Wednesday, October 12, 2016

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 83

WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

Public art on campus gains prominence Public Art Committee brings diverse, unique art pieces to campus through donations, loans By ROLAND HIGH SENIOR STAFF WRITER

ELI WHITE / HERALD

Jelani Cobb, professor of journalism at the Columbia University School of Journalism and staff writer for the New Yorker, spoke yesterday on the concept of democratization of safe spaces within institutions.

Jelani Cobb speaks on unsafe democracy Cobb argues that generations have done without safe spaces in Reaffirming Values lecture By FIDELITY BALLMER CONTRIBUTING WRITER

During Tuesday’s lecture titled “A Note From the Margin: The Unsafe Spaces of Democracy,” Jelani Cobb, professor of journalism at the Columbia University School of Journalism and staff writer for the New Yorker, shared a quote from his father, who was a boxer: “The punch you’re most

vulnerable to is the one you’ll be hit with most often.” The lecture is the first event in the Reaffirming Values series. “If there are in fact individuals who do not wish to see you perform well in these institutions, it’s of little benefit to tell them exactly where your biggest vulnerabilities are,” Cobb said. “I don’t believe in safe spaces,” he added. In the discourse of safe spaces, people “want to be coddled, they want to be kind of treated with the utmost of delicacy.” Cobb acknowledged this may not be fair, but “generations of people prior,” including his own, have

confronted these same issues, he added. “My generation, we never would have protested (safe spaces),” Cobb said. “Few of us felt that the institutions belonged to us in the first place,” he said, adding, “We anticipated hostility, and we did not feel we were full shareholders in the institutions.” As an example of not needing safe spaces, Cobb shared the story of Hank Aaron, a black American Major League Baseball player, who broke Babe Ruth’s home run record in 1974 “under the most adverse circumstances available,” he said. Aaron » See COBB, page 3

With Ruth J. Simmons Quadrangle’s new blue statue, Urs Fischer’s “Untitled (Lamp/ Bear),” arriving at Brown this past summer, public art on campus has become more apparent than ever. Though it may seem as if the statue appeared on Simmons Quad over night, in reality, all statues that appear on campus are the product of intense debate and discussion, occurring primarily within Brown’s Committee on Public Art. Since it was founded three decades ago under then-Chancellor Artemis Joukowsky ’55 LLD’85 hon. P’87 GP’13 GP’14, the Committee on Public Art has worked “to bring public art to the campus in an organized way,” said Professor of Visual Art Richard Fishman, one of the original members of the committee. “People often want to make donations,” he said, noting that the committee plays an important role in reviewing the

ARTS & CULTURE

quality of the works and determining their location, if accepted. History before the committee There was no such process before the committee, said University Curator Robert Emlen, another original member. In fact, sculpture only became a feature of the campus relatively recently, he added. Brown’s endowment and other resources have grown rapidly in the last 40 or 50 years, Emlen said, adding that this has enabled the University to commit more resources to public art. “I don’t know that we had any sculpture on campus in the 19th century. It wasn’t a very big campus, and Brown was never in those years a very prosperous place,” he said, adding that for most of the University’s history, art was acquired only “by individual initiative.” “Somebody would show up, and they would say ‘I really like this sculpture, and it would be great at Brown, and I want to make a donation,’” Emlen said. “But there was no formal mechanism at Brown for deciding how to do this unless somebody rolled in.” As examples, Emlen cited several historic statues, works that are now integral to Brown’s campus. Some, like the Caesar Augustus statue in front of the Sharpe Refectory, have been weathered » See PUBLIC ART, page 2

Film spotlights children Tall Heights comes to the Creative Capital Three-person indie group of the incarcerated seeks larger venues folDocumentary screening part of interdisciplinary U. engagement with prison system, reform By CONNOR SULLIVAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tuesday afternoon, the John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage screened Denali Tiller’s film, “Sons and Daughters of the Incarcerated,” the most recent of the University’s strides in prison reform education. The Rhode Island School of Design graduate’s 22-minute documentary poignantly depicts an overlooked aspect of mass incarceration — ­ namely, the lives of some of the approximately five million children whose parents have been incarcerated.

ARTS & CULTURE

INSIDE

The film explores the effects of the United States’s criminal justice system on children by peering into the lives of three children with incarcerated fathers. Tiller was quick to dismiss the societal lens that reduces the documentary’s subjects to “risks, statistics and hardships.” Tiller instead aimed to emphasize the children’s “tremendous potential, love and resilience.” “The cultural, societal and economic implications of mass incarceration are important,” Tiller said. “But what I really wanted to examine was the voice of these kids” by underscoring both the personal nature of the film and its commitment to humanizing its subjects’ trauma. Marisa Brown, assistant director of programs at the John Nicholas Brown Center, said that the film was screened because of the exceptionality of its portrayal of Rhode Island’s children and parents affected by incarceration. “The entire film was made at an adult correctional institute at Cranston,” Brown » See PRISON FILM, page 2

lowing Boston debut, Conan O’Brien set

By ELIZABETH TOLEDANO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Boston band Tall Heights will perform today at 7 p.m. in Fête Music Hall in Providence. The t h re e - p e rs on group is known for its quasi-alternative, consciously lesser-known folk electronica — or in cellist Paul Wright’s words “ethereal-soulful-folkinspired-pop.” Comparable acts include Bon Iver, Sufjan Stevens and a plethora of anonymous underground bands generating fewer than 1,000 monthly Spotify subscribers. Thus, for its genre, Tall Heights garners immense listenership, as exemplified by the band’s recent appearance on “Conan.” The band’s members are the celloist Wright, guitarist Tim Harrington and drummer Paul Dumas, who will tour

