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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 71

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Resources for women’s health vary across R.I. colleges Most colleges staff primary care facilities, lack specialty care, certain forms of contraception By GWEN EVERETT SENIOR STAFF WRITER

MARIANNA MCMURDOCK / HERALD

The alumni interview program is responsible for more than 30,000 annual interviews conducted by 9,000 interviewers. Management of the program recently shifted from Alumni Relations to the Office of Admission.

Alumni interview guidelines hard to uphold Despite U. reforms, several sources report varied styles, neglect of conflicts of interest By LAURA FELENSTEIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

In February, then-high school senior Matt Sarafa posted a YouTube video recounting a disturbing interaction with

his Brown alumni interviewer. Sarafa claimed that his alumni interviewer made racist and homophobic statements to him during the interview, The Herald previously reported. “In the very rare circumstance when an applicant informs us that an interview has been unproductive or uncomfortable, it is our policy to contact those involved in the interaction to discuss the interview and to take a series of actions,” wrote Brian Clark, director

of news and editorial development, in an email to The Herald. “We took these steps last spring upon learning of a troubling experience reported by an applicant, and the alumni interviewer is not conducting interviews at this time,” he added. This one case is a small part of a vast program. The alumni interviewer system engages 9,000 alumni volunteers around the world, and over 30,000 interviews » See INTERVIEW, page 2

With the recent news that the Undergraduate Council of Students will supply tampons and pads in all nonresidential on-campus bathrooms, the health of women and female-sexed students has come center stage on college campuses statewide. Collegiate health centers are oftentimes the first stop for undergraduate women and female-sexed students seeking sexual and reproductive medical care. Health services at Providence College, Roger Williams University and Brown serve as the starting point — but not necessarily the endpoint — for undergraduates at their respective universities. “A college health center should provide a portal to health care — they will not be able to provide all services, but should be able to diagnose and refer a wide variety of conditions,” wrote Sarah Fox, adjunct assistant professor of gender studies

at Brown, in an email to The Herald. That includes “the full range of reproductive health services, mental health, addiction services and basic primary care,” she added. Most Rhode Island colleges’ health centers are primary-care facilities, meaning that they are not staffed with specialty physicians. “Health Services is really responsible for the health needs of all students,” said Unab Khan, director of Health Services at Brown, adding that the health center provides primary and emergency care for all students. As certain forms of contraception and needs around sexual assault and rape become more widely acknowledged, some health providers on college campuses are growing to meet those needs. It is also important to note the way in which health services approach the specific healthcare needs of trans* women who seek medical care, Khan said, adding that many providers at Brown Health Services attended a workshop on trans*-specific health last semester. For trans* women taking hormones, the experience can be » See RESOURCES, page 2

Despite renovations, dorms Blyth, Schiller compare candidates’ rhetoric cite divisive still inconsistent, over quota Professors campaign strategies by Thirty percent of residential halls remain inaccessible, according to Facilities Management By JACKSON CHAIKEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

As the new school year gets into full swing, students are beginning to settle into their new dorms on campus. With over 40 residential halls on campus, housing experiences at Brown can range from cinderblock walls to gorgeous views overlooking the Main Green. Both the Office of Residential Life and the Department of Facilities Management are constantly looking for ways to improve the living experience at the University, said Vice President for Facilities Management Stephen Maiorisi. “From 2012 to 2016, the University invested $90 million in residence halls,” Maiorisi added. Much of the work occurs in various cycles, he said. Items like paint and carpets are refurbished more often than elements like the roofs and walls of residence halls, he added.

INSIDE

“We would not expect students to see all of this,” said Assistant Vice President for Campus Life Marylou McMillan, referring to the structural upgrades that may go unnoticed, yet are vital to the upkeep of residence halls. This includes crucial upgrades to building safety like the “Fire Life Safety Upgrades” in which new fire prevention systems — such as sprinklers and fire alarms — were installed in all residential halls in 2005, Maiorisi said. The most recent renovations to residence halls came this summer, when Barbour Hall and Perkins Hall received $2.8 million and $2.2 million upgrades, respectively. Barbour houses 169 students while Perkins is home to 191 students, according to Facilities Management records. The University considers all aspects of the residence hall when looking at renovations, McMillan said, adding that the outdoor courtyard in Barbour Hall was redone over the summer. “I am really happy with my suite in Barbour,” said Callie Smith ’19, who lives in a five-person suite in Barbour. “People who lived in the building last » See DORMS, page 4

Trump, Clinton as source of national discontent By KYLE BOROWSKI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Mark Blyth, professor of political science and international and public affairs, and Wendy Schiller, professor of political science and public policy, spoke about the state of the presidential race Thursday in the first of two lectures the pair will give about the 2016 election. While the lecture touched on a number of topics including foreign diplomacy and domestic policy, discussion settled repeatedly on the fact that both candidates are not ideal in the eyes of many Americans. “This is the election of our discontent,” Schiller said, explaining that “there’s a good 30 to 35 percent of voters who are unsatisfied with their party’s nominee.” The discontent many Americans feel in response to the election is only magnified by candidates who facilitate these sentiments for political advantage, she added. “The rhetoric employed by Donald Trump has exacerbated the discontent in some areas,” Schiller said, adding that his populist, anti-free trade mantra has

COURTESY OF WATSON INSTITUTE

At the Watson Institute Thursday, Political Science Professor Wendy Schiller discussed how each candidate has handled the presidential election. made him an appealing option for many white, working-class manufacturers from the Southeast and Midwest who “feel really let down by the American capitalist and political system.” On the other hand, Hillary Clinton has blundered in trying to cast a large swath of Trump supporters as racist and bigoted, saying on Sept. 9 that at least half of his backers could be placed into the “basket of deplorables,” Schiller said. “Using that phrase was a mistake,” she said, adding that Clinton should

have simply asked Americans, “Which America do you want to be a part of?” “If you castigate voters as racist and deplorable then they might become that even if they’re not,” Blyth said. He also questioned the efficacy of such a strategy, especially considering that it doesn’t, in his opinion, have a clear end goal. “If what’s driving this discontent is economic issues, then we can fix that,” Blyth said, “but if it’s the case that 15 percent of American voters are a lot more racist, » See CANDIDATES, page 2

