THE BROWN DAILY HER
Women’s
Lindemann ’29: ‘Just Kids’ reminds us how to be
‘Wicked:
The figure marks the highest total compensation she has received
BY ROMA SHAH & SAMAH HAMID SENIOR STAFF WRITERS
President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 was paid over $3.1 million in 2023, according to nonprofit tax filings for fiscal year 2024 released by the IRS and reviewed by The Herald. This marks a roughly 74% increase from her total compensation of $1.8 million in 2022.
In 2023, Paxson received the highest total compensation that she had received thus far during her tenure as University president, beating her previous compen-
sation high of $2 million in 2021 by 55%.
Paxson was the second-highest paid Ivy League president in 2023, excluding Larry Jameson, who became Penn’s interim president in December 2023 after serving as Penn’s executive vice president for the health system and dean of their medical school. Paxson’s compensation was below only that of former Columbia President Lee Bollinger, who earned $3.5 million.
Paxson was also the second-highest paid Brown administrator, after Jane Dietze, Brown’s vice president and chief investment officer, who made over $3.2 million in 2023.
Other high-paid Brown administrators include Deputy Chief Investment Officer Joshua Kennedy ’97, Investment Office Managing Director Peter Levine ’95 and
U. saw a $2.6 million operating surplus and a 7.2% net increase in assets in fiscal year 2025
BY ROMA SHAH SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Brown will face a 4% tax rate on its endowment in the coming year, an increase from its current 1.4% endowment tax rate, according to the University’s annual financial report for fiscal year 2025 released early Thursday morning.
The larger tax rate results from a growth in the endowment that has pushed the University’s endowment past the $750,000 per student threshold required to trigger a 4% endowment tax — a new limit established under the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” passed by Congress in July.
According to the report, Brown ended fiscal
Vice President for Athletics and Recreation
Grace Calhoun ’92 P’26 P’26, who earned $1.4 million, $1.3 million and $1.2 million, respectively.
The Corporation’s Committee on Senior Administration annually reviews compensation for the president and other senior administrators “who hold significant influence over University affairs,” according to Senior Vice President for Communications Cass Cliatt.
A major contributor to an increase in compensation for senior administrators can be “payouts from deferred compensation arrangements,” which “are common across higher education in many senior administrator packages,” Cliatt wrote in an email to The Herald.
Deferred compensation arrangements are funds set aside annually to be paid to
year 2025 with an operating surplus of $2.6 million and 7.2% growth in net assets to $8.9 billion. This fiscal year, the University’s endowment contributed $370 million to the University’s operating budget, with endowment returns of 11.9%.
Over 32,500 donors gave just over $351 million in new gifts and pledges to Brown this year.
The Brown Annual Fund, which provides immediate-use funds for the University, raised an all-time high of around $54 million, a 5.5% increase from the previous year.
Current-use gifts summed to $55.4 million, with general contributions comprising 3.7% of Brown’s total operating revenue. The University prioritized current-use gifts during the last fiscal year so the University could “use these funds immediately to address fiscal uncertainty around
employees “upon specific payout dates that fall in subsequent years,” she added.
Cliatt also explained that senior administrators may receive “bonus or incentive compensation,” and salary increases can be tied to job performance.
When budget constraints allow, “executives whose performance far exceeds expectations” can obtain annual bonuses for “major leadership contributions, substantial success in reaching pre-determined goals or in concert with pre-determined annual incentive programs,” she wrote.
In 2023, Paxson earned $1.3 million in base compensation, an additional $1.25 million in bonus and incentive compensation and $72,000 in other reportable compensation. Additionally, she received $382,500 in compensation from retirement or deferred plans and $160,405 in nontax-
BY ANNIKA SINGH METRO EDITOR
On Thursday afternoon, social media reports of federal immigration enforcement presence on College Street prompted over 100 community members — including many Brown students — to gather outside the Rhode Island Superior Court in protest.
A smaller group of local advocates originally planned to attend a Deportation Defense Network of R.I. press conference outside of the courthouse, hoping to rally for virtual immigration court hearings. But after a 16-year-old Superior Court intern was temporarily taken into U.S. Immigration and
able benefits.
Dietze’s base compensation amounted to $730,000, nearly $1.5 million in bonus and incentive compensation, $275,900 in retirement or deferred compensation plans, $54,000 in nontaxable benefits and around $700,000 in other reportable compensation.
According to Cliatt, total cash compensation for University executives “is generally targeted to the 25th to 75th percentile of the market on an overall basis.”
In March, Paxson announced that she would be taking a 10% salary cut for fiscal year 2026 due to financial uncertainty from federal actions.
In May, Paxson’s contract, which was initially set to expire in June 2026, was extended by two years to a new expiration date of June 2028.
Customs Enforcement custody prior to the press conference, the purpose of the gathering shifted into a protest, DDN Organizer Maya Lehrer MAT ’23 told The Herald.
At the protest, demonstrators chanted, “No hate, no fear, ICE is not welcome here,” and held signs reading, “Money for healthcare and education, not for ICE!” and “No more ICE kidnappings! Virtual courts now!”
Providence police were not notified of ICE presence in the city today, according to Providence Police Department Spokesperson Josh Estrella.
In a Thursday Instagram statement, Gov. Dan McKee wrote that ICE agents “wrongfully detained” the intern. He stated that the temporary detainment “could have completely upended a young person’s life,” and described the action as
Paxson’s term, which was initially set to end in June 2026, was extended by two years in May. Her term is now set to expire in June 2028.
JAKE PARKER / HERALD
AWARDS
Two Brown students, one alum named 2026 Rhodes Scholars
Palma Ramirez ’26, Sanzi ’25, Huang ’26 announced as scholarship recipients
BY JEREMIAH FARR STAFF WRITER
Over the weekend, two Brown students and one alum were named 2026 Rhodes Scholars by the Rhodes Trust — the first time in over a decade that three scholars in the same year have been affiliated with Brown. The University’s U.S. Rhodes Scholars are Keidy Palma Ramirez ’26 and Nick Sanzi ’25, and they will be joined by international scholar Xuanjie (Coco) Huang ’26.
The Rhodes Scholarship is a post-graduate program aimed at developing leaders in public service. Every year, 32 of America’s top scholars and roughly 70 from dozens of other countries receive full funding to pursue a post-graduate degree at the University of Oxford in England.
The Herald spoke with Brown’s three 2026 Rhodes Scholars and professors who have influenced them during their time on campus.
‘I’ve made history for my community’: Keidy Palma Ramirez ’26
Palma Ramirez’s father didn’t attend her middle school or high school graduations, and he won’t attend Commencement this May.
In fact, he hasn’t been in the U.S. since he was deported when Palma Ramirez was in middle school, she said. The first of her graduations that he will be able to attend is when she graduates from Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
Palma Ramirez is the youngest of five and grew up moving between El Paso, Texas, and Chihuahua, Mexico. For her, “the biggest joy is still knowing that I’ve made history for my community.” According to Palma Ramirez, she is the second Rhodes Scholar ever from El Paso, and the first woman from El Paso to receive the scholarship.
At Brown, Palma Ramirez is a Royce Fellow at the Swearer Center for Public Service, where she is working on a potential collaboration with the Mexican American Cultural Center in El Paso to enhance college access for Mexican-American youth. She also co-founded Brown Dream Team, a student organization that supports Brown’s undocumented+ community — a group that includes people who are undocumented, people with undocumented relatives,
FINANCES FROM PAGE 1 sponsored research, federal Pell grants and tuition from international students,” President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 wrote in the report.
The report noted Brown faced “unprecedented financial challenges and tremendous fiscal uncertainty resulting from federal government actions” this past fiscal year.
In the report, Paxson wrote that federal threats in the past year — actions like reductions in federal research funding, proposals to limit indirect cost reimbursements for research grants, an increased endowment tax and policy shifts affecting federal financial aid and international students — mostly did not negatively impact the University’s financial position in fiscal year 2025. But she expects that federal threats will “adversely affect Brown’s financial health in fiscal year 2026 and beyond.”
In April, the White House announced
The Rhodes Scholarship is a post-graduate program aimed at developing leaders in public service.
Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and others.
Palma Ramirez has also worked in the Immigrant Student Research Project Lab at Brown.
Her research is related to creating “equitable data systems and equitable technology that doesn’t harm immigrant communities,” she said. Over the summer, she interned at the Pew Research Center, using census data and data from the American Community Survey to learn about families with inconsistent immigration documentation statuses.
When Palma Ramirez was growing up, her mother lacked proper immigration documentation and wasn’t able to leave the U.S., Palma Ramirez said. Her mother didn’t have access to a stable job and “thought about self-deporting a lot of times,” but she stayed in the U.S. so that Palma Ramirez could “finish high school and have a better opportunity at going to college,” Palma Ramirez said.
Palma Ramirez credits her academic success to the value her family places on education.
“My brother went to Cornell completely undocumented, and he didn’t have a pathway to citizenship because DACA didn’t exist yet,” she said, referring to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an immigration policy that protects individuals who arrived in the U.S. as children from deportation.
“He sat me down, and he saw all of my anger about my father’s deportation and told me that as a U.S. citizen, I have absolutely no reason not to go to the best schools and take every advantage that I can of my privilege,” Palma Ramirez recalled.
“Keidy’s journey is a testament to the successes of her family and community,” wrote Kevin Escudero, an associate profes-
sor of American studies and ethnic studies who has worked with Palma Ramirez in the Immigration Student Research Project Lab, in an email to The Herald.
Palma Ramirez “has been an integral part of the ISRP Lab research team and a passionate leader both on and off campus in support of immigrant rights,” Escudero added.
At Oxford, Palma Ramirez plans to get concurrent master’s degrees in migration studies and social data studies. She hopes to one day earn a doctorate.
‘I get to do something wonderful’: Nick Sanzi ’25
After Sanzi graduated from East Greenwich High School in Rhode Island, he started college at the University of Rhode Island before transferring to Brown for his remaining three years. At URI, a class about global crises drove him to study international relations, he said.
Mark Blyth, a professor of international economics and international and public affairs at Brown, recalled meeting Sanzi in fall 2021.
“He walked into my office hours and did what few students do anymore,” Blyth wrote in an email to The Herald. “He asked me if I wanted to talk with him about some ideas about economics that he had. I said, ‘Sure,’ and we began to talk.
Impressed, Blyth offered to be Sanzi’s advisor.
Sanzi is interested in the rehabilitation of liberal politics and policy.
“A lot of my academic exploration in college was around the Biden administration’s industrial policy to rebuild the middle class,” Sanzi said. He worked at the Department of Commerce on expanding high-speed internet access in rural areas and allocating broadband grants before
going to India as a Saxena Center for Contemporary South Asia fellow to “see how industrial policy works in an international space.”
He then returned to the U.S. and canvassed in North Carolina for former vice president Kamala Harris during her 2024 presidential campaign.
Sanzi’s mother is a teacher, and his father is a police officer. For him, “public service was always foundational to what (he wanted) to do,” he told The Herald.
At Brown, Sanzi served as a managing editor for the Brown Journal of World Affairs, through which he “got to work with wonderful people and work on real scholarship with the Watson Institute (of International and Public Affairs),” he said.
“I can’t think of a better student to represent Brown as a Rhodes Scholar,” Blyth wrote about Sanzi. “I’m just glad to play a small part in his success to date. I’m sure he will achieve much more than this.”
Sanzi recalled feeling an immediate rush of gratitude when he won the scholarship.
“When I found out, I just immediately wanted to call my parents, my professors, the people that wrote recommendations for me, the people that mentored me when I had internships (and) my friends,” he said. The award is “as much theirs as it is mine, and I’m so honored that I get to have this experience and I get to do something wonderful with it, hopefully.”
At Oxford, Sanzi will pursue a master’s degree in political theory, according to a Brown press release.
‘Allow yourself to dream boldly’: Xuanjie (Coco) Huang ’26
Despite now being on a clear path toward Oxford, Huang was not always sure of her goals. “Growing up, I was always told that I was too idealistic, that my dream of working in the humanitarian sector was naive — that I’d eventually ‘grow out of it,’” she wrote in an email to The Herald.
Huang credited a social entrepreneurship class taught by William Allen, a senior fellow in international and public affairs, with cementing her drive to do good.
“Seeing that idealism doesn’t expire changed everything for me,” she recalled. “It gave me permission to keep pursuing the work I care about.”
Allen remembered how during Huang’s first semester at Brown, his social entrepreneurship class had reached its enrollment
plans to freeze $510 million of Brown’s federal funding, pausing reimbursements on existing grants from the National Institutes of Health and halting the awarding of new grants or routine grant renewals.
Several active grants were terminated, including grants focused on diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, gender, climate-related health impacts and “other topics no longer in alignment with articulated federal priorities,” according to the report.
Existing grants from the NIH comprised more than 70% of the University’s federal research funding, and totaled over $50 million in overdue payments by the end of the fiscal year on June 30. Brown is around 10 percentage points more reliant on federal funding than peer institutions, according to the report.
