Thursday, November 7, 2019

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019

VOLUME CLIV, ISSUE 46

SPORTS

Lafferty ’18 makes NHL debut with Penguins Alum skates with Pittsburgh Penguins after season in AHL, scores six points

BY ALEXANDRA RUSSELL SPORTS EDITOR For Sam Lafferty ’18, the first time he put on a black and yellow jersey with his name printed on the back is a moment he will remember forever.

The Pennsylvania native made his NHL debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins Oct. 8, and he has appeared in 10 games for his home team since.

“It’s been a dream come true,” Lafferty said. “It’s been an absolute blast and I’m just trying to make the most of it.”

The forward has racked up six points with the Penguins so far, including three goals and as many assists. He notched a pair of tallies against the Winnipeg Jets Oct. 13 after scoring his first NHL goal against Minnesota the prior night.

Lafferty now joins fellow Bears alum Garnet Hathaway ’14, a forward for the Washington Capitals, in the league.

In his four years at Brown, Lafferty

was a key contributor to the men’s hockey team, leading the team in points and serving as an assistant captain in the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons. He credits his time with the Bears as a significant point in his development and a stride toward his professional career in the sport.

Brown “was a great four years — I loved it there, made a lot of great friends and had some great teammates,” Lafferty said. “The coaching staff really helped me develop as well, so that was a big step.”

Lafferty’s former teammates recall his tenacious work ethic and qualities of leadership and determination from their time together. “(Lafferty) always came ready to practice, to play — whatever we had, he was always ready to go,” said Jack Gessert ’20, an assistant captain of the men’s hockey team. “He was a good mentor for all the guys. … You could tell that he was going to get a chance at the NHL eventually.”

Zach Giuttari ’20, current captain of the Bears, echoed Gessert’s sentiments. Lafferty “was one of the guys who knew he wanted to play hockey as his job through and through,” Giuttari

SEE LAFFERTY PAGE 3

BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Licht ’38 Lecture features Susan Rice

Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice reflects on Trump, divisiveness in politics

BY LI GOLDSTEIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When Susan Rice set out to write a memoir about lessons she learned from a career in public service, “Tough Love” was not the first title that came to mind.

But after considering the intersections between her personal and political journeys and discussing potential titles over dinner with a friend who was a poet, the name came naturally.

Tough love means “loving fiercely but not uncritically,” Rice said at the Governor Frank Licht ’38 Lecture Wednesday night, a value which she embodies both as a mother and as a public servant. “I love this country deeply, passionately, but we’re imperfect and we can do better. We must do better.” The title of her lecture, “Tough Love: My Story of the Things Worth Fighting For,” reflects the final title of her memoir.

Rice served as the National Security Advisor under President Barack Obama, served on the staff of the National Se-

COURTESY OF RYTHUM VINOBEN

Former National Security Advisor Susan Rice spoke in Salomon Hall about her time serving under President Clinton and President Obama. curity Council and as the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs under President Bill Clinton. But Rice’s path to public service is deeply rooted in her family history, she emphasized.

In 1912, her mother’s family immigrated from Jamaica to Portland, Maine with the hopes of maximizing educational opportunities for their five children. While her mother ultimately attended Radcliffe College — the all-female coordinated college affiliated with Harvard before it began accepting women — she was denied scholarship money on account of her race. Ever since then, her mother developed a passion for “broadening access to higher

education for low-income people,” Rice said. After she passed away in 2017, Rice’s mother was “eulogized as the ‘mother of the Pell Grant,’” a program which she greatly helped to create and maintain during her career.

Rice’s commitment to education came from both her mother and her father, whose family founded the Bordentown School in New Jersey, an institution which “educated generations of African Americans in vocational and college preparatory skills,” she said.

To be self-critical and to be able to acknowledge one’s mistakes is crucial

SEE RICE PAGE 2

UNIVERSITY NEWS

ARTS & CULTURE

Documentaries explore life in rural China Three films by Chinese filmmakers examine relationship between memory, media

Spin scooter company considers partnership with University Undergraduate Council of Students hears from company representatives, provides feedback

BY CHANIKARN KOVAVISARACH STAFF WRITER

BY KAYLA GUO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

A light flickers on in the darkness. A young woman’s face is lit up by the searchlight she holds, casting the room in a warm glow. As she moves forward, turning on more lights, a video plays in the background. An old man is asked to recall his memories, to which he responds: “I can’t talk about the past.

I suffered so much.”

This live performance by Zhang Mengqi accompanied a presentation about the Great Chinese Famine from 1959 to 1961 that swept the Chinese countryside and devastated the rural population. The performance was part of an event series held Nov. 4 and 5 at the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts titled “The Art of Unforgetting.”

