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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 45

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Paxson P’19 visits leading Chinese universities Visits to Shanghai, Beijing aim to build U. reputation, emphasize academic collaboration By SUVY QIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

SAM BERUBE / HERALD

Actor Robert De Niro speaks with President Christina Paxson P’19 about the documentary “Remembering the Artist Robert De Niro Sr.,” which highlights his father’s art.

Robert De Niro shares his father’s story Ivy Film Festival brings actor to campus, screens documentary on father’s painting legacy By REBECCA ELLIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When actor Robert De Niro took the stage at the Salomon Center Thursday night, the focus was not on him, but on another Robert De Niro. The Ivy Film Festival’s third night of programming centered on Robert De Niro Sr. with a screening of “Remembering the Artist Robert De Niro Sr.,” a documentary film focused on the painting career of the Academy Award winner’s father. Afterwards, the younger De Niro came on stage along

with director of the film Perri Peltz ’82 P’19 and art advisor Megan Fox Kelly, who provided a professional perspective on De Niro Sr.’s work. Christina Paxson P’19 stoked the conversation as moderator. Though the name Robert De Niro now calls to mind the stern-faced actor of “Taxi Cab” and “The Godfather,” 70 years ago, there was a different Robert De Niro famous for his work in the arts. The film, commissioned by De Niro, was an attempt to bring his father out of the shadows. De Niro said he had wanted to make a film about his father for a long time. His father’s friend, interviewed in the film, described De Niro Sr. as “a victim of his time” — a tormented artist who refused to fit into any one category. Resistant to marketing himself as an

abstract painter, or, later on, as a pop artist or minimalist, De Niro Sr.’s work never got the acclaim he felt it deserved. The painter left behind a large collection of journal entries documenting this sentiment, along with paintings and plenty of grainy footage shot on a Super 8 camera. The result was an easily assembled documentary, featuring clips of a young De Niro Sr. interwoven with shots of De Niro Jr. discussing his father in his old art studio. Baby pictures of De Niro Jr. also make an appearance. Ever since he was a child, De Niro has felt appreciation for his father’s craft. “His dedication even when he was young — it was very strong. I saw it, and I sensed it,” he said, restraining tears on stage to a packed auditorium » See DE NIRO, page 3

President Christina Paxson P’19 travelled to China during spring break to demonstrate the University’s commitment to building substantive and collaborative partnerships with Chinese universities, Paxson said. She spoke at Tsinghua University in Beijing and Fudan University in Shanghai during her trip. Her visit was not only “to signal to universities, government officials, academics and researchers that we are serious about these collaborations,” but also to meet with alums, students and parents to show that “we’re serious about trying to attract talent,” said Professor Edward Steinfeld, who is the director of the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and the Brown China Initiative and accompanied Paxson on the trip. “China is increasingly important to Brown,” Paxson said, adding that the largest group of international students for both undergraduate and graduate students is from China. Paxson visited these two universities for the first time because the University already has existing research relationships with them, Steinfeld said. “Both are the cream of the crop,” said Max Song ’15.5, who spoke to

Paxson before her trip because of his previous involvement in Chinese projects and scholarship, such as with the Year of China and as a Schwarzman Scholar. “If you want to develop your presence, you start from the top and go down,” Song said, adding that Tsinghua is “like the Harvard or Massachusetts Institute of Technology of China.” Moreover, Tsinghua and Fudan offered “important platforms,” Steinfeld said. The talks will be heard beyond the students and faculty members of those campuses, he added. Steinfeld also noted that these two universities are trying to become more like a “modern liberal arts research university along American lines.” “These institutions are looking to universities like Brown,” Paxson said. “They’re thinking about how to cultivate creativity and move away from a rigid system.” Paxson also met with Yang Wei ’85, a graduate of the University’s PhD program in engineering, who currently leads the National Natural Science Foundation of China. The purpose of that visit was to “learn how the Chinese NSF is developing collaborations internationally with the United States and other countries,” Paxson said. If the NSF and National Institutes of Health create more calls for research proposals from American and Chinese universities, then “we might be able to use that to build stronger connections with Chinese universities,” Paxson said. Paxson received “great enthusiasm” » See CHINA, page 2

UCS presidential candidates outline social justice-oriented agendas Garcia ’18, Nelkin ’17, Nguyen ’17 stress diversity, mental health support, international student resources By MATTHEW JARRELL STAFF WRITER

Candidates for the Undergraduate Council of Students presidency brought the role and mandate of UCS into focus as they squared off on social justice activism, the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, mental health, sexual assault and other hot-button campus issues at the debate Thursday night. UCS Campus Life Committee Chair Kevin Garcia ’18, UCS general body member Zachary Nelkin ’17 and Viet Nguyen ’17 took part in the discussion, moderated by current UCS President Sazzy Gourley ’16. The candidates each emphasized their unique perspectives and experiences, with all three taking aim at the administration and vowing to hold it accountable for

INSIDE

its promises to the student body. Nguyen elaborated on the importance of recognizing the intersectionality of identities when constructing campus policies. The specific needs of each student must be addressed in a way that is conscious of their multiple identities. “Right now, Brown utilizes a blanket policy,” he said. Nguyen’s experience communicating with administrators and student groups and drawing up the proposal for the First-Generation Student Center that will open in the Sciences Library this summer makes him uniquely suited for the role of UCS president, he said. Garcia noted the importance of continued progress on the DIAP and the need for individual departments to take up the issues the plan addresses. Each department should be

responsible for initiating and implementing its own action plan, he said. As a self-identified first-generation, low-income student, concentrating in engineering has been a challenge, Garcia said. “I know what it’s like to go into a STEM field and not feel supported,” he said, adding that it is a “constant uphill battle” for students of color and low-income students to have their needs met in many departments. Throughout his remarks, Nelkin stressed the need for a reevaulation of the internal structure of UCS. The organization “has a critical role, but without a significant change, we will not be able to fulfill that role,” he said. On the topic of UCS partnership with social justice activists on campus, the candidates agreed that the council should expand its cooperation and serve as a promotional forum for the work being done by activists. “There’s no room on this campus to opt out of

being aware of your surroundings,” Garcia said. Nguyen noted the University’s “hesitancy” to implement mandatory awareness training for faculty members and criticized the diversity training measures currently in place, specifically the online portions of the faculty Title IX training. “We’ve all taken online courses, and we know they don’t work,” he said. In an interview with The Herald in February, President Christina Paxson P’19 and Provost Richard Locke P’17 affirmed that opt-in diversity training for faculty members — which the DIAP sets up — has proven more effective than mandatory diversity training. In addition, departments need to meet standards — regulated by the Office of the Provost and the Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion — for active work on issues of diversity and inclusion. Departments that

do not meet these standards, such as those in which many faculty members choose not to participate in diversity training, could be refused funds to hire new faculty members, Locke said. The candidates also agreed on the need for increasing resources allotted to mental health support. While all counted abolishing the seven-session limit at Counseling and Psychological Services among their goals, each candidate highlighted a different component of his personal experience. “For most of my life, I’ve struggled with eating disorders and, recently, significant depression. I don’t talk about that because I’m ashamed and afraid — I fear the stigma,” Nelkin said. Mental health must be treated just like any other health issue, he added. Nelkin also lambasted the idea that financial issues could be used as a reason for the understaffing of CAPS. “I » See UCS, page 2