Sponsored research is the largest source of research funding for Brown, encompassing grants and contracts from
limit. He suggested that Huang, who desperately wanted to take the course, wait until the next semester.
“She insisted that I issue an override, that she was already an entrepreneur in China and would add considerable value to the class,” Allen wrote in an email to The Herald. “I said yes.”
“It was one of the best decisions I’ve made since I started teaching at Brown in 2006,” he added.
At Brown, Huang studies international and public affairs, focusing her coursework on humanitarian action and journalism. She is a Social Innovation Fellow with the Swearer Center and studied abroad in Jordan with the School for International Training’s program on humanitarian action and refugee health.
“In the long term, I hope to dive deeper into the field of humanitarian journalism, reporting on war and displacement while developing ethical partnerships with local journalists,” wrote Huang. “Above all, I want to create platforms that center the voices and agency of affected communities.”
Huang has worked with Physicians for Human Rights, conducting “qualitative research and analysis of interviews with health care workers in Gaza, examining how conflict disrupts medical systems,” she wrote.
She also has her own podcast series titled “Frontlines and Headlines,” which features her interviews with “war journalists and aid workers about the ethics and narrative power of conflict reporting,” she noted.
At Oxford, Huang plans to pursue master’s degrees in refugee and forced migration studies and in global governance and diplomacy, according to a Brown press release.
Huang “is creative, curious, serious, articulate, a deep thinker and problem-solver” who “sets high standards for herself,” wrote Allen.
“I don’t always feel qualified to give advice, but if I’ve learned anything, it’s this: Allow yourself to dream boldly, even when it feels unrealistic,” Huang wrote. “The world already has enough people telling you to be cautious — so let yourself imagine the biggest version of what you want to do, and then take the first small step toward it.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19, 2025.
federal agencies, foundations and corporations and accounting for 20.5% of the University’s revenue.
This past fiscal year had the highest-ever research expenditures from Brown of $309.5 million, a 5.6% increase from the previous year. Researchers received nearly 1,400 awards from sponsors like the NIH, the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation.
The report contains a list of all sponsors with active awards during FY25, totaling to 338 unique sponsors.
The University purposefully took measures “to conclude FY25 in the strongest possible financial position,” to prepare for expected financial uncertainty in the coming years, Paxson wrote.
CAROLYN WU / HERALD
“outrageous and indefensible.”
“This was not a harmless mistake,” McKee added.
The detained individual was released after a Superior Court judge intervened, according to a statement the judiciary provided to the Providence Journal.
“If not for the intervention of a Superior Court judge, who insisted that ICE had wrongfully identified his intern as their target, this young person would have been taken into ICE custody,” the statement continued.
ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Lehrer told The Herald that though federal immigration enforcement agents have been sighted on College Hill before, the group has not seen a detainment be reversed in this manner. Lehrer added that she believes that the reversal happened “due to community pressure.”
While the Providence City Council has already passed a resolution to offer virtual hearings at the two courts they oversee last month, the press conference — which was announced by the DDN earlier this week — aimed to demand statewide virtual court proceedings. Speakers included members from the DDN, the Party for Socialism and Liberation R.I. and Brown student organizers, among others.
In a speech at the protest, Providence City Council President Rachel Miller noted that the council voted to offer virtual hearings at both courts due to the DDN’s advocacy. Some of this advocacy took place during recent discussions of City Council’s amendments to the Community-Police Relations Act, Lehrer said.
Celia Peña ’28, a student leader of Brown Dream Team and a member of the Student Clinic for Immigrant Justice, said that “when fear of deportation becomes a barrier of justice … that’s not a justice system, that’s a system of exclusion” in a speech at the rally. Brown Dream Team is a student group that supports undocumented students, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients and others.
Miriam Weizenbaum, co-founder of the
Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island, said that “simply appearing before a court … is a basic right,” during a speech at the event.
“We simply cannot continue to deny the right to access to justice,” she added.
Students involved in the DDN’s College Hill unit “are outraged about the fact that ICE is operating just moments away from campus,” Lehrer told The Herald.
“How can we really assume that our students are going to be kept safe here at Brown when ICE is wandering around here constantly?” Diego Castillo ’27, an
organizer with the DDN, asked during a speech at the protest.
In an interview with The Herald, Castillo also noted that students “can’t think of (this issue as) something that only impacts immigrants or the Providence community … because clearly it does” impact College Hill.
Since July, the DDN has circulated a petition calling on the city and state to offer virtual hearings, trials and conferences at all courts, The Herald previously reported. The petition came after the DDN
noticed a trend of detainments outside local courthouses while network members were carrying out their regularly scheduled patrolling shifts.
The DDN introduced this petition because they see virtual court hearings as “the most effective way” to ensure the local community is protected from federal immigration enforcement, Castillo added.
As of Thursday evening, the petition has amassed over 2,500 signatures.
In her speech, Miller said that virtual court hearings would “protect residents in
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the face of cruel tactics that are separating families.” City Council was “in this fight, and will continue to be,” she added.
Castillo said that City Council’s decision to offer virtual court proceedings is “a big step for legitimizing” the group’s demands, and he emphasized the role community pressure played in the council’s decision.
“Our work isn’t done,” Castillo said during the protest. “There’s still people that are in danger — not just in Providence, but throughout the state.”
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A smaller group of local advocates originally planned to attend a Deportation Defense Network of R.I. press conference outside of the courthouse, hoping to rally for virtual immigration court hearings.
METRO
Jill Davidson ’89 vies for Ward 2 seat on Providence City Council
The Democratic nominee will face Republican candidate Axel Brito ’26
BY LEV KOTLER-BERKOWITZ SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In next month’s general election for the Providence City Council’s Ward 2 seat, Democratic nominee Jill Davidson ’89 will face Republican candidate and current Brown student Axel Brito ’26. On Saturday, Davidson sat down with The Herald to discuss her professional experiences, Providence’s housing crisis and the issues she believes city residents are facing.
The victor in the special election, triggered by former Councilwoman Helen Anthony’s announcement of her resignation in August, will fill the now-empty seat through next fall, when all 15 City Council positions are up for election.
If elected to fill the seat for the upcoming year, Davidson said she also plans on running for reelection next fall.
“I certainly committed to do this not just for filling the term for really less than a year, but with the intention of continuing,” she said.
After completing her undergraduate degree at Brown and obtaining a master’s degree in education from Harvard, Davidson moved to the San Francisco Bay Area and started teaching at a local high school in 1992. She then returned to Rhode Island in 2005 with her husband and two kids — later giving birth to a third child. At the time, the city still had a vibrant art and music scene, Davidson said, also noting her love of Providence’s climate and its proximity to the ocean.
Davidson was raised by a “fairly political family,” she said, explaining that both her parents held elected office in her hometown of Brookfield, Connecticut. She has also volunteered on various campaigns over the years, and more recently, taken to poll-watching.
Davidson first became interested in running for City Council after finding herself inspired by the work of her own councilors. Anthony, she said, did an “amazing job” in her role.
With some nudging from her friends,
Davidson decided to run in the special election after Anthony announced her resignation.
Anthony endorsed Davidson in this month’s four-way Democratic primary election, which Davidson won with 49% of the vote as of Nov. 4 at 9:36 p.m., The Herald previously reported.
In her interview with The Herald, Davidson, currently the director of development and communications at the Woonasquatucket River Watershed Council, highlighted her experiences in environmental work and the Providence Public School District as assets she would bring to City Council.
She said that as the PPSD approaches a return to local control, City Council should continue to provide a strong supportive role to school leaders.
City Council must “take an active role … to help guide the schools back to local control and to make sure that we put the schools on a path for long-term success,” she said.
Davidson said she believes she is best suited to help oversee the transition due to her “deep well of professional expertise in school governance,” as well as her personal experience as a PPSD parent — her children have attended PPSD schools for
19 years, she said.
State Sen. Sam Zurier (D-Providence), who was elected to the Ward 2 seat in 2010 and held the position through the end of 2018, noted Davidson’s experience in education in his endorsement of her campaign, which came ahead of the Nov. 4 Democratic primary.
Davidson’s “work in education policy and experience as a parent give (her) the knowledge and commitment to advocate for a quality public education for all Providence children,” Zurier wrote in his endorsement.
Davidson also credited her almost six years of working for the WRWC with helping her learn the “critical importance of public-private partnerships” on environmental issues.
Private organizations are crucial for identifying funding sources and leveraging advocacy opportunities to raise awareness about environmental issues, Davidson explained, noting their importance in addressing rising and fast-moving water, stormwater management and carbon emissions.
“There are a lot of issues that require me to get up to speed quickly,” Davidson said. “I’m happy to say that the environmental piece is not one of them.”
Davidson also discussed “extraordinarily rising rent and housing prices” in Providence. She supports rent stabilization — limiting annual rent increases — as “a tool among many” to deal with the issue. With rent stabilization, “people will be able to have some level of predictability about what their rent will be from year to year,” Davidson said. But the policy can discourage new development, she noted, mentioning the possibility of adopting exemptions for newly constructed or smaller buildings to curb that concern.
Davidson also identified two potential long-term tools to address the housing crisis. The first is simple: build more housing.
“We want to build housing that is affordable to a wide range of income levels,” she said. Ideally, new housing would “complement an expansion of public transportation” to help individuals “get from place to place without being reliant on cars,” she said.
The second long-term tool is social housing, which is “housing that is built by the city or by the state and takes some of the private interest money out of the picture,” Davidson explained.
Davidson also spoke about her outlook on Mayor Brett Smiley’s time in office.
She has not endorsed a potential Smiley campaign in next year’s mayoral election. Smiley came to Davidson’s celebration on election night, she said, and the pair spoke briefly.
In her interview with The Herald, Davidson praised Smiley’s management of the city’s budget, noting that he has helped Providence weather “some tough budget cycles.”
Though she and Smiley disagree on the issue of rent stabilization, Davidson “very much (looks) forward to finding as many points of commonality as possible,” she said.
Davidson also discussed how City Council can respond to recent federal actions that have impacted Providence, noting the importance of addressing these actions “both in economic terms as well as in terms of our liberty and personal safety.”
She praised recent measures the council has taken to strengthen the Community Police-Relations Act — adding restrictions to city police officers’ ability to cooperate with federal immigration agents. On City Council, she hopes to “find ways to make sure that people have food, have shelter and feel like they can safely leave their houses.”
Davidson will face off against Brito in the Dec. 2 general election.
A Republican has not been elected to City Council in 39 years, and Davidson is “not super concerned about a shift among the electorate.”
At the same time, Davidson also hopes to maintain and strengthen her connection with the Brown student population. Ward 2 covers portions of Brown’s campus on College Hill, in addition to areas of the Blackstone and Wayland neighborhoods.
“I am really inspired by how engaged students at Brown were during the (primary) election,” she explained. “I want to honor that by being engaged with people here.”
If elected, Davidson aims to use her year in office to gain “traction on some of the long-term issues” she cares deeply about and identify “where I’m going to make the most substantial contributions representing Ward 2.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 17, 2025.
Providence City Council passes restrictions on police cooperation with ICE
The amendments follow illegal collaboration between PPD and ICE
BY ALICE XIE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
On Nov. 6, the Providence City Council unanimously passed new immigration and policing reforms to the Community-Police Relations Act that restrict Providence Police Department officers’ ability to assist federal immigration enforcement.
The amendments clarify that officers should only assist federal authorities if they have a signed judicial warrant, expand the definition of protected spaces in which immigration officers cannot investigate without a warrant, strengthen data privacy protections and lower barriers for organizations to bring lawsuits against the city for alleged violations.
These proposed changes were granted first passage on Oct. 16 following a July incident where the Providence Police
Department was found to have illegally collaborated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, The Herald previously reported.
“Providence thrives when every resident can live without fear,” Council President Rachel Miller wrote in an email to The Herald. “With Donald Trump’s cruel targeting of immigrant communities, that sense of safety feels out of reach for too many of our undocumented neighbors.”
ICE and the White House did not respond to a request for comment.
Under the updated CPRA, “police may not inquire about an individual’s immigration status or national origin.” The CPRA also notes that when conducting a stop or search, all law enforcement officers must provide their federal identification number as a measure of accountability.
Providence city agencies, departments and subdivisions will also be barred from providing documents or records to federal immigration authorities until the case has been reviewed and evaluated by the city attorney.
Protected spaces including public schools and courts will also not grant access to any federal immigration authorities “to investigate, detain, apprehend or arrest any individuals for potential violations of federal immigration laws” without a warrant, the act reads.
Christian Torre, an organizer with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, told The Herald that “the amendments are important to strengthen protections against police and court collaborations with ICE.”
Ahead of the Oct. 16 vote, the council received over 100 letters in support of the amendments. Only one individual submitted a letter in opposition, according to records publicized by the council.