WEATHER

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

NEWS $50,000 awarded to Brown alum, founder of water purification system company

SPORTS Athlete of the Week: Kyle Moreno ’17 leads Bears to victory over Bryant with five touchdowns

COMMENTARY Silvert ’20: Contrary to popular belief, fear of commitment promotes exploration

COMMENTARY Mitra ’18: All students should take creative writing course, regardless of academic interest

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NEWS

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» INTERVIEW, from page 1 are conducted each year, Clark wrote. “The vast majority of interactions between applicants and interviewers are very productive, enjoyable and helpful for both the prospective students and for Brown,” Clark wrote. “Our expectation is that our alumni interviewers act as ambassadors for Brown and that applicants emerge with a positive experience regardless of whether they are ultimately admitted to the University,” he added. The University has also aimed to improve its alumni interviewing program in recent months, Clark wrote, improvements that include moving the program’s management from the Office of Alumni Relations to the Admission Office, where staff members and administrators wield a “deep knowledge of the overall admission process.” But Sarafa’s case is not the only interview to have fallen short of various University standards in recent years. Interviews with several alumni interviewers and students who have participated in alumni interviews suggest that training is limited and difficult to enforce, certain interviews may be conducted despite conflicts of interest and interview styles are varied, creating the possibility that some students are given more severe evaluations than others. Training practices The University has recently “refined (its) training manuals and practices to reflect (its) commitment to creating a positive experience,” Clark wrote. In addition, the University has “expanded the range of training sessions (both on campus and across the globe) for the

» RESOURCES, from page 1 psychologically as well as physically challenging, said Anne Mitchell, director of Health Services at RWU. “There’s certainly a lot of anxiety; there’s a lot of stress; there’s a lot of fear.” RWU Health Services tries to collaborate with psychological services to remedy this, she added. For cisgender women and femalesexed students, Brown, RWU and Providence College all currently lack gynecologists on staff in their health centers. “There’s not really a reason to support having a gynecologist on staff,” Mitchell said, adding that RWU students can still get pap smears and pelvic exams from nurse practitioners on-site. “We don’t have specialty care at Health Services, and we don’t have gynecologists for specialty care in the same way that we don’t have urologists for specialty male health,” Khan wrote. Contraception is also a central part of health care on college campuses. Students at Brown and RWU have

» CANDIDATES, from page 1 then I don’t know what to do.” Still, Blyth undercut the growing sense of doom many Americans have come to adopt this election cycle, declaring that history shows it’s never as bad as it may initially seem. Invoking his Scottish background, Blyth said that in many countries anxiety over the next American president is a perennial phenomenon. “(George W. Bush) started a giant war in the Middle East, didn’t raise any taxes to pay for it and walked away as if

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program’s 350 regional chairs, who oversee and provide instruction to the interviewers in their geographic region.” The University offers “in-person training for these chairs both on campus and via travel by the admission staff,” Clark wrote in a follow-up email to The Herald. “All volunteer interviewers are required to complete an online registration process each year, which takes them through a training manual, asks conflict of interest questions and requires that they affirm their commitment to abide by program policies,” he added. But interviews with multiple alumni interviewers and student interviewees indicated that the precepts laid out through training materials may not always be upheld, and some interviewers reported a different perception of the training’s rigor than Clark described. “There was literature to read, but there was no training process,” said Jessica Porter ’88, who said she believes she joined the alumni interview program in 2009. There are “a lot of guidelines” and “really good information” available online about “the types of questions and the kinds of information we want to gather,” said Lauren Riordan ’85, adding that the amount of information and its quality have increased in recent years. Still, “there’s no formal training,” she said. Interviews with alumni interviewers and students suggest that alumni interviewers take a varied array of approaches to their conversations with prospective students. Patipan Prasertsom ’13, an alumni interviewer, said he approaches the interviews as a formality meant to ensure

the absence of any red flags. “You don’t want to feel responsible for destroying someone’s hope,” he said, so he tends to write his reviews on the softer side. Porter said an interview goes well if she spots a spark of passion and curiosity. Beyond that, “we just act as a filter or an amplifier for that person’s qualities,” she said. But other interviewers may take a more rigorous approach. For example, in her interview as a prospective student, Julia Peters ’17 said she was asked to read and respond to a news article on environmental policy on the spot.

Serving as an ambassador for Brown Another major aim of the alumni interviewing program is to help applicants understand what Brown is like, Clark wrote. Clark did not answer a question regarding how alumni interviewers are kept abreast of current campus events, though he wrote that “the intent is not to deliver information that is accessible online or can come from the admission staff — but rather to offer applicants the chance for a conversation with an individual who can share thoughts on the Brown experience and the University’s values more broadly.” Students had mixed feelings about how well their interviewers were able to speak about Brown today. “I mean, (my interviewer) must have gone (to

Brown) at least 30 years ago,” said Kat Zouboulakis ’18, adding, “I think a 30-year-old Brown alum would be better than a 60-year-old Brown alum.” But that wasn’t a consensus view among all students. “I would’ve appreciated someone older, in most cases, because I feel like they can offer me more about how life at Brown is going to look for me down the road,” said Liza Ruzicka ’19, a former Herald copy editor. In a similar vein, many sources agreed on interviewers’ capability to capture and relay the general culture of Brown, despite the generational gap. “Obviously (my interviewer) couldn’t give lots of specifics about what it’s like now, but I think he did provide a good perspective of the general atmosphere, which I think did kind of hold, even though it was a long time ago,” Aidan O’Shea ’19 said. Interviewers shared the feeling that Brown’s essence has remained the same for many years. “Social and current generational factors may change, but that spark doesn’t, as far as I’m concerned,” Porter said. The impact of the interview itself on admission decisions is difficult to identify with precision. “The interview is just one element among the many factors considered during the admission process,” Clark wrote. “I really don’t know how much bias or prejudice with an interviewer tilts the scales. I just don’t know. But I presume it’s not that much because, believe me, I’ve tried. There have been applicants who I’ve just been like, ‘you would be crazy not to take this kid,’ and they didn’t get in,” Porter said.

