Tuesday, March 22, 2016

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 37

Sheridan Center appoints new director Mary Wright to join Sheridan Center July 18 following position at University of Michigan

By LAURA FELENSTEIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning has appointed Mary Wright, current director of assessment and associate research scientist at the Center for Research on Learning and Teaching at the University of Michigan, as its new director, wrote Dean of the College Maud Mandel in a community-wide email Monday.

Wright’s appointment marks the conclusion of a nationwide search following the departure of previous director Kathy Takayama in late August.

According to Mandel, Wright stood out among a large pool of candidates in her expertise and managerial experience. Wright has worked in leadership roles at the University of Michigan’s pedagogy center for over » See DIRECTOR, page 2

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As first-gen advocacy grows, center established for cause From fifth floor of Sciences Library, center to provide workshops, facilitate mentoring

By MELISSA CRUZ SENIOR STAFF WRITER

First-generation students at Brown will have a space allocated for their needs when the University’s First-Generation Student Center opens this summer. The center will be located on the fifth floor of the Sciences Library.

“When we envisioned the center, we saw it as a way to bridge resources … and as an innovative form to create new resources for first-generation and lowincome students,” said Viet Nguyen ’17, co-president of FirstGens@Brown.

“One of our goals is to utilize the space as a channel to develop the community at Brown,” including undocumented and international students, along with recipients of scholarships aimed at students from diverse or low-income backgrounds, Nguyen said.

Yolanda Rome, assistant dean for first-year and sophomore studies, anticipates student-led workshops, similar to Minority Peer Counselor workshops, depending on community interests. These workshops may focus on delving into the first-generation student identity, academic matters, or anything students are enthusiastic about or find meaningful. “Whatever idea comes up, there’s a space for it,” she said.

COURTESY OF DANIELLA BALAREZO

Students attend First-Gen CareerCon March 12. The event brought back 20 first-gen alums from numerous industries. The new First-Gen Student Center seeks to foster connections between alums and current students.

Establishing the center shows difficulties he would face while as- world,” like listening to and discussing that Brown is “willing to invest in the similating to Brown’s environment the latest National Public Radio piece, first-gen community,” Nguyen said. “I or how much the University would subscribing to the New York Times think the community really needs (the change him. or wearing really nice shoes, he said. center) right now, and there’s a lot of Coming from an underserved high During his sophomore year, Stewart momentum behind the first-generation school in Atlanta, Stewart expected participated in a Group Independent identity,” Nguyen said. that other students would be better Study Project called “First-Generation One first-gen student, Stanley prepared for the rigor of an Ivy League Students in the Ivy League” with sevStewart ’16, arrived on College Hill education. But he did not know the ex- eral friends and Professor of Sociolwith a clear understanding of what tent to which that would be true. He felt ogy Gregory Elliott. Through the GISP, he was here to do: get an education, the pressure to adjust to Brown’s culture Stewart was able to connect with the get a job and support himself and his of scholars, noticing the “implicit social term “first-generation student.” He and family. Stewart did not anticipate the codes” necessary to “participate in this » See FIRST GEN, page 3

Star-studded production UWC shapes international admission World College to film in Rhode Island United funding program Actors venture to Ocean State for sci-fi love story, Redford returns for first time in four decades

By REBECCA ELLIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Robert Redford, Jason Segel and Rooney Mara will be coming soon to a location near you. Literally.

In two weeks, the star-studded cast will begin filming the movie “The Discovery,” directed by Charlie McDowell and set primarily in Rhode Island.

The Ocean State backdrop will depict a world where the existence of the afterlife has been scientifically proven. Relying on the next life, characters take their own lives as a way to press restart.

Redford will play the scientist who has discovered the afterlife. Segel will

INSIDE

star as his rebellious son, while Mara is set to play his troubled love interest.

This is not the first time Rhode Island will appear in the background for the big screen. The 1974 version of “The Great Gatsby” was shot in the mansions of Newport, while Wes Anderson’s “Moonrise Kingdom” was filmed around Rhode Island’s Narragansett Bay. Maya Forbes and Ericka Hampson’s “Infinitely Polar Bear” was filmed primarily in Providence.

Hampson will return to her home state of Rhode Island to produce “The Discovery.”

Redford and Mara are no strangers to acting in the state either. Redford will make his re-appearance after filming “The Great Gatsby” four decades ago. Mara makes the return trip after starring in “Tanner Hall,” a Brown alum-produced bildungsroman shot across Rhode Island in 2009. » See FILM, page 2

enables U. to spread out international student aid

By SUVY QIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The University boasts the second largest number of international students who have attended a United World College high school among all U.S. colleges, wrote Rebecca Zuck, senior development associate, in an email to The Herald.

Founded in 1962 to bring together young people from different sides of the Cold War, UWC now consists of 15 schools located on five continents.

