Issuu

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015

VOLUME CL, ISSUE 29

WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

Questionable lab practices, Phi Psi member hearing details emerge Carlson Co. and Lykissa histories, test result errors cast doubt on administration’s lab choice

U. drops charges against student accused of serving drink with GHB after urine test invalidated

By CAROLINE KELLY

By JOSEPH ZAPPA

UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

The two companies involved in conducting a flawed hair test in the Phi Kappa Psi case have drawn criticism for their work on several other cases prior to working with the University. The Carlson Company, which the University hired to produce the toxicology report, and Ernest Lykissa, the director of the laboratory that analyzed the hair sample, have both been previously accused of inaccurate and misleading test reporting, articles from multiple news outlets show. Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, declined to comment on whether and how the University vetted the Carlson Company or Lykissa, who recommended them to the University, and whether the University was aware of their checkered histories before engaging with them. In a March 2 letter to one of the two female students who reported being drugged at an October Phi Psi party, Yolanda Castillo-Appollonio ’95, associate dean of student life and director » See LAB ERRORS, page 2

The University will not proceed with a hearing against the Phi Kappa Psi member initially charged with serving a drink containing the date-rape drug GHB at a party held by the fraternity in October, according to multiple documents reviewed by The Herald. In a two-sentence letter dated Feb. 21, the University informed the two female students who filed complaints against the fraternity member that the hearing would not move forward due to insufficient evidence after a second drug test was thrown out. In her response later that day, one of the two women expressed surprise at the hearing’s cancellation, writing that administrators had previously said the University would hold a hearing based on the strength of witness testimony alone. The complainant also asked for a written explanation of the University’s reasoning. Yolanda Castillo-Appollonio ’95, associate dean of student life and director of student conduct, responded March 2 to the two women that, in » See HEARING, page 2

DAVID DECKEY / HERALD

Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, declined to comment on how the University vetted the labs that analyzed a hair sample and on the cancellation of the accused student’s hearing.

State ACLU points to prejudiced policing Faculty approves details police cybersecurity program Report discrimination against, Faculty also disscusses upcoming Sciences Library renovation, consolidation of resources By ELANA JAFFE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Faculty members unanimously supported the institution of a new Executive Master’s Program in Cybersecurity at a faculty meeting Tuesday. The proposal, presented by Roberto Tamassia, professor of computer science and chair of the department, will next be brought to the Corporation for approval at its May meeting. The program will offer courses designed and taught by faculty members in the Department of Computer Science, many of whom have high levels of expertise in the field. Administrators and faculty members also discussed renovations to the Sciences Library, implementation of

INSIDE

recommendations in the Task Force on Sexual Assault’s December report and the University’s budget deficit. The cybersecurity program will differ from similar pre-existing programs at other institutions in that it will focus on both current and future technologies, such as big data, cloud and social networks, as opposed to traditional desktop investigation, Tamassia said. Other distinguishing factors include a focus on the “human factor in cybersecurity,” attention to the “global, legal and policy perspective” and innovative teaching methods such as demonstrations of live cyber attacks, he added. The program will be geared toward mid-career professionals who already have experience in the field, which could provide opportunities for undergraduates to make professional connections, Tamassia said. The courses will use “blended learning” methods, which means they » See CYBER , page 2

disportionate arrests of black Rhode Islanders By ELAINA WANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER

PLAYGROUND TO PRISON This series explores the racial dynamics of Rhode Island’s school-to-prison pipeline. This story, the last of three, looks at racial profiling and policing in Rhode Island. A new report released by the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island Feb. 19 outlines the disproportionate rates at which state police choose to search, arrest and incarcerate non-white versus white citizens. The report cites three analyses by Northeastern University’s Institute on Race and Justice — from 2003, 2006 and 2014 — which all concluded that “non-white drivers were more likely than white drivers to be stopped by police across Rhode Island, more likely

to be searched once stopped and yet less likely to be found with contraband.” Police only “need to have probable cause or reasonable suspicion” in order to search a person’s car, said Hillary Davis, an ACLU of R.I. policy associate who worked on the report. Rhode Island’s Racial Profiling Prevention Act of 2004 made it illegal for police to stop and search individuals on the basis of race or to conduct “consent searches” — in which a citizen consents to a warrant-less search — without probable cause, according to the ACLU’s 2007 racial profiling report. But between 2004 and 2014, nine out of 10 state police departments experienced increases in the ratio of nonwhite to white drivers searched, with state police two times more likely to search a non-white than a white individual in 2014, the report stated. “We would love for law enforcement to take a hard look at why these disparities exist,” Davis said. Steps were taken in 2013 to create positive dialogue between police and residents through three Providence outreach forums entitled, “Building

Bridges in the Community.” One of the many issues discussed included that of “jump-out boys,” who are a part of the Providence Police Department’s gun task force, reported the Providence Journal. Jump-out boys are undercover cops who attempt to intimidate community members on the streets, said Fred Ordonez, executive director of Direct Action for Rights and Equality, an organization dedicated to empowering low-income families of color. The police then “push them against the wall and search them,” Ordonez said. “It’s not that people (in white suburban areas) are taking less drugs, making fewer driving violations,” Ordonez said, adding that the disparities are instead caused by police targeting poor urban areas or people of color. “The police do not represent the demographics of the constituency of where they police,” he added. In 2014, the Providence Police Department was found by R.I. Future to be “one of (the) least racially representative in the country,” using data from a study » See POLICING, page 3

WEATHER

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015

UNIVERSITY NEWS For third straight year, U. falls short of top 25 rankings for grads serving in Peace Corps

UNIVERSITY NEWS Greek organizations implement new, stricter sexual misconduct policy

COMMENTARY Powers ’15: We should take rehabilitative, not punitive, approach to pedophilia

COMMENTARY Mitra ’18: First Readings program is overambitious, so adminstrators should clarify its aims

