SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 54
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
Students protest alum’s performance Grossman ’00 performs Hindu chants, responds to questions about cultural appropriation By SHAWN YOUNG STAFF WRITER
MARIANNA MCMURDOCK / HERALD
Joe Lonsdale speaks to students at an event sponsored by the Brown Entrepreneurship Program. During his talk, Lonsdale discussed milestones in his career, ranging from interning at PayPal to founding his own company.
Brown EP hosts tech exec Joe Lonsdale Given Lonsdale’s past relationship with student mentee, WiCS holds alternative event By ELENA RENKEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Joe Lonsdale, founder of Palantir Technologies, Addepar and 8VC, spoke about his business experience and professional philosophy in a talk hosted by the Brown University Entrepreneurship Program Thursday afternoon in MacMillan Hall. An event titled “Healthy Relationships in Your Workplace” was hosted
by Women in Computer Science, a student organization, at the same time as Lonsdale’s talk. Brown EP previously told a student that the event would be canceled after she expressed concerns over charges of sexual harassment and assault that a Stanford alum — who had been in an allegedly abusive relationship with Lonsdale while she was an undergraduate — filed against him last year. The charges were dropped in November, and Stanford lifted a ban that prohibited Lonsdale from campus grounds. Still, because Lonsdale was found to have violated the university’s code of conduct with regard to disclosing consensual
mentor-student relationships, Stanford did not lift the temporary teaching and mentoring suspension it had imposed on him. After consulting with administrators and other campus groups, Brown EP decided to go forward with the event, The Herald previously reported. “A few misguided activists may have had some issue, but we didn’t see them and would have been happy to educate them if we had,” wrote Anthony Ghosn, Lonsdale’s chief of staff, in an email to The Herald. Ghosn also told The Herald that the University’s Title IX Office and the » See LONSDALE, page 2
A group of about 15 students protested a performance entitled “An Evening of Devotional Music” by Carrie Grossman ’00 Thursday night. The performance was held in Smith-Buonanno Hall and was advertised as an “intimate evening of inquiry, music and meditation,” according to the description of the event on Facebook. Before Grossman began, student leaders of the Contemplative Studies Departmental Undergraduate Group issued an opening statement regarding the protesters: “We see ourselves, as well as anyone that engages in the fruits and perils of globalization that are running their course, as responsible for a constant and critical examination of our behaviors, beliefs and attitudes.” The DUG had previously found out about the planned protest of the event and added a question-and-answer session to the end of the performance. But the DUG leaders also said that while
they planned the event with good intentions, they “humbly acknowledge that those intentions do not preclude harm and hurt that we may have inflicted.” As Grossman began describing her experience with Hindu chanting, the students began to ask her questions on appropriation of Hindu culture. “How does your whiteness impact how you engage with these cultures?” one student asked. Another student said that Grossman’s website used “disturbing and appropriative language” because it says that she “enjoys … pretending to be a Vedic priestess.” Grossman addressed these questions by describing how she discovered chanting on a visit to India, saying that she “found (chanting) very powerful and very healing.” She then reiterated that there would be a discussion after her performance and began chanting. The student protestors continued to ask questions, but members of the audience, comprised of students, staff members and faculty members, turned around and asked them to be quiet. In addition, some of the audience members stood up and moved to where the protesters were sitting to ask them to leave. » See PROTEST, page 4
White House predicts Senior honored for local service, athletics ’16 honored soaring Providence deficit Rolandelli with Sarah Devens Award Deficit projected to jump 1,100 percent over 10 years due to long history of reckless spending By NICHOLAS WEY STAFF WRITER
The National Research Network, a component of the White House’s Strong Cities, Strong Communities Initiative, released a draft report Monday regarding the state of the financial deficit in Providence. The report found that the city will face a $176 million budget deficit in 10 years — a 1,100 percent increase from the fiscal gap today — if nothing is done to slow debt accumulation. According to Mayor Jorge Elorza, who announced the findings through a news release the same day, this issue primarily stems from four factors: largely unfunded pension and healthcare systems, a loss of state aid, the high carrying costs of the public workforce and the mismanagement of
INSIDE
infrastructure. The deficit is structural, which means a one-time source of revenue cannot fix the problem. But what does $176 million really mean? The NRN report estimates the baseline deficit for the 2019 fiscal year as $10 million. In purely monetary terms, $10 million is equivalent to the salaries of 105 police officers or a 4 percent commercial and residential tax increase across Providence. Still, these numbers all correlate to a budget shortage that is 17 times smaller than the projected 2026 deficit. As Elorza stated in an April 11 press release, Providence has become deeply entrenched in a cycle that “rewards short-term thinking and forces us to scramble for one-time fixes instead of focusing on the investments we need to succeed.” This statement applies most plainly to the city’s infrastructure. According to the report, the deferred maintenance to the city’s roads, bridges and schools acts as both a cause and a long-term effect of the city’s hasty fiscal choices. » See DEFICIT, page 3
