Friday, October 28, 2016

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

VOLUME CLI, ISSUE 95

WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

Applicants struggle with structural flaws in pre-health advising system Students, staff cite under-staffing issues in office that supports hundreds of students, alums each year

By SUVY QIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Brown touts one of the highest matriculation rates for its undergraduate students into medical school among universities in the United States. But interviews with 36 students and alums who have experience with the pre-health advising system, along with six faculty members, indicate that the path to matriculation is complicated by structural flaws in the advising system. Many students and alums said pre-health advising is impersonal and fails to reflect the University’s mission of empowering its students, and several sources pointed to the structure and under-staffing of Health Careers Advising as obstacles to an individualized advising experience.

Small staff, long process Health Careers Advising is “severely under-resourced” to meet the needs of the many students it serves, said Sarah Taylor, instructional coordinator and science learning specialist at Brown. The lack of personnel in HCA “inevitably leads to people feeling unsupported” and “not recognized individually,” she added.

In the 2015-2016 academic year, there were 258 applicants to medical schools from the University, according to the Association of American Colleges website. Each year, between 700 and 800

students and alums indicate interest in attending medical school, said Dean of the College Maud Mandel.

But there are only two full-time advisors devoted to pre-health advising: Associate Dean of the College George Vassilev and Health Careers Advisor Karen Whittet, who was hired in 2015.

The timeline for applying to medical school from the University may differ depending on gap years and other personal considerations. In general, if a University applicant is applying to MD programs without taking time off, the process begins junior year.

During an applicant’s junior year, the applicant must attend two mandatory seminars — one in the fall and one in the spring. In February, applicants must submit the Health Careers Advising Dossier, which includes a personal statement, activities list and questionnaire. The HCAD is meant to mirror the actual medical school application, which is the application from the American Medical College Application Service.

Once the HCAD is submitted to HCA, applicants must sign up for an interview with the Health Careers Advisory Committee that takes place between March and May of junior spring.

Applicants must also take the Medical College Admission Test and obtain three letters of recommendation by June. The AMCAS primary application is available in early May, and applicants

should submit it by mid-July, according to the HCA website.

After fulfilling these prerequisites, qualified applicants are considered for a committee letter, which is an institutional letter of recommendation, according to the HCA website.

Though Mandel said that Vassilev writes the committee letters, Vassilev neither confirmed nor denied this. Vassilev said he chairs the committee that interviews applicants, adding that the letter-writing process culminates in his “endorsement, approval and finishing touches.”

Though the HCA website does not explicitly note a grade-point average cutoff to receive a committee letter, several students said that there is practically a GPA cutoff, even if it is not crystallized in policy. According to the HCA website, if a student’s science GPA falls below a 3.6 the office “urge(s) you to consult with us to assess your options.”

Committee letters are sent out beginning in early August and continue to be sent out until application files are complete in September, according to the HCA website.

“The lack of personnel leads to a lack of transparency and open communication,” said Corbyn Nchako ’14, who is currently a medical student. Nchako said the process can become especially frustrating when applicants do not hear back about the status of their applications after repeated attempts to contact HCA. Nancy, a graduate of the Class of 2015 whose name has been changed

Alum named head of Wheeler School Alison Gaines Pell ’96 returns to Providence after founding nonprofit, school in New York STAFF WRITER

INSIDE

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

GUS REED / HERALD

The committee letter Many students voiced frustration with logistics regarding the committee letter process. In particular, some students noted that their committee letters were not sent until late September or early October, which they felt put their applications at a disadvantage because medical schools do not start reviewing their applications until the committee letter is received.

“Brown is pretty infamous for the date that their committee packets are sent,” said Jeremy Wortzel ’16, who is currently in medical school. Wortzel added that waiting for the committee letter is a “nail-biting experience.”

“Medical schools accept applications well deep into the fall semester,” Vassilev said. The timeline for processing applications varies, he said, adding that “thoughtfully” and “thoroughly” compiling a committee letter packet is a “lengthy and time-consuming process.”

“It has never been a hindrance to the admission of our applicants,” Vassilev added.

Several deans of admission from medical schools said that a delay in the reception of a letter delays the admission » See PRE-MED, page 2

Hat tricks power No. 10 Brown past Connecticut

By CAL BARASH-DAVID

While a student at Brown, Pell ’96 concentrated in English. She will lead the number-one private school in the state starting in July 2017.

Undergraduate Education Katherine Smith said that the ties between HCA and Biology Undergraduate Education could be stronger. The University is currently developing a one-page document to give to biology advisors to help them advise pre-med students, Smith said.

MEN’S WATER POLO

Bears extend winning streak to 11 games, team poised for strong conference tournament

By EDUARD MUÑOZ-SUÑÉ

Allison Gaines Pell ’96 will take the helm at The Wheeler School as its next Head of School, Wheeler announced Oct. 14. Pell’s path back to Providence — which includes giving back to her childhood neighborhood through work, obtaining a master’s degree at Harvard to advance her career and founding an education-sector nonprofit as well as a school — embodies some of the most ambitious work alums do for the greater good post-graduation.

Just an eight-minute walk from Faunce Arch, the Wheeler School is rated by Niche, a website that ranks and reviews schools, as the number-one private high school in Rhode Island and enrolls over 800 students from nursery age through high school. » See WHEELER, page 3

because she is applying to medical school, described Vassilev as very unavailable. Nancy said she did not receive important feedback from Vassilev until after her primary application had already been submitted.

In response to a question about whether HCA is understaffed, Vassilev said, “The more resources we have to work with students … to provide the best advising … the better.”

The Office of the Dean of the College recently hired Christopher Carr, writing projects specialist, to assist Vassilev with writing committee letters, though Carr also supports the Fellowships Office, Mandel wrote in a follow-up email to The Herald.

Carr’s position is intended to make someone available to students and alums who are gearing up for the application process in the spring semester. Carr meets with a “significant number of our advisees to help them with their narrative,” Vassilev said.

But while HCA struggles with its lack of personnel, the burden of pre-med advising has shifted elsewhere.

Many students who are pre-med are also biology concentrators, Taylor said.

Given the few advisors in HCA, many students come to the biology department for advising, she said. “It puts the biology department and biology advisors in a position where we are often asked or expected by students to offer advising outside of our area of expertise,” Taylor said.

Associate Dean of Biology

The men’s water polo team extended its win streak to 11 games Wednesday night with a dominant 16-8 win over Connecticut College in New London, Connecticut.

After conceding the first goal, the Bears (17-6, 4-1 NWPC) jumped out to a 5-1 lead in the first quarter, an advantage they would not relinquish.

“You always want to establish the tone early,” said Tommy Bush ’18. “We wanted to come out strong.”