ARTS & CULTURE

COUTESY OF TALL HEIGHTS

Tall Heights incorporates the heavy implementation of various pedals, amps and electronic devices in their folk electronica songs. with the band through November. In their emerging branch of progressive

indie, beyond the raw instrumentals, » See TALL HEIGHTS, page 2

WEATHER

WEDNESDAY, OC TOBER 12, 2016

NEWS Swearer Center, Watson, CareerLAB offer new D.C. study program for spring 2017

NEWS Califia Farms’ vegan, organic cold-brew coffee offers healthy alternative at campus eateries

COMMENTARY Malik ’18: College bookstores should remain independent from large retailers

COMMENTARY Weinstein ’17: U. should focus on undergrads, not research, construction, endowment

PAGE 3

PAGE 4

PAGE 7

PAGE 7

TODAY

TOMORROW

65 / 43

68 / 51

ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 2 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD “something that would be viewed very differently from a distance than it was up close,” Conklin said.

ANITA SHEITH / HERALD

Giuseppe Penone’s new structure brings natural integrity to campus by remaining almost hidden among the trees on the Main Green. Quiet Green. » PUBLIC ART, from page 1 “Every morning I would walk in and by generations of students. pass that piece,” Conklin said, adding Gifted to the University in 1906 by that she would often pick up cans and alum Moses Brown Ives Goddard 1854, other “paraphernalia” from inside the “who felt very strongly about a classical sculptures every Monday. education,” this statue was originally Another loan, an enormous phoplaced in front of Rhode Island Hall at tograph of a donkey on a boat by artist the center of the campus but was moved Paola Pivi, was mounted high on the to Wriston Qadrangle when it was built, west facade of the Sciences Library in Emlen said. 2004. Students appreciated the fact that “It was intact until the hurricane of it decorated the infamously austere, Bru1938” when an “enormous elm tree” talist building, she said. The image also felled by the storm “crashed onto Caesar took on special meaning in an election Augustus’ arm,” he said. “And so then it year that left little to be celebrated for the was replaced, but it wasn’t very secure, Democratic voters on campus. and one morning everybody woke up, “I think the most exciting part is and someone had run off with the arm.” when the artists come to present their Goddard died not long after this do- work,” Conklin said. “It’s always really nation, and his brother, Robert Goddard, interesting to see what people have come gifted the monumental equestrian statue up with to insert into the environment of Marcus Aurelius in his memory in the that we live in.” summer of 1908. It has stood in SimConklin also noted that, though mons Quadrangle ever since. members of the committee have very different fields of expertise, “almost Modern public sculpture 90 percent of the time there is a clear, Today, the Committee on Public Art unanimous consensus” on what works has half a dozen members who regularly to accept. meet to discuss donated, loaned and “It’s one of those things where you commissioned art. never know what it is, but you recognize The committee’s loan program was it when you see it,” she said. established with a $100,000 sum from The glass walls of the pedestrian former President Ruth Simmons in 2001. bridge of the Sidney Frank Hall for Life Jo-Ann Conklin, director of the Bell Sciences building — “Lines of Sight” by Gallery and a member of the committee, Diane Samuels — is an example of this described several sculpture loans funded philosophy. by the program, which has brought in “A couple of things that made a sculpture by Alexander Calder, cre- (Samuels)stand out from the other ator of the mobile, and two works by folks was that she had actually gone renowned pop-artist Roy Lichtenstein, and interviewed people that worked among others. in the life sciences and thought about Conklin recalled with particular how her practice related or connectfondness the 2007 installation by Pat- ed on some level with what they do,” rick Dougherty, “Square Roots.” Dough- Conklin said. erty worked at the University for sevTo reflect the many hours that life eral weeks alongside student volunteers, sciences students and professors spend weaving together saplings to build a row examining “very small parts of very of whimsical, rectangular shelters on the large organisms,” Samuels proposed