Three documentaries, made by Chinese filmmakers Zhang, Wu Wenguang and Hu Tao, were also shown at the

Representatives from e-scooter company Spin presented on a potential partnership with the University at the Undergraduate Council of Students’ general body meeting Wednesday evening.

Spin deployed scooters in Providence last month, The Herald previously reported. But the company wants a “true collaboration with the University, which means understanding needs and concerns of campus stakeholders,” according to the presentation.

“The opportunity here is to customize and tweak the program just for Brown,” said Spin University Partnerships Manager John Lankford. “Instead of just having (scooters) around, how can we actually … turn them into a viable transportation tool for students and staff?”

ANDREW DING / HERALD

Prof. Jinying Li (left) spoke with filmmakers Wu Wenguang (right) and Hu Tao (center) and on their work for the Folk Memory Project. event.

Wu’s “Investigating my Father” and Hu’s “Dumb Men” were shown on Nov. 5. But on Nov. 4 audience members watched a live performance from Zhang and her documentary, “Self-Portrait: Sphinx in 47 KM.” Described by Zhang as a film about “finding the questions we can’t answer,” “Self-Portrait” is an abstract documentary that follows the lives of people in her home village: an old woman going to a river to wash her clothes, a young girl drawing and

painting on the walls of her house, a bored teenage boy conversing with his grandparents, a mother recounting the loss of her son.

Jinying Li, the event organizer and assistant professor of modern culture and media, explained that “The Art of Unforgetting” series is “about the relationship between media and memory” and how “memory is a countermeasure against forgetting, against the state’s effort to make people forget.”

SEE CHINA PAGE 3

A&C Review

Metro

Commentary

Commentary

Big Thief’s new album “Two Hands” provides earthly sequel to original celestial hit Page 2

Rhode Islanders embark on path of local, sustainable food production Page 4

Fernandez ’21: Brown students, administration should do more to foster activism Page 7

Reed ’21: Facebook should not filter, censor political advertisements Page 7

Spin staff members began discussions with University administrators a few months ago, Lankford said. The University could not be reached for comment by press time.

In addition, Spin hopes to continue discussions with students through groups such as UCS and Disability Justice at Brown. Spin also hopes to explore conversations with students affiliated with the Undocumented, First-Generation College and Low-Income Student Center, Lankford added.

Similar to the agreement between Spin and Providence, a partnership between Spin and the University would likely run in a one-year pilot, Lankford said. The agreement would share data about student scooter use, address affordability for students and deploy three scooter charging stations around campus at no additional cost to the University.

The partnership would also give University students a rider discount and include Spin Access, a program designed to make scooters more accessible for low-income students and students without bank accounts.

SEE UCS PAGE 8

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019

UNIVERSITY NEWS

GSC elects leadership for 2020

LEON JIANG / HERALD

Deans Vanessa Ryan and Maria Suarez spoke to students about the University working group’s progress in updating its leave of absence policies.

Kathryn Thompson GS to lead GSC, deans provide leave of absence policy updates

BY KAMRAN KING SENIOR STAFF WRITER After serving two years as President of the Graduate Student Council, Alastair Tulloch GS did not run for reelection. He will be replaced by Kathryn Thompson GS, who is currently GSC treasurer and ran uncontested for the position.

Prior to the members’ voting, Thompson gave a brief statement to the council in support of her candidacy. “I want to continue advocating for housing initiatives … and making sure we’re still on the agenda for graduate student space,” she said. “I want to make sure that grad students stay a priority.”

Wednesday night’s GSC meeting featured elections for all GSC executive board positions. The winners of these elections will take on their new role Jan. 1.

The races varied in competitiveness.

Beenish Pervaiz GS and Sophie Don GS won the two contested races for chair of international advocacy and chair of master’s advocacy, respectively. Don ran as the incumbent for the position.

Vice President of Advocacy Melaine

RICE FROM PAGE 1 in a career in public service, Rice said.

When she first became Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, she was 32 years old and a new mother of a three-month-old son. The majority of those who reported to her were 20 or 30 years older,Rice said, and were “mostly white, mostly male and not sure quite what to make of me.”

Bearing the burden of proving herself in an environment “where the presumption … of most was that I didn’t belong,” Rice learned, through success and failure, how to lead effectively. “I was blessed to have colleagues who gave me the kind of tough love that enabled me not to fail,” Rice said. “Fear of failure leads to complacency,” which is a form of failure in itself, she added.

Rice highlighted noteworthy successes from her time serving in the Obama Administration, such as sig-

Ferdinand-King GS and Chair of Technology Alex Parker-Guerrero GS ran for reelection uncontested.

