SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 66
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
Free speech debated for Constitution Day Event’s two speakers discuss first amendment’s role in shaping classroom dynamics, discourse By ALEX SKIDMORE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
ELI WHITE / HERALD
Homeless advocacy groups and press members were barred from a community discussion about Paolino’s Kennedy Plaza proposal. Security voiced concerns about overcrowding, but the space was not at capacity.
Plaza proposal marred by protest, exclusion Former mayor proposes relocation of RIPTA terminal, expansion of plaza amenities By KYLE BOROWSKI SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Former Mayor of Providence Joseph Paolino Jr. P’17 unveiled his plans for the redevelopment of Kennedy Plaza Wednesday at a closed-door meeting, presenting an ambitious and controversial vision for the future of the downtown district. While Paolino has not served in a governmental capacity for nearly three decades, he wields significant clout in the city. He is board chairman of the Downtown
Improvement District and a managing partner of the Providence-based Paolino Properties. Central to Paolino’s proposal is the relocation of the RIPTA bus terminal from Kennedy Plaza slightly north to the Amtrak train station. With the space from the terminal vacated, Paolino has called for a redesign of the plaza and neighboring Burnside Park to include a number of attractions including an amphitheater, an expanded park and a food court. The proposal comes after weeks of meetings concerning public safety and “qualityof-life-issues” in the downtown area between Paolino and a number of social service organizations, businesses and advocacy groups. But Paolino has come under fire
for some aspects of his proposal that some call anti-homeless. He has taken a hard stance against panhandling, for example, arguing that “some panhandlers have legitimate problems, and some have made it into a business,” in a statement released Sept. 14 at the event. While Paolino has promised that the proposal is a “neutral content ordinance” and that all panhandling, including that of firefighters and little leaguers, will not be allowed, some worry the policy would be selectively enforced against homeless people. In response to perceived inadequacies in Paolino’s proposal, a number of advocates for the homeless and other activists held a press conference in protest of his plan about an hour before » See PLAZA, page 2
At the University’s annual Constitution Day lecture, Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, and Stanley Fish, visiting professor of Law at Yeshiva University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law, explored the question: Should free speech be limited on college campuses? The Political Theory Project hosted the event to provide “a space to come together to hear and discuss challenging topics in good faith,” wrote Daniel D’Amico, visiting professor of political science at the Political Theory Project, in an email to The Herald. After an introduction from John Tomasi, professor of political science and director of the Political Theory Project, Lukianoff stepped up to the podium to present his view on the acceptable and unacceptable limits of free speech. Lukianoff first offered circumstances where free speech should be limited, like “true threats, obscenity and defamation.” He then described situations where free speech should be limited as behavior, not speech. For example, people “don’t have the right to stop an event from happening,” he said.
After listing this variety of situations where free speech can be curtailed, Lukianoff then defined his two beliefs that make him “radical” in his defense of free speech. The first principle is the bedrock rule where, “you can’t ban something simply because it’s offensive … (because) offensive is too subjective,” Lukianoff said. Next, he defended “viewpoint neutrality,” which means “you can’t ban viewpoints you dislike,” he added. Lukianoff ended his talk with the advice: “Make it a goal to seek out smart people with whom you disagree.” Fish then stepped up to the microphone. “You have invited two speakers who more or less agree,” he said. But Fish then argued that, at universities, there is a freedom to do “your academic job,” but should be no freedom of expression. To connect this idea to Brown, Fish quoted President Christina Paxson’s P’19 op-ed in the Washington Post: “Freedom of expression is an essential component of academic freedom.” “This is false,” Fish said. Universities must protect themselves against outside forces that try to shape their political agenda by employing “gatekeepers” — like deans or professors — who choose what voices should be heard on campus. Engaging in academia and social justice in the same space is “a debasement of teaching and of social justice,” he said. “The university is less democratic than it is Darwinian,” he added. Currently, students are the most toxic » See SPEECH, page 2
FOOTBALL
Team veterans look to lead Political experts discuss race in election successful 2016 campaign Rose, Morone place All-Ivy team members Doles ’17, Jette ’17 aim to lead a potent offense as receivers, on special teams By BEN SHUMATE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
After a 5-5 season a year ago, Brown football’s upperclassmen decided the team would take a new mentality to bring the Ivy League title to College Hill for the first time since 2008. Thus, “thru the wall,” the team’s new rallying cry for the 2016 season, was born. “We’ve been going through a culture change on our team,” said defensive back Jordan Ferguson ’17. “It’s something that the older guys started doing in January and February with winter workouts and
INSIDE
into spring practice.” Despite being picked to finish sixth in the Ancient Eight in the pre-season media poll, the Bears return 15 starters from last season and hope to conquer a crowded field of contenders in Head Coach Phil Estes’s 19th year. The conference crown was shared by Harvard, Penn and Dartmouth in 2015, while Brown finished fifth with a 3-4 conference record. Kyle Moreno ’17 will take the reins as a dual-threat quarterback in the Bears’ read-option attack. Moreno saw limited action last season but impressed in a loss at Harvard, throwing for 308 yards and two touchdowns and rushing for two more. Moreno will have to take care of the ball for Brown to find more success on offense, as the team was tied for the most » See FOOTBALL, page 3
candidates’ rhetoric in historical context, remain optimistic about future By SARAH NOVICOFF CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Tricia Rose, director of the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America and professor of Africana studies, and James Morone, director of the Taubman Center for American Politics and Policy, spoke on the unpredictable, yet historically consistent, role of race in the 2016 presidential election at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs Joukowsky Forum Thursday. Morone opened the talk by framing the 2016 election through a historical context of racism in American politics. “Racism isn’t new. Nativism isn’t new. But something else is new,” Morone
ANITA SHEIH / HERALD
Tricia Rose and James Morone held a panel at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs on how race has affected the 2016 election. said, before recounting the story of the United States’ first contested election in 1800. John Adams’ Federalist party campaigned on an anti-immigrant platform, and Thomas Jefferson’s DemocraticRepublicans won by antagonizing slaves while recruiting white foreigners. After
the election, the supremacy of Southern slave-owning whites continued for half a century. “Now we have one party that is built on the white vote — the Republican Party,” Morone said. “What we have » See WATSON, page 2
WEATHER
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
NEWS Study on why students drop classes in line with student, departmental goals
SPORTS Athlete of the week: Etzel ’19 discusses Ivy League aspirations, new coaching staff
COMMENTARY Papendorp ’17: STEM research opportunities for low-income students not viable
COMMENTARY Meyer ’17: Lamp/Bear highlights adminstration’s willingness to compromise morals for money
PAGE 3
PAGE 4
PAGE 7
PAGE 7
TODAY
TOMORROW
74 / 49
76 / 63
NEWS
PAGE 2 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
» PLAZA, from page 1
ELI WHITE / HERALD
Greg Lukianoff, president of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education, argues for free speech at college campuses.
