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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 25

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Admins detail sexual assault ed programs Community members U. officials discuss gather for Fort Wayne vigil orientation programming, Responsible Employee policy in UCS meeting

Students speak about experiences with Islamophobia, racism at home, on campus

By MATTHEW JARRELL STAFF WRITER

University officials shared details on the revamped sexual assault education program for incoming first-years and the Responsible Employee protocol determining which university employees have a responsibility to report incidents of sexual harassment or assault at the Undergraduate Council of Students general body meeting Wednesday. The new initiatives seek to address the root causes of sexual misconduct on campus, said Interim Director of Health Promotion Naomi Ninneman, who also serves as a faculty advisor for the Sexual Health Awareness Group. “We’re focusing on creating a culture of consent,” she said. Headlining the agenda was an initiative to reform the portion of firstyear orientation dedicated to raising awareness about sexual assault. On the heels of widespread student criticism dating back to last year, the traveling performance entitled “Speak About

By KASTURI PANANJADY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

ELI WHITE / HERALD

Administrators shared the details and goals of the revamped sexual assault education program for first-year orientation Wednesday night. It” traditionally shown to the rising class will not be invited back to campus this fall. A program featuring multiple meetings, all smaller in size, will take its place, Ninneman said. “It will feature student voices, not an outside group.” Student-produced videos will feature prominently in the program, and small breakout group discussions as well as unit meetings addressing topics from the videos will also be held, said Men’s Health Coordinator Marc Peters.

During UCS-organized focus groups with Corporation members in February, concerns were raised about the Responsible Employee designation, according to a focus group assessment report compiled by the UCS leadership. Students who participated in the focus groups expressed confusion about the duties and obligations of students labelled as Responsible Employees, the report said. Title IX Program Officer Amanda Walsh explained the basis for the » See UCS, page 2

Shivering students gathered Wednesday on the Faunce steps for an evening of prayer and reflection on the murders of Muhannad Adam Tairab, Adam Kamel Mekki and Mohamedtaha Omar in Fort Wayne, Indiana Feb. 24. The vigil was organized by Adrian Wood-Smith, associate university chaplain, and the Muslim Students Association in response to the “execution-style” murders of the three black men, two Muslim and one Christian. Local police officers believe the murders, committed during a home break-in, may have been related to gang violence, the Huffington Post reported. Since so many details of the case are still unclear, Wood-Smith received concerns that the vigil would

be commemorating the lives of potential criminals, he said. “We’re all on the same page that a life lost to gun violence is a life lost unjustly,” Wood-Smith said. The fact that concerns like that are often posed when the victims are people of color or Muslim is indicative of a larger problem of dehumanization, which “hit home” for many members of the Islamic community at Brown, he said. Wood-Smith also pointed out the reluctance of media sources to use the words “terrorism” and “hate crime” in their coverage of the murders as further evidence of the perception of black and Muslim Americans as second-class citizens. The events surrounding the murder “hit home” in more senses than one, he added, referring to another incidence of Islamophobia in South Kingstown, RI in December. A man was caught on camera threatening to kill an Islamic clerk because he was Muslim, but the police did not charge him with a hate crime. News of the murders was also slow to spread. Mohamed Mohamed ’18 » See FORT WAYNE, page 3

Urban Bush Women Alum critiques beauty standards in novel Awad MFA’14 discusses Ways of Looking at a share artistry, activism ‘13 Fat Girl,’ challenges body FirstWorks brings artists to Providence for workshops, festival, teaching opportunities By JENNIFER SHOOK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

A part of Providence’s local art scene for over 10 years, FirstWorks has brought artists such as DJ Spooky, Lauren Anderson and Sweet Honey in the Rock to the Creative Capital — often with the aid of Brown’s own Creative Arts Council. The partnership’s most recent guest to grace College Hill was the Urban Bush Women, delivering a rendition of “Walking With ’Trane,” a live music dance tribute to saxophonist John Coltrane’s life, Saturday at the Veterans Memorial Auditorium. The Urban Bush Women, founded in 1984, focus on the experiences of women and members of the African Diaspora, aiming “to bring the untold and under-told histories and stories of disenfranchised people to light through dance,” according to their website. Urban Bush Women’s work in Providence began in October and culminated in

