Wednesday, September 21, 2016

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 69

WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

National trigger warning discussion comes to campus Students, faculty utilize different approaches depending on context, class content, experiences

By SUVY QIN AND JULIA CHOI SENIOR STAFF WRITER AND STAFF WRITER

Trigger warnings elicit both objection and support at universities across the nation. Students and faculty members at Brown have various attitudes towards their usage and implication.

Maud Mandel, dean of the College, said the University does not have an explicit policy about the usage of trigger warnings, adding that individual faculty members can use their discretion on the subject.

“We expect faculty (members) to make sound decisions … that reflect their values as pedagogues,” she said.

Mandel added that students can prepare themselves for “troubling content” by looking through the syllabus and familiarizing themselves with content beforehand. The University has been trying to make syllabi available online for all courses this year, she said, adding that students can

“take charge.”

Defining trigger warnings While trigger warnings appear to receive fairly widespread support at Brown, they have sparked fierce debate at other institutions of higher education.

Molly Hawes ’17, president of Project LETS — a student group that advocates on behalf of individuals with mental illnesses — attributed the controversy’s scale to many people’s misunderstanding of “what it means to be triggered” and what trigger warnings even are.

The most common misconception is that being triggered is equal to being upset, Hawes said. Being triggered means “different things to different people,” she added. For example, those with PTSD may experience a traumatic memory when confronted with triggering material, while those with panic disorders may experience a panic attack, she said.

A second reason for the debate is the belief that trigger warnings infantilize and coddle students — which, some argue, also misrepresents their purpose. Christine Lee » See TRIGGER, page 2

ELI WHITE / HERALD

A sculpture by Diana Al-Hadid is displayed in the David Winton Bell gallery. Her artwork often incorporates the structural imagery of decay, integrating themes from Western artistic work and Eastern reflection.

‘Phantom Limb’ showcases ruinous forms Multimedia exhibition by Syrian-American artist Diana Al-Hadid installed in Winton Bell gallery

By ETHEL RENIA STAFF WRITER

Sept. 3rd, the David Winton Bell Gallery opened its latest exhibition, “Phantom Limb,” which features the work of Syrian-American artist Diana

Al-Hadid. Sept. 16th, Al-Hadid came to Brown to give a lecture offering insights on her creative process and art.

Her work is comparable to the ruins of Renaissance statues, if those statues were flexible creations that could melt on a pedestal, dissolve mid-way into long strands curtaining the floor or levitate from the ground.

The statues at the Winton Bell Gallery could resemble such vestiges of the past had Europeans tumbling out of the Middle Ages expressed an interest

in treating materials like Al-Hadid does.

“The interpretation of my work as ruinous comes from my method and process rather than any conscious decision to prioritize a certain image,” Al-Hadid said. “By the time I’m through with my process, the materials are hard to recognize.”

Al-Hadid uses a wide range of inputs to construct her sculptures and paintings including plaster, wood, » See AL-HADID, page 3

Mike’s Ice serves up ice cream with a cause Improv Fest brings national, global troupes to Providence Newest food truck addition debuts after years of work, raises awareness about veterans

Calling students off College Hill, festival boasts Chicago headliners, diverse performers

By MADISON RIVLIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

In the spirit of culinary entrepreneurship and social consciousness, food truck Mike’s Ice rolls through Providence feeding college students’ sugar cravings and promoting awareness of veterans’ struggles to reintegrate into civilian life.

Comprised of just six employees and often stationed on the corner of Thayer Street and Waterman Street, the start-up officially launched July 1st and has taken the foodie community by storm. Mimicking the popular Thai street food style of rolled ice cream, the food truck offers a variety of flavors primed for posting to social media, said Major Pettaway, chief executive officer of Mike’s Ice and former Marine Corps machine gunner.

Flavors range from #yolo, a chocolate base with chocolate fudge, brownie bits and chocolate chips to #deeznuts, a vanilla base with chopped almonds,

INSIDE

By OLIVIA KATCHER STAFF WRITER

ANITA SHEIH / HERALD

Customers line up to sample the ice cream from Mike’s Ice, a food truck launched in July often found on the corner of Waterman and Thayer. peanuts, pecans and a caramel drizzle.

“We wanted to innovate and get people generating hashtags,” Pettaway said. “We wanted to connect the menu to another aspect in our life, and social media is helping us market our products virtually,” he added.

Despite launching less than three months ago, Mike’s Ice has already garnered an incredible fan base on social media, Pettaway said. “With 16,700 followers on Instagram, it’s just starting to hit me just how big this is.”