» SPEECH, from page 1 force in the politicization of universities, he said. Students are “apprentices” and “have no right to participate in the shaping of the own scene of their instruction,” he added. Professors and students should try to understand ideas, not craft foreign policy, he added, before ending his speech with a directive to both — “do your job.” After the two speakers finished their talks, members from the audience asked questions, most of them directed at Fish. One student asked Fish why professors or administrators should have the authority to limit speech on campus. “The relationship is between someone who knows the subject and students who
want to know the subject,” Fish said. The student pressed further, adding, “we aren’t arguing about the laws of physics” but about social issues, some of which leave ample room for debate. “Social justice can be studied, … but the moment you take social justice seriously, … you’ve lost the university entirely,” Fish said. Another audience member asked Fish about the role of student voices on a committee that created the University’s Open Curriculum and enhanced the University’s prestige. In response, Fish said the University became more prestigious as a result of better recruiting by the admission office. No one listens to student voices on committees, Fish added. “That’s the way it is.”
it was to be announced on the front steps of Paolino Properties in Kennedy Plaza. “Paolino likes to present the work that he’s been doing as a communitybased plan,” said Meghan Smith of the Homeless Bill of Rights Defense Committee. “Well, we’re here to say loudly and clearly that nothing could be further from the truth.” From the onset of the groups’ meetings, it was obvious that Paolino had formed his own plan and was not willing to incorporate the opinions of homeless advocacy groups, she said. In response to Paolino’s proposal, a number of advocacy groups drafted and distributed a document entitled “Reclaiming Our Public Spaces,” which outlined a number of policy recommendations including distributing at least 150 housing vouchers, keeping the RIPTA terminal in Kennedy Plaza and ending police profiling of the homeless and the poor. “We have a beautiful constitution, which protects people’s rights … including (those of) the poor, the homeless and the drug addicted,” said Andy Horowitz, a law professor at the Roger Williams University School of Law. “Panhandling is a protected right … for the firefighters who want to hold boots out to fundraise, and it’s a protected right for a variety of other folks who some might call ‘less desirable.’” While speaking at the protest, Horowitz also commended Mayor Jorge Elorza for recognizing the unconstitutionality of previously enforced anti-panhandling ordinances and refusing to impose them moving forward. “We met in good faith with Mr. Paolino,” said Barbara Freitas, director of the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy project, though “the only reason he invited us together was so that it would look good to the public and to the media,” she added. “Here’s some wisdom for you, Joe,” Freitas said, “moving the problem somewhere else is still a problem, and if you’re not a part of the solution, then you must be part of the problem.”
» WATSON, from page 1 politely ignored now has become acute, lying right on the surface.” Morone then transitioned to questioning Rose, asking what she saw as the fundamental conclusions we can draw from this election. “Trump is for me a Rorschach test for an everyday populace and its understanding of race in America,” Rose said. “He helps us see something in ourselves. … I’m not surprised by him at all. I don’t find him shocking at all.” Rose went on to further describe white America’s “Kool-Aid of colorblindness,” which she said has acted as a cover for a softer form of racism that actively disempowers and disenfranchises African-Americans to this day. “The power of racial dog-whistling has been underestimated” because, without it, the middle class would act as a single voting bloc around issues of class,” Rose said.
Advocates protested outside Paolino Properties for about half an hour, after which they collectively walked to the Rhode Island Convention Center where Paolino’s proposals were supposed to be discussed with community organizations. Upon seeing about 20 individuals enter the center, some with signs bearing slogans like “houses not handcuffs,” security at the center refused to allow access to the meeting. A tense stalemate ensued between community members and security, especially when a number of individuals dressed in business attire were repeatedly allowed to pass through without a problem. Even after presenting press credentials, reporters from The Herald, Rhode Island Public Radio, the Providence Journal, Providence Business News and RI Future were barred by security from entering the event. Bob Plain, a reporter from RI Future, disclosed that he discovered through back channels that there was a “list” approved by Paolino of specific news organizations that were to be allowed entry. Reporters and advocates then played a genuine game of cat and mouse with security at the convention center, sneaking through pantries and up escalators in some instances and brazenly pushing past officers in others. Minor altercations erupted on at least two occasions in which officers forcibly removed or restrained individuals trying to gain access to the event. When it became increasingly apparent that no one would be allowed to enter, activists shouted back and forth “Whose city? Our city!” outside of the event doors. Security gave a number of reasons for excluding the public from the event, including fire safety and capacity issues, though several people who managed to enter reported that there were only about 50 people inside while the capacity for the room was listed as 130 people. Additionally, those gathered were told that only invited individuals would be allowed to enter, but advocates who had been asked to attend and who had been present at previous meetings were nevertheless blocked.
Paolino apologized for the incident later that day, admitting that “there is no logic in keep(ing) press out of a press conference.” While he conceded that security had been instructed to keep out those who would disrupt the event, he said they went too far in keeping out members of the press and advocates who had attended meetings before, regardless of their ideology. Paolino additionally sat down for a 37-minute interview with RI Future in consolation for the organization’s having been blocked. Paolino has incorporated an expansion of social programs for homeless individuals in his proposal, but some find his approach to issues like panhandling and loitering unacceptable. “The answer to homelessness is housing, and there’s not enough money for that,” said Diana Burdett, executive director of PICA, a homeless social service organization that had originally participated in negotiations with Paolino. “I don’t agree with the criminalization of homelessness, so I separated myself from the group in order to stand with the people we serve,” she added. Elorza held a press conference on the front steps of City Hall Sept. 15 in response to debate surrounding the Kennedy Plaza issue. Flanked by state legislators and members from the business and social service communities, Elorza committed to increasing police presence in the plaza and allocating resources for the construction of a day center to serve homeless individuals. He also announced the new PVD GIVES program, which will install “giving meters” throughout the city to encourage people to donate to social programs for the homeless rather than give them the money directly. “The issues we are addressing today are not unique to Providence. They are complex and multifaceted. But by coming together as a community, we have the opportunity to make lasting change,” Elorza said. “By addressing this issue creatively, collaboratively and compassionately while incorporating best practices from throughout the country, Providence can become a model for the entire nation,” he added.