INSIDE

a month-long February residency at FirstWorks. “FirstWorks is bringing in the kind of performers you used to have to go to Boston or New York to see,” said Kathleen Pletcher, founder and executive artistic director of FirstWorks. The FirstWorks team has partnered with the Creative Arts Council since its founding, bringing world-renowned artists to work individually with students on campus. The artists FirstWorks invites also engage with the community through workshops, conversations, community dinners and other educational tools. Faculty members often initiate these partnerships, said Chira DelSesto, assistant director of Creative Arts Council. Partners at FirstWorks approach faculty members, who are then able to approach the Creative Arts Council and request a grant. Approved grants allow FirstWorks to bring in artists and grant students access to them. A steering committee comprising Pletcher, DelSesto, Department of Africana Studies Managing Director Karen Baxter and Senior Lecturers in Theatre and Performance Arts Julie Strandberg » See FIRSTWORKS, page 3

image standards

By ISABEL GENSLER STAFF WRITER

Mona Awad MFA’14 spoke at the Brown Bookstore Wednesday evening about the debut of her novel “13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl.” Awad spent six years writing the novel. When she started her MFA, she had only completed half of the first draft. Eventually, the story became her thesis. “The fat girl is always home … waiting for your call,” Awad read to the small crowd gathered at the bookstore. “She is ridiculously happy to hear from you, as usual. … You could never call the fat girl too late.” Awad’s novel tells the story of a young girl’s transformation from selfdoubt to self-acceptance, as she struggles with the pressure to conform to societal body image standards. Along the way, she grapples with pressure to base her sense of self-worth on her looks. When asked about how she relates to the character trope of the fat girl, Awad said she has yet to escape these societal pressures entirely and

MARIANNA MCMURDOCK / HERALD

Mona Awad MFA’14 spoke about her first book at the Brown Bookstore Wednesday. The novel centers on 13 of the protagonist’s experiences. still struggles with her own body image. She added that most women she knows and many men also relate to this concept. “I’ve just observed both in myself and in others how much it can affect so many different aspects of our lives, and I wanted to explore all those different things.”

Aaron Mayer ’18.5, who attended the event, said body image is often on his mind, too. “Everyone in the world struggles with body image. I struggle with body image. I’m 6’4’’ and I wish I was four inches shorter because I feel like everybody is always looking at me.” » See AWAD, page 4

WEATHER

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

NEWS Professor Linda Cook presents Russians’ mixed opinions on Putin, propaganda machine

ARTS & CULTURE Alum shares embroidery artwork, narratives on female sexuality in presentation

COMMENTARY Kumar ’17: Facebook reactions oversimplify responses to posts, place thoughts in reductive boxes

COMMENTARY Meyer ’17: Liberals should obstruct Trump, vote Rubio, deny demagogue chance at presidency

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NEWS

PAGE 2 • THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» UCS, from page 1 Responsible Employee designation. “It all boils down to one thing: Does this person have a duty or are they perceived as having a duty to address harassment?” The Sexual Assault Task Force evaluated the definition of a Responsible Employee and released a potential policy, Walsh said. Individuals classified as such must report any act that is a possible violation of the University’s Title IX policy. While experiences that took place before a student arrived at Brown need not be reported, an experience on campus must be retroactively reported regardless of how long ago it took place, Walsh added. This policy is particularly pertinent for Residential Peer Leaders. Unlike their peers at other institutions, Brown RPLs are considered always on duty and thus are obligated to report anything about which they are informed. The Responsible Employee policy was introduced at the RPL orientation in August. For many RPLs, “that was the first time they’d really heard about” this duty, Walsh said. Sexual Assault Prevention Education is moving to a new program outline, emphasizing a multifaceted approach, Peters said. “Bystander intervention (training) isn’t doing enough,” he said. The new curriculum will be module-based and highly flexible, Peters said. SAPE will meet with student groups and present a range of options, and the groups will select the ones that most directly apply to them. “It allows us to have a lot of mixing and matching and to work with the same group more than once,” Peters said. Students will be directly involved in the process of compiling the new curriculum, and Greek houses and sports teams will continue to be a focus. “These are preexisting communities, and getting them to buy into something together can be really powerful,” Peters said.

