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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018

VOLUME CLIII, ISSUE 8

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Sotomayor to visit College Hill SUGSE fears U. stalling talks U.S. Supreme Court Justice to discuss memoir “My Beloved World” with Paxson, students Feb. 7 By JACK BROOK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

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Sotomayor was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 68-31 in 2009.

Just a year after the class of 2020 read U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor’s memoir, “My Beloved World,” they and the rest of the student body will have the opportunity to hear Sotomayor tell her story in person. Sotomayor will visit Feb. 7 to engage in a conversation moderated by President Christina Paxson P’19 at the Pizzitola Memorial Sports Center at 12 p.m, according to a University press release. The class of 2020 read Sotomayor’s memoir as part of the University’s First Readings program in their summer before coming to Brown and discussed it at the beginning of their first semester. “The challenges I have faced — among them material poverty, chronic illness and being raised by a single mother — are not uncommon,” Sotomayor wrote in the preface of her memoir. “But neither have they kept me from uncommon achievements.”

Born to Puerto Rican parents, Sotomayor lived in a housing project in the Bronx during the 1950s. She worked her way to Princeton before graduating summa cum laude in 1976. From there, Sotomayor graduated from Yale Law School, where she worked as editor of the Yale Law Journal. After working as an assistant district attorney and then as a partner in a private law firm, Sotomayor served as a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit from 1998 until 2009. She assumed office as a justice to the U.S. Supreme Court in August 2009 following a nomination from former president Barack Obama. Sotomayor made history by becoming the third woman and first Hispanic to ever serve on the Supreme Court. “Sonia Sotomayor’s success is not only testament to her resolute ambition, drive and intellect, but to the vital importance of role models, mentors and opportunities opened for historically underrepresented students,” Paxson said in a University press release. “To hear her share her story in person is an ideal culmination of the class of 2020’s First Readings experience, and it will undoubtedly inspire all of us at Brown.”

on grad student unionization U. disputes January deadline for reaching agreement on union preelection By ERIC CHOI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The University and graduate students have not yet been able to reach a decision on union pre-elections, according to Stand Up for Graduate Student Employees. Politico reported that the University and its graduate student employees were to reach an agreement by the end of January — though the University disputes this timeline. The lack of a resolution “puts into doubt whether there will be a union election, according to grad students,” according to Politico. “Earlier this week Stand Up for Graduate Student Employees sent out a statement to graduate students expressing our concern that the Brown administration was stalling negotiations aimed at arriving at a pre-election agreement,” wrote Dennis Hogan GS in a statement representing SUGSE to The Herald. SUGSE’s statement pointed to

“Brown’s decision to hire Proskauer Rose, a union-busting outside law firm” as the reason for stalled negotiations. “Proskauer designed the aggressive antiunion efforts employed by administrations against their graduate workers at Cornell, Harvard and the University of Chicago. They are behind Columbia University’s recent controversial decision to refuse to come to the bargaining table with the graduate union there.” SUGSE also considered President Trump in its statement, writing, “the Trump administration is preparing to take away our rights to choose union representation and bargain collectively with the University.” Students are worried that the University is stalling in the hope that the 2016 Columbia decision recognizing graduate students as employees is overturned, according to Politico. The University maintains that negotiations remain productive. “There has been no failure to reach agreement — we have had productive conversations with the student representatives and the process is simply still ongoing,” wrote Director of News and Editorial Development Brian Clark in an email to The Herald. “No specific deadline to reach agreement » See UNIONIZATION, page 3

Anti-overdose drug made ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Hunsaker ’20 sinks buzzer beater available to bystanders R.I. now home to around 50 NaloxBoxes containing life-saving opioid overdose antidote Naloxone By DYLAN MAJSIAK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Six months after the installation of Rhode Island’s first anti-overdose drug dispenser, around 50 additional NaloxBoxes have been installed in different municipalities and cities in the state, said Claudia Rebola, NaloxBox designer and former RISD professor. The boxes, which distribute Naloxone, are meant to facilitate overdose rescues and reshape the dialogue surrounding the opioid crisis, said Dr. Geoffrey Capraro, pediatric emergency medicine sub-specialist and one of the NaloxBox’s creators. The state saw 326 deaths from opioid overdoses in 2016, but the rate of opioid deaths in the state is slowing, according to a study conducted by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. “The epidemic is just raging out of control, and the antidote is completely life-saving,” Capraro said. “People (need to) recognize that a rescue is very easy to do and that anybody can do it. They

INSIDE

could reverse the overdose before 911 services arrive.” Capraro likened Naloxone to other emergency response equipment, such as fire extinguishers or defibrillators. The Rhode Island Department of Health initially funded the project with two mini-grants of around $5,000, said Joseph Wendelken, a public information officer at the Rhode Island Department of Health. “With Naloxone available and the education that goes with it, we can get people into treatment sooner rather than later — and the more general awareness there is, the more likely there’s resources to combat the problem,” said Eileen Hayes, president and CEO of Amos House, a social-service agency where the first box was installed. Organizations such as Amos House and the Rhode Island Coalition for the Homeless helped identify high-risk locations and communities for the boxes to be placed. Public spaces with large masses of people, community centers and locations with high-risk populations are the primary targets of installation, Hayes said. While Naloxone can rapidly reverse an opioid overdose, it traditionally could only be administered by first responders in case of an emergency or obtained » See NALOXONE, page 3

Sophomore's last-second layup fuels Bears to Friday’s 64-62 victory over Dartmouth By TESS DEMEYER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After jumping to an early lead, the men’s basketball team held on to hand Dartmouth its third Ivy League loss of the season Friday night. Though the Bears (9-8, 2-2 Ivy) maintained the advantage for all 40 minutes, a play made by Zach Hunsaker ’20 at the buzzer stole the show. With seven seconds left, Dartmouth hit a free throw that looked to send the game to overtime. But Hunsaker weaved through the Big Green’s (4-13, 0-4) defense to score the game-winning layup as the clock hit zero. Hunsaker also tallied five rebounds, 12 points and led the Bears with three assists. His efforts earned him Brown Athletics Student-Athlete of the Week Honors and the number three spot on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays. For his clutch performance and unforgettable shot, Hunsaker has been named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week.