Rhode Island native Iris Bucio wrote in her testimony supporting the amendments that “ICE is like a plague, slowly but violently entering into our most vulnerable spaces.”
“This disruption of our communities, of our homes, of our safe spaces, has no place here,” Bucio added.
Nicole Brown, a Rhode Island resident, also testified in support of these amend-
These proposed changes were granted first passage on Oct. 16 in response to a July incident where the Providence Police Department was found to have illegally collaborated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ments, writing that “every time our local systems collaborate with ICE, they become complicit in the violence and cruelty this agency inflicts.”
“Families are being torn apart, parents taken from children and people living in fear simply because they sought a better life in the very country that was built by immigrants,” she added.
“What we can control, as a city, is how our police interact with federal agents operating outside of the bounds of due process — and with these amendments, we make clear: they will not,” Miller wrote.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 17, 2025.
SELINA KAO / HERALD
Jill Davidson speaking at the interview on Friday. The special election, triggered by the resignation of former Councilwoman Helen Anthony in August, will fill the Providence City Council seat until next fall, when all 15 City Council positions are up for election.
SIDNEY LIN / HERALD
TRANSPORTATION
RIPTA implements free pilot program to boost ridership
Residential Transit Pilot Program offers transportation passes
BY NATE BARKOW STAFF WRITER
On Nov. 10, the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority launched a new Residential Transit Pilot Program that provides transportation benefits to Rhode Island tenants.
Through this program, RIPTA seeks to offer select state residents free monthlong transportation passes for December 2025 and January 2026. Owners and managers of multifamily properties with at least 10 units in a location near a bus route were eligible to apply online for the program and request free passes for their tenants.
“RIPTA launched this pilot as part of its ongoing efforts to increase ridership and engage community partners,” Cristy Raposo Perry, the director of communications and public outreach at RIPTA, wrote in an email to The Herald.
The program “also gives RIPTA an opportunity to learn about potential travel demand from residents who live near bus routes and may have limited access to affordable parking,” she added.
The application is now closed for submissions “due to the high volume of applications,” Raposo Perry wrote. Joelle Kanter, a human services transportation planner at RIPTA, told The Herald that the
EDUCATION
agency is now following up with applicants.
Kanter expressed hopes that residents will find the pilot program “enjoyable” and will be incentivized to take RIPTA more frequently.
“I think this (program) is positive … we should be encouraging new ridership,”
Dylan Giles, the operations manager with the Providence Streets Coalition and a spokesperson for the Save RIPTA Coalition, told The Herald.
Raposo Perry said RIPTA is trying to make public transportation more affordable through this program. Currently, the standard fare for a RIPTA ticket is $2 in cash per trip or $2 for an hour of unlimited rides with the Wave smart card, RIPTA’s rechargeable bus fare card. A Wave monthly pass is $70.
After the pilot program ends, property managers will be able to “choose to continue using the accounts and paying for their tenants’ trips,” wrote Raposo Perry. RIPTA hopes the program will have lasting impacts and recipients of the passes “will continue riding into the new year,” she added.
“Residents in large properties could really benefit from having a property manager pay for transportation,” Kanter said. “It’s like an incentive to move into a certain complex.”
The program also attempts to encourage sustainable modes of travel and minimize reliance on personal vehicles.
Over 85% of Rhode Island Public Transit Authority riders do not have a car and therefore rely solely on RIPTA buses for transportation.
“Sometimes people need an incentive or they need a bit more support to shift away from driving, and this is a way to encourage it,” Kanter said.
But, according to a recent RIPTA rider survey, over 85% of riders don’t have access to a car.
“What that illustrates is that they’re primarily serving people who have no other choice,” Giles said.
While this program aims to increase ridership, RIPTA has recently made dras-
Local elementary school still
The district did not provide explanation for the principal’s leave
BY AVA STRYKER-ROBBINS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Maria Petrosinelli, the principal of Lillian Feinstein Elementary School at Sackett Street, has been on leave since Sept. 14. But the Providence Public School District still has not shared a reason for her absence, leaving teachers, families and the broader Sackett Street community confused and worried about whether she will return.
‘in the dark’ two
Since Petrosinelli became principal in 2024, enrolled students are receiving higher test scores in both English language arts and math. Under her leadership, the school’s rates of chronic absenteeism — when a student misses at least 10% of school days in one academic year — have also fallen.
When Petrosinelli took the reins, “all the faculty embraced her,” said third-grade teacher Elena Davidson. “We felt that she respected us, and in return, the faculty respected her. She’s just a wonderful person.”
So when teachers found out Petrosinelli was going on leave, they were “shocked,”
tic service cuts to 45 of their bus routes, leading to longer wait times and reported overcrowding.
“The service we continue to operate remains reliable, accessible and fully usable for riders across the state,” Raposo Perry wrote. “We’re actively working to grow ridership and strengthen the system through initiatives such as this pilot program.”
But according to Giles, “the best way to grow ridership is to make the product something people want to use.”
“I think increasing the quality of service is the best way to grow,” he said.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 17, 2025.
months after principal’s sudden leave of absence
Davidson told The Herald. “We felt like we were left blindsided.”
She added that teachers “cannot even imagine what she could possibly be put on leave for.”
The district sent a school-wide announcement on Sept. 14 explaining how Petrosinelli was “on leave.” The announcement noted that “out of respect for privacy, (the district is) unable to share further information.”
In an email to The Herald, PPSD spokesperson Alex Torres-Perez, similarly wrote that “out of respect for (Petrosinelli’s) privacy, (the PPSD) cannot share any
more details as this is a personnel matter.”
Petrosinelli did not respond to multiple requests for comment.
On Sept. 16, about 30 faculty and staff members signed a petition urging the district to provide an explanation for her absence. “We respectfully ask for clarification, transparency and for our concerns to be taken seriously,” reads a copy of the petition obtained by The Herald. “Trust is essential to the functioning of the school, and right now, that trust has been compromised.”
An additional petition from parents and guardians received over 70 signatures. The Herald contacted over a dozen signatories from the petition and did not receive any responses.
Several Sackett Street teachers and community members also spoke out in support of Petrosinelli at an Oct. 22 school board meeting.
In Petrosinelli’s absence, Lisa Vargas-Sinapi, who has worked as a PPSD educator since 2004, has stepped in to serve in her place, Torres-Perez wrote.
“With Principal Vargas-Sinapi’s 36 years of experience, we are confident she can work alongside Assistant Principal Harley Van Dunk to continue to uphold Sackett Street’s values while building on its strong foundation,” she added.
But some teachers say they still feel Petrosinelli’s absence.“The people filling in, they’re very nice,” said Nicole Arena, a special education teacher at Sackett Street who also considers Petrosinelli a personal friend. But “the climate and culture is very different in that building.”
“We try to hold (the culture) for the students, but we also feel the loss of her and her presence,” she added.
Arena said she contacted Petrosinelli after her initial absence but has not received a response — behavior that she views as uncharacteristic.
“She was pulled from us, and we have no explanation,” she added.
According to Arena, other members of the school community have also reached out to Petrosinelli but have similarly received no response.
The same month that Petrosinelli went on leave, two educators at Sackett Street were placed on leave following reports of incidents that occurred at the school. Torres-Perez did not clarify whether Petrosinelli’s leave was related to these alleged incidents.
On Sept. 5, a behavior interventionist at the school was arrested after allegedly biting a student who had thrown paint across the room. She was then placed on leave as the Providence Police Department investigated the allegation, Torres-Perez wrote, adding that the PPSD fired the interventionist after an internal investigation by the district.
The interventionist is being charged with one misdemeanor count of simple assault or battery, according to the PPD.
The district received a report of another, unrelated incident on Sept. 9, which involved an employee who “was placed on leave pending an internal investigation,” Torres-Perez said. She explained that the district would not provide further details on the incident as it is against the PPSD’s practices to “comment on personnel matters.”
Davidson said she doubts Petrosinilli’s absence is connected.
“Maria follows protocol. She follows it by the book. She does everything the way she’s supposed to,” Davidson said.
The school community wishes they had more “transparency about what happened,” she said. “Because we really have been left in the dark
ELEANOR LOEPER-VITI / HERALD
absence.
DANIELLE EMERSON / HERALD
VOLLEYBALL
Women’s volleyball sweeps Columbia, swept by Cornell to end regular season
The Bears will face Princeton in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals
BY ABIGAIL DONOVAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Over the last weekend of the regular season, the women’s volleyball team (14-9, 9-5 Ivy) swept Columbia (2-22, 0-14) during Senior Night on Friday before losing to Cornell (15-9, 10-4) on Saturday. With these results, the Bears finished fourth in the Ivy League and will face Princeton in the Ivy League Tournament semifinals this Friday.
After qualifying for the Ivy tournament last week, the Bears headed into this past weekend’s matches hoping to collect 2 wins and improve their tournament seed. On Friday night, they took the first step in that direction — beating Columbia in straight sets 25-16, 27-25 and 25-22.
Brown opened the weekend with their most dominant set, capitalizing on 3 consecutive errors by the Lions to jump to a 3-0 lead. But following 3 kills and a service error by Brown, Columbia was able to even the score at 4-4.
At risk of falling behind, the Bears refused to let the Lions gain any rhythm. Buoyed by a remarkable 6 kills and 1 ace from Sophia Wolfson ’28, Brown pulled ahead 18-13.
Outplaying the Lions, the Bears advanced to 22-16 before Ally Panzloff ’27 and Maddy Smith ’29 delivered consecutive kills to reach set point. Just moments
HOCKEY
later, Elle Weaver ’28 secured the set with a serve deep into the court that the Lions failed to return.
In the second set, Columbia took an early 3-0 lead. Despite scoring their first point with a kill by Julia Kakkis ’28, the Bears were unable to close the gap, falling to 13-8. Then, led by 2 aces from Fisayo Afonja ’28, Brown launched a 6-point run to pull ahead 14-13.
From there, the teams traded scoring sprees. The Lions launched a 4-point streak that was immediately matched by 5 consecutive points for the Bears, bringing the set to 19-17 with Brown in the lead.
After going nearly point-for-point, the two teams came to 25-25. Fighting to end the grueling set, Kakkis set the ball to Afonja, who sent the ball into the middle of the court past two diving Lions. With the end in sight, Afonja delivered a powerful serve that got the best of Columbia, tallying another ace to close the second set.
Despite being down 2 sets, Columbia matched Brown’s firepower to begin the third set 3-3. But a kill by Wolfson, an ace by Smith and 2 attack errors by the Lions gave Bruno a 7-3 lead. Holding the advantage through the close set, the Bears brought the score to 24-21. Although they were able to ward off 1 match point, the Lions had no response when Hannah Flannery ’26 sent a kill over their heads and deep into the left corner, clinching the win for Brown.
According to Head Coach Taylor Virtue, the team had to adapt to a new lineup due to injuries. 2024 First Team All-Ivy hitter Mariia Sidorova ’26 and two-time Ivy
League Defensive Player of the Year Jessie Golden ’26 were both out of Friday’s match, although Sidorova returned to the lineup against Cornell on Saturday.
“I’m really proud of the fight, really proud of people going out there and doing something a little bit different and being gritty,” Virtue said in a post-match interview after Saturday’s game.
But on Saturday, the Bears’ efforts were not enough to topple No. 3 Cornell, and Brown fell to the Big Red in three straight sets 25-10, 25-22 and 25-22.
In the first set, the Bears jumped ahead to a 4-1 lead, which the Big Red tied up to 5-5. But Cornell quickly outpaced Brown, dominating the set with a 15-4 streak. Afonja delivered a kill to bring the score to 20-10 Cornell, but another 5-point streak secured the Big Red a comfortable first-set win.
But in the second set, the Bears seemed to find their footing. The Big Red pulled ahead early to 6-2, but kills by Panzloff, Afonja and Wolfson contributed to an 8-3 run that gave the Bears a tenuous 1-point lead.
Cornell retaliated with a 4-point run, but Bruno was able to hold its own throughout the set, bringing the score to 23-22 Cornell. Despite Brown’s fierce effort, the Big Red overpowered the Bears, and two attack errors from Bruno delivered Cornell the 2-0 set lead.
Early in the third set, it looked like the Bears may have turned it around, pulling ahead 4-1. Holding Bruno’s lead, consecutive kills by Wolfson brought the score to 14-10 Brown. But a 5-1 streak for Cornell evened the score at 15-15, and Bruno found
itself in a battle for survival.
The teams traded points to 20-20, with neither team managing to pull more than a point ahead. But the Big Red then went in for the kill, claiming a 24-21 lead that threatened to end the match.
Staring down defeat, Sidorova launched a bullet to the back of the court for a kill.
But Brown’s efforts proved fruitless as Cornell clinched the match with a spike aimed at a gap between Bruno defenders.
“I think we need to keep our heads high,” Afonja said in a post-match interview. “I think we ended fighting how we wanted to, so we just got to keep pushing forward.”