Got something to say? Leave a comment online! Visit www.browndailyherald.com to comment on opinion and editorial content.

NEWS

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 • PAGE 3

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» FORT WAYNE, from page 1 described seeing the news on Facebook the previous week and waiting days for it to be picked up by national news outlets. “I was really upset,” he said, adding that it exposed the “racial privilege” of the mainstream media. Many members of the Muslim Students Association who organized the vigil heard about the murders while attending a Muslim conference at Princeton last weekend and resolved to organize a memorial once they returned to campus. “I remember seeing the Washington Post article come out over the weekend and thinking, ‘That took you a while,’” Sana Siddiq ’16 said. In his address to the gathering, Ahmed Elsayed ’16 criticized the hypocrisy of media coverage that routinely features racial debate but nonetheless ignores the death of black Muslim Americans. “We’re looking at the Oscars, we’re looking at (Donald) Trump. But we can’t remember these men?” he asked. Bedour Alagraa GS added that “anti-blackness and Islamophobia have never operated in separate

spheres” and that she had never experienced either form of discrimination without the other. Following Elsayed and Alagraa’s speeches, attendees participated in a funeral prayer rooted in the Islamic tradition led by Imam Farid Ansari, chaplain at Bristol County Sheriff ’s Department. Wood-Smith explained that the prayer relied heavily on silent meditation, punctuated by the Imam’s words “Allahu Akbar” (God is greater) and “Salaam-Alaikum” (peace be unto you). “From the perspective of a chaplain, the rituals of religious practice can offer comfort in times like these,” Wood-Smith said. He also wanted to demystify Islam for students who had never encountered it before in a manner that didn’t demand anything of them, he said. The vigil concluded with an opportunity to reflect on the murders with facilitators. Shanze Tahir ’19 lives an hour away from Fort Wayne, where the three men were found murdered. “Indiana doesn’t have a large Muslim population,” she told The Herald, adding that she has encountered a

lot of ignorance with regard to Islam while living there. After the murders, the local mosque where Tahir and two of the victims prayed was vandalized, Tahir said. Islamophobic graffiti was sprayed on the mosque walls and left the local Muslim community shocked, she said. During his speech, Elsayed shared his first-ever experience with Islamophobia while growing up in New York. In second grade, a teacher paused during roll call to ask him if his middle name was Osama. He also described how his father was forced to shut down his store selling Islamic garments and food. “I walk around this campus, and I’m African-American. Then I open my mouth, and I’m Muslim, and that just gets harder,” Elsayed said. Mohamed told The Herald that he has occasionally experienced Islamophobia from certain African Americans and anti-blackness from certain Muslims, increasing his sense of alienation as a black Muslim American. “You know now. You’re here,” Elsayed said to the crowd after sharing his experiences. “You have a responsibility to continue this conversation.”

» FIRSTWORKS, from page 1 and Michelle Bach-Coulibaly organized Urban Bush Women’s visit. The committee also worked with Dance/USA, The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Rhode Island Council for the Humanities, Rhode Island School of Design’s Center for Student Involvement, Carter Family Charitable Trust and the National Endowment for the Arts, among other organizations. The group’s performance of “Walking With ’Trane” Saturday was part of FirstWorks’ Artistic Icons series. The yearly series gives Providence audiences access to masters of a given field. The tribute also figured into Brown’s annual Rhythm of Change festival, which celebrates

Mande dance and performance and is steeped in the idea that artistry can dually act as activism. The festival was paired with Urban Bush Women’s performance because they share the message of using artistry “to educate and uplift communities,” Bach-Coulibaly said. As part of the Rhythm of Change festival, Urban Bush Women met with the members of TAPS0330: “Mande Dance, Music and Culture.” Students in the class were also required to attend the Vets performance as part of their coursework. Bach-Coulibaly said that Brown’s relationship with FirstWorks will continue to thrive. “It’s a very positive partnership,” said Bach-Coulibaly. “We’re working on the future because it’s a very fruitful engagement.”