Though the truck is one of the

most recent additions to Providence’s culinary scene, the story of Mike’s Ice began years ago with the friendship of South Providence natives Pettaway, current Chief Financial Officer Sadam J. Salas and the truck’s eponymous Michael Gnoato. After completing various levels of education, Pettaway, Salas and Gnoato all forged ties with the military — Pettaway entered the Marine Corps, Salas the Navy and Gnoato the Air Force.

Gnoato, while stationed in » See MIKE’S ICE, page 3

The 13th annual Providence Improv Fest will take place this weekend in downtown Providence with nonstop shows, workshops and after-parties.

Running from Sept. 22 to Sept. 24, the festival features some of the best improv troupes from around the country and world, including groups from New York City; Austin, Texas; Chicago; Rhode Island and even India.

The festival’s headliners include acts from the two-women group The Boys; the hip-hop, spit-fire rapping group, North Coast and Airwolf, the group that tells crazy roommate, neighbor and living-situation stories. “The goal is to show improv as an art form and to showcase local and national talent,” said Tim Thibodeau, producer of the festival.

Thibodeau describes the art of

improvisation as creating spontaneous thoughts into scenes in what can be considered the team sport of comedy.

One of the festival’s main goals is to have a diverse group of performers who have different backgrounds and viewpoints, he said. Much of an act is created in the moment and on stage, so even the producers of the fest are surprised. It is “very encouraging … a very important and awesome thing, to have such a diverse group of performers at the festival,” Thibodeau said.

“It’s a pretty well-known festival in the improv world,” Melissa Bowler said, executive director of the Providence Improv Guild — a sponsor of the festival along with Motif Magazine. The fest has a lot of returning groups that come back every year because “they think it’s that much fun,” Bowler said. She added that different cities have different kinds of audiences and different types of groups who perform. “Providence is generally very supportive of arts and the performing arts. We have a beautiful festival for such a small city, and we really put on a good show,” Bowler said.

Eric Fulford, assistant producer, » See IMPROV, page 2

WEATHER

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

NEWS $100,000 gift to enable TAPS to develop programs that engage students, actors, autistic adults

ARTS & CULTURE Bad Suns’ latest album evokes feelings of love, triumph, tragedy with instrumental 80’s undertones

COMMENTARY Krishnamurthy ’19: Defining success in terms of job creation is detrimental to American society

COMMENTARY Kumar ’17: Global citizens must balance staying informed, maintaining emotional stability

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TODAY

TOMORROW

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NEWS

PAGE 2 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

» TRIGGER, from page 1

takes a second to do.”

’18, co-coordinator of Stand Up!, a student group that advocates for survivors of sexual assault and harassment, said trigger warnings validate the survivors’ trauma by acknowledging their experiences, adding that excluding trigger warnings can perpetuate the norms of rape culture by “invalidating” survivors’ trauma.

President Christina Paxson P’19 wrote in a Sept. 5 op-ed in the Washington Post that trigger warnings are “meant to alert students who have been subjected to trauma, such as sexual assault and combat, that some material in class may be disturbing.”

Mandel said that the term “trigger warning” is a “fairly new phrase” for the larger concept of simply exercising awareness of students’ diverse experiences. A trigger warning doesn’t need to be “something formalized” or “written in the syllabus,” she said.

It can “simply be stated” before the material is presented, she added.

Stefanie Kaufman ’17, the founder of Project LETS, said that trigger warnings are “necessary accommodations for a diverse community.”

Julia Horwitz ’19 said that trigger warnings can make “situations less tense and anxiety-provoking” if the student is able to prepare. She pointed out that not all survivors of sexual assault, for example, need trigger warnings because “everyone has different ways of dealing with trauma,” but the “option of being warned” should still exist, as it could make a difference for some. Besides, she added, “it only

In practice The way in which faculty members use trigger warnings and the reasons they do so varies throughout the University.

Postdoctoral Senior Research Associate in Urban Studies Stefano Bloch said he issues a “blanket warning” at the beginning of the semester, rather than issuing individual warnings every time something may be triggering. Bloch teaches URBN 1230: “Crime and the City,” a course that addresses controversial topics such as violence and structural racism. He addresses trigger warnings this way because “trauma doesn’t belong in a hierarchy,” and “all trauma is deserving of a trigger warning,” he said.