This Friday at 4 p.m., Brown will play No. 1 Princeton for its first match of the Ivy tournament — marking the fourth consecutive year in which the Bears and the Tigers have faced off in the semifinals. The Bears, who went 1-1 against Princeton this season, defeated the Tigers in 2022 and 2023, but fell 0-3 last year.
Virtue said the team is “excited to get back to work” and “fight for a championship.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 18, 2025.
Women’s ice hockey edges past Harvard in 4-3 OT victory
BY MILES MONROE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
On Saturday afternoon in the Meehan Auditorium, the women’s ice hockey team (7-2-1, 3-2-1 Eastern College Athletic Conference) edged past Harvard (5-4-1, 3-4-1 ECAC) in a thrilling 4-3 conference match-up. Monique Lyons ’28 was hailed the hero as she notched the game-winner in overtime for her second goal of the game.
The win marks the team’s fourth consecutive victory and third overtime win thus far this season. As the season presses on in full November swing, Brown currently stands at No. 13 in national rankings and No. 7 in the ECAC.
With a whopping 4-0 victory against Dartmouth just one day before facing Harvard, the Bears entered Saturday’s matchup with momentum in their favor. A battle between two ECAC powerhouses, the game lived up to the hype from start to finish.
Energy, intensity and scoring were high from the opening faceoff. Just over 6 minutes into the game, the Crimson struck first. Capitalizing on a failed clearance by the Bears, Harvard charged toward the net and overwhelmed the unprepared Bruno defense to steal a 1-0 lead.
But Harvard wasn’t ahead for long. Less than 2 minutes later, a penalty on the Crimson gave Bruno a power play. Harvard is one of the nation’s top power-killing teams
— the Crimson entered Saturday’s game having allowed only 2 goals on 25 power plays — but Lyons didn’t let that stop her. With a nifty wrister from the right wing that zipped past the screened Harvard goalie, Lyons put Brown on the board and tied the game at 1-1.
“Offensively, we generated a lot of chances, forechecked hard and maintained puck possession,” Lyons wrote in an email to The Herald. But given Harvard’s offensive success, Lyons added that the Bruno defense “could have improved by boxing out and picking up sticks more.”
Just 27 seconds after Lyons’s goal, the Crimson responded. From behind the cage, Harvard’s Bella Finnegan found teammate Morgan McGathey at the top of the crease for a close finish past Bruno goalie Anya Zupkofska ’28, giving the Crimson a 2-1 lead.
But the avalanche of goals did not stop there — less than 4 minutes later, Bruno retaliated with force. After back-to-back saves by the Harvard goalie, Lyons recovered the puck on the left alley and found Isabella Gratzl ’29 — last week’s ECAC Defender of the Week — in the center.
Slotting the puck in the back of the net, Gratzl tied the game, recording her third career goal in the process.
In that 6-minute span, the teams collectively earned 4 total goals. But in the following minutes, the rate of scoring died down and the game remained deadlocked for the rest of the first period.
The second period opened with the same fury and intensity of the first — just without any accompanying goals. Despite a total of 2 power plays and 16 shots by Brown in the second period, none of the opportunities came to fruition. On the other side of the ice, Brown’s defense held strong, anchored by Zupkofska’s whopping 25 saves over the course of the night.
The teams spent most of the second period trading relatively equal opportunities without success. But with about 3 minutes left in the period, Harvard took the lead. A failed clearance by Brown off the boards sent the puck to a wide open Crimson player, who finished the one-timer to make it 3-2.
“We were at our best when we played
a fast, north-south game and when we initiated contact at the puck,” Head Coach Melanie Ruzzi wrote in an email to The Herald. “We allowed lapses in our game and were guilty of some ill-advised puck plays, giving Harvard opportunities that they capitalized on.”
Throughout period three, Brown tried to claw its way back before time expired. With less than 6 minutes left in regulation play, the Bears’ golden opportunity arose when Brown went a woman-down for a Harvard power play.
In a clutch moment, India McDadi ’26 emerged with the puck, breaking up the ice and playing a gorgeous give-and-go with Jade Iginla ’26 to maneuver around the Crimson defense. Crashing toward the net after getting the puck back, McDadi juked the Harvard goalie left, then backhanded right into the net to tie it 3-3 with just a few minutes left.
“Any goal is special, but given the circumstances … this one felt extra meaningful,” McDadi wrote. “You could feel the momentum shift. There was this unwavering confidence on the bench that we could come back and win, and that energy made the goal even better.”
With time winding down, both teams looked to notch one in for the victory before the final whistle blew. Brown scarily committed a hooking penalty with just over 1 minute to play — sending Cadence Richards ’29 off the ice for the rest of the period. But even a woman down, the Bears managed to heroically thwart the Crimson’s opportunity, and to overtime it went.
After killing off the rest of the Harvard power play in the first minute of overtime,
it was all eyes on the prize, with both teams fighting to be the first to score and mark a tally in the win column.
Ultimately, it was Lyons that sent the Crimson home with under 2 minutes to play in overtime. Sam Broz ’27 initiated a sweeping dodge across the right wing, which allowed Lyons to find a seam in center ice, receive the puck and effortlessly slam the game-winner into the bottom left corner of the net.
The game-winning score marked Lyons’s second goal of the match as well as her team-leading seventh goal of the season.
“I was so excited when I scored the game-winner,” Lyons wrote. “It felt amazing to beat an Ivy League and ECAC opponent and take home the weekend sweep.”
“Harvard is a strong team, so we knew it would take compete and resilience, and I thought we showed both,” McDadi wrote in an email to The Herald. “A huge part of our identity is grit, and being able to push until the very last second felt true to who we are.”
The Bears look to continue the win streak in their next match this Friday against Clarkson at 6 p.m. in New York.
“Our coaching staff is very much focused on holding the team accountable to playing to an identity consisting of a number of details and habits,” Ruzzi wrote. “The team has high expectations led by our captains, so we have to maintain a focus on taking care of the process and having fun along the way.” This
HORATIO HAMILTON / HERALD Julia Kakkis ’28 sets the ball for an attack against Cornell. On Friday, the Bears won their match against Columbia in straight sets before being swept by Cornell on Saturday.
Monique Lyons ’28 scored a game-winner to send Crimson packing
ANNA LUECHT / HERALD
The win marks the team’s fourth consecutive victory and third overtime win thus far this season.
FOOTBALL
Football takes down Columbia in 32-29 thriller
The Bears earned their first Ivy League victory of the season on Saturday
BY SAJIV MEHTA STAFF WRITER
With the clock winding down in a backand-forth contest at Columbia (1-8, 0-6 Ivy), the Brown football team (4-5, 1-5) faced one of the most decisive moments of their 2025 campaign.
Down by 4 as Bruno’s offense took the field, the promise of the season’s first Ivy League win lay 75 yards away –– and the heartbreak of a fifth consecutive loss loomed if they blinked before the goal line.
“When you’re in a losing streak, a lot of things can happen. The team can fall apart, or the team can come together,” Brown quarterback James Murphy ’27 said in a post-game interview. “This team did a great job of coming together after some really tough losses.”
Facing the season’s brightest lights, the Bears stepped up. From midfield, Murphy launched a 44-yard pass in the direction of a sprinting Trevor Foley ’28. With the end zone in sight, Foley leapt over a Columbia defender and came down clutching the ball — just 5 yards away from glory.
Two snaps later, as the pocket collapsed around him, Murphy scrambled forward and searched for Matt Childs ’28 in the end zone. Breaking toward the middle of the field on an angled route, Childs wrestled past a Columbia linebacker, secured the ball midair and scored his second touchdown of the day, pushing Brown’s lead to 32-29.
When the Lions’ offense took the field for their final showing, standout cornerback Elias Archie ’26 sealed the victory.
On the first play of the drive, he stripped a receiver –– and any chance of a Columba response.
When the game began two hours earlier, the opening drives did not show hints of the offensive battle to come. On their first possessions, the two sides did little more than trade 3-and-out punts.
Though the Lions’ offense began to drive on their second attempt — relying on 6 consecutive rushing plays to hammer across midfield — their progress quickly stalled, and they turned the ball over on downs at the 34-yard line.
Crafting a more balanced attack, the Bears moved downfield with short passes and runs. A 20-yard rush by Qwentin Brown ’26 got Brown inside Columbia’s 10-yard line. From there, Murphy tossed a ball to Ty Pezza ’26 on a corner route.
Matched one-on-one with a Columbia defender, Pezza out-muscled the smaller cornerback to clasp the first score of the day –– and his seventh of the season. A successful 2-point conversion gave Brown an 8-0 lead.
three consecutive punts.
Beginning with a poor position at their own 12-yard line, Bruno’s offense went to work. The drive’s first snap went to Childs in the flat, who patiently weaved through Columbia defenders for a first down. Just two plays later, Murphy took advantage of a clean pocket and delivered to tight end Levi Linowes ’27 on the right sideline for 24 yards.
A pass interference penalty
reaching Brown’s 41-yard line, Goodwin made a 17-yard completion to receiver Titus Evans, and on the very next snap, he found a wide-open Beckett Robinson in the end zone to cut the Bears’ advantage to 8 points.
With less than 3 minutes remaining in the half, on third-and-10, defensive back Camryn Williams-Dalton ’27 intercepted an underthrown deep ball along the left side-
line, turning possession back to Murphy.
But Bruno’s offense could not capitalize. Despite beginning the drive past midfield, they collected only 1 first down before being turned away on fourth-and-5.
Columbia’s offense, given the chance to close out the half, did not fare better, faltering on their very first play. Odimegwu hit Goodwin when Goodwin threw the ball, forcing a fumble. The ball was sent wobbling to the feet of Bears linebacker John Perdue ’26, who returned it to Columbia’s 17-yard line.
But when Bruno attempted a field goal, Columbia defensive back Caleb Solomon broke through the line to block the kick, and the teams were sent into the locker rooms for halftime.
On their first appearance of the third quarter, Bruno went 3-and-out, while the Lions’ offense flourished.
Through 7 straight run plays, the Lions pounded the ball from their own 35-yard line to Brown’s 26. Just 4 plays later, Goodwin found Evans in Brown’s end zone.
lumbia matched Bruno’s point total at 15 when they converted for 2 more points.
Back on the field, Murphy led a calculated drive into Columbia territory. Then, with a barrage of defensive linemen bearing down on him at the 38-yard line, Murphy dumped the ball off to halfback Jackson Bennett ’27, who evaded a tackle and found a seam up the left sideline, careening between defenders all the way to Columbia’s 9-yard line.
Playing from ahead, Bruno’s defense complemented their offense’s success. Pushing the Lions out of Brown territory, Ike Odimegwu ’27 — who is tied for first in the Ivy League for solo sacks — got to Columbia’s quarterback Chase Goodwin. The teams then traded
drawn by Pezza advanced the Bears to Columbia’s 28-yard line, and soon after, receiver Pearson Hill ’28 stiff-armed a Columbia defensive back and barreled into the end zone.
Bruno kicker
But once in the red zone, the Bears failed to convert. Two stymied rush attempts and an incomplete brought Crabtree onto the field, who put the football through the uprights to make the score 18-15 — advantage Brown.
Now firmly confident in their posthalf adjustments, the Lions pounced for another score. From just across midfield, Goodwin launched a deep shot 44 yards to the Brown 5-yard line. As the clock turned to the final quarter, Columbia punched a rushing score up the gut. Following a successful point-after kick, the Lions held a 22-18 lead.
Playing from behind for the first time on Saturday, Bruno turned to the passing game. On first-and-20 from his own 15yard line, Murphy sent a missile across midfield. Shaking two Columbia defenders, Foley reeled in the pass for a massive 46-yard gain.
On the next play, Murphy went right back to Foley for 17 more yards over the middle. One first down later, Childs collected a screen pass and tiptoed up the left sideline, into the end zone to put Brown back in front.
Reflecting on Foley’s recent exceptional performances –– 3 straight games with at least 99 yards –– Murphy said, “You could easily say that he’s the best player on the field anytime he’s out there … he works so hard, and he really had his coming out these past few weeks.”
After Brown’s defense forced a Columbia punt, the offense succumbed to a fourth-and-long as well. But on their punt attempt, Flynn muffed the snap and was forced to dive on the ball to prevent a Lions scoop-and-score. Beginning their drive at Brown’s 28-yard line, Columbia needed only 3 snaps to capitalize –– Goodwin found his most reliable target, Evans, to score once more, claiming a 29-25 lead. With 4 minutes left in the contest, Murphy emerged from the sideline and directed his game-winning play, closing out Brown’s first victory since Oct. 10. The team will look to punctuate the season with a victory when Dartmouth (7-2, 4-2) visits on Saturday. Kickoff is slated for noon.
Head Coach James Perry ’00 remarked in a post-game interview that the team “will be hungry to play their best game next week.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 16, 2025.
