SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018
VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 16
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
University unveils design of new Performing Arts Center Festival New Performing Arts features Center will feature developing adaptable performance hall, studio spaces plays on stage By LI GOLDSTEIN
Writing is Live emphasizes artistic process, discovery, audience involvement
SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The design of the planned new Performing Arts Center was announced yesterday by the University and New York-based architecture firm REX. The PAC, set for completion in 2022, will be located between Angell and Olive streets, The Herald previously reported. The new PAC will feature a versatile main performance hall that can be transformed into various configurations, “ranging from a 625-seat symphony orchestra hall, to a 250-seat proscenium theater, to an immersive surround sound cube for experimental media performance,” according to the press release. Reconfiguring the space for different uses could take less than a day. Aside from the main hall, the building will also house multiple smaller studios and rehearsal spaces. The adaptability of the structure will allow for multiple types of performing arts — such as performances
By JANGO MCCORMICK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY
The Performing Arts Center, which will be located between Angell and Olive streets, should be completed in 2022 and will feature a main performance hall that can be transformed into several configurations. by the Brown University Orchestra or digital media installations — within the space. According to the press release, REX designed five presets into which the center can be transformed: Orchestra, which arranges the space like a traditional concert hall; Recital, which is a smaller space intended for soloists and small ensembles; End Stage, which is designed for theater
and dance performances; Experimental Media, which “configures the space into a small cube”; and Flat Floor, which removes all seating. The space can be transformed based on acoustic need as well. During an event hosted by the Brown Arts Initiative at the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts Wednesday morning, Joshua Ramus, founding
principal of REX, showed animations illustrating the shifts between the five different presets, displaying how the walls, seats and floor can be shifted to create distinct configurations. At its greatest capacity, the Flat Floor preset can fit 850 people, Ramus said. The need for a space large enough to accommodate the University’s » See PAC, page 3
Not every night at the theatre begins with a warning that the script may have been edited within the last hour, that the actors may ask for their lines and that the whole production may experience such technical difficulties that an inadvertent intermission may be required. But all of this is part of the experience of Writing is Live, an annual festival that occurred last Friday through Sunday in which University graduate student playwrights work with their peers and professors to stage their » See PLAYWRIGHT, page 4
ARTS & CULTURE
Rhode Islanders can now text 911 Remembering Edgar Allen Poe’s Providence romance
System meant for situations when calling is difficult, costs $750,000 to implement
Athenaeum recalls courtship of Edgar Allan Poe, Providence native Sarah Whitman
By MAIA ROSENFELD SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Anyone in Rhode Island experiencing a police, fire or medical emergency can now contact 911 not only through voice calls but also via text messages thanks to a new service launched Feb. 5 by the R.I. Department of Public Safety. Text-to-911 can be a life-saving service in situations where a phone call is not an option, said Gregory Scungio, acting director of the Rhode Island E-9-1-1 Uniform Emergency Telephone System. “It benefits the deaf and hard-ofhearing community, and also people who aren’t able to make a voice call, perhaps (because) they’re under duress or suffering from a medical episode,” he said. RIDPS warns that this feature should be used only when calling is not possible, such as in certain domestic violence situations or if a person is choking.“Call if you can
By LIYAAN MASKATI SENIOR REPORTER
METRO
INSIDE
One hundred and seventy-one years ago, a valentine kindled an ill-fated Providence romance between two star-crossed poets. In 1848, Providence-based poet Sarah Helen Whitman crafted a tribute to Edgar Allan Poe for a Valentine’s Day poetry salon. Although Poe was not present at the salon, Whitman’s poem made it into his hands, said Robin Wetherill, director of membership and external relations at the Providence Athenaeum. Poe delighted in the poem, and his correspondence with Whitman commenced. “They wrote back and forth for months and eventually, Poe did come to Providence to see Whitman and court her,” Wetherill said. Much of Poe and Whitman’s courtship was spent in the alcoves of the
ARTS & CULTURE
GRACE LI / HERALD
and text if you can’t,” Scungio said, because “the ideal way to reach 911 is a voice call.” Text-to-911 has several limitations, Laura Kirk, director of public information at RIDPS, explained. It takes more time to communicate emergency information through text messages than over the phone, for
instance, and time can be critical in emergency situations. In addition, text messages to 911 are limited to only 140 characters. Pinpointing a person in need of emergency assistance is also more difficult when dispatchers receive a text. When someone calls 911 from » See 911, page 2
Athenaeum — a library and cultural center on Benefit Street. On one occasion, Whitman removed a book from a shelf in the library to show Poe an anonymous poem she admired entitled “Ulalume,” Wetherill said. Poe disclosed to Whitman that he was the unnamed poet and wrote his signature in pencil next to the poem. The book, which was a copy of the American Whig Review and still contains Poe’s signature, is one of the items in the Athenaeum’s special collections and is on display at the library’s current exhibition — “Ravenous: The Enduring Legacy of Poe.” “Whitman and Poe shared a lot of interests,” said Kate Wodehouse, director of collections and library services at the Athenaeum. “One of the reasons Poe was interested in Whitman was really because she was his intellectual equal. They just connected on a deep level,” she said. But their relationship was fraught with tension. Whitman’s friends made a conscious effort to steer her away from Poe, Wodehouse said. “Whitman’s mother, especially, was very against the match,” added Wetherill, and it took much persuasion for Poe » See COURTSHIP, page 3
WEATHER
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018
NEWS Angela Blanchard named Senior Fellow at Watson Institute, will teach urban policy course
ARTS & CULTURE Local theater company puts on Shakespeare’s “Macbeth,” emphasizes blood and gore
COMMENTARY Steinman ’19: Ethics of Dear Blueno, an anonymous Facebook forum, are questionable
ARTS & CULTURE Experimental musician Panda Bear releases new album “Buoys,” exploring minimalism in music
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
New Watson senior fellow to teach Master of Public Affairs seminar
COURTESY OF ANGELA BLANCHARD
Blanchard, president emerita of the community development organization BakerRipley and former Swearer Center Social Entrepreneur in Residence, was involved with the response and restoration of the city of Houston in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvery. She aims to bring her real world experience to students in the University’s MPA Program.