access to condoms and birth control pills through their health services. This contrasts with the policy at Providence College, where students do not have access to contraception of any kind: The school principally opposes the use of contraception, seeing it as contradictory to its Catholic mission, wrote Steven Maurano, associate vice president of public affairs, community and government relations at PC, in an email to The Herald. But colleges often do not provide all types of birth control. “All college health services should provide a full range of contraceptive options, including, but not limited to, the intrauterine device and contraceptive implants,” Fox wrote. But among universities that do offer contraception, access to IUDs is rare — neither Brown nor RWU health services is able to provide IUD insertion services. Providing IUDs is expensive, Mitchell said, adding that it is unclear whether RWU will incorporate IUDs into Health Services’s range of offerings in the future.

“It is certainly something that we really look forward to doing” at Brown Health Services, Khan said. But “each IUD costs about $700. That is just the cost of an IUD, without the administrative cost, which would include the time of a trained provider. There are logistics not only about funding but billing that we are trying to figure out,” she wrote in a follow-up email to The Herald. The University must provide IUDs in a “sustainable and responsible way,” she added. Currently, a student wishing to get an IUD at Brown is referred offcampus to a gynecologist, Khan said, adding that this is standard practice for all specialty medical care that is outside the scope of Health Services. Emergency contraception is also a key aspect of providing comprehensive contraception for students. Brown Health Services and RWU Health Services both offer emergency contraception at a reduced rate, and students at both universities can access emergency contraception for any reason. “College health centers should

provide immediate access to emergency contraceptives for a small charge or free of charge,” Fox wrote. “Emergency contraception is very effective but can be expensive.” Emergency contraception is also a key aspect of responding to incidences of rape and sexual assault, Fox wrote. While, as Khan said, Brown Health Services provides emergency care for all students, including emergency contraception, it does not administer rape kits to victims of sexual assault, said Amanda Walsh, Title IX program officer at Brown. Brown Health Services also does not have a sexual assault nurse examiner — a particular type of nurse who is trained to treat victims of sexual assault in the hours and days following an instance of sexual violence — on staff. RWU also does not have rape kits or a SANE, Mitchell said. But offering rape kits and adequately trained medical personnel is “part of the response to a sexual assault allegation,” said Shan Wu, a Washington, D.C.-based attorney

who represents college students in legal and campus disputes. The issue of sexual assault can “very much be viewed as a health problem,” Wu added. Therefore, one could argue that a lack of health resources around sexual assault “would violate Title IX,” he said. Failing to train medical staff properly could be a health and safety issue, he added. But it does not make sense to have a SANE at RWU Health Services, Mitchell wrote in a follow-up email to The Herald. “A SANE exam would not be performed in Health Services due to lack of resources, the length of time it would take to conduct the exam and concerns for maintaining chain of custody with the evidence collected,” she wrote. While Khan did not elaborate on Brown’s lack of a SANE, the University offers a sexual assault response line that students can call after an incident of assault occurs. This line will refer students to medical and police assistance that may be relevant to their situation, according to BWell, Brown’s health promotion website.

nothing ever happened,” Blyth said. “If you survived him, you might survive Trump.” But there was one issue that Blyth did find particularly worrisome this election cycle, what he called the “strange lovefest between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin.” “What if Trump believes Putin and thinks they’re good buddies?” Blyth questioned, adding that Trump’s emphasis on military spending could prove disastrous if a Putin emboldened by a faltering NATO provokes Trump on the global stage.

All of their hypotheticals aside, both Schiller and Blyth acknowledged that at this point in the race, it’s still impossible to predict who will prevail. “Polls have gone up and down, and if you look at Obama and Romney in 2012, you will see poll numbers that look nearly identical” to today’s, Schiller said, adding that she doesn’t believe talk of voters switching parties over an undesirable candidate because “when we get closer to the election, people go home to their (parties).” Still, some things can be gleaned from the race already, Schiller said,

making note of the disparities that exist between Clinton’s elaborate campaign infrastructure and Trump’s comparatively minute ground operation. “If Hillary wins in November, it will be because of her campaign organization,” Schiller said. But Clinton will be brought down if she doesn’t atone for past missteps, Blyth said. She must, for example, offer a “mea culpa” for economic policies she’s supported that have left many Americans without a seat at the proverbial table. Clinton’s position as a paid speaker at many financial institutions also raises

questions, Blyth said. “Clinton’s big vulnerability with me personally is that (she) talks to finance but won’t release the transcripts,” Blyth said. “I talk to finance, too; you can get all my transcripts,” he added, “I tell them what I tell you — they’re just dumb enough to pay.” Blyth and Schiller will be giving the second and final lecture in their series Nov. 9. Taking place the day after the general election, their next talk will seek to explain the election’s results and discuss whether or not the next president is fit to meet the challenges of the office.