Morone asked Rose why U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-VT, had been unsuccessful in using class-based rhetoric to capture the votes of African-Americans, especially those in the South and those over 35. Sanders “thought he could run a progressive campaign without talking about race. … He wasn’t ready to talk about race, and that’s insane,” Rose replied. Heesoo Kim ’19, in the later audience-question portion of the afternoon, asked Rose and Morone: “Is blue-collar, white society intrinsically racist as a community, or is the racism in bluecollar whites actually instilled in them by the elites in order to get their votes?” In response, Rose said that the long American history of whiteness has always been defined “in framework and in contrast and in contradiction with other racial groups,” whether it be Native Americans, African slaves, Chinese laborers or other races. Morone
described racism as “crack cocaine” for politicians — an easy and powerful way to lure white voters, but something politicians and the public should work hard to resist. Ken White GS, a first-year PhD candidate in political science, asked about the effect of this election, and specifically Donald Trump, on the role of truth in our political system. “We like to think that elections are about policy, … but it’s really a form of tribalism” around party loyalty and regional culture, Morone responded. The discussion concluded with some optimism from both professors — Rose hailed the potential of “coordinated, multifaceted social movements” to change minds, as seen in the gay rights movement. “It’s your future,” Morone said to a mostly student-comprised audience. “I’m really optimistic about how the next generation is going to deal with race.”
NEWS
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Dean of the College, Sheridan Center to study why students drop classes Students who drop classes can complete confidential survey to be analyzed by Sheridan Center By ROSE SHEEHAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Office of the Dean of the College and the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning are launching a semesterlong study with the help of the Undergraduate Council of Students to determine the reasons why students drop courses, said Dean of the College Maud Mandel. From the end of shopping period until the deadline for dropping classes, students who drop a course will receive an email from the Sheridan Center asking them to fill out a brief survey about why they dropped it, Mandel said. The survey responses will then go to the Sheridan Center for analysis with the future goal of allowing academic departments to address any trends that emerge, she added. “Without knowing exactly why students are dropping courses, we can’t begin to address some of these issues,” said Timothy Ittner ’18, vice president of UCS. “We’re hoping that
» FOOTBALL, from page 1 turnovers in the nation last year with 34. But Estes believes that Moreno is equipped to remedy the team’s struggles with turnovers. “Kyle has the confidence; he’s been doing this his whole life,” Estes said. Moreno stressed fixing the turnover woes from last season as the offense’s number-one priority and offered a simple prescription: “staying within the scheme, not trying to do too much and knowing my opponent inside and out.” The team performs numerous drills during practice to work on handling the ball well, Estes said. There will be no shortage of weapons for Moreno to rely on offensively, starting with 2015 All-Ivy receivers Troy Doles ’17 and Alex Jette ’17. Last season, Doles totaled 66 receptions for 963 yards and seven touchdowns, while Jette recorded 68 receptions for 928 yards and four touchdowns. The pair figures to be one of the more formidable duos in the league and will play a key role on special teams as well, with Doles returning kicks and Jette as the team’s punter. The Bears expect to use several players in the running game, with Johnny Pena
the survey can provide concrete data and numbers.” The suggestion for a study came from a variety of organizations and groups, Mandel said, adding that the council came to her independently to discuss the issue. Simultaneously, several other groups and departments either acted independently or approached her because they wanted to understand why students drop classes in light of the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, Mandel added. The study was also conceived as a way to prepare for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges accreditation process, an evaluation for university accreditation on a federal level that occurs every 10 years, Mandel said. “We are looking for additional data to help us in our accreditation reporting about curricular issues on campus,” she added. The computer science department has wanted to study why students drop courses for several years and brought the idea to Mandel some time ago, said ’17 — who ran for 310 yards and scored six touchdowns last season — returning with the most game experience. There was room for improvement on defense for Bruno as well. In the 2015 season, the Bears allowed 32.9 points per game, the highest in the Ivy League, and placed in the middle of the pack in both rushing defense and passing defense. Seven players return from that defensive unit, led by Ferguson and co-captain defensive end Robert Hughes ’17. Other key players include linebackers Will Twyman ’17 and Max Tylki ’17, who combined for 139 total tackles and 10.5 tackles for loss in 2015. “We’ve got some speed on defense,” Estes said. “Up front, those guys can run.” The veterans will take a personal stake in the improvement of the defense from last season, Ferguson said. “Sometimes when you’re put in tough situations you have to step up, and there were times when we didn’t do that,” he said. “If we trust each other to do our jobs, then we’ll definitely come out with Ws.” Following Saturday’s opener at Bryant (1-1), the Bears will run through the seven-game Ivy League slate and two non-conference games against Stetson
Tom Doeppner, vice chair of the department. “We have all sorts of data on the students who stay in our courses, but we really would like to have more information about why people choose to leave,” he added. “Are we doing anything that’s making people unhappy about our courses, that’s making predominantly more women unhappy in our courses or more people in underrepresented minorities?” UCS has also been pushing for this “concrete step” on “a student idea” since long before the beginning of the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan process, said Yvonne Diabene ’19, UCS spokesperson. Students have been instrumental in advocating the initiative, specifically in the computer science department, she added. UCS also heard from students who “wanted a way to officially report or give feedback on why they were dropping courses throughout the semester,” Ittner said. UCS brought “the ideas and the student perspective” to the study and has helped to generate the questions for the survey, said UCS President Viet Nguyen ’17. But in order to ensure that the results of the study will be “100
percent confidential” and inaccessible to any students, the Dean of the College and the Sheridan Center will be responsible for its organization and implementation, Mandel said. “It has to be a confidential study because we want students to understand that there will be no problem for them in filling out the survey,” she said. “We want the faculty to have data that they can use in departments to address curricular issues if they come up.” Doeppner said that the computer science department also recognizes that, in order for the study to be effective, access to the data must be limited. “If we were collecting the data, then students would understandably be a little uneasy about sending something that criticizes what’s going on in the courses that they might be identified with,” he added. The computer science department has already embarked on several efforts to make its classes more accessible to and comfortable for students, Doeppner said. The department conducted a climate survey of all computer science students last spring and has begun holding diversity training for undergraduate
teaching assistants. Last fall, with the voluntary cooperation of several faculty members, members of Women in Computer Science also began reporting statements made by professors in class “that were objectionable for any reason” to the faculty, Doeppner added. While what the study will reveal is impossible to predict, Mandel said that the action taken as a result of the findings should fit into the University’s push for diversity and inclusion. UCS hopes that the University will use the data “to be more preventative rather than reactive when it comes to certain pipeline issues,” Nguyen said. “Students who are dropping courses before grades are out, their voices aren’t being heard,” he added. “It’s always better to know what students are thinking so that we can better tailor our courses to them.” Mandel said that she hopes to report the aggregate data back to the University in some form after it has been analyzed, with no concrete timeline yet. UCS also plans to address and try to resolve the issues that cause students to drop courses when they are identified by the survey, Ittner said.