Assistant Professor of Classics Johanna Hanink, who teaches CLAS 0900: “Greek Mythology,” said she uses trigger warnings because they serve as a “reality check” for those who engage with Greek myths.

Hanink noted, for example, that people recount myths to children in which gods abduct women, seeing the story as innocuous without expressing the subtext that abduction implies rape.

Trigger warnings remind students “not to be desensitized,” Hanink said.

“I almost want people to be uncomfortable,” she added.

Joseph Reed, professor of classics and comparative literature, does not issue trigger warnings, but instead gives students a “heads-up” beforehand if uncomfortable material is

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD coming up in case a student is “surprised” by something unpleasant.

Reed contrasts this “milder” form of being triggered by unpleasant material with the more severe triggering of someone who may have posttraumatic stress disorder. In that case, if a student is so affected, then “it’s a sign that they should not take the class,” he said.

Facilitating difficult conversations Many argue that trigger warnings inhibit free speech and open debate, Horwitz said, but “trigger warnings actually do the opposite.”

“If there are no trigger warnings, then (survivors) may avoid situations altogether in which (triggering material) might come up,” she said, adding that this avoidance may inhibit exposure to new ideas.

In media and common culture, trigger warnings have a “caricature” as a “barricade put between a student and traumatic content,” Bloch said.

But trigger warnings can actually tear down barriers, he said, adding that “trigger warnings are triggering more empathy if we allow them to.”

Being triggered may interfere with a survivor’s ability to focus and engage with others for the rest of the day, which can obstruct free speech in other classes and conversations, Kaufman said.

In addition, trigger warnings spread general awareness about the issues at hand, which can prompt more discussions and open debate, said Mei Araki ’19. Trigger warnings

make survivors feel “included” in the community, which increases their ability to engage with others, she said.

Bloch likewise emphasized that trigger warnings are not “impediments” to open dialogue — rather, they are “manifestations of respect” that allow students to empathize with their classmates. “Every single classroom at Brown thrives off of diversity, and that includes a diversity of trauma,” Bloch said, adding that though he is not celebrating or romanticizing trauma, he finds that diversity “invigorating.”

Forgoing warnings Exposure to triggering subjects tends to be less likely in science classes than in humanities courses, said Morgan Patrick ’16.5. Araki echoed similar sentiments, stating that she has yet to take a course with trigger warnings due to the nature of her science-oriented curriculum.

Ross Cheit, professor of international and public affairs and political science, has not used a trigger warning in class because the material he teaches has not warranted a trigger warning.

On the other hand, Karen Newman, professor of comparative literature and English and chair of the comparative literature department, does not issue trigger warnings because she believes that the discomfort of dealing with ideas different from one’s own contributes to a student’s intellectual growth.

Newman distinguished between discomfort and trauma, adding that discomfort should not be avoided but a classroom should not be a place for “warning the very tiny minority of people whose trauma is such that they might find reading a text to be difficult.”

Newman, who has taught “material that some might term as pornography,” believes that trigger warnings “put a damper” on the robust exchange of ideas if the trauma of a minority of students prevents discussion around uncomfortable topics.

» IMPROV, from page 1 said that the festival will include a diverse “cast of characters” who will perform different styles and new forms of the art. “Every year someone comes up with a really wackadoo crazy form,” Fulford said, adding that there is even a Harry Potter-themed act this time around.

“We’re different from larger festivals,” said Casey Seymour, another assistant producer. She added that the fest has “been around for a long time, and what distinguishes us is that we are intimate. We support the fest’s groups and work to make sure everybody is taken care of.”

Seymour also encouraged Brown students to come to the festival, saying that “it is so easy to become stuck in your campus, and it is also so easy to walk down (College) Hill. Why not take advantage of it?” Bowler attended Providence College and did not start exploring the downtown area until after she graduated. “I wasted so much time … on campus and not enjoying the city that I was in,” Bowler said.

Susan Messing and Rachel Mason make up The Boys, the fest’s headliner based out of Chicago.“They are superstars,” Seymour said, adding that

Yuwen Xu ’19 noted that trigger warnings may cause students to forgo attending lectures with triggering material, but that students are still “responsible for knowing the material.”

“Those who didn’t attend the class won’t be as prepared” for assignments as “those who did go to the classes,” Xu said.

But one anonymous student, who is a survivor of sexual assault, read material about sexual assault without being “forewarned,” she said. Afterwards, she found it difficult to be engaged for the rest of the class. “I felt like I couldn’t participate,” she said.