Conflicts of interest and implicit bias Another potential inconsistency of the interviewing process is the biases of its interviewers. Some biases may manifest themselves in the preventable form of conflicts of interest while others may be implicit biases that all people possess and are thus more difficult to mitigate. To limit the former issue, the University’s “training and registration process has long required interviewers to identify any potential conflicts of interest with applicants,” Clark wrote. While the vast majority of interviews likely contain no conflicts of interest, one current Brown student — who chose to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions against herself and her alumni interviewer — was interviewed by her mother’s best friend. “We didn’t even talk about school or academics or anything; we just sat down and had a conversation,” she said. “You’re not supposed to interview anyone that you know, but my mom

interviewed at my high school, for example, after I graduated,” said another student, who asked to remain anonymous to protect her mother’s identity. “She would come home and tell me how they went” and ask something like: “is that the same impression you got?” Inconsistencies in the ways people conduct their interviews and the judgments they make about their interviewees are part of human nature, said Gary Latham, fellow of the American Psychological Association and professor of organizational effectiveness at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. In order to limit such inconsistencies, institutions can provide interviewers a scoring guide and specific questions to ask candidates that will “keep (interviewers’) biases in check,” Latham added.

NEWS

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Alum gains funding for water purification system company Lengerich SCMIM’13 aims to reach native country with arsenic purification technology By MARIAH KENNEDY CUOMO STAFF WRITER

Chief Executive Officer of HMSolution Margaret Lengerich SCMIM’13 was awarded $50,000 Sept. 12 by the Slater Technology Fund for her water purification technology company HMSolution, a company she built out of the research she did while a graduate student in the Innovation Management and Entrepreneurship master’s program at Brown. The Slater Technology Fund is an independently chartered economic development fund that focuses its venture capital investments on businesses based in Rhode Island. HMSolution is a water treatment technology company that sells water purification systems that remove arsenic and 15 other toxic contaminants from drinking water. The systems use iron-based absorption technology to remove arsenic from water. The system differs from its competitors in that it does not use chemicals in the purification process, does not require changing filters often and costs less. The technology is capable of reducing concentrations of arsenic from 200 parts per billion — a toxic level — to undetectable levels. The World Health Organization reported in 2014 that 200 million people within 70 countries are ingesting an unsafe level of arsenic. Ingesting

arsenic can result in cancer, skin lesions, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity, diabetes and developmental delays, the WHO also reported. Arsenic is ingested mainly through drinking contaminated water, eating crops that are grown through contaminated irrigation systems and preparing food with contaminated water. Making a positive impact in the lives of others is an important part of the works she does, Lengerich said. “I feel more inspired and more motivated when I know what I am building is going to create a benefit for someone.” Lengerich explained that the master’s program she completed here requires students to choose one of various technologies developed by Brown professors to work on for the remainder of the year. Students were also able to propose their own ideas to work on. It was during her time at Brown that Lengerich encountered the research done by Professor of Engineering Joseph Calo. Calo and other researchers “had filed a patent around this method of removing arsenic from water,” Lengerich said. After doing more research on the impact of arsenic poison today, Lengerich discovered that this was a serious problem in her native country of Chile and decided to join the venture. “I became very passionate about this project and solving the problem,” she said. After working on the project for two years at Brown, Lengerich founded HMSolution in 2013 — the same year she graduated.

COURTESY OF MARGARET LENGERICH

Chief Executive Officer of HMSolution Margaret Lengerich SCMIM’13 received $50,000 from the Slater Technology Fund to support the water treatment company she built out of research she did while a graduate student. Latin America is the company’s primary focus in the short term, Lengerich said. “In the north of Chile and Argentina, they have very high concentrations of arsenic. Those are the areas where I would like to bring the technology,” she said. Often the areas hardest hit by this problem are in rural, poor communities that cannot afford access to safe water, she added. HMSolution aims to sell to community water systems, beverage companies, agricultural companies and households. “Every day there are companies in Chile that want (this product) to be installed,” Lengerich said.

The company will be able to start selling the water purification system in about six months, Lengerich said, and the company needs between $1 million and $1.5 million to commercialize all market segments — including municipalities, residential schools and hotels. A quarter of this money would be used for testing and verification, while the remainder would go toward overhead and marketing. Lengerich said being a female CEO in her line of work has been a challenge. “(Investors) haven’t seen many women entrepreneurs who have been successful, or they are not very (well-)

known,” Lengerich said. “What you don’t see, you don’t believe.” One investor recommended bringing a man into the company to bolster its validity. Lengerich was “shocked” by the proposition. But Lengerich said she is optimistic about higher participation among women in the field. This attitude toward women from investors is changing already as more women become entrepreneurs, she said. “I hope that this will be an encouragement for Brown alums — and women in particular — to start businesses,” Lengerich said.

LGBTQ Center event promotes nuanced view of bisexuality Robyn Ochs discusses bisexuality’s lack of visibility, unique issues bi+ people confront By SHIRA BUCHSBAUM SENIOR STAFF WRITER

“Raise your hand if you’ve ever heard that bisexuality is a phase.” Robyn Ochs began her presentation, “Understanding Bisexuality: Challenging Stigma and Reducing Disparity among College Students,” Thursday evening with a declaration of pride: She is celebrating 40 years of identifying as bisexual this September. “So let me be Exhibit A,” Ochs said.

Ochs, an activist, author and educator, centered her presentation on the people she refers to as bi+: those who do not identify with the sexuality binary and use terms like bi, pan, queer, heteroflexible, asexual, questioning and no label, to name a few. Visibility of bi+ people is one of the most prominent issues people in that identity group face, Ochs said, so she presented a wide array of data that demonstrated how bi+ people exist in society today. Notably, a lot of large research projects lump people under the lesbian-gay-bisexual umbrella and do not disaggregate data for people who only identify as bi+, further diminishing their visibility, she said. Data indicate that bi+ youth experience

MARIANNA MCMURDOCK / HERALD

More than 40 people gathered in the Faunce Memorial Room Thursday evening to discuss bi+ sexual identities and how to augment their visibility.