Students attend UWC for two years and participate in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

The Davis Scholars Program, funded

by Shelby Davis, provides financial support to UWC graduates who attend U.S. colleges or universities, according to the Davis Scholars Program website. UWC alums are eligible to receive up to $20,000

per year based on demonstrated need, wrote Dean of Admission Jim Miller ’73 in an email to The Herald.

This year, the Davis Program donated $1,898,223 to support current UWC students enrolled at the University, wrote President Christina Paxson P’19 in an email to the Brown community Feb. 6.

The University is home to 131 UWC students this academic year, down from 147 UWC students last year, Zuck wrote.

The outside funding from the Davis Scholars Program that UWC students bring “helps us spread out international financial aid dollars further,” Miller wrote.

Because international admission is not need-blind, UWC can add socioeconomic diversity to the University’s slate of international students who tend to be from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.

About 90 percent or more of UWC alums rely on the Davis scholarship to study in the United States, said Son Tran Tuan ’16, the president of the UWC club and graduate of UWC South East Asia in Singapore.

“Colleges are always looking for motivated, passionate and diverse applicants.

If they’re half-paid for, schools are more likely to accept them,” said Anand Lalwani ’18, who attended UWC Mahindra College.

There’s a saying among UWC students that goes: “You may or may not believe in God, but you believe in Papa Davis,” Lalwani said. “Because he’s willing to chip in so much, other universities are willing to chip in the remaining amount.”

“I would have had no possibility of going overseas to study,” said Nothando Adu-Gyamfi ’19, who attended Pearson College UWC in Canada.

But Miller wrote that the ultimate appeal of UWC applicants is their high quality — not their access to outside aid.

There could be an “indicator value” that signals to admission officers that UWC students are exceptional applicants since they have been accepted into a difficult pre-college program and have done well, said Harjasleen Malvai ’17, who graduated from UWC Mahindra College in India in 2012. “A lot of the » See UWC, page 2

WEATHER

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016

NEWS ResLife issues notifications about new roommates on short notice, displeasing some students

ARTS & CULTURE Gwen Stefani’s new album, ‘This is What the Truth Feels Like,’ does not keep up with millenials

COMMENTARY Malik ’18: New WRIT standards prepare students for world that demands strong communicators

COMMENTARY Friedman ’19: Unique to college life, campus spaces neither exclusively public nor private

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

similar characteristics between the students. “Even though UWC students are different, they have the same mindset,” said Hisyam Takiudin ’18, who attended UWC Atlantic College.

UWC alums tend to plan to study social sciences or humanities in college, with many concentrating in international relations at the University, Malvai said, adding that this may disadvantage universities looking for international

13 years and is also president-elect of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education.

The Sheridan Center finds itself in a period of transition as it looks to broaden its focus on student learning, Mandel said. This transition will be the first of a series of tasks Wright will take on as director.

Wright “will be helping to expand (the Sheridan Center’s) reach into the undergraduate population and helping us to construct the new learning commons that we’re looking forward to building,” Mandel said. “I think she’ll be a helpful partner in thinking about what that will look like and developing that over time.”

Wright will start July 18, according to Mandel’s email. In the summer leading up to the 2016-2017 academic year, she will work in tandem with the Sheridan Center’s interim director, Sharon Swartz, who plans to acquaint Wright with the Brown community and the Sheridan Center’s standards of operation.

Despite the fact that the University of Michigan differs from Brown in a variety of ways related to both size and structure, Wright said she does not expect her work to be radically

different from what she has done at Michigan.

According to Swartz, “The skills and approaches that she’s developed at Michigan that really matter are going to transfer to Brown.” Both Swartz and Mandel pointed to Wright’s communication and leadership talent as unwavering strengths that can carry over from school to school. “I think she will make this transition with as little trouble as anybody I can think of,” Swartz said.

Wright said that she “looks forward to the challenges of working on a new campus and in particular building the learning commons in a way that brings value to students … and to faculty for their teaching.”

Swartz, who was a part of the selection committee, expressed confidence that Wright is the right choice, describing her as “an unbelievably talented person who has a real depth of experience in a whole variety of areas that are central to the mission of an entity like the Sheridan Center.”

The search committee agreed unanimously on Wright as their first choice candidate from the final pool of four candidates, Swartz said.

“We’re extremely fortunate that she is coming here. The University of Michigan tried really hard to keep her,” Swartz added.

Feinberg said. To quicken the process, Feinberg said his department takes the reins from filmmakers with all matters regarding Rhode Island — scouting the locations, doing the legal work and making sure police and fire departments are on notice about filming.

“We’re a one-stop shop,” he said.

Feinberg said that the state’s consistent appeal to these actors and

film-makers comes from its small size.

Rhode Island is great because “you can be in a cityscape one minute, and then you need to be in a rural setting 20 minutes from there — you’re not going to have to drive millions of miles like if you’re in Los Angeles,” he said.

In a press statement, Gov. Gina Raimondo echoed the sentiment.

“With our unique locations in close proximity … Rhode Island is the

perfect place to make a successful movie,” she said.