WEATHER

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016

NEWS Sex Week 2016 features panels, workshops on sexuality, sexual health in age of technology

NEWS GELT grants allow students to travel abroad over spring break, for classes offered next year

COMMENTARY Friedman ’19: Brown students lead way in choosing lifestyle, happiness over career options

COMMENTARY Vilsan ’19: University rankings do not show true academic value, promote brand-name schools

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TOMORROW

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NEWS

PAGE 2 • FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Sex Week 2016 focuses on intersection of sex, technology SHEEC hosts week of events, discussions on sexual health, social media trends By ISABEL GENSLER STAFF WRITER

Sex Week 2016: Generation Se(X), a week consisting of over 20 workshops devoted to sexual health education and empowerment, wraps up today, ending this year’s technology-themed installment of the annual series. The program, put on by the Sexual Health Education and Empowerment Council, focuses on the “intersections of social media and technology on sexual health,” said Alexandra Sepolen ’16, head chair of SHEEC. The week’s events aimed to improve students’ understanding of the influence of social media on sex and determine whether social media’s growing ubiquity “is changing the way that college students talk about sexual health,” Sepolen said. “Our ultimate question is, ‘How have controversies that have shown up

» CHINA, from page 1 at the talks and alumni events, Steinfeld said. He observed that there were many undergraduates present at the lectures who were eager to ask questions. Some students asked about the open curriculum. There were also questions about the experience of a woman being a leading researcher, he said. The audiences “were lively and a lot of fun,” Paxson said. At the alumni events in Beijing and Shanghai, Paxson gave a lecture on “the importance of the Brown education,” said Song, whose parents attended the event in Beijing. “They’re hungry to learn about what’s going on at the University,” Paxson said. Paxson not only met with alums and parents of current students, but also students admitted to the class of 2020 through early decision, she said.

» UCS, from page 1 don’t believe there’s such a thing as a budgetary constraint so long as there is enough money to build a giant cake in the shape of University Hall,” he said, referring to one of the celebrations to commemorate the University’s 250th anniversary last year. “I want intersectional mental health at Brown,” Nguyen said. The experiences of students are very different and require a variety of approaches, he added. The administration’s alleged lack of consideration for the needs of international students, the topic of the

Sex Week schedule

on public media or have been seen by the public eye … (impacted) how people develop relationships?’” Sepolen said. Since its inception in 2008, Sex Week has brought together groups across campus to offer their take on that year’s unique theme. “We center Sex Week around a particular theme based upon interest among the student body and pertinent issues that are happening in the field,” Sepolen said. She credited the rises of sexting, cyber bullying and dating apps as the motivation behind this year’s choice of theme. “Social media and dating apps have changed the way we present ourselves and interact — for example, Tinder is almost like a propaganda tool,” said one attendee of Monday’s #Masc4Masc panel. “I really appreciated the diversity of the panelists. … You got a lot of different perspectives on what masculinity meant to a lot of different people,” he added. Sex Week featured daily topics such as #TechTuesday, #WetWednesday and #ThirstyThursday. Julia Horwitz ’19, who attended Sex Toys and Safety Wednesday, said she planned to attend

events throughout the week. “It was really helpful to get safety information, not just about sex with a partner but also about masturbation,”

Through speaking with admitted students, Paxson said she learned of the advantage of translating some of the University’s admission materials into Chinese for the parents of students. It was important for people at the universities and alumni events “to see that Paxson is not just a university president but also an economist, which showed the University in a positive light,” Steinfeld said. Moving forward, this visit is a first step in building international connections that reflect the University’s investments in research and education, Paxson said. The best partnerships are different for different areas of scholarship, so “having a single partnership (to one university) does not yield richer connections,” she added. “We want solid, substantive relationships with these universities, but we’re willing to be patient for it to happen,” Paxson said.

“I don’t think establishing a brickand-mortar center is a good idea — at least not yet,” she said, adding that some other peer institutions that have created centers in cities in China have found them to be not as successful as they would have wanted. Currently, the Watson Institute is important as “an anchor for a lot of the work with China at Brown,” Paxson said, adding that she hopes Steinfeld’s work in the China Initiative will be a China center where scholars and students can gather for events and lectures to learn more about the country. Song envisions a “grassroots approach” through which a general set of world problems is being tackled through different academic collaborations. This approach will allow the University to “increase the brand value of Brown in China” since the University is not prominently known yet in comparison to other Ivy League schools, he

UCS general body meeting Wednesday, garnered harsh criticism from the candidates. Referring to the suicide of an international graduate student last March, “Where was the conversation about intersectionality and suicide?” Garcia asked. The differences in cultural background and difficulties of transition to American life went without attention, he added. Nelkin stressed the need for a discussion about going need-blind in financial aid for international students, acknowledging the difficulties but demanding action. “If we say that we’re not going to talk about it because it’s unlikely, it will always be unlikely,”

he said. Nguyen called for yearly reevaluation of financial aid packages for international students on aid and emphasized the need for an international student center. “I think I’m the best person to facilitate that discussion because I’ve built a center,” he said, referring to the first-generation center he helped to design. The new Title IX policy implemented this year must be expanded and streamlined, and the weight of educating the community must not fall entirely on students, the candidates said. “The fact that the majority of (Sexual Assault Prevention and

The Sexual Health and Education Council is hosting its eighth annual Sex Week, which kicked off April 4 and ends today. The week’s events include workshops, screenings and discussions meant to promote knowledge about sexual health. 12 p.m. 1 p.m.

Monday Survivor Love Letters

Smash Labs Main Green

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Event type:

Talk Dirty To Me

Hands To Myself

Mythbusters

Get Tested

Table

Main Green

Panel Late Night Confidential Workshop

2 p.m.

Keynote Speaker Screening Open Mic

3 p.m. I Stand With Who? Petteruti Lounge

4 p.m. 5 p.m.