PAGE 3

PAGE 4

PAGE 7

TODAY

TOMORROW

42/ 28

28/ 11

UNIVERSITY NEWS PAGE 2 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015

» HEARING, from page 1 the absence of any conclusively positive drug test, there was not a strong enough case to proceed with charges against the student. Castillo-Appollonio did not respond to emails and voicemails from The Herald requesting comment. Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, told The Herald Tuesday, “All student complaints are handled carefully, and all evidence is considered.” She declined to comment on the specific case, citing “federal guidelines.” Just under a week after starting to investigate the student’s role in the incident, the University brought charges against him Dec. 10, according to Castillo-Appollonio’s email. After a hair test came back “inconclusive due to an error in how the test was run,” the University planned to proceed with the hearing given the complainants’ testimony and a urine test believed at the time to be definitively positive, according to the email. But after an independent toxicologist — who conveyed his findings to the University Feb. 5 — found the urine test inconclusive as well, administrators decided that “there was not enough (evidence) to move forward against any one individual,” CastilloAppollonio wrote. The University announced that the urine test had been deemed inconclusive Feb. 21 — the same day it notified the two women it was dropping charges against the accused student. Questioning the decision, one of the complainants cited the University’s findings from the Phi Psi appeal hearing, which indicated that the two women had experienced severely reduced motor and cognitive capacity as a result of having “imbibed a substance.” “So why were the charges against the individual that served us the substance dropped?” the complainant asked in her email to

Castillo-Appollonio. The University offered the complainants a second hair test when the urine test was still considered positive, according to an email exchange between one of them and CastilloAppollonio in early January. “I agreed to get the hair test because I was told it would aid my case even though it was an incredibly difficult experience having a large quantity of my hair removed,” the complainant wrote. “It seems extraordinarily unfair to have to forego more of my hair because of mistakes committed by the University.” After the urine test was deemed inconclusive, administrators canceled the hearing without checking to see whether the lack of physical evidence had made the complainants reconsider the option to undergo another hair test, the two women told The Herald. Klawunn declined to comment on communications between the complainants and the University regarding the possibility of a second hair test. Though the absence of any conclusively positive GHB tests led the University to cancel the hearing against the accused student, witness statements and other evidence were enough to uphold the ruling against Phi Psi as an organization, according to a March 1 campus-wide email. The fraternity was sanctioned with loss of recognition and on-campus housing for four years and was given the right to petition for reinstatement in twoand-a-half years. “The final finding and sanction against Phi Kappa Psi did not rely on the results of any physical drug tests,” administrators wrote. Klawunn declined to comment on this case in particular, but she noted that, in general, stronger evidence is required to prove that an individual is “responsible for a specific, intentional action.” - With additional reporting by Caroline Kelly

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» LAB ERRORS, from page 1 of student conduct, acknowledged that “hair test results were inconclusive due to an error in how the test was run.” The inconclusive hair test contributed to the lack of physical evidence in the case against the Phi Kappa Psi member accused of spiking a drink with the date-rape drug GHB, which in turn led the hearing to be canceled. The Carlson Company’s general manager, Denny Seilheimer, declined to comment for this story. Lykissa, of ExperTox Inc., defended his testing procedures in a conversation with The Herald Monday evening. Lykissa’s methods were previously questioned by both Medical Director of Health Services Unab Khan and an independent toxicologist hired by the University to review the test results. They expressed doubt that Lykissa appropriately segmented the hair — a process important for determining whether GHB, which humans naturally produce, had been given as a date-rape drug. Lykissa said the Carlson Company, which sent ExperTox the sample for testing, did not instruct the lab to

» CYBER, from page 1 will be taught partly on campus and partly online. The program will also support the University financially, said President Christina Paxson P’19. University Librarian Harriet Hemmasi also announced at the meeting that the SciLi will be renovated this summer. More than one million items have been removed from the stacks, a small number of which have been deacquisitioned. The stack space will be transformed into user space, and this shift parallels a re-envisioning of libraries across the country, she added. Large, less used items as well as bound volumes to which the University has online subscriptions are also being removed. All mathematics materials will remain due to the reliance of that department on physical texts. Five floors of the library are involved in the renovation, and a core collection of 250,000 volumes will remain on floors 10 to 13. Paxson told attendees that she approved almost all of the measures proposed in the Sexual Assault Task Force’s interim report. New University protocol will include better and more available information on the process of reporting and hearing sexual misconduct cases, as well as on interim sanctions. The use of external investigators, which has already been put into practice this semester, will be adopted as standard, she said. The University will also introduce changes to the appeals process and a reevaluation of the status of students who are found guilty of sexual misconduct during that time, she said. The University has plans to expand the Title IX office and is currently in the final steps of the hiring process of a new Title IX coordinator, Paxson said. Expectations for faculty and staff will be elevated to reflect policy changes, and there will be “real, mandatory training, not ‘sort of mandatory’ training,” she said. The deficit emerged as a key topic of concern for both Paxson and Eli Upfal, professor of computer science, who delivered a report from the University Resources Committee. The University has a “small but persistent

provide segmented hair test results. Nonetheless, Lykissa said he reported segmented results. After The Herald asked for documents to corroborate that assertion, Lykissa said he would provide them but never did. This is not the first time Lykissa has been associated with flawed drug testing and reporting processes while working with the Carlson Company, which came under scrutiny for misinterpreting chemical levels in a hair test during the investigation of actress Brittany Murphy’s death in 2009. Lykissa was the toxicologist who performed the test for that report and identified high concentrations of 10 heavy metals in Murphy’s hair. In its report, the Carlson Company suggested there was a strong possibility that the toxins were “administered by a third party perpetrator with likely criminal intent.” But studies have shown that hair dye, which Murphy used, is a common reason for high heavy metal readings in women’s hair, Slate reported in November 2013. In a GHB hair test for a 2010 case in Redwood City, California, Lykissa initially reported a GHB level that would

have been fatal and then admitted he had unintentionally tacked on a digit, according to a June 2014 article by Easy Reader, a weekly newspaper serving the South Bay region of Los Angeles. Lykissa conceded this reporting error to The Herald. Responding to the prosecution’s requests for a follow-up test, Lykissa provided a new report. But both parties questioned the report’s legitimacy, the results were judged false and the case was ultimately dismissed, Easy Reader reported. In a 2011 case involving a Redondo Beach, California firefighter, Lykissa reported impossible doxylamine levels of 28,000 pg/mg in the defendant’s hair, Easy Reader reported. He acknowledged to The Herald that he misreported what was actually a reading of 28 pg/mg but took no personal responsibility for the mistake, attributing it to a chemist in his lab. In May 2006, the journal Analytical Chemistry published an article coauthored by Lykissa. But two months later, the journal’s editors published a disclaimer that his methodology did not meet the publication’s standards.