Bush was one of 10 goal scorers for the Bears. He and Travis Bouscaren ’19 found the back of the net twice while Luke Irwin ’17 and Tyler

Kirchberg ’18 contributed hat tricks.

This win marks the second time Brown has beaten Connecticut College this year. Bruno bested the Camels (9-14, 4-2) in a 16-6 contest at home in late September.

Will Renken ’19 recorded 11 saves on the night in another strong defensive performance by the Bears.

“Our game is all about defense, and it’s all about our chemistry as a team,” said Luke Weiser ’17. “We want to be the best defense in the east and overall the best defense in the country.”

Weiser added that this game offered an opportunity for some of the younger players on the team to get valuable minutes leading into the final five games of the season.

Brown, now ranked 10th in the country, will look to extend its win streak when it hosts a double-header this Saturday against No. 13 Harvard » See WATER POLO, page 4

WEATHER

FRIDAY, OC TOBER 28, 2016

NEWS New initiative through Watson grounds humanitarian efforts in academic research

NEWS University researchers spearhead advancements in nucleic-acid enzyme biotechnologies

COMMENTARY Meyer ’17: Should Republicans lose presidential election, change in policies, behavior unlikely

COMMENTARY Papendorp ’17: Meiklejohn program fails to foster authentic mentoring relationships

PAGE 4

PAGE 4

PAGE 7

PAGE 7

TODAY

TOMORROW

51 / 39

60 / 53

NEWS

PAGE 2 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Pre-medical track requirements Though the pre-medical track can vary from student to student, students applying to medical school directly out of undergrad typically complete the requirements dictated by the Health Careers Office during their junior year.

In order to get a committee letter, a letter of institutional support from the University, students must attend two applicant seminars — one during the fall and another during the spring. Students must also complete the Health Careers Advising Dossier, which is meant to mimic the medical school application, and interview with the Health Careers Advisory Committee. Students must submit their MCAT scores and three letters of recommendation to the Office of Health Careers by June, and they must complete their primary application to medical school — the American Medical College Application Service — by mid-July after it is released in May. Applicant seminar no. 1

Applicant seminar no. 2

Interview with the Health Careers Advisory Committee

SEPT.

OCT.

NOV.

DEC.

JAN.

FEB.

MAR.

APR.

AMCAS

MAY

HCAD due

JUN.

JUL.

MCAT scores and three recommendations due

Source: Health Careers Office website EMMA JERZYK / HERALD

» PRE-MED, from page 1 process, and a letter received in September is late.

Ronak Jani ’15, who is currently a medical student, said that HCA lost his packet of letters of recommendation, and the office did not inform him that they had lost his letters. Jani said he called the office in August, and the staff had no idea where it was.

Nchako, whose committee letter was not submitted until the first week of October of the year he applied, said there is little transparency in the committee letter process.

Nathanael Lee ’10 MA’10, who is currently a medical student, said he believes the timing of the submission of committee letters is a “tier-based process,” adding that he believes better applicants get priority in the committee letter process.

While waiting for his committee letter to be submitted, “I felt very powerless,” Nathanael Lee said. “That was probably the worst feeling — feeling hopeless,” he said. “I can send out an email every day to Vassilev. … But until he decides to do it, it’s not going to be done.”

“I think (Vassilev) risk-stratifies applicants” in order to keep the numbers up by supporting students who he thinks can get in, said Zeke, who asked for anonymity given that he has not yet applied to medical school. Zeke said he believes the committee letter is a way for Vassilev to select only people he thinks can get into medical school so that he can reduce the denominator of the University’s matriculation rates.

“There is no rationing of committee letters,” Vassilev said. It’s an “equitable and fully transparent process,” and it is “not a weed out.”

Vassilev is “more the bouncer at a club” than an advisor, said Kevin, a senior whose name has been changed because he is currently applying to medical schools. Vassilev tells applicants if

they’re ready to apply, determines if applicants receive a committee letter and writes their committee letters, he added.

“He’s in a position where no one can really call him out on anything,” Nathanael Lee said of Vassilev. Because Vassilev is the only person writing the committee letter, he can “retaliate” by making the letter look bad. “He holds a position that shouldn’t be held alone,” Nathanael Lee added.

While students can apply to medical schools without the committee letter, medical schools see a “red flag” if an applicant’s school writes committee let-

outright,” Badiee said. “If you feel like you’re a compelling applicant to medical school — even if (pre-health advising) disagrees — and you can find (letter writers) to support you, then they will support you in that endeavor,” he said.

Robin Rolader ’15 transferred to the University after a year at Colgate University, where she had already sought out pre-med advising.

“I loved Brown, … and the only thing I didn’t like about Brown was the pre-health advising office,” Rolader said.

At Dartmouth, there is a composite letter similar to a committee letter, but

advising office. “A committee is pretty impersonal,” she added, “and you want someone who is writing your committee letter who knows you and can vouch for you.”

Individualizing advising The structural issues students see in the pre-medical advising system have led to tangible effects in the content and style of advising. Though Vassilev denied that he approaches advising as a checklist, several sources said he takes a one-size-fits-all approach.

Advising should be driven by a “mo-

“It puts the biology department and biology advisors in a position where we are often asked or expected by students to offer advising outside of our area of expertise.”

— Sarah Taylor, instructional coordinator and science learning specialist ters and the applicant doesn’t have one, Nchako said. “I don’t think the University should ever have that power over you and your future,” he said.

“There’s so much anxiety as it is that a poorly run department adds even more to it,” Nathanael Lee said of the stress involved in the medical school admission process.

The committee letter system isn’t ubiquitous. Some peer institutions approach pre-health advising differently than Brown.

At Stanford, there is no committee letter, said Ryan Badiee, a senior at Stanford currently applying to medical school. Instead, students just ask faculty members for letters of recommendation.

“They won’t tell anyone not to apply

there is no review board to which students must submit materials, said Jayne Caron, who graduated from Dartmouth in 2014 and is currently attending medical school. Students must find composite letter writers whom the pre-med office then contacts to ensure they are trained, Caron said.

“It’s not like the composite letter is judging whether you should apply to medical school,” she said, adding that she chose an English professor who “was the most invested in me going to medical school, knew me the best and could write the best about me.”

Caron said she believes Dartmouth approaches pre-health advising this way for several reasons, one of which is a lack of manpower in the pre-health

tivation to learn students’ background and their interests … rather than grabbing a colored sheet and reading off of it,” said Julia Donner ’15 MD’19, who is currently a medical student.

“I feel like he hasn’t actually heard a word of what I say about my individual circumstance,” said Jenny, a senior who asked to remain anonymous because she is currently applying for medical school.

