Friday, November 21, 2014

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THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 115

since 1891

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 2014

Mid-year completion speakers selected Tennis ’14.5, Harris ’14.5 posted preliminary ideas on Alternative Commencement blog

“ever-changing paths of the Brown experience.” His speech was inspired by a post he wrote last spring on Alternative Commencement, a blog created by Ana Olsen ’14 and Kayla Rosen ’14. The blog “was (a) space for any member of the Brown community to share their parting thoughts with Brown and their parting thoughts with the senior class,” Harris said. “It was a spur-of-the-moment thing when I decided to write a blog post for them.” “So when I was applying to be a mid-year completion speaker, I decided that point-fiver graduation is like an Alternative Commencement of its own,” he added. “I felt like what I wrote applied more than ever to point-fivers.” Tennis, a Herald opinions editor and former captain of the pirate a cappella group ARRR!!!, also decided to submit an excerpt from a post she wrote for Alternative Commencement. As she progressed through the rounds of selection, she continued to revise this speech, which focuses on an experience involving an unexpected medical emergency that altered her intended plans for her time at Brown. “I think speaking will conclude » See MID-YEAR, page 3

By ISABELLE THENOR-LOUIS STAFF WRITER

Gennaro takes final bow at Trinity Repertory After seven years, theater company’s executive director leaves for Goodspeed Musicals By DREW WILLIAMS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Michael Gennaro will step down from his position as executive director of Trinity Repertory Company after seven years of running daily business at the Providence theater. In February, he will move to East Haddam, Connecticut, to take up the executive director position at Goodspeed Musicals — famous for being the birthplace of the popular Broadway show “Annie.” “It’s a great fit and an opportunity I never thought I would have,” Gennaro said. He will succeed Michael Price, the director of Goodspeed for 45 of its 51 years in business. Gennaro described » See GENNARO, page 4

inside

ARTS & CULTURE

U. financial aid squeezes middle-class families Students graduate with highest loan debt in Ivy League, some struggling to pay cost of attendance By STEVEN MICHAEL SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When Amanda Ruggieri ’16 graduates from Brown, she estimates that she will owe between $40,000 and $50,000 in debt. Ruggieri receives a full tuition scholarship from the University, as well as federal Perkins loans and Pell grants. She also works 13 hours per week as a cashier and supervisor at the Blue Room and five hours per week as a teaching assistant for CLPS 0010: “Elementary Psychology: An Introduction to Mind and Behavior.” But Ruggieri’s financial aid and multiple on-campus jobs don’t cover the full cost of attendance. The University estimates the cost to be $62,694 for the current academic year — of which tuition is only $46,408. The remaining roughly $16,000 goes toward room, board, books and miscellaneous fees. Ruggieri is paying for college

FEATURE

herself, so to meet all costs, she is taking out approximately $11,000 per year in student loans. “It’s an awkward experience,” Ruggieri said, reflecting on the discrepancy between how she is paying for college and how many of her classmates pay for it. “A lot of people are paying for Brown out of pocket. When they graduate they can do whatever they want.” “There’s always the expectation that families will contribute, and that’s not always the case,” she added. The University outstrips many of its peers on measures of both lowincome students and students who receive no aid. But for many middleclass students like Ruggieri, attending Brown — a university with a stated commitment to meet all demonstrated financial need for domestic students — can entail student loans or payments that dig deeply into family and personal savings.

By MICHAEL DUBIN UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

Police and court documents that were part of an investigation of two Brown undergraduates who allegedly sexually assaulted a Providence College student last November were released to the public Tuesday when a Rhode Island Superior Court judge unsealed them, multiple news outlets reported Thursday. Judge Alice Gibney rejected a motion filed by John Grasso and Stephen Brouillard, lawyers for one of the accused, seeking to keep the records from becoming publicly available. The motion followed several attempts by the PC student to obtain the documents under the Access to Public Records Act. The Providence Journal subsequently filed a motion requesting » See DOCUMENTS, page 2

DAVID DECKEY / HERALD

In four years tending the Bruno net, Shannon McSweeney ’15 used a “warrior” mentality to turn the field hockey program around.

Goalie’s illustrious career finishes strong McSweeney ’15 sets alltime saves record, instills winning culture for field hockey team

Financial realities Though the University has attracted a relatively high percentage of lowincome students — as evidenced by the share of students receiving federal Pell grants — Brown lags behind many » See FIN AID, page 3

Arts & Culture

Following judge’s ruling, attorney general’s office releases witness statements, emails

SPORTS FEATURE

By MATTHEW BROWNSWORD SPORTS STAFF WRITER

When All-Ivy goalie Shannon McSweeney ’15 pulls her helmet over her head — just before the whistle

Sports

Wayland Square Diner revives the ’50s with classic jukeboxes and all-American food

Online art marketplace Folkmade aims to celebrate College Hill’s artistic community

Football seeks to level its record in Senior Day matchup with Columbia

Men’s basketball struggles with turnovers, fouls and free-throw shooting in pair of losses

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weather

RHEA STARK / HERALD

Maggie Tennis ’14.5 and Todd Harris ’14.5 were chosen as this year’s midyear completion speakers after delivering speeches before a committee.

After advancing through a competitive selection process, Todd Harris ’14.5 and Maggie Tennis ’14.5 have been chosen as this year’s mid-year completion speakers, said Kathleen McSharry, associate dean of the College for writing and curriculum. To be considered for the honor of mid-year completion speaker, students must be nominated by a peer or nominate themselves. Each year, 15 to 35 students submit short pieces that serve as snippets of their potential speeches, McSharry said. A committee of faculty members reviews the snippets and narrows down the pool of candidates. These candidates are then invited to deliver their whole speeches in person before the committee. Harris, a former president of the Undergraduate Council of Students, centered his speech on the

Judge unseals PC sexual assault case records

blows — she doesn’t see a 100 x 60 yard piece of wet astroturf. She sees a battlefield. When she sees an opponent’s shot flying toward her, it’s not traveling at 80 miles per hour at a 10-degree angle above the ground. It’s just a ball, and she has one objective: to keep it out of the back of the net. It wasn’t always that way for » See MCSWEENEY, page 8 t o d ay

tomorrow

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Friday, November 21, 2014 by The Brown Daily Herald - Issuu