for community service work, on-ice leadership By BEN SHUMATE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Women’s hockey captain Alli Rolandelli ’16 was named the winner of the 2016 Sarah Devens Award last week, an annual award recognizing leadership and commitment both on and off the ice. The award, named after Dartmouth’s Sarah Devens, who died in 1995 during her senior year, is given to one women’s hockey player in either the ECAC or Hockey East conferences. Rolandelli is the second Brown athlete to receive the award, following in the footsteps of 2001 winner Christina Sorbara ’01. Rolandelli first began work in the Providence community her freshman year, volunteering in a first-grade classroom at Fox Point Elementary School. A project she has stuck with all four years at Brown, she calls the Thursday meetings with the
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Alli Rolandelli ’16 was recognized for her work with Love Your Melon, a company aiming to provide hats to children battling cancer. first-graders her “favorite part of the from Brown in 2014, Rolandelli reweek.” turned to school with an even greater Rolandelli’s passion for helping drive to give back to Providence. “I children was inspired by her late felt like I needed to do more,” she said. mother, who dedicated her work to “I wanted to tie in my mom’s passion children as a day-care provider before and my passion for helping kids also her passing in 2014. “Kids are really with helping those who have cancer.” important to our future,” she said. “If She became familiar with a prowe can help them learn, enjoy them- gram founded in her native state of selves or be some sort of a role model, Minnesota called Love Your Melon, that’s something that I find really fun.” started in 2012 by two college students After taking a leave of absence » See ROLANDELLI, page 4
WEATHER
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
NEWS Over 900 admitted students flock to campus for A Day on College Hill, get taste of college scene
SPORTS Athlete of the Week: Will Gural ’16 finds success in face-off X to lead high-powered offense
COMMENTARY Friedman ’19: Mental health should be seen as communitywide issue on college campuses
COMMENTARY Steinman ’19: Students should be required to take one DPLL course before graduating
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ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 2 • FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Fashion show presents student-made apparel » LONSDALE, from page 1 Fashion@Brown provides creative outlet for student designers, models in sixth annual fashion show By LAURA FELENSTEIN STAFF WRITER
Tucked away in the softly lit Studio One on the fourth floor of the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Fashion@Brown’s sixth annual fashion show drew an observant crowd of nearly 100 people. The show featured a total of 67 looks put together by nine different design teams — the organization’s largest show ever, said Jenna Davis ’16, co-events coordinator and model liaison. Looks ranged immensely, with some designers showcasing formalwear and others exhibiting more unconventional pieces or casual and neutral outfits. For each designer’s collection, the title — or designer’s name if they chose to go without a title — was announced, and musical accompaniment was played to match the feel of their apparel. To start, the work of designer Sabiya Ahamed ’17 was featured, followed by that of Ingrid Zippe ’17.5, Bryn Kelley ’16, Jennifer Avery ’16.5, the team of Kristen Michaelson ’16 and Alexia Stylianou GS, Kimberly Saltz ’17, the team of Leadz Dorce ’16, Chimezie Udozorh ’16 and Kelechukwu Udozorh ’18, Sofia Kadieva ’16 and finally Katharina Windemuth ’16. Though some had artistic backgrounds, no experience was necessary to participate as a designer in the show. And for some designers, this show served as a first-time opportunity to present their works. “Brown is special in that it gives me the opportunity to design something for myself without having to (follow) any guidelines,” Windemuth said. “For me, it has just been an exploration.” The event was noticeably diverse, with models of varying race, gender and body type dressed in everything from classy skirts and heels to eccentrically
KEIICHIRO KINOSHITA / HERALD
A model hits the runway donning the wears of designer Sofia Kadieva ’16, one of the night’s dozen student designers who had their work featured. patterned bodysuits. There was clearly very little restriction when it came to clothing selection. Avery praised the allowed “artistic agency,” which came through in her ensembles, including bright and wild patterns that she made herself, neon body paint, wigs and animal masks. One model even stopped to take a selfie midway through her walk. Saltz chose to represent her creative freedom through a surprising medium: wire. “I liked the idea of taking something that very much doesn’t seem wearable and turning it into that,” she said. The last dress in her collection, which she deemed her favorite, “deceptively weighs about 10 pounds,” Saltz said. This kind of creative outlet and expression is exactly what the fashion show was meant to provide for its participants, Davis said. “I love that Fashion@Brown does this. It’s just such a great program, and I’ve just had the best time participating in it,” Windemuth said.
Many of the models were also invested in the show, being friends and peers of the designers who dressed them. “The designer that I walked for, Jennifer Avery, she’s incredible,” said model Polina Tamarina ’17. “It was unexpected how fun and crazy it was,” she added. The work that goes into the fashion show is an all-year affair beginning in the fall with a model call and gauge of interest for designers, Davis said. But the real planning and finalization of schedules does not happen until the month before the show, she added. On the designer end, the bulk of the work appears to have been completed within the past few months, a time frame both Saltz and Windemuth mentioned. “I thought it was really great,” said audience member Nicki Driscoll ’16. “I’d never been to any of the fashion shows at Brown before, and I was really impressed by a lot of the fashion that I didn’t realize that people at Brown were making. Some of the clothes were really quite incredible.”