Vassilev continues to tell her to take a gap year, but her family circumstances prevent her from doing so, she said.

“Holistic advising is really the structure of the application process, and consequently it’s the heart of what we do,” Vassilev said. “Career is not an event but a process.”

Mandel said pre-professional

advising is based on what data indicate makes the most successful applicant.

“The statistics speak for themselves,” she said, adding that pre-med students are most likely to get in if they do certain things, such as take a gap year.

But those already prepared to apply do not benefit from a gap year, Donner said, adding that she went to Vassilev her junior year and was strongly advised to take a gap year. But Vassilev couldn’t give her a reason why she should take a gap year, she said, adding that he only gave generic reasons why gap years are good for medical school applications.

Taking a gap year can help a medical school application depending on what the applicant does during the gap year, said Dan Lee, co-founder of Solomon Admissions Consulting.

“Medical schools always like nontraditional students,” Dan Lee said, adding that a gap year doesn’t make an applicant a non-traditional student.

“I’ve always thought that one of the reasons (Vassilev) wants people to take gap years is because the acceptance rates are higher (for those who do),” said Mitchell, who asked to remain anonymous because he is currently applying for medical school.

The admission rate of Brown students into medical schools has ranged from 80 percent to 91 percent in the last few years, according to the HCA website.

The national medical school admission rate for the 2015-2016 academic year was 41.2 percent, according to the Association of American Colleges website.

The admission rates on the HCA website only account for students who received a committee letter or a summary letter, which is similar to a committee letter, Vassilev said.

“The focus on numbers is absurd,” said Tom Kishkovich ’15 MD’20, who is currently in medical school. Medical schools are looking for compassionate students and don’t care about the statistics of an institution, he added.

Wortzel said he also perceives

NEWS

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

“He holds a position that shouldn’t be held alone.” ­— Nathanael Lee ’10 MA’10

Vassilev as “gearing for a high acceptance rate,” which he said can impact advising “for better or for worse.”

Jani believes Vassilev aims to put students into schools that make Brown look successful rather than schools that meet students’ needs, he said. If Vassilev decides he thinks a student will get into medical school, his next question is, “How can we get this person into a place that advertises well for Brown?” Jani said, adding that this doesn’t necessarily match what the student is looking for.

The process should be driven less by metrics than by helping students achieve the best they can and supporting them in attaining their aspirations, Taylor said.

Aside from complaints about the content of the advising itself, several sources also said that the tone of advising is unhelpful and antagonizing.

“Messages are often all in the delivery,” Taylor said. If anyone is being spoken to as an individual, even unpopular and unwelcome advice is better received when it is “delivered in a personal and caring fashion,” she added.

It is an advising team’s responsibility to give applicants an “honest, forthright, supportive assessment of the best plan going forward,” Vassilev said. Some stu-

post-baccalaureate programs was “definitely helpful,” Sung said.

Vassilev may sound discouraging, but “that’s just him being practical,” said Mary, whose name has been changed because she is not yet enrolled in medical school. “He hurts people’s feelings sometimes when he’s upfront about getting C’s and not getting into med school,” she said. But she asserted that giving frank advice is his job. Vassilev cannot simply lie, she added.

In Jenny’s first meeting with Vassilev, he told her to “travel the world” and “make yourself a better person,” she said. “What a privileged thing to say,” she said, adding that she cannot afford to do that.

I think someone with “more empathy” who could “connect with students” would be a better advisor, said David Deckey ’15, a former Herald photo editor.

Jonathan Ang ’16, who is currently in a post-baccalaureate program, was discouraged by Vassilev from applying to medical school because his GPA was not high enough to receive a committee letter, he said.

Leslie, a graduate of the Class of 2016 and first-generation student of color

at her transcript and said she would need to take two gap years, she said, adding that she didn’t even know what a gap year was.

When Leslie met with Vassilev again her sophomore spring, Vassilev told her she would not get a committee letter, she said. Ultimately, Leslie changed her concentration from biology to visual arts because she “didn’t know what the process (of applying to medical schools) looked like no matter who (she) asked,” she said.

“Never at Brown have I felt so like an outsider than when I was going through the process of applying to medical school,” Jenny said. “Brown took me in, and I’m not good enough for my own institution,” she added, referring to the fact that she did not meet the GPA cutoff to be eligible for a committee letter.

“Why did you take me in the first place if you weren’t going to support my dreams?” Jenny added. The entire pre-health advising system feels at odds with the University’s values, she said.

HCA has made strides, said Uma, a senior studying biology whose name has been changed because she plans to apply to medical school. At an HCA workshop in September, the advisors emphasized

“I’m very mindful of how vulnerable students can be.”

— Associate Dean of the College George Vassilev

about the diverse backgrounds and needs of current students,” Taylor said.

“We approach all our students with sensitivity,” Vassilev said. HCA aims to support applicants, not only in specific ways regarding their application, but also in their personal challenges, he said.

“I’m very mindful of how vulnerable students can be,” Vassilev added. HCA specifically dedicates time every winter for students who may have dealt with some challenges to speak with Vassilev so he can give them the best guidance possible, Vassilev said.

The University is seeking to expand outreach to underrepresented students, Mandel said, by bringing in people in medicine who can “model and speak to success in the field from a broad range of backgrounds.” A Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan for HCA is built into

“I loved Brown, … and the only thing I didn’t like about Brown was the pre-health advising office.”

— Robin Rolander ’15

the Dean of the College DIAP and is currently under review, Mandel added.

Even before the DIAP process was launched, HCA has “always been mindful of the specific needs of students from different backgrounds,” Vassilev said.

HCA has been in communication with students groups such as the Brown Minority Association of Pre-Health Students, the Brown Pre-Medical American Medical Student Association and the Black Pre-Medical Society to give students more “visibility,” he said, adding that HCA invited these groups to the pre-professional fair and meets with them on a regular basis to discuss how to continually support these students.

dents stand to benefit from taking time off, and HCA needs to tell them that, he said. HCA’s support is “based off of best practices,” he added.

The advice Joshua Sung ’13 received about taking time off and doing

whose name has been changed for fear of repercussions, said she wanted to be a doctor long before coming to Brown.

But she frequently felt out of the loop during her time as a pre-med student.

When she met with Vassilev, he looked

that “not every student is the same,” and the tone was more encouraging for those who may have had a rough first two years, she added.

“As the face of the University is changing, we need to be thoughtful

Alternative advising options When faced with these hurdles in pre-health advising, students turn to outside resources and each other for help in the application and admission process.

For example, pre-health students who are not pre-med — such as students interested in being veterinarians, dentists, nurses or physician assistants — currently lack support, many sources indicated.

Alisa Berg ’16, who is currently in

» WHEELER, from page 1

experience I wanted to have,” Pell said.