Angela Blanchard brings experience as social entrepreneur to role as senior fellow By SELEN TUMAY STAFF WRITER
Angela Blanchard, recently named senior fellow at the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs, will teach a Master of Public Affairs seminar this spring titled MPA 2772: “Disaster, Displacement and Response: A Practitioner, People-Focused Lens on Urban Policy & Practice,” according to a University press release. Blanchard is president emerita of the community development organization BakerRipley and previously worked with the University as a Taubman Fellow and as Swearer Center Social Entrepreneur in Residence. The
Swearer Center program “brings an experienced social change leader to campus for a semester as an educator, advisor and convener within Brown’s social innovation community,” according to a University press release. While her appointment as a social entrepreneur in residence only lasted a semester, the senior fellow position is a long term commitment, she said. Blanchard’s role as “one of the nation’s leading social entrepreneurs … brings a wealth of wisdom, knowledge and expertise to (the) MPA, Watson and Brown,” said Erik Patashnik, director of the Master of Public Affairs program. Her experience in the Swearer Center and as a Taubman Fellow, as well as previous leadership roles at BakerRipley, enhance her abilities to “make decisions under stress, … motivate people, organize, triage, problem solve and develop an effective response even when needed human capital and
financial resources are missing,” Patashnik added. Blanchard’s global view of individual and organizational leadership “creates the space for people from different backgrounds to feel comfortable sharing their dreams, aspirations, fears and (to look) for ways to work together.” Blanchard’s course, which she taught previously in a different iteration, will meet twice a week for three hours each session and should allow “students to study a specific upheaval and evaluate the community’s functional response,” according to the press release. Taught through case studies, the seminar will give students the opportunity to compare and evaluate global disasters and the responses to them, Blanchard said. This includes examples such as the floodings in Brisbane and the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, she added. Through this class, Blanchard will
challenge students to look “at different cities that receive inflows of people and (look) at what works” to respond to the displacement. By critiquing disaster responses, students can begin to reveal “new truths” and study the ways in which effective practices can be amplified, she added. These disasters “contain great human suffering but also show what humans are like when they’re at their most extraordinary creativeness — at their most generous.” In the seminar, Blanchard will emphasize “appreciative inquiry,” a way of evaluating and reshaping organizations to find their points of strength and resilience, Patashnik said. The course teaches students about the ways that “the government, NGO sector, private sector and individuals can all collaborate in building resilience,” he said. “These are some of the most important issues of the 21st century.” For Chamika Wanigatunga GS,
a master’s student in public affairs, Blanchard is “one of the main reasons why (I) pursued this program over the others,” he said. Blanchard’s “energy” and “the way that she accepts and delivers stories” as an experienced nonprofit professional is what draws him to her course, he added. He hopes that this class will teach him “nonprofit management skills, the politics of disasters and … general industry expertise.” Similarly, Malysa Kettavong GS, a master’s student in public affairs, is “excited to see (Blanchard) show the sides of policy where it works and where it doesn’t, and how to change that,” she said. Through the class, Kettavong hopes to learn “how to intertwine disaster displacement with climate change.” Blanchard hopes her students will learn to “work collaboratively, look across boundaries and craft a way forward — to do what you can with what you have,” she said.
»911, from page 1
year, but we had a manpower shortage, and we weren’t comfortable with launching it until we buttressed our manpower numbers,” Scungio said. The agency has been “hiring at a rapid clip since last year,” he added, and it finally reached sufficient staffing to launch the system last week. Implementing Text-to-911 also required significant RIDPS staff training, which has taken place over the past several weeks. “We were able to install the software on a training station right inside the call center, and we had each person spend time using the software with supervisor direction,” Scungio said. Each staff member underwent two training sessions. The total cost of implementing Text-to-911 was $750,000, which came out of the agency’s budget over
the past several years, Scungio said. The system has handled approximately 20 reports since its launch last week, he added. So far, it has operated without major glitches or issues. Before Text-to-911 was implemented by RIDPS, R.I. lawmakers had proposed a bill to mandate the system. The bill, House Bill 5045, was introduced Jan. 9 for the purpose of developing Text-to-911 and aimed to implement the system Jan. 1, 2020. “To me it was very straightforward,” said State Rep. George Nardone, R-Coventry, one of the bill’s sponsors. “It seemed like a commonsense approach.” This bill was postponed when Text-to-911 was launched on Feb. 5. According to Nardone, the Republican Caucus is still pushing to write Text-to-911 into law.