The state’s varied locations have been capitalized on heavily in the past year. For “November Criminals,” an upcoming drama starring Chloë Grace Moretz, Feinberg scouted Providence, explaining, “we’re supposed to double for D.C., and I know that our statehouse in the background can look like D.C.” When Woody Allen

needed a university for his 2015 film “Irrational Man,” Feinberg pointed him in the direction of Newport’s Salve Regina University.

As for “The Discovery,” all Feinberg can reveal is that it will be filmed primarily in Newport.

Feinberg said he’s looking forward to assisting with all aspects of the scifi love story, which commences in two weeks and will shoot until early May.

Donations from Mr. and Mrs. Shelby M.C. Davis Donations from the Davises support the Davis United World College Scholars Program at Brown, which provides financial aid for graduates of UWC.

$2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000,000 500,000 0 2013

2014

2015

2016

Source: Office of the President’s website

EMMA JERZYK / HERALD

» UWC, from page 1 selection has been done for Brown already,” she added.

Universities also value these students because of their diverse perspectives, adding intercultural understanding to their campuses, said Michael Goran, the founder of IvySelect. “It’s a win-win situation.”

But some UWC alums mentioned

» FILM, from page 1 Part of Rhode Island’s appeal as a cinematographic playground belongs to the RI Film and TV Office, which aims to promote the state to the film industry.

Steven Feinberg, executive director of the organization, describes the office’s staff as “red tape” cutters.

“Time is money on a film,”

» DIRECTOR, from page 1

students looking to concentrate in STEM fields, too.

Other sources said the University trusts the UWC program because UWC schools are taught in English and use the IB curriculum, making applications easier for admission officers to process.

Universities gain “an international flavor, but in a standardized way” through these “safe” international applicants, said Michele Hernandez, the co-founder of Top Tier Admissions.

“UWC schools are Americanized,” Hernandez said. The UWC program provides the University with quality applicants without worries of forged recommendations, the English competency of an applicant or understanding a foreign transcript, Hernandez said.

In taking UWC students, the University is taking “cheap international students” but is also “skimming the top,” she added.

UWC alums affirmed the strength of their peers’ qualifications.

“UWC doesn’t provide (its students) a platform that’s greater than any other,” Lalwani said, adding that many UWC students admitted into elite institutions would have gotten in without attending a UWC school.

Schools with a large UWC population are “tapping into a source of interesting, engaged and compassionate international students,” Tran said.

Students assigned mid-year roommates with few days’ notice ResLife provides five to zero days’ notice on new roommate’s identity for mid-year switches

By JACKSON CHAIKEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Sharing a room or suite with a nearstranger is a hallmark of a student’s first year at Brown. For some students, that experience resurfaces later in their college experience with a new roommate at the beginning of spring semester or even later in the midst of spring break.

Tassos Sapalidis ’18 expected to find out who his new roommate would be before returning for the spring semester. But when he moved into his dorm Jan. 22, he had not heard from the Office of Residential Life. “I went to the ResLife office to ask about it, and they said they would notify me soon,” he said. “That night, around 6 p.m., I received a one-sentence email simply stating the name of a new roommate.”

Sapalidis’s roommate moved in the next morning, leaving him no time to communicate about amenities such as microwaves, fridges and printers, he said.

Students like Sapalidis who are slated to receive new roommates in the spring are typically notified before the end of the fall semester, said Richard Hilton, associate director for administrative services of ResLife.

Post-fall semester vacancies are commonly used to house students returning from a semester abroad, said Richard Bova, senior associate dean of ResLife. ResLife also uses winter break to move students displeased with their fall semester living situations, Bova said.

“We have 250-300 students leaving at the end of the semester. We have to turn and prep those spaces and then make reassignments for the spring,” Bova said. “It’s a pretty daunting task to coordinate, but we do it to the best of our ability.”

Given the timing of the reassignment process, some students are notified of their roommates’ identities the day the new roommates move into their living spaces, Hilton said. The notification period ranges from “five days before to that very day” because ResLife makes “changes up to the day of opening,” he said.

Though most room changes likely go off without much of a hitch, at least one student said ResLife failed to notify him who would be moving into his room.

Ian Sherman ’18 said he received an email from his spring semester roommate “the night before he was supposed to move in,” with no notification from ResLife at all. Sherman had his belongings spread out over the room, only to find that ResLife had moved them to his side when he was gone, he said.

“Students receive notification to

ELI WHITE / HERALD

Rooms with vacancies going into spring semester are often filled last minute by ResLife. Students in these rooms are inconvenienced by discovering the identities of their new roommates or suitemates on short notice. pull their stuff back to their side because they may potentially get a new roommate,” Bova said. They “have no right to spread themselves all over the room,” he added.

As for mid-semester room changes — rather than assignments made between fall and spring semester — ResLife does its best to accommodate

requests, Bova said.

“If we have the room to do it, we’ll do it all day long,” Hilton said, referring to mid-semester room changes.

But most students are selective about their new placements, Bova said.

For first-year students looking to move in the middle of the semester,

ResLife reaches out to the person with a vacancy to discuss compatibility, Bova said.