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Zach Hunsaker ‘20 scored the game-winning layup against Dartmouth in a sensational play that appeared on SportsCenter’s Top 10 Plays. Herald: Congratulations on the win! What were you thinking as the final seconds ticked off the clock? Hunsaker: I was pretty nervous when the (Dartmouth) kid had two free throws and put one up at the end of the game, but I knew that we were fine and that we were going to have a chance to win the game. I just tried to

keep calm and, luckily, the ball came to me at the end. That was definitely a special moment. What was going through your head when you made the shot? I thought I got fouled at the end, to be honest. I thought I had a good » See HUNSAKER, page 3

WEATHER

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018

SPORTS Klein ’20: Eagles are underrated, have potential to overpower Patriots at Super Bowl

NEWS U. attempts to expand socioeconomic diversity, support low-income students

NEWS Shahzad Bashir to lead Middle East Studies as Beshara Doumani steps down

COMMENTARY You ’20, Kim’18: Amid DACA discourse, undocumented Asian American stories go unheard

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Why the Eagles can win Super Bowl LII GEORGE KLEIN sports columnist The entire country expects the New England Patriots to win Sunday’s Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles. The Vegas line opened with the Patriots as 5.5 point favorites, seven out of eight Sporting News analysts predicted a Pats victory and even the official Madden simulation went New England’s way. It makes sense — how could the Patriots not be Super Bowl champions once again? With quarterback Tom Brady facing Nick Foles as his opposition, it is hard at first glance to deduce that the Eagles are anything but outmatched. After all, Foles may have been terrific two weeks ago against the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game, but he is the same player who threw 20 touchdowns over his last two NFL seasons as a starter — 12 fewer than Brady threw in this year alone. Nevertheless, even though Foles is a wildcard at best and a disaster at worst, the Eagles have a solid chance at winning a championship because of their strengths at every other position. The defense is this team’s calling card, but Philadelphia has a strong offense too — their running backs and receivers

are notably impressive. Looking at the defense first, it is evident that the Eagles have an advantage over New England on paper. The Pats allowed 366 yards per game this season, fourth worst in the league. The Eagles, on the other hand, surrendered just 306 ypg — fourth-best. Philadelphia secured 19 interceptions to New England’s 12 and scored five defensive touchdowns to New England’s zero. Defensive ends Chris Long and Bran-

be stopped when it matters most? The Eagles held Matt Ryan to 210 yards and a touchdown in the Divisional Round — and even though Brady is by far the superior QB, if Philadelphia can keep him remotely in check, they will have a fair shot at Super Bowl victory. How would the Eagles win with Foles at quarterback? On the strength of their running game, which sets up Foles for success beyond what his talent would signal. Jay Ajayi and Le-

the momentum and force he creates is overpowering. Then, once the running game starts gaining chunks of yardage, the Eagles can allow Foles to chuck up deep balls and catch the defense off-guard. The Vikings loaded up against the run and underneath passes, and so were wholly unprepared to defend throws downfield to Alshon Jeffrey and Torrey Smith. Foles has a tendency to overthink during games and grow hesi-

Infamous as the secret, evil dictators of the NFL, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have executed the simplest of blueprints for NFL success: Buy low, increase performance, sell high. don Graham have been nothing short of dominant up front — star talents above what New England brings to the table. Yet in the end, the Eagles are still up against Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski (who will be back for the Super Bowl after suffering a concussion). Two weeks ago, with an injured hand and facing the AFC’s best defense, Brady torched the Jacksonville Jaguars for 290 yards and two touchdowns, looking his strongest in the fourth quarter. Philadelphia may have an impressive defense, but can Brady

Garrette Blount each provide different skillsets that complement each other perfectly. Ajayi is elusive and slippery — he glides through holes and is difficult to catch. He averaged 5.8 yards per running attempt with the Eagles this season. Blount, on the other hand, is simply hard to bring down. Standing at six feet, 250 pounds, Blount can run through defenders and makes for an ideal third-down and goal line back. He has a touchdown in each of Philadelphia’s two playoff games. It is almost impossible to hold Blount to less than a yard in these important situations —

tant and unsure of himself, which has resulted in a lot of struggle. But when he takes a long shot downfield without having to think, he can place the ball in the perfect spot. Helping Foles will be Philly’s strong group of receivers. The Eagles spread out targets throughout this group. No one receiver is the focus of the offense, but everyone is involved in the game plan. Tight end Zach Ertz will see a bunch of passes up the middle — he has dependable hands and has been a mainstay in Philly over the past few seasons. Jeffrey has settled into a com-

plementary role after his time spent starring for the Chicago Bears. Nelson Agholor is one of this season’s biggest surprises, more than doubling his receiving yards total from last year. Smith is way past his prime, but he can still make important, game-changing plays — he is someone used to big moments. All this is not to say that the Eagles will definitely win the Super Bowl. That would be a foolish statement considering New England’s track record. But the Eagles, once again, are underrated. Even with Carson Wentz out, they are still the best team in the NFC, and have the potential to overpower any team. The Eagles were underdogs at home against the Falcons. Then again against the Vikings. Now they are significant underdogs in the Super Bowl. It should not be a surprise if they overcome the odds one more time. New England is better, but Pats fans would be best advised not to be cocky heading into Sunday. They could be setting themselves up for a massive Monday disappointment.

George Klein ’20 can be reached at george_klein@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.