a mobile phone, their phone bounces signals off of three nearby cellphone towers, and this information provides their precise location through a process called triangulation. In contrast, text messages only ping off the nearest tower and thus provide less information about the sender’s location. Additionally, if the sender is moving, a text message will not allow dispatchers to track their location as it changes. For these reasons, RIDPS wants the public to know that texting 911 should be a last resort, Kirk said. Text-to-911 has been in the works for the past four to five years, Scungio said. His agency spent this time accumulating the hardware and software necessary to implement the system. “We were ready to launch it last
NEWS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
» COURTSHIP, from page 1 to convince Whitman to accept his proposal of marriage. Poe’s proposal to Whitman took place in a local cemetery, probably either Swan Point Cemetery or North Burial Ground, Wetherill said. Whitman finally accepted Poe’s proposal, on the condition that he stop drinking alcohol. The couple got engaged and were supposed to get married on Christmas Day. A lock of Poe’s hair, which he presumably gave Whitman during their engagement, resides in the collections of the John Hay Library. “It was a common practice in the 19th century (to give a lock of your hair to the person you were) engaged to,” said Heather Cole, curator for literary and popular collections at the Hay. The gesture was “much more romantic than it seems,” she added. The engagement came to an untimely end two days before Poe and Whitman were to be married. The couple were in the Athenaeum when an unknown messenger came to Whitman with a letter saying that Poe had been seen drinking the night before, Wodehouse said. Whitman broke off the engagement, and the couple never saw each other again. Ten months later, Poe passed away. Although Poe and Whitman’s relationship was short-lived, it made a lasting impact on Whitman, Wetherill said. “After Poe died, Whitman became a huge advocate for his work
» PAC, from page 1 100-piece orchestra and 80-singer chorus inspired the size of the main hall, Ramus said in the press release. The orchestra has been requesting a larger space for 50 years, Ramus added during his talk. The center will display a 13-foot “horizontal ‘clearstory’ that slices through the building’s facade at stage level” and overlooks The Walk, which connects main campus to the Pembroke campus, according to the release. This transparent clearstory will allow passersby to view “performances, rehearsals and arts scholarship” from the outside in an effort to bridge the gap between the greater Providence community and students engaged in arts at the University. REX paid special attention to the
SIMONE ZHAO / HERALD
and really continued to support him,” she explained. “Later in her life, Whitman (even) dabbled in spiritualism and
would try to contact Poe and would have spiritual meetings at her house,” Wetherill added. She dedicated the rest
of her life to eternalizing his legacy and ensuring that his literary spirit lived on. “We loved with a love that was
more than love,” wrote Poe, in “Annabel Lee,” a poem Whitman believed was written for her.
acoustics of the clearstory, making sure that noise from outdoors would not negatively affect the sound inside the structure. On the exterior, “the building will be shrink-wrapped in an extruded aluminum rainscreen,” Ramus said in the release. Ramus hopes that the new PAC will “redefine (The Walk) as a hub for the arts.” He also noted that the task of combining the needs of a large orchestra with those of smaller, more intimate performances was ambitious and unprecedented. But “this is something to celebrate, not something to fear,” he said. The structure’s design allows the public to peek into the rehearsal process, which in turn could increase patronage for actual performances, Ramus said during his talk.
Outside the building, there will be an outdoor plaza at the base of the entrance, which will serve as a gathering space for students, performers and visitors. The building will also house various multi-use spaces, including a percussion studio and dressing rooms, below street level. Butch Rovan, professor of music and faculty director of BAI, expressed enthusiasm for the new PAC in an interview with The Herald. “It will finally bring to Brown the world-class performance facilities that it has never had and the kinds of resources that we should be providing to match our incredible students’ talents,” Rovan said. “It will enable collaborations that we cannot do right now — we do not have many spaces that are amenable to large-scale collaborations between music, dance and theater.”
Ramus and the University hope that the building will be used by professionals from disciplines beyond the arts as well. “The PAC will vastly expand Brown’s ability to create and stage new and existing works, combine art forms and welcome world-renowned faculty and artists to learn from and inspire scholars across disparate fields of study,” according to the press release. REX designed the building with input from BAI, members of the Providence community and University students, according to the press release and Ramus. The firm sought to ensure that the space could be used not only by students and faculty, but also by local residents. Ramus also touched on the change in the proposed location for the new PAC. The original proposal would have
demolished four buildings and situated the new PAC between Angell and Waterman streets, The Herald previously reported. To address concerns about the original plot, the project was moved to a location between Angell and Olive streets and a portion of the building was moved underground. Though there were cost implications associated with the switch, Ramus said, it was “the absolute best thing for the project.” Due to the flexibility of the new PAC, the opportunities for creation and experimentation are boundless, Rovan said. “The space will allow us to create kinds of collaborative artmaking that don’t even exist yet,” he said. “The building itself is like a creative partner, in a way that no other building will be. It will really be oneof-a-kind in the country.”
The pressures of college—with classes, tests, and everyday strains—can sometimes become overwhelming. That’s why Butler Hospital created The College Student program for young adults who are actively enrolled in school and are struggling with depression or anxiety. For three afternoons a week, you’ll meet people your age who are facing similar problems and take part in both group and individual therapy sessions. You’ll get the help and support you need to cope better and stay in school. Find out more at butler.org/college or call 1 (844) 401-0111. You are not alone.
345 Blackstone Boulevard, Providence, RI Butler is the major affiliated teaching hospital for psychiatry and behavioral health of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University.