Sapalidis and Sherman both said that they feel ResLife should notify students receiving a new roommate at least a week in advance. This would provide students “ample time to prepare,” Sherman said.

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TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016 • PAGE 3

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Medical School gets first gender-inclusive bathroom New concentration, conference on trans health among recent Med School improvements

By JACKSON CHAIKEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The Alpert Medical School gained its first gender-inclusive bathroom after prompting by medical students, wrote Associate Dean of Medical Education Allan Tunkel in an email to The Herald.

Noticing there was a single-occupancy bathroom on the second floor of the Med School, Brian Leyva MD’18 and a group of concerned students spoke to Tunkel about the benefits of a gender-inclusive bathroom in September 2015, Leyva said.

“This is a struggle students have fought for at Brown for a while now,” Leyva said. “We really saw a need for this in terms of creating a more inclusive environment at the medical school.”

The process of putting up signs indicating that the bathroom is gender inclusive and on the second floor

» FIRST GEN, from page 1 the other students talked about the difficulties — including differences in social class and high school education ­— that come with transitioning to college as first-gen students.

“It gave us the language to articulate the experiences we were facing,” Stewart said. “It was a turning point for me. It was really empowering to alleviate those experiences of feeling alone. I wasn’t an anomaly, and a lot of people before me went through these things, too.”

The GISP eventually led to the 2014 creation of the annual conference 1vyG, which serves to bring together first-gen students to create dialogue about their experiences.

Some common obstacles first-gen students face include accessing resources, Nguyen said. “Students don’t feel entitled to these resources,” he said, adding that this lack of entitlement may stem from first-gen students’ sense of independence developed after navigating high school and the college application process alone.

“Having to admit that they need help, to some first-gen students, may seem like a failure and a personal shortcoming rather than not having the right resources and knowing to ask for extensions or go to office hours,” Nguyen said.

Nguyen and Stewart both noted the disconnect that can develop between first-gen students and their families as they navigate a world with which they are unfamiliar.

“I didn’t know how to communicate with my friends and family at home,” Stewart said.

Being aware of the ways in which Brown can and has changed him allows

occurred very quickly, he said, adding that, “It was an easy sell. I think (Tunkel) really saw the benefits of doing this.”

The change will send a message that the Med School is a “transgenderconscious” place and an inclusive environment, Tunkel wrote.

But the new signs are just one aspect of ongoing change as the Med School becomes more gender inclusive, Leyva said. The Med School has also organized a conference that looks to educate doctors and medical students about transgender patient care, he added.

The Med School also recently incorporated an LGBTQ-focused concentration into its curriculum, The Herald previously reported.

In addition, a task force on diversity and inclusion in the Med School that includes administrators, faculty members, residents, med students, alums and staff members was created, Tunkel said.

There is still a “long ways to go” to make transgender — and LGBTQ people in general — comfortable at the Med School, Leyva said. The new

Stewart to remain authentic. “I realized I shouldn’t have any shame about who I am, my background or my experiences.”

Student leaders in the first-gen community hope that future first-gen students will have easy access to resources and open discussions to mitigate these problems.

The center could include CareerLAB advising hours and mental health resources, Nguyen said.

“I’d really like to see the center be as established and as reputable and forward-thinking as a lot of other centers on campus that are doing really amazing and important work,” Stewart said, noting the Brown Center for Students of Color, the Swearer Center for Public Service and Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs.

Stewart hopes the center will also be “a place to bring in world-class scholars that are doing research on equality and social mobility,” he added.

“I’d like to see us at the forefront … of a broader national conversation,” Stewart said, adding that he hopes the center “provides students with a sense of belonging and support.”

Rome and Ricky Gresh, director of campus life projects, are working directly with seven student staffers and leaders from multiple student groups for the larger First-Generation Student Initiative, which provides resources and opportunities for first-gen students.

Along with Dean of the College Maud Mandel, they worked closely to formulate and finalize the plans for the First-Generation Student Center, which will be part of the initiative.

Nguyen and Emily Doglio ’17, the other co-president of FirstGens@ Brown, wrote the proposal for the center, with contributions from Manuel

BRIAN LEVYA / HERALD

The Med School has taken several recent initiatives to improve gender inclusivity, including the incorporation of an LGBTQ-focused concentration into its curriculum, as well as its first gender-inclusive bathroom. bathrooms signs are just “one step, but there is still a lot that needs to be done,” he added.

“Everyone deserves equal access to public facilities,” Levya said. “There have been many reports of trans

people facing sexual harassment and violence as a result of people entering these facilities.”

Contreras ’16, a former Herald editorial page editor. Nguyen came to campus over the summer to meet with Provost Richard Locke P’17 to finalize the center’s location. The entire process took less than a year, Nguyen said, adding that Mandel has been a big supporter

of the center and the group’s efforts.

“I’m really excited for the students,” Rome said. The center “is a big step forward in support of creating a sense of community, so students can lean on and support each other,” she added.