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Richard Jarvis ’17 and Jordan Ferguson ’17 are two of the 23 returning seniors who hope to instill a new winning mentality in the University’s football program with the new team motto “thru the wall.” and rival Rhode Island in the annual Governor’s Cup game. Brown’s opener will be the third game for the Bulldogs, a unique reality of playing in the Ivy League for the Bears. But without any film for Bryant to study on the new schemes Bruno plans to run,
the difference could prove an advantage, Ferguson said. “We’re a much different team than last year, and we’ve definitely evolved in terms of the defenses that we run,” he said. The starters have yet to play 60 min-
utes of football as a unit, but they did play Yale, another potential contender for the Ivy title, in a pre-season scrimmage. “The Yale scrimmage was good for us to get us ready as far as game mentality and getting the first hits out of the way,” Moreno said. “I think we’ll be ready.”
SPORTS
PAGE 4 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
ATHLETE OF THE WEEK
Etzel ’19 saves the day with late-game penalty kick stop Sophomore goalie’s shutout performance at Lafayette tops off best Bears start in five years By NICHOLAS WEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER
For anyone who thought a revamped coaching staff and new team system would slow women’s soccer, the team’s start to the season will have been a pleasant surprise. With a 3-1-1 record, Bruno is off to its best start in five years. And with four shutouts in the last five games, Brown’s goalkeeper Christine Etzel ’19 has played a major role in the team’s success. Many moments have highlighted the Bears’ run so far — none more climactic than the final two minutes of their 1-0 victory over Lafayette Sunday. In the 88th minute, the referee called a penalty kick against Bruno. With the Bears up by one and the game on the line, Etzel produced a diving save to clinch the victory for Brown. For her game-saving heroics versus Lafayette, Etzel has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week. Herald: Everyone wants to know — what was going through your head leading up to the penalty, knowing that the win was on the line? Etzel: I was pretty shocked that the ref would call the penalty that late in the game. It was the 88th minute of
regular time so I think everyone one the team was like, “crap.” All I was thinking about was making the save. Penalty kicks are kind of 50/50 sometimes. You can practice them sometimes but you need a little luck, too. I was just trying to intimidate them a little bit and watch their eyes to see what side they might be shooting. How did you feel after you realized you had saved the game? I was pretty pumped, getting highfives from my team. But immediately we had to set up for a corner kick and get everyone focused right after because the other team still had the play. So I was super pumped for five seconds and then I thought, “alright, we need someone front post and back post; we need to set up for this corner kick.” I think after the game we got to celebrate a bit more, but it was a pretty exciting five seconds. How much of being a goalie is mental versus physical? It’s definitely a good mix of having athletic ability and technique, but at the same time I think a lot of goalkeepers mature as they get older. A lot of people say goalkeepers are at their best in their 30s compared to field players in their 20s, and I think mentality is a very big part of it. You just have to learn through training and time how to deal with certain situations, what to say (and) where to set up your defense. It’s a lot of experience, dealing with
different situations as they come. It’s a new year and a new coaching staff. How is that dynamic playing out with the team so far this season? I think it’s awesome. I know our team was a bit nervous because we weren’t expecting our coach to retire last year, but the experience for our team was very positive. We were all very excited when we heard who our coach was going to be and even more exited when she brought on all the assistants. And overall, our coaches are incredible. They get along so well together, and we get along so well with them, and that’s really cool. When did you start playing soccer? I’ve been playing ever since I remember. When I was little there was always a rec team that I was on, and I actually played at first as a field player. But even that first season when I was 10 or 11, my coaches put me in goal, probably because of the height factor. But I thought it was (a) really fun, pretty cool position being in goal, diving and using your hands. NAOMY PEDROZA / HERALD
Lastly, what are some expectations you have for the team so far given this strong start? Obviously we want to continue with the positive aspects of our play so far: working on keeping shootouts, scoring goals. Our main goal is to win the Ivy
Etzel’s four shutouts in the last five games tie her personal record from last season as the Bear’s starting goalkeeper. League so we want to just stay on track and tweak the things that aren’t going as well for us. When you get into Ivy League play, it’s a totally different energy, and each game is really important. We’re focusing on getting better in all
our non-conference games, and that’s really important for us to prepare for our Ivy League games. This interview has been edited for clarity and length.
M. SOCCER
Bruno handed first loss of season at UMass Lowell Despite leading 1-0 at half, team tumbles in second, gives up two scores to River Hawks By EMILE BAUTISTA STAFF WRITER
After taking the lead a mere nine minutes into the game, the men’s soccer team faltered in the second half against host UMass Lowell and suffered its first loss of the season, 2-1. In a battle of two undefeated teams, it was the River Hawks who emerged victorious thanks to their two leading goal scorers — Wuilito Fernandes and Ivan Abramovic. Brown’s top scorer from last season, Jack Hagstrom ’19, netted the team’s lone goal. “We learned about ourselves and how to handle challenges that occur in game, whether we are winning or losing,” said Head Coach Patrick Laughlin. “We are going to use that to improve moving forward.” Going into the fixture, Fernandes and Abramovic were the attacking duo to watch out for. The pair had combined to score eight of their team’s 10 total goals of the season. Keeping them off the score sheet was key. Brown also had to deal with a few injuries that limited minutes of certain players. The starting lineup was a familiar one but did see Joseph Lee ’20 make his first collegiate start.