Department of Computer Science condoned the event. “The CS department did not take a position (on the event),” wrote Amy Greenwald, associate professor of computer science, in an email to The Herald. The Herald could not independently confirm whether the Title IX office expressed approval of the event, as representatives did not respond to a request for comment before press time. The WiCS event featured Gail Cohee, director of the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center and associate dean of the College and Sara Matthiesen, postdoctoral fellow in American Studies and the Title IX Office, as well as advocates from Sexual Health and Assault Resources and Education, a University-run group. Because some students were uncomfortable attending the Brown EP event and members of WiCS were interested in discussing the matter of mentor-mentee relationships, “it just happened to be a great time to have that conversation,” said a coordinator from WiCS, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of potential professional repercussions. The program did not include any discussion of Lonsdale. A SHARE advocate was also available outside the auditorium during Lonsdale’s lecture for anyone who needed support or assistance. Lonsdale discussed different points in his career trajectory, including interning at PayPal while the Chinese and Russian mafias were trying to force the company into bankruptcy and serving as an executive at a large global hedge fund. After growing up in Silicon Valley, he studied computer science at Stanford and interned at PayPal while he was a student. After the company was sold to eBay, many of Lonsdale’s friends left to construct companies, including Yelp, YouTube and LinkedIn. “I was really lucky to be part of this whole group and get that entrepreneurial background before I started building things myself,” Lonsdale said. As a co-founder of Palantir, which
TechCrunch deems a “software and services company that specializes in data analytics,” Lonsdale delved into his interest in the inefficiencies and technology problems in government. “The team that got Osama bin Laden was working with us really closely,” Lonsdale said. “We ended up not only getting a lot of bad guys, but helping save the government tens of billions of dollars.” Lonsdale started a financial division of Palantir that aimed to fix problems in other industries, and the company also launched a philanthropic sector. “We helped get rid of a lot of slave labor in supply chains around the world,” Lonsdale added. The first founder to leave Palantir, Lonsdale went on to found Addepar, a company that develops investment management technology. Building on his experience with Palantir, Lonsdale brought more realism and senior businesspeople into this venture, he said. “When we were building Palantir, we kind of had this very young, confident view that we didn’t really need old people’s help because old people are stupid,” Lonsdale said. With Addepar, he had more appreciation for the expertise and connections that come with experience. There are prerequisites for good venture companies, Lonsdale said, listing the presence of a strong engineering culture and the basis of a network or platform as beneficial factors. Lonsdale also lauded Silicon Valley as a friendly place for businesses. “People know that if they’re helpful to a group, then another group’s going to work with them,” he said, adding, “The nice guys and girls do get ahead.” Lukas Biton ’17 questioned how Lonsdale reconciles his moral compass with his business ventures, and Lonsdale unpacked his philosophy regarding the beneficial nature of markets. “I think there’s a misunderstanding in places like Brown historically. They kind of see the world of business as this money-grubbing, evil, morally questionable thing,” Lonsdale said. Businesses are frequently the best way to find solutions, he added, citing health care and finance as examples of industries in which companies offer benefits to society. “The act of entrepreneurship is like the act of creation, and it’s fundamentally why our civilization has improved so much the last 300 years,” he said. “This is why places like Venezuela are not doing as well: because they don’t have these markets, and they don’t encourage entrepreneurship.” Lonsdale said that he likes to help companies that do good in the world achieve their missions, adding that in his role on the board of a healthcare company, he is excited to increase efficiency and improve experience. Biton appreciated Lonsdale’s honesty and ethics in business. “It really appears that he doesn’t do what he doesn’t believe in,” he said. “A lot of the answers that he gives are based on philosophical frameworks, and that makes for really structured thinking,” said Cliff Weitzman ’16. He also valued Lonsdale’s goal of bettering the world as much as possible, Weitzman said. “It’s really hard to build a company or to help a company if you’re not interested in it,” Lonsdale said. “Your mind engages better when you like something, or you love something, and you think it matters.”
NEWS
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
ADOCH showcases diversity, student life to admitted students Over 900 prospective students visit campus, explore dorms, classes, student-group events By HANA PARK STAFF WRITER
Brown greeted a record number of 915 admitted students to its campus Tuesday through Thursday for A Day on College Hill, the University’s welcome event for students admitted through regular decision. This marks the first year that ADOCH did not overlap with other Ivies’ admitted student events. “We have spent so much time with you for the past six months. You’ve been in our offices. You’ve been in our homes. We’ve had a wicked good time,” joked Dean of Admission Jim Miller ’73 at the reception. Citing more than 32,000 applications, Miller announced his retirement, saying, “I say this every year, and I really mean it this year because it will be the last time I will ever say it — we really do expect the Class of 2020 to be the single best class of Brown.” President Christina Paxson P’19 also welcomed the class Tuesday evening. Describing what Brown looks for in its applicants, Paxson said, “You know the basics — we look at your academic performance, we look at your extracurricular activities, we look at your essays, but in addition to that, we’re looking for true intellectual
» DEFICIT, from page 1 The report compared Providence to a number of other similar cities in New England in order to contextualize its findings. When measuring Providence’s profile against those of its peer cities, Providence falls short in almost every category. Among 11 cities, Providence ranked 10th in population below the poverty line and ninth in median household income, for example. For its pension system, Providence ranked highest in unfunded liability — the difference between the amount of money governments have committed to pay pension recipients and the amount the governments have. Standing at roughly $894 million, Providence’s unfunded liability exceeds the median in the pool by almost $600 million. Stamford, for example, has only $50 million in unfunded liability. To make matters worse, from 2005 to 2016, state aid for the city of Providence decreased 32 percent, a drop of $17.5 million. The report assigns part of the blame to the Angel Taveras administration, which preceded Elorza’s, for the widening of this fiscal gap.
curiosity combined with a healthy streak of independence. … It’s hard to describe it, but I know it when I see it.” She went on to state that there are no “typical” Brown students. ADOCH’s three days of events allow admitted students to attend classes, stay in campus dorms and learn about student organizations on campus. “One new thing we’ve tried is to make our students of color program at ADOCH much more inclusive, so we have a (Brown Center for Students of Color) welcome event happening at the start,” said ADOCH co-coordinator Madison Shiver ’17. The BCSC brought together admitted students of color and current Brown undergraduates to discuss diversity and student activism on campus. Other events that showcased Brown’s racial diversity included, among many other events, the Black Student Union Block Party, the Black Student Kickback, a Minority Peer Counselor Workshop and the Biracial/Multiracial Welcome. ADOCH also included programs dedicated to students of color interested in concentrations in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, fields in which students of underrepresented backgrounds are particularly few, co-coordinator Fernando Ayala Vaca ’17 said. A variety of student groups participated in this year’s ADOCH events at Faunce House. Student groups that cater to many identities, whether it Elorza stated in the press release that the city must “work with urgency to make sure we have a long-term frame of mind. So we’re making investments today that lead us where we want to go.” But Elorza did not specify how exactly the city would go about making such changes. This report could result in budget cuts and tax increases, as well as administrative restructuring. Still, these findings have been somewhat divisive for the Providence community. Michael Solomon, who ran for mayor in 2014 and served as city council president under Taveras, remains both critical of the report and antagonistic of Elorza’s handing of the issue. “I would like to see the mayor substantiate his comments concerning decades of neglect with respect to the last five years,” Solomon told GoLocalProv. “I was proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Mayor Taveras to rein in an incomprehensible $110 million structural deficit. … Perhaps the mayor should take a page out of our playbook and choose to work with city stakeholders — such as our brave firefighters — instead of playing the divisive politics of the past.”
