SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD ‘Frustrating as hell’: Football’s comeback attempt falls short in 14-10 loss to Harvard The Bears braved rainy conditions at the Centreville Bank Stadium
ACADEMICS
ANNAMARIA LUECHT / HERALD
Students have previously studied PPE as an independent concentration
BY HARRY GUO SENIOR STAFF WRITER
BY NATE BARKOW SENIOR STAFF WRITER Content warning: The content of this article includes discussion of sexual assault involving minors. On Sept. 23, the Providence Police Department began investigating a reported sexual assault that occured during school hours at Hope High School. During the ongoing investigation, four juveniles — who are now being held at the Rhode Island Training School — were charged with first-degree sexual assault. The allegation was first reported to the school’s
school resource officer, Kristy dosReis, Providence chief public information officer for public safety, wrote in a statement to The Herald. The students involved were then “brought to the office and police were immediately notified,” Principal Francisco Velasquez wrote in a Sept. 23 letter to the Hope High School Community. According to NBC 10, the victim is a 16-year-old student. Velasquez added that “this was an isolated incident.” “Providence Police take allegations of sexual assault seriously and investigate them in accordance with applicable law and department procedures,” dosReis wrote. “Because this case involves juveniles and remains an active investigation, there is limited additional information we can release re-
Science & Research
SEE CRIME PAGE 4
SEE FACT CHECK PAGE 15
Serena Lee
Krisha Pakala
9 explore the world!
15 ouroboros
Krisha Pakala
13 a series of monologues in which you get to become someone else
Jack Serpick
Acadia Phillips
7 i'm not homesick?
4 students charged with sexual assault at Hope High School
BIOLOGY
Coco Kanders
CRIME
1 te quiero
VANSON VU / HERALD
5 purple girl
SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 6
The idea for a philosophy, politics and economics degree was first introduced at Oxford University in the 1920s, according to David Skarbek, professor of political economy and director of the PPE Center. On Sept. 28, more than a century later, Brown’s Center for PPE announced on Instagram that the University will now be home to its own PPE concentration. Brown will be the fourth Ivy to offer a PPE program. According to the center’s website, the new concentration is set to be Brown’s most intensive formalized A.B. concentration with 18 course requirements consisting of core PPE courses and individual offerings across the three disciplines. The concentration also calls for a capstone project, which can take the form of a senior thesis, independent study or special project attached to an upper-level course. “That’s intellectually what it demands to become conversant in each of these different disciplinary domains,” Skarbek added. The idea for the concentration emerged after a former dean of the College suggested that faculty consider creating an official PPE concentration, Skarbek said. Previously, some students explored the intersection of these topics through an independent concentration.
Daniela Trejo-Rodriguez
table of contents
JAKE PARKER / HERALD
11 a dichotomy on wickenden
BY MIRIAM DAVISON SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Spurred on by a sold-out Centreville Bank Stadium, Brown Football Brown Football faced off against Harvard for the 125th time on Friday. After witnessing a 41-7 embarrassment at the hands of the Crimson last year and a historic triumph in 2024, the Bruno faithful had little frame of reference for how this year’s edition would unfold. By the end of the game, the Bears and their student section were left out in the cold, tantalizingly close to the warmth of glory. Playing through a Nor’easter, Brown fell behind by two touchdowns in the first half before clawing back to within four points of Harvard in the final two quarters. But three interceptions by James Murphy ’27 and a late special-teams turnover ultimately helped Harvard escape with a 14-10 victory. “This is frustrating as hell,” Head Coach James Perry ’00 told The Herald in a postgame press conference. “But (what matters is) how we respond so that when we move forward, we’re able to fuel the fire so that we play our best football over the course of eight weeks.” The Bears kicked off to begin the game, and the Crimson immediately went to work. Clad entirely in white in contrast to Bruno’s all-brown uniforms, Harvard moved upfield with relative ease, mixing short passes with runs as they worked all the way to the
The charges come after a Providence Police Department Sept. 23 report
University launches PPE concentration
Following the suggestion, faculty from the PPE Center worked alongside various departments to develop a curriculum for the concentration that they believed was “intellectually compelling,” “scholarly” and equipped students with “useful tools and frameworks for understanding the world,” Skarbek said. For Skarbek, studying philosophy, political science and economics simultaneously encourages students to approach social problems in multifaceted ways. “It’s not merely multiple disciplines together,” Skarbek said. “It gives us a toolkit that allows us to ask about efficiency, but also about justice and fairness.” “The world’s not faced with simple problems with a single fix,” he added. “The problems that we face are multidimensional and demanding.” PPE teaches students how to “operate each of the spotlights” rather than being confined to one, said Simone Gubler, assistant professor of philosophy and political economy. “PPE can be seen as a kind of attempt to, at its best, facilitate these important conversations and to minimize the darkness that we encounter on the stage of public life.” Anita Sosa ’29, who is currently concentrating in philosophy and economics, said she was drawn to PPE for its cross-department structure. “Most problems that we face nowadays are interdisciplinary,” Sosa said. Sosa is a member of the PPE society alongside Zac Resneck ’28, who joined the society — which he calls a “book club and a social hub” — as a first-year. Throughout his time at Brown, Resneck said he has often heard students express an interest in studying philosophy, politics and economics together.