“It would have been better to know what was coming up.” She added that being in that position made her feel like she was forcing herself to deal with something she didn’t want to and that she was “not trying hard enough” to cope.

Another anonymous student, who is also a survivor of sexual assault, recalls that during orientation, her residential peer leaders conducted an “exchange game” to teach sexual consent by using “pencils” as symbols of consent. The activity was overwhelming and caught her off-guard, the student said. “I wish there had been more of a warning because we had just got(ten) to Brown,” she said.

Several faculty members stated that they have not had any negative incidents regarding their use or disuse of trigger warnings.

“Not once has a student sought to limit traumatic content because of potential need for a trigger warning,” Bloch said. “In fact, I’ve seen students embrace traumatic work knowing that they would be triggered.”

“I have been teaching for over 35 years,” Newman said, “and I’ve never had a student say ‘I’m uncomfortable reading this.’”

As long as students and faculty members try to be sensitive and aware, everything is “going to be okay,” Horwitz said. All that really matters is that individuals have “a basic level of respect” for others, she said.

anybody who is interested in improv should take advantage of the opportunity to see the two women perform, both of whom have never before been featured in the Providence Improv Fest.

Brown students should come to the festival because “this stuff could change your life,” Messing joked. Mason also encouraged people to explore “an uncensored art form where anything can happen.”

Kevin Miller, of Austin, Texas’s History Under the Influence troupe, said the fest is “a phenomenal chance to catch some top-notch improv from around the country.” This will be Miller’s fourth time at the fest, and it is his first time teaching a workshop. He added that “improv is about taking the mistakes and goofs that you make in life and making something delightful of them.” In History Under the Influence, five sober group members will partake in an act while dealing with Miller, the “drunken narrator” who will be on the side of the stage.

Miller prepares for his role with “five Titos and Cranberry, one every 15 minutes — a very specific regiment,” he said.

The festival is located at AS220 Black Box at 95 Empire Street and AS220 Main Stage at 115 Empire Street.

ARTS & CULTURE WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

‘Disappear Here’ questions complicated nature of love Bad Suns’ new album features 80’s influence, explores complexities of relationships

By JACLYN TORRES ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

COURTESY OF BROWN TAPS

The Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation presented TAPS with a $100,000 endowment to provide educational resources and performing arts programs for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder starting in June.

Gift to provide programs for autistic adults Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation funds opportunities for autistic individuals, students

By HANA PARK STAFF WRITER

The adult autism non-profit Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation has bestowed a $100,000 gift to the University to support programs in the Theatre Arts and Performance Studies department that provide educational resources for adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

The foundation’s Adult Autism Theater and Performing Arts Fund will connect undergraduate and graduate students, particularly those students taking TAPS 1281: “Artists and Scientists as Partners,” with autistic adults through educational initiatives. The program will begin its initial training in February, and there will be a musical camp for adults with autism in June.

» MIKE’S ICE, from page 1 Wyoming, tragically passed away in a car accident Aug. 15th, 2013, Pettaway said. “I was in Afghanistan at the time, and I came back from one of our missions and checked my messages,” he added. “I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

When Pettaway came home from his tour in Afghanistan in March 2014, he and Salas reconnected. We “wanted to dedicate something to Mikey, and we were trying to make a brand for a frozen yogurt company,” he said. Before Pettaway and Salas could kickstart their company, Salas was deployed to Iraq, but the two remained in contact.

“During that year I was working on Mike’s Ice, Salas and I realized that no one (had) real food experience, and a passion for food was a missing element in the team,” Pettaway said.

“We were two salty veterans trying to make an ice cream company, but

“It will really engage students that are not just theater majors,” said Linda Walder, founder of the Daniel Jordan Fiddle Foundation. “Imagine if someone is majoring in psychology or social work, there are so many ways theater brings out personality, expression and communication. The things that will be learned, funded by this fund, will really enhance a lot of different disciplines — not just theater,” she added.

The program sponsored by the endowment fund will heavily benefit Brown, said Rachel Balaban, adjunct lecturer in TAPS who teaches ASaP. “(Look) at it from the perspective of diversity,” she said. “You’ve got neuro-diversity, you’ve got the intergenerational (diversity), you’ve got the idea that the arts are integrating with the science(s). It’s natural for Brown … that we’re bringing out this inter-disciplinary approach to issues in our culture,” she added.

Students involved with the programs will study the practices of Elaine Hall, founder of the Miracle

Project, a performing arts program for children with autism. “It is not about fixing or changing the person with autism,” Hall said. “It’s about helping the person who is in the presence of someone with autism understand … autism in a way that … comes from a place of compassion and curiosity.”

