SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
VOLUME CL, ISSUE 2
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
Undergrads Internship initiative BrownConnect to see expansion Two updated versions of Bruno posts on BrownConnect over past two months question site featuring new tools set Bruno posts on President Paxson’s new internship initiative, BrownConnew alcohol tofalllaunch this spring, next nect, have increased more than threefold since its October launch. 150 posts policy By SUSANNAH HOWE
Possible rise in off-campus parties anticipated as consequence of alcohol ban at dorm social events By EMMA HARRIS UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR
Following the University’s ban on alcohol service at residence hall parties announced Monday, many students have expressed support for the administration’s emphasis on ensuring student safety and preventing sexual assault. But others have reacted with frustration and skepticism at the rationale behind and consequences of the policy change. Kathryn Graves ’15, president of Brown’s Panhellenic Council, said she believes the new policy will “absolutely” improve student safety. “Only time will tell … but this is definitely a step in the right direction,” she said. But in more than a dozen interviews, several undergraduates said they are displeased with the administration’s focus on alcohol instead of what they perceive as the larger problem of sexual assault. Maahika Srinivasan ’15, president of the Undergraduate Council of Students, said she found the framing of the campus-wide email concerning, though she noted that she was expressing her personal view rather than that of UCS members. “Alcohol is not a root of sexual assault but a mechanism,” she said. Emily Schell ’16, founder of Stand Up! — a student-run initiative aiming to foster dialougue about sexual assault on campus — said she is “glad the University » See ALCOHOL, page 2
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Following the November launch of the new internship search and networking site BrownConnect, CareerLAB is planning on unveiling two newer versions of the initiative over the next year, said Aixa Kidd, director of BrownConnect. In response to student requests, BrownConnect 1.5 will likely launch this spring and include new search tools such as filtering by posting date, Kidd said. BrownConnect 2.0 will be released in the fall. BrownConnect is part of President Christina Paxson’s P’19 goal of » See CONNECT, page 2
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Source: Aixa Kidd, director of BrownConnect EMMA JERZYK / HERALD
Proposed bill mandates campus sexual assault reporting G.A. bill aims to help victims, falsely accused by involving local criminal justice systems By ELAINA WANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A proposed sexual assault bill that would make it mandatory for universities to report sexual assault allegations involving their students or employees to law enforcement was introduced Jan. 7 to the General Assembly by Rep. Mia Ackerman, D-Cumberland and Lincoln. Sexual assault cases in which the victim is a female student are less likely to be reported to the police than cases in which
METRO
the victim is female and not a student, according to a decade-long study by the U.S. Department of Justice released in December 2014. “This is actually an issue of national scale,” Ackerman said of sexual assault on college campuses in a Jan. 8 press release. “We have some great colleges and universities in this state, and we’re not saying they’re not equipped to handle the problem,” she said. “But our local law enforcement agencies are very well trained, equipped with special victims units and best able to handle complaints of sexual assault.” “A lot of the times universities … want to save their reputation,” Ackerman told The Herald. Universities “might want to handle it internally so the word doesn’t get out that there was an assault.” Ackerman said the issue of sexual
assault on college campuses is of personal significance to her, since her son is in college and her daughter will soon be in college. Though the intention behind the bill is good, the bill is too vague about institutions’ responsibilities, said Rep. Brian Newberry, R-North Smithfield and Burrillville, minority leader for the House. “The question is: What exactly are they supposed to report?” Newberry said. “What if a student at Brown tells their friends about something that happened and one of the friends mentions it to (an administrator) … Is that a report?” Universities will end up overreporting unless their responsibilities under state-mandated legislation are made clear, Newberry added. “You could clearly create a situation with lots of overreporting,” said Dan
Egan, president of the Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Rhode Island. “Mandatory reporting … may create an unintended consequence of dissuading people from reporting,” Egan said. Despite these concerns, Ackerman said she intentionally made the language in the bill broad so she could “get the dialogue going on this epidemic that we have going on in the country.” Looking ahead, Ackerman said she hopes to discuss the bill with law enforcement officials, universities and victim advocacy groups. She will be sending letters to Rhode Island colleges and universities soliciting their input on the bill in the following weeks. “Every story has two sides to it,” Ackerman said. “To perfect a bill you really need to open a dialogue.”
Leaving legacy, Huidekoper hands over U. finances to Chernow
Senior administrator has seen University through new initiatives, economic recession over 12 years By LINDSAY GANTZ STAFF WRITER
Nestled in the West Wing of University Hall, Executive Vice President for Finance and Administration Elizabeth ‘Beppie’ Huidekoper has spent the past 12 years overseeing the University’s finances, facilities and human resources. After a 33-year career in higher education, Huidekoper will step down from her current role next month. Her
INSIDE
successor Barbara Chernow ’79 comes to College Hill from Stony Brook University, where she has served as senior vice president for administration since 2012. “Life is short and I want to try something different,” Huidekoper told The Herald. The executive vice president of finance and administration’s influence extends to almost every facet of campus life, encompassing workers’ contract negotiations, capital projects and decisions on raising the cost of tuition. Before coming to College Hill, Huidekoper served as vice president for finance at Harvard starting in 1996. Her work at Harvard focused on risk management. She was responsible for
maintaining campus safety, as well as managing grants and the endowment. Huidekoper said she came to Brown because she “wanted the integrated position” of overseeing multiple administrative priorities. The University’s emphasis on community engagement also attracted her to the role, she said. Harvard has “that Vatican-like feel, in a non-religious way,” Huidekoper said. Brown “is sort of like an urban church rather than the Vatican.” A decade of decisions Huidekoper’s arrival at the University in October 2002 coincided with the unveiling of former President Ruth Simmons’ Plan for Academic Enrichment.