Simplicity and smart spending keys to Patriots success MATT BROWNSWORD sports columnist A column written by a Patriots fan before the weekend of the team’s eighth Super Bowl appearance in the past two decades will seem quite unnecessary. I struggle to imagine what straw arguments Patriots doubters could be desperately grasping for, with Tom Brady skipping the Pro Bowl for the third time in four years. But for all that you’ve likely heard about the quarterbacking greatness of Brady — his social media presence tells you enough — and the football genius of Bill Belichick, there’s more to the story of the Patriots. Year after year, the entire NFL is seemingly upended, with new challengers arising and contenders falling from grace. While the NFC has sent 12 different teams to the Super Bowl since 2001, New England has been to the AFC championship as many times in that period. That’s a stat that goes beyond Brady, Belichick and owner Robert Kraft, the three mainstays of the organization. For the countless Patriots detractors that will point to “cheating” as a foundation for the team’s success, here are the real reasons New England continues to win, year after year. First of all: Tom Brady. I know, I said I would discuss not-so-obvious reasons; however, this has nothing to do with Brady’s exceptional quarterbacking. It’s his contract: Brady is the 15th highest-paid quarterback in the league, earning slightly more than below-par counterparts Ryan Tannehill,

Brock Osweiler and Sam Bradford. Beyond his continuous MVP-caliber production is the fact that he allows the Patriots to spend so much money elsewhere while every other NFL team scrambles to pay significantly more just to secure average QBs. Last year’s Super Bowl matchup was a contest between the 15th and 14th highest-paid QBs, and this year’s opponents, the Eagles, are still reaping the benefits of Carson Wentz’ paltry rookie contract. Getting good quarter-

two players who have been crucial to the team’s success this year. Players like Cooks, Malcolm Brown and Malcolm Butler are all on contracts that are valued around $10 million fewer per year than estimated market value. The cost of Belichick’s entire defensive line — built entirely through the draft and via free-agent signings — is 29th in the NFL, but the Patriots accrued the seventh-most sacks in the league this year. The money spent on the offense represents the 11th most in

Pro Bowler and future Hall-of-Famer special teamer Matthew Slater makes more than a 1,000-yard wide receiver in Cooks. Belichick knows that playing all three facets of the game well is key, and the performance of New England combined with its well-balanced salary construction is conducive to longterm success. And, lastly, someone who gets relatively zero credit for the Patriots’ impressive record is offensive line coach Dante Scarnecchia. Scarnecchia, who

back play for cheap in the NFL is borderline impossible, and Brady could easily force the Patriots to pay more for him. But his goals include the team’s success, so he is able to take a pay cut and allow the Patriots to spend more money on weapons on both sides of the ball. The Patriots’ salary construction brings me to my second point: Bill Belichick is a genius. Again, this is not old news; but it’s Bill Belichick the general manager, not the coach, that is instrumental in New England’s perpetual greatness. He’s traded for one-year contracts like that of Brandin Cooks — whose $1.56 million cap hit makes him the fifth highest-paid wide receiver on the team — and Kyle Van Noy,

the NFL, but the Patriots were top-two in passing yards and top-10 in rushing. Competitors to the Patriots include teams like the Steelers, which spend top dollar on offense and relatively little on defense, and the Jaguars, which do the opposite. But Belichick’s offensive and defensive spending are usually very even — especially in the years that the Patriots win the Super Bowl. Belichick saves all the money for special teams — on which the Patriots spend the fourth-most in the league. Though the Patriots punt the least in the league, New England is one of the better teams at downing punts inside the 20-yard line and limiting return yardage. Stephen Gostkowski has been a rock-solid kicker for several years.

was hired by Belichick in 2000, is a former assistant head coach for the Patriots. His presence was never more obvious than when he retired in 2014, and the line play of the Patriots suffered miserably. 2014 was the year that the Patriots started 2-2 after getting steamrolled by the Chiefs, and Scarnecchia shortly returned to host workouts with players before returning to the sideline in 2016. His offensive line in 2016 gave up the third-least sacks in the NFL, and 2017’s version — even with an injury to right tackle Marcus Cannon — is performing in the top half of the NFL. Any doubts left with Tom Brady likely revolve around his inability to deal with constant pressure, and Scarnecchia’s offensive lines

have allowed a 40-year-old quarterback to play the best years of his career. Infamous as the secret, evil dictators of the NFL, Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots have executed the simplest of blueprints for NFL success: Buy low, increase performance, sell high. In between those market simplicities are the true football genius of Brady and Belichick, but the team’s approach to building a championship-caliber roster — year after year — is decipherable, if any NFL GM is truly paying attention. Implementing it has been another story, however. Despite that, it’s no secret that proximity to the Patriots dynasty has made former coaches and players extremely valuable across the NFL, as three former coordinators and a former linebacker will coach four different teams in the league next year. Whether you like it or not, your favorite team would give up anything for the chance to have any small part of New England’s success come its way. Sooner or later, it might just be 31 Belichick disciples and a 100-year-old, immortal Bill Belichick competing for the Belichick Cup. My money would still be on the Patriots.

Matt Brownsword ’18 can be reached at matthew_brownsword@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald. com and other op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.

NEWS

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» HUNSAKER, from page 1 shot at it, but I didn’t really see it go in because I got hit. I fell down, so I didn’t really see it until it was coming through the hoop. It was definitely a relief. Did you know that the highlight made it on SportsCenter? I actually got a text from a coach that had recruited me to go to a different school last year. He texted me and said it was on ESPN, and I was super surprised. I had no idea it was going to be on there. I was hoping one day to make it on ESPN. How did you first get into basketball? I’ve been playing basketball for as long as I can remember. My dad was a college basketball coach. It’s always been a major part of my life, especially because of my dad and that being his job. How do you prepare for games? I just make sure I go and get some shots up before the game. I always take a nap about three hours before the game to relax. I listen to music, but usually it’s Post Malone or something like that. Why Brown? I went to junior college last year, so it’s kind of crazy to go from a junior college to an Ivy League school. Before I went to junior college, I lived in Africa for two years as a missionary for my church right after I graduated from high school. Before I did that, I was talking to Dartmouth about going and playing basketball there, and so when I got back from being a missionary, I had talked to them as well. But the funny thing is Dartmouth actually told me that they didn’t really want me to come play for them, so that’s why I went to a junior college. It’s kind of crazy how the game-winner happened to be against Dartmouth, so that was great. What did that win do for the team’s attitude and mentality? It was a definitely a confidence booster for us. Any time you win a game in the Ivy League, it’s always great. It just kind of helped us to get going, and hopefully, we can continue to win some more games. Obviously, losing to Harvard on Saturday didn’t really help too much, but hopefully, we can turn it around this weekend. How is the team feeling about the rest of the schedule? We know it’s going to be difficult, but we feel pretty confident that we can play with any of the teams. If we can just continue to get better each and every day, hopefully, we’ll be able to put ourselves in a good position at the end of the season. Does the team have any specific goals for the rest of the season? I wouldn’t say we have any specific goals. We’re just trying to take it one game at a time, and obviously, we want to get to the Ivy League tournament. The Bears begin their next pair of Ivy games by facing off against Penn tonight at 7 p.m. and will travel to Princeton for a 6 p.m. tip-off Saturday.