The match started brightly for the visitors. Erik Hanson ’17 brilliantly rose to stop a shot that was heat seeking the top right corner of the net. Shortly thereafter, the Bears opened the scoring. Off a short corner, Nico Lozada ’18 crossed the ball to the back post where Hagstrom leaped and headed the ball just inside the post for his first goal of the season. On top of that, it was Lozada’s third assist in his last four games. It was the first time in 442 consecutive minutes played that UMass Lowell found itself behind. “I thought we started off well,” Laughlin said. “We really took it to them.” After the goal, the game steadied between the two squads. The River Hawks began to control the tempo more and more, while the Bears stuck to their defensive game plan. There were a couple of decent chances for both teams, but nothing came of them. Despite the accumulating momentum for the host, the score remained 1-0 going into halftime. Similar to how the Bears controlled the first 10 or so minutes of the first half, the River Hawks came out strong in the second half. Their equalizer materialized in the 52nd minute. After a couple of lucky bounces, a UMass Lowell midfielder splayed the ball out wide right. The winger swung in a ball that curved perfectly behind two Brown defenders and into the path of Fernandes. From there,
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Defender Jack Hagstrom ’19 dribbles the ball in Brown’s defensive third, looking for a pass. Hagstrom, a member of the starting back four, will be a key component of the team’s strategy versus Massachusetts Saturday. he took one touch to slot it into the back of the net for his sixth goal in six games. From there, the River Hawks continued to apply pressure. The Bears could not convert any of the few chances that they could muster. A free kick from about 30 yards out was headed wide. The game was primed to go into extra time until the 86th minute. Carlos Ruiz dispossessed Carl Johan Mix ’19 in the midfield and lofted in an
inch-perfect pass onto the chest of Abramovic, who calmly took it down and slid it into the bottom right corner past Hanson. It was the fatal blow for the visitors, who could not manage to find an equalizer for the rest of the half. The game ended 2-1 in favor of the River Hawks. This left Bruno with a 3-1 record, the same as its start to last campaign. Just two games ago, Bruno came back from a goal down to win 2-1
against Georgia State. This time, the Bears found themselves on the other side of the coin. After the home team tied the game at 1-1, Bruno found it difficult to reassert itself. This is the type of obstacle that the team hopes to learn from and avoid in future contests. For now, their next test is this Saturday against University of Massachusetts at Amherst. “We are looking forward to the game on Saturday and hope to give another great effort,” Laughlin said.
TODAY
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 • PAGE 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
menu
m a k i n g b a n a n a pa n c a k e s
SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Pizza: Bacon and Feta, Harvest, Buffalo Chicken Grinders JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Make-Your-Own Quesadillas
Clam Chowder, Minestrone Build-Your-Own Burrito Bowl
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Turkey Pot Pie, Tofu Hot Dogs, Cajun Pasta with Chicken, Apple Squares
Blackened Flounder, Lobster Bisque, Italian Chicken Parmesan, Magic Bars
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Peanut Butter Sandwich Bar, Breaded Chicken Fingers, Ranger Joe Cookies
Couscous Croquettes, Tortellini Italiano, Basque Cake with Raspberry
sudoku
MARIANNA MCMURDOCK / HERALD
As soft guitar plays in the background, students pile blueberries, strawberries, bananas and chocolate chips onto their pancakes at Brown Christian Fellowship’s Breakfast for Dinner in a fun alternative to the Ratty.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
“The university is less democratic than it is Darwinian.” — Stanley Fish, professor of law at Yeshiva University
See SPEECH on page 1.
crossword
calendar FRIDAY SEPTEMBER
S
4
M
5
T
6
W
7
Th
F
S
1
2
3
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
Register to Vote on the Main Green! 9:00 A.M. Main Green
Technology House Stuff Night 9:00 P.M. Harkness House
SATURDAY Brown Motion Pictures Fall Casting Call 10:00 A.M. Sayles 204
Design for America Workshop 3:00 P.M. BERT 115
SUNDAY What’s on Tap? Auditions 3:00 P.M. TF Green Hall 205
How to Develop a Weekly Study Schedule 7:00 PM J. Walter Wilson 203
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Brown Bites Undocumented admission Undocumented applicants and those who qualify for the DACA — Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals — program will now be considered as domestic applicants when applying to Brown. Though undocumented and DACA-status applicants have always been able to apply to the University, they had to do so on a need-aware basis. With the University’s new policy, undocumented and DACA-status applicants can now apply to Brown need blind. Meet the LGBTQ Center’s newest staff member Je-Shawna Wholley — who describes herself as “unapologetically” black, queer and a feminist — is the LGBTQ Center’s new program coordinator. Wholley graced Brown with her presence right after getting her master’s degree in gender and women’s studies at Minnesota State University at Mankato in May. She is charged with supervising the center’s student staff, coordinating resources and generally bringing some much-needed dialogue onto campus. Welcome to Brown, Je-Shawna! The oldest paper manuscript in the Americas An 800-year-old Mayan codex — resembling a calendar with images of deities — is authentic, University anthropologists and archaeologists argued in a 50-page paper published in the journal Maya Archaeology. Some scholars claim the codex is forged, but the paper’s authors say the images in the codex have been deciphered too recently to have been falsified at the time the codex was uncovered. Though the book itself isn’t the most beautiful manuscript published, it gives us a look into the Maya’s everyday life.
R O L A N D H IG H
comic Cat Ears | Najatee’ McNeil
Trashy goes classy After a pilot run at Andrews Commons in 2015, the University’s campuswide compost program is in full swing this fall, with locations at four dining halls and eateries around campus. The University composted a whopping 40,000 pounds within the first three weeks of the program alone.