“I feel a great sense of pride and

accomplishment,” Stewart said. “I made a tangible difference at Brown for the better,” he said referring to his co-founding the 1vyG conference. He added that the first-gen community as a whole has worked hard for the center’s creation.

NEWS

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TODAY

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016 • PAGE 5

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menu SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Bacon Chicken Ranch, Spinach and Feta, Pepperoni and Meatball Pasta: Meatball, Mac and Cheese JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Quesadillas

Three Bean Chili, Chicken Kadhai, Aloo Gobhi Masala

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Cannellini Beans with Vegetables, Hot Turkey Sandwich with Gravy, Krinkle Fries

Green Chile Chicken Enchilada, Seafood Cavatelli, Vegan Taco, Pound Cake with Blueberries

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Beef Noodle Soup, Lentil Chili, Shaved Steak Sandwich, Baseball Burrito Bar, Fudge Bars

Vegan Minestrone Soup, Tuscan Pork Roast, Moo Shu Tofu, Blueberry Peach Crumble

sudoku

RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c r o s s w o r d Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis ACROSS 1 Wife of 25-Down 5 Flipping burgers, e.g.

10 Victorious shout 14 Sylvester’s speech problem 15 Now, in Nuevo León 16 Nixed, at NASA 17 Corrosive stuff 18 Be homesick (for) 19 Country legend Tennessee Ernie __ 20 Gradually exhaust 22 Helpful staffers 23 Amiss 24 Nag 26 Embarrassing slip-ups 29 Bottom-line red ink 32 “That’s all she __” 33 Bear shelter 35 Infamous vampire, familiarly 36 One’s self 37 Salon task 40 Korean carmaker 41 Like Lady Godiva on horseback 43 Author __ Stanley Gardner 44 Upright 46 Darkest lunar phase 48 Some school uniform parts 49 Salon task 50 Part of a progression 51 Corned beef solution 53 Ogden Nash specialty, and a hint to this puzzle’s circles 57 Count for something 58 Cooper of shock rock 60 Pre-euro Italian money 61 Sign of the future 62 German thanks 63 One of seven for Julia LouisDreyfus 64 Skin growth 65 Ice cream helping 66 “Slammin’” slugger Sammy

DOWN 1 Imperfection 2 Grain in some cakes 3 Where billions live 4 Rising air current 5 City VIPs 6 Like taffy 7 Cusack or Crawford 8 Bobby of the Bruins 9 Outlaw 10 Shortstop’s realm 11 Furniture maker, e.g.

12 “Puss in Boots” baddie 13 Signaled yeses 21 Geeky type 22 Singer Garfunkel 24 Derogatory 25 Husband of 1Across 26 “Miracle on 34th Street” actor Edmund 27 Pick a fight (with) 28 Restaurant reviewer 30 Superdome NFLer 31 Tons

33 “SNL” producer Michaels 34 Piercing tool 38 13 popes 39 Teamed, as oxen 42 Highly respected 45 Baby bottle parts 47 __-man band 48 Meryl of “The Iron Lady” 50 Great, in show biz 51 It may be furrowed

52 “__ Lama Ding Dong”: doo-wop hit 53 Sot 54 Wheels for the well-heeled 55 Akimbo limbs 56 “Divine Secrets of the __ Sisterhood” 58 Magazine fillers 59 Fond du __, Wisconsin

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

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

“It was really empowering to alleviate those experiences of feeling alone. I wasn’t an anomaly, and a lot of people before me went through these things, too.”

— Stanley Stewart ’16

See first gen on page 1.

xwordeditor@aol.com

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Climbing Down from the Ivy Tower 1:00 P.M. Maxcy Hall

Classics GrimshawGudewicz Lecture: Christopher Faraone 5:30 P.M. Smith-Buonanno, Room 106

Film Screening of “Men on the Bridge” 7:00 P.M. Joukowsky Forum

Brown Democrats Present: To Trump and Beyond 8:00 P.M. Wilson Hall, Room 101

TOMORROW Spectrum Meeting 6:00 P.M. Sarah Doyle Women’s Center

Dijla Wal Furat: Between the Tigris and the Euphrates 7:00 P.M. Martinos Auditorium

Crash Course: Introduction to Finance 6:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson, Room 501

Jazz Band and Percussion Ensemble Concert 8:00 P.M. Grant Recital Hall

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL

comic

Approaches to activism

ENGNS Life | Nathan Amin

Brown students are known for their enthusiasm about social justice.

Just last month, we made national headlines once again for being the type of students who care more about the community to which we belong than about our own academic achievements. Many news outlets and outside observers seemed to think this is a sign we are “coddled” and unprepared for the “real world.” While we disagree, it may be time to reevaluate the range of approaches students take to activism.

President Christina Paxson P’19 issued the annual State of Brown address last Tuesday to a curiously empty auditorium. With all the students who have been vocal about problems with the administration lately, why weren’t more people there? The address represented a prime opportunity to make our voices heard. Why were so few of us taking advantage of it?