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PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Trinity Rep. stages gruesome, modern ‘Macbeth’ Director seeks to preserve Shakespeare’s “original impulse” with gore, contemporary music By GRAYSON LEE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Trinity Repertory Company’s production of “Macbeth,” running from Jan. 31 through March 3, is a gloriously gruesome and thrilling performance, presenting a characterization of baseness all too applicable in today’s political world. While many theatrical interpretations of Shakespeare wrench the plot into different settings or languages, Trinity Rep’s version of “Macbeth” does not change the basic structure of the play. Though the actors are dressed in modern fashion and their scenes are scored with contemporary music, the performance retains the thematic and stylistic trappings of traditional Shakespearean theater. The director of the show, Curt Columbus, explained his desire to preserve the “original impulse” of Shakespeare, mentioning the playwright’s use of what was then considered “contemporary garb” and music in every performance. Columbus wanted to “make the visual landscape of the play something that people recognize today,” he said, and his preference for protecting the “original impulse” creates a
ARTS & CULTURE
» PLAYWRIGHT, from page 1 developing plays. The festival took place in Leeds Theatre and showcased the work of the four students currently enrolled in the MFA playwriting program. Each play had been written the previous semester with the help of professors and other advisors. For the festival, they were directed and performed in a collaborative effort with theatre students in the Brown/Trinity MFA Program as well as University undergraduates. Although the plays were still in the workshop stage, they took the form of full-fledged productions. Following the performance of her play, “Mary Gets Hers,” playwright Emma Horwitz GS described the festival as having two core focuses — process and discovery. “Its main thesis is process,” Horwitz said, adding that “so much of theatre is figuring out how to make the thing that you’re making, not just making the thing.” Horwitz said that this year, discovering how to collaborate effectively was central to her experience. To do this well, she asserted that a playwright must be “communicative with the people that are in your project and the people that are in conversation with your project,” which includes the audience itself. Lisa D’Amour, interim director of playwriting and visiting assistant professor at the University, agrees that the audience plays a special role in Writing is Live. D’Amour taught a class for the four playwrights and advised them on their scripts. “We tried to set the stage that these audience members were really
COURTESY OF TRINITY REPERATORY
This modern staging of “The Scottish Play” draws influence from an essay on dismemberment, images of death and even modern club music. Trinity Repertory Company is performing “Macbeth” until March 3. faithful rendition of “Macbeth” translated from Shakespeare’s time into the present. Although some renditions shy away from gore, Trinity Rep’s authentically modern portrayal of “Macbeth” favors a gruesome and bloody stage. The show contains buckets of blood and wanton death, which Columbus states are inherent in the writing. “We tend to think of ‘Macbeth’ as more of an intellectual
coming into a lab or coming into a rehearsal,” she said. D’Amour added that part of the benefit of the workshop performances in Writing is Live is that playwrights can benefit from watching audiences react to their work. “You just don’t know what it is until you start understanding how the tension of the play is held in the audience,” D’Amour said, adding “You want to see where people are paying attention.” The work of Julia Izumi GS exemplifies how the collaborative process can be borne out in a play. Izumi continued to edit her play, “Akira Kurosawa Explains His Movies and Yogurt (with live & active cultures!),” until shortly before the performance. She allowed the actors some free rein, with a few even writing parts of their own scripts. “That’s what’s great about this festival,” Izumi said. “You can use it to experiment with something you’ve always wanted to experiment with.” In many scenes, actors addressed the audience directly. “I think the fourth wall has its purpose, but I would much rather take it down than leave it up,” Izumi said, noting that plays can “engage with an audience” in a way that art forms like film cannot. “I’m always really conscious of trying to make sure that the audience has a relationship with the piece that they’re seeing,” Izumi said. In some scenes, audience members of the play participated passively by watching the show; in others, they actively responded to actors’ scripted questions. Lucas Baisch GS wrote a piece titled “import speech memory” and spoke about how the process of putting a play before an audience is not
affair, and in fact it’s written to have all of this magic and stagecraft in it,” Columbus said. The performance emphasizes the occult component, creating spine-chilling scenes of horror as Macbeth and the three Weird Sisters summon spirits from a cauldron (replaced, in this instance, by a bathtub). Blood is used as a metaphor
throughout the play; “all of the pivotal moments in the play have an image of blood,” Columbus said. Many of the well-known moments in the Scottish play center around blood, and not many characters survive to the end of the night, meeting death at the hands of the title character and those in his service. In Trinity Rep’s performance, as Lady Macbeth infamously wails “Out, damned
spot,” a blacklight in her hands illuminates stains of dripping blood across the stage, allowing the audience to share in her delusional nightmare. Columbus cited the critic Susanne Wofford’s essay on dismemberment as an influential text for his rendition, and it shows. The production does not flinch at displaying the severed head of Macbeth as his decapitated body swings in a net hanging high above the stage. The music in the show adds to the omnipresence of death. Almost every ghost sings a mournful melody as they slowly march off-stage, with the notable exception of Macbeth; perhaps decapitation precludes singing. Along with these a cappella death numbers, modern club music accompanies the several parties thrown in Macbeth’s castle. “There are a bunch of these celebrations in there, which is a little bit crazy and a little bit queasy,” Columbus said. “We use the club sounds also to give us a sense of battle, the way that movies and video games soundtrack battle,” he added. Although several physical fights take place, the celebration scenes come off as the ugliest, and mental and physical war pervades the performance. For Columbus, the themes and tragedy of “Macbeth” are appropriate for today’s political atmosphere. “I was talking about how destabilizing the news was to me, vis-a-vis all of the lying and self-interest,” Columbus said. “I realized that ‘Macbeth’ really is a tale of violent self-interest.”