SEE ACADEMICS PAGE 3
The Human RNome Project seeks first-ever complete sequence of the body’s RNA Brown professor Vivian Cheung is one of the founding members of the project BY ALICE XIE SCIENCE & RESEARCH EDITOR The Human Genome Project was a 13-year effort to generate the first ever complete sequence of all human DNA — widely regarded as one of science’s greatest feats in recent history. Now, Brown researchers are leading the charge on making its complement: a complete sequence of all human RNA. This summer, the Human RNome Project Consortium — led by Vivian Cheung, professor of molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry — focused on unveiling the first ever complete draft of the human RNA genome.
post- Magazine
The consortium began with a meeting at Brown around two and a half years ago. According to Cheung, there were “only 11 people in the room.” Since then, the consortium has grown to include researchers from 30 countries, all working together to sequence the body’s RNA. Researchers such as Cheung have been working on The Human RNome Project Consortium as part of a “global effort to reveal the complete landscape of human RNA biology,” according to their website. “The Human RNome Project began because we believed it was essential to measure this layer and create a reference for complete RNA molecules, including their sequences, isoforms, processing states and chemical modifications,” Charles Lee, associate dean of translational genomics and a professor of
SEE BIOLOGY PAGE 14
SEE POST- PAGE 8
—Tarini Malhotra, “juxtaposition” 10.04.24
BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2026
“This rain is so cold and miserable. I feel like I have been sweetly gaslit by the glorious weather of Providence’s summer.”
VOLUME CLXI, ISSUE 15
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Friday, October 2, 2026
UNIVERSITY NEWS STUDENT LIFE
How College Hill celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival Three student organizations shared how they celebrated the annual holiday BY SELINA KAO STAFF WRITER A week ago, the Campus Center’s Petteruti Lounge was alive with music. Students sat at tables with markers and mooncakes, decorating their own paper lanterns at the Vietnamese Student Association Tết Trung Thu, or Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. The celebration of the fall harvest always takes place on the 15th day of the eighth month of the lunar calendar — which coincides with the full moon, or the harvest moon. This year, it fell on Sept. 25. Student groups across campus gathered to celebrate. The Herald spoke to three student group leaders about the events they hosted. Hanh Nguyen ’28, VSA co-president, said although the festival was only a few weeks into the school year, the VSA executive board was still able to source supplies and mooncakes. “We locked in,” Nguyen said. “We made sure to plan it out because it’s a really important event in Vietnamese culture.” Mooncakes are a pastry that represents the harvest moon and family reunion. For
Mooncakes are a pastry that represents the harvest moon and family reunion. the celebration, they are traditionally cut into the same number of slices as family members present. At the event, mooncakes were stacked by flavor, ranging from red bean to lotus seed. Students chattered and sipped on cups of hot tea as they decorated paper lanterns.
Amy Nguyen ’30 said she appreciated the celebration and was able to meet “a handful of Vietnamese people (to build her) community here at Brown.” Twenty-four hours later, the Hong Kong Student’s Association had their own Mid-Autumn Festival event at the RISD Ewing Multicultural Center.
SELINA KAO / HERALD
In Hong Kong, many businesses celebrate Mid-Autumn by selling mooncakes in intricate boxes, Alysha Lai ’28 wrote in an email to The Herald. Even from outside the small building, the liveliness of HKSA’s event was palpable as students munched on mooncakes, met new people and talked to old friends.