www.browndailyherald.com
MARIANNA MCMURDOCK / HERALD
Brown students hold signs welcoming potential members of the Class of 2020 for A Day on College Hill. Students got a taste of campus culture, staying in student dorms and attending events held by student groups. be racial, queer or first-generation, held their own mixers. At the Faunce events, admitted students were allowed to witness the many groups at Brown that they may have interest in joining as undergraduates. The event was particularly important for Gloria Nashed, from Orlando, Florida. “This wasn’t my first time at Brown, but ADOCH really gave me insight to what life at Brown is like,” she said. Nashed named the Christian Coffeehouse event on Tuesday night the stand-out experience for her. She described her pleasant surprise at seeing a strong Christian support group, which was her “biggest concern” despite already having committed to the University. Describing her happiness at seeing inclusivity at Brown, Nashed
said, “I guess coming to ADOCH was to just confirm my decision.” Ravi Betzig from Okemos, Michigan also attended ADOCH to confirm his decision. Planning to concentrate in both applied mathematics and economics, Betzig said he thought he would enjoy the Brown social scene. “I know that I want to do STEM, and seeing STEM programs at other schools felt like there would only be kids who are going to be looking at books for four years.” But at Brown, Betzig felt that he would have access to a wider range of perspectives. Not all students who attended ADOCH have committed to Brown. Allie Arnold, from Georgetown, Massachusetts, said she has chosen to attend another school solely because
of financial aid. While Arnold “really liked attending classes” during ADOCH, committing to the other school she was accepted to “means 15 grand less.” Arnold freely admitted that her intended concentration, literary arts, was superior at Brown, but financial constraints forced her to choose otherwise. Shiver and Ayala Vaca said they had been planning the event since September. “ADOCH is not just for the prefrosh, but also the current undergrads at Brown,” Ayala Vaca said. “In order to showcase the liveliness of Brown, we need to have that reflected in the community and show that there’s a commitment to your own Brown community.”
SPORTS
PAGE 4 • FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Gural ’16 kickstarts fast-paced offense for men’s lacrosse
Senior leads No. 3 Bears over top-ranked Yale, powers offense with faceoff success By JAMES SCHAPIRO STAFF WRITER
In 2013 and 2014, Will Gural’s ’16 first two seasons at Brown, the men’s lacrosse team had two middle-of-thepack, 8-6 seasons. Then Gural took over as the team’s face-off man. The difference has not been hard to see. In Gural’s first full year on the job, the Bears went 12-5, with Gural converting almost 60 percent of the face-offs he saw. This year, they’re 11-1, ranked third nationally. Gural has been even better — his face-off percentage is up from just under 60 percent to almost 70 percent. He has added four goals and five assists since appearing in only eight games his sophomore season and has become integral in the Bears’ attack. The Bears defeated then-top ranked Yale in an upset victory Saturday, notching their first win over the Elis since 2009. Gural was a central piece in the win, recording two goals and two assists, as well as 19 out of 27 successful face-offs. He also scooped 11 ground balls, leading the team. For the oft-unsung contributions of a successful face-off man to the Bears’ offense, as well as his two goals and two assists against Yale, Gural has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week. Herald: First off, can you tell me about your background in lacrosse?
» ROLANDELLI, from page 1 “with the simple idea of putting a hat on every child battling cancer in America,” according to the LYM website. Rolandelli was successful in starting a “crew” of Brown athletes affiliated with the organization to begin work in Providence in May 2015. With beanies in hand, the crew regularly visits local children’s hospitals dressed as superheroes to spend time with children battling cancer. The group also organizes fundraisers for cancer research, recently conducting a fundraiser affiliated with a foundation called Shoot For A Cure. The crew, predominantly comprised of
» PROTEST, from page 1 The students were “asked to leave by the deans or to stay if we wanted” due to their constant questions, wrote Sohum Chokshi ’18, one of the student protestors, in a Facebook message to The Herald. But Chokshi said that the students left “because (audience members) wanted us silent.” As Chokshi exited, he announced that the protesters would hold their own kirtan, a form of Hindu chanting, outside the room. After her performance, Grossman and several members of the audience joined the protesters outside the hall for a question-and-answer session. “What is your working definition of cultural appropriation?” asked Aanchal Saraf ’16. Grossman said she defines the term as using elements of other cultures “in your own way.”
Gural: I’m from Philadelphia; I played at Haverford High School growing up. I guess I’ve been playing since about first grade, so I’ve been playing for a while. Then obviously, four years here at Brown — I’d say it’s the best team I’ve ever been on, which says a lot, because I’ve played for some pretty great teams in the past. It’s been a lot of fun to be playing here, and being on the best Brown team in recent history is pretty cool as well. How did you become a face-off guy? I was just a regular midfielder up until about 10th grade. And then at my high school, I think we had 12 senior Division I commits in the grade above me when I was a junior, so I started coming in early and working with my coach on face-offs, and just kind of rode that wave, and it became something that I started to get pretty good at. Obviously I got recruited for it, kept working at it, so it worked out well. I would just say, it’s one of those positions where a lot of it is technique, and getting enough reps and enough practice. So, because I saw what was an opportunity for me to get on the field, I started doing it, and then I enjoyed it, and it worked out for me.
They’re obviously a great team, so we knew that we had something special after seeing that result, but it’s awesome to be 11-1. Obviously the loss to Bryant was unfortunate, but you learn a lot from a loss, and it’s going to help us correct some things that we might have needed corrected for the postseason. But now we finish out Ivy League play and then have a big game against UVA down in Georgia. It’s the same mentality in all these games: taking it one game at a time, trying not to overlook anyone and making sure we come out of this stretch prepared for the postseason. What’s the team’s mindset? How do you guys feel? We feel good. Coming off of Providence, it was a little sloppier than we would have liked, but the energy was there. It was a good team effort. A lot of guys stepped up and made plays when we needed to make plays. The mindset is just on to the next one, prepare for Cornell — how can we get a win at Cornell? — and go from there. They’re a good team, traditionally a really good program, and you can never count anyone in the Ivies out. We’re expecting a good game from them.
who the opponent is. That’s what it comes down to: playing our style, executing our game plan and making plays.