deficit” of about 1 percent, which translates to a $4.4 million projected budget deficit for fiscal year 2016, Paxson said. The two primary factors contributing to this deficit are a reduction in research funding and an increase in the cost of undergraduate financial aid, she added. While research funding may be on the rise, financial aid costs still present a challenge, Paxson said. But “Brown has never been in a stronger financial position” in terms of assets, which include holdings such as properties, Paxson said, though she noted that assets do not contribute to the calculation of the operational budget. “We have more assets than we have debt,” she added. The University Resources Committee recommended an increase in budget, tuition, undergraduate class size, master’s programs and faculty and staff salaries, as well as structural budget changes. The recent comprehensive budget review revealed several unnecessary expenditures, which the University can cut to begin to close the deficit, Upfal said. Additionally, the increase in undergraduate class size would be minimal, adding between 50 and 100 students to each class, he said, which would not drastically alter the student-professor ratio. The University has set aside $717 million in a “nucleus fund” for a capital campaign that will likely be launched next fall, Paxson said. The campaign planning is currently in its early stages, but Paxson’s strategic plan “has been taken as our blueprint,” said Provost Vicki Colvin. Paxson also addressed methods to aid research endeavors: committee efforts to look at both barriers for research proposals and incentives for submitting grants. Expected future changes will be streamlining the process of working with research administration, increasing seed funding for research that must gather preliminary data and policies that will allow scheduling flexibility for faculty members who need time to write large grants or travel to complete their research. Paxson awarded four faculty members Faculty Service Awards:

Andrew Campbell, associate professor of medical science, Nancy Jacobs, associate professor of history and Africana studies, Lewis Lipsitt, professor emeritus of psychology, medical science and human development, and Dietrich Neumann, professor of history of art and architecture, urban studies and Italian studies. A working group is currently weighing the possibility of instituting a winter term and will seek feedback later this semester, said Kevin McLaughlin P’12, dean of the faculty. The committee is in the organizational stages, reviewing information on peer institutions and feasibility. The committee will hold three separate information sessions this spring for faculty members, graduate students and undergraduates, he added. Paxson’s strategic plan, “Building on Distinction,” aims to focus on “integrative scholarship themes,” McLaughlin said, adding that administrators want departments to increase in size and more actively facilitate interdisciplinary studies. The committee hopes that the “famous undergraduate culture of openness and versatility will lead to transdepartmental projects,” he said. The faculty meeting also included two memorial minutes for Lee Ou Chieh-Fang, senior lecturer emerita in Chinese, and Rebecca Molholt Vanel, assistant professor of history of art and architecture. The next faculty meeting will feature discussion on the option of introducing third tier lecturers, a title of special recognition for faculty members, said James Morone, director of the Taubman Center for Public Policy and American Institutions and chair of the Faculty Executive Committee. Faculty members will also vote next month on whether to adopt iClickers as a faculty meeting voting method, following last month’s “whole kerfuffle” in which attendees could not accurately count how many hand votes supported establishing ties to the College of the Holy Cross’ ROTC program, Morone said. “It’s embarrassing not to be able to count to 26,” he said. The voting faculty members practiced using iClickers during the meeting.

UNIVERSITY NEWS

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

U. Peace Corps participation dwindles for third straight year Facing economic pressures, alternative opportunities, fewer students serve By MATTHEW JARRELL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

For the third consecutive year, Brown failed to make the list of the top 25 medium-sized colleges and universities to send graduates to the Peace Corps. Following more than a decade of maintaining steady placement in the ranking — with between 20 and 38 alums serving each year between 2002 and 2013 — the University’s numbers fell to just 11 last year, and even further to nine in 2015. Making the list this year would have required the current participation of at least 13 Brown alums in the Peace Corps, a government-funded initiative sending Americans to work in developing countries at the grassroots level, according to its website. For ranking purposes, Brown is included in a bracket with other “medium-sized” schools that have undergraduate populations of between 5,000 and 15,000 students. Western Washington University topped the medium-sized college ranking, with 47 graduates currently active in the Peace Corps. The only Ivy League schools to make the list were Cornell in fifth place with 33 volunteers and Columbia, which finished in a tie for 24th with 13 volunteers. Brown alums consistently show a high level of interest in the organization,

said Elizabeth Chamberlain, public affairs specialist for the Peace Corps’ Northeast Regional Office. “Brown students are very well informed,” she said. “Most of them have researched (the Peace Corps) so well that they already know the basic facts” before speaking with representatives from the organization. Students at Brown and other Ivy League and elite universities are seeing more available job and fellowship opportunities right out of college and are feeling pressure to pay off their student debts quickly, Chamberlain added. “Brown students have a lot of options,” she said. “We’re seeing a lot of students who are very interested in the Peace Corps and are getting offered Fulbright scholarships.” Kathryn Fidler, Rhode Island’s regional recruiter for the Peace Corps, also said she noticed stable interest from Brown graduates, adding that the current economic climate could dissuade some students from giving up two years of their long-term job search. The recruiting tactics for Brown, she said, are largely identical to those used at other schools and have not changed substantially. “Whenever possible, I meet oneon-one with the interested student to find out how their personal skill set and academic background would fit in with Peace Corps programs,” she said. The median age of Peace Corps volunteers is rising, with more potential volunteers entering the workforce for a time before applying, instead of joining right after graduation, Chamberlain added.