New on campus The colossal, new blue statue on Simmons Quad, “Untitled (Lamp/Bear),” has inspired a healthy amount of criticism, though Conklin ventured that students seemed to be acclimating to the statue — or at least to its aesthetics. Various members of the student body have expressed concern over the alleged transgressions of the donor, hedge fund manager Steven Cohen, who was barred from managing money for outside investors until 2018 after his company plead guilty to insider trading violations. “He’s been a terrific supporter of the University, and we appreciate what he’s done for us,” Conklin said. Both Conklin and Fishman were very familiar with Fischer’s work. Conklin mentioned various wax sculptures the artist has made with candle wicks such that the statues slowly morph as the candles burn. The candles are “quite irreverent but in a totally okay way,” Conklin said, adding that Fischer works with “a broad array of things” stemming from popular culture. “There’s a lot of fanciful, childlike references in some of his works,” she said. Conklin said that she likes the ambiguity of the sculpture. “You take something that should be sweet and lovable and cuddly and make it 24 feet high out of bronze, and I think it really is nice that it can be read either as being childlike and charming and happy or a little bit menacing,” she said. “This is a very imposing and unusual sculpture,” Fishman said, adding that Fischer is known “for doing unusual work, which makes people wonder what they’re looking at.” Fishman said that Fischer’s work is tied to that of the renowned early 20th century artist Marcel Duchamp, who created nontraditional, divisive pieces that dramatically changed the art world. “Fischer in many ways follows in those footsteps, and so for him to then put together a child’s toy and a common desk lamp and blow it up to gargantuan scale” draws from that tradition, Fishman said. Installed on the Main Green, Giuseppe Penone’s “Idee di Pietra” is a far more subtle newcomer. Though it is also mostly made of bronze, the sculpture is almost hidden among the living trees surrounding it, resembling a pruned tree with a boulder suspended in its branches. Penone’s work emerged from the Italian Arte Povera movement of the 1970s, which addressed the divide between nature and artifice and resisted “the commercial art market,” Conklin said. “His art is really connected to nature.” Both artists will come to Brown to discuss their work, Conklin said. Though arrangements have not been settled yet with Penone, Fischer will give a public lecture and attend student critiques on Oct. 26.

» TALL HEIGHTS, from page 1 production includes the heavy implementation of various pedals, amps and electric devices. The resulting stylized interpretation of an increasingly prominent genre appeals to a demographic of twentysomethings who consistently fill their smaller shows. But for Wright­— Dartmouth graduate, Hemingway fan and the band’s cello-keyboard-vocals man — success has a palpable aspect: Unsatisfied with consistent sell-outs in rooms capped at 200, he seeks to see crowds of 800 in big cities across the country. Spotify, though certainly controversial in the industry, actually aids Tall Heights in this objective. “What feels like success and sustainability is seeing people who like your music,” Wright said, adding that he’s “super grateful” for the way Spotify “got a ton of people listening to our music.” In spite of “some big moments,” Wright does not consider any one specific breakthrough key to the band’s current success. But the performance on “Conan,” — seen by millions of

people — was “crazy,” Wright said. He hopes to keep the “trend going positive” and sees their upcoming release tour as an exciting response to their most recent record, “Neptune”, which he describes as “a big step sonically away” from the band’s earlier work. Tall Heights has been around since 2010, when Wright and Harrington started performing on the streets of Boston. In spite of his interest in biology, Wright knew from a young age that he wanted to become a musician after beginning to play cello at age nine. Wright and Harrington wrote music independently until the duo formed Tall Heights once Harrington had finished studying creative writing at Holy Cross. Though they played in Providence for Brown’s Folk Fest back in 2011, Wednesday will be their first local performance in a few years and serves as an accessible prelude for their upcoming release tour. Their new album is currently available on Spotify, and, as of Tuesday, tickets remain available at $12 for Wednesday’s performance at Fête.

COURTSEY OF DENALI TILLER

The documentary “Sons and Daughters of the Incarcerated” takes viewers into the lives of three children whose fathers are incarcerated.

» PRISON FILM, from page 1 said. “It’s really difficult to find work that portrays incarceration in such a small state.” Brown went on to assert the work’s role in the University’s broader series of recent programs related to criminal justice reform. One such exhibit co-curated by the University, entitled “States of Incarceration,” was on display in the University of Rhode Island Gallery from Aug. 29 to Sept. 24 and examined 17 different states’ unique histories of mass incarceration. A more concrete dialogue on prison reform — specifically on the University’s commitment to generating a prison education program — developed with a conference called “Prison Education Movement: Does Brown Have a Role?” that took place on Sept. 16. The conference convened both local and national figures for the sake of prompting initiatives towards a prison education movement at Brown. A

program in cooperation with the Community College of Rhode Island was suggested, which would echo an existing Cornell program that aids formerly incarcerated Ithaca students in attaining bachelor’s degrees. From November to February, public humanities master’s students plan on partnering with LGBT prison reform group “Black + Pink” to construct a mock-up of a solitary confinement cell, a move that could warrant some interest by politicians. “Rep. Aaron Regunberg (’12, DProvidence,) would love to see legislation meant to limit solitary confinement in Rhode Island,” Brown said. “The mock-up could be an educational tool for lawmakers, … so they can actually get a firsthand look at solitary confinement cells.” But for now, “Sons and Daughters of the Incarcerated” stands as one of the few heart-rending reminders of the countless lives affected by mass incarceration within Rhode Island.