The Chinese Students Association’s Mid-Autumn Festival on Sept. 27 was hosted in the Underground as the Nor’easter hit the East Coast, but the rain could not dampen the mood. Daniel Zhao ’27, CSA president, said the group originally planned to collaborate with the Astronomy Club again to bring a telescope to the Main Green so students could look at the full moon after the partnership was “really successful last year.” But the Nor’easter’s dreary weather led CSA to cancel those outdoor celebrations. Still, students filed into the small space in Campus Center, face lit with smiles as they enjoyed mooncakes together. “It’s been super lovely seeing everyone come out — even on a rainy day — to come celebrate the Mid-Autumn Festival,” CSA Co-Media Chair Jessica Li ’29 said. At HKSA’s Mid-Autumn Festival, Edwin Chen ’30 said he thinks “the most important thing about Mid-Autumn is definitely connecting with people you know, reuniting with them and eating mooncakes together.” “The mooncakes are definitely the star of the show,” he added.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 28, 2026.
IDENTITY
In concentrations targeted by attacks on DEI, students grapple with a hostile poFederal pushback against DEI has brought fear and uncertainty to students BY RACHEL WICKER SENIOR STAFF WRITER Over the past two years, universities across the country have scaled back or consolidated liberal arts programs that focus on ethnic and gender-based identity studies. Since taking office last January, the Trump administration has signed several executive orders to combat diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives at institutions and organizations across the country, including in higher education. At Brown, students interested in pursuing careers related to DEI already face a unique uncertainty in a job market that is already concerning. The Herald spoke to three students in fields of study which have been affected by anti-DEI pushback over the past two years. To Anthony Bogues, professor of humanities and African studies and the inaugural director of the Simmons Center, part of the challenge lies in viewing entire fields of study as directly related to or about DEI. Bogues says this inadequately represents their focus and mission. “All of this is about the study of the human experience,” he said. “One of the responsibilities of a university is to understand and to study the wide gamut of human experiences,” he added. Now, he said that responsibility is “under stress.” The perception that these fields are somehow intrinsically tied to the now-under-attack ideas of DEI has fostered a sense of fear among students. After spending her first year at Emerson College, Charlotte Brandman ’27 transferred to Brown with an interest in studying gender and sexuality studies.
LUSIA AUSTEN / HERALD
Under the GNSS concentration, she studies “legal theory and history and policy from this really critical queer perspective,” she said. When the Trump administration first targeted Brown, freezing millions of dollars in federal funding, Brandman said she “was really concerned.” “I just remember thinking if there’s a major to go first, it’s going to be mine,” she said. Even though undergraduates in the department have not seen any tangible changes yet, Brandman still feels a general “anxiety in the department.” Brandman said that this mainly stems from a general shift towards conservatism that has impacted “any progress we’ve made in making the world a safe space for queer and trans bodies.” “We are kind of watching our rights evolve as we try to research them,” she
added. The Trump administration has targeted transgender rights through various executive orders and legal challenges. As part of Brown’s July 2025 agreement with the federal government to restore funding, the University pledged to align with NCAA rules for the participation of transgender athletes in campus sports, which permit only students assigned female at birth to play in women’s sports. Brandman plans on eventually going into public service. She said she has noticed a “job anxiety” within GNSS because studying gender and sexuality studies has become “a political statement.” She said that listing GNSS on her resume could “be used against (her) in the job search.” Skyler Recel-Chang ’27, who studies neuroscience and critical Native Amer-
ican and Indigenous studies, wrote in an email to The Herald that the current political climate has “severely impacted” course selection and research opportunities for CNAIS students and faculty. The concentration was established through funding from the Andrew Mellon Foundation, a private foundation that offers grants to study the arts and humanities. “It is difficult to imagine this type of support being repeated within the current political climate,” she wrote. “While I have had the privilege of taking many enriching courses across disciplines with CNAIS, it makes the scholarship difficult when this important work feels constantly delegitimized.” Janelle Aponte ’27, who studies ethnic studies and sociology, said she feels “very lucky” and “privileged” to study ethnic
studies at Brown, as the department has not been significantly impacted compared to other peer institutions. But she added that despite this comfort, the reality is, she is studying a subject “that is literally under attack in this country.” While she described the Department of Ethnic Studies as “a system of support,” she has felt tangible effects of the administration’s policies in other areas. Like Brandman, Aponte is pre-law, and she is currently in the process of applying to law school. She said that she questions what makes her “hireable” during a period of time when her fields of study are “not something that is popular right now.” “Even though at Brown it might feel like a sense of normal, there’s a whole world outside of it where that’s not the case,” she added. “Those programs can exist here at Brown, but if they don’t exist anywhere else, where are we going with it?” Bogues said that the departmental reductions across the nation is “creating a ground for lack of understanding between human beings.” Bogues said he has been assured by the University administration that a consolidation or reduction of the Africana Studies department will not happen at Brown. But he added that he has noticed concern surrounding the job market in the graduate students he teaches. “I think that’s a valid concern,” he said, adding that the job market for Africana studies concentrators “is not as robust as it was 10 years ago.” Still, he emphasized that Brown is “one of the (best and) most important universities in the United States.” “I would say to (students), you take advantage of what is available for you to understand the world,” Bogues added.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 30, 2026
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
PAGE 3
UNIVERSITY NEWS ACADEMICS FROM PAGE 1 Since coming to Brown, Breyten Neill ’27.5 has been interested in studying the content in “the middle of the Venn diagram” between philosophy, political science and economics, which is why he decided to pursue an independent concentration in PPE.
