, Mathias Heller ’15, Sona Mkrttchian ’15, Maddie Berg ’15 and Kate Nussenbaum ’15.