Brown graduates in the Peace Corps The number of Brown alums participating in the Peace Corps reached its lowest point in the last decade, with just nine graduates serving. 40 Brown graduates 35 30 25 20 15 10 5 0 2003 ’04 ’05 Source: Peace Corps

’06

Marisa Catalina Casey ’01 served from 2012 to 2014 in Ecuador after working as a photojournalist and starting a nonprofit in the years after leaving Brown. Casey said during her application process, it was apparent that the Peace Corps was extending its recruiting efforts to target those with prior work experience more heavily. “The median age was right around

BRITTANY COMUNALE / HERALD

of the 75 largest police forces in the U.S. conducted by FiveThirtyEight. ThePPD, with 444 officers at the time, was not included in the FiveThirtyEight study, but only three of the 75 that FiveThirtyEight examined were less representative in their police forces than Providence. “There have been conversations about increasing diversity, specifically in the Providence Police Department,” Davis said, adding that she does not believe this action alone will create a meaningful impact. “You can put as many officers of different colors in place as you want, but if the culture or policies are flawed, that’s not going to change anything.” One potential solution is the use of police body cameras, said James Janison ’16, vice president of Brown ACLU. “Regulated use of police body cameras has been supported by the national ACLU,” he said. A study conducted in 2012 in Rialto,

California, found that the use of body cameras on police officers decreased complaints to police departments by 88 percent, the New York Times reported. “One possible reason is that you have to behave when you’re on camera,” Janison said. The ACLU report, entitled “The School-to-Prison Pipeline in Black and White,” discusses the disparity in police searches in connection to Rhode Island’s disproportionately black prison population. Black individuals, who make up 6 percent of the state’s population, constitute 30 percent of the state’s incarcerated, according to the report. Most of Rhode Island’s prison population is jailed for non-violent offenses, or “crimes of poverty,” Ordonez said. Among these non-violent offenses is possession of marijuana. Black individuals were found to be 2.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white individuals in the period between 2001 and 2010, despite statistics that put the annual reported

’08

’09

’10

’11

’12

’13

’14

’15

JILLIAN LANNEY / HERALD

The American Civil Liberties Union examined Rhode Island’s policing practices in the context of national events like the recent police killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, Missouri, and Staten Island, New York.

» POLICING, from page 1

’07

rate of marijuana use by blacks at 14 percent and whites at 12 percent. The ACLU supports legalization and taxation of marijuana. “Drug addiction and drug abuse has to be dealt with as a health issue, not a criminal justice issue,” Ordonez said. In 2013, Rhode Island legislators decriminalized marijuana — possession is now a civil offense and punishable only by a fine, Davis said. But traditionally, legislators have tried to fight crime by increasing punishments, enforcing stiffer jail times or creating more penalties, Ordonez said, adding that problems such as crime, unemployment and under-education are only exacerbated by heightened law enforcement strategies. In 2013, the General Assembly expanded the definition of “felony” to include certain graffiti offenses. A year later, the GA approved a controversial bill that would add 10 years to any felony committed in connection to a gang. The bill defined a gang as any

28,” Casey said. “Some people had advanced degrees, and they were encouraging retirees and married couples” to apply, she said. Working prior to joining the Peace Corps equipped Casey with numerous skills that supplemented her volunteer efforts. “I knew how to get funding and write grants, and I could market,” she said, adding that she and her husband

were able to “accelerate” the progress of their work in Ecuador as a result. Though many recent college graduates realize the abundance of opportunities available and the costs of spending two years abroad, some are not aware of how hard the work will be, Casey said. “You’re living at the poverty line. We didn’t have hot water. … You just don’t have those comforts of home.”

“organization, association or group of three or more persons, whether formal or informal, having as one of its primary activities the commission of criminal or delinquent acts (and) having an identifiable name or common identifiable signs, colors or symbols.” The definition is so vague that college fraternities can be considered gangs, Ordonez said. A letter signed by 20 Providence organizations urging then-Gov. Lincoln Chafee to veto the bill wrote that “it is all but guaranteed that this bill will be used not against gang members committing violent offenses, but against at-risk youth making mistakes.” Under this legislation, “an 18-year-old who writes a recognizable gang sign on the side of a bus could face twelve years in prison,” the letter continued. The ACLU report comes in the wake of the events in Ferguson, Missouri, that heightened national attention to the tense relationship between law enforcement and black community members. Rhode Island often “sees itself as exempt on some of the issues that the rest of the country is facing,” Davis said, but FBI data on 13 R.I. police departments from 2011-2012 tells a different story. A 2014 USA Today analysis of this data found that blacks were arrested “at rates up to 9.1 times higher than the rate for non-blacks,” according to the ACLU report. Ferguson’s 2012 arrest rates for blacks were 2.8 times higher than for non-blacks, the ACLU report noted. “It’s systemic racism,” Ordonez said. Tuesday, the New York Times reported on the results of a United States Department of Justice investigation of Ferguson’s police force. Some of the findings include that black individuals constituted 93 percent of the city’s

arrests and 85 percent of the city’s vehicle stops between 2012 and 2014, despite the fact that black individuals only make up about two-thirds of the city’s population. The Department of Justice may pursue legal action against Ferguson officials on the basis of a constitutional violation regarding police discrimination, the New York Times reported. Potential solutions outlined in the ACLU report include enacting comprehensive legislation banning racial profiling and acknowledging it as an issue that requires political action. Legislator responses to the report so far have been limited. After reading the ACLU report, Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed released a statement citing the disparities evident in the statistics: “The troubling issues raised in the ACLU report point out how far our society has yet to go before we achieve true equity.” The statement mentioned the racial profiling legislation passed by the Senate last year and an initiative to create full-day kindergarten throughout the state, but did not proffer any new legislative actions to counter disproportionate discretionary searches or prison representation. Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello, D-Cranston, released a statement last week saying he had not yet read the report, and House Minority Leader Brian Newberry, R-North Smithfield and Burrillville, declined to comment on the report when contacted by The Herald. Rep. Blake Filippi, I-Block Island and Charlestown, said he had not yet read the report, and a spokesperson for Attorney General Peter Kilmartin indicated that it would not be appropriate for his office to comment at this time.

UNIVERSITY NEWS PAGE 4 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

This Week in Higher Ed BY SHAVON BELL, SUSANNAH HOWE, AND GRACE YOON, SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

Erskine College clarifies anti-gay statement Erskine College, a private Christian college in Due West, South Carolina released a follow-up statement Friday clarifying its controversial Feb. 20 statement decried same-sex and extramarital sexual relationships on campus, the Washington Post reported Friday. The college issued the document, entitled “Statement on Human Sexuality,” in the wake of a 2014 article on the website Outsports in which two male Erskine volleyball players came out as gay. The statement may be used to shape Erskine’s future policies. Erskine, which was founded by the Associate Reformed Presbyterian Church, clarified Friday that the document will not be used to ban individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender from attending the college.