NEWS

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

U. to launch domestic study program in D.C. in spring 2017 Semester-long program offers opportunity to combine coursework, public service internships By VAFA BEHNAM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The University’s first domestic study program, Brown in Washington, D.C., will give students a chance to intern in the nation’s capital while taking three or four core classes on-site during the spring 2017 semester. The program will be run by the Swearer Center for Public Service along with the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and CareerLAB. The semester-long program “combines rigorous coursework with substantive internship experiences,” said Mathew Johnson, associate dean for engaged scholarship and director of the Swearer Center. Brown in Washington, D.C., will also provide students with opportunities to make connections with alums and “other influential contacts,” he added. The initiative reflects student interest in working and studying in D.C., especially since the city is a prime location for high-quality internships, said Allen Hance, director of academic programs at the Swearer Center. Students can expect to work at think tanks, governmental and regulatory bodies, development institutions, international organizations, grassroots initiatives and nonprofit organizations,

» COBB, from page 1 received death threats, and black cats were thrown out onto the field in acts of hostility. “When he hit his 715th home run in 1974, he did it in the unsafist of spaces,” Cobb said. Yet Cobb caveated his argument heavily, saying he is critical of the University of Chicago’s letter that was sent to their incoming class detailing its stance on safe spaces by calling it a

Hance said. Students can also work at other types of organizations, such as for-profit businesses, on the condition that the organizations are public service oriented. Leveraging the University’s D.C. alumni network, 20 varied organizations have already been identified, contacted and are anticipating an influx of possible interns through the program, he added. The program “is a terrific opportunity for students interested in learning how the policy-making process really works,” said Eric Patashnik, professor of public policy and political science and incoming director of the public policy program. The program welcomes domestic and international students of all concentrations and interests, Hance said. The only academic prerequisite is taking PLCY 0100: “Introduction to Public Policy” or an equivalent course. Students also must have spent a year on campus and be a junior, senior or second-semester sophomore in good academic standing, he added. Students in the program must take three core courses while in D.C. — a policy seminar offered by Brian Atwood, senior fellow for international and public affairs at the Watson Institute; a practicum consisting of a 25-hour-per-week internship and a reflection seminar. Domestic students also have the ability to take an independent study if they so desire, though international students are required to do so. Tuition and housing rates will

“Marine Corp” tone. Cobb compared the letter to a restaurant that opened with telling its patrons “we’re not going to give you your food quickly; it’ll probably be cold; the waiter is going to be an asshole. But hey, we’re telling you up front so come anyway. Welcome,” he said. Additionally, he said that when touting the right to free speech and open inquiry, people have to be aware of the ways in which the United States has “fallen short of democracy,” Cobb

HERALD FILE PHOTO

The Swearer Center for Public Service, Watson Institute for International Affairs and CareerLAB are running a new semester in D.C. program. be equivalent to a typical semester at Brown, and financial aid will be completely transferable, Hance said. Students will be housed at the Dupont branch of the Washington Intern

Student Housing network, an organization specifically aimed at interns. The program is offered in the spring so that students can transition into a summer internship, though if

the pilot program proves successful, it may also be offered in the fall, Hance said. Students can apply to the program until Oct. 21, and the program itself will run Feb. 1 to May 1.

said. Several aspects of the Constitution are clearly racialized, such as the three-fifths compromise and the fugitive slave clause, he added. “The document itself begins with a particular kind of racial hue,” Cobb said. “There are other elements on the face of it that seem to be abstract or universal, but in the relativistic context of race, actually take on other connotations.” To highlight these elements, Cobb shared some examples of constitutional

interpretations that have caused harm to marginalized groups. The Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of due process of law has been used to uphold the institution of slavery, the Second Amendment to uphold gun ownership, which causes disproportionate harm to people of color, and the First Amendment to justify and rationalize discrimination against gays and lesbians through religious freedom laws in Indiana, he said. “Does this mean that we should get rid of these freedoms and curtail

them? No, it doesn’t. But it means that we should understand, as a kind of democratic maturity, that we don’t all have the same relationship to the Constitution,” Cobb said. “These relationships are relative.” The next event in the Reaffirming Values series is a “One Day Personal Workshop on Personal Narrative and Community Values” by Marshall Ganz, senior lecturer in public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.

Brown University Literary Arts Department presents readings by the inaugural Bonderman Professors of the Practice

CHIKA UNIGWE MÓNICA DE LA TORRE Thursday, 13 October 2016 at 7 pm McCormack Family Theater 70 Brown Street, Providence [use Fones Alley entrance]

NEWS

PAGE 4 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Cold brew coffee from Califia Farms expands organic dining options Odwalla founder starts new company to create healthy, environmentallyfriendly coffee drinks By JUSTIN FERENZI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

