SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016
VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 36
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
Anti-Semitic, homophobic vandalism found in Marcy House
DPS investigation underway as students condemn hate crime, gather in solidarity By MELISSA CRUZ AND ELENA RENKEN SENIOR STAFF WRITERS
Sam Rubinstein ’17 and Lainie Rowland ’17, a Herald opinions editor, entered their hallway in Marcy House close to 1 a.m. Friday to find antiSemitic and homophobic messages scrawled on the walls. Upon seeing the graffiti, Rowland contacted the leaders of Beta Rho Pi, a Jewish fraternity housed in Marcy, and Rubinstein contacted Department of Public Safety officials and staff members of Brown/ RISD Hillel. The vandalism in Marcy read “Gay will die” and “Holocaust 2.0” in black marker. As residents waited for the arrival of officials, members of BRP and Zeta Delta Xi, a co-ed fraternity also housed in Marcy and home to many LGBTQ students, gathered in the hallways and scrubbed the graffiti off the walls. “One message was directly across from my dorm room, apparently reacting to the Hebrew writing and
Mezuzah on my door,” wrote Rubinstein, a member of Zete, the moniker commonly used to refer to Zeta Delta Xi, in an email to The Herald. The vandalism follows Janet Mock’s cancellation on Wednesday of a campus talk scheduled for today after the circulation of a student-authored petition asking the activist to dissociate her lecture from Hillel. The petition gained 160 signatures. There is no evidence at this point that the incidence of vandalism in Marcy is related to the cancellation of Mock’s lecture. But a number of students have voiced concerns that the petition calling for Mock to dissociate her lecture from Hillel was anti-Semitic. “This was a more blatant example (of anti-Semitism) after a more subtle one,” said Jack Bernier ’19, who was at a gathering Thursday among several members of BRP in Marcy. “It reflects poorly on a lot of students here. No one here should be saying stuff like that.” Marshall Einhorn, executive director of Hillel, went to Marcy to support students early Friday morning while Michelle Dardashti, associate University chaplain, offered support by phone. Staff members from several
University departments, including the Office of Campus Life and Facilities Management, worked with residents of Marcy “to collect information, remove the graffiti and offer support to the students in the residence hall,” wrote Mary Grace Almandrez, interim assistant vice president for campus life and student services and associate dean of the College, and MaryLou McMillan, interim assistant vice president for campus life and student services, in a community-wide email sent Friday morning. The email referred to the event as a “bias incident.” BRP and Zete released a statement Saturday night saying “We are devastated and outraged that this antiSemitic and homophobic hate crime — and to be clear, this is a hate crime — occurred in our home.” President Christina Paxson P’19 also wrote to all community members Friday afternoon to condemn the “hateful instances of homophobic and anti-Semitic graffiti vandalism.” “Public Safety will work with other departments to aggressively investigate, identify the person(s) who committed this hateful act and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” Paxson wrote. “Acts of bias such as this, which attempt to demean » See VANDALISM, page 2
LAINIE ROWLAND / HERALD
Members of Beta Rho Pi and Zeta Delta Xi scrubbed the anti-Semitic and homophobic graffiti off the walls of Marcy House early Friday morning.
#BlackLivesMatter coNo. 5 Bruno takes down No. 14 Harvard founder urges activism Quick start, face-off M. LACROSSE
Opal Tometi speaks to activist experience in age of police violence, global scale of anti-black racism
advantage give Bears crucial edge in top-20 tilt against rival Crimson By NIKKO PASANEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
By KYLE BOROWSKI SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Saturday’s contest at Harvard Stadium was certainly not for the faint of heart. After jumping out to a comfortable fivegoal lead at the half, the No. 5 men’s lacrosse team stumbled in the third quarter before outlasting No. 14 Harvard 11-8 in thrilling fashion. With the win, Bruno (6-0, 1-0 Ivy) remains perfect on the year with a critical matchup looming against No. 7 Villanova in eight days. “For two hours, we proved we were able to face a talented program and earn the victory,” said Head Coach Lars Tiffany ’90. “Now we have to do it again.” While the nation’s highest-scoring offense has often carried the Bears this season, it was the midfield play of Alec Tulett ’17, Larken Kemp ’17 and Will Gural ’16 that made the difference Saturday. The trio combined for an impressive 23 ground balls, while Kemp caused five turnovers. At the face-off X, Gural proved to be dominant again, grabbing
INSIDE
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Face-off specialist Will Gural ’16 brings the ball up the field. The senior won 14 of 21 face-offs to help lead Bruno to a victory over the Crimson. 14 of 21 opportunities. “Kemp, Tulett and Gural were outstanding,” Tiffany said. “Kemp intercepted Harvard passes repeatedly, Tulett was again strong with picking up the loose balls and guarding their top offensive threat and Gural won us possessions throughout the day, as he has done all year.” But while the defense kept the Crimson at bay, Brown needed its offense to give them an edge. When the Bears
absolutely needed a goal, it was Kylor Bellistri ’16 who saved the day. The senior captain scored two of his three goals in the last five minutes to preserve the lead and make sure the defensive efforts were not wasted. Bellistri leads the Bears with 23 goals on the year. After watching the Bears roll at the start of the game, it seemed unlikely that they would find themselves in crunch time defending a small advantage. » See M. LAX, page 2
Police shootings and brutalization of black youths have become so commonplace in the United States that it can be difficult to imagine how to remedy the structural racism that allows for such injustices to occur; but difficulty is no reason to stand at the sidelines during times of crisis, said Opal Tometi, one of the founders of the #BlackLivesMatter movement in a talk March 19. The motivating action for Tometi in starting #BlackLivesMatter was when she heard news that George Zimmerman had been acquitted for the role he played in the death of Trayvon Martin, a black 14-year-old, in 2012. “I remember feeling like the breath had been taken out of my body,” Tometi said. The Martin case was particularly poignant for Tometi, whose brother was the same age as Martin at the time. After finding the hashtag
#BlackLivesMatter on Facebook— which was a concurrent response to the verdict — Tometi reached out to Alicia Garza and Patrisse Cullors, the two women responsible for the hashtag’s creation, and offered them her public relations and outreach skills in the hopes of creating a larger awareness of anti-black racism. Along with Garza and Cullors, Tometi founded #BlackLivesMatter as a larger activist movement which now has over 30 physical chapters across the United States and Canada, in addition to wide-scale usage as a rallying cry against police violence. Tometi explained that for her, it was important to found a movement that existed at the intersection of race, religion, sexuality and gender expression. It is particularly important to uplift stories of violence against black women and girls because narratives typically ignore their struggle and positions in activist networks, she added. Despite the development both in the size and influence of #BlackLivesMatter, the movement has not been without its detractors. Tometi pointed to #AllLivesMatter — a frequent counter to the movement’s charge — as an example of » See ACTIVISM, page 2
WEATHER
MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016
SPORTS Baseball struggles in first two contests against UCF, comes alive in finale to snap winless streak
SPORTS After strong start to season, softball sees tougher competition in 1-4 southern roadtrip
COMMENTARY Vann ’17: Men’s Story Project seeks to discuss, rethink rigid definition of masculinity
COMMENTARY SJP: Brown/RISD Hillel cannot be space for social justice work because of political ties
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NEWS
PAGE 2 • MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016
» VANDALISM, from page 1 and threaten people based on religion, sexual orientation, race or other characteristics, harm not only their most immediate victims but are antithetical to the most deeply held values of this University.” A student at the gathering at Marcy received a call that DPS officers were on their way to the dormitory, Bernier said. About 15 minutes later another call was received. Members of BRP asked everyone to leave the building, saying DPS was searching the entire house because of an incident in Zete, Bernier said. “The scariest aspect was that there was someone in my living space to project these ideas,” said Rowland, an independent living in Marcy, adding that that the homophobic and antiSemitic sentiments “are something that you know exists out there, but to see it so tangibly in the space that you live … is shocking.” “We at Hillel are appalled by the hateful messages on the walls of Marcy House attacking the LGBTQ and Jewish communities,” Einhorn said. “Action and language like that have no place on a college campus or anywhere else.”