Immediately after graduating, Pell went on to teach at the high school she had attended in Brooklyn, New York.

After several years there, she decided to pursue education at a more systemic level and learn about school leadership.

Pell enrolled in a yearlong program at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and received a master’s degree in school leadership and development.

She went on to help found a nonprofit called New Leaders for New Schools, which aims to support principals at urban schools. The team put together a business plan and submitted it to a competition hosted by the

Harvard Business School. The plan made it to the semifinals, making it the first nonprofit business plan in the history of the competition to make it that far in the competition.

After working in various educational nonprofits for four more years, Pell decided she wanted to start a small school herself. After putting a team together and recruiting teachers and students, Pell founded a public school in Brooklyn called Arts & Letters. The school began with 80 sixth graders, but from 2005 to 2012, Pell expanded the school, enrolling over 500 students from kindergarten to the eighth grade. “The whole thing was a great

experience,” Pell said.

Pell’s next role in education took her to the Blue School in the lower part of Manhattan. Since 2012, Pell has helped the school grow by spearheading its first long-term strategic plan and the addition of a middle school to a program that previously ended with fifth grade.

Pell said she is looking forward to moving back to Providence and being close to Brown after more than a decade away.

“Brown really empowered me to be that kind of person who could take those risks and have the courage to start a school where there had been nothing

Pell will assume the position as head of school in July 2017 after current headmaster Dan Miller steps down. According to an announcement released by the school, Miller is departing after his youngest child graduates in Wheeler’s high school class of 2017.

At Brown, Pell concentrated in English. She took several classes in the department of modern culture and media and was involved in the theater program.

Pell was already interested in education by the time she came to Brown. As her freshman year started, “I was able to think deeply about the kind of education

veterinary school, said she was lucky to have found Jim Harper, a retired professor of pathology and laboratory medicine, who was realistic and presented information in an encouraging way. Berg said if she had relied solely on Vassilev, she doubts that she would have gotten into veterinary school.

Several students also noted that instead of seeking formal advising, they go to their peers for advice. Last spring, a student-written handbook detailing the experiences and advice of students who had been accepted into medical schools was released. Kevin called this one of the “side effects of advising being so poor.”

“There’s no one who is going to do it for us; we’re going to do it for each other,” said Richard, a graduate of the class of 2015 whose name has been changed as he is currently applying to medical

school. “This was free work done by students for other students,” he said.

“What were the people who we’re actually paying doing?” he added.

“The credit is given to someone who doesn’t really deserve it,” said Elizabeth, a graduate of the class of 2016 who has not yet applied to medical school. “We as Brown students deserve so much more,” she added.

Pre-professional advising is generally at odds with the University’s heart and soul, Jani said. While Brown typically tries to diversify students’ experiences in preparation for a variety of careers, pre-professional advising is best positioned to serve students who already know what career they want to pursue and just need to “check off boxes,” he said.

“A school that prides itself in being about its students could do a better job” supporting them in the medical school application process, Deckey said.

It is not the University’s place judge whether or not a student can gain admission to medical school and diminish students’ chances before they even apply, Jenny said. “As a student at Brown, I want to feel like my home institution is on my team.”

there before,” Pell said. “Brown gave me a sense that I could put these ideas into action,” she added.

Professionally, she said she is excited to work with a community committed to the ideals and experiences of the Wheeler School.

“I’m really looking forward to investing and being a steward of an institution that I have so much respect for,” Pell said.

“She is an experienced and very successful school leader and will bring extraordinary energy, intellect and idealism to Wheeler,” Miller said, adding that she has high expectations for Pell.

“We are thrilled she will be joining us.”

NEWS

PAGE 4 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Watson Institute starts Humanitarian Innovation Initiative Program aims to link humanitarian efforts to academia through global fellowships, research

By GLORIA NASHED CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Humanitarian Innovation Initiative, which aims to improve humanitarian efforts by grounding them in a solid foundation of academic research, has launched at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs this year.

“Humanitarian response is not new, it’s something the world has been focused on for more than 150 years,” said Adam Levine, assistant professor of emergency medicine and founder of HI2. “But one of the things that’s been missing up until now is a true connection between the humanitarian world and the academic world.”

The Watson Institute was a “natural fit” for this new initiative, said Seth Stulen, program coordinator for HI2.

“Watson’s three core areas of focus are development, security and governance.

Certainly, each one of those thematic areas (has) elements that cut across any humanitarian crisis that hits,” Stulen said, adding that the ongoing crisis in Syria and the impact of Hurricane Matthew are two examples of how humanitarian crises are linked to development, security and governance.

Though the initiative is fairly new, Levine and Stulen said the program has already taken many steps toward its goal. “We’ve identified six faculty

» WATER POLO, from page 1 and MIT. Brown will host these two conference rivals as part of its Think Pink series to raise funds and awareness for the battle against breast cancer.

“The mindset is to go out and keep playing the way we’ve been playing these last two weeks and keep up this win streak,” Weiser said.

Bush said the team has its eyes on a perfect end to this fall’s campaign. “Hopefully we can close out the league games with wins and then roll into the conference championships with the number one seed and take the title.”

affiliates here on campus,” Stulen said.

These affiliates, along with Levine, teach courses on campus that relate to the initiative’s mission, which might “engage undergraduates more,” according to Stulen.

One of the program’s affiliates, Selim Suner ’86 MS’87 MD’92, has been involved in disaster medicine for the past 25 years.

Humanitarian responses to crises have “been very difficult to study because you never know when it’s going to happen, and when it does happen, academic endeavors are not the first thing that come to play,” Suner said.

“However, without bringing education and academic endeavors into that realm, it’s very hard to understand if what we do in terms of response is actually effective or not,” he added.

Suner’s main focus now is education; in addition to running a yearlong disaster medicine fellowship program, he teaches an undergraduate course on the topic.

Another step HI2 has taken toward its goal is selecting a group of 25 international fellows, early-career professionals and scholars who live and work in Asia, Latin America and Africa and are engaged in some kind of humanitarian response effort.

The international fellows’ contributions to the program “provide a direct linkage between us at Brown and realworld situations,” Levine said.

Zain Tayyeb, one of the international fellows, is a humanitarian affairs officer involved in non-governmental organization profiling. Tayyeb noted that the type of work he will do for HI2

COURTESY OF WATSON INSTITUTE

Adam Levine, assistant professor of emergency medicine and founder of the Humanitarian Innovation Initiative, teaches courses on campus related to the initiative’s mission of improving humanitarian efforts. will “enhance (his) understanding” of in research, learning and teaching, but Responsible Policies in Yemen to conpreparedness projects related to his students at a university like Brown nect with professors in the Middle East work on the Jordanian Civil Defense. are also generally engaged in differ- studies program,” he said, adding that Preparedness projects are considered ent kinds of activism,” said Benjamin HI2 will “provide opportunities for to be “a key element under humanitar- Gladstone ’18, head of student ad- students to learn and for professors ian response,” he said. vocacy for HI2. HI2 “is the perfect to explore topics that they otherwise “A university is necessarily engaged vehicle for groups like Students for might not.”