As of the start of the 2016 fall semester, students can buy vegan, organic coldbrew coffee at many of the a la carte eateries around Brown’s campus. Califia Farms coffee products are currently available at Josiah’s and the cafe carts in the Rockefeller Library and the Sciences Library. Califia Farms was founded in 2010 by Greg Steltenpohl, who is perhaps best known as the founder of Odwalla Inc. Califia originated as a bottler of tangerine juice for the Cuties brand and soon expanded its range to include almond milk. Steltenpohl’s fascination with almond milk sprung from his former work with soy milk, a primary ingredient in many of Odwalla’s shakes and smoothies. According to Kaitlin Barton, a representative with Califia Farms, soy milk “has a lot of issues with (genetically modified organisms) and has a lot of taste issues. (Steltenpohl) wanted to make almond milk using the bounty of the Central Valley of California as the main inspiration for the product.” Califia’s method for producing almond milk is different from many of its competitors. “We use blanched almonds

to grind down into a meal and create almond milk” by adding water to the meal, while “most other almond milks on the market … basically take a roasted almond paste and add water to it,” Barton said. This yields an almond milk that tastes more like cow’s milk than other dairy alternatives and serves as an appealing alternative for those with lactose intolerance. Barton also alleges that almond milk brings out the natural flavor of cold-brew coffee, lending creaminess to a drink that contains more caffeine and less acid than traditional hot-brewed coffee. This has made Califia Farms the number one cold-brew coffee product in the natural channel, Barton said. Califia began reaching out to universities like Brown because the brand “has become iconic among millennials, who are now choosing brands that are better for the world and using their dollars to support that,” Barton said. Reaching out to universities is part of Califia’s push to break into the immediate consumption channel, which refers to places like convenience stores where consumers are buying these products to drink right away. The fact that many universities have contracts with big companies like Pepsi Co Inc. has made it difficult for Califia to enter the scene, Barton said. But large state universities that use larger food distributors like Sysco Corp. and smaller universities like Brown that

HUAYU OUYANG / HERALD

Califia Farms’ cold-brew coffee is now offered at Josiah’s and cafe carts in the Rockefeller Library and the Sciences Library. The four flavors available are XX Espresso, Triple Shot, Salted Caramel and Cocoa Noir. place emphasis on students’ needs have created openings for companies like Califia to get their products on university shelves. According to Emily Lynch, a spokesperson for Brown Dining Services, Brown chooses new products based on “attributes such as popularity, quality, healthfulness, sustainability efforts, the overall product mix of the unit as well as availability and cost,”

all of which align well with the Califia mission. Lynch also said that the cold brew has been “well received” by students. “I thought (the cold brews) were a great addition to the food carts. It’s a very easy on-the-go drink to grab between classes if I find I’m tired during the day, and it’s easier and faster to get than hot coffee,” said Gabriela De Queiroz Campos ’19. “Plus,” she added,

“they are delicious.” Barton said that Califia is still only in a handful of schools across the nation but receives a lot of help from “universities with a leadership agenda, like Brown.” The cold brew at Brown is available in four flavors: XX Espresso, Triple Shot, Salted Caramel and Cocoa Noir. Also available is Cali Coco, a coconut smoothie drink.

Zencare expands therapist matching service to Boston Alum-founded start-up connects over 500 students, adults to therapists, psychiatrists, dietitians By SIMRAN ARORA

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF ZENCARE

New startup, Zencare, launched in Boston last month to help connect students with therapists, psychologists and dieticians in the local area and expedite the wait time to seek counseling and improve mental health.

Zencare — a start-up founded by Yuri Tomikawa ’12 that aims to help college students find therapists, psychiatrists and dietitians — expanded past its Providence boundaries and into Boston last month. In the past year, Zencare has connected over 500 individuals with psychiatrists, therapists and dietitians around the Providence area, Tomikawa said. “We’re expanding to Boston because we heard such great feedback from users in Providence. Students and working adults who used the site, as well as therapists in our Providence community, had great experiences finding each other through Zencare,” Tomikawa wrote in an email to The Herald. “Most of our users learn about us through word of mouth. After a year of iteration, we wanted to bring our tools and services to Boston as well.” In order to successfully launch in Boston, Zencare reached out to students and alums from Brown, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Tufts University, Harvard, Boston University and Northeastern University to gather recommendations for Boston-based therapists for Zencare. While the company is geographically

expanding, it is also expanding its offerings by connecting students with dieticians to help those with eating disorders. It also offers a diverse community of therapists, including clinicians who have an understanding of LGBTQ-specific issues and speak languages as varied as French, Spanish and Arabic — with Mandarin coming soon. Users can find support groups or make an appointment with certain clinicians within 24 business hours, Tomikawa said. Today Zencare’s therapist community has increased from 15 to 70 in just over a year. “College students are navigating the world for the first time without parents, (dealing with) anxieties about engaging in new social groups and … facing life choices that feel incredibly critical. All of these issues can result in the onset of depressive feelings and can deteriorate into a major depression,” wrote Stephanie Hartselle, medical advisor at Zencare, in an email to The Herald. The University also eliminated the seven-session limit placed on the number of visits a student can make per year to Counselling and Psychological Services. “Since CAPS will continue to operate on a short-term model, it is important that students do not get lost during the off-campus referral process,” wrote Maggie Jordan ’16, therapist success manager at Zencare, in an email to The Herald. Jordan added that most universities face the challenge of keeping wait times low for seeing therapists while ensuring urgent cases can be attended to promptly.