The election saw several other candidates fill uncontested positions. Joe Colleyshaw GS was elected Treasurer; Tariq Brown GS was elected chair of social events; Shingai Kagunda GS was elected chair of student life; and Lise Miltner GS was elected chair of communications.

The current Chair of Nominations Kaitlin Wilcoxen GS did not run for reelection, but no one else nominated themselves for the position. As such, the position will be filled via election at the next GSC meeting on December 4.

In addition to holding their elections, GSC also heard updates from executive board members and from Deans Vanessa Ryan and Maria Suarez about changes to the Graduate School’s leave of absence policy.

Tulloch also reflected on the graduate student body’s engagement with last month’s GSC event. The Council invited Marie Solange Lopes to talk about financial literacy, as The Herald previously reported. Tulloch noted that the talk is now available on the Council’s website.

Chair of Social Events Jeremy Lomax GS also announced the upcoming Winter Formal for the graduate student body. He highlighted GSC’s plans for a preamble to the formal with fam-

ily-friendly activities in an effort to attract graduate students with family obligations. Furthermore, current Treasurer and President-Elect Thompson discussed the potential addition of a club funding item to the GSC’s budget line. This program, aimed at supporting student groups that cater to graduate students, would “institutionalize funding for those groups in our budget,” Thompson said.

Ryan and Suarez also updated students on the progress of the University’s working group to improve its leave of absence policies. The implemented changes include allowing graduate students access to recreational facilities while on leave and removing the readmission fee when returning from leave.

The two deans also shared some of the group’s objectives that are currently under review — a medical leave financial hardship grant, which would lower the financial strain of leave-taking, and the creation of guidance materials for students considering a leave of absence.

They also stressed the importance of increasing awareness of leave of absence policies. “There’s not a good understanding of our leave of absence policy, and that’s something that’s really concerning … It’s creating a barrier of access and it may be creating a perception of a stigma,” Ryan said.

nificantly reducing the spread of the Ebola epidemic by offering American resources, entering the Paris Climate Agreement and solidifying a nuclear deal with Iran — many of which have been undone by President Trump’s administration, she said.

In Rice’s view, she said during her talk Wednesday, the precedent of thoughtful, collaborative diplomacy in U.S. government has been dangerously dismantled by the current presidential administration. As a result, our international adversaries have begun to exploit divisions within our country — on issues such as race, immigration, gun control and gay rights — to “exacerbate fault lines” and weaken the U.S. politically, “causing us to disintegrate from within, and never having to fire a bullet to do it,” she said.

But despite current political divisions, Rice remains optimistic about the country’s ability to emerge stronger

from hardship. “We’ve been through so much more,” she said, alluding to historical events such as the Civil War, the Vietnam War and the McCarthy Era. “We’ve come through each of these periods arguably stronger and certainly unitary.”

Rice understands firsthand the power of respectful, political disagreement — her son, John David Rice-Cameron, is currently the head of the Stanford Republicans. “Fundamentally, we all agree that what we have in common as a family — our love, our history, our ambitions, all that we share — far outweigh our political and policy differences,” she said.

Rice said that she would consider running for office in some capacity in the future, but is also interested in a career in either the nonprofit world or private sector. Speaking to the students in the audience, Rice emphasized that the rewards of public service greatly outweigh the challenges. “As many knives as I’ve

COURTESY OF RYTHUM VINOBEN

Rice told attendees that she would consider running for office, but also expressed interest in nonprofit and private sector work. had to pull out of my back, I would not trade the privilege I’ve had to serve my country.”

Elissa Koppel GS, who is currently pursuing a master’s in Public Affairs at

the University, said that because she is studying national security, she found it extremely valuable to hear professionals, such as Rice, reflect on their own experience in the field.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

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MUSIC REVIEW

Big Thief ’s new album invokes earthliness

COURTESY OF SAM LAFFERTY

Former assistant captain of men’s hockey Sam Lafferty made his NHL debut for the Pittsburgh Penguins Oct. 8.

LAFFERTY FROM PAGE 1

COURTESY OF MARTIN SCHUMANN

In their second studio album of the year, guitarist and lead vocalist Adrienne Lenker underscores themes of physical movement and spirituality.

Brooklyn indie rock band alchemizes organic in fourth studio album, ‘Two Hands’

BY KATHERINE OK SENIOR STAFF WRITER On Oct. 11, indie outfit Big Thief released their second studio album of the year, “Two Hands,” which they described as the “earth twin” of their critically acclaimed, celestial album “U.F.O.F.” In “Two Hands,” it is evident that Big Thief sets out to explore space and physical temporality. Led by guitarist and vocalist Adrianne Lenker, who notably grew up in an Indianapolis-based religious cult, the band is known for their folk-rooted, intimate noises that chronicle and storytell in the manner of Neil Young and Townes Van Zandt. But where their previous album of the year, “U.F.O.F.,” pointed toward a spaced-out, surreal understanding of folk, “Two Hands” searches for and practices a tangibility in sound.