lower levels of happiness and higher rates of drug and alcohol use than both their straight and gay or lesbian peers. Bi+ youth also report having fewer adults with whom to discuss their sexuality and related experiences and are less likely to be out. The lower rates of being out extend into adulthood, Ochs noted. She attributed these struggles to minority stress, or stress experienced by people in marginalized groups due to hostile social environments. Those feelings of stress, anxiety, panic and reduced happiness are “not caused by being who you are, but by being who you are in the hostile social environment,” Ochs said. Ochs also noted that talking about bisexuality is impossible without discussing intersectionality: All of these identities interact in “complex and compounded ways,” which “limit the size of our safe spaces,” she said. Natalie Chapkis ’18, who identifies as bisexual and biracial, noted “a lot of parallels between bisexuality and biraciality.” Ochs asked attendees to share examples of stereotypes projected onto the bi+ identity group. Audience members suggested a slew of derisive misconceptions: “They don’t exist.” “They don’t love.” “Sex addicts.” “Too afraid to admit they’re gay.” “Doing it for the attention.” “Perverts.” “Untrustworthy.” “Tourists in gay town,” Ochs added. She proceeded to share her own path toward identifying as bisexual. In her first semester of college, she fell in love with a woman and proceeded to reconcile herself with what bisexuality constituted for her.

But Ochs did not come out about her identity for another five years, largely because she was deterred by the rhetoric she heard among her gay and lesbian friends. “I don’t think I realized how much my silence cost me until it was gone,” Ochs said of the relief she felt after she finally came out to a coworker. But the negative rhetoric persisted, and Ochs sees that “these stereotypes are created by limitations in other people’s thinking.” Ochs attributed popular skepticism about bisexuality to five notions: visibility, or that bi+ people are hard to see because the default assumption is that everyone is straight; distortion, or that a perverse relationship with sex and sexuality exists in the United States; binaries, or that typical thinking orients around extremes; ignorance, or that people have not received comprehensive education on LGBTQ issues; and horizontal hostility, or

that bi+ people are often not recognized within the LGBTQ community. Solutions to these issues include scientific research on human sexuality, more inclusive language, supporting people in and out of the community and advocating an inclusive curriculum on bisexuality. Brown currently does not have a single course with the word bisexuality in its title or course description. Despite these challenges in the external world, Chapkis noted how she “felt a lot of love” and a really strong sense of community in the room. Likewise, Soo Joo RISD ’18 liked the definition of bisexuality Ochs shared, noting that she was excited by the prospect of more people understanding bisexuality. “I feel like more people will begin to identify” beyond the sexuality binary, Joo said, adding that the change would “have so much power to destroy social constructs.”

SPORTS

PAGE 4 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Moreno ’17 fuels game-saving rally over Bryant in season opener Five-touchdown performance proves pivotal in Bears’ comeback win last weekend By NICHOLAS WEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After a grueling pre-season filled to the brim with wind sprints, play analyses, two-a-day practices and hours in the film room, the men’s football team finally took to the field Saturday against Bryant ready to put it all to the test. Yet just a quarter in, the Bears (1-0) found themselves down 21-0. But the Bears’ co-captain and starting quarterback Kyle Moreno ’17 was not ready to let the game slip away. Despite it being only his first official start, Moreno had a career-defining performance. Over the next three quarters, he threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more to power Bruno to a storybook comeback versus the Bulldogs. In the air, the California native completed 16-of-29 passes for 224 yards and no interceptions. For his refusal to lie down and critical role in Bruno’s 35-27 win over Bryant, Moreno has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week. Herald: What was going through your head after the first quarter, being down 21-0? Moreno: I think we were all on the same page. We just needed to take it one drive at a time, one play at a time. We would have obviously wanted to start better than we did, but we knew that our job on offense was to keep their defense on the field and control the ball. That was really our mentality. When did you start to see the tides

» DORMS, from page 1 year told me that some of the rooms were worn down, so I was surprised to see how nice the furniture and kitchen appliances were.” Smith added that all the suites she had visited have a “ton of space” with nice couches and tables. But for students in other dorms, amenities are not as desirable. Keeney Quadrangle underwent a massive $21 million renovation that took place in 2013, according to Facilities Management records. But Rock Hoffman ’20 — who lives in Archibald-Bronson in Keeney— found there to be a “lack of water pressure in the showers” as well as “hand dryers (that) have so little power, they are essentially useless,” he said. Hoffman also found broken cabinets

turning versus the Bulldogs? After the second touchdown to make it 21-14 and headed into halftime, I think the feeling in the locker room was that even though we were down, we were in control. We knew we were about to have a much better second half than we did first half, so halftime was really when we began to feel more comfortable.

You had all five of the team’s touchdowns in the win. How did you feel after you realized what you had accomplished? Of course, individually, it was my first start, and I was excited to play well. My teammates voted me captain, and I wanted to live up to that. It was one of the biggest honors I have ever received in my life, so just to show them that they made a good choice was big. And I can’t say more about what a good job they did. In football, there is a lot that goes on that isn’t seen, that is not written in articles: the O-line blocking, the receivers getting open, the coaches calling great plays. There’s a lot of work that went into all that. Of course having success helps my confidence, but what gives me confidence even more is just the way the guys fought. How has preseason prepared the team? We were fortunate to have a lot of guys stay in Providence this summer, making some huge gains in the weight room and conditioning. The coaches put us through a lot in camp. I wouldn’t say it was the most fun, but it prepares you for the game. Guys were able to stay healthy, and also we have a great defense, who really gives us some hard, difficult, crazy looks that we might not even see with other teams. It really prepares us for the worst — which is and window shades in his room, which were later replaced by Facilities Management, he said. Other first-year dorms, including Emery Hall, Woolley Hall, Morris and Champlin, were treated to renovations in 2013 that cost a total of $1.1 million. “I’d probably describe the condition of my dorm as decent,” Elyse Sauber ’20, a resident in Woolley Hall. “It’s livable and there’s nothing fundamentally wrong with the conditions, but the building is old and grimy. I wouldn’t have a problem with it if the other freshman dorms weren’t so nice.” Sauber enjoys the location of Woolley Hall, but would rather be in a bigger space as she doesn’t “spend a ton of time in (her) room since it’s so small.” While Sauber thinks the University is doing “a wonderful job” in