NEWS

PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Lecture explores Russian perspectives on Putin’s regime Intellectuals alienated by propaganda, the majority of Russians convinced by message of protection By ROSE SHEEHAN STAFF WRITER

Providing a broad picture of the Putin regime and the Russian populace’s feelings about it, “Vladimir Putin’s Time of Troubles?” a lecture given yesterday by Linda Cook, professor of political science and Slavic studies, addressed the American public’s fragmented understanding of contemporary Russia, she said. The lecture drew about 75 attendees, many of them University faculty, and focused primarily on Russian government propaganda and its effects. Cook, who spent December in Russia, shared conversations she held with staff members from various Moscow universities regarding the quality of their country’s journalism and media. “People expressed contempt,” she said. “They viewed the media that’s coming from the government and from

» AWAD, from page 1 Awad also wanted to challenge the assumptions and images that “complicate our notion of this term” of fat girl. The story of the fat girl is constructed around 13 different interactions the heroine experiences revolving around

the regime as tendentious, as manipulative, as bad for their health, moral and physical.” In the media, the Russian government casts itself as a protector against terrorist threats and other forms of violence committed by foreign nations or groups, Cook added. Russian citizens receive a message from the media that “has to do mostly with security and fear … (and) protection in a very hostile and dangerous world,” she said. While propaganda inspires “a deep sense of alienation” in the well-educated, English-speaking academics she spoke to, Cook said that it seems to elicit support from most of the Russian populace. She added that Putin currently has an 82 percent approval rating. An audience member who had previously lived and worked in Russia agreed with Cook’s assessment of the success of propaganda. Propaganda can effectively create “an alternative reality for a large part of the Russian population,” he said. “Even more important is its ability to burn out any potential political competition.” Putin’s popularity stems not only

from propaganda but also from the welfare and social support that he offers to prominent sections of the Russian electorate, Cook said. Even in times of economic recession, Putin has managed to continue payments to pensioners, who make up around a third of the electorate. General cuts to spending have “become inevitable, but there’s still efforts to protect key constituencies” such as pensioners, Cook said. Putin’s political party, United Russia, plays an important role in his power because it exercises control over elections and is willing to repress dissent, Cook said. “Looking at other electoral, authoritarian regimes, one of the things we do know is that elections are risky,” she said. “Elections become potentially dangerous times for leaders because they open up the possibility for a challenge.” Following the 2011 elections, educated young professionals held largescale demonstrations against election fraud, Cook said. The protests were repressed and participants were fined or arrested. “The people who are defecting and are dissatisfied are not marginal people

her physique.“I had the notion of ‘13 Ways’ because I really thought that was a good way of approaching a character whose idea of herself is so bound up in how she sees herself and how she imagines she is seen,” Awad said. On returning to campus, Awad reflected on her positive experience

during the MFA program. She said the teachers and the workshops at Brown “facilitated learning how to trust yourself.” The tone of the book is “fantastic,” said Cole Swensen, department chair and professor of literary arts, adding that body image issues are relatable for

ALEJANDRO SUBIOTTO / HERALD

Professor Linda Cook shared her experiences discussing distrust of government with Russians in her presentation on Russian propaganda. or dissidents,” Cook added, emphasizing that “people who are very welleducated in social sciences and politics” and who “advise the government” often form the primary opposition to Putin’s regime. But many citizens support Putin because of his “more aggressive foreign policy and power assertion,” Cook said. A Russian audience member who generally agreed with Cook added that another group of intellectuals resists Putin for different reasons. They perceive

him as weak and support a more forceful and nationalistic form of foreign policy, he added. Miriam Hinthorn ’16 said she appreciated this audience member’s alternate perspective because it demonstrated how American researchers like Cook who visit Russia tend to have a different takeaway than citizens of the country. The Russian residents whomresearchers interview and speak to are often pro-Western intellectuals, she added.

a wide range of readers. “It’s something that is unfortunately pervasive in our society,” Swensen said. She has not read the book but has decided to do so since attending the event. Awad said her inspiration for the novel came one day when she was in a changing room. “I saw this woman

struggling to put clothes on … and I knew at that moment she saw herself as fat.” Awad said she “just really hopes that people connect to” her book and that “anybody that has a body and has to look in the mirror or take a picture” can feel comfortable in his or her own skin.