COURTESY OF LUCAS BAISCH
The MFA playwriting festival gave graduate students the opportunity to produce their still-developing plays for the stage. Seen here (L-R) are actors Alexander De Vasconcelos Matos, Michael Rosas and Alfredo Antillon. always easy. “There are definitely times that it’s terrifying; it can be an emotional process in which you’re letting something go,” Baisch said of moving a play from writing to performance. “But it can also be an exercise in translation,” he added, referring to the number of different art forms involved in producing for the stage.
He also spoke to a sentiment common to the work of all four members of the MFA playwriting program, a question at the heart of their study: “How does theatre become a site for pivoting, pivoting an audience?” He continued, “I think there’s the inclination to look away, and making people look at a thing is really important.”
Horwitz agreed, and she took up Baisch’s point that a play can draw attention to that which often goes unseen. In the best cases, she said, theatre inspires an audience to “look at the world in a new way: through the lens of the play, through the lens of a character, through the lens of a design element.”
TODAY
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 • PAGE 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
menu
let it snow!
SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Barbecue Bam Bam Pizza, Boneless Chicken Wings Mac and Cheese Bar, Make Your Own Pasta JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Grilled Portobello Mushroom, Mozzarella Sticks, Asian Salad
Focaccia Bar, Turkey Chili, Minestrone Soup
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Italian Style Beef, Korean Style BBQ Chicken, Mac Attack Pizza, Red Velvet Cupcakes
Fish of the Day, Jambalaya, Gardner’s Pie, Raspberry Black Satin Fudge Cake
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Mashed Potato Bar, Beef Tacos, Red Velvet Whoopie Pies, Country Wedding Soup
Blueberry Dijon Chicken, Eggplant Rollatini With Roasted Tomatoes, Antipasto Tray
sudoku
VICTORIA YIN / HERALD
Although most University activities have remained unaffected by the recent snow showers, the weather has proved disastrous for the tiny, metallic Pembroke College found in north campus.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Los Angeles Times Puzzle c r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Place for family game night 4 Book of poems partly by King David 10 Farm grazer 13 Egg cells 14 Communicating regularly 16 Fat Tire product 17 Ballplayerʼs hat 18 Woos, minstrelstyle 19 N.J. neighbor 20 Dismiss an occult doll-making practice? 23 Hanukkah money 24 Govt.-issued ID 25 Donahue and Collins 26 Double Stuf cookies 28 With 57-Down, wealthy people 31 Hair removal brand 32 “Whatʼs that chocolate beverage youʼre drinking, Yogi?” answer? 36 Raggedy doll 37 Debate side 38 PC component 39 Studio whose films get off to a roaring start 42 Model train expert? 45 Speed-of-sound name 48 Wee, like bairns 49 Sarandon of “Bull Durham” 50 Snow-block home 52 Hippieʼs home 55 When Romeo meets Juliet 56 Frilly Hawaiian dress? 60 Small amount 61 Temps 62 Fib, e.g. 64 Dark time for a poet 65 Kind of fiction 66 Recreational transport, briefly 67 Drillerʼs deg. 68 More sexy 69 Manhattan liquor
45 Offended 34 Rapid economic DOWN 1 Bespectacled 46 Signed a pact, say expansion dwarf 47 Circus performers 35 Plains tribesmen 2 Role for Patti 51 Slays, mob-style 39 Powerfully built LuPone or 53 “Care for __?”: 40 Tip on a table Madonna after-dinner offer 41 City bond, 3 Layered pastry 54 Numbskull informally 4 “Hogwash!” 57 See 28-Across 42 Dynasty during 5 Scissors cuts 58 Hodgepodge Confuciusʼ time 6 Periodic table 59 Mouse 43 Julietʼs family figs. manipulator name 7 Access with a 44 American territory 63 Night of password anticipation in the Pacific 8 “Faster, huskies!” ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 9 John Candy skit show 10 Golf bag carrier 11 World Cup chant 12 Runner-upʼs news 15 Earring style 21 Texterʼs “From a different aspect ...” 22 “Say it isnʼt so!” 23 “La maja desnuda” painter 27 Second-year student 29 High, in Hamburg 30 Spanish river 33 Top Olympic 02/14/12 medals, in Madrid xwordeditor@aol.com
“I think the fourth wall has its purpose, but I would much rather take it down than leave it up.” — Julia Izumi GS See PLAYWRIGHT on page 1.
CORRECTION An earlier version of the Feb. 13 article titled “University unveils design of new Performing Arts Center” stated that reconfiguring the main performance hall for different uses will take one to two weeks. In fact, it is possible to reconfigure the space in less than one day. Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article omitted the titles and full names of Joshua Ramus, founding principal of REX, and Butch Rovan, professor of music and faculty director of the Brown Arts Initiative. The Herald regrets the errors. Due to an editing error, a previous version of the Feb. 13 article “Study suggests habits formed by repetition, not reward” stated that Kevin Miller is a Professor of Biology at the University. In fact, he is a post-doc at University College London. The Herald regrets the error.