Where were all the crowds that have been protesting and leading boycotts and signing petitions all year? This was an open forum for everybody to voice concerns and have the University listen. So why, when it came time to speak out in an organized manner, were so few people present?

True progress is never made if each party is only willing to reach it on its own terms, at its own convenience. There has to be a willingness from each side to come together. When the University opens the floor to student voices, it is doing its part. Students — despite the totally justified frustration they may feel toward the University — have to try to be open to cooperation. If you’re trying to bring change to the institution, and you see the institution formally open up to change — or at the very least open up to hearing you out on the change you want to see — that’s an opportunity you have to take.

Activism is a long, ongoing process. We cannot choose to be activists incidentally, whenever a particular situation sparks our ire. Events like the State of Brown address take place specifically for the purpose of talking about structural issues within our institution. Some of the issues brought up last week included the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, the hidden cost of commencement and dorm renovations. These are matters that concern all of us, ones which we are usually not hesitant to criticize vocally. But how can we expect improvement when so few of us show up to demand it? Soapboxes and Facebook posts are great at calling attention to an issue, but getting things done requires an active dialogue.

Next time, when the administration is ready to listen, we should be out there in full force. That’s the easiest way to be heard.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editors, Emma Axelrod ’18 and Emma Jerzyk ’17, and its members, Eben Blake ’17 and Leeron Lempel ’19. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

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COMMENTARY TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

In favor of the changed writing requirement AMEER MALIK staff columnist The course announcement for the 2016-2017 academic year, along with the new website, Courses@Brown, was released not long ago, and ever since, many of us have been working on plans for the next two semesters. As we excitedly read course descriptions, fill our shopping carts and imagine next year’s academics, members of the classes of 2018 and 2019 do have to keep a new consideration in mind: the change to the writing requirement. Though the change makes the requirement a little harder to fulfill, it is ultimately for the better because it is based on a strong awareness of what students will need in their futures.

According to Brown’s webpage explaining the writing requirement, the first part — the successful completion of a WRIT-designated course during semesters one through four — has remained the same. But the second part of the requirement has been modified. While members of the classes of 2016 and 2017 can fulfill the second part of the requirement by

submitting a 20-page writing sample during semesters five through seven, students from later class years no longer have this option. Current firstyears and sophomores have to adhere to new guidelines, which state that students (if they choose not to take an additional approved course) can only fulfill the writing requirement through a writing sample if the submission is allowed by their concentrations. The webpage states, “Writ-

how areas of study develop: through dialogue between thinkers.

A lack of well-developed writing skills therefore impedes progress.

Thinkers who cannot explain their ideas isolate themselves from people who could provide crucial help. Furthermore, if a scholar makes an important discovery, the finding has no impact if poorly communicated.

But why is writing particularly important? Because writing has a

serves to ensure that students who do not take a second approved course are still able to write well within their chosen fields. This consideration is prudent, for numerous fields require strong writing skills, even ones that might not obviously involve much writing.

In her article “The Importance of Writing Skills in Tech-Related Fields,” Theresa MacPhail, an assistant professor at the Stevens Insti-

Though the change makes the requirement a little harder to fulfill, it is ultimately for the better because it is based on a strong awareness of what students will need in their futures. ing samples will be reviewed and approved by the concentration advisor.”

The purpose of Brown’s writing requirement is to make sure that students graduate with the skills to write well. Precise writing is essential to advancing fields of knowledge.

Someone with important ideas, insights and research needs to precisely convey what he or she knows in order for others to respond and build upon that individual’s work. This is

power beyond any other method of communication. It transcends time and space — a person living today can walk into a bookstore and read Charles Darwin’s “On the Origin of Species,” even though it was published more than 150 years ago.

The modified writing requirement is still based on the assumption that two WRIT-designated courses are enough to develop strong general writing skills. The recent adjustment

tute of Technology, interviews three professionals in tech fields and asks them about how clear writing and good communication are related to their work. MacPhail explains, “All three of them agreed: Writing skills not only matter in a tech career, they matter a lot.” One interviewee, Emily Greer, CEO of the gaming company Kongregate, states: “A well-written bug report saves everyone hours of time,” and, “Clear annotations on

code help new people jump in on large projects — and help the original engineers to remember why they made certain choices long after the fact.” What is important is Greer’s assertion that writing skills directly serve even tech workers. MacPhail also interviews Samantha Kleinberg, a fellow assistant professor at the Stevens Institute, who explains, “I had absolutely no idea how much writing was required in science when I was an undergrad, and I do think students could be better prepared for it.” Her views reveal that Brown’s concern that every student, regardless of concentration, can write effectively, is prescient.

I do not know which concentrations at Brown will decide to allow students to submit writing samples to fulfill the requirement. But I admire the stricter guidelines, even though they make the requirement harder to complete. They are informed by the very real importance of writing throughout numerous disciplines and will benefit Brown students in their future careers.

Ameer Malik ’18 can be reached at ameer_malik@brown.edu.