You’re 11-1 with the postseason coming up. What have you thought of the season? It’s a great season. It kind of went as we expected — we knew we had a good team coming into this year. We opened with a scrimmage against Syracuse, we’d only had four practices, and we played them really close.
Cornell and Dartmouth coming up — what kind of games do you expect from those two? We expect the same type of games we’ve seen all season. A lot of teams try and game plan for us, because we have a pretty unique style. We have a fast play, we really like to push it in transition, so we’re just going to continue to do what we do no matter
You’re a senior; this is your last push with the team. Tell me about your four-year career at Brown. It hasn’t always been like this at Brown. My first two years here, we had 8-6 seasons, so just above average. Last year was the first year we took the talent that we had and really made something of it, getting an Ivy League championship and making it
to the tournament. This year, it’s really about being the best team in the Ivy League, having nothing up for interpretation. It’s been a roller coaster; I think it’s helped our team, though. We’ve been in the position where we haven’t always been a traditionally great program. We’ve been good but not a national powerhouse, so to have experienced both sides of it, we know what it’s like to lose games, we know how that feels. We really embraced the fact that we have a great program this year, and we’re going to do whatever it takes to win it all.
Brown hockey players on the women’s and men’s teams, successfully raised over $9,000. The crew’s future presence at Brown became uncertain when Rolandelli was notified by the Brown Compliance Office that her work with Love Your Melon could be considered an NCAA violation for selling commercial products. Determined to continue her cause, Rolandelli worked closely with then-Assistant Director of Athletics for Compliance Eric Schneider to write a waiver to the NCAA, explaining the nature of the program and petitioning for the crew to be allowed to continue its work. The waiver was approved, allowing
student-athletes not only at Brown, but nationwide, to participate in the program. There are now over 700 crews across the country, many led by student-athletes, up from around 150 when Rolandelli brought the program to Brown. Rolandelli also volunteered with the Rhode Island Special Hockey Program, teaching children and adults ages 4-22 with disabilities to skate. On the ice, Rolandelli was a twoyear captain for the Bears, unanimously voted into the position by her teammates. First-season Head Coach Bob Kenneally ’90 knew that Rolandelli’s leadership would be an asset to the
program from the day he met her in 2015. “I realized right away what an amazing young woman she was — she had so much grace and class. She’s such a great leader in her own way,” he said. “Her mom has passed down some qualities to Alli that show how much she cares about people. It’s completely genuine, and it’s something I really respect her for.” Rolandelli said her community service work at Brown has helped her find herself and has illuminated what most energizes her. “I find a passion in it,” she said. “Not only does it help others, but it helps me. I learn so much from the kids I work with and
from all the community members.” A health and human biology concentrator, she plans to attend dental school after graduation, possibly using the $10,000 scholarship connected with the award to fund her further studies. For Rolandelli, the title of Division I athlete is something that means much more than wearing a Brown jersey and competing in the Ivy League. “Athletes are put on this stage where they have a great avenue to the community,” she said. “I feel as if it’s our responsibility to use that stage to reach out to the community and influence these kids and show them that being an athlete is way more than performing on the ice.”
Later, Grossman apologized for not understanding the offense her actions would cause. Saraf responded, “You saying that it wasn’t intended to be harmful doesn’t make it an apology.” Both Saraf and Chokshi led the discussion with Grossman and highlighted the different ways that Grossman has the ability to give performances at the expense of minorities. Toward the end of the questionand-answer session, the conversation turned toward the actions that Grossman could take in the future to create systemic change. “Use your privilege to make structural change,” Saraf said. “You as a white person are protected.” Saraf closed the discussion by saying that she wanted Grossman to leave with that message because “that’s what radical love looks like.”
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Will Gural ’16 has been a key offensive weapon for the Bears, recording two goals and two assists in an upset win against then-top-ranked Yale.
SHAWN YOUNG / HERALD
About 15 student protesters gathered outside of Carrie Grossman’s ’00 performance of Hindu chants, questioning her on whether her performance constituted cultural appropriation.
TODAY
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 • PAGE 5
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avenue to the community. I feel as if it’s our responsibility to use that stage to reach out.
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— Alli Rolandelli ’16
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Brain Power Hour 5:00 P.M. Wilson Hall 102
Spring Fermata Concert 7:00 P.M. Grand Recital Hall
SATURDAY Brown China Summit 9:30 A.M. Metcalf Research Building 101
Attitude Dance Company Annual Showcase 9:00 P.M. Alumnae Hall
SUNDAY Strides in Solidarity 5K 12:00 P.M. Quiet Green
Brown Motion Pictures Spring Premiere 6:30 P.M. Avon Cinema
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
comics
Brown Bites
Ampersand | Wasita Mahaphanit
Our heads hurt Campus was filled with groans and sunglasses this week as students struggled to recover from a successful Spring Weekend. While Friday night’s performances started off more low-key with the sounds of Funkinevil, Tink’s performance quickly brought concertgoers to their feet. Headliner Fetty Wap spent much of his set playing the same hits multiple times. But Saturday really left the Main Green ablaze, with Tinashe proving to be one of the best performers of the weekend. Those who were coherent enough for the end of Saturday’s concert were shocked to see a crowdsurfing Mac DeMarco, who closed the weekend’s concert with an improvised heavy-metal session. This week will see a surge of humanities and STEM concentrators changing career paths to bad-ass musicianship.