Sex Trivia

Can We Talk? Petteruti Lounge

CDC In The Bedroom

Petteruti Lounge

6 p.m. 7 p.m. Smash Labs

Petteruti Lounge

8 p.m.

Masc 4 Masc

Petteruti Lounge

Amy Jo Goddard Metcalf Auditorium

It Goes Down In The DMs

Sex And Chocolate

Strong Sexy Words

Faunce Memorial Room

Petteruti Lounge

BCSC Lounge

Netflix And Chill Petteruti Lounge

9 p.m. 10 p.m. 11 p.m.

Vagina Taboo

Breaking The Binary

Miseducation Of College Hill

Mindblown

Sarah Doyle Women’s Center

LAURA FELENSTEIN / HERALD

Horwitz said. “Having the space to ask questions about, for example, which kinds of lube should be used with silicon sex toys, and then having those

supplies available, made for a space that felt very safe and encouraging, the kind of space that doesn’t exist often enough on campus.”

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

President Christina Paxson P’19 speaks with Chen Xu, chairperson of the Tsinghua University Council, on her trip to China during spring break. added. “I hope that Brown becomes a household name in China.” The University already has existing research relationships in China that are spread out among many Chinese universities because “each of us is finding the best collaborator,” Steinfeld said. “In terms of investing infrastructure

in China, we have to recognize that geographic and institutional diversity that we have.” “We’re serious about building our reputation in China as a leading global liberal arts research university,” Steinfeld added.

Education) is unpaid is unacceptable,” Nguyen said. “It can’t just fall on the three students on the Oversight and Advisory Board,” Garcia added. During the question-and-answer session, Austin Lessin ’19 asked the candidates how they would represent students with whom they fundamentally disagree. Garcia called for direct confrontation. “Sometimes you’re going to have to tell people, ‘This is what makes you a more responsible member of the community,’” he said. UCS as an institution must “balance away from the president towards the general body,” Nelkin said. It would function as a more

representative institution for all students, no matter their viewpoints, if it were structured in such a way, he said. The debate also featured a question-and-answer session with Tim Ittner ’18, who is running unopposed for UCS vice president. Ittner’s platform stresses the creation of departmental DIAPs. “I see concrete ways undergraduates can get involved” in the creation of these plans, he said. Ittner also noted his experience as chair of the Academic and Administrative Affairs Committee and his work with student groups, proposing increasing partnership with them as part of the overarching UCS strategy.

NEWS

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

With GELT grants, students learn by immersion GELT-funded courses to take students to Spain, Japan, Jordan for firsthand experiences By HATTIE XU STAFF WRITER

In just a few weeks, 12 students will be standing in the middle of a Greek colonial site — Empúries — founded in 575 B.C. in Spain, where they will examine artifacts as part of their fieldwork, said Peter Van Dommelen, professor of archaeology and anthropology. During reading period, the members of ARCH 1155: “Cities, Colonies and Global Networks in the Western Mediterranean” will travel to Spain with the support of a grant from the Global Experiential Learning and Teaching program. Now in its third year, the GELT program is funding several trips in the spring 2016 and fall 2016 semesters. It is currently accepting applications for trips that will be taken in the next calendar year, said Besenia Rodriguez, associate dean for the curriculum. Faculty members may apply for one of two types of grants from the GELT program, Rodriguez said. Phase I grants provide up to $4,000 for a professor intending to use the trip to develop a new course, she said. Phase II grants provide up to $35,000 for the travel expenses of a professor and a class of 12 students, she added. These proposals are judged by a committee of five faculty members and administrators who “consider the strength of the proposal in light of the faculty member’s connections to the host country … and how well integrated the international travel is to the actual learning goals of the course,” Rodriguez said. Caroline Frank, visiting assistant professor of American studies, was awarded a Phase I grant to develop a course called “Collecting Culture: Indigenous Artifacts

» DE NIRO, from page 1 as Paxson offered a pat on the shoulder. De Niro told the audience that the film was never meant to be seen by the public but rather was purely for family, intended as a way to let his children know who their grandfather was. He preserves his father’s art studio for the same reason. But De Niro said, after a while, “It became clear it was the story of many artists.” When asked by an audience member if he had any reservations about publicizing the film, De Niro said he did not hesitate in the slightest. He entered the film in the 2014 Sundance

in North America and Taiwan,” with the objective of taking her students to Taiwan in spring 2017, according to an online announcement from the Office of Global Engagement. During the fall semester, RELS 1442: “The History, Philosophy and Practice of Rinzai Zen Buddhism” will prepare for a trip to Japan over winter break, Rodriguez wrote in an email to The Herald. A class titled “Displacement and Refugees in the Middle East” taught by Sarah Tobin, associate director of the Middle East Studies program, was also awarded a GELT grant for a trip to Jordan in the fall, but it has been postponed to a later date, she added. “Cities, Colonies and Global Networks” was one of three winners of Phase II grants. Despite close interactions with students at the Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona, the course does not have a language requirement because it is conducted entirely in English at both schools, he said. At Empúries, students will have the opportunity to visit a museum and directly handle storeroom artifacts with the guidance of museum officials, Van Dommelen said. Students interested in housing may tour excavated sites and walk much closer to the structures than general tourists are allowed to do, he said. Students in HIAA 1850H: “Berlin: Architecture, Politics and Memory” also visited Berlin over spring break, but the trip was not supported by a GELT grant because the program’s former policy prevented professors from applying in consecutive years, said Dietrich Neumann, professor of history of art and architecture. Instead, the class traveled this year with MUSC 1675: “Music, Religion, Politics,” and both trips were funded by the Arts Initiative and the Hornig Fund for student travel, wrote Michael Steinberg, vice provost of the arts and professor of history and music, in an email to The Herald. Now that the grant’s policies have changed to allow professors to apply for a GELT grant every year, Neumann is Film Festival. De Niro hopes that this film can help his father emerge from the obscurity that plagued his career. The panelists agreed that De Niro Sr. never reached an “‘I did it’” moment, Kelly said. Now, his legacy has a shot. Since the film premiered at Sundance, Kelly said awareness of De Niro Sr. has already jumped markedly, regarding both who he was and what he did. This late claim to fame inspired De Niro with simple advice for the audience. “Do what you love doing, but don’t expect any recognition,” he said.