How can the material be defined in music — is it an imaginary world that is created through the listener?

Or is it simply a certain raw, subjective earnestness that fringes on a tangible experience? Depending on whether

CHINA FROM PAGE 1 Especially in the context of modern China, she said that “unforgetting has this political power. When you say ‘unforgetting,’ people will be thinking: ‘Who wants to forget? Who wants you to forget? What’s the power behind forgetting?’”

The three documentaries are also part of the larger Folk Memory Project, an initiative led by Wu that serves as an “oral history archive.” The project was born from Wu’s own dissatisfaction with Chinese media censorship and its obscuration of the past, Wu said during the Monday question-and-answer session. He “wanted to work with (people from the countryside) to find a new energy from them — a new vision, a new idea — for the camera.” Wu added that “the whole process of looking and researching (for the documentary) helps you find the meaning of where you are from.”

The Folk Memory Project involved Wu sending young filmmakers like

you believe materiality can function in a medium inherently immaterial, Big Thief still achieves a palpability through their record’s subtle lyrical and sonic emphasis on what is organic and experiential.

In “Two Hands,” all ten of the album song titles have something to do with physicality: from the absence of material in “Not” to explicit physical movement in “Rock and Sing.” The album tells stories and paints portraits of interactions, but it also transforms these images into moments that trace a divine sort of meaning behind everything.

Lenker, in “Rock and Sing,” meditates on an earthly activity: “I am that naked thing swimming in air / Why does that mean anything? / Why do you stare?” Her questions transcend her original expressions, giving the threadbare song a sense of spiritual freedom. Lenker later instructs her listeners, “Hand me that cable / Plug into anything” — perhaps, here, as Big Thief thumbs the line between tangible experiences and the intangibility of sound, meaning and sense, the band finds musical earnestness.

On Big Thief’s bandcamp, they describe the process behind “Two Hands” — a process which reflects the record’s organic and physical earthliness. “30 miles west of El Paso, surrounded by

3,000 acres of pecan orchards … Big Thief set up their instruments as close together as possible to capture their most important collection of songs yet,” the band wrote. “Where U.F.O.F. layered mysterious sounds and effects for levitation, ‘Two Hands’ grounds itself on dried-out, cracked desert dirt.”

Big Thief achieves a spiritual, primordial sound on “Two Hands” as a result of their live vocal takes and stripped-down instrumentation. In “Cut Your Hair,” listeners can witness the band’s interacting musical consciousness — bass responds to guitar, drumbeat waits for breath and moments start and peter out collectively. “Shoulders” transfigures moments of touching skin, witnessing blood and matricide into musical personalness and blurs the experiential with the unknown.

“Two Hands has the songs that I’m most proud of,” Lenker stated in their bandcamp exclusive. “I can imagine myself singing them when I’m old.”

This reflection is emblematic of the album’s success in memorializing a ragged spirit. With episodes of the organic, of limbs, hair, mothers and places, Big Thief approaches what it means to understand the tangible in music — “Two Hands” muddles and mixes up what we, listeners, know and everything outside of that.

Zhang and Hu back to their home villages to find a “core” for their work and build a documentary through the relationships they formed. He said that “the memory of the old people is a kind of archive for ordinary history.”

Through a translation from Li, Tao explained that “the collaborative project is also cumulative, as we go back to our villages every year. The more time we spend with them, the stronger our communication is (with the older generation). It builds a huge archive that can yield dramatically surprising results.”

Zhang agreed, expanding on how she first established a relationship with the older generation in her village. “A lot of old people said ‘What’s the point?

I talk about my memory, I’m nobody, nobody ever listens to me.’ The important thing is to make them know that they are important people and they are talking about very important experiences. This is not just memory but also history.” In the question-and-answer session, Zhang revealed that her film

took seven years to make, with return visits to her village each year.

Jared Ong ’23, who attended Zhang’s screening, commented that “the rapport and trust between her and the villagers was what made this film brilliantly poignant and emotional for me.” Ong also mentioned his appreciation for the “avant-garde performance art across multiple mediums” that the event series displayed.

The abstract style of the documentaries is also what motivated Li to organize the series. “This is the kind of film that students and faculty won’t be able to see anywhere else,” she said.

“We as a faculty have a responsibility to bring it to the campus. It’s a kind of film we think students actually should be exposed to, not just because of the different style and aesthetics but also because they present a different face of China.”