Cat Ears | Najatee’ McNeil
Fire on Angell 185 Angell Street, an off-campus house home to many members of the men’s hockey team, caught on fire last Thursday morning. The fire was caused by an issue with the house’s electrical system and spread to 183 Angell, the adjacent house. One student received medical treatment for smoke inhalation, and two firefighters suffered minor injuries as well. The University is providing the students with support, including housing and textbooks, to replace what was lost in the fire. Lax bros never looked so chill Students who had never cared about sports before rushed to the field to see the now-No. 3 men’s lacrosse team’s highly anticipated game against then-No. 1 Yale this past weekend. While the Bears got off to a rocky start, the nation’s leader in points per game Dylan Molloy ’17 continued to dominate the field, and Bruno came out of the action-packed game with a 14-12 win — men’s lacrosse’s first triumph over Yale since 2009. The team now holds sole possession of first place in the Ivy League, and students everywhere are fangirling. Oh, hey, Dylan: Call us. Why, SciLi, why? Changes to the SciLi also made headlines this week, as library staff and students voiced frustrations about the changes going on in the basement. Course reserves, DVD collections and iClickers will now be located only at the Rock, and front desk hours at the Friedman Study Center will be cut from 110 hours of librarian service a week to 70. While University Librarian Harriette Hemmasi noted that “any current Friedman Study Center staff member who sees a change to his or her role, schedule or assignment will continue to have a job of equal grade and salary elsewhere in the Brown University Library system,” Senior Library Specialist James Schlageter still voiced some concerns. “Some of us have been working together for over 10 years, and now we are going to be dispersed and broken up. … We’ve been through renovations, the changing of operations, taken on new things and been successful with it all, and it is all being thrown away.”
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Library services can’t be measured by statistics To the Editor: Library management wants to reduce staff and services at the Sciences Library based on a decline in circulation statistics. They contend that the numbers tell the whole story — which worries me because library services cannot be measured by metrics alone. I work in technical services, but I have watched and talked to my colleagues at the circulation desks for a very long time. The complexity of the services they provide amazes me.
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They are the first point of contact for nearly all library users, only a fraction of whom circulate library material. Despite (or maybe because of) the proliferation of online resources, students and faculty members need all kinds of assistance: to navigate these resources, to locate the subject specialists who can help them complete their research, to help them find what they need elsewhere if Brown doesn’t own it. And this list doesn’t begin to describe what the familiar faces at the SciLi circulation desk mean to
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the students who use that facility on a daily basis. The SciLi is now staffed by three full-time and three half-time employees who are available 100 hours each week. They know the collection, and most importantly, they know the students. Why is management listening only to the statistics, and not to these individuals who provide the services that cannot simply be represented by a bar graph or a pie chart? Deb Peterson, MA’83 Senior library specialist
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COMMENTARY FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Universities fail on mental health ANDREW FRIEDMAN
STAFF COLUMNIST Last month, one of my classmates from middle school passed away. He committed suicide with a kitchen knife after fatally stabbing his mother and brother in their Plano, Texas apartment. His family attributes his “snap” to a prolonged mental illness induced by multiple concussions he sustained while he played basketball for Plano West Senior High School’s varsity team. His funeral was held April 12. When I read disastrous stories of this magnitude, I feel detached from the people involved, even if I am reading a news post directly from my Facebook feed. So naturally, the experience of reading my classmate’s name, McCann, in the second paragraph of the widely-circulated Fox 4 News story was uniquely jarring for me. McCann’s passing was the second of two student deaths within the month from Plano West Senior High School’s 2015 graduating class — the first being the passing of Calvin, a student at the University of Texas at Austin and my classmate from elementary school, which also occurred under tragic circumstances. I attended Calvin’s funeral in Plano earlier this month. Though I did not attend Plano West for high school, McCann and
Calvin’s passings have had an acute impact on me. They have inspired me to meditate on my own mortality in a way I had not previously. Reconciling my emotional proximity to tragic events of such significance — I played pick-up basketball with McCann’s brother, Josiah, at the local recreation center last summer and sat next to Calvin in the second grade — was a new process for me. Reconciling the divergence between the optimistic realm where we high school graduates have been told that the world is our oyster and the harsh reality in
ine how the families must feel, but I know what it feels like to lose friends, and it can be really scary.” I appreciate her activism and effort to prevent future deaths under similar circumstances. But in reality, I find that admitting mental health problems, especially those at the level of Calvin or McCann, is far from easy. Admitting vulnerability is stigmatized in contemporary American culture, and in college, the trend of admitting one’s emotional and mental struggles is even more pronounced. College represents a
help.” A similar study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Psychiatry journal states that “almost half of college-aged individuals had a psychiatric disorder in the past year,” but that “college students were significantly less likely to receive past-year treatment for alcohol or drug use disorders than their non-college-attending peers.” Periodic depression in college is the norm, and yet college students treat it as an anomaly. It seems as though universities themselves treat mental illness as an
Mental health is a community problem rather than an individual one.
which two of my former friends are now deceased made me upset. I think many of my friends are finding these events similarly difficult to accept. Given what happened, one of my friends raised the importance of mental health awareness in a recent Facebook post. She wrote: “In light of the upcoming Mental Health Awareness Month and all of the recent tragic events that have occurred in Plano (with my graduating class in particular), it is important to emphasize mental health, check on friends/family and reach out to anyone who may be in a difficult place. I can’t imag-
unique phase of life in which individual achievement and independence are emphasized, and self-reliance is tested to its breaking point. This forces us to hold ourselves accountable for our actions, but at the same time forces us to place all of the blame for our shortcomings, which may be externally derived, solely on ourselves. This can lead to self-doubt and depression. According to a recent survey conducted by the National Alliance on Mental Illness, “one in four students have diagnosable (mental) illnesses,” and yet “40 percent do not seek
anomaly as well. According to a 2014 Newsweek article, many universities respond to mental illness by exercising “excessive use of discipline and involuntary leaves of absence” and “(discouragement) of students from asking for the help they need.” Despite claims to the contrary, Brown has similarly failed its students. According to an article published by The Herald in 2010, Brown refused to allow a student readmission after a semester of medical leave because of bipolar disorder. Another student was denied readmission after a year of medical leave because of “mis-
communication on the terms of her leave.” It seems as if admitting mental illness is simply not logical for many students, as university policies make it difficult for diagnosed students to graduate within a reasonable amount of time. Yet ignoring one’s problems, though the predominant practice, can become harmful, even deadly, if left unacknowledged. In many ways, the college environment serves as an amplifier of pre-existing mental illnesses; students can refuse proper treatment by passively ignoring it, and college campuses frequently provide easy access to potentially dangerous outlets, such as alcohol and other drugs. American universities must, in the case of mental illness, abandon the emphasis on individualism so integral to the American college experience, as mental health is not a problem that is so easily remedied, like poor study habits. Mental health is a community problem rather than an individual one. Perhaps if McCann and Calvin had not faced societal pressure to remain silent about their struggles, they would still be alive today. I hope that, over time, universities eventually adopt better policies regarding mental health, and that as students, we are more sincere and accepting of our own personal struggles and those of our peers.