The incident was “deeply offensive and violates the most treasured values of this University,” Almandrez and McMillan wrote in the campus-wide email. Rowland expressed her appreciation that University administrators “reaffirmed that this is obviously a very serious incident and are using all of their resources.” DPS has commenced a full investigation and “will make every effort to identify the perpetrator(s),” wrote Brian Clark, director of news and editorial development, in an email to The Herald. Detectives from the department will interview Marcy residents and other students, he wrote, adding that “alleged perpetrator(s) could face University sanctions and/or criminal charges.” The acts of vandalism “are symptoms of larger issues, and they will not stop until all instances of hate speech are denounced with the same force and the systems of oppression that support and enable them are dismantled,” BRP’s and Zete’s joint statement read. An email from the Hillel Student Executive Board, sent to members of the Hillel community and obtained by The Herald, condemned the antiSemitic and homophobic messages
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD and offered a supportive space to cope with the incident in Hillel Friday afternoon. The email from the Office of Campus Life also informed students of two other community gatherings providing in-person support earlier in the day Friday. “I was surprised by the homophobia because, especially on this campus, you wouldn’t expect that as much,” said Sam Greenberg ’19, who attended the gathering in Marcy Thursday. “But there have been incidences of antiSemitism just recently.” “It’s a close community, and I feel safe in my dorm, but not so much after this,” said an independent resident of Marcy who wished to remain anonymous for reasons pertaining to her safety. “It makes me question what kind of people pass through (the building),” she added. Rowland was pleased to be surrounded by groups that rallied and condemned the hurtful messages. “I don’t think the cowardly hate that motivated these events is nearly as strong as the sense of community and strength of the communities they were directed at.” — With additional reporting from Alex Skidmore
Bruno jumped out to a 3-0 lead midway through the first quarter by scoring three times in just 53 seconds. Dylan Molloy ’17 led things off, quickly followed by tallies from Stephen Hudak ’18 and Matt Graham ’16.5. It was one of many rapid scoring bursts that the Bears have engineered this year. At the five-minute mark, Harvard finally got on the board, but Graham and Hudak responded with their second tallies of the day to extend the lead to four. With five seconds left in the first, the Crimson’s Morgan Cheek pulled the deficit back to three. In the second quarter, Bruno continued to look like the better side, with Molloy slotting a beautiful pass to Henry Blynn ’16 to spark another three-goal spurt. With the Bears carrying an 8-2 lead, Harvard was desperate to swing momentum in its favor before the half, doing so with a man-up goal with 1:53 left. When the whistle blew to start the second half, it seemed as though the two teams switched places. Gone was the Bears’ confident, high-energy attack. Instead, the game turned into a defensive slugfest laden with turnovers. The Crimson capitalized on the sloppy play,
» ACTIVISM, from page 1
W. LACROSSE
Bears drop nail-biter in second Ivy contest Late-game rally fueled by goals from Mangiarotti ’18, Toy ’16 comes up short versus Yale By NICHOLAS WEY STAFF WRITER
Coming off decisive victories against Colgate and Bryant last week, the women’s lacrosse team headed into its second Ivy League tilt Saturday against Yale poised to notch its first conference win. Unfortunately for Bruno (4-3, 0-2 Ivy), the Bulldogs (4-4, 1-1) took control of the game early on, building a four-goal lead by the end of the first half. This margin proved insurmountable for the Bears despite a late-game rally that brought the team within one, bringing the final score to 6-5. “We came out slow and disorganized, not playing our style of Brown lacrosse,” said senior co-captain Lauren Toy ’16. “We came back to ourselves at half time and started playing our style of game in the second half to make up the deficit, but by then it was too late.” Continuing a narrative that has been a mainstay this season, Toy — en route to her third hat trick of the year and 16th goal of the season — put Bruno on the scoreboard first with a goal three minutes into the contest. But Bruno was unable to capitalize on this early advantage as Yale immediately answered. Junior attacker Tess McEvoy netted a goal for the Bulldogs only 40 seconds later to tie the game. McEvoy’s response fueled a large swing in momentum in favor of Yale that lasted for the rest of the first half. The Elis went on a five-goal tear that put Yale up 5-1, exposing both a faltering Bruno defense and lackluster offense along the way. The Bears would regroup during halftime. Responding in the first 10 minutes of the second half, Rose Mangiarotti ’18 and Toy led a scoring run that included
» M. LAX, from page 1
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Lauren Toy ’16 looks to create a scoring opportunity. The captain scored three times against Yale, but it wasn’t enough to give the Bears the win. three goals to put Bruno back into the game, with the score now just 5-4 in favor of Yale. Head Coach Keely McDonald ’00 was “definitely proud of how the team responded” in the second half. As she mentioned, in these “big emotional games” the players simply need to be “that detail-oriented from the beginning” and stay consistent for “the entire 60 minutes.” But this late-game rally would not be enough to dig the Bears out of their early deficit. In the ensuing possessions, Yale and Brown each traded goals to bring the score to 6-5 with ten minutes remaining. But Brown was unable to break through Yale’s defense one final time in order to tie up the contest. The Bears had several chances to score, including shots on goal that “each player would definitely like back,” McDonald said. During that period, Yale also took time off the clock with a possession-scheme. Yale maintained its one-goal lead as time expired for the win. Overall, the Bulldogs led in shots and draw controls, while Bruno led in turnovers and committed fouls. “Each athlete just needs to focus on the details that she needs to execute in those big games,” McDonald said. “It is just about the little things that they need