UNC reacts to poverty center closure The University of North Carolina Board of Governors voted to close three research centers, including the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Friday, the New York Times reported Saturday. The board asserted that the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity had a focus on advocacy work that was not appropriate for a center affiliated with a university, the Huffington Post reported. Students and faculty members protested the shutdown of the poverty-focused think tank at the Board of Governors meeting, claiming the move was politically driven. Gene Nichol, head of the poverty center, said the decision may have come in response to his criticism of the North Carolina state legislature and Governor Pat McCrory. These actions include new voting restrictions, the rejection of Medicaid expansion and a reduction in unemployment benefits. “Were I to have praised the legislature’s war on poor people rather than decry it, the board would have placed laurels on my head instead of boots on my neck,” Nichol wrote in a statement about the closure of the center, which receives no state funding. About two dozen protesters came to the Board of Governors meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina to challenge the decision. Campus police at UNC Chapel Hill were called in to escort protesters out of the meeting after the disruption, the Huffington Post wrote.

Proposed sexual assault bill altered A committee of senators sponsoring the Campus Accountability and Safety Act has made several changes to the legislation, with the goal of strengthening the rights of students accused of sexual assault and reducing the burden on colleges, the Huffington Post reported Friday. Changes to the legislation include instituting a 24-hour notification deadline for involved parties before a disciplinary hearing can proceed, altering language surrounding students accused of sexual assault, clarifying the role of the adviser to complainants and reducing the frequency of mandatory sexual assault surveys, Inside Higher Ed reported Friday. Fines paid by colleges that do not comply with CASA’s regulations would go into a fund to help colleges fight sexual assault, rather than going directly to the Department of Education. The bipartisan committee made the changes in response to feedback from advocates for accused students, sexual assault survivors, college administrators and law enforcement officers. The legislation has been met with both praise and criticism, Inside Higher Ed reported.

TIMOTHY MUELLER-HARDER/HERALD

Under the new policy, all members of Greek organizations who are found responsible for sexual misconduct will be expelled from their fraternities or sororities and removed from Wriston Quadrangle.

Greek system alters sexual misconduct policy Greek Council aims to set zero-tolerance precedent for Brown community, other universities By SUSANNAH HOWE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Within the next two weeks, all members of Greek organizations will sign a new zero-tolerance sexual misconduct policy mandating yearly bystander training for members and expulsion from Greek organizations for any student found responsible for sexual misconduct, Greek Council members said. Signing the policy indicates that a member requests the University remove them from Greek organizations as part of their sanction if they are found responsible for sexual misconduct. The policy was designed this way in order to comply with Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act confidentiality rules, said Maggie Johnson ’16, vice president of the Panhellenic Council, public relations chair for Greek Council and member of Kappa Alpha Theta. Under the policy, only University administrators and staff will know the reason for a member’s removal from a Greek organization. Education marks the second major component of the policy. All Greek members are required to go through Sexual Assault and Peer Education training each year during the spring semester, as well as attend follow-up conversations in the fall. A minimum of 85 percent of members are required to be in attendance at these sessions. Previously, council policy mandated SAPE training for incoming members, but yearly training was not required, Johnson said. The policy also mandates that the Greek Council Sexual Misconduct Prevention and Policy Committee, which formed at the beginning of last semester, continues to operate. “While Greek Council had a lot to say about the sexual assault issue, we didn’t really have a policy in place to come in and back up what we wanted to say with action,” said Johnson, who chairs the sexual misconduct

committee. Johnson added that she and other Greek Council members had been motivated by activism surrounding the mishandling of Lena Sclove’s ’15.5 sexual assault case last year. Greek Council wanted to “send a message” to fraternity and sorority members about what behavior is and is not acceptable, said Diego Arene-Morley ’16, a former council member and a member of Delta Phi. “As a policy it’s not just responsive, but it’s also directional. We have to be sending a clear message to people that this is something that we take seriously.” The council also wanted to set a precedent for the administration and the Brown community about the severity of sexual assault, Arene-Morley said. The administration’s current policy is “wishy-washy,” he added. “I think that these policies should be general policies adopted by everybody,” said Eren Ileri ’17, standards chair for Greek Council. The changes may be easier to implement initially within the Greek community due to the small, close-knit nature of the organizations, but they should eventually extend to the whole campus, he added. The policy is “a small version of what we imagine should be a bigger project,” Arene-Morley said. The new policy is a “nine-pointfive out of 10,” said Emily Schell ’16, the founder of Stand Up!, a student organization that aims to prevent sexual assault on campus. “I’m very happy that Greek Council is taking steps to codify” sexual assault policies, she added. But there are some “obvious” aspects of the policy that could be improved, Schell said. Mandating that all Greek members found responsible for sexual misconduct be removed from Wriston Quadrangle merely “pushes the problem elsewhere” and keeps Greek organizations from being able to “police ex-members,” she said. The 85 percent attendance standard for SAPE training is also too low, Schell said. “You wouldn’t be happy with a B on a paper,” so Greeks should

not be satisfied with that percentage of attendance, she said. “I have to see the fat lady sing on this. All these policies look super nice in writing, but … I want to make sure that gets (implemented) in actuality,” Schell said. The policy is a work-in-progress and includes provisions for yearly review, multiple Greek Council members emphasized. Schell agrees that all Brown students should get more rigorous bystander training. “I think in general there needs to be a culture of accountability on this campus. Sometimes your friends will do bad things,” she said. Greek Council also hopes to set an example for other universities around the country, Johnson said, adding that she does not know of another university that has the same zero-tolerance policy. “I hope that people will feel safe within the Greek community,” Johnson said. “Although we sometimes promote higher-risk environments,” such as large parties with alcohol service, “we don’t condone the behavior that comes along with that,” she added. “When you’re dealing with lots of alcohol and other drugs, you raise the stakes on responsibility and behavior,” Arene-Morley said. “There are lots of things that make it seem like fraternities are misogynistic, and rightfully so. There are things that are really problematic.” But “if any place is going to change that culture, it’s probably going to be Brown first,” Arene-Morley said. Ideally, the policy will encourage Greek members to “step in and to help their brothers, sisters and siblings create a safe space for each other and for visitors and for the larger community,” Ilari said. Greek Council is also planning to participate in the national It’s On Us campaign, which encourages individuals to take a pledge to fight sexual assault and rape culture, Ilari said. Greek Council is in the process of creating a video for the campaign that will be released around spring break, he added.