Li hopes that when people see these films, they “don’t think only about it as a piece of art, … but also about the reality and the politics behind it.”

said. “He was also a great role model, he led by example. … He was always working hard and letting guys know he was there on the ice.”

After finishing his senior campaign at Brown, Lafferty signed a two-year entry-level contract with Pittsburgh. He appeared in nine games for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League, the primary development league for the NHL, before the season was over. Though he saw ice time with the team, he described this experience as the most significant challenge of his professional career so far. “I was (in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) for like 20 games but only actually dressed in nine of them. … Having to deal with that I would say was the biggest challenge,” Lafferty said. “It was definitely an eye-opener but very motivating, and something I don’t want to have happen again.”

Lafferty overcame the initial adversity to become a key contributor on the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton team in the 2018-19 season, ranking second in points scorers with 13 goals and 36 assists in 70 games. He played one game with the team in the 2019-20 season before being called up to Pittsburgh, and two in a brief return to the AHL at the beginning of this month. He is now back in Pittsburgh after being summoned to the NHL again Tuesday.

The NHL is “definitely a big step up from the AHL in terms of pace of play and skill,” Lafferty said. “But, at the same time, it’s a little bit more predict-

able, so in some ways it’s harder but in some ways it’s easier.”

Brent Beaudoin ’20, an assistant captain of the Bears, said that Lafferty’s speed and puck-handling skills poise him well for success in hockey’s highest league.

“He definitely has the speed and the strength to play at that level,” Beaudoin said. “He was a good friend of mine when he was here, so I’m very happy for him that he’s doing so well, especially in that organization which is a pretty hard one to crack the NHL lineup for.”

Men’s Hockey Head Coach Brendan Whittet ’94, who coached Lafferty during his four years at Brown, also noted his skill and dedication to the sport.

“The fact that (Lafferty) is playing with the Pittsburgh Penguins now is a tribute to him, and the amount of work that he put into his craft — and his craft is his ice hockey,” Whittet said.

“He worked extremely hard to improve himself in all facets, whether it be on the physical side or the mental side — he invested a lot of time and energy into improving himself as an athlete.”

Though it has not always been smooth, the path from Meehan Auditorium to the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh represents something of a childhood dream for Lafferty, who now skates alongside some of the players he used to watch.

“Just to put on the Penguins sweater for the first time in a real game was something special,” Lafferty said. “I started following the team when I was about five years old, so I’ve been a fan ever since.”

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019

METRO

R.I. company emphasizes locally grown food as climate change looms

SUMMER ZHANG / HERALD

EcoRI reporting shows less than 5 percent of food consumption in R.I. produced in state

BY KATIE CHEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER Passersby of a windowless building tucked away in North Providence might not immediately assume that it contains a sustainable farm producing microgreens and shoots. But this building is home to Sprout Organic Farms, a business founded in 2018 that aims to produce food in a setting that can exist regardless of the outdoor conditions.

With the effects of climate change becoming ever more apparent — from wildfires in California to flooding in the Midwest — the indoor farm is just one example of Rhode Islanders turning their focuses to sustainability in food production.

“I’m not as vulnerable as traditional

farms to heat waves and things like that,” said Aaron Damus, co-founder of Sprout. While indoor farms may not be the only answer to the effects of climate change on food, “they are a really good piece of the farming puzzle,” he added.

Sprout, which currently supplies ingredients for the Nitro Cart sandwiches, will also provide some to Ceremony Tea, the establishment set to replace Tealuxe on Thayer Street. This Rhode Island-based food sourcing is just one example of a national trend toward locally sourced food. But in Rhode Island, imports still dominate the food economy — with less than 5 percent of the state’s food consumption coming from its own resources, according to EcoRI. “We should have the resources closer to home, to put back into the economy and to ensure that we are getting the healthiest food that we can,” Damus said.

Without a large volume of locally sourced food, Rhode Island is dependent on other regions, such as California and the Midwest, for its food

supply, according to EcoRI. But even those areas are becoming increasingly unreliable.

“A lot of the places we currently rely on for food are already experiencing, like Rhode Island is, the disastrous impacts of climate change,” said Sue Anderbois, director for food strategy for the Rhode Island Commerce Corporation.

Damus started Sprout with the national effects of climate change in mind. “With climate change happening, the ability to eliminate as much dependency on some of those more volatile areas is going to be key to figuring out how to grow really fresh and really nutritious food close to the end user,” he added.

In the United States, a large portion of the food supply is grown in a small number of states, Damus said.

Not only is being reliant on other states potentially risky, but importing food over long distances can also increase greenhouse gas emissions, added Kobi Weinberg ’20, whose thesis focuses on

distributing locally sourced food to lower-income communities. Damus agreed, characterizing food production in America as having a “massive carbon footprint.”