to do in the moment to be successful.” Though disappointed about the outcome, senior attacker and team cocaptain Richael Walsh ’16 maintains a positive outlook on the season. “The team is already working towards moving past this game and learning from the mistakes we made against Yale,” Walsh said. “We had a productive film session this morning that highlighted very clearly some areas we will focus on improving this week. This loss, however disappointing, has motivated everyone to work that much harder to take down our next Ivy opponent.” The Bears will face another Ivy League test very soon. Brown hosts Cornell Saturday at 1 p.m in its third conference matchup of the season. The team will look to avenge last year’s 14-6 loss against the Big Red. Securing a victory over Cornell will be pivotal in order to keep its conference hopes alive, as Bruno now ranks seventh in the Ivy League after two games. “As captains, the best thing we can do is lead by example with our work ethic and passion,” Walsh said. “Moving forward, we know that game preparation starts with connections days before the game at practice and in the locker room, not just on the morning of.”
the type of discourse that ignores the specific nuances of racism in America. “We certainly believe all lives matter,” Tometi said. “But at the end of the day we have to deal with the reality,” she added. That reality is that black people in America, regardless of age and gender, are criminalized solely based off of the color of their skin, Tometi said. “We don’t get to be innocent or joyful without being criminalized,” Tometi said. “People are having their innocence literally kicked and dragged out of them,” she added. Violence against black individuals is so prevalent and well-documented nowadays that Tometi is literally incapable of viewing new videos or stories of incidents without being physically ill, she said. In addition, the widespread usage of smartphones to record police brutality calls into question why we are documenting these events in the first place, she added. “There was a time where these images needed to be on display,” Tometi said, adding that “we’re living in a different time.” The overabundance of such images also runs the risk of desensitization, she added. But discomfort at the sight of violence might be a necessary evil due to the fact that most cases of police violence would not be prosecutable were it not for video evidence of police misconduct, Tometi said. “Don’t just document for documentation’s sake,” she said, adding that its important for activists to “use documentation to mobilize.” Though discourse is largely centered
scoring twice in the opening minute of the third quarter and again midway through the period to pull the margin within two. The final frame continued on a bad note for Bruno, as Harvard found the back of the net yet again to extend its scoring streak to five in a row. At that point, the Bears’ 8-2 lead seemed like a distant memory. But the team did not lose its composure: Carson Song ’19 helped Bruno get back on track with an assist to Blynn that broke the team’s 25-minute scoreless run and doubled the lead to 9-7. But the Crimson came right back four minutes later with a tally from Devin Dwyer to put the pressure on again. With the game slipping away, in stepped Bellistri. The captain came through in the clutch to score the last two goals of the game and hand the Bears an all-important victory over their Ivy League rivals. After the emotional win, Bruno will have a week to recharge before it takes on Villanova in what should be a highly entertaining contest. The Wildcats (5-1) boast the nation’s second highest scoring offense. Tiffany said that it should be “an exciting challenge” to face off against a team that “plays as fast as we do.” around the North American strain of discrimination, the issue of anti-black racism is hardly a uniquely American construct, Tometi said. Instead, the effects are felt globally, she said. The refugee crisis in the Middle East, for example, was preceded by largescale movement of Africans across the Mediterranean in response to poor conditions on the continent partly due to European foreign policy, Tometi said. Specifically, European trade policy has established “deals” with African countries that have inundated markets with useless goods, destabilizing local economies, she said. This compounded with a disparate amount of environmental crises has forced many Africans to cross the Mediterranean for European shores only to perish in the process. The media’s lack of coverage over the loss of black lives only proves the presence of implicit biases on a global scale, Tometi said. In spite of all of this and the apparently insurmountable barriers that exist both in our own society and around the globe, Tometi has pledged to continue fighting for black lives and made it clear that there is room for at least a modicum of optimism in activist efforts. “It’s not hopeless,” Tometi said. “We have to do something about it because it doesn’t have to be this way.” Tometi closed by imploring audience members to devote themselves to activist efforts because “you don’t get to be alive in times like these and do nothing.” “It’s an affront to all of us when injustice is this pervasive,” Tometi said. “We all have a right to rise up and fight for black lives.”
NEWS
MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Sports Roundup BY MATT BROWNSWORD, SPORTS EDITOR
Wrestling After winning a match in round one of the wrestle-back bracket at the NCAA Championships Thursday, Justin Staudenmayer’s ’17 season ended with a 4-3 decision Friday. The junior had had an excellent campaign leading up to the championships but lost his first match against Michigan’s Brian Murphy — the 12th-ranked wrestler in the weight class — before winning against and then losing to Bryce Steiert of Northern Iowa. In the 149-lb. division, Steven Galiardo ’17 was the only other Bear at the NCAA Championships, but he was unable to make it to Friday after dropping two decisions. No. 14 Mitch Finesilver of Duke beat Galiardo handily before Davion Jeffries of Oklahoma finished the junior’s season.
Women’s Tennis MARK LIANG / HERALD
Adi Melamed ’19 shares stories about the college admissions process and finding a compatible concentration. Held at the Granoff Center for Creative Arts, the sold-out event was entirely student-run for the first time.