U. researchers develop new DNA sequencing enzyme Advancements in marker capabilities of ligases help identification of infectious diseases, cancer

By ELENA RENKEN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

University researchers developed a new ligase, an enzyme that joins together strands of DNA or RNA and has applications in biotechnology and diagnostics, as described in an Oct. 7 paper in RNA Biology.

These enzymes have many uses.

Ligases play a role in the construction of DNA sequences from many smaller pieces of DNA and the identification of point mutations, said Anubhav Tripathi, professor of engineering and of molecular pharmacology, physiology and biotechnology and co-author of the study, adding that ligases can be used in sequencing and mutation detection.

Ligases can also contribute to the diagnosis of specific diseases and infections. “These techniques can be used to quickly identify, for example, viral infections such as hepatitis C,” said Lei Zhang GS, lead author of the study.

Many modern techniques used to pinpoint infections from samples and mutations in tumor tissues involve enzymes similar to ligases, said H. Benjamin Larman, assistant professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. “These advances rely on reagents, and in particular, enzymes that allow us to amplify or prepare libraries of molecules for analysis,” he said.

MicroRNAs — small pieces of RNA

COURTESY OF TRIPATHI LAB

The new ligase, which was described in an Oct. 7 paper in the journal RNA Biology, is characterized by a pronouced tolerance for high temperatures and will help scientists develop new nucleic acid-based technologies. that can act as markers of diseases like cancer — can be detected through the use of enzymes like SplintR, a ligase developed by New England Biolabs and discussed in a paper published this spring, said Larry McReynolds, senior scientist in RNA biology at New England Biolabs. Like the new ligase from Brown, this enzyme can be used to detect RNA, but their methods are somewhat different. There’s overlap in the capabilities of many ligases, McReynolds said.

“This will be another arrow in the quiver that scientists can use to develop nucleic-acid based technologies,” Larman said, noting that the scientific community may find a new “killer

application” for this novel tool. “Every time there’s a new way of doing things, it really opens the floodgates to discovery.”

Most ligases are used for DNA, but research in recent years has yielded a new class of ligases that operate on RNA, McReynolds said. His organization likely has the largest selection of ligases of any company, and some of the research in his lab involves finding ways to make ligases more useful, McReynolds said.

This new ligase is especially useful because of its tolerance for high temperatures. “Thermostable proteins are a niche group of proteins and are less commonly found,” Zhang said.

Most ligases operate at human body

temperature, McReynolds said. Ligases that work at higher temperatures are desirable because RNA is “often folded up into these very complicated structures, where there’s base pairing between different parts.” When temperatures rise, the RNA will “unwind,” which makes the RNA more accessible to ligation.

Because this new enzyme functions well at higher temperatures, the ligation process will hopefully be more efficient and less expensive, Tripathi said.

Additionally, the specificity of reactions can often be increased at higher temperatures. “You can sort of wash away the things that don’t bind perfectly at a higher temperature,” Larman said.

TODAY

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

menu

e n g i n e e r yo u r s c h e d u l e

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

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

BLUE ROOM

Lasagna Bowl, Taco Quesadillas

Minestrone, Chicken Tortilla Build-Your-Own Burrito Bowls

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Vegetable Tortilla Lasagna, Polynesian Chicken Wings, Frosted Brownies

Salt and Pepa Jerk Chicken, Baked Scrod with Zucchini, Boston Cream Donuts

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Breaded Chicken Fingers, Peanut Butter Sandwich Bar, Sticky Rice, Chocolate Chip Cookies

Kareem’s Catfish, Cheese Grit Souffle, Asian Blend Vegetables, Assorted Cupcakes

sudoku

MAXWELL SIMEON / HERALD

The Engineering Departmental Undergraduate Group held a pre-registration party to provide a space for upperclassmen to help advise underclassmen on which classes to take and how to manage requirements.

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

R

AS

DA

A

C c r o s s w o rD d Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Thumbs-way-up reviews 6 Knocks with one’s knuckles 10 Not feral 14 Low-budget, in company names 15 Happily __ after 16 October birthstone 17 Hexes 20 Dined 21 Twosome 22 Heart chambers 23 Positive thinker’s assertion 25 Cleopatra’s river 27 Surprised party, metaphorically 32 Beelzebub 35 Oboe or bassoon 36 Baled grass 37 “Jurassic Park” terror, for short 38 Meanspiritedness 40 Home plate, e.g.

41 Above, in verse 42 Apple computer 43 Showed on television 44 Destination not yet determined 48 Detest 49 Oscar-winning film about Mozart 53 End of __ 56 Yard sale warning 57 British mil. award 58 Beatles song, and a hint to the hidden word in 17-, 27- and 44Across 62 Opera solo 63 Like a steak with a red center 64 “That is to say ...”

65 Double O Seven 66 “P.U.!” inducer 67 Willy-__: sloppily

4 USNA grad 5 Slight trace 6 Symbol of financial losses 7 State firmly 8 For each 9 Málaga Mrs. 10 Best-seller list 11 Mimic 12 West African country 13 Jazzy Fitzgerald 18 Indian bread 19 “To your health,” to José 24 Big-screen format 25 Russian rejection 26 “That’s clear now” 28 Angels shortstop Aybar 29 Sear 30 Operate with a beam 31 Kept in view 32 Halt 33 Zone 34 Alaska, once: Abbr.

38 Obscene material 39 Glazier’s fitting

40 Tough spot 42 Newton or Stern 43 Inundated with 45 Needle’s partner 46 Sadat’s predecessor 47 Leave out 50 ’50s Ford flop 51 Typical 52 Hot-headed Corleone brother in “The Godfather”

ANSW R

O

53 Moby Dick chaser 54 Fiddling emperor 55 “__ Brockovich” 56 Flying prefix 59 Gold, in Granada 60 Insane 61 Record label initials across the pond

R

“Every time there’s a new way of doing things, it really opens the floodgates to discovery.”

— H. Benjamin Larman, assistant professor of pathology at Johns Hopkins

See DNA on page 4.