TODAY

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 • PAGE 5

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pensive in providence

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Na’cho Pizza, Spicy Five Cheese and Garlic, BBQ Bam Bam Make Your Own Pasta JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Quesadillas

Turkey Chili, Fire Roasted Veggie Chicken Tikka Masala

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Tortellini Provencale, Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy, Sugar Snap Peas, Coconut Cookies

Ginger Chicken Pasta, Spicerubbed Pork Chop, Vegan Chili, Washington Apple Cake

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Saturday Night Jambalaya, Vegan Navy Bean Casserole, Mashed Potato Bar, Coconut Cookies

Roast Turkey, Mashed Potatoes, Vegan Roasted Veggie Stew, Washington Apple Cake

sudoku

CHRISTINE KIM / HERALD

In downtown Providence, at the intersection of Washington Street and Clemence Street, this mural implores pedestrians to pause and reflect.

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

“They viewed the media that’s coming from the RELEASE DATE– Thursday, March 3, 2016

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c rNorris o s sandwJoyce o rNichols d Lewis Edited by Rich ACROSS 1 Congressional authority 5 Lifeless 9 Repaired, as a boot 14 Warning to a tot 15 Academic apparel 16 Dancer Fred’s dancing sister 17 Temporarily out of stock, with “on” 19 Add a lane to, say 20 Hot rod rods 21 Not stable, in a way 23 Sighed line 26 Wall St. event 27 “Yeah, sure!” 30 One might spoil a dream 36 Beth, to Jo 37 Hindu “sir” 38 Spot in a spa 39 Jangle pop and the like, and a hint to a hidden feature of 17-, 30-, 46- and 63Across 43 Old counters 44 Aussie hoppers 45 Daisy __ 46 Gadgets with helical parts called worms 49 The Constitution St. 50 Cadenza maker 51 50-Across’ locale 53 Enjoy the sunset 58 About 62 Old marketplace 63 Restaurant convenience 66 Flower part 67 Dynamic beginning? 68 The Big Easy acronym 69 “East of Eden” surname 70 Balcony section 71 Card game for three DOWN 1 Where the Sky and the Sun collide, for short? 2 Scam 3 Part of the pkg.

4 Jab 5 “Darn, it’s cold!” 6 Airport near Tel Aviv 7 Withhold information about, say 8 Beyond noble 9 Supports in shop class 10 Comic strip drooler 11 Mythical Spartan queen 12 The mi. in MileHigh City 13 Opposite of admit 18 Kyrgyzstan city 22 Walther __: James Bond’s pistol 24 Thom of shoes 25 Tyrrhenian Sea island 27 Name on the “Robot” series books 28 Bag End notable 29 To be, in Toledo 31 Bizarre 32 Berne’s river 33 Italian cathedral 34 Like Andean pyramids 35 Kind of bucket

37 Outdoor exercise choice 40 Luther opponent Johann __ 41 Louisiana Territory state 42 Discovery astronaut James 47 Cannes corp. 48 Imp 49 Stone monuments 52 Word of disgust

53 Up-tempo 54 Too much sun, they say 55 Club in a Manilow song 56 Baseball stats 57 Religious prefix 59 Corner piece 60 Fizzy drink 61 Bit of introductory Latin 64 100 nanojoules 65 41-Down college

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

government and from the regime as tendentious, as

”

manipulative, as bad for their health, moral and physical.