TEDxBrownU stories inspire, invigorate Talks by students, alum, researcher center around theme of EDGE: Explore, Discover, Grow, Engage By MARK LIANG STAFF WRITER
“Who has to have a soapbox when all you’ve ever needed is your voice?” asked Clint Smith in a video projected across the Martinos Auditorium at TedxBrownU. Brown University held its own TEDx event March 19, hosting 12 speakers and 100 audience members in the Granoff Center for Creative Arts. With topics ranging from the nature of startups to branching out after college, the event encompassed the broad theme of EDGE: Explore, Discover, Grow, Engage. “We picked this theme from a list of potential TEDx ideas because we felt that it covered the wide range of speeches people were giving,” said event coordinator Loren Dowd ’16, a former design editor for The Herald. Some talks dealt with interesting ideas, such as Jackson Crook’s ’17 belief that all forms of fun are remnants from human evolution. With audience participation, Crook explained in his talk “Just for Fun: An Evolutionary Perspective” how playing with Legos and basketball were derived from a lifestyle of hunting and gathering, much to the laughter of the audience. A few other presentations were more serious and offered insight on
difficult choices. Aderonke Ilegbusi GS talked about her experience with disadvantaged students as well as overcoming the urge to quit while facing adversity in her speech “Making Connections: Seeking Similarities and Celebrating Differences.” In his presentation “Breaking the Mirage,” Adi Melamed ’19 discussed stories he heard from friends regarding the college admission process and also finding yourself in your concentration. “I connected with each of the talks in my own way,” Dowd said, adding that the variety of topics contributed to the strength of the event. The TEDx talks are independent events hosted outside of TED’s direct control, Dowd said. TED, which stands for technology, entertainment and design, is an international organization with the slogan “Ideas Worth Spreading” that aims to share stories and information through talks. TEDxBrownU is allowed to use TED’s logo and required to record all the speeches for online publishing. As per regulation from the international organization, a variety of official TED videos were also screened between live presentations during the event. With topics such as the history of the variable x and the nature of silence, the videos help enliven the presentations, Dowd said. The event was organized for the first time with an entirely student-run group, said marketing chair Elaine Cheung ’18. With eight people on the leadership team and approximately 20 volunteers, the club sold out all 100 tickets before the event, she added.
Yuna Hur ’18 came to the event in part to see her fellow colleague Julia Xu ’17, who was speaking about her experience founding the non-profit Tink Knit, which helps single mothers support themselves through knitting. Nevertheless, Hur was thoroughly impressed by the other speakers that she saw. “Everyone’s (talks) really resounded with me,” she said. “Listening to their stories really brings the Providence community together in general,” she added. It wasn’t just friends supporting friends, as alums and curious members of the public also attended the event. Jennifer Stearns ’83 P’18 came with her daughter and found the combination of personal stories and general reflections riveting. “The learning culture here (at this event) is much different than when I went to school,” she said. During breaks, audience members mingled in the lobby outside of the auditorium. People were asked to stick encouraging post-it notes onto taped pictures of the presenters along the wall, while conversations struck up around deep questions posted around the venue such as “What inspires you?” and “What’s your EDGE?” The scene seemed to parallel the environment mentioned in Max Song’s ’15.5 talk, “Lighting a Fire in Plato’s Cave,” in which he urged students to strive for a college feel long after leaving campus. It’s important to be “surrounded by people you care about, always learning and growing,” he said.
No. 68 Brown fell in a close decision against No. 71 Old Dominion Sunday, a matchup that started impressively for the Bears (11-5). Of the two completed doubles matches, Brown won both by scores of 6-1 and 6-2. But Bruno was beaten in the singles matchups as Alyza Benotto ’18 was the lone victor for Brown. She won in straight sets over her opponent, while two other Bears took their opponents to three sets before eventually falling. The loss ended Brown’s two-game winning streak.
Gymnastics The Bears put another notch in their belt Saturday after finishing second at the ECAC Championships, two weeks after tying Cornell for the Ivy League title. This time, Cornell took down the Bears by a margin of less than half a point, leaving Bruno in a tie for second with William and Mary. The team earned 12 All-ECAC awards, led by Jorden Mitchell’s ’17 firstteam honors on the all-around, floor and beam to go along with a secondteam spot for vault. The Bears scored season highs on floor, beam, vault and bars, but Mitchell’s fourth-place finish and Caroline Morant’s ’17 sixth-place finish on the all-around were not enough to lead Brown to a championship.
Women’s Golf In their first competition of the spring season, the Bears notched 622 points at the Low Country Intercollegiate this weekend, good enough for a sixthplace finish in the 17-team field. After being three shots back, Sasha Banks ’19 rallied to record the only sub-par round of the contest and ultimately win the individual championship. Another standout was Rosanna Lederhausen ’17, who notched 153 points to finish with the ninth-highest point total on two rounds. Lauren Flynn ’16 and defending Ivy champion Christine Kim ’18 both finished with 163 points.
SPORTS
PAGE 4 • MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
BASEBALL
Bears snap losing streak in 1-2 weekend at Central Florida Offensive outburst led by Grigo ’18, Levine ’16 powers Bears to win after pair of late-inning defeats
Brown continued its season-opening non-conference slate with a weekend trip to the Sunshine State for a threegame series against Central Florida (12-9).
Kevin Guthrie ’16 singled for Brown in the top of the ninth with one out, but UCF’s Trent Thompson recovered to retire the side and secure the win. Though Taugner was charged with his first loss of the season, his ERA sits at 1.64 after three starts. Head Coach Grant Achilles credited Taugner for attacking hitters and “being able to locate any pitch in any count” in his early-season starts. “When you have pitchers throwing as many strikes as he has, it keeps your defense locked in too,” he added.
Brown 0, UCF 2 The Bears (2-8) opened the weekend with ace Christian Taugner ’17 on the mound for the third straight weekend. Taugner went toe-to-toe with UCF starter Cre Finfrock. The two hurlers put on a show as the contest remained scoreless into the late innings. Coming off a four-loss weekend against Marshall, the Bears had gone 19 innings without a run after being shutout in the final two games of the series. Brown’s woes at the plate continued against Finfrock, as it managed just two hits and struck out eight times in seven innings. Taugner gave up seven hits over seven innings but managed to keep the Knights off the scoreboard and Brown in the game. He came out of the game in the eighth after giving up a walk and a single to open the inning and was replaced by Dante Bosnic ’18. Two runners reached base on fielder’s choices, and two more knocked RBI singles to put UCF on top.