Resneck, a prospective PPE concentrator who is currently studying international and public affairs, said he hadn’t wanted to pursue an independent concentration, so the new change “makes PPE so much more accessible.”
“It’s been a long time coming,” Resneck said. “I’ve been looking forward to it for a long time.” For Jacob Moldover GS, a third-year doctoral candidate in philosophy who has worked with the PPE Society, philosophical questions
become more practically grounded when paired with political science and economics. Jolin Yu ’29, a transfer student “tentatively” planning to concentrate in PPE, said that interdisciplinary study was one of the reasons she was attracted to Brown.
“I think the development of a PPE major amounts to Brown putting its money where its mouth is,” Moldover said.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 30, 2026.
ACADEMICS
Want a spot in the class? Take a quiz first. Some professors turned to tests to pick which students can enroll
As students shopped the courses they were interested in taking this fall, some
asked to sit for an exam that asked students to prove their favorite math theorems and explore open-ended questions using artificial intelligence. Chandaria ultimately ended up securing a spot in the class, although he later gave it up due to a lack of interest in the course. He notes that the process of the exam was not off-putting for him, but it was “annoying” since there were other
may have come across a unique barrier to enrollment: an assessment. Similar to a writing sample required for literary arts classes, these quizzes serve as a filter for professors to keep courses capped and evaluate students’ dedication to the class. Professor of Medical Science Anatoly Zhitkovich, who teaches BIOL 1290: “Cancer Biology,” allows admission into his course based on students’ performance on the class’s first two quizzes. As the class is partially discussion-based, he aims to enroll a maximum of 40 students. “Discussions become difficult to do when you start exceeding a certain number of students,” Zhitkovich said. Content on the quiz is based on materials from the first few lectures, allowing Zhitkovich to get a sense of who was engaged in class as well as who has the biology background required to succeed in the course. The quiz material is also similar to what is on the midterm, serving as an indicator of future performance, he added. Typically, if a student scores above a
classes he would have liked to shop during the exam’s duration. Simon Rosenblum ’27, who is currently taking MATH 1310, first heard about the course on Sidechat and “thought it sounded cool,” particularly because he had previously taken classes related to math and AI. Rosenblum noted the exam wasn’t difficult, describing it as a demonstration of the mathematical abilities that math concentrators should already know. He estimated that between 60 and 80 people took the exam for what would end up becoming a 20-person class. “Some people left during or pretty soon after the exam started,” he added. According to Assistant Professor of Mathematics and MATH 1310 co-teacher Damien Galant, the enrollment process will likely change when the course is next offered. “I think it’s better than the more ambiguous way of having to convince the professor via an override request or something,” Rosenblum said. “I think this is a good way to do it.”
BY EMMA MEJIA STAFF WRITER
CARYS LAM / HERALD
60% — which is considered a B for the course — they are a good fit for the class, Zhitkovich said. Before these quizzes were in place, Zhitkovich said that “10% of students just look at (the) midterm and walk away, and 25% of students take (the) midterm and then never show up.” Zhitkovich thinks that the applications some classes use are too subjective, and he finds quizzes to be an objective measure of a student’s abilities and determination.