National initiative emphasizes socioeconomic diversity American Talent Initiative aims to enroll, graduate more low-, moderateincome students By JACOB LOCKWOOD SENIOR STAFF WRITER

At least 12,500 high-achieving low-income students across the country who could get accepted to top-performing colleges and universities each year don’t apply, said Tania LaViolet, co-leader of the American Talent Initiative. That’s the finding that launched ATI, an alliance of top schools devoted to expanding access to higher education for talented low- and moderate-income students. The University became an ATI member in April 2017, according to Dean of Admission Logan Powell. Founded in December 2016, ATI aims to unite colleges and universities with six-year graduation rates above 70 percent into a consortium dedicated to a common goal: enrolling and graduating 50,000 additional low- and moderateincome students by 2025. The University joined ATI because the initiative’s national goals align with Brown’s existing institutional goals of expanding socioeconomic diversity and support for low-income students. “The direction we’re heading … is exactly what the American Talent Initiative aspires to do,” Powell said. “It just makes sense to be part of a group of leaders who can come together and talk about ways to continue to move this process forward.” In just over a year since its inception

» NALOXONE, from page 1 with a prescription, Capraro said. The placement of the Naloxone drug in a publicly-accessible box aims to respond to an overdose by equipping bystanders with the tools to save a life. The project began in fall 2017 when Capraro connected with RISD Associate Professor Soojung Ham, who worked with two RISD students on an independent study of the NaloxBox. By February, Rebola took lead of the project and worked to reduce the cost of the prototype. “(We look to) design a friendly, approachable product that doesn’t intimidate bystanders and empowers them,” she said, adding that the front door of the box is transparent so that passersby can easily see the contents. Currently, the cost of each box — not including the Naloxone drug itself — is estimated to be around $200, Capraro said.

» UNIONIZATION, from page 1 was established.” According to the Office of the Provost’s website, before a union can represent a bargaining unit, it “needs support from at least 30 percent of the members of that bargaining unit (in order to) file a petition with the (National Labor Relations Board) to proceed with that election.” Then, “organizers will file an election petition with the NLRB” and the “NLRB will seek an election agreement between the University and the union outlining key details of the election.” The American Federation of Teachers was selected as the “affiliated labor

with 30 founding institutions, the initiative has tripled in size to include 91 colleges and universities, LaViolet said. “We need as many institutions as possible to commit to this work,” she added. The initiative’s membership includes all of the Ivy League as well as public and private universities and small liberal arts colleges. To join the consortium, schools must set goals for themselves to strengthen outreach and support for low- and moderate-income students. Though each school aims to improve in different areas, ATI focuses broadly on recruiting prospective low-income students, prioritizing need-based financial aid, retaining low- and moderate-income students once they’re on campus and eliminating

socioeconomic gaps in graduation rates, LaViolet said. ATI aims to translate changes at individual institutions into a long-term shift toward more socioeconomic diversity in higher education. “Each institution is going to have their way of contributing,” LaViolet said. “We can achieve more as an alliance than any institution can achieve on its own.” Since the University’s six-year graduation rate remains consistently high at 95 percent, Powell said Brown’s ATI goals focus largely on enrolling more low- and moderate-income students. As evidence of the University’s commitment to these goals, Powell pointed to partnerships with community-based organizations

and programs like Questbridge that help recruit talented low-income students. Other initiatives include the increase in travel funding for this year’s A Day on College Hill and Brown Promise, which will eliminate loans in all undergraduate financial aid packages. Once low-income students arrive on College Hill, they’re supported by the First-Generation College and LowIncome Student Center, a newly-streamlined emergency fund, financial advising and easy access to administrative faculty, said Dean of the College Maud Mandel. Though retention is not a large problem at the University, Mandel emphasized a commitment to making sure students » See INITIATIVE, page 4

ALEX SKIDMORE / HERALD

There are two versions of the NaloxBox: the “NaloxBox Classic,” which is the standard box, and the “NaloxBox Text,” which has all the features of the classic but also sends text message alerts to personnel when the boxes are opened, according to Rebola. The boxes use two forms of Naloxone: the intramuscular formulation, which is injected, and the intranasal formulation, which is sprayed into a nostril. The injectable units require trained personnel, but are less costly than the sprayable units, Capraro said. These injectable units are placed in locations such as libraries, soup kitchens and homeless centers where people can be trained to administer the drug. Training typically takes 15 to 20 minutes and covers different aspects of detecting and responding to an overdose. Capraro hopes that NaloxBoxes spread to other states, but warns that others will have to understand the “regulatory framework” of Naloxone to adopt

union” in a vote held by SUGSE in March 2017, The Herald previously reported. SUGSE’s website currently makes no mention of a card campaign to establish the 30 percent requisite support. As of October 2017, SUGSE was hoping to meet with the administration to “contractually guarantee essential benefits the University already provides, such as health and dental insurance, and ensuring that grad workers are involved in any decisions to alter those benefits,” The Herald previously reported. “We still have hope that Brown will do the right thing and allow graduate students to freely exercise their rights to a union election,” SUGSE wrote.

this solution, given that Naloxone is regulated differently state by state. Rebola is currently introducing the NaloxBox to Cincinnati through a grant provided by the University of Cincinnati, where she now teaches. In Ohio, there were over 4,300 deaths from opioid overdoses in 2016. Capraro and Rebola are still constructing the boxes, but Amos House will start assembling boxes to keep up with the demand, Hayes said. The Brown Opioid Academic Interest Group may also become involved with the project by having some members become trainers of Naloxone administration. The group also may work in conjunction with the Preventing Overdose and Naloxone Intervention program, as discussed in a recent conversation between the group and Capraro. “We want people to know that even though drug addiction is a very difficult condition, people do recover successfully,” Capraro said.