The methodology from Hall’s book “The Seven Keys to Unlock and Understand Autism” is a three-part process that joins music, drama and the visual arts to bring out the stories of those with autism and gives autistic individuals the opportunity to work with actors to perform original musicals. Through the DJFF-sponsored program, the methodology will be replicated and taught to Brown students and professionals.

The DJFF has launched endowment funds for program initiatives dedicated to different aspects of adult autism at other leading universities.

The foundation donated a $100,000 gift to Yale University Medical School in 2014 for the study of adult autism.

neither one of us knew how to make ice cream.”

After their conversation, Pettaway began the search for an employee with culinary expertise and reached out to his former business colleague Zuliana Vidal, the current head chef for Mike’s Ice. “It’s Zuliana’s talents and abilities that have helped us get here. She is definitely a very driven individual and the strongest team member we have ever had,” Pettaway said. “She’s a beast when it comes to the culinary.” After helping to craft a menu, Pettaway expanded his team with Daescia “Daisy” Demoranville, a baking and culinary student at Johnson and Wales.

After they decided not to invest in the dying frozen yogurt industry and a brick-and-mortar establishment, Salas and Pettaway turned to ice cream.

“It’s a staple in American cuisine, it’s not going anywhere,” Pettaway said.

They quickly associated with non-profit Year Up, which focuses

on workforce development, and then pitched their ideas to connecting non-profit Social Enterprise Greenhouse, which offered them scholarships to workshops and a space for headquarters. After years of preparation, Mike’s Ice officially opened in July.

Still intent on honoring Gnoato’s memory, the company immediately tackled issues facing veterans. “It’s a military-focused and owned company,” Pettaway said. “Everyone who works here has military ties. We want to build awareness and get the conversation started.”

Working with fundraising platforms and non-profits such as Operation Stand Down, Edge4Vets and Backpacks for Life, Pettaway and Salas hope to affect change through their social missions. “We want to help the homeless veteran crises, and parts of the (ice cream) proceeds go to these organizations to help build awareness and get conversation started.”

www.blogdailyherald.com

2016 has been an unforgettable year filled with tragedies, triumphs and the unexpected. Bad Suns reminds its listeners to remember the laughs, the tears and the bewilderment in its latest album titled “Disappear Here,” released Friday.

Vocalist Christo Bowman invites an air of nostalgia into the album by singing of his disappearance into the past. The eponymous introductory song “Disappear Here” opens up the album with contemplation, as Bowman questions the strength of his romantic relationship.

Throughout the 13 tracks, Bad Suns embraces the complicated nature of love and new beginnings. The conflict between moving on from his relationship and keeping the memories intact is a central theme in the album. The band conveys these complex sentiments not only lyrically, but also sonically. While Bad Suns maintains its signature style and sound, it implements many 80’s undertones, particularly in instrumental introductions or interludes as well as some experimental elements.

Influence of 80’s artists pops up within the album, often providing the concrete instrumentals in a few of the tracks. With “Patience,” it is clear the band worked to tie in the upbeat, signature sound of Bryan Adams. The introductory beats in “Patience” sound similar

» AL-HADID, from page 1 foam, fiberglass, concrete, bronze, aluminum foil and a material called polymer gypsum, which she uses to create her distinctive drips. These drips are almost omnipresent in her work, giving paintings and sculptures alike an almost post-apocalyptic feel. “Her work is very unusual, very aesthetically pleasing,” said Meghan Hershkowitz ’19. “You don’t have to be a connoisseur of arts to enjoy it.”

The artwork seems impossibly delicate, quietly violent and gives off a feeling of brutal romanticism through a combination of Al-Hadid’s careful attention to structure and her ability to bend the perception of materials to almost unrecognizable levels. When she feels that her statues need more balance, she adds polymer gypsum drips to ensure its cohesion.“That’s something that I’m really careful about … to make something structurally strong while using as little mass as possible,” she said.