The PAE called for the addition of 100 new faculty members and the transition to universal need-blind admission, though this second goal was not fully realized. Huidekoper “was a vital part of planning and executing that growth,” President Christina Paxson P’19 told The Herald. The University has implemented new business systems and data systems during Huidekoper’s tenure, Paxson said. In July 2012, Brown was the first among peer institutions to introduce Workday, a cloud-based human resources system. “We took on the risk of being the guinea pig university,” Huidekoper said. “It gives Brown and my successor
an incredible new tool that we hope will last another 20-something years.” “I would give (Huidekoper) a significant amount of credit” for expanding financial aid and implementing other projects despite the University’s relatively low endowment, said Gregory Chatzinoff ’15, a student representative on the University Resources Committee. “Before she came, the campus was in much, much worse condition.” But Huidekoper’s tenure was not without challenges. Along with the rest of the nation, the University was affected by the economic recession that started in 2007, with the endowment suffering a loss of » See HUIDEKOPER, page 3
WEATHER
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
SCIENCE & RESEARCH Study finds correlation between high magnesium diet and lower diabetes risk
SCIENCE & RESEARCH Racial perception of physical activities linked to health and physical engagement
COMMENTARY Peter Makhlouf ’16: Charlie Hebdo shootings have been used for political gain
COMMENTARY Ian Kenyon GS: State of the Union address has strayed from its original purpose
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UNIVERSITY NEWS PAGE 2 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
BearSync provides student groups with new online platform Replacing MyGroups, new website features cleaner interface, refined search, improved student accessibility By SHAVON BELL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Undergraduate Council of Students and the Undergraduate Finance Board have unveiled BearSync, a new online platform for student groups to replace the previous software, MyGroups. UCS
»ALCOHOL, from page 1 is taking a proactive stance against environments in which alcohol can be served and sexual assaults can happen.” But Schell cautioned that “alcohol is only one part of the problem” and “sexual assault can happen in any place where alcohol is served, not just in Greek program houses,” which were specifically mentioned in Monday’s campus-wide email about the policy change from Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, and Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, executive vice president for planning and policy. Insufficient bystander intervention and a culture of complacency are more significant than alcohol in facilitating sexual assaults, she said. “We have a culture here where people do not intervene in a situation where a sexual assault could potentially happen and, at times, allow perpetrators to continue their actions by not holding them accountable.” Emma Phillips ’17 also stressed the importance of considering other factors besides alcohol in sexual assault
» CONNECT, from page 1 increasing summer internship and job opportunities for all students, which she identified as a priority in her strategic plan, “Building on Distinction.” Alum and parent outreach is in full force, Kidd said. The 12 alums on the President’s Advisory Council on Internships have been personally reaching out to other alums, encouraging
and UFB worked in tandem with the Student Activities Office, led by Timothy Shiner, director of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center and student activities. After UCS and UFB learned MyGroups was not being widely used, council members approached Shiner about implementing a new system that
would better serve the needs of both the student body and University administration, said E-Soo Kim ’15, chair of the UCS Student Activities Committee. MyGroups was only being used for administrative financial purposes, said Alex Sherry ’15, chair of UFB. Over the past semester, Shiner, Kim and Sherry held weekly meetings to plan the implementation of BearSync. BearSync differs from MyGroups
in that it is “driven by user experience,” Sherry said. With a newsfeed, profiles for students and pages for individual groups, the site is similar to the social media sites many students use, Shiner said. Many students view the site as a stark contrast to MyGroups, he said, adding, “We were told that (MyGroups) looked like old 1990s websites.” In addition to its cleaner interface, BearSync consolidates many functions
into one program, Shiner said. Organizations can use BearSync to complete online funding forms and record budgetary spending, Sherry said. Student group leaders can also organize event registration, text members and maintain a profile, Kim said. “It’s kind of like a Facebook for student groups,” she added. The software will be especially » See BEARSYNC, page 4
prevention efforts. “We need to be really careful that we’re not conflating alcohol with sexual assault and understand that those are separate issues.” “Sexual assault can happen independently of alcohol,” she said. “Rape culture does exist.” Other students critiqued the new alcohol policy for its potential to encourage more students to drink off campus, where the University is not legally responsible for their actions. Nicha Ratana-Apiromyakij ’15 said she thinks students will largely be able to avoid the ban by gravitating toward off-campus houses. “My well-being and my ability to spend time with my friends will not be impacted, and I think a lot of students will be able to say that,” she said. David Correa Orozco ’15 said the summer social scene at Brown could indicate what the future of partying looks like during the academic year. “There are no frats during the summer, so what happens? People party at houses.” Students can easily communicate when and where parties are happening, even if off campus, he said. “If we’re going to party, we’re