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Kyle Moreno ’17 looks for an open receiver to make a pass. Voted one of the team co-captains this season, the quarterback proved his leadership skills, as he was involved in all five of the team’s touchdowns against Bryant. good. It’s tough in practice, but everyone knows it helps once we get into games. Taking a step back, how did you get your start playing football? I started playing flag football when I was seven, and I started playing tackle when I was nine. My dad was a football player and football coach. My uncle was a high school coach. I think my family drew me to the sport. I always had fun, and I grew up watching the NFL as a big 49ers fan. It was always a sport that I loved. I played a lot of other sports, but football was always the main one, and I think that had a lot to do with my family. maintaining the overall conditions of the freshman dorms, a lot of new students “would be happier if the University worked to make the discrepancy between certain freshman living spaces a little less drastic,” she added. A part of the 2013 renovation of first-year residence halls included making some of the residential halls more accessible for all students. Elevators were added to Keeney, Miller Hall and Metcalf Hall, McMillan said, adding that improving the accessibility of residence halls is one of the key areas looked at in determining how to conduct renovations. Yet 30 percent of the residential halls remain inaccessible, Maiorisi said. For example, in the Young Orchard residence halls, only one room out of the three buildings is accessible to students

“Thru the wall.” Can you talk about that motto? “Thru the wall” is something we adopted during the start of winter workouts. It just means that every single day you need to go “thru the wall” of mediocrity, tiredness, whatever it is. We are just trying to break through some habits that held us back in prior years and just bring it every single day. What does this win mean for the team moving forward? It felt really good to get the win to start off the season. We go through a with disabilities, Maiorisi said. The accessibility of certain dorms can vary based on the specific floor. For instance, the dorms on Wriston Quadrangle — which were subject to two sets of renovations totaling $12 million over 2014 and 2015 — are only fully accessible on their first floors, with lifts and ramps available for wheelchairs. But without elevators, the dorms are not fully accessible, McMillan said. Because the University guarantees on-campus housing to undergraduates for all four years with a requirement that first-year and sophomore students must live on campus, the Office of Residential Life must constantly deal with the issue of overcapacity. Though the University has a total of 5,021 beds across residential halls, and juniors and seniors have the option to live off-campus, some

long camp, and we made it through healthy, which is huge. And to get the win, especially the way we did, was awesome. Going forward we have hard evidence that we can come back if we need to. As far as games go, we are not looking at weeks down the road; we just look at it one week at a time. Our motto along with “thru the wall” is to each week be “1-0.” It doesn’t matter if we won or lost before. Every week is a new week. I think the sky is the limit for this team. This interview has been edited for clarity and length. students find themselves in temporary housing, making their homes in former kitchens and lounges. “This has been an average year in terms of overcapacity,” said Richard Hilton, associate director for administrative services at ResLife. About 16 students lived in temporary housing at the beginning of the new school year, though some of those students are now in permanent rooms, he added. Students who take a leave of absence or do not inform the University they are not coming back for the semester provide opportunities for permanent rooms for those in temporary housing, Hilton said. Because of this, overcapacity “waxes and wanes “throughout the year, McMillan said. “We are always looking to increase capacity and looking at different options.”

TODAY

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

under hk’s umbrella

menu SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Harvest, Buffalo Chicken, Bacon and Feta Sushi Night JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Make-Your-Own Quesadillas

Soup: Chowder, Minestrone Build-Your-Own Burrito Bowl

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Apricot Beef with Sesame Noodles, Sunny Sprouts, Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Italian Chicken Parmesan, Gardener Pie, Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Frosting

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Nacho Bar, Breaded Chicken Fingers, Udon and Vegetable Salad, Frosted Chocolate Eclairs

Orange Beef Pad Thai, Cavatelli Primavera, Pound Cake topped with Strawberries

sudoku HUAYU OUYANG / HERALD

The Umbrella Movement exhibit depicts the democratic political movement sparked in Hong Kong in 2014. The movement recognizes the umbrella as a symbol of defiance and resistance against the Hong Kong Police.

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

“If you castigate voters as racist and deplorable then they might become that even if they’re not.” — Mark Blyth, professor of political science and international and public affairs

See candidate on page 1.

crossword

calendar FRIDAY

SEPTEMBER

Shabbat Services 6:15 P.M. Hillel

Life & Death in Medicine 7:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson 411

SATURDAY Coffee Break Science 9:30 A.M. Smith-Buonanno 106

BCSC Block Party 7:00 P.M. Center for Students of Color

SUNDAY Becoming Catholic? 6:30 P.M. J. Walter Wilson 411

Note Taking 7:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson 203

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Brown Bites Closing time Though only a few of the council’s meetings have been closed to the press for nearly the entire duration of a session since 2012, the Undergraduate Council of Students closed its general body meeting “to the public and press” Wednesday in order to provide a safe space for council members to participate in conversations on sensitive issues such as mental health and sexual assault, UCS President Viet Nguyen ’17 said. Controversial Kennedy Plaza proposal brings protest The proposal to renovate Kennedy Plaza and move the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority bus hub from the plaza to the Providence train station was called anti-homeless by advocates for the homeless, who held a press conference about their opposition to the plan one hour before the proposal was announced Sept. 14. Members of the press and public were barred from entering Former Mayor of Providence Joseph Paolino Jr.’s press conference on the matter. Stay classy, Providence. Her Excellency Joyce Banda comes to campus Former President of Malawi, Her Excellency Joyce Banda, came to campus Monday to speak on the importance of moral leadership, especially in developing Africa. Banda argued that leaders must engage with their people and be inclusive in order to foster unity. The Pokémon Go craze Noticed little monsters around campus? They might be a part of Pokémon Go, the virtual reality game that took the world — and Brown — by storm. According to Alex Volpicello ’18, there are “lots of dude bro athletes that play Pokémon!” Gotta catch ’em all!