Drew Crabtree ’29 nailed the point-after try, and suddenly, Brown led 15-0. Intent on keeping stride, the Lions roared to life. After
Dear Readers,
We’re SO close…Close to the end of the semester, close to the winter holidays, and close to a well-deserved break next week! With Thanksgiving swiftly approaching, we’re in the final push of the semester. So, if you’re finding yourself in the trenches amidst your fifty-bajillionth midterm of the semester, chin up soldier! We’re almost there!
Aside from Thanksgiving bringing a few extra days to finish all of the work I’ve been procrastinating on, I truly do love the holiday for inspiring everyone to remember what they’re thankful for. Yes, I know, it sometimes feels cheesy to go around the dinner table talking about your highlights of the year or the little things that keep you going, but it’s something that warms my cold heart as we’re trudging into the start of winter. I know that I’m personally feeling very thankful for another semester of new classes and clubs, new and old friends, and lots of memories made.
Something I’m especially thankful for is the neverending creativity and brilliance of our lovely post- writers and illustrators. In this weeks’ issue, Violet shares a piece on therapy, post-grad life, and all the small day-to-day moments that make her stop to ponder. Also in Feature, Francis reflects on the complexity of grief. In Narrative, Samaira and Mar both write about relationships they treasure. In Arts & Culture, Jack discusses the political relevance of Weapons to Gen Z
and Madison gives her thoughts on nostalgia and why spinoffs are failing to impress us. In Lifestyle, Sara shares some observations from a late-night study sesh and Liv meditates on vessels and space. Before you go, make sure to complete Lily’s cold weather-themed crossword and enjoy Alayna’s Thanksgiving “recipes”—are they recipes for meals, fun, or disaster? Read on to find out!
Every Wednesday night, I make my way to our cozy little office at 88 Benevolent Street and spend a few hours with some really wonderful people. I am so thankful for this highlight of my week that breaks up the stress of assignments and exams with a (sometimes silly, sometimes unhinged) “Top 10” debate and the company of some of the most creative minds on campus (perhaps I’m a bit biased). I am forever impressed by the creations I get to consume and edit on prod night, and it fills my cup to know that every issue is imbued with pieces of those of us that sit around the table. But anyways, enough about me and everything I’m thankful for this year…Dear reader, what are YOU most thankful for?
Liv Moon containment, connection, and the spaces between 15 Alayna Chen
“Jellyfish are just rocks that hurt more.”
“There are no gay brothers, just gay lovers.”
BA B ie s
1. Renesmee
2. Yoda
3. NOT the Four Seasons Atlanta baby (SYBAU)
4. The little punk who sat next to me on the plane
5. Mom I frew up
6. Big one. Large. Just like humongous.
7. Hit me one more time
8. The Chinese baby on Instagram Reels that eats all his food in size order
9. Benjamin Button as an “adult”
10. Jack-Jack
bundle of joy
by Lily Coffman
Across
1. Cold weather accessory that is always on top
4. Way to access an account
6. "That's a wrap!" one could say about this cold weather accessory
7. Turkish name meaning "highly praised"
8. Cake levels
Down
1. Minh of Vietnamese revolution
“‘With the pastel blue peeler—its slightly rusted metal speckled with black, remnants of the countless fruits and vegetables eaten, cooked, and shared by my mom and grandma—I shaved the ombrés of scarlet red and golden yellow off seemingly innumerable apples.”
— Lynn Nguyen, “a love letter to apples”
“In my thickset blue and purple sneakers, I watched its kingly flaps, wanting to dig my soles into the ground and bury myself up to my ankles and become immobile. Creatures so vast render human beings into nothing—at least if you look at them for long enough.”
— Ellyse Givens, “deserted” 11.30.23
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Section
& CULTURE
2. Peak performance
3. One who exhausts
4. Exam for a future JD
5. Certificate of digital ownership and an equally stupid cousin to cryptocurrency
Section Editors
Chelsea Long Maxwell Zhang
LIFESTYLE
Managing Editor
Daniella Coyle
Section Editors
Hallel Abrams
Gerber
Nahye Lee
POST-POURRI
Managing Editor
Michelle Bi
Section Editor
Tarini Malhotra
HEAD ILLUSTRATORS
Junyue Ma
Lesa Jae
COPY CHIEF
Jessica Lee
Copy Editors
Indigo Mudbhary
Lindsey Nguyen
Rebecca Sanchez
Tatiana von Bothmer
LAYOUT CHIEF
Amber Zhao
Layout Designers
Emma Scneider
Emma Vachal
James Farrington
Tiffany Tsan
SOCIAL MEDIA
Rebecca Sanchez
Yana Giannoutsos
Yeonjai Song
illustrated by Junyue Ma
OPINIONS
Manhardt ’26: In favor of the cold call
In far too many of my classes, I see students shopping for a new outfit, playing an intense game of Catan or watching their favorite shows. Even if you are doing the readings and acing the homeworks, an essential part of attending Brown is contributing to an engaged classroom — whether that means getting into a heated argument in a seminar or providing occasional commentary in a 100-person lecture. The solution to our engagement crisis may be something students often dread: cold calling.
My first true experience with cold calling was in IAPA 1800D: “Introduction to Corporate Law and Public Policy” taught by Ari Gabinet P’19 P’MD’20, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and pre-law advisor for the University. Gabinet teaches the class in a law school-esque manner, explicitly stating in the syllabus that cold calling will be an integral part of the
GUILLEN / HERALD
course. The result? Riveting, intense discussions as we moved through the content during our weekly 19-person seminar. Each student rose to the occasion and came prepared to answer any question that might’ve been asked about the readings.
Beyond simply elevating the level of engagement, Gabinet’s cold calling also allowed for more open-ended debates. Many of the legal topics discussed in the class were up for interpretation — gray areas where a student’s application of the law is the focus of an answer. Since students had to answer questions on the fly, responses were often representative of the students’ genuine thought processes, allowing them to naturally work through questions that could only be answered by intuition.
The organic responses produced by myself and classmates is one of the most impactful results of
cold calling. Rather than shying away from being incorrect, the class was forced to respond with genuine answers, unafraid of potentially having a different conclusion. Those who were hesitant to voluntarily speak up gladly participated by the end of the semester as class contribution became more about thought process than accuracy.
Beyond the small seminar format, larger lecture-based courses could also benefit from cold calling. Due to the significant size of these classes, many students may zone out or feel detached from the professor. Cold calling requires individuals to be attentive and creates a dialogue between students and professor beyond impersonal lecturing.
Though some may see cold calling as toxic, this is not the case when professors implement it responsibly. Many students like being pushed outside their comfort zone, but this doesn’t mean they need to be left out in the cold. Whether it’s on-call lists or organized small groups, professors can engage their class without targeting students. In “Introduction to Corporate Law and Public Policy,” for
Tesler ’29: The case for third places
College introduces us to a hectic version of life. In the bubble that is being a university student, our social lives are often smushed together with the academic and domestic spheres of college. This results in a lack of spaces purely dedicated to voluntary and informal social gatherings — also known as third places.
While it might seem impossible to separate the academic and domestic from the social in our cramped college lives, there is one type of third place on campus which can be overlooked. As a starting point, participating in non-preprofessional and non-academic clubs at Brown can offer students the type of third place which might be missing from their lives.
In his book “The Great Good Place,” sociologist Ray Oldenburg lays out the importance of having distinct third places, first places, such as one’s home, and second places, such as work or school. Third places let people put aside the concerns that come from home life and work, allowing for much-needed, stressless social interaction. Some of Oldenburg’s examples of such places include bars, coffee shops, general stores and youth recreation centers.
But college muddles the boundaries between first, second and third places. The library becomes a gathering spot where work mingles with social interaction. Dorms are a place literally surrounded, upkept and provided by an academic institution. The people in each place are, to an extent, also inseparable — your classmates may be your neighbors, who may also be your greatest source of regular social interaction.
Amid a growing mental health crisis among college
example, Gabinet offered a phone-a-friend policy. In the event that you did not know where to start your answer, you were allowed to call on a classmate for support. Policies like this can be used to make cold calling constructive and avoid creating a tense environment.
Brown prides itself on pushing students to be “intellectual risk-takers” but we could all use a little encouragement in embodying that characterization. More cold calling would do exactly that: offer students a push to become more comfortable with sharing their genuine thoughts, even if it’s not the right answer. I encourage all professors — particularly those with in depth conversations — to consider taking this step to allow their students to grow even more.
Batisse Manhardt ’26 can be reached at batisse_manhardt@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other columns to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
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Brown prides itself on pushing students to be “intellectual risktakers” but we could all use a little encouragement in embodying that characterization.
students, it is crucial for us to make room for third places in our daily lives. When we allow schoolwork to leak into social interactions, it’s easy for academic stressors to become overwhelming. Likewise, it’s easy for social pressures to become distracting when the library is a
When we allow schoolwork to leak into social interactions, it’s easy for academic stressors to become overwhelming. “
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social watering hole and students’ homes are surrounded by their social circles.
Brown’s third places are stunted by their academic proximity. The Blue Room, for example, is a social epicenter of campus, but also home to a sea of faces hidden behind laptop screens. The Main Green, as well, provides students with a place to toss a frisbee and chat, but is similarly covered by those seeking a sunnier spot to study.
At Brown, participation in non-pre-professional and non-academic student organizations can provide us with a part of our routine solely dedicated to casual socializing. There are countless organizations on campus which might provide us with this needed third place, from the Cooking Club to the Outing Club and beyond. These types of clubs provide students with an activity that lends itself to casual socializing.
Hobby-based clubs, while a good place to start, should not be seen as the end all, be all. After all, the third places they create are still mostly on campus. And
while they might introduce you to individuals different from your classmates and dormmates, they’re still completely composed of Brown students. For further separation between the social and academic, one might look down the Hill toward the wider city of Providence. There are plenty of nearby cafes and bars that facilitate informal social interaction. Even if you go with your friends, these destinations can still provide you with an opportunity to engage socially off campus.
Brunonians might not have a perfect third place, but putting in the effort to carve out small pockets of separation matters. Whether it be through fun clubs or treks down the Hill, these spaces give us some much needed room to breathe.
Zeke Tesler ’29 can be reached at zeke_tesler@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and submit other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
ISABELA
ISABELA GUILLEN / HERALD
Editorial: When it comes to the changes to program housing, the University’s agreement with the federal government cannot be ignored
In July, the University entered a voluntary resolution with the Trump Administration to settle civil-rights investigations and restore federal funding. With over $500 million in contracts and grants at stake, we supported this settlement, viewing it as an effective balance between maintaining the University’s autonomy, protecting students from discrimination and ensuring that Brown would not be cut off from the federal funding that it relies on.
Last week, Brown’s Office of Residential Life announced that the leaders of program and themed community houses would no longer be able to select their own residents. The stated reason for this change — which has drawn condemnation from the house leaders — was to ensure that all students have “equitable access” to these communities. The timing and justification of this announcement, however, suggest that the agreement has begun affecting key aspects of student life. While the University made commitments to the government it must honor, we expect administrators to be
transparent about how Brown’s response to federal actions is affecting students to help build trust between affinity groups and administrators.
We believe it’s no coincidence that this upset to program housing selection procedures comes just four months after Brown signed the July agreement, which prohibits “unlawful” diversity, equity and inclusion goals. The University’s sudden prioritization of providing “equitable access” to affinity-based housing options indicates a direct effort to comply with the settlement. Yet in a statement to The Herald, University Spokesperson Brian Clark said this change has “nothing to do” with Brown’s compromise with the Trump administration — but the similarity between the language of Residential Life’s announcement and that of the deal raises eyebrows.
Section 14 of the settlement requires that the University eliminate any “benefits or advantages to individuals on the basis of protected characteristics” such as race, ethnicity, national origin, sex and gender. Residential Life stated that the University
has “taken steps to ensure there is a clear, shared understanding that all students must have equitable access to programs” and that “race, ethnicity or national origin cannot be eligibility criteria for participation.” The policy attempts to remove the indirect consideration of “protected characteristics” from the program housing selection process by transitioning from a system where housing leaders choose their participants to a random lottery. But by denying the connection between recent changes to housing and the agreement, Brown creates a divide between the University’s decision-makers and those affected by such decisions. Even if this change is truly unrelated to the Trump administration, Brown should give its full rationale and explain what has changed between now and last year. If it fails to do so, it will continue to undermine trust and create anger towards the University. It’s no secret that the deal was signed. We as students deserve to know how it could be affecting us.
On Wednesday, three program houses — North
House, Harambee House and Technology House — announced that they were “in conversations” with Residential Life and that they found the administration open to negotiation. In these discussions, the University ought to be transparent about its policy constraints from this summer’s deal in order to negotiate in good faith and avoid further confusion. Honesty about legal limitations will make it easier for Brown and program house leaders to reach an amicable solution that both honors their independence and the University’s commitments. We hope the University will provide this clarity and not deflect further.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board, and its views are separate from those of The Herald’s newsroom and the 135th Editorial Board, which leads the paper. A majority of the editorial page board voted in favor of this piece. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
Lindemann ’29: ‘Just Kids’ reminds us how to be human
I was gifted Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” on my 16th birthday and was instantly enamored. Since then, I have been known to gift it to my friends. Sometimes college students feel that they need to have their futures all figured out — this book shows that you don’t. In an Ivy League culture obsessed with direction and achievement, “Just Kids” reminds us that the most beautiful parts of life stem from embracing what makes us feel alive.