going to party.” As a senior, Correa Orozco said the restrictions underclassmen and future students will now face are “harsh” given that parties on Wriston Quadrangle have long been “part of the Brown culture.” Tauseef Khan ’15 said he supports University action to prevent sexual assault but suspects that public relations concerns fueled the recent measure. “It’s great that the University is doing something. I just think that what they’ve chosen to do is more a result of outside pressure.” Whatever the University’s motivations, Caryn Cobb ’15 said, “In any way trying to make any sort of environment safer for people is great.” Still, other students voiced unease about the policy’s long-term feasibility and efficacy. “The policy seems like it should be preliminary and temporary,” said Will Serratelli ’16, co-president of French House. Beyond the campus-wide email, he said he has yet to receive any information from the University regarding changes French House must make to
comply with the new policy. Serratelli said he believes French House will only have to cancel its one semesterly party. It seems as though “prohibition” will fail in the long run, he said. Recalling his first training with the Office of Residential Life, he said he was told that Brown’s “self-governing policy”was in place to allow students to become responsible. “This policy goes against the Brown ethos.” Students have also debated whether the punishments enacted against Phi Kappa Psi and Sigma Chi are appropriate. Phi Kappa Psi was stripped of University recognition and the right to program housing for the next four years after two students were given drinks with the daterape drug GHB at an unregistered party it held in October. Sigma Chi was prohibited from recruiting new members and holding rush and initiation events following an unregistered October party in its basement where a student was allegedly touched in a “sexual nature,” according to the email. Schell said the fraternities deserve a chance to “clean up their act” instead of
being scolded and punished. Permanently banning alcohol at residential parties will deter fraternities from having productive conversations about sexual assault, she said. “If this alcohol policy is going to stay and keep being a draconian type of punishment, it would be ineffective because you’re never going to allow fraternities to reclaim ownership and make an active change in their community.” Kavia Khosla ’16 said fraternities are a staple of Brown’s culture, and their “disbanding” eliminates a social outlet. Jameson Snead ’16 said a few individuals, rather than “frat culture,” are responsible for the incidents that occurred at Phi Kappa Psi and Sigma Chi. Greek Council wrote in a letter to the editor Monday evening that it “supports the University’s efforts to promote a safer environment on Brown’s campus.” Leaders of all six fraternities and all three sororities either declined to comment or did not respond to inquiries.
them to post opportunities to BrownConnect and contribute funding so students can get LINK awards, Kidd said. Other efforts include a “call-toaction email series,” ads in the Brown Alumni Magazine and parent newsletter and promotion on social media and on the University’s website, she added. Postings of Bruno opportunities, which are specially tailored for
students by Brown community members, have increased from 23 at the end of October to 170 as of this week. CareerLAB hopes to have 250 Bruno opportunities posted by the end of this fiscal year, Kidd said. Another goal is to increase LINK award funding, for which fundraising is ongoing, she added. Students interviewed praised the site’s current design and centralized
access to internship, funding and networking opportunities, though they criticized some features. “It’s really user-friendly,” said Devon Nir ’17. Unlike the “overwhelming” Job and Internship Board, BrownConnect “has made me a lot more comfortable” searching for opportunities, Nir said. Beyond simple utility, the site may be driving a shift in attitudes about
internships, Nir added. “BrownConnect puts this heavier weight on the importance of an internship and how padding your resume is going to advance your standing in the future.” “Everything is there,” said Samanee Mahbub ’18, adding that “it’s a nicer interface, it’s prettier to look at, it’s not as intimidating” as the JIB. BrownConnect is easier to navigate because instead of going to the separate BRUnet website, everything is in one place, she said. But the site is not without its flaws, Mahbub said. She was unable to find many internships in her area of interest, business, when reaching out to alums on the site. “I just wish more alumni responded,” she said. “I’m curious how aware they are of this.” Kristina DeGiovanni ’18 also cited drawbacks such as misfiled listings, a shortage of internships in some geographic locations and the hassle of having to return to the JIB to complete applications. The site could improve by incorporating research opportunities with Brown professors, she said. A testimonials page featuring success stories from students and alums is in the works following alums’ requests, Kidd said. For now, testimonials will be from students who have received LINK funding in previous years, she said, adding that CareerLAB is also working on a video about an alum and a student whom he employed. CareerLAB has been promoting BrownConnect to students through its email newsletters and social media, Kidd said. It has also created a video in which Tiffani Scott ’98 encourages students to connect with alums. Additionally, students who work at CareerLAB made a video about BrownConnect that will be released early this semester, Kidd said.