With the reality of climate change looming, many players in the state are focused on how to increase local food production.

“We are working on ways to support local agriculture, local fisheries and local bakers,” Anderbois said. The state is also focused on its treatment of farmers, with Anderbois saying that Rhode Island is “a national leader in the percentage of income that our farmers make from direct-to-consumer sales,” which include things like farmers markets and farm stands, she said.

Gov. Gina Raimondo, D-RI, also launched Relish Rhody in May 2017, outlining a set of goals that include preserving and growing agriculture and fisheries in the state, expanding direct-to-consumer sales opportunities and having half of the food consumed in New England be regionally

produced by 2060, according to its website.

When it comes to what individuals can do, Anderbois stressed the importance of purchasing power. One of the best ways to support local food producers is buying their product, she said.

“It’s one thing to be like ‘I love local farms’ and then only shop at places that don’t sell local products. That’s not helpful.”

Weinberg agreed. “It’s on individuals who have the means to consume local produce to put that in their head space. It stimulates that economic component — putting money back into the community,” he said.

Rhode Islanders can also act by showing support at the state level for locally-sourced food and grant programs that fund these endeavors, Anderbois added. Making sure the governor and general assembly “know that this is a priority and you want to see that these types of programs (are) fully funded is how our democracy works,” she said.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | TODAY

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U-Lock or U-Lose Bike Registration Event 10:00 A.M. College Green

LingLangLunch 10:00 A.M. Metcalf Research Building

Roll and Recover Yoga 12:00 P.M. South Street Landing

Believing in Revolution 12:00 P.M. Alumnae Hall

TOMORROW Cookies with SciToons 11:00 A.M. Blue Room

EEB Brown Bag Seminar Series 12:00 P.M. Biomedical Center

Amy Pickworth, Nonfiction!@ Brown Lecture Series 6:00 P.M. Smith-Buonanno Hall

Dry Swallow by Lucas Baisch ’20 Released 8:00 P.M. Leeds Theatre

Q U OTE OF TH E DAY

“Memory is a countermeasure against forgetting, against the state’s effort to make people forget.”

—Jinying Li SEE DOCUMENTARY PAGE 1

I T ’S JUST A P H ASE CR O S SWO R D

ANDREW DING / HERALD

Rice told attendees that she would consider running for office, but also expressed interest in nonprofit and private sector work.

6

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019

NEW SPRING TERM 2020 PHILOSOPHY COURSE ETHICAL AND POLITICAL ISSUES IN GEORGE ORWELL’S ESSAYS AND NOVELS PHIL 2160R-S01-26686 Felicia Nimue Ackerman Monday, 3:00-5:30 You may be familiar with George Orwell as a writer against totalitarianism and government deception, but do you have any idea how much he has to offer on less conventional themes? This seminar will consider Nineteen Eighty-Four and three of his much lesser-known novels as well as a selection of his wonderful essays. We will discuss his perspectives on love, self-deception, sacrifice, loyalty, trust, betrayal, guilt, language, and moral transformation. We will discuss his political views as well, and all political positions will be welcome from seminar members. In order to attract students with a wide range of backgrounds, interests, and outlooks, this seminar has no prerequisites, and is open to all students, despite the high course number. If you would like more information, please email me at Felicia_Ackerman@brown.edu telephone me at 863-3240, or drop by my office at 212 Corliss Brackett (45 Prospect St.). If you ever want to see me, this is where I can be found.

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY

7

We must do more to foster student activism

BY MARYSOL FERNANDEZ ’21 STAFF COLUMNIST

University spaces have historically been central to political and social movements around the world. In the United States, activism in universities rises and falls across years in ways that mirror the political and social climate of the nation. Brown, in particular, is often identified as a highly politically active campus among universities in the United States. In fact, what many consider the most fundamental aspect of Brown’s identity — the Open Curriculum — was developed during the highly politicized era of the 1960’s activism precisely in an effort to foster what Ira Magaziner ’69, student author of the original curricula proposal, described as “creative or even rebellious thinking.”

But my personal experience in my last two years at Brown has been one of general apathy around political and social activism. While some students engage in activism on campus, we might expect a larger presence at a university that is known for being politically active — particularly during a historic moment of increased student activism across the nation. There must then be barriers, both internal and external to our University, that are limiting the student activism. Brown students, faculty and administrators need to do more to foster an environment that makes space for student activism and supports student activists.

I come to this discussion as a student who has not meaningfully engaged with political activism at Brown, but who has participated in large political and social movements outside of campus. Most recently, I participated in the massive mobilizations in Puerto Rico that forced the resignation of former governor Ricardo Roselló and called for an end to the island’s colonial relationship with the United States.