— Linda Cook, professor of political science and Slavic studies

See russia on page 4. CORRECTION Due to an editing error, an article published in Wednesday’s Herald (“ResLife to resurrect Program House Council,” March 2) stated that Kate Tompkins is the assistant director of the Office of Residential Life. In fact, she is the associate director of ResLife. The Herald regrets the error.

calendar TODAY

MARCH

S xwordeditor@aol.com

03/03/16

Dr. Mary Fernandez ’85: Hidden in Plain Sight 4:00 P.M. CIT 368

Thursday Night Interfaith Supper 5:30 P.M. 58 Keene Street

Text-A-Toastie: Feed Your Belly and Mind! 8:00 P.M. Anywhere on campus

A Midsummer Night’s Dream 8:00 P.M. Stuart Theatre

TOMORROW A President Lincoln Hackathon 12:00 P.M. Rockefeller Library

MOJOSCAPE: Meditation on #BlackLivesMatter 12:00 P.M. Churchill House

How Structural Racism Works 12:00 P.M. Pembroke Hall

Orchestra Concert 8:00 P.M. Sayles Hall

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

R O L A N D H IG H

comic A Horse of Any Other Name | Zach Silberberg

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COMMENTARY THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016 • PAGE 7

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In defense of the ‘like’ NIKHIL KUMAR staff columnist Last Wednesday, Facebook unveiled its reactions, five emojis meant to supplement the like button as users express emotions: love, haha, wow, sad and angry. The world took note, with news coverage from a broad range of outlets and gleeful (or cynical) statuses about the change from the social network’s users. After some growing pains, including how to choose a reaction (hover over the like button) and how to interpret the number of reactions (the top three reactions appear next to the total), most of us settled into the new system, tapping love for our friend’s new profile picture, haha for a Leonardo DiCaprio meme and angry for any and all news about Donald Trump. Beyond the initial brouhaha, though, the reactions are a revealing indicator of the future of language and human interaction. The reactions are, in reality, far less revolutionary than Facebook might have us believe; after all, one could always post a comment with these same emojis in the past. Their introduction as reactions, then, merely puts the emojis closer within our reach, re-

flecting the further encroachment of visual communication into the realm of written language. Instead of commenting to express our sympathy at the passing of an acquaintance’s pet, is it now sufficient to press sad and keep scrolling? Does the emoji shed a tear so that we don’t have to? Still, this anxiety about the decline of language as we know it is overblown: Emojis nourish rather than impoverish our capacity to express ourselves. Human sentiment is of-

mal communication (like this newspaper). Even as a strong believer in the transformative power of the emoji and as someone who has enjoyed the novelty of the reactions, I ultimately disapprove of them because they fail to capture the complexity of my emotions. In this sense, they come up short where run-of-the-mill emojis most succeed. The very point of the reactions’ creation was to provide Facebook users with an alternative

human emotion. My friends understood that in liking their posts about police brutality, racism, homophobia and countless other problems that continue to trouble the United States today, I wasn’t expressing my joy at others’ suffering. I was communicating the nuanced combination of sentiments that are the markers of compassion: outrage, pain, sympathy, concern, fear and so on. The like button became, depending on the circumstance, a virtual high five, hug or

In the years when there was no other option, hitting ‘like’ came to signify the gamut of human emotion.

ten more nuanced than even words — in all their richness — can effectively represent, and in the context of the informal communication that occurs on Facebook, it can be easier and more efficient to use a winky face or a tongue emoji than to write a clumsy string of words to express ambivalence. Sometimes, of course, words are necessary: For a close friend, hitting the sad button will not suffice, and I doubt that emojis will ever penetrate the persnickety world of for-

to the generic like, but by forcing us to choose a single, narrow emotion, the reactions send us back into the same trap of oversimplification. Many posts make me simultaneously sad and angry; others tug at my heart and make me exclaim haha. Why must I pick just one? In fact, with the new reactions at my fingertips, I find myself reverting back to the like button. In the years when there was no other option, hitting like came to signify the gamut of

raised fist. It has retained that complex signification — a quality that the reactions will never achieve. In my French class this semester, we have discussed the meaning of the word “étranger,” which can mean “stranger,” “foreign,” “foreigner” or “abroad” in different contexts. The fact that a word doesn’t exist in a language, our professor said, doesn’t mean that the idea that it represents is also nonexistent. In fact, it is the very instance of missing words and am-