- Additional reporting by Caroline Kelly and Kate Talerico
UNIVERSITY NEWS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
» HUIDEKOPER, from page 1 $740 million — about a 27 percent drop — in 2009. In response to the recession, the University froze all salaries and hirings, with the exception of Department of Public Safety officers, Huidekoper said. An Organizational Review Committee formed in 2008 and was responsible for making recommendations to achieve $14 million in savings. During that time, the University offered a voluntary early retirement program that around 139 employees accepted, Huidekoper said, adding that some whose positions were eliminated found jobs in different departments. Huidekoper “steered the University through the financial crisis,” Paxson said. Under scrutiny While Huidekoper has been credited with overseeing several positive developments, she has at times found herself at the center of controversy. Last summer, she faced criticism for the decision to outsource mailroom operations to office technology company Ricoh USA, after which nine mailroom employees were laid off. “All we needed was newer technology and (Huidekoper) chose to outsource the mailroom,” said Jesus Sanchez, a unionized mailroom driver who kept his job. Sanchez said Huidekoper should have scrutinized the possibility of outsourcing more carefully before recommending it. “It’s true Beppie’s office did the analysis and developed the recommendation that it made sense for Brown to outsource the mailroom,” she said. “Ultimately, I make those decisions.” “To us, it doesn’t necessarily matter who that individual administrator is,” said Student Labor Alliance member Stoni Tomson ’15. “It’s the whole system here that’s looking to maximize profits on the backs of workers.” “I still feel it was the right decision, ultimately,” Huidekoper said. The nature of mail services is rapidly changing as students receive significantly more packages, and Ricoh has experience dealing
with these changes at other institutions, she said. “In terms of implementing it, I didn’t give that enough time,” she added. Huidekoper “has always been incredibly responsive to any kind of student concern,” said UCS President Maahika Srinivasan ’15. “In this particular issue, the student side of this wasn’t connected to her as well as it should have been.” Back to school “I want someone who will always be asking the question ‘What is best for Brown?’” Paxson said of the role of executive vice president for finance and administration. Both Huidekoper and her successor share this mission, Paxson said. Chernow was a good candidate for the position because she “really loves this university” and is a Brown alum, Paxson said. “Even if she had no previous connection to Brown, her experience is incredible.” Chernow said she is excited to return to her alma mater, where she has “firsthand” knowledge of the undergraduate experience. She has served as senior vice president for administration at Stony Brook since 2012. Prior to that, she worked at the New York City School Construction Authority. While at Stony Brook, Chernow worked closely with community members to make a variety of changes to make the university’s operations more efficient, Chernow said. She changed the facilities master plan by “meeting with students and faculty and staff to find out what they need their buildings to do” and created more recreation fields and soccer fields as a result, she said. Additionally, two dining halls were renovated and the meal plan was altered to include food trucks, faster service and foods from a wider variety of cultures under her tenure, she added. “Great institutions work well when people work together in teams,” Chernow said. Successful succession? Before she officially assumes her duties in March, Chernow will travel to
Brown to attend the February Corporation meeting, at which the budget and tuition and fees for fiscal year 2016 will be approved, Huidekoper said. Attending the Corporation meeting will further acquaint Chernow with the University’s financial needs and priorities, Huidekoper said. The structural deficit in the operating budget grew to $8.7 million in fiscal year 2014 and is projected to remain relatively stable for the upcoming fiscal year. Though “responsibility for handling the deficit falls to (the provost),” Chernow will focus on increasing the efficiency of operations and moving the University to a new sustainable economic model, Paxson said. This will mean growing revenue streams and increasing the University’s capacity as a research institution, Paxson said. Chernow will also work to implement recommendations from the Deficit Reduction Working Group that formed in October 2014, she added. Moving to a new economic model will “drive confidence in the University and help us raise funds in a way that grows the endowment,” Paxson said. Though the endowment now stands at a recordhigh value of $3.2 billion, Brown has the smallest endowment in the Ivy League. Chernow also comes to the University amidst preparations for the launch of a capital campaign in October 2015 that will aim to finance initiatives in Paxson’s
COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY
“Life is short and I want to try something different,” said Beppie Huidekoper, executive vice president for finance and administration. strategic plan, “Building on Distinction.” Huidekoper’s role in preparing for the campaign is part of a “team effort,” Paxson said. Huidekoper is currently working with Provost Vicki Colvin and Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey ’91 MA’06 to break down the plan’s initiatives into components that require funding, she said. “It’s not like if Beppie walks out the door it will come to a halt,” Paxson said. But “it will take Barbara a little while to
learn what our objectives are and what they mean in concrete detail.” “My goal is to find out what Brown needs and what the priorities are” in relation to the campaign, Chernow said. While Huidekoper said she is “looking into different options” for how to spend her retirement, she has already booked a plane ticket to Thailand for the days following her departure. Huidekoper leaves her successor with a suggestion: “Enjoy it — it’s a great place.”
UNIVERSITY NEWS PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Regular decision pool sees rise in diversity Physical sciences and life sciences represent top two intended fields of study respectively for applicants By ALEKSANDRA LIFSHITS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Approximately 30,360 students applied to the class of 2019, marking a slight increase from previous years, according to a University press release. This constitutes the secondlargest applicant pool in University history, exceeded only by the class of 2015, which saw more than 30,900 applicants. The class of 2019 applicant pool breaks University records for racial diversity. Forty-one percent of applicants identified as students of color, just up from last year’s 40 percent, according to the press release. At 5,263, international applicants were represented at their highest level ever. The number of nations represented also hit an all-time high, with
» BEARSYNC, from page 2 helpful to those new to the University’s vast network of student organizations, Shiner said. BearSync has improved search capabilities, enabling students to search for general topics and receive
155 countries, in comparison to last year’s 152. The best-represented nations — China, India, Canada, Korea and the United Kingdom, respectively — have remained consistent throughout the past few admission cycles. Students applied from all 50 states, with California accounting for the most applicants, followed by New York, Massachusetts, New Jersey and Florida. Roughly 72 percent of applicants attend public schools, 20 percent attend private schools, and 8 percent come from parochial schools. The number of applicants requesting financial aid has remained steady for the past four years, with 67 percent of the applicant pool seeking financial aid, according to the press release. As in the past several years, the sciences were the most common intended area of study, with 28 percent results based on keywords, he added. The more modern interface makes it easier for students to browse organizations’ constitutions, photos and rosters to get a more thorough understanding of different groups’ missions, Shiner said. Though student group leaders will
of applicants citing physical sciences as their most likely field of concentration. Twenty-seven percent of applicants listed social sciences, 26 percent chose life or medical sciences and 12 percent expressed interest in arts and humanities. Six percent of applicants indicated they are undecided. The top five most popular intended concentrations were biology, engineering, biochemistry and molecular biology, economics and Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizations. The pool includes 3,016 early decision applications and 27,344 applications submitted by the Jan. 1 regular decision deadline. Twenty percent of early decision applicants were accepted in December, and 1,968 students were deferred to regular decision. The admission rate last year for the class of 2018 was the University’s lowest at 8.6 percent. This year’s applicants will be notified of admission decisions at the end of March. need to adopt the platform to complete online processes such as funding applications and event registration, one of the largest hurdles in the University’s software shift will be expanding its appeal to individual students, Kim said. With this in mind, the website was structured to be easily accessible — students can use their Brown login to automatically
Regular decision application statistics 30,360 students applied to the the class of 2019, including the 3,043 early decision applicants. This marks a slight rise from last year’s applicant pool of 30,291. Financial Aid
High School
8% Parochial
33% Not seeking financial aid
20% Private 72% Public
67% Seeking financial aid
Concentration 12% Arts and humanities
6% Undecided
28% Physical sciences 26% Life/medical sciences 27% Social sciences Source: Office of Admission AVERY CRITS-CHRISTOPH / HERALD
access their BearSync profiles. Efforts to attract both organizations and individual students to the system have already been planned, Kim said. The team has organized an event called “Six Weeks of BearSync” that begins next week, she added. Each week, students and organizations that update their BearSync profiles or explore the
software’s processes will be rewarded with prizes, such as dinner for a club’s executive board. The team has also scheduled software training sessions over the next two weeks, the first of which will be held Jan. 2m. So far, the software has been wellreceived by student organizations that assisted in software trials, Kim said.