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COMMENTARY FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Why a fear of commitments is good ELI SILVERT staff columnist

Whether we are conscious of it or not, we all fear the act of committing, which often means deciding to stick with something before truly understanding what it holds. If you are not aware of this aversion in yourself, then you can at least recognize it in people around you. This internal struggle paralyzes or flusters us when making plans for the night, deciding which student clubs and activities to make our own, choosing the appropriate meal plan or simply figuring out which food line to hop into at the Ivy Room. While this type of ambivalence — the stubborn avoidance of or procrastination toward committing — can be aggravating for those involved, it is both sensible and beneficial to be wary of commitment. But, the conventional wisdom says otherwise. In a traditional mindset, we strive to attain certain things that mainstream folk deem beneficial — being in an exclusive relationship, deciding on a course of study or career path early on, etc. But on a deeper, more genuine level, we actively avoid binding ourselves to a set path. In acting upon this mindset, we are making the decision to explore. We fear that if we settle too early, we will miss out on something that might be better. It is this fear of missing out

(or FOMO) that accounts for our strange antsiness on Friday and Saturday nights. Some nights, I find myself bouncing around from dorm to dorm or building to building, rarely satisfied with my current location or state of mind. It feels like I am on an endless quest to find a party with enough hype or the perfect combination of people that I can vibe with. Even if the things going on in the moment are fun, serious FOMO can keep us in pursuit of

“The Great Gatsby” can offer some insight. Jay Gatsby, a self-made entrepreneur, romanticizes his past with Daisy Fay Buchanan, a beautiful woman who comes from wealth. The two had a summer fling when they were young, but Gatsby grows fonder of Daisy as he romanticizes his past with her and inflates his memories. To some degree, I think we all do this. We look back on certain past experiences and associate them with strong feelings of happi-

eternal pursuit of an experience that never occurs and results in his never settling down. Fitzgerald teaches us that while we do not want to commit too early and be content with too little, we also cannot pursue a feeling or experience that only exists in our distorted memory (as we may sometimes do on a highly anticipated night). This second option can only lead to disappointment. Many of us may be more prone to the first scenario — settling early.

Even if the things going on in the moment are fun, serious FOMO can keep us in pursuit of other activities and uncommitted to one party or group of people.

other activities and uncommitted to any one party or group of people. As freshmen embarking upon college for the first time, we all share this experience but rarely talk about it. This could be for the best, seeing as it really doesn’t sound so nice when stated explicitly. Let’s forgo the awkwardness for the moment and try to understand where this feeling of FOMO comes from. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s

ness, satisfaction or carefree abandon. Our romanticized and inaccurate memories of past nights make us expect more from future nights, which keeps us searching, uncommitted and fearful that we are missing out on a better time. Of course, Gatsby does not realize that his expectations are colored by a distorted perception of the past. He believes his memories are accurate, which keeps him on an

We were probably on the “fast track” in high school and did not necessarily explore. We need to remember that there’s a balance to be struck between exploring and committing. Brown in particular promotes being cautious of premature commitment and giving consideration to what we truly want. Shopping period exists so that we do not blindly commit to a set of courses. Universities across the country also promote a “caution

of commitments” through freshman orientation. This serves as a shopping period of sorts. It provides newcomers with time to test the waters before committing to some sort of social group. During this intense five-day period, freshmen shop for a community — a niche of people with common interests, a friend group, etc. — among whom they feel comfortable and at home. This accommodation is so important that it comes chronologically before Brown’s actual shopping period and is almost universally adopted by U.S. colleges. A degree of hesitance and consideration is key for making good decisions. This idea has even permeated its way into our food-related decisions; students at Brown are afforded a month to decide which meal plan to subscribe to. Administrators have made efforts to provide time for exploration so that we can make better-informed, more suitable decisions. Commitment can only be healthy when it comes at the end of a period of introspection and research. It’s only for the best that we understand what we want, fully comprehend what we are committing to and compatibly align our pursuits and desires. With that, let’s be wary of thinking (and appearing) like we have our lives figured out. Personally, I’m going to bask in phase one for a while. I need to explore.

Eli Silvert ’20 can be reached at eli_silvert@brown.edu.

Why you should take creative writing MILI MITRA opinions editor

Like many other Brown students, I’ve developed a specific routine for pre-registration days: I wake up at 7:30 a.m. and spend a good 20 minutes with my cursor hovering over the “Register Cart” button, hoping to get into a section of ENGL 0930: “Introduction to Creative Nonfiction.” The famed English course — one of the most popular courses at Brown — is notorious for filling up mere seconds after registration opens. Three times running, my hopes were dashed by the dreaded “no seats available” message at precisely 8:01 a.m. But last spring, with an extra early wake up call and a lot of luck, I finally got into the class. Ironically, last spring was perhaps the one semester I wasn’t desperate to take the course. After a year of writing non-stop for The Herald and the Brown Political Review and taking at least two writing-based courses per semester, I thought I knew all there was to know about college-level writing. Of course, it only took me a couple of classes to realize that Creative Nonfiction — and indeed, most of the creative writing courses at Brown — went well beyond that level and then some. I went into the class expecting a fun, low-

stress S/NC course to take as my fifth class in a busy semester. Instead, I got a course that took up more time than my other four put together and occupied my thoughts day and night. But it also turned out to be one of my favorite courses at Brown and without a doubt one of the most useful. In the course of a semester, I essentially

me; after writing about a particularly frustrating incident that brought me to tears, I discovered that the class was both cathartic and liberating. From what I’ve heard, these lessons apply to the majority of creative writing courses at Brown. Many of my peers tell me that courses like “Creative Nonfiction” and its introductory cor-