With “Just Kids,” Patti Smith accomplished something rare — an unpretentious memoir that depicts a young woman who was brave enough to live beyond societal confines. She shares the raw details of her formative years in New York City and her lifelong relationship with fellow artist, Robert Mapplethorpe. The pair met in Brooklyn as young, broke, passionate artists who wanted to find themselves through their creativity — exploring various mediums like painting, photography, music and writing. The photographs scattered throughout immerse us into Smith’s spontaneous world, tracking her job-hopping, cramped apartments and complex relationships, both platonic and romantic. Through art, Smith created a life — she did not simply live the life others wanted her to live.
As college students, we are just like Smith — living and chasing our dreams in an unfamiliar place. While attending a rigorous university with world class education may create pressure to craft our perfect future, we must stay curious in order to fully take advantage of our time at Brown.
According to a 2024 study, 56% of American teens feel pressure to have their life paths figured out — college, employment and relationships. We live in a hustle culture that celebrates extreme pro-
ductivity and ambition, which is especially apparent at institutions like Brown. Many of us subscribe to the notion that our worth is linked to our productive output, a mindset called toxic productivity. The pressure students are subjected to and subject themselves to is not always inspiring — it often promotes exhaustion, leading to cycles of per-
vasive burnout. We are only in college once, and our choices dictate whether we are going to enjoy the process or try to plan the unplannable. Reading about Smith’s younger years encourages us to question what we are living for and be courageous enough to act with inquiry.
describes. “Just Kids” gives us the courage to pursue our passions despite the fear of instability, to choose curiosity over continuous acceleration. Instead of creating a straight-lined path dictating our 20-year plans, we should allow ourselves to grow in squiggles.
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Whether it be poetry for no one else to see or photographs of the beautiful things we witness in our day-to-day lives, let Smith be our reminder to create what brings us joy.
At Brown, we have room to take our academics seriously while also exploring our curiosities. Many of us committed to the grind in high school, and that tenacity paid off. Upon coming to Brown, it can feel hard to turn off the college acceptance-oriented mindset. We feel the need to be excellent and strive for perfection. While I stress daily about my classes and what summer jobs I may apply for, I also think it is important to stop and smell the flowers from time to time — or else, what is the point of it all? We have the opportunity to work toward our aspirations while also leaning into what brings us joy — taking a random class that interests us, joining a club that does not relate to our concentration or finally starting a hobby we never had time for in high school. There is an undeniable value to being goal-driven and ambitious, but this shouldn’t come at the expense of the joys of life that Smith
This past February, I made my dad get lunch with me at the Chelsea Hotel — an iconic commune for some of the most legendary artists, including Smith herself. In “Just Kids,” she shares stories of creating art in her room, feeling fulfilled because she was doing what she loved with whom she loved. Her story invites us to find our own Chelsea Hotel — a place that encourages us to be brave and choose authenticity. Whether it be poetry for no one else to see or photographs of the beautiful things we witness in our day-to-day lives, let Smith be our reminder to create what brings us joy.
Beatriz Lindemann ’29 can be reached at beatriz_lindemann@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
MAX ROBINSON / HERALD
ARTS & CULTURE
REVIEW
‘Wicked: For Good’ changes the fan-favorite musical for the better
The Ivy Film Festival hosted an advance screening of the film
BY MANAV MUSUNURU ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Spoiler alert: This review contains spoilers for “Wicked,” this film’s prequel.
The long-awaited finale to 2024’s “Wicked” is finally here. After a year of anticipation, “Wicked: For Good” is set to premiere Nov. 21 in theaters nationwide.
Debuting in November of last year, the first film was both a critical and commercial success, raking in over $750 million at the box office and receiving 10 nominations — and two wins — at the 97th Academy Awards. It would be expected for “Wicked: For Good” to achieve similarly high levels of success.
When audiences left theaters after the iconic riff in “Defying Gravity” last year, Elphaba Thropp (Cynthia Erivo) was on the run from Ozian authorities after stealing the Grimmerie — an extremely powerful book of spells — from the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). “Wicked: For Good,” picks up five years after the first film, with viewers transported into an Oz that has only slipped further into authoritarianism.
Aided by the weather-controlling witch Madam Morrible (Michelle Yeoh) the Wizard has accelerated his plan to subjugate the animals of Oz, literally robbing them of their voices and forcing them to construct the infamous Yellow Brick Road. Meanwhile, Glinda Upland (Ariana Grande-Butera) — who changed her name in the first film to honor the imprisoned Dr. Dillamond (Peter Dinklage) — has reluctantly, yet also somewhat eagerly, become a mouthpiece for the Wizard. Prince Fiyero Tigelaar (Jonathan Bailey) now works as captain of the Wizard’s Guard in hopes of finding Elphaba, while Boq Woods-
COURTESY OF UNIVERSAL PICTURES UK
'Wicked: For Good' takes the audience back to the Oz they know and love, but with, as expected, a far more sinister atmosphere.
man (Ethan Slater) is lovingly trapped in Munchkinland by its new governor, Nessarose Thropp (Marissa Bode), Elphaba’s younger sister.
As expected, the tone of “Wicked: For Good” is much darker than that of the first film. The opening scene alone is a shift from the generally brighter mood of the first film, depicting animals forced to perform manual labor to fulfill the Wizard’s agenda.
The film’s darker themes contrast with its color palette, which is seemingly brighter than the prequel. Its prequel was criticized for its color grading, which some viewers lamented was too desaturated for an otherworldly setting. Director Jon M. Chu seems to have listened to these complaints, as the sequel’s vibrant colors mirror the technicolor world that the original “The Wizard of Oz” film first introduced in 1939. “Wicked: For Good” feels like the Oz audiences know and love, which is fitting as Dorothy’s (Bethany Weaver) adventure through the setting occurs during the last half of the film.
Surprisingly, the costumes in “Wicked: For Good” improve upon the ones in the first film, for which Paul Tazewell won an Academy Award. Yet despite the re-
sounding success of the prequel, Tazewell somehow stepped up his game for the sequel. The costumes in the movie feature intricate detailing, making the world of Oz even more fantastical. Glinda’s wardrobe is stunning in particular, featuring an array of bedazzled and elaborate gowns. Even her relatively plain, white wedding gown perfectly complements the yellow butterflies that flutter around her as she walks down the aisle.
The cast’s vocals are also impeccable — for the most part — but the numbers in the second act don’t have the same draw as the first. Although the lyrical content of the songs are more touching, reflecting the deeper emotional landscape of the finale, it’s hard to surpass the comedic pull of “Popular” and “What Is This Feeling?” or the dramatic nature of “No One Mourns the Wicked” and “Defying Gravity” in the first film.
Nevertheless, “For Good” — the sequel’s namesake — is the most heartbreaking song across both films, replete with a split-screen shot emphasizing the deep connection between Elphaba and Glinda. “Wonderful” — which only featured the Wizard and Elphaba in the stage musical — now spotlights additional verses from Glinda, highlighting her complex relation-
ship with Elphaba. The song also gives the Wizard a chance to — musically, at least — redeem himself after his sluggish “A Sentimental Man” number in the first film.
Still, no number in the film is more outstanding than “No Good Deed,” which serves as the highlight of Erivo’s performance as Elphaba. The character’s feelings of guilt and sorrow during the song are palpable, and Erivo’s singing intensifies this emotional aspect of the number, making it one of the most memorable moments of the entire film.
“Wicked: For Good” also adds two new songs not featured in the stage musical: “No Place Like Home” and “The Girl in the Bubble.” These songs flesh out the film’s plotlines, with the latter establishing Glinda as a complex character torn between remaining loyal to her friend and her role as a public figure, but sonically, they fall flat when compared to the second act’s original numbers. Both songs are eligible for Best Original Song at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards, but it’s likely that they will be bested by a song from “KPop Demon Hunters,” which has taken the world by storm.
At two hours and 17 minutes long, “Wicked: For Good” is over double the length of the stage musical’s second act. But the ending moments of the film still feel somewhat rushed compared to the pacing of its predecessor. A runtime similar to the prequel, which was almost three hours long, would have given the writers an opportunity to add extra dialogue between the last few numbers, which all seem to blur together after “No Good Deed.”
Beyond this minor flub, the extra time does allow the film to address questions that are left unanswered in the stage musical. For example, the issues regarding animals’ rights are almost entirely abandoned in the stage musical after “Wonderful,” which is strange considering that it is one of the biggest plot points in the story. The
film remedies this omission by having a more comprehensive resolution at the end of the film, tying up the loose ends ignored in the musical.
One of the biggest improvements of the film — and its extended runtime — is Glinda’s fleshed out character arc. Moments like “The Girl in the Bubble” and the film’s ending cement the complexity of Glinda’s character beyond the Broadway stage.
Adding to these improvements, Grande-Butera’s performance as Glinda is showstopping. She brings the same humorous element to Glinda seen in the first film, adding an aspect of unseriousness to even the most serious situations. Her portrayal also adds a layer of complexity to the character’s “popular kid” attitude. Grande-Butera’s depiction of Glinda’s internal conflict masterfully depicts her, not as a secondary villain or shallow social climber, but as a character who has the same emotional depth as Elphaba.
This will likely work in Grande-Butera’s favor at the upcoming Academy Awards, where she’s predicted to be nominated again for Best Actress in a Supporting Role. Although initial critics’ reactions to this film have been less positive than for its prequel, Grande-Butera — who lost the award to Zoe Saldaña earlier this year — seems to be an early frontrunner in the category. But it’s still unknown whether her compelling performance as Glinda will propel her to victory, or if critics’ lukewarm reactions to the film will sink her chances of winning the Oscar. Regardless, the “Wicked” franchise is only Grande-Butera’s first major film role, and based on her recent comments, it seems that she’ll have many more chances at receiving the highest award in acting — and thank goodness for that.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19, 2025.
The exhibition is at the Bowen Suite Gallery through May 2026
BY LAILA POSNER CONTRIBUTING WRITER
In May, the Rhode Island School of Design unveiled its student-run exhibition titled “this must be the place.” The exhibit, which focuses on the idea of home and features works ranging from paintings to furniture to light fixtures, will be on display in the Bowen Suite Gallery in the President’s House through May 2026.
From selecting the artists to promoting the show, students in the course “Critical Curating” — which was offered
by RISD’s painting department last spring — led every aspect of the exhibition’s curation. The Herald spoke to course instructor Kathy Battista and students who took the course to learn more about the curation process.
According to Pavol Roskovensky, a current RISD graduate student and chief curator of the project, the exhibit takes its name from the eponymous track by rock band Talking Heads. As all three of the band’s original members met at RISD, the name and content of the exhibition intends to pay “homage to RISD being a home to all of us” and illustrate the larger theme that “there is no place like home,” Roskovensky said.
All of the art selected “exemplifies the idea of home, whether that has to do with
identity, a physical place (or) a feeling,” said Avalon Lafosse, who graduated from RISD after taking “Critical Curating” last spring and who served as the general exhibition curator.
According to Battista, students in “Critical Curating” learned how to curate a show like professional curators through “tough decision making.” In addition to leading efforts in piece selection and show promotion, students decided on the exhibit’s theme and installed all the works themselves.
For Lafosse — who began painting when they were five — the curation process was “really fun.”
Lafosse credited Battista’s class for helping “push (her) interest and passion forward” in the curation field. The curating experience, she added, served as a great ending to her academic journey at RISD.
Roskovensky hopes exhibit viewers take away a “sense of calm (and) stillness,” he said, adding that home nourishes the body and soul.
He wants viewers to have the “same reaction (to the exhibit) as they would to a sunset.” Instead of evoking specific feelings, he hopes the exhibit simply provides “an experience that is satisfying on (the viewer’s) terms.”
One of Roskovensky’s own works — titled “Breath Drawing” — is on display in the exhibit. Using his breath and charcoal to create what he describes as an “airy, ghostly
COURTESY OF KATHY
In addition to leading efforts in piece selection and show promotion, students decided on the exhibit’s theme and installed all the works themselves.
residue,” his piece consists of three white panels that explore the “abstract nature of language, where the medium is our breath.”
Roskovensky gained inspiration for the piece when he saw his newborn son take his first breath. He focused on breath as the medium to depict this experience, which he finds “more intimate than just externally touching and manipulating.”
Battista reiterated this sense of intimacy when explaining the intentions behind the exhibition. The show illuminates the “idea of the domestic space as a space for contemplation (and) healing,” functioning as refuge from the “polarization and conflicts” that define the outside world, she said.