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TODAY
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015 • PAGE 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
menu
ringing in the new semester
SATELLITE DINING JOSIAH’S Gourmet Grilled Cheese BLUE ROOM Mediterranean Pockets Soups: Chicken Artichoke Florentine, Turkey Chili, Fire Roasted Vegetable ANDREWS COMMONS Pizzas: Artichoke, Nacho and Pepperoni and Sausage
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy, Vegetable Strudel with Cheese Cream Sauce
Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Tofu, Baked Hake, Chocolate Cherry Upside-Down Cake
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
S l o p py Jo e S a n d w i ch , Vegetarian Pot Pie with Biscuits, Assorted Frosted Cupcakes
Roast Turkey, Butternut Squash with Shallots and Sage, Cajun Apple Cake
sudoku
ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD
Some students saw their shopping periods interrupted this morning when the fire alarm sounded in Metcalf Chemistry and Research Laboratory.
comic A Horse of Any Other Name | Zach Silberberg ’17
crossword
calendar TODAY 11:00 A.M. CUPCAKE EXTRAVAGANZA
Stop by during lunch hours for an assortment of cupcakes to satisfy your sweet tooth. Sharpe Refectory
TOMORROW 12 P.M. LECTURE BY DR. CARL LATKIN
Learn about how social networking influences health-oriented behavior of injection-drug users. 121 South Main St. 245
4:00-5:00 P.M. INTRODUCTION TO ARTSTOR AND LUNA INSIGHT
4:00-5:30 P.M. “THE NATIONAL QUESTION IN BRITISH
Become acquainted with the library’s new digital technology that has archived more than one million images useful for work in humanities, art, architecture and the social sciences. Rockefeller Library, Hecker Room
POLITICS”
9:00 P.M. “THE BIG LEBOWSKI” SCREENING
Film lovers can flock to this free screening of the Coen brothers’ classic crime comedy hosted by Brown University Film Forum. Smith-Buonanno 106
Oxford University Professor Emeritus Archie Brown will discuss European instability and constitutional changes. Watson Institute, Joukowsky Forum 4:00-6:00 P.M. “SLAVES COMMUNICATING REVOLT IN THE BRITISH ATLANTIC, 1729-1746”
A discussion of the evidence of slave communication and rebellion in the British Empire before the Age of Revolution. John Carter Brown Library, Reading Room
EDITORIAL PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
EDITORIAL
Cybersecurity: a true academic priority Cybersecurity, a pillar of President Obama’s State of the Union addres Tuesday, may finally be getting the attention experts have sought for decades. In light of North Korea’s recently confirmed cyberattack of Sony Pictures Entertainment, the issue of cyberwarfare has steadily risen to the surface and is increasingly considered tantamount to traditional modes of global aggression. Defense must always match the newest weapons, and cybersecurity must stay in lockstep with the ever-expanding role of Internet-connected devices. A knowledge of the subject matter, in both a technical and theoretical capacity, is critical to preventing more serious breaches. As such, Brown, with one of the oldest computer science departments in the country, must acknowledge this concern in its curriculum. It is becoming increasingly more apparent that none of us is immune from the threat of cyberattacks. Popular culture and figures have recently emphasized this, with the recently released flop “Blackhat” focusing on the possibility of an attack on our gas lines or electrical grid that kills millions and former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta warning two years ago of a “cyber Pearl Harbor.” More likely, though, are less spectacular attacks on intellectual property and personal information. Last year, the computer security software company McAfee estimated that cyberattacks cost the global economy up to $500 billion annually and might impact 200,000 American jobs in the future. Major companies like JP Morgan Chase and eBay have been victims. Whether consumers or employees, we are all vulnerable, and the new risk calls for universal literacy in the language of this century. CSCI 1800: “Cybersecurity and International Relations” taught by Professor of Computer Science John Savage should serve as a paradigm in an expanded selection of courses offered by the University to address the complex and far-reaching nature of the issue more sufficiently. Savage, who also offers a higher-level course on security, seeks to provide a layman’s understanding of technological vulnerabilities and the limitations of our defenses. Not every student must understand the coding behind a distributed denial-of-service attack, but if we are informed about the systems on which we depend, we are more likely to act responsibly. In his State of the Union address, Obama placed appropriate weight on the issue, asserting, “No foreign nation, no hacker, should be able to shut down our networks, steal our trade secrets or invade the privacy of American families.” The president’s vocal response to North Korea’s recent aggression represents a possible turning point in prioritizing the issue. As such, the proposed Cybersecurity Information Sharing Act introduced in the Senate highlights the government’s aim to more effectively “integrate intelligence to combat cyber threats, just as (it has) done to combat terrorism,” Obama said in his address. True national dedication to these threats could lead to real change. As a liberal arts institution, Brown holds some responsibility in facilitating and supporting an appropriate academic recalibration. Whether as individuals or as members of organizations and corporations, a generation of educated computer users could transform our cyber defenses.