Brown 4, UCF 6 Brown was originally scheduled to play Bradley Saturday afternoon, but the game was cancelled due to inclement weather. Instead, the Bears faced UCF once again Saturday night. UCF put up three runs on four hits in the second inning off starter Reid Anderson ’18. Anderson got out of a bases-loaded jam to minimize the damage but did not return to start the third inning. The Bears climbed back into the game with three runs in the fourth, snapping their scoreless streak at 31 innings. Jake Levine ’16 walked to start the inning and scored on a single from Sam Grigo ’18. Two batters later, Josh Huntley ’17 singled to right field to knock in Grigo and Guthrie. Bruno totaled eight hits, including three from shortstop Tim McKeithan ’16. Bobby Leyman ’19 came in to replace Anderson on the mound for Bruno. Leyman was named the Ivy League Freshman of the Week for tossing six no-hit innings in his debut
By BEN SHUMATE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
against Marshall last week and followed with another impressive outing in relief, holding the Knights scoreless over the next five innings. The dagger came in the bottom of the eighth in the form of a three-run home run by UCF’s Ryan Crile. JJ Sliepka ’19 entered the game to replace Leyman and allowed two hits before Crile broke the tie with one swing. Sliepka struck out the side in the inning, but the damage was done. Brown managed a run in the ninth, but its comeback effort was cut short for a second straight game. Brown 15, UCF 5 The series finale was a departure from the close, low-scoring contests of the first two nights. The Bears entered the third inning with a 2-1 lead thanks to a two-run home run by Grigo. After Noah Shulman ’16 and Guthrie were both hit by pitches, Brown’s offense found the spark it had been missing over the previous six games. Singles from Grigo and Huntley knocked UCF starting pitcher Andrew Deramo out of the game after giving up two runs in 1.1 innings. Brown tacked on four more runs courtesy of singles by Willy Homza ’19 and Brian Ginsberg ’18 and a groundout from Levine to extend the lead to five. The Bears weren’t done at the plate, racking up four more runs in the fifth inning, including a three-run home run from Levine. Austin French ’16 got the start for Brown on the mound and was rock
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Sam Grigo ’16 throws the ball into the infield. The sophomore hit two home runs to help the Bears win the weekend finale against Central Florida. solid, letting up four runs over 6.1 innings of work. The Bears were shut out in each of his previous starts, but thanks to solid run support, the senior earned his first win of the season. Grigo was the star for Brown offensively, going 4-for-5 with two home runs and six RBI. Levine also homered twice and had five RBI of his own. The Bears totaled 16 hits on the day — by far a season high — to go along with their 15 runs. Achilles said that the game was huge for a team that had struggled to string together hits previously in its campaign. “Our guys have been putting together really good at-bats, and it’s been frustrating to not see that result,” he said. “It’s been good for the process to stay steady and for our guys to get that bolt of energy from our offensive outburst today.”
After three consecutive weekends spent far from home, Brown won’t leave the Northeast again for the rest of the regular season. A 2-8 record may not reflect how many close games the team has been in during its long stretch of road games, Achilles said. Five of the Bears’ eight losses were by two or fewer runs. “Being able to stay in a tense situation where the game’s on the line with every pitch — our guys have done that, and they’ve done that against good teams on the road,” Achilles said. “Once we’ve finished our pre-Ivy schedule next week, I think our guys have literally been in any situation they can be in.” Bruno will finally play its first home game Saturday, taking on Holy Cross in a doubleheader. The teams will play again at Holy Cross Sunday.
SOFTBALL
Early-game struggles underline Bears’ southern roadtrip Double from Scarangella ’19 helps Bears notch sole win of weekend against Central Connecticut State By JAMES SCHAPIRO STAFF WRITER
The softball team entered its third weekend of the season with a 7-3 record and plenty of momentum, having won six of its past eight games. But at the College of Charleston Invitational in South Carolina, it ran into early trouble. Taking on Connecticut (10-18), the Bears (8-7) went behind early, as their opponents scored two runs in the bottom of the first without recording a hit. With Katie Orona ’18 on the mound, the Huskies scored their runs on three walks and two hit-by-pitches. Connecticut went on to add additional scoring in the third and fourth. Meanwhile, the Bears managed only one hit — a single from Annie Scarangella ’19 — and could not capitalize, leading to a 7-0 shutout loss. In Friday’s nightcap, Gina Chiefallo ’17 took the mound. Five of her innings were almost flawless: After the first, she allowed no runs and only two hits. Unfortunately for Brown, the first inning provided all the scoring that Eastern Michigan (9-14) would need. The Eagles scored four in the first and managed to hold on for the win. The Bears loaded the
bases in the fourth but came away with only one run, their lone score of the game. After a winless Friday, the Bears entered their Saturday game against Central Connecticut State (6-11) looking to right the ship. With Orona back on the mound, they struck early: In the bottom of the second, captain Julia Schoenewald ’17 doubled and moved to third on a single from Christina Andrews ’17. After Schoenewald scored on a sacrifice fly from Sofia Venegas ’19, Lauren Hanna ’17 bunted for a hit to load the bases. But the Bears could not capitalize any more than they already had, as both Scarangella and captain Janet Leung ’16 struck out to end the threat. The Bears suffered no dearth of scoring chances — they left the bases loaded in the second and third, stranding twelve runners overall. One run was all Bruno could manage, and it was almost enough until the top of the seventh, when Orona allowed the Blue Devils to tie and force extra innings. In extras, the Bears finally struck. After Orona retired the side in the top of the eighth, Venegas, by rule, was placed on second to begin the Bears’ half. A bunt single from Hanna moved her to third and brought up Scarangella, who had earlier struck out with the bases loaded. The first-year redeemed herself, driving a double to left to score Venegas and win the game for the Bears.