An astute observer will notice echoes of early Renaissance paintings in both Al-Hadid’s three-dimensional and one-dimensional work. Indeed, Al-Hadid said she finds inspiration in early Renaissance work. “I project a portion of an image (of a Renaissance painting on a wall) so that it acts a little bit like a map or guide,” she said. She then drips her work on the wall, so that the image forms before it’s placed on a canvas. “It’s a counter-intuitive process that actually feels really natural,” Al-Hadid said. “I always say ‘drip it’ rather than ‘paint

to Bryan Adams’ “Summer of 69,” and through this, the Bad Suns have listeners wanting to dance to the rhythm before the lyrics even start. With “Swimming In The Moonlight,” the band incorporates the fun, electronic sound of classic Pat Benatar songs, though it’s a little more difficult to pick up on the band’s deliberate 80’s vibe throughout the song. The spunky beat is interwoven in intricate lyrics and harsher tones with drums and guitar.

As listeners make their way through Bad Sun’s latest album, they will disappear further into their own pasts — into their own reliving of mistakes and successes.

“Disappear Here” does not only speak to those who have experienced a complex and painful relationship, but also to those who have made mistakes, taken risks and learned something about themselves.

Bad Suns sings of finding yourself through self-reflection and nostalgia.

“Disappear Here” proves powerful and influential in both its lyrics and its sound.

Bowman sings that it’s okay to dive into the past, and his message is most clearly stated with “Swimming In The Moonlight” and “Defeated,” two tracks that demonstrate the complexities of relationships through upbeat, funky instrumentals mixed with slow, thought-provoking lyrics.

With this album, listeners will become swept up in the moment and lose perception of time and space. “Disappear Here” provides music that speaks to the soul and encourages personal growth.

The band kicks off its album tour Oct. 7 in Austin, Texas and makes an appearance in Boston on Nov. 3. it’ because I don’t feel like a painter.”

Al-Hadid’s work is a work of balance. Physically, it is a structural balance, accomplished using drips of material. Visually, there is a balance between the stunning aesthetics, the apparent creative resourcefulness and the inadvertent feminist statement.

Most of Al-Hadid’s figures are women, and some observers have suggested a feminist agenda surrounds her art. Al-Hadid believes her work is feminist only because she herself is a feminist and said the ideals of feminism are part of her “artistic territory.”

Finally, Al-Hadid’s work seems to be a balance between Western artistic culture and Eastern reflection. AlHadid’s art “represents an eclectic mix between Eastern and Western thought,” said Jo Ann Conklin, director of the David Winton Bell Gallery and curator of the exhibit.

Al-Hadid’s work also serves as an exhibit in Nara, Japan as a part of the Culture City of East Asia 2016 project. Artists from countries on the Silk Road were invited to present artwork in various temples within the city. As a Syrian who was born in Aleppo but raised in Ohio from the age of five, Al-Hadid said she felt uncomfortable bringing a Syrian cultural object because she has not lived there since she was a child, and “the place is destroyed.” She is instead exhibiting a piece of art she made in New York, where she currently lives and works.

“That is my reality as a Syrian. I am not in Syria, and there is no cultural production left there,” she said.

ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 4 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

TODAY

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

menu

american made

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Honey Boo Boo, Mushroom’s Revenge, Spicy Sausage and Garlic Po’ Boys JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Sweet Pepper Chicken Fajita Stir Fry, The Cubano Panini

Foccacia Bar Deli Sandwiches

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Szechuan Spicy Chicken Stir Fry, Falafel Croquettes, Snow Peas, Golden Graham S’more Bars

Breaded Chicken With Apples and Kale, Curried Quinoa and Chickpea Saute, Pumpkin Cake

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Italian Sausage and Pepper Sandwich, Spinach Strudel, White Chocolate Chip Cookies

Rotini Pasta, Rotisserie Style Chicken, Honey Bran Flaxseed Bread, Pumpkin Cake

sudoku

GUS REED / HERALD

The piece titled “American Made” by Rhode Island artist Rebeccas Siemering is displayed in the Sarah Doyle Gallery. Her solo exhibition, “Well Suited,” explores the motifs of soul and body in American life.

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

“She’s a beast when it comes to the culinary.”

— Major Pettaway, CEO of Mike’s Ice

crossword

See mike’s ice on page 1.

CORRECTIONS Due to an editing error, an article in Monday’s Herald (“Brown bolsters anti-flu programs with FluWeb ,” Sept. 20) stated that FluWeb is a new program. In fact, it has been in place since 2009. Additionally, the article attributed the description of FluWeb to Unab Khan, director of Health Services. In fact, Monica Kunkel, director of nursing at Health Services, described FluWeb. The Herald regrets the errors.