Andrew Friedman ’19 can be reached at andrew_friedman@brown.edu.
DPLL courses enhance open curriculum CLARE STEINMAN staff columnist Somehow, it’s already time for pre-registration for fall 2016. As students explore the new Courses@Brown website in a mad dash to shape the perfect schedule, I urge the administration to consider a change that would ensure that every student graduates with a broadened perspective of the world. This can be accomplished by requiring one Diverse Perspectives in Liberal Learning course before graduation. These courses, according to Brown’s website, seek to “expose and critique the diverse historical and cultural forces that shape the construction of knowledge in all disciplines; teach the arts of critical reflection: questioning thoughtfully, listening openly and speaking cogently about differing points of view; and develop responsible citizens by examining the ways that power and privilege affect human lives and providing pathways to meaningful change.” They are designed to bring to the forefront the issues and identities that are left out of too many classrooms: race, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status and ethnicity. Plenty of students find themselves gravitating toward these classes because they are interested in the topic, while others seek them out as a way to learn
about new experiences or to have a space to discuss difficult issues. And yet, despite the vast array of courses at our disposal, it is entirely possible to graduate from Brown without engaging with these topics in the classroom setting. The open curriculum is valuable for a number of reasons, but one disadvantage is that it allows students to ignore issues — like those of racism, sexism, homophobia and other forms of marginalization — that they don’t come in contact with regularly. Obviously, no curriculum should be designed to tell students what
about by projecting inward and examining ourselves, we can lose sight of the broader picture. Brown’s liberal learning goals, published by the dean of the College, encourage students to “make the most of the freedom (they) have and to chart the broadest possible intellectual journey,” which is Brown-speak for using the open curriculum to learn about a lot of different things. This is why we need DPLL. Broad as these courses are — the offerings for fall 2016 range from MUSC 0044: “East Asian Popular Music” to HIAA 0770: “Architecture and Ur-
We can’t leave Brown without taking two classes on writing. Why should we be able to leave without taking at least one on the way that society views and treats people? they should or should not think, but a liberal education ought to encourage us to think, write and talk about things we might not otherwise. The college experience is rare in that it surrounds us with people who are passionate about the things that make them unique. The open curriculum is crucial to fostering those identifiers and allowing us to forge our own personal characters. But if we are so caught up in the race to figure out who we are and what we care
banism of the African Diaspora” — they ask us to consider areas of study that have been pushed to the sidelines by traditional curricula. Most high schools teach social justice issues with little more than a cursory glance, if at all. If you come to Brown and don’t take classes that delve any further, it is more than a wasted opportunity — it is a distorted and simplified way of seeing the world. We can’t leave Brown without taking two classes on writing. Why should
we be able to leave without taking at least one on the way that society views and treats people? In the past week, the DPLL designation has been featured in The Herald in two salient ways. In the Herald’s spring 2016 poll, released April 14, 58.4 percent of students agreed that all students should be required to take a DPLL designated class before graduation. An article published the same day reported on the April 13 UCS meeting where the effectiveness of the designation was discussed. Members were concerned that the designation was too broad or that students don’t use it when picking classes. But a DPLL requirement is popular with the student body and would help to alleviate UCS’s concerns by bringing it to the center of the curriculum. I don’t purport to claim that one DPLL class will make the student body universally informed and engaged on issues of diversity, tolerance and inclusion, but it would go a long way toward indicating the values that we, as a campus, seek to perpetuate. It is a simple, if small, step in the right direction. And rather than undermining the open curriculum, it has the potential to enhance it by introducing students to topics they might otherwise have overlooked.
Clare Steinman ’19 can be reached at clare_steinman@brown.edu.