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The NaloxBoxes secure the Naloxone drug with a velcro strap.

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Shahzad Bashir to lead Middle East Studies Director Beshara Doumani to step down as program transitions to center at Watson Institute By ALLIE REED SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Shahzad Bashir, professor of Islamic humanities, will become the new program director for Middle East Studies after Beshara Doumani, current director and professor of modern Middle East history, steps down this summer. Doumani, who has helped develop the program since 2012, served two threeyear terms as director and plans to remain a professor in the program. Doumani said he is excited to pass on his role to Bashir, who will bring leadership experience, intellectual energy and communication skills to his new position. This academic year marks the beginning of Bashir’s tenure as professor of religious studies at the University. Previously, he taught at Stanford University for 10 years as a professor of Islamic studies and the director of the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies. When Bashir came to the University for an interview in 2016, he had “more interesting interactions in two days than (he) would have in a year at Stanford,” convincing him that Brown was a more intellectually vibrant place to study the humanities, Bashir said. Bashir aims to sustain the strength of the program Doumani fostered. He is also committed to developing an academic focus on Islam and the humanities. At the moment, the MES program offers extensive courses on Arab societies, but Bashir hopes to widen the breadth of academic courses to cover nations and cultures in countries such as Iran and

Turkey. In addition, he would like to increase the number of MES concentrators, students taking classes in MES and graduate students. Finally, he plans to ensure Persian and Turkish language classes “get the support they need,” he said. Bashir will most likely face challenges similar to those Doumani confronted while leading the program, Doumani said. “There’s a big gap between public discourse on this region and academic knowledge of this region, and this gap is difficult to bridge,” he added. “Of course people have different political opinions and different passions, which are fantastic,” Bashir said, but “the challenge of the MES program is to allow people to be passionate, but then to create a space in which we can have a dialogue and discussions” in an academic manner. About five years ago, Doumani began creating a MES program “different from every other one in the country,” Doumani said. Most MES programs in American universities were established “under the shadow of the Cold War,” Bashir said, adding that those programs represent “an older way of thinking about knowledge.” In contrast, the University’s program charts an innovative path that is driven by academic theme rather than region or religion, he added. “The thematic foci are connected to the questions that are most important at the moment to us,” he said. Those themes include displacement, scholarship, art and social change, among others, Doumani said, adding that MES is now “integrated into the DNA of the intellectual life of the University.” “He’s made a conscious effort to bring in people from different fields into the department,” said Isabella Creatura ’18, student leader for the program’s undergraduate group.

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Shazhad Bashir will direct the Middle East Studies program as of July 1, hoping to expand the reach of the program and its academic offerings. Under Doumani’s leadership, the number of graduating MES concentrators has grown from six in 2012 to 14 in 2018, according to a document provided by Doumani. But “nothing really is worth building if it cannot survive without you,” Doumani said, adding that “it’s time for me to move on.” He looks forward to passing the torch in order to have more time for scholarship. Amid this leadership change, the MES program will also transition into a center at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, Doumani said. A program is an academic configuration whose function is primarily instruction which may offer undergraduate courses and concentrations, according to the University’s Handbook of Academic Administration. On the other hand, a center is “an academic unit of the University … primarily established to support faculty research or to house a multidisciplinary academic program,” which may offer undergraduate courses and concentrations as well as graduate courses and programs. For MES to become a center withinWatson, it will have to write a proposal

outlining the scholarly, pedagogical and financial consequences of its creation, the handbook states. For the transition to occur, the proposal must be approved by the MES executive committee, Watson faculty and the Academic Priorities Committee, said Edward Steinfeld, director of Watson. The MES program has not yet completed any of these steps. This transition is mostly a formality, as the program already functions effectively as a center, Doumani said. “The decision is based on a desire to institutionalize what we have already achieved,” including bringing scholars of the Middle East to the University, increasing the size of the concentration, establishing research initiatives and extending outreach to give the program a sizable footprint on campus, he said. The move from a program to a center will not change anything regarding the undergraduate concentration, programming, research initiatives or funding. The program is currently fundraising for an endowment and hopes to raise several million dollars from donors.

CNE-Partners merger moves forward despite U. concerns U. worries Massachussetts health care giant may threaten autonomy of the Rhode Island system By COLLEEN CRONIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Following nine months of discussion, Care New England and Partners HealthCare announced a definitive agreement to merge Jan 25. The agreement raises questions about the state of Rhode Island’s health care system and Brown’s relationship to it. “Right now what we’re focusing on is helping people understand the issues,” said President Paxson P’19 in response to the merger. “They are complicated. There’s a lot of uncertainty.” Brown previously announced an alternative merger proposal with CNE and Prospect Medical Holdings, The Herald previously reported. With the CNE-Partners merger, Partners has the opportunity to weaken CNE connections to the Warren Alpert

Medical School and reduce resources for research, said Ira Wilson, professor of health services. Partners could also move super specialities, like rare infant care or high-risk cancer treatments, out of state. “In the worst scenario, all those things happen,” Wilson said. “We really have no idea what Partners’ intentions are.” There is a possibility that Partners could invigorate Rhode Island’s health care system and economy by saving CNE from financial collapse, Wilson conceded. But Partners’ unwillingness to speak to the University suggests otherwise, he said. With Partners’ large-scale presence in Massachusetts, the company is able to set high prices, according to Wilson. If they become a bigger part of the Rhode Island market, Partners can impose the same costs on Rhode Island residents. “The larger (Partners) gets, the more market power it gets, the more advantageous, i.e. higher prices it can negotiate,” Paxson said, adding that lower reimbursement rates in Rhode Island might cause Partners to bring speciality care to Massachusetts, where rates are much higher.

Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has taken to Twitter to express his concern over Partners’ involvement in R.I.. On Jan. 22, Whitehouse tweeted, “When we lost bank headquarters, R.I. economy took a big hit, downtown (Providence) emptied. In health care, there’s even more need for local control. Hard to move as a state if hospital CEOs heed only out-of-state corporate HQs. However this turns out, local control should be a priority.” Although inquires into a merger between CNE and Partners have caused a media buzz this month, Paxson and others say health care experts have been worried about this state of affairs for a while. CNE and Partners have worked together for years, according to the joint statement the two health care organizations released last week. “Care New England has maintained a close working relationship with Partners HealthCare since 2009 through a clinical affiliation with Brigham and Women’s Hospital,” the statement said, also mentioning “a long-standing collaborative and collegial

relationship between McLean Hospital (a Partners hospital) and Care New England’s Butler Hospital.” Andrew Cohen, nephrologist and professor of medicine at the Med School, agrees that the consolidation has been a long time coming. Although opposed to the Partners merger with CNE, Cohen recently vocalized his discontent with the “Brown Proposal" — the University’s own proposition with the California-based Prospect Medical Holdings to merge with CNE. “My concern about the Brown proposal is that it’s a day late and a dollar short,” Cohen told The Herald. Cohen, who spent a lot of his career at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, is familiar with and advocates for a unified health care system, which would allow for patient information to be available to all the doctors in the system. Stanford, Harvard and Partners (which includes Brigham and Women’s and Mass General Hospitals), as well as Tufts and many other major healthcare organizations across the country have » See HEALTH CARE, page 8

» INITIATIVE, from page 3 have the support they need to graduate on time. Though some recent University initiatives like Brown Promise were already in the works when the University joined ATI, Mandel said the University hasn’t made systemic changes since becoming an ATI member. “In universities, everything takes a while to work through,” she said. “By the end of this academic year, we will have some new initiatives” aimed at improving support for low-income students, she added. In addition to developing institutional plans for contributing to ATI’s overall goal, ATI member schools are expected to share strategies and data on best practices with one another. When one institution creates a successful program for supporting low-income students, “other institutions don’t have to reinvent the wheel,” LaViolet said. “We can learn what works best from each other.” ATI facilitates practice-sharing by holding conventions where administrators from different schools can meet, exchange information and brainstorm together. Powell attended one such convention in October 2016. Mandel said some of her work on new initiatives this year “has absolutely been informed by talking to peers at these schools about the work they’re doing.” For example, she expressed interest in a program at Williams College, another ATI school, that provides textbook funding to students on financial aid. “I don’t think their program is right for us,” Mandel said, but she added that her office is exploring the possibility of developing a similar program for the University. Other universities plan on contributing to ATI’s goal in different ways. Steve Nowicki, dean and vice provost for undergraduate education at Duke University, expects that Duke will contribute more to ATI’s practice sharing goals than to its enrollment goals. Nowicki hopes Duke’s Rubenstein Scholar program, which admits and provides support for a cohort of 60 talented lowincome, first-generation college students, will serve as a model for other ATI members. Lehigh University, another ATI member, plans to expand enrollment from 5,100 undergraduates to 6,100 in the next few years, said Bruce Bunnick, interim vice provost of admissions and financial aid at Lehigh. But Bunnick is uncertain Lehigh will see any proportional increase in low-income student enrollment. Bunnick also expressed concern that ATI schools competing to attract talented students might be reluctant to share best practices with one another, “though I hope that’s not going to happen,” he added. Mandel said she doesn’t think competition between institutions will hamper cooperation among ATI members. “There’s a lot of talent out there, and there’s plenty of talent to go around,” Mandel said. “We’re far better served by … providing opportunities to the broadest range of students.” Though it’s too soon to measure the impact of ATI’s collective action, those interviewed expressed optimism and commitment to the initiative’s longterm goal. “It’s a really urgent need in our country to provide access to the best education to the most meritorious students,” Mandel said. “Brown continues to work on this. There’s still more work to do, and we’re definitely going to keep working on it.”

TODAY

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

shopping period freezes over

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Cheese, Pepperoni, Harvest, Buffalo Chicken Steak Bun Tacos JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Chicken Wings Bar, Mac and Cheese Bacon Burger

Chunky Beef Chili, Bread Bowl Soup Station

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

RI Quahog Chowder, Pretzel Crusted Pork Schnitzel, Escarole And Bean Soup

Rosemary Focaccia Bread, Eggplant Parmesan, Angry Chicken Wings

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Ham and Bean Soup, Curried Apple Pumpkin Soup, Pork Carnitas

Frijoles Negros, Kareem’s Catfish, Spinach Strudel

sudoku

GUS REED / HERALD

c r o s s w o rDd

Remnants of the last snowfall vanish coincidentally with the craze of shopping week as students settle into their spring schedules. As icicles fall, so do course enrollment numbers.

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Dark, to a poet 5 Tony who played a sitcom 17Across employee 10 Sitters’ charges 14 Lee with frozen desserts 15 Barkley who served under 41Across 16 “... thunder, lightning, __ rain?”: “Macbeth” 17 It arranges pickups 19 Modest dress 20 Like a crowd in awe 21 End-of-week exclamation 22 Vagrants 25 Emir 28 Mocedades hit whose title means “you are” 30 Golf units 31 Slippery swimmer 32 How Dennis Eckersley pitched 36 Simple ... or a hint to the hidden puzzle theme in 17-, 25-, 50- and 59-Across 40 Desexes 41 FDR’s successor 44 Outbursts that provoke blessings 47 Harley alternative 50 Maryland seafood fare 54 The Lusitania, e.g. 55 Sidewalk border 56 Guitarist, slangily 58 Carlisle’s wife in “Twilight” 59 Sit-up relatives 63 It may be barred or bolted 64 Songs for two 65 English aristocrat 66 __, meeny ... 67 Muslim god 68 June 6, 1944 DOWN 1 Key to the left of F1 2 Sheepish reply? 3 Heavenly body

4 Cheese-topped snacks 5 Electricity generators 6 ___-Bits: cereal 7 Pro hoopster 8 “The Prisoner of __” 9 Vague quantity 10 Tiny fairy tale hero 11 Starting point 12 Cleaned (up) 13 Searches like a detection dog 18 Give the boot 22 Donkey syllable 23 Cinnabar or magnetite 24 Lugosi of “Dracula” 26 Having a lot of nerve 27 Chef Cat __ 29 Patriotic Olympics chant 33 Believer’s suffix 34 Gray hair disguiser 35 Place for a ring 37 Elitism 38 Fed. antidiscrimination org.