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Wellness at Brown!: Food Psychology 12:00 P.M. Petteruti Lounge

Solar Power in America Lecture 5:30 P.M. MacMillan Hall 117

Black Heritage Series Welcome Back 5:30 P.M. Kasper Multipurpose Room

Containment: A Film 7:00 P.M. 85 Waterman 015

TOMORROW Election 2016: Impact at Home and Abroad 12:00 P.M. Joukowsky Forum

Brown Bag Series in Archaeology 12:00 P.M. Rhode Island Hall 108

CineBrasil 2016: A Brazilian Film Festival 6:00 P.M. List Art 120

Understanding Bisexuality Lecture 6:30 P.M. Faunce 229

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Meyer’s ’17 column is offensive To the Editor: I found Daniel Meyer’s ’17 column, “Lamp/Bear sucks,” of Sept.

16 offensive.

I’m fairly certain that as many people enjoy Urs Fischer’s sculpture as do not. Art is often controversial.

To defame Steve Cohen’s kindness in lending the work to the University as “a monument to Cohen’s ego and influence” is shameful and wrong.

Cohen is an honest, generous

person undeserving of Meyer’s rant. His donations of hundreds of millions of dollars to universities, hospitals and the benefit of returning veterans lay claim to that fact.

I assume Meyer doesn’t believe our Constitution’s presumption of innocence. Let us hope he never stands falsely accused.

Meyer fails on all fronts. As an art critic, as a judge and jury and as a responsible journalist.

Marty Granoff P’93

R O L A N D H IG H

comic P-Branes and Bosons | Ricky Oliver

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COMMENTARY WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Making a living ANUJ KRISHNAMURTHY staff columnist

I’ve always been disturbed by the phrase “making a living.” Those three words connote the age-old virtues of work and wage-earning, but their larger implications are decidedly less innocuous. They suggest that your life is made meaningful and your existence completely justified only when you get out, clock in and collect a paycheck. Now I’m no crazy socialist, no proponent of cradle-to-thegrave Scandinavian welfare. But I am convinced that this type of language — the subtle association of employment status with the right to live — is cancerous and fundamentally corrosive to the quality of American life. It promulgates impossible ideals of selfsufficiency and resilience that most people cannot reasonably fulfill and enshrines prosperity as some sort of otherworldly reward, accessible only to the deserving and off-limits for everyone else.

In terms of culpability, the political class is most responsible for obsessively romanticizing the sentiments

behind “making a living.” Rhode Island’s own governor, Gov. Gina Raimondo has devoted much of her tenure to “creat(ing) opportunities for Rhode Islanders to build the skills that matter for jobs that pay.” Hillary Clinton has embraced an even more ambitious course, promising to “make the biggest investment in new, good-paying jobs since World War II.” Politico-speak and hyperbole aside, these colorful declarations re-

afford — they are extricated from notions of community and interdependence and made entirely responsible for their own fortunes. Success becomes a function of hard work, and “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” begins to feel like sound advice.

But we know that this story is a product of politicized confabulations — not reality. Multiple factors contribute to personal economic outcomes, like conditions of birth, ac-

sternation with injustice and inequity reaches a boiling point.

But the ideology of “making a living” leaves us with more conundrums. While it is true that America’s prosperous position in the world is due, in no small part, to advances engineered by capitalist forces, it is also deeply disheartening to think that American life has to revolve primarily around questions of occupation and salary. Our leaders run around

If the American people really want some kind of national resurgence, a comeback to greatness, we have to reorient our policy priorities.

veal a lot about the purpose of American public policy and the vast political infrastructure that undergirds it: Find every American a good job.

Unfortunately, this meretricious emphasis on employment only compounds the capitalist myths that so rigidly govern American life. When an individual is defined in purely material terms — by how much they earn, where they work, what they can

cess to education and family wealth.

To assert that work ethic is the only determinant of well-being is to willfully overlook the privileges that many Americans enjoy and many more do not. This is why the policy drive to put people to work feels less like a strategy of development than it does a hallucinogenic, a veil of ignorance to drape over the eyes of ordinary Americans whenever their con-

announcing grand plans to eliminate community college tuition, invest in roads and bridges and mitigate foreign competition — all for the singular objective of providing jobs, jobs and more jobs.

There used to be a time, though, when employment was not the principal motivator of American political action, when we were unshackled from the inebriating calculus of

better employment statistics. Americans toyed with technologies without first appraising their applications and indulged dreams that once seemed hopelessly outlandish. We even sent men to the moon — not because it would create jobs at home, but because we dared to think less about what’s pragmatic and more about what’s possible. The immediate result of these endeavors, of course, was an era of unprecedented prosperity with enough work to go around. These jobs were not a reason to do these things; they were simply the natural result.