College’s thin line between private and public ANDREW FRIEDMAN staff columnist Before coming to Brown, I had the false impression that spaces would assume well-defined roles in my public or private life, as they had during my high school years. But that is not the case; the university environment does not entitle me to spatial security, so to speak.

Consolidation of public and private space is a paradigm of college life.

As college students, the entire Brown campus comprises our collective home. This, more often than not, leads to awkward misunderstandings between students with conflicting ideas for a space. Take, for example, the SciLi on a Saturday night: Usually no one is there, except for me when I have a linear algebra midterm the following Tuesday. Apparently, as I found out, it is also a good place to Netflix and chill and pass out while listening to music. It seems as though the SciLi also serves the function of a bedroom (perhaps in more than one way). Other spaces take on alternative functions at different times of the week.

Apparently, the basement of Smitty-B, an academic building where I normally have sec-

tion for my economics class, becomes a concert venue for parties and DJ sets on the weekend. Conversely, the seating area adjacent to the Blue Room serves as a noisy eating and gathering space during the week but becomes a quiet place to study on the weekend.

The distinction between public and private spaces was so much clearer in high school.

Back then, the cafeteria and locker room played important and well-defined civic func-

during the day to share anecdotes, watch TV or play a game of FIFA on the PS4. And as it is usually 30 degrees outside and no one has anywhere else to go in the winter, I welcome the company. But sometimes this happens at midnight, on a weekday: I am in my pajamas, and I have linear algebra homework to do in the morning. Sometimes I opt to go to bed, so I make the decision to value my sleep over the next FIFA game and tell everyone to leave.

Consolidation of public and private space is a paradigm of college life.

tions: I socialized in the locker room during my 10-minute break in between classes and ate in the cafeteria with my friends at 12:30 every afternoon. My college experience has proven itself to be completely different. My dorm room largely takes on the roles of both public gathering space and private living space. This phenomenon is a uniquely college experience.

I can usually expect at least six of my floormates to congregate in my room at some point

But when I do, I feel as if I am closing a collective social interaction on my floor for the rest of the night. I don’t want that guilt on my shoulders, so I normally just stay up until 2 a.m. playing video games instead. This kind of decision, I never had to make in high school.

Sometimes the ambiguity behind the function of the dorm makes some questions into unintended, awkward double entendres. I have been told on many occasions that if I

have romantic feelings for a girl, the best move is to ask her to “come over and study.” What?

That could mean so many things. What if I really just want her help with some homework I am having trouble with? People study in other dorm rooms all the time with the intention of actually accomplishing something. What if she thinks this is an invitation to hook up?

That happens, too. As you can imagine, this usually does not end well, as one party ends up romantically confused while the other is stuck trying to figure out problem seven on the homework.

Perhaps this ambiguity is not an exception found only on college campuses but rather a rule for life. Is Starbucks the place to grab a skinny vanilla latte, meet a math tutor, conduct a college interview or go on a date? The same ambiguity applies to virtual spaces as well. Is Snapchat a place to share photos and videos about your day with friends or explicit photos (as some think was its original purpose) with your significant other? Any space, physical or virtual, can be used for any purpose we choose. It seems as though duality and ambiguity of function are facts of life.

Andrew Friedman ’19 can be reached at andrew_friedman@brown.edu.

ARTS & CULTURE THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

TUESDAY, MARCH 22, 2016

Generic pop melodies take honesty out of ‘This Is What the Truth Feels Like’ Though Gwen Stefani’s third studio album promises breakup ballads, emotion lacking

By KATE TALERICO NEWS EDITOR

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Gwen Stefani performs in 2005 as part of the Harajuku Lovers tour. The 2000s marked a positive streak in the singer’s fame, which has dwindled.

Before this album, I had not listened to Gwen Stefani’s music so excessively since my tenth birthday party, when my friends and I blared “Hollaback Girl” on repeat on my karaoke set, mimicking Gwen’s nasal, feminine voice until our throats were raw.

The bubbly, foot-tapping songs that marked my childhood karaoke parties are equally as present in Stefani’s newest album, “This is What the Truth Feels Like,” released March 18.

As much as Stefani told the press she was hoping to create a breakup album laced with tangents about her personal life, the album is as bubblegum pop as the rest of her work.

Though Stefani has been a presence in the music industry since the ’90s — a time when her musical stylings were limited to the ska sound of No Doubt — “This Is What the Truth Feels Like” marks only her third solo studio release album.

Gwen isn’t even the first Stefani to show up in a search on Spotify. Lady Gaga, whose real name is Stefani Germanotta, takes precedence, as her latest hit has been a bit more recent in the

making — 2009. These singers suffered the fate of plummeting popularity after 2009, as did their platinum blonde hair styles.

So what is there for Stefani to make of herself? At 46 years old, it’s hard to imagine Stefani in any competition with other current pop icons like Taylor Swift and Ariana Grande. Still, she’s hiring songwriters fresh off tracks like Justin Bieber’s “Sorry” and Selena Gomez’s “Good for You,” possibly in an attempt to mimic the style of current radio hits.