www.browndailyherald.com

TODAY

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

menu

o n e s t e p at a t i m e

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

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

BLUE ROOM

Lasagna Bowls

Beef Chili, Broccoli and Cheddar Burrito Bowls

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Popcorn Chicken with Celery and Carrot Sticks, Eggplant Parmesan with a Torpedo Roll

Red Thai Chicken, Spicy Cuban Beef Stir Fry, Ratatouille, Black Satin Raspberry Fudge Cake

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Taco Bar, Italian Meatballs with Sauce, Mediterranean Eggplant Saute, Snickerdoodle Cookies

Vegetable Paella, Linguini, Chicken with Sundried Tomato, Garlic Bread, Andama Bread

sudoku

ELI WHITE / HERALD

A student crosses College Street against the backdrop of downtown Providence, which features the tallest building in Rhode Island located at 111 Westminster Street.

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

crossword

“One morning everybody woke up, and someone had run off with the arm.” — Robert Emlen, university curator

See public art on page 1.

Letters, please! letters@browndailyherald.com

calendar TODAY

OCTOBER

S

M

T

W

Th

F

S 1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31

Korean Language Week: Main Green Event 12:00 P.M. Main Green

Black Rights in Latin America 12:00 P.M. McKinney Conference Room

Just Be: LGBT Engineering Event 2:00 P.M. Barus and Holley Lobby

Yom Kippur Concluding Services and Break-fast 4:30 P.M. Hillel Social Hall

TOMORROW Community Policing Without the Cameras 12:00 P.M. Joukowsky Forum

BrownConnect Education Panel 6:00 P.M. CareerLAB

Mariachi de Brown Heritage Series Concert 7:30 P.M. BERT 130

SPEC Presents: Fall Fest 9:00 P.M. Lincoln Field

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

R O L A N D H IG H

comic Ricky Oliver “P-Branes and Bosons” | Ricky Oliver

Find us online! facebook.com/browndailyherald

browndailyherald.com

@the_herald

Location: 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. www.browndailyherald.com

@browndailyherald

youtube.com/browndailyherald

Editorial contact: 401-351-3372 herald@browndailyherald.com

Business contact: 401-351-3260 gm@browndailyherald.com

Submissions: The Brown Daily Herald publishes submissions in the form of op-eds and letters to the editor. Op-eds are typically between 750 and 1000 words, though we will consider submissions between 500 and 1200 words. Letters to the editor should be around 250 words. While letters to the editor respond to an article or column that has appeared in The Herald, op-eds usually prompt new discussions on campus or frame new arguments about current discourse. All submissions to The Herald cannot have been previously published elsewhere (in print or online — including personal blogs and social media), and they must be exclusive to The Herald. Submissions must include no more than two individual authors. If there are more than two original authors, The Herald can acknowledge the authors in a statement at the end of the letter or op-ed, but the byline can only include up to two names. The Herald will not publish submissions authored by groups. The Herald does not publish anonymous submissions. If you feel your circumstances prevent you from submitting an op-ed or letter with your name, please email herald@browndailyherald.com to explain your situation.

Editorial Leadership

Sections

Visuals & Production

Business

Editor-in-Chief Emma Jerzyk

Arts & Culture Editors Rebecca Ellis Jaclyn Torres

Design Editors Sonia Geba Nicola Ho Jessica Yu Assistants: Minah Seo, Christy Leung

General Managers Moniyka Sachar Joshua Tartell

Managing Editor Joseph Zappa Senior Editors Andrew Flax Caroline Kelly POST- MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief Yidi Wu

News Editors Lauren Aratani Matt Brownsword Elena Weissmann Sports Editors Taneil Ruffin COMMENTARY Opinions Editors Margaret Hu Mili Mitra Lainie Rowland

Photo Editors Head: Eli White Sam Berube Marianna McMurdock Copy Desk Chief Julia Stemmer Illustrations Editor Roland High

Directors Business Dev.: Antonia Alvarez Finance: Neil Wathore Finance: Benjamin Wesner Strategy: Abraham Galindo Sales Managers Gaby Elanbeck Maisie Lynton Ari Shusterman Lizzy Doykan Finance Managers Collections: Reena Zhan Collections: Varun Narayan

You can submit op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com and letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. When you email your submission, please include (1) your full name, (2) an evening or mobile phone number in case your submission is chosen for publication and (3) any affiliation with Brown University or any institution or organization relevant to the content of your submission. Please send in submissions at least 24 hours in advance of your desired publication date. The Herald only publishes submissions while it is in print. The Herald reserves the right to edit all submissions. If your piece is considered for publication, an editor will contact you to discuss potential changes to your submission. Commentary: The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only. Corrections: The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. Advertising: The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion. The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. is a financially independent, nonprofit media organization bringing you The Brown Daily Herald, BlogDailyHerald and Post- Magazine. The Brown Daily Herald has served the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during Orientation by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily. Copyright 2016 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Postmaster: Please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906.