At Brown, my lack of activism is in part a product of my own failure to seek out opportunities to engage. There are certainly student organizers that are doing the work of activism today, and by no means I intend to belittle the work of these student activists. But I hope to make the case that the Brown community can

do more to create spaces for student activism that more effectively engages the student body.

There is an untapped energy among students at Brown who are passionate about pressing social and political movements but not currently engaged in student activism.

The reality of university life makes it difficult to do activism work. The transient nature of the academic schedule, split up by semester breaks and annual student turnover, makes it extremely hard for any movement to build a base of committed students. Students must constantly foster community building in order to sustain their movements. Furthermore, most students at institutions like Brown are full-time students busy with rigorous course loads, extracurriculars and jobs. Activism is physically,

professions —participation in activism. Secondly, the explosion of access to technology and social media in recent years has changed the landscape of activism. While activists can now reach more people with greater ease, the diminishing presence of on-the-ground grassroots organizing has taken its toll on the effectiveness of social and political movements on campuses.

Meeting face-to-face, though increasingly rare, is important for building community.

But even so, I am optimistic. I believe that apathy does not dominate the University space and that increasing the presence of student activism is a matter of making participation more accessible. There are concrete and realistic steps that the Brown community can take to combat both the internal and the external bar-

“I believe that apathy does not dominate the

University space, and that increasing the presence of student activism is a matter of making participation more accessible.”

mentally and emotionally intense and can take a toll on students. In 2016, an article published in The Herald noted insufficient resources to support student activists who dedicate countless, often unrecognized, hours to social and political organizing.

It is essential to note that these realities have always existed — students have always had to balance academics with activism, and the four-year cycle has consistently posed challenges. But there is something unique about the time in which we live that creates additional barriers to activism in the University. Firstly, from my experience, there is increased pressure to stand out at elite institutions like Brown as the competitive labor market seems to demand more specialization. As a result, students have less time to spend on activities that are perceived as less marketable, such as — for many

riers to participation. Students, faculty and administrators can engage in a concerted effort to transform attitudes toward activism. We can aspire to achieve a culture that encourages participation in social and political movements as an essential part of a well-rounded education. To do this, we must first acknowledge that student activists’ labor is rigorous and essential.

We can all engage more intentionally in the work of community building, which is necessary to address the inherent challenges of a transient campus. Students should encourage each other to recognize that they hold a stake in the Brown community and can continue to be involved after graduation. Encouraging this type of longterm investment in improving Brown requires that students feel a sense of agency, and that the University listens to its students. Furthermore, collaboration between faculty, adminis-

trators, students and Providence residents must be central in future processes of development and change.

Brown should also work toward building an infrastructure that supports student activists.

This infrastructure would connect people to resources — funds, information and networks — to make activism accessible to all students.

Networks in particular are essential. Students should have networks of peers, professors, deans and others to help them work through the physical, mental and emotional hardships of activism. Providing spaces for all members of the community to come together to share stories and knowledge will foster collaboration, which is the foundation of effective activism. Building this infrastructure makes it easier for students to become activists without sacrificing academic and professional success.

While it may seem counterintuitive to call for Brown to support activism that sometimes opposes its administration, the administration ought to acknowledge the importance of student activism in holding the University accountable and ultimately effecting positive change. Universities occupy a position in society in which passionate individuals get the unique opportunity to dedicate themselves to the pursuit of learning.

As students at Brown, we inhabit a space of great privilege that is inaccessible to most people. Apathy has no place in this space of privilege. The position we occupy as students at an elite university bestows upon us a responsibility to engage in this kind of work. In these times of uncertainty and divisiveness, this responsibility is increasingly important. The realities of today’s world necessitate radical action. Groundbreaking movements are unfolding around the world in real time. I hope to participate in these movements as I move forward in my life, and I would like to find more opportunities to mobilize alongside my fellow students at Brown.

Marysol Fernandez ’21 can be reached at marysol_fernandez@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@ browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

Maintain free-speech on Facebook … it beats the alternative

BY ANDREW REED ’21 STAFF COLUMNIST

Late last month, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave a speech at Georgetown University outlining Facebook’s policy on political advertisements. In it, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook would continue publishing political ads, even those that include misleading or demonstrably false claims. Zuckerberg’s speech comes after Facebook began running a Trump re-election ad attacking Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden — the contents of the ad have since been rated false by independent fact checkers. In the ensuing weeks, progressives have criticized Facebook for profiting from ads which, they argue, subvert our democracy by spreading misinformation. Democratic politicians have called on Facebook and other tech companies to take steps to prevent the spread of “fake news.”