Find us online! facebook.com/browndailyherald
browndailyherald.com
@the_herald
Location: 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. www.browndailyherald.com
@browndailyherald
youtube.com/browndailyherald
Editorial contact: 401-351-3372 herald@browndailyherald.com
Business contact: 401-351-3260 gm@browndailyherald.com
Submissions: The Brown Daily Herald publishes submissions in the form of op-eds and letters to the editor. Op-eds are typically between 750 and 1000 words, though we will consider submissions between 500 and 1200 words. Letters to the editor should be around 250 words. While letters to the editor respond to an article or column that has appeared in The Herald, op-eds usually prompt new discussions on campus or frame new arguments about current discourse. All submissions to The Herald cannot have been previously published elsewhere (in print or online — including personal blogs and social media), and they must be exclusive to The Herald. Submissions must include no more than two individual authors. If there are more than two original authors, The Herald can acknowledge the authors in a statement at the end of the letter or op-ed, but the byline can only include up to two names. The Herald will not publish submissions authored by groups. The Herald does not publish anonymous submissions. If you feel your circumstances prevent you from submitting an op-ed or letter with your name, please email herald@browndailyherald.com to explain your situation.
Editorial Leadership
Sections
Visuals & Production
Business
Editor-in-Chief Emma Jerzyk
Arts & Culture Editors Rebecca Ellis Jaclyn Torres
Design Editors Sonia Geba Nicola Ho Jessica Yu Assistants: Minah Seo, Christy Leung
General Managers Moniyka Sachar Joshua Tartell
Managing Editor Joseph Zappa Senior Editors Andrew Flax Caroline Kelly POST- MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief Yidi Wu
News Editors Lauren Aratani Matt Brownsword Elena Weissmann Sports Editors Taneil Ruffin COMMENTARY Opinions Editors Margaret Hu Mili Mitra Lainie Rowland
Photo Editors Head: Eli White Sam Berube Marianna McMurdock Copy Desk Chief Julia Stemmer Illustrations Editor Roland High
Directors Business Dev.: Antonia Alvarez Finance: Neil Wathore Finance: Benjamin Wesner Strategy: Abraham Galindo Sales Managers Gaby Elanbeck Maisie Lynton Ari Shusterman Lizzy Doykan Finance Managers Collections: Reena Zhan Collections: Varun Narayan
You can submit op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com and letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. When you email your submission, please include (1) your full name, (2) an evening or mobile phone number in case your submission is chosen for publication and (3) any affiliation with Brown University or any institution or organization relevant to the content of your submission. Please send in submissions at least 24 hours in advance of your desired publication date. The Herald only publishes submissions while it is in print. The Herald reserves the right to edit all submissions. If your piece is considered for publication, an editor will contact you to discuss potential changes to your submission. Commentary: The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only. Corrections: The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. Advertising: The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion. The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. is a financially independent, nonprofit media organization bringing you The Brown Daily Herald, BlogDailyHerald and Post- Magazine. The Brown Daily Herald has served the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during Orientation by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily. Copyright 2016 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Postmaster: Please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906.
COMMENTARY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Unpaid research excludes low-income students CARIN PAPENDORP staff columnist According to the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, though the percentage of Brown students from historically underrepresented groups has increased over 4 percent since 2004, the percent of HUG science, technology, engineering and math concentrators has been about constant. Though low-income undergraduates may be encouraged to study STEM fields, the financial pressures of research might be a reason why idealistic statements about increasing underrepresented groups in STEM haven’t materialized. To be sure, low-income students in all disciplines face difficulties that their peers do not. But given the particular problem with underrepresentation of minorities and women in STEM fields, it’s especially important for Brown to recognize the financial considerations that may affect these groups. For students studying STEM fields, being involved in research is a crucial part of the learning experience and can help students decide what career path to follow. During the school year, most undergraduate research as-
sistants are expected to devote 10 to 20 hours per week to the lab, usually unpaid. Clearly, these expectations may not be feasible for low-income students who already must balance paid jobs with coursework. And even if some students are able to arrange to be paid hourly for their work in a lab, the prevailing assumption that undergraduates will work for free may prevent cash-strapped students from even trying to obtain an undergradu-
students may in fact feel extra pressure to take traditionally structured courses at Brown with clear practical applications. And though research is a learning experience, it also involves hours of labor that deserve pay. Funds to pay students for research would not even necessarily have to come from Brown coffers; Brown could streamline the process for students who receive federal work study to apply these funds to their research.
is a relatively inexpensive city, but it’s safe to say that it’s impossible for even the most frugal student to cover rent, utilities and groceries on $300 a month. Of course, students can always take on an additional job to cover the difference, but according to an email I received from the UTRA committee, research “must be the student’s primary work during the summer.” Essentially, Brown implicitly assumes
Though research is a learning experience, it also involves hours of labor that deserve pay.
ate research position. Commendably, Brown makes it very easy to receive course credit for research, with many departments offering independent studies involving research that require little more than a short project proposal, a signature from a faculty sponsor and approval by the department. But the opportunity to get course credit for research may not be very meaningful for students whose primary concern is monetary. Even worse, low-income
Additionally, many of the more wellestablished labs could easily pay students directly from grant money. Brown does offer some research grants, especially for summer work, such as the Karen T. Romer Undergraduate Teaching and Research Awards. But even these awards can be insufficient for Brown’s neediest students. For example, while the stipend for a summer domestic UTRA is $3,500, Brown’s summer earnings expectation is $2,600. Providence
that students who can’t use savings or family support to cover the summer earnings expectation will balance another 10 to 15 hours of paid employment per week on top of 35 hours of research. Of course, students who take internships in business and finance also end up working gruelingly long weeks over the summer. But the fact that, unlike research, these jobs pay more than $0.40 above the minimum wage surely draws students with financial concerns away
from STEM. And while BrownConnect LINK awards for conventional summer internships are also $3,500, they can be combined with Summer Earnings Waivers, which consist of a credit for the summer earnings expectation posted directly to the student’s financial aid account. To better support low-income students in STEM, Brown could consider offering something like the SEW program in conjunction with UTRAs. Brown should be proud to have such a strong tradition of undergraduate research. The relationships I have built over hundreds of hours at the lab have kept me on track in my neuroscience classes even at times when I felt overwhelmed and out of place. Still, the assumption that undergraduate research assistants in STEM will work for free makes me concerned that we are shutting lowincome students out of the valuable experience of undergraduate research. Brown must work to make sure that research opportunities are as accessible as possible to the lowincome students who need them most.
Carin Papendorp ’17 can be reached at carin_papendorp@brown.edu.