Thus, if the American people really want some kind of national resurgence, a comeback to greatness, we have to reorient our policy priorities.

That means dialing back our myopic hunger for jobs, acknowledging the diverse sources of individual success and recognizing a simple fact: The ultimate effect of language like “making a living” is not the preservation of American life, but the desecration of it.

Anuj Krishnamurthy ’19 can be reached at anuj_krishnamurthy@brown. edu.

Don’t look away NIKHIL KUMAR staff columnist Like me, you may have seen Monday that another unarmed black man, Terence Crutcher, was shot and killed by a police officer in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Thanks to cameras in a police helicopter and on the dashboard of a patrol car, the fatal incident was captured in a video that diffused rapidly by way of traditional news sources and social media. Many of the details of the story sound familiar amid the continual string of police shootings against black men in the United States: Even with his hands up and outnumbered by police officers, Crutcher was met with deadly force. One officer on the scene is reported to have said that he “looks like a bad dude.” Such violence makes my blood run cold, and I imagine many compassionate people feel the same way. I have not yet gathered the courage to watch the video of Crutcher’s shooting.

This is not the first time I have been unable to inform myself fully of a news story that elicits heartbreak. Though I typically pride myself on keeping abreast of important developments in the United States and around the world, I regularly find myself scrolling past articles and videos portraying the Syrian civil war, the related European refugee crisis and terrorism in the Middle East and North Africa. Obviously, my very ability to look away from these terrible happenings points to my vast geograph-

ic, racial and economic privilege. But as an informed citizen of the United States with a stake in global affairs, what kind of ethical obligation do I have to immerse myself in every bit of news possible in light of the emotional toll it will take?

The first word that comes to mind when I consider this question is “desensitization” — the notion that after having been exposed to violence for long enough, people begin to feel less strongly in the wake of trauma. After each new report of a school shooting or terrorist

On the other hand, might this reasoning amount simply to an excuse for indifference?

Countless moral leaders have spoken about the danger of apathy when trying to overcome evil, and it’s important to keep their wisdom in mind when confronting today’s challenges. If I do not watch police dashboard camera footage or read an article about the Syrian conflict or stare at the image of Aylan Kurdi’s body on a beach in Turkey, then how will I be moved to make a difference in any or all of these struggles? Though reading the headlines and scroll-

Though reading the headlines and scrolling through social media provide valuable knowledge about current events and may even produce an educated citizenry, they are not enough to ensure the creation of an empathetic citizenry. bombing, I sense a general feeling of numbness and an accompanying anxiety about why we do not feel more intense grief or anger. I am not a psychologist, but I wonder if these reactions, rather than being evidence of desensitization, suggest that a defense mechanism is at work. In the face of a barrage of emotional artillery, perhaps we are protecting our personal well-being by blocking ourselves from deeply feeling the devastation that naturally affects compassionate humans.

ing through social media provide valuable knowledge about current events and may even produce an educated citizenry, they are not enough to ensure the creation of an empathetic citizenry. Such an achievement, I believe, requires the consumption of media and art that humanizes even those people from whom we feel the most distant.

In evaluating my own patterns of media consumption, this conclusion rings all the more true. As mentioned above, I often gloss

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over reports of terrorist attacks in Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere in the Middle East and Southwest Asia. These are places where I, for a variety of reasons, have come to believe that violence is “expected” to occur. By contrast, I read almost to the point of obsession about terrorist attacks in the United States and Europe: Paris, Brussels, Nice, New York City.

This is a natural response — but only up to a point. These Western locations are places I have visited or whose culture I am more familiar with than that of Baghdad, Aleppo, Kabul or Sana’a. This does not excuse me, though, from paying attention to the trauma inflicted upon these places. I should do better.

The trick, then, is to tackle exposure to emotionally taxing media in such a way that we remain empathetic and mobilized to make a difference without falling to pieces. Finding such an equilibrium seems to become more difficult with each passing day as technology continues to revolutionize how people experience news, from Facebook Live and live blogs of breaking news to instant notifications sent straight to one’s phone. Still, bearing in mind the merits of both staying informed and stepping back from the 24-hour news cycle is an empowering tool with which to confront decisions about where best to place one’s energy.

Sometimes it’s okay to look away — as long as looking away doesn’t mean turning away from the causes that matter.

Nikhil Kumar ’17 can be reached at nikhil_kumar@brown.edu.

NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2016