submitting a proposal for a third trip to the German capital, ideally for a class that will be held during the 2016-2017 winter term, he said. “Since the city has had such a dramatic history, there are memorials to the Holocaust, the building of the wall, German reunification, Prussia and individual events, like the Nazi book burning,” Neumann said. “We went to these places to see how they commemorate the events and discuss if they are successful or not.” But not all GELT proposals win a grant. While it may be difficult to decide which proposals to accept or reject, some of the committee’s decisions may raise questions about consistency and how the committee deems one trip more essential to a course than another. Erika Edwards, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, submitted a proposal for supplemental funding from the GELT program to take students in her class BIOL 1585: “The Biology of Desert Plants” to Peru over spring break, she said. Costs of living in Peru were already covered by a grant from the National Science Foundation, and Edwards sought additional funding for the students’ plane tickets, she said. The committee rejected the proposal. Edwards received an email with feedback that while the committee found the proposal “engaging,” “two of the reviewers were unclear as to why travel to Peru was essential.” “The committee also expressed reservations that there was no language requirement, which would impede the

experiential learning component for the students,” the email continued. Edwards was surprised by the outcome, considering the trip was already mostly funded by the NSF and had already been through a rigorous review process, she said. As a recipient of a grant during the 2014-2015 academic year, Neumann was also tapped to serve on the review committee for trips taken this year, he said. When considering language requirements, the committee took into account the English fluency of locals in the destination, Neumann said. Traveling to a country in which fewer people speak English would make a language requirement more important than traveling to a European country in which much of the population knows English, he said. “The committee is more about helping whoever applies create the best possible experience for the students,” Neumann said, adding that an applicant who is rejected will use the feedback from the committee to improve the proposed itinerary. Despite the setback, Edwards consulted Katherine Smith, associate dean of biology, and eventually found additional funding for the trip through the biology department and the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, she said. The class joined eight other students from universities around Peru and collected samples along an elevation gradient, including parts of the Atacama Desert — the driest place on earth — to analyze how plants with different photosynthetic

systems are sorted in the environment, she added. Though the committee’s decision not to fund the trip this time was disappointing, Edwards said she understands that resources are limited and that rejection is a part of the grant process. The decision will not deter her from applying for future GELT grants, she added. Regardless of the results of the committee’s review, faculty members agree that the GELT program provides necessary funding for trips that are deeply enriching experiences for students. “As archaeologists, we deal with material culture,” Van Dommelen said. “We depend very heavily on slides and Power Points and only the images of the material culture. To actually be able to go somewhere and handle the material culture directly and engage with it … it adds an important dimension to the whole experience.” “You can’t appreciate the desert without having been there,” Edwards said. “Some of the papers we read kept talking about the differences between arid and hyperarid areas. I remember there was this moment (when we got) down to the coast, which is the really hyperarid zone, and one of the students (said), ‘Okay, now I get it!’ There’s really almost nothing that grows there.” “You move around the city and walk to the sites, and you will understand them in an entirely different way,” Neumann said. “You get a sense of the surrounding urban fabric. It’s the best way of understanding art and architecture.”

SPORTS

PAGE 4 • FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

W. RUGBY

Bruno impresses in close losses on European tour Bears compete against Swiss, Czech national teams in preparation for upcoming spring season By BEN SHUMATE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After two seasons as a varsity team, the women’s rugby team has become a powerhouse in the still-growing landscape of collegiate rugby in the United States. With a combined record of 17-6-1 over two years and an Ivy League title in 2014, it is hard to deny the impressive resume of the varsity team, still in its infancy. But the team was given an elevated challenge over spring break, as it ventured overseas to face national squads from Switzerland and the Czech Republic. Head Coach Kathy Flores, a recent inductee to the U.S. Rugby Hall of Fame, had been planning a European tour for the team and had settled on the idea that the team would travel to Scotland. But Flores came across an even better opportunity, thanks to a connection from her playing days at Florida State. A former teammate, Dana Teagarden, once worked as an international referee and mentioned her connections to the national teams in Switzerland and the Czech Republic to Flores. “It took off from there,” Flores said. “This was an incredible experience — one that not many college teams, nor women’s rugby teams, have the opportunity to do,” said co-captain Oksana Goretaya ’17. The experience was indeed rare even

for a top program, as Penn State, a perennial juggernaut in women’s collegiate rugby, took a European tour this year to Italy but played against only club teams without access to any national teams. The squad arrived in Zurich, Switzerland March 26, two days before its first match with the Swiss national team. In an attempt to combat jet lag, Flores put the team through a 90-minute practice immediately after its arrival at the hotel. “We had to try to get on that time zone as fast as possible,” Flores said. The players “did well to adjust.” After taking a day to explore Zurich, the Bears bussed out of the city toward the Alps, where they would face off against the Swiss on a field at the foothills of the snow-capped mountains. Bruno was led offensively by its two most dangerous players from the fall season, Uzoamaka Okoro ’16 and Kiki Morgan ’16. Both were recently named among a pool of players in consideration for the U.S. National Team competing in the 2017 World Cup in Ireland. Against the Swiss, both proved that they are ready for national competition. After an early try by the hosts, Okoro converted a pair of tries to give Bruno a 10-8 lead at the half. Morgan increased Brown’s lead to 15-8 early in the second with a try of her own, but the Swiss countered with a try and conversion kick to tie the match once again. A late Swiss try gave the home team a 20-15 lead, which is where the game ended. “The Swiss game was definitely a disappointment,” said Joanna Chatham ’17. “We were ahead at the half and outplaying them in our forwards and backs.”

But the team had little time to dwell on the loss, as it faced a 426-mile overnight bus ride to Prague. After another off day, Bruno took the field against the Czechs, who took a 12-0 lead into halftime. The second of the two first-half tries came on a controversial penalty try that would end up making the difference in the game. The referee called the penalty against Morgan for wrapping up the Czech player above her shoulders, much to the Bears’ disappointment. “That was just a mistake by the ref, and it was a very blatant mistake,” Goretaya said. With the successful try and kick, the call represented a seven-point swing for the Czechs. Brown mounted a comeback in the second half, pulling within seven points after a try from Okoro. The teams traded tries at the end of the match, Brown’s coming once again for Okoro, but the Bears fell short, as the match ended 17-12. The following day, the team played its third match in four days, defeating the Czech B-team 42-0. All 26 players who made the trip saw time on the field during the match. Despite the two disappointing losses, there were plenty of positives to be taken away from the team’s tour. “We feel like we fared well against both teams, and I felt like the players got an immense amount of experience, particularly some of our younger players,” said Flores. “Mentally, saying we are playing national teams, that’s kind of scary,” said Nikkolette Lee ’18. “We held our own.