Given the exhibit’s location inside the President’s House — a home of its own — Battista hopes it can function as a “safe space” for people to enjoy.Although the President’s House was built in the colonial style, “much of the art is a critique of colonialist systems” and challenges “architecture and history,” she added.
The exhibition, Battista said, represents RISD’s position as “a place for freedom of expression” and “for experimenting — and maybe also for failure.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com
BATTISTA
COURTESY OF JO SITTENFELD
show,
REVIEW
‘Falsettos’ is one of the best student-theater performances of the year
The seven-person cast left the audience laughing and crying
BY ANN GRAY GOLPIRA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Over the weekend, Brown Musical Forum staged a rendition of William Finn and James Lapine’s 1992 musical “Falsettos” in the Fishman Studio at the Granoff Center for the Creative Arts. With witty comedy, unique melodies and a wildly impressive cast, the show left audience members both cackling and teary-eyed.
Upon opening the playbill, attendees may be initially skeptical of the two-anda-half-hour performance that lies before them. But as the show’s small yet impressive cast took the stage, any remaining doubts about the night were immediately forgotten.
Following the shock of the opening number — “Four Jews in a Room Bitching” — the cast transitioned into “A Tight-Knit Family,” which set the scene for the dysfunctional family at the heart of the show. The song starts by introducing Avi Levin ’26 as Marvin, a Jewish man in 1979 New York City who has recently divorced his wife to be with a man — Whizzer, played by Evan Gray-Williams ’28.
The duration of the show slowly unravels this complex family dynamic, with Marvin lamenting “But I want a tight-knit family / I want a group that harmonizes / I want a wife and kid and friend / To pretend / Time will mend / Our pain.”
Later, Marvin’s son Jason, played by Georgia Gray ’29, energetically bursts into song with “My Father’s a Homo,” contributing to the show’s satirical shock value.
In “I’m Breaking Down,” Marvin’s ex-
REVIEW
Rosalía’s ‘LUX’ transcends language and genre
breaks Billboard records with tracks spanning 14 languages
BY ANN GRAY GOLPIRA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
After over two years of work, Spanish singer, songwriter and record producer Rosalía released her long-awaited fourth studio album, “LUX,” on Nov. 7. Amassing over 40 million first-day streams, the record makes the artist the first to secure No. 1 debuts across five Billboard charts — “Top Latin Albums,” “Top Latin Pop Albums,” “Classical Albums,” “Classical Crossover” and “World Albums.”
But the album’s commercial success is not all that sets it apart. Rosalía, a native Spanish and Catalan speaker, worked with professional translators to write lyrics in 14 different languages — a mark of the attention to detail and ambitious music production that distinguishes “LUX” from other modern-day Billboard hits.
The album opens with “Sexo, Violencia y Llantas.” After a melodious piano introduction, Rosalía’s vocals enter alongside a simple yet haunting cello, which is quickly disrupted by a more electronic sound. The song’s effortless balance between short, buzzing synths and the classical sounds of the London Symphony Orchestra — with whom Rosalía recorded “LUX” — sets the
stage for the rest of the record. In “Divinize,” the album’s third track, Rosalía effortlessly blends elements of experimental pop, R&B and even Spanish flamenco. Her effortless vocal riffs, layered over sweeping dynamic changes and dramatic strings, lend the song a cinematic quality reminiscent of musical theater.
These theatrical instrumentals resurface in the album’s fifth track, “Mio Cristo
Piange Diamanti,” which translates from Italian to “my Christ cries diamonds” in English. The song begins with limited instrumentation, leaving center stage to Rosalía’s impeccable vocal control and intelligent creative direction. Packed with the raw emotion of Rosalía’s vocals, the song transcends language barriers to resonate deeply even with listeners who don’t understand Italian.
endearing nature certainly set Brown Musical Forum up for success, the impressive caliber of its cast truly distinguished the production as one of the year’s best student performances. From the impeccable comedic timing of Dr. Mendel, played by Brodie Gross ’28, to the strong baritone belts from Levin, every cast member was individually impressive and as a result, their group numbers were all the more awe-inspiring.
In the second act, the show takes a more serious turn, with the family discovering that Whizzer has been diagnosed with AIDS. Dr. Charlotte, played by Karli Cottom ’27, explains the gravity of the epidemic with “Something Bad is Happening.” She tells her wife Cordelia, played by Kat Lopez ’27, about her confusion over the recent spike in deaths across the city.
As the show nears its end, the family hosts Jason’s Bar Mitzvah in Whizzer’s hospital room. But while Jason reads from the Torah, Whizzer begins coughing and is whisked off stage.
The show ends with a tacit understanding of Whizzer’s death, with the rest of the cast standing together at center stage, hugging and crying. Dr. Mendel delivers the concluding song — a reprise of the second act’s opening song, “Falsettoland” — singing, “Lovers come and lovers go / Lovers live and die fortissimo / This is where we take a stand / Welcome to falsettoland.”
After a standing ovation for the cast, audience members could be seen both laughing and crying as the lights slowly faded back in — a testament to the show’s power as well as the strength of its seven-person cast.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 16, 2025.
Despite the project’s extensive range and often unpredictable musical choices, clean mixing manages to tie the record together. In “De Madrugá,” Rosalía incorporates short, percussive breaths and claps to create the song’s flamenco-pop rhythm, which is complemented by an intriguing nod to classical music in the track’s choral accompaniment and strings.
“Sauvignon Blanc” also highlights Rosalía’s impressive vocal strength. The song — backed by a more strippedback, simple piano melody — showcases a restrained side of the singer’s vocals. The emotional cracks of Rosalía’s voice throughout the song elucidate the emotion of its lyrics as she sings of renouncing material possessions in favor of her partner’s company.
“Ya no quiero perlas ni caviar / Tu amor será mi capital,” she sings. “¿Y qué más da? Si te tengo a ti / No necesito nada más.”
In English, the lyrics translate to “I don’t want pearls or caviar anymore / Your love will be my capital / And what else matters? If I have you / I don’t need anything else.”
Rosalía concludes the record with “Magnolias,” another vocal powerhouse track. In keeping with the rest of the album, the song transitions into a dramatic flourish of choral accompaniment and orchestral embellishments before culminating in haunting, isolated vocals. From start to finish, “LUX” transcends global boundaries, transporting listeners to an ornate concert hall centering Rosalía, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra and a reverberant choir. With its wide range of musical genres, languages and unique creative choices, “LUX” has something for everyone — whether you can understand all 14 languages or not.
wife Trina, played by Aliza Sapiro Polishook ’29, tells her side of the story. “Great, men
will be men / Let me turn on the gas,” she sings, “I caught them in the den with /
Marvin grabbing Whizzer’s ass.” While the show’s witty dialogue and
KAIA YALAMANCHILI / HERALD
“Falsettos” on Saturday. The impressive caliber of the show’s cast truly distinguished the production as one of the year’s best student performances.
‘LUX’
COURTESY OF SONY MUSIC
The album uses 14 languages to discuss themes of religion and romance.
SCIENCE & RESEARCH
RESEARCH CENTER
Brown begins work on $7 million microplastics research initiative
EEPS professor leads Brown’s team in SIMCoast initiative
BY ELIZABETH ROSENBAUM STAFF WRITER
Four years ago, Professor of Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Baylor Fox-Kemper helped submit a proposal to the National Science Foundation to study microplastics in Rhode Island waters. Earlier this year, the proposal was finally accepted.
Now, Fox-Kemper is leading Brown’s contributions to SIMCoast, a $7 million research project involving four Rhode Island universities: Brown, Rhode Island College, the University of Rhode Island and Roger Williams University.
The aim of SIMCoast is to understand how microplastics travel through bodies of water and “to better design detection techniques,” Fox-Kemper told The Herald. To achieve this goal, Fox-Kemper and his team have started taking water surveys across Narragansett Bay and the rest of Rhode Island.
Each academic institution involved with SIMCoast will contribute something different to SIMCoast, Fox-Kemper said. Brown’s side of the project centers on developing a model that can “advance understanding of the transport of nanoand microplastics as well as their fate,” Assistant Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences and Applied
HEALTH
Mathematics Mara Freilich ’15 wrote in an email to The Herald.
Quantifying microplastics is difficult because scientists “don’t fully understand” these particles yet, Fox-Kemper said.
Even when researchers find microplastics in water, it is “hard to unwind that clock” and reverse contamination, Fox-Kemper said. SIMCoast will study
mechanisms to avoid that spillage in the first place by addressing major sources of microplastics in Rhode Island, he added.
These plastics come from various sources, such as bottles, fishing tackle and textile manufacturing, Fox-Kemper explained. Although sewer systems are equipped to filter bacteria, microplastics often travel through the filters unharmed.
“A fleece jacket, when it’s made … will shed little, small pieces of plastic,” Fox-Kemper said. “But also, every time you wash it in the laundry machine, small pieces of plastic will break off and then end up in the water supply.”
In his own research, Fox-Kemper studies, models and observes ocean physics and currents. In the past decade, he has expand-
ed his research to include examining how nano- and microplastics infiltrate the ocean.
Fox-Kemper developed this focus after studying oil spills — an interest sparked by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. After his initial research, Fox-Kemper questioned whether plastics and oil spread in similar ways. Now, he’s looking to apply his experience to understanding pollution in Narragansett Bay with SIMCoast.
Freilich wrote that she appreciates the collaborative experience of SIMCoast.
“It’s a fantastic way to do interdisciplinary work and learn from others,” Freilich wrote. “SIMCoast is also exciting because it has direct connections with non-profit, industry and government partners throughout the research to increase the impact.”
Beyond partnering with other academic institutions, Fox-Kemper noted the importance of collaborating with local industry and environmental organizations with a shared goal of cleaner water.
Looking forward to using the models he and his team will build to study microplastics, Fox-Kemper is “optimistic that (they) can make an impact on this problem.”
“I’m excited that we might be able to actually really change the conversations among people who are worried about plastics in the environment and companies that may be producing plastics that end up in the environment,” Fox-Kemper said.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19, 2025.
Brown researchers study rise of substance use in New England with new $12M grant
The study is the first and only research initiative of its kind in the region
BY AMRITA RAJPAL CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A new project co-led by Brown researchers is looking to tackle the recent rise in substance abuse, HIV, hepatitis C and overdose in New England.
Awarded $12 million by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in August, the project hopes to identify the factors that contribute to the current increase in substance use in the region and affect individuals’ ability to access HIV, HCV and overdose treatment. The study will also investigate the effects of relevant policy changes and interventions in different populations with the hopes of determining future research directions.
The project makes up just one branch of a larger multi-site study currently being conducted in six different regions across the United States. The New England branch of the study is the first and only research initiative of its kind in the region, according to Brandon Marshall, professor of epidemiology and co-principal investigator.
The NIDA grant notes that high levels of opioid use and early introduction of toxic drug supply contaminants have led to coinciding surges of HIV, HCV and overdose among people who use drugs in New England.
Since both HIV and HCV can spread through blood, individuals who use drugs intravenously are at a higher risk for infection, as sharing needles or other drug equipment increases the possibility of contact with infected blood.
Out of the study's 1,200 person sample,
researchers hopes to enroll 180 people living with HIV, which is 15% of the total participants.
“Our goal, really, is to understand their experiences with HIV care,” Marshall told The Herald. “For people who are at risk, we’re interested in learning about their access to prevention services.”
Researchers hope to follow participants for up to five years, tracking their experiences with behavioral assessments while testing them for communicable diseases.
The study brings together three principal investigators — Marshall, Katie Biello, a professor of behavioral and social science and chair of epidemiology, and Angela
Bazzi, a professor of public health at the University of California, San Diego — who will all contribute to a different component of the study.
Biello said the specialization allows the research team to follow a large number of people in the New England area. The study will also focus on smaller suburban and rural communities to shed light on the overdose crisis outside of larger urban centers, according to Marshall.
“In New England, we have pretty good access to services as a whole,” Biello said in an interview with The Herald. “Good medical systems tend to be in primary cities … so we want to look at differences in access to care outside of main metropolitan cities.”
Marshall added that the research team is partnering with “health care and harm reduction organizations” in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Vermont. “In Rhode Island, we will be working primarily with the Community Care Alliance.”
Community Care Alliance is a nonprofit organization that works to empower people experiencing economic insecurity, mental illness, addiction, housing issues and trauma-related concerns, according to their website.
These community partners are “one of the main spokes on the wheel of this study,” Biello said.
“We will have staff embedded in community organizations in the three states
that we’re working in who will be working very closely with the … program staff to recruit and enroll,” she added.
The project is “still in the startup phase,” Marshall said, noting that his team is currently working on developing the surveys that will be given to the patients.
“We’re also creating what we’re calling a Community Leadership Council, which will be people working on the front lines to get their feedback on what kinds of questions we should be asking,” he added. This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19, 2025.
MAX ROBINSON / HERALD
Fox-Kemper and his team have started taking water surveys across Rhode Island to achieve their goal of a better understanding of how microplastics travel through water and improve microplastic detection techniques.