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Catcher Julia Schoenewald ’17 has been one of Bruno’s primary sources of offense this year. The co-captain is batting .500 and has hit two home runs. She will look to continue her success Wednesday against Hartford. After the win, the Bears moved struck out to end the game. after five innings, 8-0. into Sunday’s doubleheader at full In their final contest of the weekThe Bears have now concluded the strength once again. But in the first in- end, the Bears took on host College of southern stretch of their season, and ning against Miami University, Orona Charleston (18-10) and, with Leah Na- starting Wednesday at Hartford, they surrendered three runs — two earned kashima ’17 on the mound, looked to will take on opponents closer to home. — and the Bears found themselves close their weekend on a positive note. Still, their schedule is no picnic: Bruno behind. But once again, the first inning proved has 14 more road games before its Bruno did not go quietly, tying the to be the Bears’ undoing. An error, home opener April 9. Ivy competition game in the third on RBI from Schoe- a triple and a double led to two un- begins April 1, when the Bears play a newald and Ashli Lotz ’19. When earned first-inning runs for the Cou- doubleheader at Penn. Miami (14-11) scored in the fifth, gars, and Charleston added three more Bruno did not end the first stretch the Bears answered back again with runs in the second on two more errors. of its season on a strong note, but its another Lotz RBI. But Miami scored As the home team continued holding improvement is visible. Last year, the twice more in the top of the sixth, and Bruno scoreless and added three runs Bears were 4-6 after their first few road this time, the Bears had no answer. in the third, the game slipped out of trips. This year, their strong start has In the seventh, down two runs, Lotz reach for the Bears. The mercy rule shown that they are no longer an opcame to the plate as the tying run but ended the game in Charleston’s favor ponent to be taken lightly.
TODAY
MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016 • PAGE 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
sky’s the limit
menu SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Pizza: Rhode to Italy, BBQ Chicken Ranch Spinach and Feta Puff Pocket, Chili Bar JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Gourmet Grilled Cheese
Turkey Chili, Chicken Noodle, Mediterranean Pockets
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Black-Eyed Pea Gumbo, Ginger Pasta Chicken, Braised Pork Shoulder Sandwich
Roast Beef Au Jus, BBQ Chicken, Mushroom Quiche, Chocolate Marshmallow Roll
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
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Serene clouds drift over downtown Providence Sunday afternoon, giving no indication of the predicted winter storm that brought a healthy amount of snow to College Hill on the second official day of spring.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
RELEASE DATE– Monday, March 21, 2016
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c rNorris o s sandwJoyce o rNichols d Lewis Edited by Rich ACROSS 1 Pure joy 6 Fairy tale bear 10 Athletic org. founded by Billie Jean King 13 Sports channel summary 14 Apple’s shuffle or touch 15 Melville captain 16 *Mozart and Robin, in their own way 18 Fancy airport ride 19 Poker declaration 20 Last word of many fairy tales 21 Fundamentals 24 Recliner feature 26 “Xanadu” rock gp. 27 Not on time 30 Bird feeder supply 31 Like the accent in cliché 33 Loading dock access 35 Graceful bird 38 Echoic first name of Olympic hurdler Jones 39 Number associated with the ends of answers to the starred clues 40 Pet gerbil’s home 41 Simple 42 Rounded hammer end 43 “Casablanca” actor Peter 44 Land surrounded by water 46 “Star Trek” helmsman 48 Gave grub to 49 Fiesta food 52 Irish playwright Sean 54 Threepio’s pal 55 Swindlers 58 Fortuneteller 59 *Windy day ocean condition 63 Canadian Conservative 64 Gravy vessel 65 Craze 66 Supergirl’s symbol 67 Repairs with turf, as a lawn 68 Nail file material
DOWN 1 Texter’s “Gimme a sec” 2 Lion in the night sky 3 Far from friendly 4 2005 horror sequel 5 Website with timed trivia quizzes 6 Calf-length dress 7 Zoo primates 8 Gourmet mushroom 9 YouTube annoyances 10 *Earth-sized collapsed stars 11 Makes less unruly 12 Scrub, as a launch 15 Outdoor, as cafes 17 Curiositylaunching gp. 20 __ of Reason 21 Memphis music festival street 22 Metal wrap giant 23 *Best female friends 25 “Around the Horn” channel 28 Lemon or lime
29 Roof edges 32 Film that introduced Buzz Lightyear 34 List of dishes 36 Think alike 37 Emotionally demanding 39 Made haste 43 “I’m just so fortunate!” 45 Poet __-tzu 47 Script “L” feature 49 Tentative bite
“You don’t get to be alive in times like these and do nothing.” — Opal Tometi, co-founder of #BlackLivesMatter
50 Twistable cookies 51 “Bless you” prompter 53 Tea region of India 56 __ hog 57 Chooses, with “for” 59 “Madam Secretary” network 60 Opposite of WSW 61 Put on television 62 For example
See activism on page 1.
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Three Dimensions of Africa-China Relations 2:00 P.M. Joukowsky Forum
Green Corps Activist and Leadership Training 6:30 P.M. Urban Environmental Lab
Combating ‘Modern-Day Slavery’ 4:00 P.M. 94 Waterman St.