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

The 26-member Brown women’s rugby team prepared for its spring season on a week-long trip to Zurich, Switzerland and Prague, Czech Republic. A lot of people learned that they had a lot more in them than they thought.” The team’s performance came in spite of the whirlwind of international travel and the physical strain of playing three matches in four days, as opposed to the one 80-minute match a week the team takes on during its season. The outcome of the games may have been different if the team had had more time to rest in between travel and matches, Flores said. “This trip kind of showed us what we were capable of,” Goretaya said. “It made people push themselves past their limits.” In facing the national teams, the Bears were exposed to a whole new level of competition and were forced to make adjustments on the fly against more experienced players. “It brought up our level of play a lot compared to playing teams like Dartmouth or Harvard,” Chatham said. “You find yourself thinking two or three phases ahead a lot more.” Whereas college teams “clump a lot

more because they’re not really thinking about the next move,” the national teams stretched Brown’s team from “sideline to sideline,” Goretaya said. “It was really a humbling experience, and we’ll have lifetime memories,” she added. The team opens its spring season this weekend with its home tournament. The spring season is played 7-on-7, as opposed to the 15-player version played in the fall. The Bears will welcome some of the top teams in the country: Dartmouth, American International, Army, Norwich, Quinnipiac and West Chester. After losing backto-back games to end the season in the Ivy tournament and the quarterfinals of the National Collegiate Women’s Varsity Rugby Association tournament, the European tour has served as a reset for the team as it moves into the spring season. “We had kind of a disappointing end to our 15s season in the fall,” Chatham said. “This tour totally reignited the fire and got people excited about moving forward.”

M. SOCCER

Bears finish spring trip to Argentina with 1-1-1 record Pomeroy ’17, Sugarman ’17 score Newell’s Old Boys in lone win, team tries new lineups By EMILE BAUTISTA STAFF WRITER

While some students enjoyed the sandy beaches of typical spring break locations like Miami and Cancún, the men’s soccer team made an 11-hour journey to Argentina for a mixture of play and pleasure. The team makes an international trip every four years, and this trip marked the second time it has been to Argentina. The Bears spent the first half of their trip in Buenos Aires and the second half in Rosario, the hometown of soccer superstar Lionel Messi. The team was scheduled to play four games — two in Buenos Aires, two in Rosario — against the youth or reserve squads of some of the biggest teams in Argentina, two of which are a part of the Big Five of Argentinian soccer. Though the fourth game was cancelled due to inclement weather, the Bears finished the trip with a modest 1-1-1 record. The first game of the trip was against San Lorenzo de Almagro, the fifth-most popular team in the country, just two days after the team landed. It ended in

a 3-0 defeat. “I think (we had) a little bit of fatigue, and they were probably the best team we played,” said James Myall ’18. “We had a bit of a slow start.” Bruno bounced back the next day against Racing Club — the fourth-most popular team — by eking out a 1-1 draw, thanks to a goal from Will Cross ’16. The final game took place in Rosario against Newell’s Old Boys, where Messi played for six years. The Bears obtained their best result: a 2-0 victory with goals courtesy of Eric Sugarman ’17 and Nate Pomeroy ’17. “I thought the team played really well, and I was really impressed with everyone,” said Christian Rodriguez ’17. “There was a lot of times where it was tough for us out there, but everyone was really focused.” The three friendlies served as an opportunity for the team to experiment with new lineups and learn about the necessity of flexible play. Head Coach Patrick Laughlin tried out a few different starting elevens and — since the teams played with no reentry — the substitution strategies were different than a typical NCAA game. “We were able to try different combinations,” Laughlin said. “Also, players in positions who may not have gotten that opportunity for extended minutes in the fall got to step up.”

In contrast to the more direct style of play that the Bears usually face in opponents, Argentinian teams play a more possession-based game, seizing opportunities for quick counterattacks and finishes. As a result, the team learned that it had to adapt accordingly during the game, especially defensively, Laughlin said. “Throughout the trip, we found out how to play against these teams,” Myall said. “Spring games are a time for us to get better.” “We want to bring this possession style to the D-1 game and learn how to play out of the back,” Rodriguez added. But the trip wasn’t all business for the Bears. They were also afforded ample opportunities to bask in the culture of their Argentinian hosts and bond as a team. In the beginning, the team stayed in the heart of Buenos Aires, not far from the President’s home. Over the course of a private, threehour city tour, the Bears learned more about the history of the famed city. They also toured the facilities of the country’s two biggest clubs, Boca Juniors and River Plate. There was free time allotted for perusing through market stalls, exploring the town and attending Easter mass. While in Buenos Aires, the Bears had the chance to experience the atmosphere of a professional match between

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

The Brown men’s soccer team split its time between Buenos Aires and Rosario, facing off against some of the most popular teams in the country. Vélez Sársfield and Quilmes, two clubs from the Buenos Aires area. Interestingly enough, as a result of historical violence between fans, only the home teams’ supporters can attend matches, leaving half the stadium empty. “The fans are so incredibly dedicated to their team,” Rodriguez said. “They’re screaming and singing the whole 90 minutes of the match.” On the other hand, Rosario is much smaller than Buenos Aires and offered a whole different feel. On an expansive, city-wide tour, the team saw many sites, including the National Monument to the Flag. Bruno also toured the Newell’s Old Boys’ stadium, which has fences and a moat to halt fans from entering the pitch. After the weather prevented the

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final match from being played, the team improvised by venturing back to its original hotel in Buenos Aires for one last event: watching El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid. Then, it was back to reality in the United States. Between the cultural immersion, culinary delicacies and chances to experience soccer in a country where it is worshipped, the international tour was an unforgettable trip for many of the players. “It’s a beautiful country and a oncein-a-lifetime trip,” Rodriguez said. “This is one of the things the players look forward to,” Laughlin said. “It is definitely something that is outstanding and changes your point of view and gives a whole different appreciation of soccer.”

TODAY

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

shoe in

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Harvest, Bacon and Feta, Buffalo Chicken BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Quesadillas

Clam Chowder, Wedding Soup Naked Burritos

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Cajun Chicken Pasta, Falafel, Vegetarian Cajun Pasta, Vegan Portuguese Peas, Blondie Bars

Tequila Lime Chicken, Tilapia with Provencale, Carrots with Tequila, Lemon Meringue Pie

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Breaded Chicken Fingers, Vegan Nuggets, Curried Chickpeas, Baked Potato Bar, Blondie Bars

BBQ Beef on a Bun, Macaroni Pudding, Brussel Sprouts, Honey Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry

sudoku

ELI WHITE / HERALD

Peter Bowden ’16 holds a shoe during a scene of “The Flick.” Directed by Sam Rubinek ’17, the play explores the relationships of a group of underpaid employees. It will run in Production Workshop April 8 to 11.