Lamp/Bear sucks DAN MEYER staff columnist I love lamps. I like bears, too, especially the Chicago kind. But I hate “Untitled (Lamp/Bear).” It’s ugly, though the standard for public art set by “Circle Dance” (a.k.a. the tinfoil people) is low. But my problem with the Urs Fischer work isn’t aesthetic. I’ll ignore its hospital-blue shade and obtrusive size. I’ll ignore the creepy way the lampshade is embedded in the poor teddy bear’s skull as if it were the victim of maiming by light fixture. “Untitled (Lamp/Bear)” sucks, but it’s not Mr. Fischer’s fault. It’s Steve Cohen’s. Cohen, or rather the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Collection, lent the multimilliondollar bear — its yellow counterpart was auctioned off for $6.8 million — to the University. The former Brown trustee rose to fortune at the helm of the eponymous hedge fund SAC (Steven A. Cohen) Capital. In 2011, the Security and Exchange Commission accused Cohen’s firm of insider trading. One of his employees, Mathew Martoma, was found guilty and sentenced to nine years in prison. The hedge fund was fined a then-record $1.8 billion and pleaded guilty to criminal fraud. Cohen was given a lifetime ban on trading other people’s money, but after appeal the ban was shortened to last only until 2018. He opened a so-called family
office, Point72 Asset Management, to trade his tremendous personal fortune. Point72 now has over 800 employees. The University’s handling of the Cohen controversy was shameful. In 2013, as SAC was about to close its doors and submit to the billion dollar fine, Brown stood by its man. Though U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara alleged that SAC had fostered a “culture of corporate corruption,” the University never held a public discussion on Cohen’s status as a trustee. “University administrators have been nearly silent about how, if
confronted the plain fact that its trustee and favored donor had gotten rich off of illegal trades. I don’t mean to imply that Tisch, son of the former owner of CBS, was bribed or anything like that. That would be nonsense. Rather, the relationship illuminates the worrying coziness between the University and the unimaginably rich. The installation of “Untitled (Lamp/Bear)” erected a monument to Cohen’s ego and influence. While Cohen sat on the Corporation, his sway was strong but little seen. Now, his influence has an ursine face. The ugly bear is a con-
The ugly bear is a constant reminder of how the University behaved when faced with a conflict between its values and its wallet. at all, his legal woes might affect his status on the Corporation,” The Herald reported in 2013. “Steve Cohen is a valued and involved trustee of Brown, and the University has been strengthened by his engagement. There has been no pressure on Steve — or the Corporation — for him to leave his seat,” then-Chancellor Thomas Tisch ’76 P’17 told The Herald at the time. Last year, The Herald reported that Tisch had taken a position on the advisory board of “Steve’s” Point72. Throughout the incident, Brown never
stant reminder of how the University behaved when faced with a conflict between its values and its wallet. While the loan was cast as a generous donation, I can’t help but wonder what else the millions of dollars might have done for Brown. How do 20 or more full-ride scholarships sound? As Cohen must be aware as a former trustee, Brown faces bigger problems than a dearth of sculpture. Of course, the loan might not be a donation at all. If the Cohen Collection retains ownership, then Simmons Quad might
just be free storage while Cohen waits for the investment to appreciate. To be clear, the fact that I find the statue to be ugly and creepy is irrelevant. Public art should be provocative, not necessarily pretty. I am no modern art expert and am not qualified to critique the piece itself. What I am is a member of the Brown community, qualified to critique the University’s values and its use of public space. Now that “Untitled (Lamp/Bear)” is installed, it should remain in place. Removing the artwork carries a harsher connotation than declining the gift in the first place. Instead, I’d focus on the plaque commemorating Cohen’s donation. Let’s make it bigger. Way bigger. The piece should be accompanied by a huge, unmissable sign broadcasting Steve Cohen’s name. The provenance of the statue and the moral compromise it represents should be made as obnoxious and confrontational as the blue bear itself. Moreover, it should prompt us to consider Brown’s reliance on and deference to the uber-rich. The SAC Capital legal saga reached a sad conclusion. What Steve Cohen wants, he gets. The trader escaped without an admission of wrongdoing and will be back to investing other people’s money in a few short years. The Lamp/ Bear story has a similar moral. What Steve Cohen wants for us, we get.
Dan Meyer ’17 can be reached at daniel_meyer@brown.edu.
Got something to say? Leave a comment online! Visit www.browndailyherald.com to comment on opinion and editorial content.
SPORTS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016
Dear Rob Manfred, don’t ruin baseball JAMES SCHAPIRO sports columnist
As seems to happen every year as the end of baseball season approaches, the conversation has once again turned to MLB commissioner Rob Manfred’s possible rule changes. But this year, the situation is unique: With MLB’s Collective Bargaining Agreement set to expire in December, drastic rule changes are now more plausible than ever. Manfred, for some time, has worked to improve the pace of games. In recent years, he’s been behind the implementation of a between-innings clock, as well as a 30-second limit on coaching visits to the mound. Both have been somewhat successful: The average length of games shrank by 12 minutes between 2014 and 2015, from 3:08 to 2:56. But now, Manfred is advocating even more substantial rule changes, none of which will be as successful or as safe. Among the proposals Manfred has advocated are the banning of defensive shifts, a 20-second pitch clock and limiting the use of relief pitchers. All may seem relatively harmless, but combined, the changes are dangerous,
both to professional baseball players and the game’s integrity. First, the pitch clock. To many, a 20-second limit in between pitches, similar to the NFL’s play clock, is the least harmful of Manfred’s proposals. But it has a downside. Reduced time between pitches can substantially increase the possibility of injury. “One of the risk factors that we typically look at with muscle fatigue and injury is the amount of time people have to recover from doing effort,” said researcher Michael Sonne, co-author of a recent study on the possible effects of the pitch clock, in an article on thestar.com. A lack of time between pitches, according to the study, increases arm fatigue, and increased arm fatigue prevents pitchers from “stabiliz(ing) the (elbow) joint as they throw.” The average time between pitches in the MLB is currently about 22 seconds, so the clock would reduce the average pitcher’s rest by two seconds per pitch. While that seems like a small amount, “when a pitcher is throwing at maximum effort, every bit of muscle force matters,” Sonne said. In a game thrown on 300 pitches total, the pitch clock would save, on average, 10 minutes. Is 10 extra