O S

EDITORS’ NOTE A plagiarized comic appeared in Wednesday’s Herald (“The Fistbump Chronicles,” Oct. 26). The comic copied the work of the webcomic “The Perry Bible Fellowship.” The Herald has retracted the piece and regrets its publication.

calendar FRIDAY

OCTOBER

S

M

T

W

Th

F

S

Scrappy Halloween 12:00 P.M. Main Green

A Cappella Concert: Pumpkin Pi and Raw Beats 9:00 P.M. Wayland Arch

1

DOWN 1 Satisfy, as a loan 2 Like most triangle angles 3 Chooses at the

By Johanna Fenimore polls

(c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

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

SATURDAY JCA Haunted House 7:00 P.M. Sayles Hall

Javaspook: Halloween Dance 9:00 P.M. Harkness House

SUNDAY Diwali Celebrations by the Indian Graduate Community at Brown 6:30 P.M. Graduate Center, Graduate Lounge

Camp Kesem Ben & Jerry’s Benefit Night 7:00 P.M. Off-campus location

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Brown Bites Moms and dads take College Hill Over 1,700 families converged on campus last Friday as part of Brown’s annual Family Weekend. The event kicked off with a speech from President Christina Paxson P’19 on the value of campus activism, followed by a “keynote concert” performed by two talented parents, John Pizzarelli P’20 and Jessica Molaskey P’20. The weekend also featured Shakespeare on the Green’s production of “Hamlet” and a 28-21 football win against Cornell. Many families seemed to have a positive experience during their stay. John Calaway P’20 and Laura Calaway P’20 told The Herald that Brown seems to offer the “picture-perfect college experience.”

‘Lamp/Bear’ creator sheds light on Blueno Urs Fischer, the artist behind “Untitled (Lamp/Bear),” came to Brown Wednesday to speak about both his sculpture and artistic philosophy.

“Art can’t be talked about in terms of being — only in terms of becoming,” Fischer told a packed Salomon Hall. Fischer’s huge blue teddy bear stirred up something of a controversy this past summer when it was installed on Ruth Simmons Quadrangle because the statue’s donor led a hedge fund convicted of insider trading. But Fischer barely touched upon the subject, explaining that any controversy was due to the context of the donation rather than to the blue bear itself. “I don’t know what to think about works I did in the past,” Fischer said of the sculpture, which was made 10 years ago.

CAPS hits the Internet Counseling and Psychological Services introduced an anonymous online self-screening tool this semester designed to help students gauge their mental health. The tool includes a series of quizzes that cover a range of issues, including anxiety, depression, eating disorders and alcohol use.

“Students who use it will be more aware of the state of their mental health — hopefully sooner than when they are in crisis,” said Allyson BrathwaiteGardner, CAPS interim co-director. Each week about 30 students take an online evaluation, and up to 200 students have used the tool in a single week, she added. For students interested in seeing a professional after using the site’s new tools, the website provides information about seeking help.

Brown prof would like robots to do your laundry Stefanie Tellex, assistant professor of computer science, has been working hard over the past few years to make interactive robots a reality.

Tellex and her research group are training three Baxter model robots from Rethink Robotics, along with a PR2 robot from Willow Garage, in language, action and perception. John Oberlin GS, a graduate student in Tellex’s lab, is working to enable robots to recognize and pick up objects, while Nakul Gopalan GS focuses on robotic navigation. The lab is also working with an industrial design group at the Rhode Island School of Design to develop a more human-like face for the Baxter robot, whose current “face” consists of a small red screen with digital eyes.

D O R O T H Y W I N D HA M

comic Cat Ears |Najatee’ McNeil

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 Editor Taneil Ruffin COMMENTARY Opinions Editors Margaret Hu Mili Mitra Lainie Rowland

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

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

You can submit op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com and letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. When you email your submission, please include (1) your full name, (2) an evening or mobile phone number in case your submission is chosen for publication and (3) any affiliation with Brown University or any institution or organization relevant to the content of your submission.

Please send in submissions at least 24 hours in advance of your desired publication date. The Herald only publishes submissions while it is in print. The Herald reserves the right to edit all submissions. If your piece is considered for publication, an editor will contact you to discuss potential changes to your submission.

Commentary: The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only.

Corrections: The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

Advertising: The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. is a financially independent, nonprofit media organization bringing you The Brown Daily Herald, BlogDailyHerald and Post- Magazine. The Brown Daily Herald has served the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during Orientation by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily.

Copyright 2016 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Postmaster: Please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906.

COMMENTARY FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

A Trump loss won’t change Republicans DANIEL MEYER staff columnist

The next 11 days can’t pass quickly enough. After a miserable, too-long election cycle, the specter of President Donald Trump will (hopefully) be vanquished. We will finally be able to exhale.

But the relief won’t last for long.

After the end of this miserable contest, all we have to look forward to is a return to the gridlock that has defined the last six years of the Obama presidency. Disaster may be averted, but there is little cause for hope. The reason is that, despite witnessing the dumpster fire that is the Donald’s campaign, the Republican Party is not going to change.

The conservative punditry has already begun its post-defeat ritual of donning black, holding candlelit vigils at the Reagan Presidential Library and writing think-pieces about fixing the GOP. In the Atlantic, David Frum concluded that the party should “(join) what can usefully be extracted from Trumpism to the core beliefs of the Republican Party: individual initiative, a free en-

terprise economy, limited government, lower taxes and a proud defense of America’s global role.” Other grey-hairs like George Will and David Brooks have written similar debriefs. The Brown Republicans “are optimistic that the Republican Party will move forward with a renewed

ter of its next presidential campaign.

Party elites like Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican National Committee, were unable to steer the populist horse they were riding.

The problem is that, while the national party needs to undergo major changes to win elections, it is

In the Senate, the GOP may lose its majority, but it will maintain its ability to filibuster whatever it wants.

After the 2010 midterms, Republicans showed that the filibuster is all they need to gum up the gears. Hillary Clinton is already reviled by the GOP base, so blocking her will be

The problem is that, while the national party needs to undergo major changes to win elections, it is not individually rational for Republicans in Congress and in state governments to change their ways.

commitment to conservative principles.”

We’ve seen this song and dance before. After Mitt Romney lost, the Republicans went through a public autopsy that concluded that they shouldn’t change anything except their intolerant immigration policy.

We know the result, too: The party didn’t change anything except make anti-immigrant xenophobia the cen-

not individually rational for Republicans in Congress and in state governments to change their ways. The party has gerrymandered its way to a status quo in which many representatives serve in safe seats where the only challenge can come from the right flank. When getting primaried is a bigger fear than losing the general election, there is no incentive to move to the center.

good politics. If anything, gridlock will probably be worse thanks to the ongoing degradation of unspoken norms of Congress. I wouldn’t assume that Merrick Garland or a Clinton substitute will fly through confirmation after the election. Indeed, U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-AZ, already promised that the Senate Republicans will try to block Clinton’s nominees.