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SPORTS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
FRIDAY, APRIL 22, 2016
The art of tanking in the NBA JOE DIEHL sports columnist
Last month, general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers Sam Hinkie stepped down after three years of basketball misery. Normally, that would be expected, but for Hinkie, the situation is different. Three years ago, the 76ers hired him with the intention of being terrible for three years. They have deliberately put the roster in a position to fail for the last three years in the hopes of landing the best pick possible in the lottery. After all, that’s how you get stars in the NBA. At the beginning, Hinkie recognized that the 76ers — stuck in NBA purgatory at the time with an okay-not-great team — needed to drastically change things up in order to truly compete for a championship. So they flipped their two best assets — Jrue Holliday and Thad Young — for NBA draft capital. They have since drafted Michael
Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel, Joel Embiid, Dario Saric and Jahlil Okafor. The problem with Hinkie’s strategy was that he invested everything in the draft, which meant he had to nail the picks he landed. Carter-Williams is no longer with the team, Saric is overseas, Embiid is still recovering from complications from a broken foot suffered two years ago and Okafor and Noel don’t look like future stars. Noel is too limited offensively, and Okafor has zero defensive value. The way the modern NBA is trending, you ideally want to have a stretch-4 at power forward, someone who can make the three and help your offensive spacing, complemented by a rim protector at center. Instead, the 76ers have three centers who ideally would never share the court. In order to tank as much as possible, the team decided not to sign any competent veteran free agents to help the younglings develop and mature. Instead, they signed free agents who were borderline NBA-caliber players and let them all take loss after loss. This
is probably a major reason none of their draft picks have been complete hits. Eventually, the NBA had enough of the 76ers’ incompetence and orchestrated the hiring of Jerry Colangelo in a senior executive role. This immediately signaled to Hinkie that higher powers were looking to add another voice into the franchise’s decision-making process. Colangelo’s impact materialized quickly, as the team traded for a competent point guard in Ish Smith. A few months later, Colangelo hired his son, and Hinkie penned a 13-page resignation letter. In hindsight, Hinkie left the team with significant assets. All of the aforementioned players have trade value that the Colangelos can use to mold the team in the way they see fit. The team has the Lakers’ potentially very valuable firstround pick next year and plenty of cap space, as well as the prospect of Embiid and Saric playing for the team soon. Unfortunately for Hinkie, he probably won’t get much credit for this success. Ultimately, his obsession with analytics, probability and numbers and disregard
for more intangible attributes like veteran leadership, professionalism and pride led to his downfall. A year ago, the Minnesota Timberwolves were in a similar position to the one in which the 76ers currently find themselves. The Timberwolves had a top-three pick in the draft and a young team with a bright future. Unlike the 76ers, they’ve had the advantage of back-to-back number one picks, and they’ve nailed both. Andrew Wiggins looks like a future dominant two-way wing with Karl Anthony-Towns, already a potential top-20 NBA player. They’ve nailed their later picks recently as well — Zach LaVine displays dazzling athleticism and talent, while Gorgui Dieng exhibits a savvy game for someone picked in the 20s. Pair these four with passing ace Ricky Rubio, and the Wolves have a really nice young core. They’re also betting on this core to make significant progress by hiring Tom Thibodeau as their new coach and president of basketball operations. Thibs had an immensely successful run with
the Chicago Bulls as a defense and grit coach. The Bulls had a top-five defense for most of Thibs’ five years with the team. The players played hard, played for each other and took pride in their fundamentals. This is a perfect match for a young team that needs a formative style of coaching to set the pace for its franchise’s growth and development. Look for the Wolves to become significantly better on the defensive end and in general next year. Both of these teams will likely have top-5 picks in the next draft. But one intentionally tanked for three years, while the other embraced the natural NBA cycle for small-market teams. The 76ers are still in a state of identity confusion, while the Wolves have a much clearer path to NBA prominence.
If the 76ers really wanted to tank, they could’ve just emailed Joe Diehl ’18 with a contract offer. He is patiently awaiting any offers and can be reached at joseph_diehl@brown.edu.
Nothing golden about the Warriors yet CHARLIE BLASBERG sports columnist
The Golden State Warriors have had the most successful regular season in
NBA history. They finished 73-9, edging out the 1996 Chicago Bulls for the most wins in a season. The Warriors set a record that will stand for a long, long time. But if they don’t go on to win the NBA title, will this season still be a success for Golden State? The answer is no, a thousand
times no. The record-setting season has been an entertaining precursor for what will be the real test for Golden State: the playoffs. No team that currently holds the record for most wins in a season has won a championship in any major sports league. The 2001 Seattle Mariners hold
the record for the most wins in an MLB regular season with 116 — they actually share the record with the 1906 Chicago Cubs, but we’ll focus on the Mariners for now. The Mariners were the essence of excellence in 2001, leading the majors in both runs scored and runs allowed. They had a winning record against every team they faced that season. Leadoff hitter Ichiro Suzuki was the American League’s Rookie of the Year, MVP and batting champion. Lou Piniella was the American League Manager of the Year, while ace pitcher Freddy Garcia led the league in ERA. In the postseason, high expectations and the toll of 162 games got to the Mariners. They narrowly squeaked by the Indians in the divisional series and fell to the Yankees in five games in the American League Championship Series. Ask any player or fan of the 2001 Mariners if their season was a success, and you will get a unanimous no. The 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings hold the NHL record for wins in a season with 62, though the 197677 Montreal Canadiens hold the record for points. Losses for these Red Wings were few and far between. With a roster comprised of Swedes, Canucks, Americans and Russians, they allowed 60 fewer goals than the next-best defensive team. They were also a spectacle of consistency, never losing consecutive games and boasting two separate stretches of ninegame winning streaks. But the Red Wings were felled in the Western Conference Finals by the Colorado Avalanche. Was this record-setting season a success, even though they couldn’t bring home the Cup? Again, no. Finally, the 2007 Patriots are the NFL team with the most wins in a season. They tallied 16 wins in their undefeated, “scorched-earth” cam-
paign. Their team was littered with All-Pro players on offense and defense, highlighted by the demolition duo of Tom Brady and Randy Moss. They had no problem with running up the score against Dallas, Miami and Washington. After waltzing through their regular season and playoffs, the Patriots were toppled by the underdog New York Giants in the Super Bowl. Was the Patriots’ undefeated season a success? That season is not spoken of in New England. And here we have arrived in 2016, with the almighty Golden State Warriors, a team that has faced no adversity so far. If a season is too easy for a team, it is often not conditioned to handle the inevitable struggle of a competitive playoff series. For the Warriors, such a series will occur when they reach the Conference Finals and play the Spurs, whose excellent season was overshadowed by the Warriors’ record. If the title eludes the Warriors, this season would be particularly agonizing because they have no excuse for not winning it all. They have the best player in basketball along with a cast of role players who would be the star on most other teams. They have consistently risen to the occasion against great teams and have exhibited that they are the best team in the NBA this season. Each season, a different team picks up an NBA title, and many of these title seasons have been forgotten. These Warriors have already etched their names in basketball history by completing a 73-win season. But they are just too good not to win the championship. The campaign will not be a success unless Golden State brings home the hardware.
Charlie Blasberg ’18 can be reached at charles_blasberg@brown.edu.