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

“You can’t appreciate the desert without having been there.” — Erika Edwards, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology

See gelt on page 2. CORRECTION

crossword

An article in Thursday’s Herald “(ILAB reps suggest new resources for international students at UCS meeting,” April 7) stated that the International Life Advisory Board representatives would like to create an international students center. In fact, the center would focus on issues of international life and would be open to both domestic and international students.

comic Cat Ears | Najatee’ McNeil

calendar FRIDAY APRIL

Duck Hunt 9:00 A.M. Faunce Student Center

Latino Gala 6:30 P.M. Sayles Hall Auditorium

SATURDAY Robot Block Party 11:00 A.M. Pizzitola Sports Center

Spring Arts Festival 7:00 P.M. Granoff Center

SUNDAY Pasta Cooking Class 3:00 P.M. Ivy Room

Changemaker’s Sunday 7:00 P.M. Martinos Auditorium

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Brown Bites RISD demonstration RISD students and faculty members took part in a demonstration Wednesday called Not Your Token organized by members of the RISD student group Black Artists and Designers. The participants protested the lack of recognition, education and discussion with regard to race, sexuality and class academically and socially at RISD. Demonstrators started off the event by reading out a list of 10 demands, which included calls for faculty sensitivity training, curricular reform and the creation of a Market Square slavery memorial. The list was presented to the RISD administration, students and faculty members alongside a short, student-made film called “The Room of Silence” that showcases the experiences of marginalized students on campus. “I am not tired because of the 33 meetings I have had with administration, not tired because of studio or my work-study job to pay for supplies. I am tired of reminding myself that I deserve to be here,” said Chantal Feitosa, an organizer of the event. Welcome to the Class of 2020! Last week, 2,250 applicants were accepted to the Brown Class of 2020 through regular decision — giving the class an overall admission rate of about 9 percent. The applicant pool this year clocked in at a record-high 32,380 students, and Brown accepted students from all 50 states and 83 nations. Of those 2,250 students, 47 percent identify as students of color, and 61 percent said they would apply for financial aid this year. One piece of advice to new bear cubs: Don’t friend request everybody in the class of 2020 Facebook group before you get here. You’ll thank us later.

R O L A N D H IG H

Who are you voting for? Elections for the Undergraduate Council of Students and the Undergraduate Finance Board will commence next week, with Kevin Garcia ’18, Zachary Nelkin ’17 and Viet Nguyen ’17 all battling for the title of Supreme Student Ruler of Bro — we mean, UCS president. Tim Ittner ’18 will run unopposed for the position of VP. This year’s fight for UFB will be comparatively less dramatic, as Jordan Ferguson ’17 and Adwa Habtu ’17 will both run unopposed for the positions of chair and vice chair, respectively. So far, no candidate has spoken about building a wall between Brown and RISD. Celebrities everywhere Ivy Film Festival’s kickoff event brought Oscar-winning actress, director and producer Jodie Foster to Brown this week to answer questions and offer wisdom to students. Foster discussed getting her real film education not as an undergrad at Yale but on the job, saying, “Because I didn’t go to film school, my film school has been making movies.” She encouraged students to “go to movies and talk about what was wrong with them, and then ask yourself what you would have done differently,” noting that, “Re-writing films is the best film school you can have.” Well, if Jodie Foster said it, it must be true.

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COMMENTARY FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

An Epicurean renaissance

ANDREW FRIEDMAN staff columnist

The topic of post-college plans is, at least in my personal experience, one of the most difficult to broach in conversation with my freshman friends; many approach the topic with trepidation. This is understandable, as there are over a thousand articles online about how recent college graduates are entering a particularly terrible job market. When I do get my friends to actually speak to me about life after college, the first thing they mention, rather than their dream career, is the “dream city” they would ideally like to call home. Unless we include thoroughbred East-Coasters in our discussion, top picks include Seattle, San Francisco, Portland and Denver: almost unanimously cities on the Pacific Coast and in the Mountain West. (I, as odd as it may seem, would like to move back home to Dallas when I graduate, but that is beside the point.) Regarding careers, many of my classmates in the class of 2019 have decided to put off a firm decision for the foreseeable future, which only confirms the stereotype that Brown students, compared to other Ivy League students (cough, cough … Penn), prioritize lifestyle goals over particular career goals. But the prevailing attitude at Brown is beginning to typify the entire U.S. job market.

According to a recent New York Times article, this emphasis on lifestyle and city choice over specific careers now represents a majority ideology among young people. This is especially true in Mountain West/Pacific Coast cities like Denver and Seattle in which influxes of smart, collegeeducated millennials are fueling local economic booms. The article suggests the reason for these cities’ success in the ongoing popularity contest is that “The lifestyles that 20- and 30-somethings often seek depend on a medley of urban living, public transit and lots of entertainment options.” Employers

jumped to 15.5 percent in 2010, young people found themselves strapped to find any job, let alone one that paid well. Multiple frauds involving retirement funds (think Bernie Madoff) undermined the notion established by baby boomers that retirement funds and pensions are reliable financial institutions. Faced with a seemingly absurdist world in which job loyalty and responsible financial planning practically meant nothing and job and financial insecurity were found at every turn, young Americans in 2008 turned inward for solutions. I posit that, as a result, young Americans have devel-

career-focused” and often stick with one job throughout their entire careers, millennials are willing to give up career stability for a higher quality of life. One can view the shift to cities that offer urbanist living with lots of entertainment options as a return to classical philosophical ideas, rather than a return to laziness and egoism. Epicurus, a Greek philosopher born in 341 B.C., posited that the pursuit of life should not be wealth, but rather happiness. According to Epicurus, happiness is achieved through friendship, freedom and meditative thought. Are these not exactly the ex-

By choosing lower-paying, more meaningful careers over more lucrative ones, Brown students appear to be the vanguard for a thoughtful ideological shift in the American work-life balance paradigm. are also taking note of the millennial migration. According to the Colorado Office of Economic Development, people used to move to the state for “the lifestyle and hoped they could scrape a living together,” whereas now, “employers are chasing them.” College graduates appear to be moving to new cities for personal rather than pragmatic reasons, and employers are getting on board. I would argue that this trend is a lasting side effect of the Great Recession, specifically of its temporary impact on the job market for college graduates. When the unemployment rate among 20- to 24-year-olds

oped a distrust of the economic system and have adjusted their values to place more emphasis on personal fulfillment than job choice. As the economy recovers from the recession, the reworked millennial mindset has already been set in stone, leading to the trends we observe in cities like Portland and Denver today. To those who would characterize baby boomers as more hard-working and productive than the current generation, I would say that we just understand and prioritize our spiritual needs to a greater degree than the baby boomers. Whereas baby boomers are “committed, hard-working and

pectations that college students have for their post-graduation dream cities? New urbanist living facilitates closer friendships by placing people within walking distance of each other. Cities attracting young people at record rates — Houston, Nashville, Denver, Austin, Seattle and Portland — are not only fun but are also incubators for startups, which collectively offer unprecedented freedom of job choice. These cities also offer urban park space for daily exercise and existential contemplation — take Austin’s Zilker Park or Seattle’s Green Lake Park. It seems as if Epicureanism is making a stealthy resurgence.