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Love What You Learn Study Break 11:30 A.M. Faunce, Room 228 & 229
Valentine’s Day Lunch 11:30 A.M. Faculty Club
Perception & Action Seminar Series 12:00 P.M. Metcalf, Room 230
Talk: Malte Schwarzkopf, MIT 12:00 P.M. CIT, Room 368
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Reducing Clutter in Presentations 9:00 A.M. South Street Landing
FIRE TeaTalk 10:00 A.M. Faunce, Room 228
Brown/CASA in Chile Information Session 12:00 P.M. Page-Robinson, Room 440
The Round: Release Party 6:00 P.M. Brown Bookstore
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Dem. primary candidates: Focus on the general election EMILY MILLER opinions editor At least nine “prominent” Democratic candidates have announced the formation of a committee to explore a run in the primaries for the 2020 Presidential election. These candidates provide a level of gender and racial diversity not previously seen in United States electoral history, replete with a glass-shattering number of women, distributed along a broad ideological spectrum. Several more potential candidates — including Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), former Vice President Joe Biden and Rep. Beto O’Rourke (DTX) — have stirred speculation that they are waiting in the wings to join the race. Though I embrace their attempts to ascend to the Oval, I urge Democratic candidates to recognize and prioritize what should be foremost in their pursuit of the Democratic nomination to ascend to the highest position in the nation — the defeat of likely incumbent Republican candidate President Donald Trump. To do so, Democratic candidates must place party above self, rather than descending into a polarizing battle that could fracture their base and contribute to another four years of misdirection and convolution, if not anti-American behavior, under a Trump presidency. The seeds of disunity sown in the primary must not carry over into the general election; all Democratic candidates need to focus on the larger picture over ideological pedantry. Obviously, the primary process should not always require candidates to look beyond their individual interests — pri-
maries provides avenues to enrich prevailing discourse, and lesserknown stellar candidates have become mainstream through the primary process. Yet, when the prospect is four more years of unprecedented deterioration of the executive branch’s legitimacy, Democrats must avoid partisan cannibalization. There have been negative consequences for Democratic candidates who have had to battle not only a
though Sanders endorsed Clinton and campaigned for her once she won the nomination, some believed it was too late to incorporate a faction of deeply-loyal Sanders zealots. Clinton lost by such slim margins in Florida and Rust Belt states, it is more than conceivable that abstention by a large enough number of rooted Sanders voters made the difference. Whether or not Sanders actually inflicted enough dam-
Democratic presidential candidates can no longer afford to be desultory about the general election during the primary and wait until after the Convention to torpidly support a candidate they vehemently denounced months prior.
Republican, but also a combative primary opponent. In 2016, Bernie Sanders’ challenge to former Sec. Hillary Clinton was what some, including Clinton herself, believe to be a decisive factor in her eventual loss against Trump. Clinton wrote in her memoir “What Happened” that Sanders inflicted “lasting damage” to her campaign through ad-hominem attacks, prolonging the primary race and “drawing blood wherever he could along the way.” Even
age to turn the tide against Clinton in 2016, Democratic primary candidates must be wary of producing a similar outcome in 2020. The Democratic primary race must foster a completely different climate than the acerbic and embattled 2016 primaries. The Democratic National Committee announced that it would host a dozen debates spanning 11 months from 2019 to 2020, up from nine debates spanning seven months in 2015 and
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favorites, and may disagree on some specifics, the mist will soon clear, and with the help of the media, the wheat will separate from the chaff. So, most importantly, by the July Convention at the latest, each candidate who did not receive the nomination must with celerity become Democratic nominee stalwarts. Democratic presidential candidates can no longer afford to be desultory about the general election during the primary and wait
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2016. It is crucial that these debates be structured to limit the likelihood of irreparably divisive affairs. While a dozen or more participants could provide the electorate with more information about each candidate, the presence of so many candidates will in and of itself have a dilutive effect. Because of this risk, candidates should not remain in the race if they have a negligible chance of winning. Though we may all have our
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until after the Convention to torpidly support a candidate they vehemently denounced months prior. The prospect of another four years of Trump’s presidency — with indelible consequences for our democracy, environment and foreign relations — should be enough to cause even the most egocentric candidates to line up with the Party. During the primary debates, candidates from ultra-progressive to centrist should ensure the debates do not devolve into personal attacks. Democrats cannot afford to Balkanize their base in a time in which cooperation and cohesion is vital. And a quick note to Democratic voters: Please, VOTE in the general election. Certainly, with so many contenders, many voters will find their ideological niche embodied in one particular candidate over others and will be wary to relinquish this match. However imperfect every other Democratic candidate may seem to you, he or she will be more liberal, more qualified and less destructive than Trump. So, by the time of the general election, become an acolyte to the Democratic nominee. Now is a time in which Democrats must band together with a united front and a luculent path to defeating Trump in 2020. History will remember whether Democrats unified against a common threat or split because of entrenchment in a particular ideology.
Emily Miller ’19 can be reached at emily_miller@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.