minutes worth endangering the arms of pitchers all around the league? On, then, to the use of relief pitchers. Manfred’s attitude toward the subject has been almost shocking. In a radio interview in July, Manfred had this to say: “Relief pitchers have really changed the game. The use of relief pitchers — obviously every time you have a pitching change, it goes contrary to our pace-of-game efforts. And the other thing it does — and hats off to them — our relievers now are so good that they actually make the back end of the game — (innings) seven, eight and nine — with less action in it. And when you think about keeping people engaged, you’ve got to ask yourself, ‘Is this a good thing for the game?’” First, Manfred asserts that quick games are more important than strategic decisions — that “every time you have a pitching change, it goes contrary to our pace-of-game efforts.” This is overtly ridiculous: the pace-of-play rules are meant to make baseball quicker, not change the strategy behind winning games. Second, limitations on relief pitchers will almost certainly result in higher workloads for starting pitchers, again increasing the likelihood of injuries. But Even more shocking is
Manfred’s contention that relief pitchers’ success might be bad for the game because it diminishes run production. Here, Manfred’s message is simple: Don’t play the game well — just make it exciting. And that the commissioner of the MLB would hold such a view of the sport is distressing to say the least. On, finally, to the infield shift. Manfred has considered a ban to increase offensive production. My objection remains. Prioritizing the production of offensive highlight reels over the strategic integrity of the game is simply wrong. Furthermore, unlike the recent increase in use of relief pitching, defensive shifts aren’t exactly new. In fact, they’ve been in use since the middle of the 20th century. In John Updike’s 1960 essay, Hub Fans Bid Kid Adieu, he described the typical defensive positioning when Ted Williams came to bat: “The Williams Shift — the maneuver, custom-built by Lou Boudreau, of the Cleveland Indians, whereby three infielders were concentrated on the right side of the infield, where a left-handed pull hitter like Williams generally hits the ball,” he wrote, perfectly describing defensive shifts still used today. “Williams could easily have learned to punch singles
through the vacancy on his left and fattened his average hugely.” Williams did not do this, Updike writes, because he considered himself a slugger. But the shift can be beaten: It’s up to players to learn how. Hitters have been overcoming the shift for decades — there’s no reason they should stop now. And hitters who can’t beat the shift should not be artificially elevated to the same plane as those who can. Manfred, in summation, has taken improving the pace of play — a wellmeaning objective — too far. Pace of play is important, but not more so than strategy or player safety. Cutting six minutes here and four minutes there is not worth endangering both pitchers’ arms and the integrity of the sport. Baseball, the National Pastime, has been around since 1845 and has always been plenty exciting. In fact, even as Manfred has fretted about pace of play, baseball’s TV ratings have soared, teams have seen record revenues and fan attendance is close to the highest it has ever been. The game is just fine the way it is. Commissioner Manfred, don’t ruin it.
James Schapiro ’18 watches as much baseball as an 80-year-old man. He can be reached at james_schapiro@ brown.edu.
Four weeks of Jimmy G CHARLIE BLASBERG sports columnist
Welcome to the first installment of a four-part series documenting Jimmy Garoppolo’s maiden voyage in the NFL, as Tom Brady watches the Patriots’ first four games from home due to his Deflategate suspension. I didn’t see that coming. Nobody saw that coming. Even the most optimistic Patriots followers saw the Pats’ Sunday night date with the Cardinals in Arizona as a destitute operation without Brady at the helm. To make matters worse, Rob Gronkowski was sidelined at the last minute with a hamstring injury. Most pundits had already ticked a “1” in the L column for the old Pats. But the Patriots set the tone of the
game early by stopping the Cardinals on their opening possession and answered with a touchdown of their own. Out of the gate, Garoppolo displayed surprising maturity and calm in the pocket, and on his touchdown throw to Chris Hogan, he expertly read the defense and fired a strike into Hogan’s breadbasket. Though the game was a seesaw battle that saw both teams make crucial mental mistakes, Garoppolo’s play, for the most part, was consistent. His most impressive moments came late in the fourth quarter when he drove 61 yards to set up what would end up being the game-winning field goal. On that drive, Garoppolo completed two crucial third-down passes. The latter, to James White, was Garoppolo’s shining moment of the game. On an absolutely essential third down and three, he fired a strike to White, threading the needle between two defenders for a first down that kept
the Patriots’ drive alive. Had they not been able to continue the drive, the Cardinals, having recently picked up important momentum against the Patriots’ defense, may well have drained the clock and scored to put the game out of reach. Let’s knock this question out right now. If Garoppolo continues to improve over the next three games, is there a chance he’ll take Brady’s job as starting quarterback? The answer is and has been a stern, unequivocal “no” from Bill Belichick. What if, people will ask, Brady replaces a thriving Garoppolo and proceeds to play poorly for his first few games? That just isn’t going to happen. All evidence points to Brady returning from his suspension and playing to his usual high standards. The last time Brady missed a significant amount of playing time was in 2008 after a season-ending knee injury was dealt to him by Bernard Pollard
in the season opener in Kansas City. Brady returned in 2009 to start the season at 6-2, which by the Patriots’ standards is adequate, but all things considered, is a very impressive start. Brady also plays better when he’s angry. Rest assured, he is angry right now. One of the greatest and most fiery competitors in this era of sports, Brady is tortured by not being able to play this entire season, especially as his age indicates his remaining years in the NFL are numbered. Brady will take the reigns with a vengeance in week five, and mark my words, he will take the league by storm. That Garoppolo was prepared to play well when his time came shouldn’t surprise people. The Patriots have a 15-year history of backup quarterbacks who end up playing well as starters. This trend obviously starts with Brady and continues to Matt Cassel who started multiple seasons for the Chiefs, Bryan Hoyer who started for
the Browns and Texans, Ryan Mallet who split time with Hoyer in Houston and finally Garoppolo. This high volume of successful once-backups speaks to the way the Patriots draft smart leaders as quarterbacks, not necessarily big name college stars. Whereas many had resigned the Patriots to losing their first game, all eyes will be on Garoppolo Sunday to see whether he can repeat his golden debut outing against a division rival, the Miami Dolphins. It is one thing for Jimmy Garoppolo to play well “with house money,” but now that fans and teammates have expectations from Garoppolo, it will be interesting to see how he copes with this additional pressure.
Next in line to start for the Patriots is Charlie Blasberg. In the meantime, he can be reached at charles_blasberg@brown.edu