But the most fundamental reason why the GOP won’t change is because over the past 16 years it has conditioned its supporters to reject compromise, hate rather than dislike its opponents and accept convenient fictions about global warming, supply-side economics and even Benghazi, Libya. The Tea Party and the House Freedom Caucus have collaborated with right-wing news outlets to create a base that is dogmatic, conspiratorial and xenophobic. I don’t mean to imply that most conservatives behave this way, but those terms do fit the party’s base as a whole. Trump’s campaign has reinforced these tendencies, making it harder for the party to hang a Uturn after he goes back to his Tower.

Thanks to its swerve to the obstructionist right, the Republican Party may see a long winter outside the Oval Office. But the nation should brace for the gridlock and acrimony of the past two terms to continue for years. The chickens have come home to roost for the GOP, but now they’re going to shit all over us, too.

Daniel Meyer ’17 can be reached at daniel_meyer@brown.edu.

True mentorship can’t be forced CARIN PAPENDORP staff columnist It’s been a while since I’ve been on a college tour, but I’m guessing one of the few topics to come up as much as the treachery of walking backwards is academic advising. Brown is always sure to highlight the Meiklejohn Peer Advising Program, which pairs each first-year student with an older student and a faculty advisor. But when I think back on my years at Brown, the people who have supported and encouraged me most have been a haphazard mix of faculty members, friends, teaching assistants, coworkers and even strangers who did not necessarily need to advise me in a formal capacity.

Meiklejohns and faculty advisors are a great resource for questions about classes, extracurricular activities and navigating Brown’s campus. They can also help connect students to additional resources at Brown such as faculty office hours, the Curricular Resource Center, the Writing Center, CareerLAB and Counseling and Psychological Services. And if an authentic mentoring relationship or friendship does develop out of these pairings, so much the better. But from what I can tell, that would be an exception, not the rule. And there are many reasons why students might not feel comfortable raising more personal concerns in the context of structured advising.

One night when I was working at the pool, a swimmer asked me if I was liking my freshman year. I hesitated. I’ll never forget how he responded: “You know, it’s okay to say no.” Already, I felt much more comfortable opening

up to this student than I had to my assigned advisors. Even though my academic advisor asked me the same question, it didn’t feel appropriate to talk about non-academic issues with someone I saw as an authority figure. It’s just awkward and feels forced to open up to someone in an artificial setting.

Also, simply by the nature of the size and scope of the Meiklejohn Peer Advising Program, advisors may not be able to understand the specific challenges facing the students

edit my application essay. In this situation, the deans’ open office hours were invaluable: Though the dean on call seemed a little surprised to see me, he read through my essay, gave me a few suggestions and sent me on my way.

But two years ago, I don’t know if I would have had the confidence to walk into University Hall. And if I had been grappling with a less straightforward issue than an essay, I know I would have balked at the idea of seeking help

Even though Brown’s academic advising programs can be helpful, they’re no substitute for meaningful, organic mentoring relationships.

they advise. For example, a professor advising a first-generation college student might not even realize how much their advisees do not know. And if the Meiklejohn Program specifically selects student advisors who are particularly enthusiastic about or successful at Brown, you can imagine that this would make it intimidating for first-years to feel validated admitting their struggles.

I don’t mean to discount the effort that students, professors and deans put into structured academic advising. These programs are a necessary support system that all students will need at some point. Last year, I was applying for a scholarship, and I realized at the last minute that I couldn’t think of anyone to

from a total stranger. Even though Brown’s academic advising programs can be helpful, they’re no substitute for meaningful, organic mentoring relationships. As writer and firstgeneration college student Jennine Capó Crucet writes in her essay, “Why first-generation students need mentors who get them,” “too many colleges still think of mentoring as just meetings between two people, one who knows some stuff and another who doesn’t yet know that stuff.” Building a support system at college takes time, and first-year advising programs help fill the gap in the meantime. But we shouldn’t let these artificial pairings stop us from recognizing the need for other mentoring relationships.

Students at Brown are lucky to have a variety of academic resources at their disposal.

But the fact that these programs exist should not make us complacent about mentorship at Brown. We need to encourage first-years to put themselves in positions to meet people who can be true mentors to them, whether that means office hours, clubs, student employment, research or small classes. Pushing students to find real mentors is important not only to make sure that everyone at Brown feels supported but also because students will eventually need recommendation letters for summer opportunities, jobs or graduate school.

Also, the ability to identify good mentors independently is crucial in the workplace and graduate school.

I’m grateful to my Meiklejohn and my assigned faculty advisor. But I’m more grateful to the professor who encouraged me to declare neuroscience during office hours; the coworker who told me that it’s okay to get a C (even in your concentration!); my research mentor, for taking time out of his work to help me with a tough homework assignment and to all the other students who have helped me out at one point or another. So if you’re a student, please think about how you can support your peers. Because I’ve realized how much help I’ve gotten from other students, when I see someone struggling I do my best to listen, ask questions and give my honest advice. Formal advising cannot recreate these moments of true mentorship. Even if you’re not one of Brown’s 350 Meiklejohns, that doesn’t mean you can’t be a mentor to someone else.

Carin Papendorp ’17 can be reached at carin_papendorp@brown.edu.

Got something to say? Leave a comment online!

SPORTS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2016

Slam the door on conventional wisdom JAMES SCHAPIRO sports columnist So far, MLB’s postseason has been rife with stories. Hidden among the stories that have dominated the news has been a smaller, yet possibly more important, question: What are the Cleveland Indians doing with Andrew Miller? Are they using him correctly?

There has been much debate on the issue, and indeed, it goes back further than a single postseason, but the Indians’ current usage of Miller could very well prove a defining moment in baseball strategy.

Miller is the Indians’ best relief pitcher: That much is undeniable. His ERA+ is 304, where 100 is average, and he averages more than 14 strikeouts per nine innings. By all conventional wisdom, Miller should be the Indians’ closer — but that’s not how they’re using him. The Indians are using Miller as a roving reliever, often the first out of the bullpen, entering whenever there is trouble and usually extinguishing it.

Why is this important? It’s impor-

tant because this postseason seems to be striking a blow against conventional closer usage in baseball. And conventional closer usage in baseball — to put it nicely — sucks.

The problems with conventional closer usage all boil down to the same point: The ninth inning is rarely the most important inning of a game, and it can’t be denied that a closer, usually a team’s best relief pitcher, should be used in the most important part of a game. Thus, as closers all around the league have been confined to the ninth inning, their utility has gone down.

It’s hardly a problem unique to baseball. Remember the EURO 2012 semifinal? The match between Spain and Portugal went to a penalty shootout, and Portugal saved Cristiano Ronaldo, its best penalty scorer, for last, hoping that he would close out the shootout with a goal.