COMMENTARY WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Brown decides to chase its ‘peers’ DUNCAN WEINSTEIN op-ed contributor The Herald reported on Provost Richard Locke’s P’17 new financial plan for the University Oct. 5. In the article, ostensibly about Brown’s fiscal situation, were several comparisons to what Locke calls our peer institutions. One of the purposes of Locke’s plan, according to the article, is to further Brown’s “emergence as an international research university.” That is, to make us more like our peers. And who are those peers? The article named Dartmouth, Yale and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Yet, by two key metrics, those universities are objectively not our peers. First, those universities are already more research- and graduate-oriented than Brown. Brown’s total enrollment contains a lower percentage of graduate students — 23 percent — than Dartmouth’s (32 percent), Yale’s (56 percent) or MIT’s (60 percent). Brown is more dependent on undergraduate tuition for revenue, and it shows in our enrollment balance. More importantly, Brown’s endowment per student (undergraduate and graduate) gets blown out of the water by that of our supposed peers. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful for Brown’s $362,000 per student, but that’s only half of Dartmouth’s $715,000 per student, according to Dartmouth’s endowment value and enrollment. MIT has three times as much: $1.16 million, according to its endow-

ment value and enrollment. Yale commands over $2 million of endowment for every person enrolled. In purely monetary terms, we are as much a peer of these institutions as David was a peer of Goliath. This is not to say that these institutions are not our peers in terms of the quality of their faculties, students or campuses. But Brown’s faculty and administration should reconsider Locke’s financial plan, which seeks to emulate institutions with several times Brown’s re-

Though Locke said the University aims to grow the endowment such that the difference in proportion minimally affects the dollar value of these withdrawals, 5 percent is a reasonable withdrawal rate in comparison with many of our peers — Yale withdraws 5.2 percent annually — and even philanthropic foundations do so. Another deficit driver is construction: most notably the new engineering research building, which is expected to cost $88 million up front

Wriston once wrote that “the imitativeness of institutions has been the undoing of many,” and the current administration would be well advised to learn this lesson.

sources. Furthering a university’s emergence as an international research institution is a costly undertaking. This year’s budget is balanced, but Locke claims the University will face a peak $32 million operating deficit out of a $1 billion budget. In my view, this deficit is a result of Locke and President Christina Paxson’s P’19 fiscal priorities: the endowment, construction and research expansion. Locke announced that the University will reduce the amount it withdraws from the endowment from 5 percent to 4.5 percent.

and several million dollars a year in upkeep. There’s also the decision to renovate half the Rockefeller Library’s second floor into a graduate-only work space. In the article, Locke announced the goal of increasing Brown’s graduate programs to a total of 120 master’s students and 95 PhDs. While master’s and professional students pay tuition, PhD candidates receive a stipend and benefits from the University. If some of these research projects win federal funding, they become net assets to Brown, but outside grants may not fully cover the costs of research expansion.

To pay for all this, Locke asked for a 5 percent year-over-year tuition increase at some point, higher than the normal 4 percent hike. This year, Brown is asking even more from students’ families to fund its emergence as an international research university — money that could otherwise go to financial aid. If Locke and Paxson are looking to enhance Brown’s reputation, they would be well served to look to Henry Wriston, Brown’s president from 1937 to 1955, who raised our profile more than any other administrator in Brown’s history. Wriston coined the term “universitycollege” and committed Brown to its residential undergraduates. That, along with changes in curriculum and admission policies, raised Brown’s national status. Brown’s best assets are its campus, the quality of its faculty and the open curriculum. Brown should prioritize its university-college rather than chase the accomplishments of its peers. Wriston once wrote that “the imitativeness of institutions has been the undoing of many,” and the current administration would be well advised to learn this lesson. Paxson has named the core agenda of her presidency “Building on Distinction,” yet she misunderstands what Brown’s distinction truly is. Our distinction is being a university-college built on the quality of our undergrad experience, not being a relatively poor, relatively less selective and relatively less prestigious research university.

Duncan Weinstein ’17 can be reached at duncan_weinstein@brown.edu.

A bookstore without textbooks AMEER MALIK staff columnist

According to a recent article in the New York Times, bookstores at several colleges around the country are no longer selling textbooks. Instead, the bookstores are either focusing on selling college merchandise, school supplies and general books, or are shutting down their physical locations completely to go online. At a few colleges, students now get their textbooks through Amazon, which has partnered with the institutions to share some of its proceeds. As I read this article, I felt intrigued — and a little concerned — by this new trend. I can understand why colleges are switching to using Amazon. Course materials are often more affordable and convenient to purchase online. I, too, use Amazon regularly to buy e-books or books that are no longer in stock at the bookstore. But ultimately, campus bookstores should keep selling textbooks as long as doing so remains profitable. Selling textbooks can be a major source of revenue for campus

bookstores. Students might need textbooks urgently or might require specific editions that are available at the bookstore but not verifiable online. Also skimming course-related books can be a useful factor for us when we decide which courses to take: Flipping through textbooks can allow us to preview our courses and get a clearer sense of their scope and material before we finalize our schedules. Plus, if we see books from other courses that interest us, we can discover classes to try out. In these ways, the textbook section of a campus bookstore is a valuable resource. The process of physically engaging with a book becomes even more important when buying a used copy. In many cases, the only way to affordably obtain an out-of-print book would be a used version. But when buying used books, it is always a risk to order them online without first examining their actual conditions. When I decide to buy a used book, I first