TODAY

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

wa s t e n o t , wa n t n o t

menu SATELLITE DINING JOSIAH’S Gourmet Grilled Cheese BLUE ROOM Soups: Hearty Country Vegetable, Tomato Florentine, Baked Potato Mediterranean Pocket ANDREWS COMMONS Pizzas: Honey Boo Boo, Mushroom Madness, Thai BBQ Chicken

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Pasta Primavera, Spring Vegetable and Pork Stir-Fry, Honey Citrus Chicken Saute

Red Fish Provençal, Vegan OvenRoasted Tofu, Beef Chow Mein, Broccoli Rice and Pimento

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Fried Clam Sandwich, Vegan Gumbo Casserole, Italian Meatballs with Sauce

Beef Stir Fry, Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Tofu, Sticky Rice, Cajun Rice Bowl with Chicken

sudoku

ELI WHITE / HERALD

The Andrews Commons composting initiative kicked off Tuesday, with members of EcoReps such as Thomas Culver ‘17 guiding students through the new, more environmentally responsible system.

comics Ampersand | Wasita Mahaphanit ’18 RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Los Angeles Times Puzzle c r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Thin streaks 6 Influenced by, recipe-wise 9 Ones who deal with dealers 14 First name in furniture 15 Editor’s job 17 Seeking lodging 19 Unidentified Jane 20 Tugboat sound 21 Commodities dealer 22 Summit meeting goal 24 18-Down, with “down” 26 Rearing place 27 Pulling away 31 This and that 32 Deep gulf 33 Global financial org. 36 Mexican supermodel Elsa 39 Hardly transitory 41 Gig session 42 Venetian island 44 1998 Sarah McLachlan hit 45 More at dinner 48 Suffix with school 51 CIA predecessor 52 London home of Constables and Sargents 53 Block deliverers of yesteryear 55 Powerful lobby for seniors 57 Cape Canaveral’s st. 60 Stadium supporters, and a hint to their cry hidden in 17-, 27and 45-Across 63 Self-control 64 Felt poorly 65 “Golden Boy” playwright 66 “Hello, ewe!” 67 Mausoleums DOWN 1 Metalworking union 2 “Was __ hard on her?”

3 Crime scene clue 4 K2 is on its border: Abbr. 5 State secrets? 6 Cornstarch brand 7 Right hook setup 8 Noisy scene 9 “Mayberry R.F.D.” setting 10 Nearby 11 __ la Plata 12 Attends 13 Dik Browne pooch 16 Evaluation for creative types 18 Make a memo of 23 Yours, to Yvette 25 “Now I remember!” 27 Watch chains 28 Peter Fonda’s beekeeper 29 Medicine cabinet items 30 Suffix with malt 33 Low-budget pic, usually 34 Chief 35 Coach’s challenge indicator 37 StubHub offerings, briefly

38 Latvia neighbor 40 Spellbound 43 Baked, layered entrée 45 Clown Kelly 46 French I infinitive 47 Purring snuggler 48 Extremely tiny 49 Needed liniment 50 Creator of many pieces?

54 Writes the wrong zip code, say 56 Pooch in whodunits 58 Award-winning comic book writer Jeph 59 Additions 61 Pointed end 62 South-of-theborder uncle

Class Notes | Philip Trammell ’15

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

xwordeditor@aol.com

calendar

03/04/15

TODAY

TOMORROW

12:00 P.M. “POTENTIALIZING BORDERS: IN THE

9:00 A.M RHODE ISLAND ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE

INTERSTICES OF MODERN AREA STUDIES”

RESEARCH CONFERENCE

Professor of History Faiz Ahmed will explore the theory and politics of area studies in the United States. Watson Institute, McKinney Conference Room

This one-day conference will bring together the state’s major research groups on Alzheimer’s disease to share resources and opportunities. Crowne Plaza Hotel, Warwick, R.I.

3:00 P.M. “THE LIVED SPACES OF RECOLLECTION:

12:00 P.M. “IS IT WRONG TO EAT ANIMALS?”

HOLOCAUST MEMORIALS TODAY”

Professor of History Joerg Gleiter from Berlin Technical University will lecture on the evolution of Holocaust memorials in Germany since the 1980s. List Art 210

The Philosophy DUG will hold a lecture on ethical issues surrounding eating animals. Wilson Hall 101 5:30 P.M. “CRACKING THE GLASS CEILING: WOMEN PRESIDENTS AND THE CHANGING UNIVERSITY”

4:00 P.M. ARTIST TALK: GEDI SIBONY ’95

03/04/15

This panel will feature three women who are current or former presidents of major universities, including President Christina Paxson P’19. Salomon 001

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL

Brown, publish your findings At the beginning of this week, the Brown community received an email from Dean of the College Maud Mandel and Vice President for Campus Life and Student Services Margaret Klawunn encouraging every student to fill out the Enrolled Student Survey. The survey is designed by the Consortium on Financing Higher Education, an organization of 31 highly-selective institutions that gathers and shares information across campuses. These types of comprehensive data collection are rare at Brown; their findings should be increasingly accessible to all members of the Brown community, beyond the senior administration, to guide how students affect the school. Noting that student “insights are important,” Mandel and Klawunn framed the survey as “an opportunity to share (student) experiences at Brown,” noting that their offices “take student feedback seriously and use it to inform planning and programs.” Questions on the survey touch on various aspects of students’ academic, social and personal lives, asking about the personal relationships students have made with professors, the amount of sleep-deprived nights they have experienced and even whether, if they could start all over again, they would attend Brown. The considerable scope of questions and the sample size of the survey will help the University collect important insights into the daily lives of students. As one of the very few opportunities for all Brown students to provide feedback that shapes the University, it is every student’s mandate to complete the survey. Throughout the school year, administrators often solicit feedback from the Undergraduate Council of Students, advisory boards or focus groups. While useful, clearly these sample sizes are small, and it is incredibly difficult for any of these groups to wholly represent the entire student body. The COFHE “conducts a range of routine, episodic and ad hoc research activities to inform and support institutional decision-making,” according to the website of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a member institution. This information may be compared internally amongst many universities, allowing Brown to understand where it stands relative to peer institutions in terms of academics, athletics and many other aspects. These insights are ultimately utilized to make long-term strategic decisions. There are very few sources of information that are as valuable to the University as COFHE findings. To incentivize students to fill out the survey, the administration has offered two students who complete it $500 Brown Bookstore gift cards through a lottery process. While this reward is certainly appealing, we would all benefit if these findings were published or disseminated in some fashion. As students, we deserve the right to fully understand the problems our University faces, so that we can all constructively begin to change them. Comprehensive data collection within the student body is rare at Brown — not only should all students complete it, but key findings should be shared with students and staff members to support attempts to improve Brown. When students begin to discuss institutional change, most conversations are guided by individual experiences, which change over time. The aggregated data points of these studies could serve as the foundation for new UCS initiatives or provide insights to the Meiklejohn program about various student concerns. While high-level administrators certainly craft policy that is shaped by empirical research about campus conditions, unless students are privy to similar types of information or findings, campus issues that could be addressed by student groups or leaders will not be fully tackled.