K I M B E R LY S A LT Z
CORRECTION A previous version of an article in Wednesday’s Herald (“UCS to prioritize sexual assault policy, mental health,” Jan. 21) incorrectly stated that the Diversity Action Plan would be released by the Undergraduate Council of Students. In fact, it will be released by the University. The Herald regrets the error.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
“We were told that (MyGroups) looked like old 1990s websites.” — Timothy Shiner, director of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center and student activities
See bearsync on page 2.
Letters, please! letters@browndailyherald.com
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editors, Alexander Kaplan ’15 and James Rattner ’15, and its members, Zoila Bergeron ’17, Natasha Bluth ’15, Manuel Contreras ’16, Baxter DiFabrizio ’15, Manuel Monti-Nussbaum ’15 and Katherine Pollock ’16. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
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COMMENTARY THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Does the State of the Union really matter? IAN KENYON opinions columnist
Six years into his presidency, even President Barack Obama acknowledges that Americans are craving that “new car smell” once again. While the State of the Union unofficially serves as the kickoff to a new year of political aims and strategies, increasingly, the political pep rally for the commander-in-chief has been called into question as anything more than a predictable wish list for even the most ideal of politicians. For many Americans, the annual address to the nation is simply a reiteration of a president’s campaign pledges: providing tax breaks, bringing jobs home, giving Americans a “fair shot” and working to make America stronger — so optimistic, yet so vague, that such generic talking points could be from either political party. I have watched the State of the Union address for years, across presidencies from both parties. I have witnessed the repeated pageantry of our commanders-in-chief outlining the figments of their political fantasies. Is America a nation of personal savings accounts for healthcare? Not exactly. Will America become a nation of free community college? I do not know. Does the State of the Union address matter? Of course it does — and of course it does not.
The Obama presidency is still ahead of its eleventh hour. President Obama has procured a newfound hobby in threatening vetoes, as well as threatening executive action on particular policy. Presumed presidential candidates on both sides of the aisle are already aligning for a 2016 ideological melee. The issues Obama laid out on Tuesday night will indeed find their way into the debates and campaign themes of up-and-coming candidates — per-
er of bad news, but I do not feel confident that will happen. Political junkies like myself watch the State of the Union for all the wrong reasons. I love being able to name almost every politician that Obama shakes hands with as he walks down the aisle. I eagerly await seeing the politicians’ responses to Obama’s words. Who stands and applauds? Who has the best facial expressions? And how many times can Vice President Joe Biden make me
will still be Democrats, Republicans will still be Republicans, taxes will still be levied, international dilemmas are still afoot and the world will still keep turning — no surprises here. My tuition payment to Brown will affect me in August, just as it did back on the first of the month. Do not mistake me as a naysayer. The address’ call to action is a theme I carry in my daily life. Just as Obama said “we’ve got to up our game” on knowledge, so I up my game to face
The address does little to assure me that anything beyond the political status quo is occurring. haps even the campaign of our next commander-in-chief. Who is to say that a candidate Bush, one of the few Republican supporters of the Common Core, would not appeal to the concept of eliminating the cost of attending community college? Who is to say that a candidate Clinton would not appeal to Obama’s proposed easing of trade policy? The ideas proposed on Tuesday night may not materialize in 2015, or even in 2016 — but now that they have found life in Obama’s speech, they won’t be disappearing. Perhaps these ideas should be treated as ‘zombie’ issues, similar to the undying notion in the Republican Party that someone will one day again resemble Ronald Reagan. I hate to be the bear-
smile? My personal favorites from Tuesday night’s speech include the camera zooms on Energy Secretary Dr. Ernest Moniz’s face and Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s decision to take a siesta mid-speech. I sometimes wonder if such moments could be scripted any better. Let my merriment be a shining example, however — I watch the address largely for my own entertainment. Substantively, I struggle to find hardcore policy unveiled in the annual address. While many critical elements of the speech are routinely released ahead of time, many talking points lack gravitas and are vague at best. The address does little to assure me that anything beyond the political status quo is occurring. Democrats
the challenges in my life. All Americans, all Brunonians, up their game every year, and it is not something to celebrate, but something we all must do. Slowly but surely, the Obama administration has touched our lives at Brown — whether through mandating all Americans purchase health insurance, contributing to the national dialogue on racial tension that still exists in America or even providing opportunities for some Brunonians to intern in the administration. All of these indirect interactions require no address. What do moments like the State of the Union truly accomplish nowadays? In our increasingly connected world, where social media and an infinite news cycle can draw citi-
zens closer to their government and to their representatives, is the State of the Union still salient, or is it a tradition past its heyday? Prior to the presidency of Woodrow Wilson, the annual address — then known as the Annual Message — stood as an annual administrative report on government functions, with a large focus on budgetary and economic activity from the preceding year. It was in 1913, when Wilson brought the address back to an inperson joint session of Congress, that it grew as a platform for presidential policy whims. The address has deviated so much from its sole duty as a report on government, that I ask: is it now nothing more than political pageantry and one of the few days a year some of our politicians become celebrities? It was hard not to ask these questions as I watched Obama leave the House chamber, signing his autograph on everything from copies of the address to a Senate page’s tie. Perhaps it’s just me, but I feel no different than I did prior to hearing the address. Do you?