go to the campus bookstore, leaf through it to see if it is free of major damages and sense how it feels in my hand. I then pick the copy based on my physical experience

tailers cannot capture this process, as I have learned from experience. I once bought a used book online and was disappointed to discover that it was in worse condition than I had expected. Though used books may be cheaper online, there is no guarantee that they are in good condition. This brings me to another benefit of having textbooks available at a campus bookstore: the convenience of returning them. I once had to return my textbooks after I decided against taking a class that I was shopping. I had a great experience; the process was simple and efficient. By contrast, my brother once had a more difficult experience returning something to Amazon. I understand that Amazon, according to the New York Times article, is planning on setting up pickup areas where the staff will provide customer SINING DAPHNE ZHAO / HERALD service. But I still think the of reading it — something I would best place for customer service would not be able to do when comparing be the store that actually stocks the potentially misleading pictures of books, where returning a book and books on the Internet. Online re- buying another copy right away would

www.browndailyherald.com

be much easier. Campus bookstores that are not associated with major retailers are becoming harder to find, which is unfortunate. They sell a variety of interesting books — textbooks, works of fiction, autobiographies and essay collections — from both major publishing houses and smaller presses. Major brand-name booksellers often don’t sell as diverse a range of books. Frequent trips to the Barnes and Noble near my house have taught me that the store pretty much just sells popular titles and bestsellers. If campus bookstores become affiliated with Amazon, I feel they will lose a special quality that makes them interesting. When I walk through the Brown Bookstore, I feel excited because I’m not sure what I’ll discover. I love browsing through the titles in the textbook and general sections to find new reads. I never experienced this when I visited the local Barnes and Noble — I always knew what I would find there. Campus bookstores are wonderful places to stumble upon something amazing. I really hope they stay that way.

Ameer Malik ’18 can be reached at ameer_malik@brown.edu.

ARTS & CULTURE THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2016

“vigorous, lively performances” - Seattle Times

BLUE HERON

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Sarah D’Angelo, the newest TAPS faculty member, was drawn to Brown for its student and faculty diversity and inclusive open curriculum.

New professor brings fresh perspective to TAPS Sarah D’Angelo hopes to incoporate Native American theater in campus performances By ETHEL RENIA STAFF WRITER

The student body was introduced to the Theatre Arts and Performance Studies department’s latest faculty addition this semester when Professor of Theatre Arts and Performance Studies Sarah D’Angelo started teaching two classes in the department, TAPS 0230: “Acting” and TAPS 0930: “The Actor’s Instrument: Stage Movement for Actors and Directors.” “She is a really good complement for Kym Moore,” associate professor of theatre arts and performance studies, said Department Chair Patricia Ybarra. “She really complements Kym in terms of her emphasis on acting pedagogy and in particular movement and voice pedagogy.” Together, D’Angelo and Moore have been working toward improving “Acting.” “We have already begun to change the curriculum,” Moore wrote in an email to The Herald. The course has been taught the same way for the last 30 years and was in need of a makeover. The new version “includes new texts and approaches that are already proving fruitful for the students,” Moore wrote. D’Angelo came to Brown from Oklahoma, where she was teaching in an actor training program. A longtime professional theater artist, her projects this year include directing “In The Heights,” a musical written by “Hamilton” playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda and collaborating on an international theater action called “After Orlando.”

“After Orlando” is a theatrical anthology of two- to three-minute plays written by 50 international playwrights and curated by Caridad Svich and Missing Bolts productions that pays tribute to the June 12 Orlando shootings. It is set to run Sept. 15 to Dec. 12 in 38 different universities and theaters across the United States and the United Kingdom. D’Angelo said she came to Brown because she was drawn to the diversity of students and faculty and its open curriculum that “intrinsically brings different opinions and points of view” to teaching, she said. She was also impressed by the University’s indigenous studies program, which she said she believes is rooted in student demand and an administrative recognition of the need for the department. “I have an opportunity to investigate and bring visibility to stories (at Brown) that are not often produced,” she said. One of D’Angelo’s interests is indigenous and non-western performance practices, as well as contemporary Native American theater. D’Angelo’s goals for her time at Brown seem very much in line with the TAPS department’s own ambitions. “We want to continue to produce work that really intersects with the critical conversation that we are having on campus in terms of diversity,” Ybarra said. “Sarah offers another voice in this conversation and not one that we’ve necessarily heard in this department.” “She is really going to allow us to start thinking about indigenous and (Native American) drama in the department in a really embedded way,” Ybarra said. “It is pretty rare that a theater department can offer courses in Latinx, Asian-American, Native American and African-American theater and performance. Right now we’re a department that can do that.”

Follow Sports! twitter.com/bdh_sports

October 16 · 4 PM Ockeghem@600, Concert 4 Missa Ecce ancilla domini ·····

S. Stephen's Church 114 George Street, Providence Doors 3:30 / Student tix: $10

blueheron.org