Brown students appear to have embraced this trend before it was cool. Just a look at The Herald’s article, “Brown alums have lowest median salaries in Ivy League,” is enough to prove that Brown graduates have often cared more about meaningful careers than profitable ones. Many Brown students choose to work for non-profit companies or pursue careers that are “doing something for the greater good,” according to CareerLAB Director Matthew Donato. Twelve percent more alums from the class of 2003 rated “helping others” as an “essential” career goal than rated “being well off financially” the same way. This choice of emotional well-being over high income has been proven a thoughtful one by contemporary research by economists Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton. They claim that “High income improves evaluation of life but not emotional well-being” and that “there is no further progress (of emotional well-being) beyond an annual income of (about) $75,000.” In order to be happy, it seems, one should aim to hit an income threshold rather than aim to maximize it. By choosing lower-paying, more meaningful careers over more lucrative ones, Brown students appear to be the vanguard for a thoughtful ideological shift in the American work-life balance paradigm.

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

College is about more than rankings FABIANA VILSAN staff columnist Over spring break, prospective college students across America received their admissions decisions — a moment Brown students remember all too well. In making our final choices, we compared locations, thought about student demographics, considered student-to-teacher ratios and wondered how much winter clothes would add to our college debt. Then, whether we like to admit it or not, we looked up the U.S. News and Forbes rankings, knowing that whether or not the rankings mattered to us, they may very well matter to our future employers. At a time when college degrees are becoming more valuable and job prospects seem meager even to the most qualified applicants, college rankings can make or break an applicant’s decision to attend an institution. But have college rankings become more of a popularity contest than a true reflection of educational value? Are the schools with the flashiest endowments and most flattering school colors bound to be the prom kings, or are there examples of meaningful indicators of college quality? Right now many students across America are making the choice to spend hundreds of thou-

sands of dollars on a degree. Are they going to be paying for the university name on their diploma, counting on that prestige to provide a high return on investment, or are they going to make the calculation based on the quality of a school’s academics? Though a quick Google search is the easiest way to evaluate the monetary worth of a specific college’s degree, it will likely not articulate the true value of the educational experience. The Brookings Institution, a progressive American think tank, developed a new method of ranking institutions, one that aims to reach beyond fame and fortune in calculating educa-

ular school. After all, if a school fills its halls with wealthy, high-achieving students, can it really pat itself on the back when those students predictably achieve financial success and continue donating? The real question is: How much has the school itself provided to the student, and how much of that value is unique to the institution? The Brookings college ranking attempts to isolate the college’s value from all other factors associated with prestige, such as student background or famous alums. The five factors with the most weight in these updated rankings are curricu-

We have to stop teaching prospective college students that a name-brand school and the higher tuition it brings automatically lead to a higher-quality education. Why do we preach that college debt is a necessary sacrifice? tional worth. U.S. News reportedly calculates its yearly rankings based on student retention, student selectivity, financial resources, alumni giving and high school counselor ratings of colleges. Brookings believes that this methodology, along with the various others used by publications such as Forbes, does not reflect the true value added to a student’s education by a partic-

lum value, alumni skills, science, technology, engineering and math orientation, completion rates and student aid. The Brookings website is interactive and allows students to assess the loan repayment rates and mid-career earnings of a school’s typical graduate, among other things. As opposed to other college rankings, Brookings does not create a list of universities, but rather

allows students to search for their university of choice and discover whether it adds value to its average graduate. Some students may find that the institution in question actually has a negative effect on the existing potential of the applicant. When I was applying to college, nobody told me about the Brookings rankings or anything more comprehensive than the typical lists. Everybody relied on the rankings that placed the well-known institutions at the top by default. That’s not to say that some of those institutions don’t deserve their spots at the top. But we have to stop teaching prospective college students that a name-brand school and the higher tuition it brings automatically lead to a higher-quality education. Why do we preach that college debt is a necessary sacrifice? Of course, the value of a degree can never accurately be measured, despite the logic behind a particular methodology. Individual students rank universities based on the factors they personally value most. At this very institution, you can find students who chose Brown because of its elite ranking and others who chose it for its laid-back atmosphere. The current ranking status quo cheats students of a full consideration of various educational merits.

Fabiana Vilsan ’19 can be reached at fabiana_vilsan@brown.edu.

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SPORTS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

FRIDAY, APRIL 8, 2016

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Jones ’16 ends career with 12th-place finish at nationals Senior to return to Brown fencing program as assistant coach after illustrious career By JAMES SCHAPIRO STAFF WRITER

Simon Jones ’16 is not quite ready to leave the Brown fencing program, and in his last competition as a studentathlete, he added another line to his legacy. Jones, who will return to the program next season as an assistant coach, qualified for the NCAA championship for the third time in his four years at Brown. With a 12th place finish, he also earned honorable mention AllAmerican honors for the second time as a Bear. Jones is certainly not new to fencing. He’s done it since childhood and has competed in the past six Nationals and the last five Junior Olympics, not to mention multiple international Junior World Cups. He joined the Bears after taking a gap year to focus on fencing and hasn’t looked back since. Jones finished 10th at the NCAA Northeast Regionals as a first-year. In his next three seasons, he qualified for three NCAA championships, finishing 18th, 12th and 12th despite heightened competition each year. In this year’s NCAA championship at Brandeis, Jones opened the first day strong, going 6-1 in round one. He

fell off his unsustainable first-round pace of plus-13 touches in the next four rounds but still managed to finish with a 12-11 record, good for 12th place out of 24 competitors. Jones also finished 12th last year, but his identical finish represented an improvement because the competition this year was much more talented, he said. For his hard-fought performance at the NCAA championships and All-American honors, Jones has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week. Herald: How did you get into fencing, and how long have you been doing it? Jones: I’ve been doing it for 11 years, 10 years, something like that. I don’t remember specifically how long. I got into it through a summer camp … for fencing. I tried it out. I was good at it, so I stayed with it. How did the team do this season? There are two divisions in our region; we’re in the lower one. The men went undefeated. The women went 8-2 or 7-3, so I think we did well. You just went to your third NCAA championship, and you won your second All-American honors this season. What was that like? I consider it a good success. My goal is always to do better every year, and even though I actually finished 12th last year and this year, it got a lot