TravelFriends@Brown Information Session 6:40 P.M. Friedman Auditorium
TOMORROW Internship Bootcamp 12:00 P.M. CareerLAB
Real Life or Just Fantasy? A SHAG Workshop 5:30 P.M. MacMillan Hall, Room 115
Reclaiming Space on a Colonized Campus 5:30 P.M. BERT 130
Film Screening of “Men on the Bridge” 7:00 P.M. Watson Institute
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016
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COMMENTARY MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016 • PAGE 7
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Petitioning against Hillel is not anti-Semitic STUDENTS FOR JUSTICE IN PALESTINE op-ed contributors Two weeks ago, a coalition of students wrote to Janet Mock, petitioning her to reconsider the Brown/RISD Hillel sponsorship of her March 21 Moral Voices talk. We sought to show the political implications of Moral Voices’ series of lectures on violence against LGBTQ+ communities being complicated by their sponsorship by Brown/RISD Hillel. We wanted her to change sponsorship, but never planned to boycott, protest or disrupt Mock’s lecture, which was made clear to her staff. Ultimately, we are disappointed that Mock will not be coming to campus today. We cannot know the full extent of Mock’s reasoning in deciding not to come to Brown, but we respect the agency of her decision. Mock’s activism for queer and trans people of color is something we, as activists working towards racial and social justice, support and deeply value. We regret the disappointment queer and trans students of color in particular have experienced in the aftermath of the cancellation of her lecture, and we hope that this op-ed may serve to clear up and explain our intentions in first contacting Mock. Brown/RISD Hillel, through its association with Hillel International, has a clear policy of supporting Israel and is strictly intolerant of criticism of Israel and Israel’s racist and colonial policies, including those that oppress LGBTQ+ Palestinians. Indeed, queerness does not lie in isolation from other forms of identity; rather, it explicitly interacts with other identities including race, gender, class and ability. How does Moral Voices justify
the contradiction between its claims to LGBTQ+ justice and Hillel’s support for the ongoing colonization of Palestine? How can Hillel claim to speak against oppression and for intersectionality while supporting a state that sterilizes African Jewish refugees, collectively punishes entire communities with bombings and arrests en masse and imprisons them behind an apartheid wall: There is no pink door in the apartheid wall. Trans liberation, racial justice and intersectional feminism — the topics which Mock’s talk was to cover — cannot be discussed without considering the violence of the Israeli regime, which is supported by organizations like Hillel International. Our petition has disingenuously been slan-
that Brown/RISD Hillel serves as a Jewish community space, but the fact that it supports Israel and its colonial project. So long as Hillel continues to practice these policies, it cannot serve as a space for social justice work. As an anti-racist organization, we staunchly oppose racism in all forms — including anti-Semitism — and find it incredibly disheartening that members of the Brown community continue to conflate anti-Zionist politics with anti-Semitism. The only organization that seeks to perpetuate a conflation of Zionism and Judaism is Hillel, as it continues to assume that Jewish identity is coterminous with Zionist ideology. With regard to President Christina Paxson’s
We believe that no one should have to choose between Palestinian or queer liberation. dered as anti-Semitic. We at no point engaged in prejudice against Judaism. Equating a critique of Israel’s racist and colonial policies as an attack on Judaism or the Jewish community is incredibly detrimental to any sort of open and honest discussion about Israeli violence. The question the petition raised is not whether Jewish-centered spaces can be spaces of LGBTQ+ activism. The question we raise is specifically about Brown/RISD Hillel’s continued ties to Hillel International and its support of Israel. Through its Birthright trips, Israel Engagement Fellow, funding of bigots such as Natan Sharansky and representatives of the Israeli Defense Forces, Brown/RISD Hillel is a political space. Again, the problem here for us is not the fact
P’19 statement, we are disgusted with her attempt to implicate Mock’s cancellation with the anti-Semitic and homophobic graffiti. Due to her persistent refusal to support students’ efforts towards racial justice, in her four years here, we do not highly value Paxson’s moral stances. Further, though condemning these recent events in Marcy House, Paxson has time and time again refused to speak out against or explicitly condemn other forms of racism on this campus including racism directed against Palestinians, such as when Hillel brought in an IDF soldier in 2014 to defend war crimes and occupation. Further, on several occasions, including the 2014 event and this most recent event, Paxson asserted that Hillel had a right to bring speak-
ers because of academic freedom. And yet, Hillel International’s standards on Israel are in direct violation of academic freedom. Paxson in turn wrote that “Hillel is an independent organization” thus shielding herself from the inevitable objection that she is doubly applying the standard of academic freedom. She contradicts herself yet again when she recognizes Hillel’s status as a private organization but at the same time writes: “Brown University’s Statement on Academic Freedom for Faculty and Students affirms that faculty members and students have the right to invite speakers of their choice to campus. This includes Moral Voices, the student group associated with Hillel.” Further, Paxson’s position of power allows her to silence the discussion under the guise of promoting free speech. Paxson has discouraged our freedom of speech by stating that our petition is “counter to Brown’s norms and values.” Her declaration that the petition was targeting Moral Voices for its religious affiliation is an obvious statement of intimidation to silence students voicing dissent using methods available to them. Paxson falls in line with Zionist ideologues who utilize the antiSemitism claim in order to suppress social justice organizing. With our petition and a letter we sent to Mock, we invited her to join a growing anti-apartheid movement in solidarity with oppressed black and brown people suffering under Israeli apartheid policies. We believe that no one should have to choose between Palestinian or queer liberation. Hillel’s sponsorship forced that choice, and for that reason, we wrote the petition.
Students for Justice in Palestine can be reached at brownusjp@gmail.com.
Storytelling to transform gender norms ANDREW VANN MARC PETERS op-ed contributors We believe in the power of stories, for better or for worse. In our society, the voices that most need to be heard are too often silenced. The stories we hear from men (primarily cisgendered men) are often told in a way that silence the voices of women and trans folks. White men’s stories in particular are often told in a way that, at best, crowd out the voices of people of color, and, at worst, actively seek to discredit their experiences through systemic oppression. Most men have never thoughtfully examined what healthy masculinity can and should look like. That’s part of how privilege works: As part of the dominant group, you’re rarely forced to examine your identity and place in society because society was designed with you in mind. Modern society is quick to bestow unearned privilege on men, and there is nothing in place to teach men, young men especially, how to avoid abusing that privilege or how to leverage it for good. Men and boys are boxed in by a rigid definition of masculinity, and they’re scolded whenever they begin to stray from that norm. We are taught to accept the gender binary as a biological imperative
that can never be questioned rather than a social construct that needs to be dismantled. Too often, that work of dismantling falls on those whom systemic oppression harms the most. Those voices should always be held up, amplified and honored. But it is also critical for people, like ourselves, who are beneficiaries of immense unearned societal privilege to play an active role in combating what
must be able to let go of the will to dominate. They must be able to choose life over death. They must be willing to change.” Rather than being taught to cope and verbalize their emotions, young men are mocked when they show any perceived “weakness.” So they learn to mask emotion and show no fear, hurt or pain. This socialization breeds men who refuse to seek help, both in the
stage and openly share their personal struggles with masculinity and rigid gender roles. We hope to show others (who may be dealing with similar struggles) that they don’t have to live within the constraints of toxic masculinity. In this society, men need to know that they have the capacity to love and the ability to change. The event will be March 23 at 7 p.m. in Salomon 101. But these stories aren’t any more
While intersecting identities mean that not all men enjoy the same amount of privilege, it’s in all of our interests to combat patriarchy.