M I R A N DA F R I E L

CORRECTIONS An article in Tuesday’s Herald (“Composting pilot begins at Andrews Commons,” March 3) misstated that the Rhode Island Refuse Disposal Law was enacted in July 2014. In fact, it was enacted in January 2014. A previous version of this article also misstated that the composting pilot will save the University money long-term. In fact, the long-term financial impact of the pilot is unknown. The Herald regrets the errors. An article in Tuesday’s Herald (“Harvard prof looks at equality of opportunity,” March 3) misidentified the number of attendees at a talk entitled “Equality of Opportunity in America: Where Shall We Look?” as approximately 100. In fact, approximately 250 community members attended. The Herald regrets the error.

Letters, please! letters@browndailyherald.com

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

“I have to see the fat lady sing on this.” — Emily Schell ’16

See greek on page 4.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editors, Alexander Kaplan ’15 and James Rattner ’15, and its members, Natasha Bluth ’15, Manuel Contreras ’16 and Baxter DiFabrizio ’15. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

Editorial Leadership

Sections

Visuals & Production

Business

Editors-in-Chief Michael Dubin Maxine Joselow

Arts & Culture Editors Eben Blake Gabrielle Dee

General Managers Sarah Levine Winnie Shao

Managing Editors Kiki Barnes Jillian Lanney

Metro Editors Alexander Blum Emma Jerzyk Drew Williams

Design Editors Loren Dowd Carlie Peters Taylor Schwartz Assistant: Meryl Charleston Assistant: Andrew Linder

Senior Editors Camilla Brandfield-Harvey Isobel Heck Molly Schulson

Science & Research Editors Andrew Jones Steven Michael

BLOG DAILY HERALD Editor-in-Chief David Oyer

Sports Editors Andrew Flax Alex Wainger

Managing Editors Deena Butt Jacob Koffler

University News Editors Emma Harris Caroline Kelly Joseph Zappa

POST- MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief Adam Asher DIGITAL Online Editor Marcy Huang

COMMENTARY Editorial Page Editors Alexander Kaplan James Rattner Opinions Editors Megan GrapengeterRudnick Kate Kiernan Evan Sweren

Photo Editors Head: Brittany Comunale David Deckey Katie Liebowitz Arjun Narayen Ashley So Ryan Walsh Graphics Editors Avery Crits-Christoph Emma Jerzyk Web Producers Joe Stein Harsha Yeddanapudy Abdullah Yousufi Copy Desk Chief Madeline DiGiovanni Illustrations Editor Angelia Wang Video Editor Richard Flores

Directors Sales: Moniyka Sachar Sales: Jess Urrutia Finance: Josh Tartell Alumni Relations: Marley Rafson Business Dev.: Yuta Inumaru Sales Managers Matthew Meyer Henry Ritter Gulmira Hamit Taylor Casey

facebook.com/browndailyherald

Location: 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. www.browndailyherald.com

@the_herald

Editorial contact: 401-351-3372 herald@browndailyherald.com

browndailyherald.com

Business contact: 401-351-3260 gm@browndailyherald.com

Corrections: The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. Commentary: The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only.

Finance Managers Collections: Neil Wathore Collections: Benjamin Wesner Operations: Carin Papendorp

Letters to the Editor: Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed.

Business Dev. Manager Project Leader: Kaden Lee

Advertising: The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion. The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during Orientation by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily. Copyright 2014 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Postmaster: Please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906.

COMMENTARY WEDNESDAY, MARCH 4, 2015 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Revising First Readings MILI MITRA opinions columnist

On Feb. 6, Maud Mandel, dean of the College, emailed members of the Brown community with the final choices for this year’s First Readings program, launched in 2007. I have heard peers discuss the four options and debate their merits, notably hailing Michelle Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow.” Many seem hopeful that the University is making a socially conscious decision by selecting these readings, all of which deal with relevant issues of race and politics. But instead of debating the strengths and weaknesses of the choices, we need to first turn our attention to the failings of the program. According to Brown’s First Readings website, the program “provides a common reading experience that introduces new students to the University and to the pleasures and rigors of undergraduate academic life.” In other words, it was designed to unite entering students, introduce first-years to college-level assignments and convey the values of the University. This is a lot to entrust to a simple assignment. Unsurprisingly, the program fails to live up to its lofty aims. As an incoming first-year last August, I remember being excited for First Readings. I loved the idea of sharing a bond with my classmates before meeting them and continuing that bond over spirited debates. I breezed through the assignment within two hours — simple enough since “Oil and Water” was a documentary — but paused when I read through the vague prompt. Given that I love to write, there is nothing I enjoy more than an assignment without

a prompt. In this regard, the First Readings seems deceptively casual and liberating; it encourages students to respond to anything in the film or reading and then segue into a discussion of personal goals. This is for the benefit of their first-year advisers who inevitably read their responses. But the ambiguity is a weakness in itself. Instead of promoting thought-provoking responses, the connection between the reading and personal goals seems unnecessarily contrived. By encouraging personal or even self-indulgent responses, the prompt invites shallow reading. In effect, writers are asked to superficially engage with the ideas of the

rational film in many ways, but — perhaps as a result — it is not conducive to genuine debate. It was difficult to take issue with the admirable ideas in the documentary. In my opinion, these weaknesses are byproducts of the program’s conflicting aims. First Readings tries to do too much. In one breath, the program attempts to stimulate debate, introduce students to their advisers and inculcate excitement for academia. And if we look at past choices, it is also a surreptitious public relations exercise, inordinately promoting alums’ work and the wonders of the “Brown experience.” Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to achieve all of these aims