And recently, Twitter announced that it will stop running political ads altogether.

Those calling on Facebook to crack down on misinformation seem to have fallen into the classic have-your-cake-and-eat-it-too trap. After Facebook exposed the personal data of 87 million users to Cambridge Analytica, a consulting firm that worked for the Trump campaign in 2016, progressives decried Facebook for its recklessness. But the same people who attacked Facebook for its irresponsibility now want to make it the umpire of truth and lies in our po-

litical discourse. To be certain, publishing lies is distasteful. And if people believe those lies and allow them to affect their vote, this remains a real, and as yet unsolved, democratic problem.

But when the alternative is trusting a group of nameless, faceless, unaccountable Silicon Valley employees, I’ll take the uncensored version every time.

time, they cannot be relied upon. Facebook may not be bound by the First Amendment, but, for better or worse, Facebook is interwoven into the fabric of our society. And so long as it proclaims political neutrality, it ought to be just as responsible for protecting free speech as the government.

In the end, more information is better. Per-

“When the alternative is trusting a group of nameless, faceless, unaccountable Silicon-Valley employees, I’ll take the uncensored version every time.”

I don’t trust Facebook to discern what is true and false. I don’t trust it to draw the line between exaggeration and fabrication. Let us hear it all and judge for ourselves what is to be believed and what is not.

But this isn’t just a Facebook problem. Creating a methodology to determine what should and should not be censored is difficult — and there is little consensus on where the boundaries of acceptability ought to lie. Such a standard is difficult to create because the stakes are so high — it must never fail. The right of free expression is sacred. And if the criteria we make suppress a true and valid expression of free speech even one

haps I’m too idealistic, but I would rather Facebook publish a misleading political ad so that I know which politicians are willing to lie for votes — so I can be sure not to vote for them. It is the individual’s responsibility to become informed about political candidates. For instance, individuals should take advantage of the many news outlets that run fact checks of campaign ads. It’s not Facebook’s responsibility to make sure people are informed, it’s our own.

Because Facebook can’t be trusted to walk the fine line between preserving free speech and shielding credulous users from misinformation, it should either allow all types of ads or, as some

have suggested, ban political ads altogether. But there is a compelling reason to take the former approach. Banning political Facebook ads favors incumbents and well-funded politicians. A single television spot can cost thousands of dollars to run. But Facebook ad campaigns can be done in a piecemeal fashion; Facebook allows you to set a budget and target as many people as possible within that budget. Furthermore, is it not simply better to allow politicians to communicate with as many voters as possible? As people migrate away from their televisions and radios and toward their laptops, communicating with voters online will become an imperative for any candidate.

For that reason, it is critical to maintain uncensored avenues of political expression. In a perfect world, candidates wouldn’t dare make specious claims in their political advertisements.

But so long as those types of ads work, they are likely to remain in use. So companies like Facebook are left with roughly three options: allow them all, ban them all or make themselves the arbiters of what is permissible political expression. There are downsides to all three options, to be sure. But the least bad option among these is to allow all forms of political speech — and leave the final word to the judgment of the people.

Andrew Reed ’21 can be reached at andrew_ reed@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald. com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

8

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2019

Find Post- magazine on Facebook! facebook.com/postmagazinebdh

REBECCA HO / HERALD

Two representatives from e-scooter company Spin attended Wednesday’s UCS meeting to talk about a potential partnership with the University.

GUO FROM PAGE 1 Spin is different from other scooter companies in part because it emphasizes responsible riding through education, Lankford said. The company’s app presents users with educational slides on proper parking and safety procedures, and uses geofencing technology to create no-ride and slow-ride zones.

After Lankford and Spin Providence Operations Manager Alyssa Gergel presented, the Council discussed ideal charging station locations, no-ride zones and student perks. Concerns about the scooters include the poten-

tial safety hazards of scootering while under the influence.

Lankford said the company’s scooters cannot be operated during a curfew period from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. This is “our tool for drunk scooting,” he said.

Some general body members suggested Josiah’s and Verney-Woolley Dining Hall as potential charging hubs, and others noted that scooters should not operate on University pathways because they are often crowded with pedestrians.

Chair of Student Wellness Shivani Nishar ’20 also raised concerns about how a scooter program on campus would impact students with disabilities,

especially on narrow sidewalks that may be utilized by both scooter riders and students who use wheelchairs.

“Getting it right in terms of how scooter companies take into consideration (Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990) requirements is an issue everywhere,” Lankford told The Herald.

The Council also discussed preferences for kitchen layout options in the new, integrated health and wellness center and residence hall, which the University hopes to complete by fall 2021, The Herald previously reported.

Council members did not reach a conclusion on a preferred layout.