Ian Kenyon GS is a Master of Public Affairs candidate with the Taubman Center for American Institutions and Public Policy. He received his undergraduate degree in Political Science from the State University of New York, College at Oneonta.
Je ne suis pas Charlie PETER MAKHLOUF opinions columnist
Two weeks ago, as I walked through the nowdeserted city center of Paris, pens littered the ground. A day earlier, some 1 million people had stood in that same place, stretching from Place de la Republique to Place de la Nation — from Republic to Nation. It was an almost ironic reminder of the democratic fervor that descended upon the city. The pens were supposed to symbolize a defense of free speech, one of the cornerstones of liberal democracy, but the attack on Charlie Hebdo had transformed from an attack on an individual magazine and its freedom into an attack on the West. Such grand evocations ran rampant in the news in the days that followed. Most commentary and analysis came across as a thinly veiled recitation of common tropes and preordained facts. The boldest of the political pundits were quick to point out that not all Muslims are fundamentalists and that these acts have been condemned by many Muslims. They recycled basic truths. In the days following the Charlie Hebdo shootings, the opportunity for honest, critical reflection was lost. Time and time again in the wake of tragedy, we see two mutually linked elements come to the forefront: first, simplifications; second, a lack of honest criticism. After the shootings, a constellation of world leaders descended on Paris and monopolized the discussion with both their presence and their statements. They turned a critical moment for self-reflection into a moment for politics. Bold, politicized
rhetoric stood front and center, and a chorus of voices insisted upon national and international unity. Freedom of speech was framed as the central issue presented by the attacks. Of course, the biting irony is that the right to free speech is often abridged by political leaders, even those who condemned the attack. Their affirmation of unity and moral vigor concealed not only the West’s selective application of such values but also the immediate instrumentalization of such a tragedy. Political opportunism foamed at the mouth. The viewing public was expected to ogle at the unity
party, wrote in a New York Times op-ed that the massacre raises questions about Muslim immigration into Europe. Massacres do not raise questions. Politicians do. Cameron and Le Pen are choice examples, and they shed light on a larger trend: When attacks occur, leaders are often concerned insofar as they can derive some political utility. Now, Obama, Cameron and Le Pen certainly had real agendas at hand that drove their reactions to the attack. At the same time, co-opting the subsequent response, as world leaders did, was a defensive strategy. Part of this de-
In the days following the Charlie Hebdo shootings, the opportunity for honest, critical reflection was lost. marches and marvel at the supposed triumph of republican might in the face of barbarism. The hope was that the public would be so enthralled that they would overlook the criminal pasts of several of those world leaders. Saudi Arabian Ambassador to France Mohammed Ismail Al-Sheikh stood in line with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The former’s country has since flogged an online blogger, and the latter’s has since arrested a Palestinian cartoonist who drew images that criticized the Israeli regime. Even President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron, in a joint press conference, pledged to abridge civil liberties in the hope of security. Marine Le Pen, president of France’s far-right National Front
fensive strategy was to insist upon unquestionable solidarity and unity. Attempts to contextualize, criticize or probe were seen as unpatriotic, illiberal or apologetic of terrorism. This sort of diversion and drastic simplification is a fairly common tenet of the politics of fear that has become part and parcel with the West’s “War on Terror.” Bush’s “you’re either with us or against us” rhetoric in the days following Sept. 11 aptly mobilized public sentiment for his imperial policies overseas. Governments and leaders from across the political spectrum have similarly played into this diametric opposition and crude nationalism after these most recent attacks. A comprehensive analysis would have begun to pose questions about the rise of fun-
damentalism and clerical politics in recent decades. Historical analysis would have demonstrated that Western intervention doomed the fate of secular politics in many parts of the Muslim world. Instead, the questions raised were about why Muslim communalism is at odds with secularism and liberalism. Thus, there was a complete reversal of factual insight: Rather than probe Western aggression, which gave rise to radicalism, analysts asked, “Why is Islamic culture incompatible with the West?” Some horrific cross-breed of liberalism and nationalism was born in the wake of this disaster, uniting both liberals and conservatives in unavowed fanaticism. The racist protests opposing Muslim immigration in Germany are only one such example. And if we are going to be critical across the board, we must recognize that even such banal platitudes as “Je suis Charlie” become toxic when they encourage this fanatic response. Any reasonable person is fully able to comprehend the moral implications of such attacks, so it seems strange that French citizens everywhere — and non-French citizens, too — demonstrated this compulsive need to repeatedly condemn. The response from both the media and the populus needs to shift from fear-mongering and repetitive adherence to political slogans to a more acute analysis of why such attacks occur. When will it become clear that, in the wake of tragedy, thoughtful reflection requires more than frantic mantras? “Je suis Charlie” does not fix the problem; it only adds to it.