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COMMENTARY THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Dear Blueno, from Clare CLARE STEINMAN staff columnist At first glance, it’s easy to see the appeal of a forum like Dear Blueno — an anonymous submission form whereby confessions, advice and assorted musings can be transmitted to over a thousand Facebook followers and, from there, to the wider Brown community. Though we are a small campus, we are also a multifaceted one, and it’s easy enough to be caught up in the bubbles of our own social media feeds. A page that transcends friend groups, clubs and class years has the potential to disseminate productive information more widely, tying us together while overcoming social barriers. But — unsurprisingly, for those of us who remember the toxicity of middle and high school years on Formspring, Ask.fm or YikYak — anonymous forums are a natural habitat for slander and spite. Dear Blueno is no exception. I don’t doubt the good intentions of the anonymous Dear Blueno moderators, nor those of the vast majority of submission authors. What I do doubt is the ability of an online space to remain productive under the cloak of anonymity, with no accountability. It happens in comments sections on websites across the world, including this very newspaper (looking at you, Man With Axe). Without the weight that comes with attaching our name, we can say anything we want, to anyone we want, without regard for personal consequences. And while this has played a significant role in breaking down power structures and in providing an equal platform regardless of access and stature, it has also
allowed hateful, unproductive discourse — in a word, cyberbullying — to spread. Though taking on the dark chambers of the Internet is beyond my ability, we can and must do better here on this campus. Where Dear Blueno truly crosses the line is in its publication of posts that target individuals, often in terms so specific that they can be easily identified. Whether mocking a group of women for their looks or ranting about hallmates, these posts range
the ad hominem attacks in so many of them could preclude any kind of resolution from ever taking place. For nearly two years, as Opinions Editor of The Herald, I played a similar role to that of the Dear Blueno moderators. While the content and range of submissions I oversaw were dramatically different, I grappled with the same questions of transparency, of freedom of speech and of productivity of discourse that I am sure the moderators also do. In that
complicit in allowing lies, insults and uncorroborated stories about individuals and organizations to remain on the Internet for anyone to see — and with little regard for the trauma caused by these attacks. In a Feb. 6 Facebook post, a Dear Blueno moderator acknowledged their role in disseminating hateful messages and defended that activity by writing, “if we censor absolutely every piece of hate we receive, then this hatred still lurks in the darkness of College Hill, never
The Dear Blueno moderators are complicit in allowing lies, insults and uncorroborated stories about individuals and organization activities to remain on the Internet for anyone to see.
from blatantly abusive (the former) to passive-aggressive and unproductive (the latter). Before this type of forum, the solution to loud dorm parties or hallmates practicing musical instruments was a simple conversation, polite and in-person. The pursuit of these anonymous false solutions, even when not actively hurtful, is antisocial and divides us even further. On a campus that claims to promote empathy and tolerance, the normalization of this behavior — calling out a classmate without the courtesy of a face-to-face conversation — is disturbing. Posts written in the heat of the moment stay up forever, and
role, I took the implications of the pieces I saw through to publication very seriously. I knew I was accountable for the words that were published under my watch, whether my name was at the top of the piece or not, and I had to answer for them to friends and professors, in classes and in my email inbox. While no one should expect a Facebook page to be held to the same standard as a newspaper, I can’t accept the idea that the moderators — by virtue of their anonymity and their lax publishing guidelines — bear no responsibility for the words on their page or the damage they cause. The Dear Blueno moderators are
challenged, never discussed … we decided to publicize some of the posts we receive that have hateful sentiments. We don’t want to give hateful messages the light of day, but these thoughts deserved to be condemned and seen by the Brown community.” This is an irresponsible abdication of responsibility. Hate always has a way of getting around, but one-sided attacks do not provide much of an opportunity for discourse when presented without context. Furthermore, the asymmetry presented by an anonymous post refuted by a Facebook comment — often attached to a specific user profile — undermines the
idea of freedom and equality in open discourse. Forcing those who are attacked to defend themselves in the public sphere, while their attackers remain in peaceful anonymity with their credibility unquestioned, creates an imbalance of power. The Dear Blueno moderators are lying to themselves if they think this is a productive service to the campus. There can be a role for a space that promotes collective impact and helps people identify common grievances. For example, I do not question the often-justified right to criticize campus organizations, and I acknowledge that opportunities to do so in a way that reaches a wide audience are often unavailable. But the anonymous nature of Dear Blueno means that demonstrably false claims, submitted by students who may or may not have any familiarity with their subjects, are allowed to be posted and remain online. I urge the Dear Blueno moderators, and those who turn to it for callouts, to consider the effect of their words. Slander, cyberbullying and thoughtless negativity should not be intermixed with innocuous questions about meal plans and study groups. Taking ownership of our words and searching for productive solutions through communication are critical steps in solving issues and strengthening ties. Dear Blueno represents a major step backward for both. Sincerely, Clare
Clare Steinman ’19 can be reached at clare_steinman@ brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald. com and op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.