bell hooks has termed the “imperialist white-supremacist capitalist patriarchy.” While intersecting identities mean that not all men enjoy the same amount of privilege, it’s in all of our interests to combat patriarchy. hooks writes in her book, “The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity and Love”: “It is true that masses of men have not even begun to look at the ways that patriarchy keeps them from knowing themselves, from being in touch with their feelings, from loving. To know love, men
classroom and for mental health issues like depression; who work to acquire sex at all costs while paying no attention to the harm being done to others in the process; and who are isolated from real, meaningful relationships in any facet of their lives. We joined with additional student organizers Justice Gaines ’16, Ricardo Jaramillo ’18 and Molly Sandstrom ’17 to put together our upcoming Men’s Story Project: Looking Within, Speaking Out event because we believe it’s critical for those who identify as men — in any way or in part — to stand on
valuable than the untold stories of those who men have historically silenced — and we’re committed to creating more spaces for those as well. That is one of the reasons we are offering a storytelling workshop the day after our event that will provide students and staff members of any and all identities a chance to write and speak their own truths. When it comes to the power of all of these stories, we believe it needs to be a both/and and not an either/or. The Men’s Story Project was started by Jocelyn Lehrer and launched
in San Francisco in 2008. In bringing it to Brown, we have been fortunate to attract a wide range of sponsors and co-sponsors including the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion, Masculinity101, BWell Office of Health Promotion, Brown Athletics, the Swearer Center, Student and Employee Accessibility Services, Greek Council, the Brown Center for Student of Color, the LGBTQ Center, the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, Alpha Chi Omega, Beta Omega Chi and the Office of the Vice President of Campus Life and Student Services. We believe the sweeping buy-in from these University offices and student groups stems from a recognition that we lack spaces to have open and honest conversations about these issues, including how men grapple with emotions and deal with conflict. How men are socialized plays into the violence that exists in college communities, and we have a responsibility to aspire to a safe and just campus climate for all students. In order to do so, we have to address elements of toxic masculinity. We need to model another way to live.
Men’s Health Coordinator Marc Peters and Men’s Story Project student organizer Andrew Vann ’17 believe in the power of stories and can be reached at marc_peters@brown.edu and andrew_vann@brown.edu.
NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
MONDAY, MARCH 21, 2016
Brain Fair offers interactive learning experience for all ages Face painting, brain touching among activities that highlight growing interest in brain research By RACHEL GOLD SENIOR STAFF WRITER
If science, technology, engineering and mathematics suffer from a deficit of interest, Brown’s Brain Fair in Sayles Hall proved otherwise. The March 19 event was attended by over 500 people ranging from faculty members to local children — many of whom sported purple and pink neurons painted on their cheeks. The fair was the climax of Brain Week Rhode Island, the first of what organizers hope will become an annual celebration of the “wonder of the brain,” according to the event website. “I don’t expect everyone who came to the fair … to study neuroscience, but I hope they gained confidence in themselves as scientists. I think it’s good to expose people early,” said Carin Papendorp ’17, one of the student organizers of the fair. Papendorp added that the fair also has practical goals, like encouraging people to wear helmets. “We want you to protect your brain and appreciate your brain,” she said. The fair featured booths from 28 different groups including University labs that research infant brains and neurological disorders, student clubs such as the Brown University Relaxation Group and the Brown Alzheimer’s Activists and community organizations offering everything from autism education to
brain-inspired art. Papendorp and the other organizers asked each group to create a booth that would be “relatable to the general public,” she said. The results were not only brain-shaped lollipops and makeyour-own stress balls, but also tables where microscopes offered glimpses at zebrafish neurons and computer monitors showed images of different brain structures. There were also groups that really put participants’ frontal cortices to work. The Jaworski lab, which studies the growth of the nervous system during embryonic development, asked students to pin the growth cone on the bicep — a classic children’s game, brainified. As embryos develop, neurons send out structures called growth cones, which tell the rest of the cell which direction to grow, said Zack DeLoughery GS, who works in the Jaworski lab. To expose students to this process, DeLoughery blindfolded participants and asked them to use physical cues to feel their way around the board — just as growth cones respond to chemical signals — and pin the “growth cone” in its proper place. “The kids are having a ton of fun with it,” DeLoughery said. “Some of them are coming up to play four or five times.” Even if second graders didn’t walk
COURTESY OF VICTORIA HEIMER-MCGINN
Brain Fair volunteers pose with attendees. The Brain Fair provided hands-on activities for a diverse audience, promoting research on and awareness of the brain. The fair was attended by over 500 people Saturday. away with a full understanding of the complex mechanisms of neural pathways, the activities succeeded on perhaps a more important front, Papendorp said. “It’s great to have students imagining themselves studying the brain.” “I’m going to go to my school library and get books about brains,” said Arielle Fox, a second grader from Rumford, Rhode Island who attended the fair with her cousin and grandmother. Older participants were challenged to think about whether popular conceptions of mental illness — statements
such as,“Being an immigrant increases your risk of schizophrenia” and “Shock therapy is ineffective and is no longer used” — were true or false. At the Rhode Island Consortium for Autism Research and Treatment’s table, participants sifted through bags trying to feel the difference between rice and paper clips. What would seem to be two completely different textures are, in reality, much harder to distinguish, said Claire Walker, a senior research associate for RI-CART. “Adults are learning that sometimes, people who are on the (autism) spectrum may have difficulties with feeling, just like it is tough to tell the paper clips from the rice,” Walker said. “So this activity gives a sense of what it feels like to be dealing with these feelings on a day-to-day basis.” The breadth of organizations at the fair represents a growing interest in brain research in the state, Papendorp said. “Everyone is excited about making Rhode Island an epicenter of biology and science research … and specifically,
brain research. We have so many great institutions here,” she said. This gives organizers much to draw from as they look to next year’s event, Papendorp said. “I am really excited for next year because — since there are so many different ways to approach the brain — we can have a completely new slate of events.” For example, the two movies screened during the week leading up to Brown’s Brain Fair addressed post-traumatic stress disorder and bipolar disorder, but next year the movies could address depression, eating disorders, epilepsy or autism. “We need a brain month!” she said. A staple for participants, though, will be the chance to touch a brain — preserved via plastic injections — held by the neuroscience department. “Touching the brain was a big draw for people,” Papendorp said. “It’s smaller than you would think. It could definitely fit in a cup of two hands. You think the brain is so complicated that it must be bigger.” But, just like the fair celebrating it, “there is a lot packed in there.”