Peter Makhlouf ’16 can be contacted at peter_makhlouf@brown.edu.
SCIENCE & RESEARCH THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2015
Study explores culture, physical activity Gene mutations, diet linked with lower diabetes risk
Racial identification with physical activity may lead to increased engagement, lower obesity in children
Researchers use study of genetic risk factors in women of color to inform diabetes knowledge
By ANDREW JONES SCIENCE & RESEARCH EDITOR
While people cite numerous reasons for their lack of exercise, cultural beliefs may need to be added to the list. Whether a certain physical activity is associated more with a certain race could affect how often various ethnic groups engage in the activity, according to new work done by University researchers. Black adolescents were asked to rate 42 physical activities as “mostly a black thing,” “mostly a white thing,” or “equally a black and white thing” in the experiment, which was conducted by behavioral and social scientists at the Alpert Medical School and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. The researchers examined if any of the activities — including basketball, ballet and yoga — elicited a racial identification from the adolescents, according to the paper, which will appear in the March edition of the American Journal of Health Behavior and is currently available online. Most of the activities were rated as “equally a black and white thing,” while 10 of them, including Frisbee and ice skating, were rated as “mostly a white thing,” according to the study. None of the activities were considered “mostly a black thing” by a majority of the participants. The researchers then analyzed the data for links between racial perception of physical activities and the participants’ health. They found that participants who responded most often with “mostly a black thing” engaged in the most physical activity and were less likely to be overweight or obese. “The idea is that if they identify with the activity, they would be more likely to engage with it,” said Herpreet Thind, a postdoctoral fellow at the Miriam Hospital and the lead author of the paper. Studying links between culture and exercise is “important and timely” given rates of obesity and other diseases among blacks, said Louis Graham, assistant professor of community health education at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, who was not involved with the study. These health-related issues are especially understudied in adolescents, he added. Culture is an inherently difficult phenomenon to study due to its complexity and “multidimensionality,” Graham said. “I think that’s where the major challenge is with this study,” he said, adding that the authors gave an appropriate rationale for their measure despite the difficulty of scientifically studying culture. The adolescents’ exercise behavior was tracked using both a self-reported survey and accelerometers, which the participants wore continuously for seven days. The accelerometers were strapped around the participants’ torsos and could record times of moderate to rigorous physical activity. Though the data exhibits trends of correlations between racial association with activities and rates of physical exercise, none of the results
By FRANCES CHEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
SOYOON KIM / HERALD
Black adolescents were asked whether they associated certain activities as being “mostly a black thing” or “mostly a white thing.” were statistically significant, Thind said. This substantial limitation could have arisen for a variety of reasons, including an incomplete list of activities, she added. Extending this type of study to a variety of ethnic groups and
geographic regions could provide a more thorough understanding of the interplay between race and exercise, Thind said. The data for this project were collected from black adolescents in Alabama, which is a small subsection of the U.S. population.
University researchers have found a unique interplay among race, genes and diet that may influence a person’s risk for diabetes. In their recently published study, Simin Liu, professor of epidemiology and medicine, and Kei Hang Katie Chan, a postdoctoral research associate, identify multiple genes whose effects on the body’s metabolism may influence a person’s risk for the disease. In a previous study, the research team found that the genes for TRPM6 and TRPM7 — ion channels involved in magnesium regulation — were linked with risk for type 2 diabetes, Liu said. Magnesium “is an essential mineral that is involved in hundreds of biochemical processes,” Liu said. It is involved in the secretion of insulin and the bodies’ response to insulin,” the impairment of which is the hallmark feature of type 2 diabetes, he added. In this follow-up study, which will appear in the March edition of the Journal of Nutrition and is currently available online, they continued their research by looking at all metabolic pathways related to magnesium. Results were divided into separate groups based on participants’ levels of magnesium intake because of its important role in insulin metabolism. The researchers found that those with high magnesium intake are at a lower risk for diabetes, Chan said. The researchers obtained the data from the Women’s Health Initiative, which included the genomes of thousands of women and allowed for much more comprehensive analysis. Using this large dataset, the scientists examined
about 600 different genetic variations, Liu said. Sixty or so mutations have already been linked to the risk of late onset diabetes, but the mutations vary for different races, Liu said. They chose to limit their study’s population to older Hispanic and black women because women of color are studied less frequently than white women, and they wanted to fill this knowledge gap, Liu said. But it is important to study these factors in other populations as well, he added. Samir Malkani, director of the Adult Diabetes Clinic at the University of Massachusetts Memorial Medical Center, echoed that this study was a good start, but further studies are needed to look at the results of more inclusive populations, such as young adults, different races and males and females. A single human genetic makeup can affect different ethnicities in different ways, which could explain the disparities observed between various ethnicities, Liu said. For example, Hispanic women with a specific variation of the NIPA2 gene had a 35 percent lower risk of type 2 diabetes. But that correlation does not hold for all of the groups of Hispanic women. “In the lower magnesium group, we didn’t see that association for this gene,” Chan said. The results of this study and similar ones in the future could eventually be used for personalized medicine, Chan said. “Everyone carries a particular arrangement of genes, which gives (certain people) a unique susceptibility to type 2 diabetes.” With further research in lifestyle and dietary factors, nutrition therapy could be suggested, she added. The thought to look at the genes was very innovative, Malkani said. Though it has been shown in the literature that there is a strong genetic component to type 2 diabetes, most past studies have focused on dietary and weight factors, he said.