biguous definitions that makes languages — and the relationships between languages — so interesting to consider. Like the word “étranger,” the like button has become a site of confusion and hesitancy but also of nuance and depth. The introduction of the alternative reactions, however short-lived they may prove to be, was necessary to fully comprehend the kaleidoscopic meaning of a like. Though the reactions are an advertiser’s dream because they allow for the quantification and analysis of people’s preferences, they are part of an ongoing struggle between those who would shun ambiguity in favor of businesslike clarity and those who cherish the former as vital to the human experience. In fact, I would go so far as to say that the reactions patronize an entire generation of Facebook users, a generation that communicates in an emoji-heavy language more multidimensional than one might assume. I don’t know how long Facebook will remain an integral part of my life — but while it does, I think I’ll stick with the like button.

Nikhil Kumar ’17 can be reached at nikhil_kumar@brown.edu.

Why liberals should vote for Rubio DANIEL MEYER staff columnist Donald Trump may have won the most delegates on Super Tuesday, but he hasn’t put the race away yet. He failed to win a majority in any state. As in earlier primaries, he continued to benefit from the deadlocked race for second place. While Ted Cruz, R-TX, and Marco Rubio, R-FL continue to duke it out, the Trump coalition that accounts for about a third of the Republican electorate will keep winning. As of March 15, many primaries are winner-take-all, meaning that Trump’s slim margins will be enough to pull away. The parity that allows Trump to keep winning has launched a slow-motion crisis. For those who detest Trump’s demagoguery, his success feels surreal. For most of the race, pundits have predicted that his momentum will die out even as he has continued to grow stronger. Because his success is so bizarre and unprecedented, it creates an instinctual feeling that it cannot last. This feeling, I suspect, is why many terrified by the prospect of a Trump presidency haven’t done enough to oppose him. Now, as the campaign threatens to turn into a Trump coronation, it is time to do anything possible to stop him. Right now, that means voting for Marco Rubio. I am a registered Democrat

falling somewhere between Clinton and Sanders on the liberal spectrum. But I plan to switch my party affiliation in order to vote against Trump in my home primary. I don’t find Rubio to be an appealing candidate in any way, except that he isn’t Trump. But right now that’s enough. I’m sure that many Brown students find Rubio’s opposition to legal abortion and gay marriage deeply unpalatable, not to mention his denial that climate change is caused by humans. But those are now mainstream Republican views that nearly any nominee is likely to hold. A vote for Rubio does support the GOP status quo that many have condemned. But liberals should hold

it’s worth taking any opportunity to slow Trump’s path to the nomination, even if it’s a long shot. Some may feel confident Trump would lose in the general election anyway. Polling averages have him three points behind Clinton and eight behind Sanders in head-to-head matchups. But if he makes it that far, he will already have done irrevocable damage to the party system. More accurately, he will do even more damage than he already has. A Trump nomination would push the Republican Party much further in the direction of angry, white populism. Every time a GOP politician follows Chris Christie’s deplorable lead and endorses Trump, the party’s center shifts just a

Liberals should hold their noses and support Rubio lest the (Republican) Party devolve into something even worse. their noses and support Rubio lest the party devolve into something even worse. Admittedly, the timeframe for a Rubio comeback is short. The New York Times’ politics and policy blog, “The Upshot,” predicts that he needs to win or, at worst, split the two major primaries on March 15, Florida and Ohio, to stay in contention. From then on, he needs to string together win after win. A vote for Rubio may just be ammunition for a brokered convention. Still,

little further toward his ugly style and substance. Each success increases the likelihood of copycat candidates. Clinton, Trump’s most likely opponent, could be vulnerable to the sort of attacks he loves to sling. As a female candidate, she is unfortunately open to attacks using coded language about strong leadership. She has struggled with likability, whereas Trump campaigns mainly on his persona. A Trump-Clinton election would be unpre-