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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2018
Provost talks diversity in faculty hiring at UCS meeting Locke discusses DIAP, U. strategic plan, fields questions from general body members By KAYLA GUO SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Provost Richard Locke P’18 spoke to the Undergraduate Council of Students about diversity in faculty hiring at its general body meeting Wednesday evening. Locke discussed the University’s strategic plan, Building on Distinction, and its Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan in the context of faculty hiring. The plans aim to “make sure we build a university that attracts and retains the best and brightest from all backgrounds,” Locke said, in addition to going beyond “compositional diversity” to emphasize a commitment to being “truly inclusive.” “The DIAP … is one of the most ambitious plans of all of the major research universities,” Locke told The Herald after the meeting. Within the hiring cycle, Locke said that the University authorizes searches based on factors including department proposals, evaluated need and potential gains from an additional hire. Locke discussed strategies for hiring that promote diversity and inclusivity, such as hiring multiple people of color simultaneously and holding trainings for all department chairs and directors that confront biases in the hiring processes. The University has also recently started considering the overall demographics of those earning doctoral
degrees in various fields, Locke said. Departments receive that data and should maintain hiring pools that reflect the makeup of the eligible candidate pool. “We are much more data-driven and interventionist than we were even three years ago,” Locke said. In 2011, the percentage of University hires from historically underrepresented groups in terms of race and ethnicity was at five percent, according to data Locke presented at the meeting. It hit a high of 41 percent in 2016-17 and was at 26 percent in 2017-18. In terms of supporting faculty of HUGs at the University, Locke mentioned the faculty of color network created within the past several years to support faculty in academic, social and community contexts. “The idea is to recognize that it’s formal and informal mechanisms that are needed to really support faculty,” he said. During the question-and-answer portion of the presentation, Chair of Student Wellness Shivani Nishar ’20 asked Locke about how the University is “bringing conversations about disability and neurodivergence, specifically, into the hiring process.” The DIAP uses the federal categories of HUGs, which are based on race and ethnicity, Locke said. “We are way behind on (considering ability), to be honest, and we are only now beginning to pay a lot of attention” to ability, Locke said in response. “What we’re trying to do is educate people (and pay) particular attention to making sure that we’re recruiting and supporting them while they’re here. It’s not where it should be, but we’re slowly but surely waking
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UCS Vice President William Zhou ’20 spoke to the general body during Wednesday’s meeting. At the meeting, he asked Provost Locke about University support for departments that are moving slower under their DIAPs. up to it.” After reviewing Student and Employee Accessibility Services, Locke said it was clear that the University should improve resources available through SEAS and “educate people on these issues” much better. UCS Secretary Vanessa Garcia ’20.5 asked about how the University works to acknowledge more specific categories within broader groups when hiring, specifically regarding Southeast Asian and East
Asian identities. “These identity categories are much more complex than the way the (U.S.) Department of Education gives the check boxes,” Locke said in response. “We don’t privilege one over the other. … When we’re recruiting faculty, we’re trying to get the very best people for the job that we’re advertising. How they self-report is what we take.” UCS Vice President William Zhou ’20 asked about the support in place to
increase diversity within departments that are progressing more slowly under their departmental DIAPs. “We’re paying a lot of attention to all departments because (diversity) should be in every part of the University,” Locke said. “My hope is that what we’re doing just becomes institutionalized. … If we change the composition of the people here, then it’s my hope that slowly but surely we can change the basic organizational processes and the culture of the place.”
Experimental pop artist Panda Bear releases sixth solo album ‘Buoys’ Animal Collective member Noah Lennox dives into a sound of solitude inspired by Atlanta trap music By KATHERINE OK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Panda Bear, otherwise known as Noah Lennox, released his new album, “ B u o y s ,” on Feb. 8. The album, critiqued by some to be oversimplified, explores the point at which modern sound becomes uncomfortable — where minimalism becomes unsettling. When listening to “Buoys,” co-produced by Lennox and Rusty Santos, it is important to know the sonic associations of Lennox. Highly regarded as a god of Beach Boys-esque sampledelia and a member of experimental band Animal Collective, Lennox is most famously known for his 2007 release “Person Pitch,” which was named Album of the Year by Pitchfork. “Person Pitch” presents a dreamy, lush array of samples, loops and layered voices — a sound familiar to most Panda Bear listeners. In canonically heralded songs like “Take Pills” and “Tropic of Cancer,” Lennox relies on samples of old Scott
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Noah Lennox uses only a guitar, synthesizer, sampler and his voice to paint an aquatic soundscape, presenting a return to simplicity. Walker recordings, ballet suites and ’60s English instrumental bands. But with “Buoys,” Lennox doesn’t rifle through the same rolodex of rich samples and hidden sounds. Instead, he strips down to just a beat, his guitar and his own voice to bring forth a sense of fragile solitude that is not present in his previous work. Lennox melds his oncecryptic sound on tracks like “Token” into a sort of new hi-fi, uncomfortably clear landscape, isolating both himself and his listeners. At the same time, Lennox’s use of water droplet sounds
becomes almost ironic, referencing common associations of water and purity in this hyperclean album. Lennox’s new album is wrought with artificiality, which is not necessarily a weakness. Hyper-anything, especially in music, is often regarded with disdain, but “Buoys” explores whether the hyper can be simple and effective. Citing artists like Rae Sremmurd, Lennox finds inspiration in Atlanta trap’s modern production. To Australian publication Broadsheet, Lennox stated, “Trap, to me is an extreme version of
dub production; and dub is kind of perfect-sounding music.” Lennox continued, “I wanted to make something that was reflective of a more modern, contemporary production style.” This intention comes across through his deliberate use of auto-tune and palpable sonic space. In the opening track “Dolphin,” Lennox’s vulnerable vibrating voice swells to peaks and valleys while minimal instrumentals echo in the background. The song is steady, almost like a hymn, and this is where Lennox’s artistic prowess is
exhibited. Each tonal shift and beat is carefully calculated and almost algorithmic; in this album, sound seems to predict voice, and voice seems to predict sound. When listening to songs like “Cranked,” it’s understandable how some listeners could feel alienated by the album’s production. It is a song at its simplest — a pure repetition of voices and guitar strums. When compared to opulent Panda Bear songs of the past, like “Boys Latin,” the contrast is almost alarming. The Lennox of “Buoys” instead resembles a more chill, Brian Wilson-like T-Pain, as both artists use auto-tune to achieve a sense of conscious control. Lennox’s committed, ultra-modern foray into a reverb- and auto-tune-heavy sound seems to imply that this deliberate minimalism is admirable. However, the hypnotic soundscape of “Buoys” should not be acclaimed because it is music at its purest but rather because it is intention at its clearest. It is so threadbare that it threatens our notions and expectations of musical complexity. It’s unfair to compare this record to “Person Pitch,”which possesses a sound that Lennox could likely recreate at any point in his career. Panda Bear’s new album represents an oxymoronic yet exciting return to fundamentals through his digital, cherubic voice.