Though still primed for radio, “Used to Love You” marks the album’s rawest song. The recent divorcee’s lyrics allude to her marriage of 13 years with James Rossdale and indicate her attempt at a more mature lyricism. The tune slows its tempo in the right places, but its execution is still mediocre, with Stefani’s thin, high voice at the chorus interrupting what could have been a powerful ballad. Though in her video for “Used to Love You,” Stefani’s eyes convey tears and pain, her voice cannot match that emotion in the music.

A lively anthem that tries to reclaim the beat and energy of “Hollaback Girl,” Stefani’s “Make Me Like You” has made a recent impression on the charts. The jump in popularity followed her live performance of the song at the 2016 Grammy Awards, which she filmed and adapted as the song’s music video.

The song fails to recapture Stefani’s mischievous, even curt, tone from 2006

but lives up to the album’s overall catchiness.

But I haven’t bought into all of Stefani’s “Truth.” “Send Me a Picture” feels like a desperate attempt to relate to the youths of today — “Are you all alone baby, whatcha wearing? Send a little something I could stare at. …

I wanna see you right now with no filter.”

I’m not buying it — Stefani is a mother of three boys, the oldest age 10, and has only a few years on my own mother. Her age reveals itself in the line, “Take another snapshot in the mirror.” Come on, Gwen. Mirror selfies are a thing of the past. We all have iPhones with front-facing cameras now.

The album is a reversion to the Stefani of the past — someone who we’ve long since moved on from, but she can’t seem to. “Naughty” captures this best — it’s a strange blend of her singing and rapping style, a feat that she attained in better days, but seems weak on this album. Rapping is better when it’s done by Fetty Wap in “Asking 4 It,” one of the album’s highlights.

The songs are catchy for an instant, but only that. In the moment, your head will be bopping and a smile curling on your lips, but as soon as the headphones come out, you’re left without an impression.

If this is what the “Truth” feels like, I can’t tell the difference between that and your lies, Gwen.

PW’s UpFest features range of performances, workshops Festival aims to unite community around theater, showcase series of student art groups

By ELENA RENKEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

UpFest, a new festival hosted by the Production Workshop, provides student groups and individuals a platform to showcase their work. The two-week festival was conceived in response to feedback from the community that PW is closed off from the rest of campus, said Devon Nir ’17, a member of the PW board that planned the events.

“We decided to try something new, curating the Upspace with this new event,” Nir said. “It was a very long brainstorming session, and this was the baby of it.”

UpFest kicked off March 15 with a performance from the Oja Modern African Dance group and a workshop with Brown Lion Dance group the next day. Students tried on the lion heads and learned moves from the dancers, Nir said. The night of March 17 featured the Afro-Brazilian drumming group Bloco da Brown, which flooded the PW Upspace with sound.

March 21, back-to-back performances of the dance piece “Straight Movements, White Space and a Blank Dance” showcased the choreography of Anh Vo ’18, who recently created the project specifically for UpFest. The piece begins with five synchronized dancers, the shifting of their bodies robotic and graceful. Between sweeping steps and rigid arm movements, the five often twirl away and retreat to the shadowy edges of the stage before reentering.

SAM BERUBE / HERALD

UpFest, a two-week festival hosted by the Production Workshop, featured a March 21 performance of “Straight Movements, White Space and a Blank Dance,” choreographed by Anh Vo ’18. He said his choreography “stripped all the emotion from the bodies.”

Vo focused on the physicality of the bodies, reflected in the simplistic black and white attire of the dancers. His choreography “stripped all the emotion from the bodies,” Vo said.

UpFest’s string of performances and workshops included an installment of Alumni Wizards, a program in which alums visit the PW to offer expertise and share their experiences.

“We’re trying to do more of them,” Nir said. “This is the first one of the semester, but there will probably be a

few more.”

Rebecca Rouse ’04, assistant professor of communication and media at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and PW alum, gave a talk Sunday titled “Technology on Stage: Dramaturgy, Design and Performance.”

Rouse focused on how technology — including digital media and augmented reality — can be used to enhance theatrical storytelling. Rouse discussed her experience as a senior directing the play “Machinal,” the

production of which involved a character played by a robot built from parts of a remote-controlled car.

Her work with “Machinal” drew Rouse toward the intersection of technology and theater, she said. Her master’s thesis, completed at York University in 2007, consisted of a production of “Woyzeck” viewed through headmounted displays, she said.

Rouse also outlined her ongoing and upcoming projects, including a production of “Our Town” in which the

narrator’s gestures control immersive scenery that encircles the audience.

But Rouse added that she still loves seeing traditional or minimalist productions. “What’s awesome about theater is that what’s traditional is always shifting,” Rouse said. “It’s a living, breathing thing. I don’t think that all theater should be one way. That’s the beauty of it.”

UpFest will continue through March 24, with events ranging from comedy workshops to live jazz.