As the First Readings Committee makes its choice for this year’s assignment, I urge it to also consider redesigning the program to create a better experience for incoming firstyears. text or film and muddle them with individual interests; neither material nor self is explored in depth. Moreover, as the assignment is an “informal letter,” it certainly doesn’t introduce students to the “rigors of academic life.” The First Readings seminars are no less flawed. My seminar was rather dull and became lively only after descending into a bitter, partisan debate with no relation to the film whatsoever. I don’t believe this is a product of lackadaisical moderation or inadequate preparation; the professor for our seminar was consistently insightful, and all of the ideas put forth by my peers were well-conceived. The problem rested instead with the choice of the assignment. “Oil and Water” is an inspi-

with a single assignment. It is time for the University to prioritize the goals of First Readings and make the program more effective. If the University wants genuine responses in the vein of universitylevel papers, it should allow students to focus on crafting developed ideas without the added necessity of communicating with advisors; The advising letters can be written separately. If it aims to kindle strong discussion on campus, it should choose important but debatable books. And if the focus is indeed on alumni and public relations, it could select more accessible readings to excite students, invite authors to campus or encourage alums to join in the discussion in the classroom or online.

As the First Readings Committee makes its choice for this year’s assignment, I urge it to also consider redesigning the tail end of the program to create a better experience for incoming first-years once they are on campus. This year’s finalists — Alexander’s “The New Jim Crow,” Kirk W. Johnson’s “To Be a Friend is Fatal,” Claudia Rankin’s “Citizen: An American Lyric” and Kamila Shamsie’s “Burnt Shadows” — are all relevant and strong options. But it is equally important to structure the program so students can gain the most from the books after reading them. First Readings should pique curiosity, undermine preconceived notions and motivate incoming students for the upcoming leap into college. This could involve giving them the freedom to respond to the assigned material in a variety of media, including short stories, paintings, films and songs. Brown is an institution that embraces creativity and liberal learning in many different forms, and First Readings should not be an exception to this trend. Perhaps we could even offer first-years the choice of several readings, so they could choose something that genuinely interested them. This would ensure that the seminars became passionate, memorable discussions. Despite my criticism, I truly believe that the program is important and beneficial. I may be in an ever-dwindling minority, but I like the idea of a shared reading experience that gives students an opportunity to read something original and different. Going forward, I only wish the committee would focus on creating a program that actually excites first-years instead of just another summer reading assignment.

Mili Mitra ’18 can be reached at mili_mitra@brown.edu.

Condemn abuse, not pedophiles ANDREW POWERS opinions columnist

At Brown, you can find students eagerly discussing the nuances of nearly any topic. Whether it’s Palestine, alcohol policy or the environment, it seems every student on campus always has an opinion to share. Perhaps somewhat surprisingly, this is not the case when it comes to an issue as grave as the sexual abuse of children. According to a study by American sociologist and abuse expert David Finkelhor, a full 20 percent of adult females and 5 to 10 percent of adult males report having been sexually assaulted or abused as children. But maybe the fact that few people are talking about this isn’t actually so surprising. After all, what is there to say? There isn’t any debate over the goal we all have in mind — namely minimizing the occurrence of sexual abuse of children. Yet there exists an important issue to be discussed here. While there may be consensus regarding the desired moral ends, the means by which we currently pursue these ends is suboptimal and often even counterproductive. The American Psychological As-

sociation noted in the 2013 publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders that pedophilic disorder is not a “sexual orientation.” Rather, pedophilic disorder refers to those who experience an overwhelming compulsion to act on their attraction to children. It’s difficult to appreciate just how awful it would be to suffer from pedophilic disorder. As your class-

are a potential danger to the safety of children. As most pedophiles consume illegal child pornography — which could lead to prison sentences longer than those given for actual abuse of children — the possibility of discovery is terrifying. Policies such as these can have unintended negative consequences for pedophiles and victims of their sexual abuse alike.

the safety and innocence of children. We find it wholly impossible to relate to what we view as the deviant attractions of pedophiles. But by dehumanizing them, we dangerously perpetuate a culture focused on condemnation and punishment rather than prophylactic therapy and rehabilitation. There isn’t any method for predicting who will become a pedo-

While the sexual abuse of children is an unimaginably horrific reality of our society, so too is the affliction of pedophilia.

mates become attracted to their similar-aged peers, you realize you have sexual thoughts about young children. After a few years it becomes evident this isn’t a phase, but something that will torment you every day for the rest of your life. Your sexual repression and shame will likely lead to depression. There is little professional help for pedophiles in the United States, as mandatory reporting laws hold therapists responsible for reporting to law enforcement those they feel

While the sexual abuse of children is an unimaginably horrific reality in our society, so too is the affliction of pedophilic disorder. For most Brown students — even those adamantly committed to compassion and tolerance in the face of mental illness — encountering a pedophile would engender feelings of disgust and contempt rather than sympathy and understanding. It’s a natural and visceral reaction. There are few things our culture perceives as more important than protecting

phile in order to put protective measures in place, and while not all child sexual abuse is committed by pedophiles, increasing penalties will do nothing to reduce rates of abuse by them. Pedophiles don’t want to abuse children, but their mental illness compels them in the same way individuals suffering from obsessivecompulsive disorder feel compelled to wash their hands repeatedly despite conscious knowledge it is to their detriment.

Reducing the rate at which pedophiles sexually abuse children will necessarily depend on pedophiles voluntarily seeking help. In countries such as Germany in which there are no mandatory reporting laws, pedophiles can seek treatment, including cognitive behavioral therapy and medication to reduce sex drive — making them less likely to offend. These are pedophiles who would likely not come forward otherwise, so I’m skeptical that a policy of reporting such individuals is even marginally effective at reducing rates of child sexual abuse. Relatively speaking, we do a pretty good job at Brown when it comes to understanding mental illness and those who are afflicted with its various manifestations. Increasingly, it’s something about which we’re willing to have difficult conversations. We often consider issues such as discrimination and what the University can do to help those who suffer. In this case, it’s important to keep an open mind not only for those who suffer directly, but also for those who are potential victims of their abuse.

Andrew Powers ’15 can be reached at andrew_powers@brown.edu.