CLAIRE PARK / HERALD
VETERANS
Brown to expand financial support, mentorship programs for student veterans
The University hopes to remove barriers for graduate student veterans
BY ALI SCHAPIRO STAFF WRITER
At the University’s annual Veterans Day ceremony held on Nov. 11, President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 introduced a new student veteran mentorship program and announced Brown’s commitment to provide an unlimited match for graduate program tuition and fees for student veterans through the Yellow Ribbon Program.
Mac Manning, program director of the Office of Military-Affiliated Students, told The Herald that the Yellow Ribbon Program is an extension of the Post-9/11 GI Bill passed in 2008.
The federally funded GI bill can cover up to the full price of public, in-state university tuition and fees, but there is a cap on how much can go toward private school costs. Private schools can close that gap in cost by participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, through which the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs matches every dollar a university spends to help cover tuition and fees for eligible student veterans.
Brown already utilizes the Yellow Ribbon Program to cover 100% of eligible undergraduate student veterans’ mandatory tuition and fees. In her address, Paxson said the University will now expand its participation in the program to provide a similar unlimited match for master’s and doctoral students enrolling for the 2026-27 academic year.
According to a University press release,
ACADEMICS
NG / HERALD
The new program “will provide student veterans with expanded one-on-one peer mentoring, along with more robust programming for community building and professional development,” according to Kloey Albertson ’27, president of the Student Veterans Society.
expanding the program will ensure that financial barriers do not prevent veterans from pursuing graduate education at Brown.
This increased support comes amid a budget deficit and broader financial hardships on campus.
“Even and especially in times when we’re confronting larger financial challenges, it is essential to Brown’s mission that we’re able to persist in educating talented students from around the world and doing everything we can to eliminate financial barriers,” wrote University Spokesperson Brian Clark in an email to The Herald.
Paxson also announced that with a donation from the Gilbert and Jacki Cisneros Foundation, the OMAS’s peer-mentorship program for student veterans will become the new Cisneros Veterans Scholars Program. Gilbert Cisneros MA’15 is a U.S. Navy veteran who served as U.S. Under Secretary
of Defense for Personnel and Readiness.
In an email to The Herald, Kloey Albertson ’27, president of the Student Veterans Society, wrote that the new program “will provide student veterans with expanded one-on-one peer mentoring, along with more robust programming for community building and professional development.”
The average student veteran is 27-yearsold, which sets them apart from typical undergraduates, Manning explained. The mentorship program aims to enhance the resources available to student veterans to ensure they can find a strong community and “have all the information they need to make well-informed decisions during the transition to Brown,” he added.
Albertson wrote that she is confident “this additional support will strengthen the overall veteran experience on campus.”
Jared Yee ’27 — vice president of the
Student Veteran Society who was deployed in Eastern Europe in 2022 — credits “Brown with turning a traditionally difficult transition from service to the classroom into a seamless experience,” he wrote in an email to The Herald.
Yee believes the University’s new initiatives “will propel Brown to attract even more highly qualified veteran applicants,” he wrote.
The new initiatives come after the University’s 2019 goal to double its undergraduate veteran population by 2024.
At the time, around 20 undergraduate veterans were enrolled at Brown. Now, that number has risen to 75, with 38 additional student veterans pursuing graduate degrees, according to the press release.
The University also offers a specific Veterans Application for undergraduates, which “was designed specifically for veteran applicants and incorporated feedback di-
rectly from veterans,” wrote Logan Powell, associate provost for enrollment and dean of undergraduate admission, in an email to The Herald.
Sydney Matthes, CEO of Service to School — an organization that helps active-duty service members and veterans navigate the higher education landscape — commended Brown on its work to support student-veterans.
She praised the University’s “willingness to invest in the student veteran community” throughout its partnership with Service to School’s VetLink Program, which provides free application mentoring and networking opportunities for veterans.
“As more veterans enroll on campus … the word is going to get out of how well Brown is supporting student veterans, both to and through their journey at Brown,” Matthes explained.
Matthes described Brown as a “hot destination for veterans.” Brown has been “advocating for change to better support the student population,” and that change is “having a direct impact on numbers of applicants,” she said.
“As more veterans enroll on campus … the word is going to get out of how well Brown is supporting student veterans, both to and through their journey at Brown,” Matthes explained.
Matthes described Brown as a “hot destination for veterans.” Brown has been “advocating for change to better support the student population,” and that change is “having a direct impact on numbers of applicants,” she said.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 19, 2025.
From London to Cape Verde: How professors create courses with international travel
Faculty members can apply for a GELT grant to fund a class with a trip
BY NATE BARKOW STAFF WRITER
While most professors plan classes that are held on College Hill, a select few opt to take their courses out of the classroom — and even out of the country. Each year, faculty members can apply for a Global Experiential Learning and Teaching grant, which funds courses with an international travel component at no additional cost to students.
ENGL 1760E: “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” is one GELT course that will be offered next semester. Over spring break, students in the course will travel to London, where they will explore the city’s Bloomsbury area in which Woolf worked with other modernist writers. The trip will also include visits to museums and to locations mentioned in the author’s works.
“It will create a different kind of classroom community,” said Associate Professor of English Ravit Reichman, who will be teaching the course. “I love the idea of spending that kind of quality time with students and just seeing them discover things for themselves.”
According to Kelly Watts, assistant dean of the College for experiential learning, the College typically receives five GELT proposals each year and can support one course per semester.
For Reichman, applying for the GELT grant was a “pretty involved process.”
“I had to develop an itinerary where we fit a lot in, but not so much that it be-
comes impossible to do everything,” she said, noting that she also had to consider the trip’s budget.
Reichman — who has previously taught the class without a travel element — said she did not change the reading list ahead of next semester.
Because Woolf’s novels pay “careful attention to surroundings,” Reichman said it “makes a big difference to have that sense of place in mind.”
But Reichman’s students aren’t the only Brunonians who will travel abroad as part of a course in the coming year. Tricia Kelly, an assistant teaching professor
of education, and Patricia Sobral PhD’97, teaching professor of Portuguese and Brazilian studies, will be co-teaching EDUC 0500A: “Habla Conmigo: Cross-Cultural Language Learning and Teaching” during the upcoming winter term.
EDUC 0500A includes a trip to Mérida, Mexico, where students will visit the nearby ancient Mayan city of Uxmal and participate in a cacao workshop, among other cultural activities.
The course will “give students who might not have another opportunity to go abroad” a chance to learn in an international setting, Kelly said.
SOPHIA BASALDUA / HERALD
But planning the course was not without its challenges, Sobral said.
The GELT application process was “a lot of work,” and of the 68 students who applied for the course, they could only admit 12, according to Sobral.
“It’s a small group, but they’re going to have many opportunities to work collaboratively,” Kelly said.
Faculty members who planned GELT courses offered in previous semesters shared similar sentiments.
“Planning the course was quite complex, far more so than my typical course-planning,” wrote Suzanne Stew -
art-Steinberg, professor of European history as well as comparative literature and Italian studies, in an email to The Herald. Stewart-Steinberg taught ITAL 1400Y: “Representations of Italian Fascism” in winter 2024.
“There were three components to the course: in-person teaching in Providence, on-site in Rome and Zoom teaching,” Stewart-Steinberg wrote. “Juggling all that could at times get complicated.”
Last winter, Associate Vice President for Campus Life Vanessa Britto ScM’96 taught UNIV 1981: “Diasporic Healthcare and the Creolization of Health and Medicine: Cabo Verde and the United States.”
Britto said that while UNIV 1981 was eventually selected for the GELT grant, she initially received feedback that her course was “too ambitious.”
It was “almost harder to pull stuff out and decide what was core, what should stay and what needed to go” than it was to create the course plan itself, she said.
Ultimately, the course’s travel component was what made the class a transformative experience for her students, Britto said.
“Everything that had been abstract was now concrete,” she added. “This absolutely brought out the best in the students that were chosen.”
As Reichman prepares to bring students abroad in the spring, she told The Herald that she loves “being part of a university that makes these experiences possible.”
“It connects the work we’re doing here with a wider world,” she added.
This article originally appeared
MICHELLE
UNIVERSITY NEWS
AFFINITY
Identity-based student groups report more pushback from SAO
The SAO requested changes to some descriptions of student clubs
BY ZARINA HAMILTON SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Leaders of several identity-based student groups said their publicized event descriptions and club constitutions have faced more scrutiny from the Student Activities Office over the past few months.
As of this semester, all student organizations are required to review their constitutions and submit revised versions in accordance with the Undergraduate Council of Students’s new constitution template, Joie Forte, senior associate dean and director of student activities, wrote in an email to The Herald. The constitution guidelines require clubs to explicitly extend membership to all undergraduates and include an anti-harassment and discrimination statement.
“Over the past few years, we noticed that many organizations’ constitutions were not in line with the current UCS template,” Forte wrote. “We updated it this year to be responsive to themes we have seen emerge.”
While the University has enacted new rules regarding club constitutions, Forte wrote that there are no new requirements regarding student-planned events and their descriptions.
The heightened scrutiny comes amid the Trump administration’s targeting of diversity, equity and inclusion programs at higher education institutions nationwide. The government previously froze the
The SAO said that increased enforcement aims to ensure the event descriptions and constitutions align with the University’s Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, according to club organizers.
University’s federal funding over alleged DEI programming, among other issues.
The funding was restored through a July agreement.
“Brown has consistently followed existing laws that require all groups and programs to be open to everyone, including affinity centers and groups,” Forte wrote.
But leaders of identity-based organizations have expressed frustration with what they see as more frequent and stringent enforcement of SAO policy.
A few days before a September showcase of Black pre-professional clubs and organizations, Black Pre-Med Society received an email from the SAO requesting that the club change the event description, said Lyriq Turner ’27, the group’s co-president.
The description stated that the event was intended for “incoming first-years” with the words “in particular, Black firstyears” in parentheses, Turner explained.
The SAO wanted the group to clarify that all
students would be welcome to attend the event, in compliance with the University’s Nondiscrimination and Anti-Harassment Policy, she added.
To adhere to the SAO’s suggestion, the group removed the word “Black” from the description, Turner said.
“There’s not anything exclusive about us,” Turner said. “This just happens to be our identity: people who are Black who are interested in medicine.”
The BPMS is not the only club the SAO has recently contacted regarding event messaging. Last semester, the SAO reached out to two student organizations — the Brown Outing Club and the Rib of Brown — to clarify whether their affinity events were open to all gender identities, The Herald previously reported.
This spring, the Rib, along with Black Pre-Law Association, rewrote their club descriptions after the SAO claimed the clubs’ verbiage gave preference to certain
protected classes, according to student leaders.
Black Pre-Law Association’s original description stated that the club “specializes in uplifting minority students entering the legal field,” but also clarified that the group was open to all Brown University students, said Isabella Clarke ’26, the group’s president.
After the SAO rejected two draft descriptions, the club’s third revision was approved, reading “an organization open to all Brown students who embrace the mission of counteracting challenges minority students encounter when entering the legal field.”
While Clarke understood the SAO’s reasons behind the change, she said she was also disappointed that the phrase “uplifting minority students” raised what she called a “DEI red flag.”
“It was a little disheartening, just because Brown champions being such a proud supporter of diversity and standing up to Trump,” she added. The University previously rejected a White House-issued compact that asked Brown to agree to several stipulations to receive federal funding.
The Rib faced similar pushback from the SAO regarding their constitution this spring, said Sophia Plaschke ’26, an editor for the publication.
While the Rib’s original description specified that the club’s goal was to “uplift the voices of women and people with other marginalized genders,” an SAO representative claimed this implied the club is “giving preference to certain protected classes,” which would violate SAO policy, Plaschke said.
Plaschke suggested that the Rib reword the description to clarify that club appli-
cations are specifically open to students who aim to uplift those voices, rather than the club itself.
Not all club leaders were happy with the suggested changes, Plaschke said, but they were willing to adhere to the SAO’s requests to maintain the Rib’s status as a campus organization.
Student leaders of these organizations emphasized the importance of having affinity spaces on campus for people of marginalized identities.
For Clarke, Black Pre-Law Association is a way to gain access to pre-law advisors and support networks, which she said are already limited at Brown. She added that the SAO’s required changes to the club description are “making it harder” to advertise those resources to Black students.
“Being pre-law at Brown is hard to navigate,” she said. “I wouldn’t have known of any of the Black pre-law opportunities if it wasn’t for my club.”
Plaschke added that the Rib was founded because other comedy groups on campus were typically male-dominated. “We pride ourselves in being a space that’s very comfortable and supportive,” she said. She noted that the publication currently has a reputation as a space for women and other marginalized genders, but said that “if these policies stay, maybe that will change.”
While Turner was reassured to know that her organization was not the only one facing scrutiny, she said the apparent uptick in enforcement is still “very concerning.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Nov. 18, 2025.
SELINA KAO / HERALD