39 Biggers’s detective 42 54-Across pronoun 43 Pit goo 44 Acquiesce 45 Defoe title surname 46 Longtime Tiger Woods coach Butch __ 48 Astronaut Shepard

ANSW R

49 Chopped, as garlic 51 Afghan capital 52 Stand out in a field 53 Mattress giant 57 Sled dog command 59 Drillers’ org. 60 “I’ve been __!” 61 Important time 62 Surreptitious

O S

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

“Nothing really is worth building if it cannot survive without you.” — Beshara Doumani, professor of modern Middle East history

See bashir on page 4.

calendar FRIDAY

FEBRUARY

Jen Shyu Artist Talk 10:00 A.M. Orwig Music Building, 109

Black Art Night 4:00 P.M. King House, St. Anthony Hall

SATURDAY Lunar New Year Celebration 4:00 P.M. Faunce Campus Center

The Black Appreciation Dinner 6:00 P.M. Sayles Hall

SUNDAY Getting Started with CareerLAB 4:00 P.M. CareerLAB

Super Bowl Watch Party 6:00 P.M. Faunce Campus Center

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Gerrymandering To the Editor: The Herald’s Jan. 31, 2018 oped “Gerrymandering — a political scapegoat” misrepresents the effect that gerrymandering has had on R.I. politics. Miller writes that gerrymandering has given Democrats an unfair advantage in Rhode Island, yet simple voter registration data shows that is incorrect. Miller writes that the Democrats have an advantage because they have 86 percent of the state Senate seats but only make up 40 percent of the voters. But this is because 47.3 percent of Rhode Island voters are registered as independent. In fact, Republicans occupy 14 percent of the state Senate seats but only make up 11.8 percent of the registered voters. How has gerrymandering “imbalanced the Rhode Island political system to favor Democrats,” as Miller writes, if Republicans are actually overrepresented in

the State House? Furthermore, Miller writes that gerrymandering in Rhode Island has “drowned out the voices” of Republicans in Rhode Island. This claim, however, ignores the fact that many of the ruling Democrats in Rhode Island are, for all intents and purposes, Republicans. Take for example Speaker of the House Nick Mattiello — a Democrat — who has an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association, opposes abortion rights, called for Rhode Island to support President Trump and supports slashing taxes on the wealthy. If the voices of Republicans were actually drowned out, Rhode Island wouldn’t have a voter-ID law, low tax rates for the wealthy and an impending $165 million cut to Medicaid. If anything, the voices of true Democrats have been drowned out by a party that doesn’t represent them.

HA NA O D S O N

Harry August '19

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

COMMENTARY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018 • PAGE 7

In support of undocumented Asian immigrants KION YOU and ISAAC KIM op-ed contributors National media attention surrounding the issue of immigration has largely centered on President Donald Trump’s derision of “bad hombres” from “shithole countries” — specifically those from Latin America. Immigration activists’ focus on Latinx undocumented immigration is, of course, justified: The majority of undocumented immigrants come from Latin America. However, Trump’s simplification of undocumented immigrants as Latinx allows the American public to forget that a large proportion of undocumented immigrants actually come from Asia. In popular discourse, Asian Americans are lumped together as primarily East Asian, obedient, educated and labor-producing bodies. Regrettably, the counter-narrative that exposes the hundreds of thousands of undocumented Asian immigrants living in the shadows remains largely unheard. Asian Americans are not only the fastest growing racial minority in the United States, but the fastest growing population of undocumented immigrants as well. Of the 1.8 million Korean Americans in the United States, 200,000 are undocumented, making up a significant percentage of the total population of 1.5 million undocumented Asians. Further, since 1990, the number of undocumented immigrants from South Korea has risen 800 percent. Yet, the plight of these immigrants has received little attention, and, within the overarching narrative of undocumented immigration, there has

been little political advocacy specifically in support of Asian undocumented immigrants. To fully conceptualize this popular disregard of Asian immigrant issues, it is important to first understand Asian America’s racialized history. First, Trump’s travel ban itself has a precedent in Asian America in the 1882 Chinese Exclusion Act, the first law that banned a specific ethnic group from entering the United States. More-

percent of the population of undocumented immigrants, but only 2 percent of applicants under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allowed immigrants brought to the United States as children to stay in the country. (Only two Asian countries, South Korea and the Philippines, are in the top ten countries of origin for DACA recipients.) According to the Migration Policy Institute, only 15 percent of eligible Korean immigrants had

of undocumented Asian immigrants. There is a relative dearth of media outlets for undocumented Asian immigrants. There is no Univision or Telemundo to unite Asian America (nor is it possible to create such television channels). Further, when Asians do attend spaces consisting only of undocumented immigrants, their representatives are often pushed to the margins, and their undocumented experiences are considered different from those of

In popular discourse, Asian Americans are lumped together as primarily East Asian, obedient, educated and labor-producing bodies. Regrettably, the counter-narrative that exposes the hundreds of thousands of undocumented Asian immigrants living in the shadows remains largely unheard.