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Simon Jones ’16 lunges toward his opponent. The senior finished his career at Brown with honorable mention All-American status for the second time during his Brown career. harder this year, so it’s still better, and I’m happy. This was your last major Brown fencing event — how did you feel about that? Did you do anything differently? I didn’t prepare for it any differently. I prepared for it like any other tournament, because it’s just another

tournament. I’m actually coming back next year as an assistant coach on the fencing team, but as my last college tournament, I think it was a good one to go out on. How does the team look going forward? Everyone on the team is great. It’s a great group of people, and there are

Buchholz off to shaky start

CHARLIE BLASBERG sports columnist

Clay Buchholz followed up an underwhelming spring training campaign with an apologetic start against the Cleveland Indians Wednesday. Buchholz, who struggled with injury for much of the Red Sox’s 2015 horror show, entered this season with high hopes of returning to his prime from around 2010. In Wednesday’s game against the Indians, Buchholz was ravaged for four runs in the first inning and another in the second. He lasted only four innings, getting promptly yanked after walking the leadoff hitter in the fifth. In the end,

Buchholz escaped without the loss, but the Indians’ four-run first frame was instrumental to handing the Red Sox their first loss of the season. Buchholz did settle down after his first-inning disaster, but the damage was already done, thanks to a three-run bomb by Carlos Santana. Buchholz’s Achilles heel was his fastball, as is often the case. Santana devoured one in the first for a home run, and Jason Kipnis drove another to deep right for an RBI double. In the first inning, Buchholz invited hitters to tee up on him by giving them fastballs up in the zone and over the middle part of the plate. On the other hand, Buchholz did exhibit impressive off-speed pitching. He racked up four strikeouts over his four innings, mainly by using his breaking

balls to great effect. But the utility of these pitches was compromised because of the placement issues he had with fastballs. Buchholz’s troubles place a particular strain on the largely unproven Red Sox bullpen. After Buchholz’s fifth inning exit, the pen had five innings of work to do to keep the Sox in the game. In the spring, manager John Farrell hoped Buchholz could be a pitcher they could rely on for up to 180 innings throughout the course of the season. Farrell’s frustration was palpable when he was forced to replace Buchholz with Noe Ramirez with no outs in the fifth. Perhaps the Red Sox are foolish for having believed that Buchholz could find form at this point in his career. After all, the 31-year-old is past what the Red Sox claim to be a pitcher’s prime

— about 27 years old. As a rookie, Buchholz was promising, dealing a no-hitter on his second major league start. He is capable of pitching like an ace, but he has not displayed the consistency that would hint at this season being a particularly productive one. On top of that, Buchholz, who is susceptible to his emotions, might bring weakened selfconfidence to the mound after so many of his seasons have been cut short by injury. With the exception of the 2013 season, in which he missed almost the entire second half with a hand injury, the veteran pitcher’s resume over the past five years has been mediocre and shows absolutely no sign that he will be able to eat up innings the way the Red Sox anticipate. The Red Sox have a promising young lefty by the name of Henry

a lot of good fencers there. It’s getting stronger — there are a lot of people working to make it a stronger program. Overall, what have you thought of your four-year fencing career at Brown? I’ve gotten better, and it’s been a lot of fun. It also takes up a lot of time, but it’s worth it.

Owens budding in Pawtucket. He will be a strong replacement when Buchholz gets hurt or pitches poorly. A standout in spring training, Owens got a handful of appearances at the tail end of last season. The Red Sox’s unpredictable rotation will definitely give way to the young lefty and give him a nice opportunity to make a home in the majors. In fact, with the exception of David Price, the Red Sox’s rotation should be fluid to start the season. Buchholz and Porcello are big question marks, and their absences may give way to more promising youngsters. Charlie Blasberg ’18 thinks he has a chance to be the Sox’ fifth starter this season. Tell him that Clay Buchholz might take his spot at charles_blasberg@ brown.edu.

Media completely misses the point on the D’angelo Russell scandal JOE DIEHL sports columnist

Over the past two weeks, the news of D’angelo Russell — a rookie point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers — recorded a video of teammate Nick Young talking about his affairs with other women has dominated sports media. The leaked video has been so heavily discussed because Young is currently engaged to rapper Iggy Azalea. The media coverage and reaction from the NBA has overwhelmingly sought to frame Russell as a complete villain,

while Young has been treated almost like a victim. Detroit Pistons’ forward Marcus Morris was quoted as saying “I’ll probably never speak to (Russell) again,” while popular ESPN “First Take” cohost Stephen Smith chalked Russell’s actions up to a violation of “man code.” “You do not do what this man did under no circumstances,” he continued. To be clear, Russell is 20 years old, so he’s younger than at least half of us on this campus. To be treated so harshly and even hated by so many people for a video that revealed someone’s infidelity is misguided. But more importantly, hardly anyone directed any of the focus towards

Young and his actions. Obviously there is an unspoken locker room code stipulating that teammates don’t let their personal lives affect their work, and they are also expected to be close confidants of their friends. But through their actions, the media and the NBA are choosing not to hold athletes to a standard that the rest of us are held to. Just because someone is rich and in the NBA doesn’t mean he’s entitled to any woman he wants. But apparently that’s not how people involved with the NBA feel. To her credit, ESPN reporter Michelle Beadle called out the rest of her colleagues for failing to criticize Young, but she seems to be the only

one willing to direct any of the focus towards Young. I haven’t seen a single man on ESPN who has been willing to specifically take issue with Young. Furthermore, Azalea actually thanked Russell for the video. But this has somehow flown so far under the radar that people can’t even concede that the outcome of this video isn’t entirely bad. Azalea is the one who’s the real victim here, not Young. But because he’s an NBA player, and it violated “man code,” people are enraged on his behalf. If people were persecuted this harshly for revealing someone cheated to a public audience, then would Bob Woodward have reported about Nixon’s wiretappings?

Probably. I understand that it’s an entirely different profession where politicians are expected to be accountable, but just because he’s an athlete, should Young get an automatic pass for his behavior? As a man, I’m calling out the patriarchy here. This is a chance for people to realize how the media has treated Russell, and especially Azalea, with a lack of respect. Good thing the Lakers are absolutely terrible and Kobe’s retiring — because this story is a headache for all and could have been blown even more out of proportion. Joe Diehl ’18 can be reached at joseph_diehl@brown.edu.