Creative writing courses aren’t just for aspiring authors or budding journalists.

re-learnt how to write from scratch. I gained a new perspective on writing for an audience and realized that I was making a lot of rookie mistakes. My written work improved noticeably in my other courses because I attacked my papers with renewed enthusiasm. I also had the chance to choose topics that were important to

ollaries in poetry and fiction are a waste of time for non-English concentrators. This is absolutely not true. These courses are helpful to anyone interested in improving their writing and communication skills. Any field we enter after graduation — from scientific research to finance and consulting — will require at least

some writing know-how. Of course, you can also work on these skills in a non-English WRIT-de class. But before “Creative Nonfiction,” I took tons of WRITdesignated courses within my concentration to satisfy my writing urge. Not one of them improved my writing half as much. The courses in the English and literary arts departments are tailored to zero in on specific aspects of your writing that need the most work. They can also push you out of your comfort zone in the best possible way. Rest assured, even if you decide not to write creatively ever again, the lessons you learn can help you with any other form of writing or editing. The bottom line? Creative writing courses aren’t just for aspiring authors or budding journalists. They can be for the computer science concentrator trying to cross off a WRIT requirement while having fun or the economics concentrator tired of staring at numbers and graphs. They’re useful for anyone with a mild interest in writing and the urge to discover a new side to academics at Brown. Regardless of your class year or academic passion, I can guarantee that these courses offer a unique form of intellectual development. So give them a shot — you never know what you might discover.

Mili Mitra ’18 can be reached at mili_mitra@brown.edu.

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SPORTS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2016

Anyone but Trout is a fish out of water JAMES SCHAPIRO sports columnist

The word “valuable” can mean many different things, especially in baseball, which requires a multitude of different skills to compete successfully. Every September and October, the debate is brought to the forefront of sports news, as fans and writers argue over what “valuable” really means and who should win each league’s MVP award. And somehow, they always seem to get it wrong. For some reason, the National League MVP honor has been given out with much less controversy than the American League award in recent years. Bryce Harper won the award unanimously in 2015, and while Clayton Kershaw’s selection in 2014 raised some eyebrows, as pitchers aren’t usually chosen as MVPs, he was by far the best selection available. Going back to 2013 and 2011, two dubious selections presented themselves, but even so, the National League has generally avoided full-blown MVP controversies.

The American League, by contrast, has not been so lucky. Every year, it seems, the AL MVP argument breaks down to two groups: for and against Mike Trout. Those against Trout don’t really have one defining argument: They simply contend, every year, that the other option is better. Since 2012, Trout has finished in the top two in AL MVP voting each year. Yet, despite leading all of the league in wins above replacement by a substantial margin over that span, Trout has only taken home MVP honors once, in what was arguably his worst season. This year, despite being at or near the top of the field in nearly every important offensive statistic, Trout is likely to finish second in the MVP balloting, and maybe as low as fourth. Why hasn’t Trout been recognized more favorably? There are numerous reasons. In both 2012 and 2013, Trout finished second to Miguel Cabrera. Both years, Cabrera’s superior power numbers probably sealed the deal: Cabrera hit 88 home runs over the period, compared to Trout’s 57. But while I won’t argue that Cabrera didn’t

deserve both those awards, Trout was putting on a show on the field as well: Trout stole 82 bases over the period to Cabrera’s seven and was worth 20 wins over the two seasons to Cabrera’s 14.5. Trout finally took home the award in 2014 — by both WAR and conventional statistics, his worst season — but lost out to Josh Donaldson in 2015, despite being worth 0.6 more wins. This time, Donaldson likely won the award because his team made the playoffs, while Trout’s Angels did not. The Angels have made the playoffs only once since Trout made his debut, in 2014, Trout’s worst — and only MVP — season. This year, coming down to the wire, the situation is similar: Trout’s 10.0 WAR leads MLB by more than a full win, and he is also leading the American League in on-base percentage by 33 points. He’s batting .318, has 28 home runs and has even stolen 26 bases — his highest total since 2013. His OPS is .996, the highest of his career. Trout deserves to win MVP. Indeed, he deserves to win his fifth MVP. But it seems more likely that he will not, because once again, the

Angels are foundering. They’re 6686, mathematically eliminated from postseason contention. Besides Trout’s 10.0 WAR, the next-most valuable player on the Angels has been worth only 4.0 wins. By contrast, all of Trout’s competitors play for teams with legitimate chances to make the playoffs and far more talented rosters. Yes, the Angels have been bad, but compared to where they’d be without Mike Trout, 66-86 doesn’t sound terrible. The irony here is that MVP voters who base their decisions on the success of candidates’ teams aren’t voting for the Most Valuable Player at all: they’re voting for the Most Valuable rest of team. Value is value, whether a team is 20 games over, .500 or 20 games under: Mike Trout’s 10.0 wins contributed to the Angels this season are his value, and his competitors’ lesser contributions are theirs. Mike Trout has made the Angels, an almost historically awful team without him, 10.0 wins better — no one else has done nearly as much. Even the voting guidelines make it clear that team success need not figure in to MVP voting. According

to the guidelines given to voters, the “MVP need not come from a division winner or other playoff qualifier.” The qualifications listed for consideration are as follows: 1. Actual value of a player to his team, that is, strength of offense and defense. 2. Number of games played. 3. General character, disposition, loyalty and effort. Mike Trout’s strength on both offense and defense is unrivaled, as all available statistics clearly demonstrate. Of his team’s 152 games this year, he’s played in 149 of them. His character and effort, whether on the field or in front of the media, have never been anything short of excellent. In short, he’s a model MVP. Mike Trout deserves to win a fifth MVP this year, or estimating extremely conservatively, a third or fourth. Giving him his second won’t solve that problem. But it will certainly be a start.

James Schapiro ’19 also thinks Mike Trout is pretty goodlooking. He can be reached at james_schapiro@brown.edu.