dictable. A crisis could emerge from the chaos. Hillary supporters don’t give up much by switching their primary participation. At this point, she is a strong favorite. For Bernie supporters, the costs of voting in the Republican primary are higher. But the damage that a Trump presidency would do to liberal causes exceeds the potential benefits of Sanders over Clinton. Besides, Sanders is now dwelling in long-shot territory. A vote against Trump could be more impactful. After Super Tuesday, Cruz leads Rubio in the delegate count. Some might argue that he has the best shot of stopping Trump. That might be true, but he is nearly as bad. Cruz has shown a flair for obstruction and extremism that makes his presidency another nightmare scenario. Highlights include attempting to shut down the government to defund Planned Parenthood. One of his biggest talking points is that most of his colleagues hate him. Besides, his party is less likely to back him in a brokered convention than it is Rubio. Liberals and independents entering the fray for Rubio might not be enough to stop Trump. It could be too late. But at this point, I’m scared enough to try almost anything. Trump is a unique threat in our nation’s political history that demands unprecedented opposition.

Daniel Meyer ’17 can be reached at daniel_meyer@brown.edu.

ARTS & CULTURE THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 2016

Narrett ’10 embroiders Brown with art as cultural criticism Alum returns to campus to discuss artistic evolution, question sexuality, pop culture By ETHEL RENIA STAFF WRITER

Sophia Narrett ’10 was living in her Providence apartment after graduation when she discovered the medium of embroidery. Since then, she has woven together many bold art pieces that take a close look at women’s sexuality and contemporary pop culture. Narrett came back to campus Wednesday to present her art and her artistic evolution. Narrett’s journey as an artist has not been straightforward. As a freshman at Brown she was an oil painter, but by graduation she was more engaged by images and narratives than by the actual painting process, she said. She had difficulty making deliberate paint strokes, and her physical connection with her medium left her dissatisfied. When she tried her hand at embroidery, she instantly felt a connection with the material. With thread, she said, “Every stitch contributes to the image.” Her artistic shift intrigued the students attending her talk. “You see people doing their work, and (you wonder), ‘did they always have this style?’”

said Keren Alfred ’18. Narrett’s art is by no means limited to attention to minute details and bold colors. As an artist, she is primarily driven by narrative, and every one of her pieces is the visual representation of a story line, she said. The figures she stitches are characters whose life stories she has already spun and with whose hopes and dreams she is already acquainted. To her, it seems that her art is more than just frozen in an image. Her art pieces are stories, and she strives to give them life, she said. Since narrative is the backbone of her work, Narrett said she must write a story or at least have a skeleton of a narrative before starting a project. She gives her narrative flesh by photoshopping a collage that she feels represents her story. She then projects the collage onto fabric and sketches figures to guide her hand. Finally, she uses embroidery to recreate her collage and transform it into a piece of art. Narrett appreciates that her medium forces her to slow down and think about what she’s creating, she said. For example, as Narrett stitches scenes of sexual women, she faces a moral dilemma: Does portraying women in such a sexual fashion perpetuate the objectification of women in today’s society, or does her art constitute a criticism of this phenomenon?

LILLY NGUYEN / HERALD

Providence artist Sophia Narrett ’10 presented her embroidery work and her philosophy as an artist, which has evolved since her time at Brown. Her art often questions the portrayal of female sexuality in pop culture. Narrett has reflected thoroughly on this question, she said. In crafting her art, she has realized that her sexuality is partly defined by the eroticization of women. Her work reflects the notion that the way women are portrayed in everyday life has influenced her own sexual identity and the way she views other women.

Narrett’s uninhibited expression of her sexuality in her work made an impression on students attending her talk. “Becoming less filtered in work and letting go of inhibitions was very interesting to me,” said Marisha Locada, a Rhode Island School of Design student. Narrett’s art is strongly influenced

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by pop culture and literature, and “The Bachelor” was the setting for one of her projects. Titled “This Meant Nothing,” the project reflects that “(The) Bachelor is a metaphor for patriarchy and heteronormativity,” she said. Through her work, Narrett aims to question cultural anxieties and gender image standards.