over, historical memories of Japanese internment and, for the Korean community, the 1992 riots in Los Angeles — in which 2,300 Korean-owned businesses were burned or looted — ring fresh in the Asian American collective imaginary. U.S. imperialism — the occupation of the Philippines, the war in Southeast Asia and the Korean war — has also been a significant determinant of the Asian American experience. Overall, these violent histories push back against comfortable model minority tropes imposed on all Asian Americans, and introduce a common thread of experience among immigrant groups. Today, Asians make up over 10

applied for DACA benefits, compared to a DACA participation rate of 65 percent among Mexican immigrants and 62 percent among El Salvadoran immigrants. This gap in DACA participation may be partly due to the difficulties associated with reaching the diverse Asian community in the United States. Moreover, though various ethnic organizations (largely Korean, Filipino and Cambodian) have established strategic plans to reach their undocumented populations, the sheer diversity of language and culture of Asian America hinders any comprehensive efforts to assist the population as a whole. A whole host of subtle dynamics further complicates the experiences

others. There is also a hidden shame among Asian families surrounding the label “illegal” — at least among Korean immigrants. This stigma, in turn, stifles the community’s ability to push for immigrant rights and combat the model minority stereotype, which has been used to label Asian Americans as a selfsufficient monolith without any need for rights and protections. Trump has remained inconclusive on what to do with DACA, constantly flipping back and forth on his policy proposals. But he has remained steadfast in his disdain for immigrants. Recently, the Korean American Students Association at Brown has begun to focus its efforts on DREAM advocacy

and draw more attention to undocumented Asians. The Korean American Students Association sent out an online poll which found that our group’s general body members overwhelmingly support the DREAM Act. Based on the results of this poll, and in conjunction with the nonprofit Korean American Civic Empowerment, KASA hosted a phone bank to advocate for undocumented youth and provide a space for its members to call their respective Congress members in support of the DREAM Act. The Brown Korean American community stands for the 230,000 Korean undocumented immigrants and 7,000 Korean beneficiaries of DACA. We yearn to see an America in which these immigrants can receive full American citizenship. To achieve this vision, Koreans, Asian Americans and all undocumented immigrants must do more to share their experiences and advance their shared objectives. As an organization composed largely of immigrants and children of immigrants, we at KASA wholly believe that immigrants are a crucial part of American democracy, and that the undocumented individuals among us must be valued as such.

Kion You ’20 and Isaac Kim ’18, members of the Korean American Students Association, can be reached at kion_you@brown.edu and isaac_ kim@brown.edu, respectively. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.

NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» HEALTH CARE, from page 4 these unified systems, called “single physician group practices.” However, in Rhode Island, physicians are a part of many different health care groups. For example, doctors within Rhode Island Hospital belong to different companies and practices. As a kidney specialist who sees patients that often have complicated medical histories, Cohen said it’s been“almost impossible to get all the information I need,” which includes basic information like a patient’s prescriptions. Brown Physicians Inc. is attempting to bring together some of these smaller groups into one group, but it still leaves many entities out, Cohen said. Cohen expressed concern about a lack of consolidation and “the growing presence of (the) Partners system in Rhode Island” in a 2009 letter to Edward Wing, then dean of the Med School, and Timothy Babineau, current CEO of Lifespan, the state’s largest health care provider. “We got no reply from either party,” he said. Only in the last few years has anyone seriously considered making changes, Cohen said. Resistance to consolidation has come from many parties, including larger specialties and Lifespan. “I’m not saying this purely out of speculation: Lifespan has a stake in keeping things as they are,” Cohen said, adding that monetary incentives and a desire to keep control have prevented change. With Partners becoming a player in the state, “it makes it much harder for the state to maintain control of its own destiny with respect to what kind of health care system it has,” Paxson said. As to the effect the merger will have on Rhode Island and the Med School, Cohen is not sure. “CNE makes up a minority of teaching faculty,” he said.

Cohen hopes that the CNE-Partners merger “may compel Lifespan and other groups to come to the table” to find a solution that will benefit the state as well as the hospitals. Paxson welcomes the idea of further discussion. “I would love to have other groups engage in the conversation,” including Lifespan, she said. “Partners coming into the state, there’s a risk to Lifespan … It’s been a little bit surprising that Lifespan hasn’t been more concerned about the impact of Care New England’s decision on its ability to continue to be a thriving academic health care system.” The University tried to talk with Lifespan about potential mergers, “but they weren’t interested at the time,” Paxson said. Lifespan remains open to discussion moving forward, Babineau wrote in an email to The Herald, acknowledging that the merger could have a large effect on Rhode Island’s health care system. Both Paxson and Wilson warn that the CNE-Partners deal is not guaranteed to happen just yet. “There’s still a chance this could flounder because of regulatory issues,” Wilson said. “This purchase still has to go through the Rhode Island Department of Health.” Antitrust issues within Massachusetts have slowed Partners’ growth there, but similar regulatory problems in Rhode Island have yet to be tested. “Rhode Island is a really special state because it’s small enough that we can do things that are innovative and interesting,” Paxson said, adding that she’d like to see the people of Rhode Island come together to make an affordable health care system that has both a strong academic medical backbone and strong primary care.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2018

LGBTQ+ Career

OUT at Work:

Staying true to self in the workplace

February 10, 2018 10am – 3:30pm Faculty Club Register at: tinyurl.com/LGBTQCon2018 All undergrad and grad students are welcome! Network with professionals from a variety of industries and learn: • How to assess the social climate of an organization • How to determine your “deal breakers” during negotiations • How to navigate “professionalism” as a non-binary or queer person This event is wheelchair accessible.

nections

versations LGBTQ Center

LAIRD HUNT

A Reading by and Conversation with Laird Hunt is the author of seven novels, a collection of stories and two book-length translations from the French. Kind One was a finalist for the PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and won the Anisfield-Wolf Award for Fiction, and Neverhome won the Grand Prix de Littérature Américaine and The Bridge Prize and was shortlisted for the Prix Femina Étranger. His most recent novel, The Evening Road, was a Financial Times of London Best Book of 2017 and In the House in the Dark of the Woods is forthcoming in 2018. His reviews and essays have been published in the NewYorkTimes, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, the Daily Beast, the Guardian, the Irish Times and the Los Angeles Times, and his fiction has appeared in many literary journals here and abroad. A former United Nations press officer, he currently teaches in the creative writing PhD program at the University of Denver.

Friday, 2 February 2018 at 5 pm McCormack Family Theater 70 Brown Street, Providence [use entrance on Fones Alley] Sponsored by the Department of Literary Arts