But Ronaldo never shot. By the time his turn arrived, Spain had already won the shootout. Portugal lost without using its most effective player.

Return to baseball, and the connection is clear. How often have teams lost leads in the middle innings be-

cause a manager didn’t use his closer?

How often have games that are close in the sixth inning turned into blowouts by the ninth, making the closer moot? How often, in other words, do teams lose without utilizing their most effective pitchers?

Very often, is the answer. Conventional closer usage is based on the belief that the ninth inning is the most important because it has the potential to be the last inning. This is false: Using a closer in the ninth inning has made no impact on teams’ ability to retain leads in late innings. It’s been proven again and again and again.

The solution is simple — so simple that it’s surprising it hasn’t been adopted much more widely. Closers should be pitching the most important innings of a game.

This is not some old-timey appeal to managerial intuition either, one that would have a manager use his gut to determine which moments are the most important. Rather, managers can just use the statistics. There are statistics for everything these days, including the importance of each batter. The metric in question is called Leverage Index, and it measures how

important a given batter will be to the outcome of a game. And while the ninth inning can sometimes be the most important inning in a contest, according to Leverage Index this is far from automatic.

Say the home team has a one-run lead in the top of the eighth, one out, with bases loaded. In this situation, the Leverage Index is extremely high at 5.6. With two outs, it’s even higher — 6.8. So, the manager brings in his closer, who gets the two extremely high-leverage outs, maintaining the lead. Even if the closer has to be pulled in favor of an inferior pitcher in the ninth inning, the manager has made the right move: He has used his best pitcher to get the most important outs of the game, and in the ninth can start his inferior pitcher on a batter with a Leverage Index of only 2.9. By using his closer in the more important spot, the manager has done two things: He has escaped the high-leverage spot, and he has given himself the ability to use his inferior pitchers in situations of comparatively less importance.

At its core, it’s a simple proposition.

The best pitchers should pitch to the most important batters. Thanks to Le-

verage Index, we know which batters are the most important. Therefore, we know when the best pitchers should be used. Put so simply, it’s amazing that flawed conventional closer wisdom has persisted as long as it has.

But then again, it’s not so surprising: Baseball has always shown its unwillingness to adopt tactical change, from measuring players’ performance using RBIs to vastly overusing the sacrifice bunt. Conventional closer mentality is simply another manifestation of baseball’s unwillingness to change, even in the face of evidence that it should.

As far as the MLB is concerned, significant change regarding the closer mentality will take a long time. Baseball tradition, as has been shown over and over again, is not easily uprooted.

But even if it’s only in the postseason, it’s a good sign that managers are finally beginning to defy convention and use their relievers the right way.

James Schapiro ’19 has angrily watched Terry Collins butcher the Mets’ bullpen for years. He can be reached at james_schapiro@brown.edu.

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Three-touchdown effort from Jette ’17 pushes Bears past Cornell In final season, receiver reflects on team goals, individual performance versus Big Red

By NICHOLAS WEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After the men’s football team took a 14-0 lead nearing the end of the third quarter against Cornell Saturday, the win seemed all but assured. But the Big Red (3-3, 1-2 Ivy) would not go down without a fight. Cornell went on a 14-0 run that sent the game into overtime and then took the lead over the Bears (2-4, 1-2 Ivy) on its ensuing possession.

But veteran widereceiver Alex Jette ’17 did not let Brown’s third Ivy League matchup of the season end in a defeat.

Jette had already scored two critical touchdowns on the day: a 79-yard punt return before the half and an 18-yard touchdown reception late in the third.

Then, on fourth-and-goal with the game on the line, Jette beat his defender for the wide-open touchdown reception to send the game into double overtime.

Brown would go on to take the victory with a game-winning touchdown from running back Johnny Pena ’17.

For his game-saving efforts in overtime and critical role in the team’s overall success Jette has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week.

Herald: What were your thoughts going into the game?

Jette: I don’t like to use the word desperate, but I think that a lot of the guys on the team felt like this was a must win for us, a make-or-break for this season. Princeton beat us up pretty bad, and guys were starting to look around wondering what had gone wrong. Guys were sort of beside themselves as to what happened and worried that we were in some sort of downward spiral. So getting this win, getting the momentum

back and playing Brown Bear football was exactly what we needed. I think we have all the intentions to go down to Philly this weekend and take down a really good football team.

How did it feel to have such a big performance in the team’s first Ivy League win of the season?

I think it started with the punt return at the end of the second quarter. That gave us momentum going into halftime.

It was a great all-around effort, especially since special teams had kind of been a downfall for us the past year. I think all 11 guys worked their butts off in that punt return. Then, on the fourth down play in overtime, I went to the sideline, and I told coach, “Hey, listen, I want to get the ball here.” I knew I could beat my guy, and I wanted the pressure because you never want the regret. I wanted that play for me. And I think we executed it perfectly. I knew on that field, after all the rain, it would be an advantage for the offense because we know where we’re going. I gave the guy a fake inside and broke it back out, and (quarterback) TJ (Linta ’18) put a perfect touch on the ball. It was a great way to get the game into a second overtime.

Looking forward toward the rest of the season, what are some expectations?

I think the expectations are to take it one week at a time but also to win the rest of these games. If we win out, we will have a winning record. Us seniors don’t want to go out as losers. We have some fight in us, and we need to just show everyone else what this team is about and what this senior class is about.

What do you think the team needs to work on in order to achieve those expectations?

Just capitalizing. Cutting out all the mistakes, the turnovers, the fumbles and the interceptions. We had two turnovers in

ELI WHITE / HERALD

Alex Jette ’17 carries the ball down the field. Jette will be a key weapon for Brown on offense and on special teams as the Bears attempt to improve on their 1-2 Ivy League record in this weekend’s matchup against Penn. the Cornell game, and they were costly: They converted on both of those. And then after the interception late in the game, they actually got a field goal opportunity to win it. Fortunately, Jordan Ferguson (’17) blocked it, but still. Once we get in to red zone, we just need to convert.

What are you going to miss the

most after completing your senior season?

I guess it really hasn’t hit me yet, but come Columbia, I think it’s going to be a lot of emotion for a lot of guys. It’s going to be the last time a lot of us put the pads on, and that’s really emotional. This sport is a really emotional sport. They don’t say “blood, sweat and tears” for no reason. And a lot of guys have done it

for 15 years now. But I have loved every minute of it. Actually, I’ve been one of the few guys who have been fortunate enough to have a lot of NFL scouts come to our practices, so a couple of us will be training after the season, but like I said this is still going to be really emotional.

This interview has been edited for clarity and length.