“It’s not me who decides how well they’re going to do,” Zhitkovich said. But the quizzes aren’t the end-all, beall, he added. “I always listen to students’ special circumstances,” Zhitkovich said, adding that in certain cases he accepts students who may have scored below the cut-off. Louis Boyang ’27, a teaching assistant for BIOL 1290, said that some students have approached him with concerns about the quizzes, but noted that the quiz is not
meant to be particularly difficult. “It’s more so just a way to help filter for the people that really care,” he said. “If you are there for the first three lectures, and if you just review the material … you’ll likely be able to stay in the class.” On the other end of the spectrum is MATH 1310: “Frontier AI in Mathematical Research.” Unlike BIOL 1290, this course is restricted to just 20 students. Taari Chandaria ’28, a math and computer science concentrator, said he was
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PAGE 4
Friday, October 2, 2026
METRO CRIME FROM PAGE 1 garding the circumstances of the alleged incident or investigative steps.” Providence Public School District spokesperson Alex Torres-Perez shared in a statement to The Herald that the district is “fully cooperating with authorities as they conduct their investigation, and will comply with all applicable laws.” “PPSD wants to ensure that everyone who may have been affected has access to the support they need during this difficult time,” Velasquez wrote in a Sept. 25 follow-up letter to the Hope community. The district is assessing their safety protocols and ensuring access to the Crisis Response Team in response to the incident,
Torres-Perez wrote. The Office of Opportunity and Access is working with the school to provide continued support. On Oct. 1, Hope also began hosting voluntary listening circles facilitated by a trained mediator. Students also have access to mental health support from Day One and Hazel Health, she added. In a statement to The Herald, Lindsay Paiva, President of the Providence Teachers Union wrote that teachers were provided with an FAQ document “with what steps to take if students came to them with information.” In April, a student Central High School was charged with first-degree sexual assault after an incident reported during school
hours. Paiva said that, in light of these incidents, the PTU is advocating for more transparent, standardized procedures on how schools should navigate reports of sexual assault or other “school crises.” One junior at Hope, who was granted anonymity due to the sensitivity of the subject matter, told The Herald that there was a lack of face-to-face communication between the administration and students following the incident. “They didn’t say anything at school,” she said, adding that even after a week “teachers haven’t spoken to us about it.” Since the news was released, the student said, “My parents would not want me
to go into the bathroom alone.” She brings a friend to the bathroom or calls a friend “just in case.” She also emphasized the need for more cameras at Hope. A safety audit completed at Hope last year found that “blind spots were identified for additional cameras and security measures,” Paiva wrote. “There was never any follow through from the district.” According to Torres-Perez, Hope has increased monitoring within the school and added three security cameras, which are scheduled to be online starting Oct. 5. Hope also hosted its spirit week as planned this week. “Why would we have a spirit week after
this happened?” said the Hope student. “What they’re doing is so insensitive because why are we having a pep rally after the rape allegation happened?” Torres-Perez wrote that school administrators thought over whether to proceed with spirit week, the pep rally and homecoming events. “Student leaders advocated for continuing this week’s events. They felt that it was more important than ever for the Hope High School community to come together, support each other and show strength during this difficult time for our community.” “I’m kind of shocked people are not mad about this,” the student said.
RISD
Breaking down the data behind Brown, RISD cross-registration The Herald analyzed registrar data to explore the most popular classes BY IZABELLA PIATKOWSKI SENIOR STAFF WRITER Brown and Rhode Island School of Design students have been able to cross-register at both institutions for over a century. This semester, the highest number of Brown students in at least the last five years have chosen to journey down the hill for a RISD class, according to RISD registrar Christine Peterson. About 10% of RISD classes have at least one Brown student registered, Peterson wrote in an email to The Herald. Meanwhile, 384 RISD students are enrolled in 219 distinct courses at Brown, according to Lisa Mather, the University’s senior associate registrar for operations management. The Herald analyzed data provided by Brown and RISD’s registrars to explore the most popular classes across institutions. According to RISD’s cross-registration website, all RISD students — apart from first-year undergraduates — can cross-register at Brown during the fall and spring semesters. Meanwhile, Brown’s cross-registration website reports that Brown students can cross-register at RISD during the fall, winter and spring terms. They can take a maximum of four course credits at RISD that count toward the graduation requirements at Brown. One credit at Brown is typically equivalent to three credits at RISD, with certain studio courses counting as two credits at Brown and six credits at RISD. This semester at Brown, RELS 1195: “Colors in Chinese Religion” and TAPS 1280G: “Intro to Theatrical Design” are tied for the number one class with the most RISD students enrolled. Yuqing Luo, a Chinese religions and visual culture postdoctoral research associate who teaches RELS 1195, wrote in
email to The Herald that she noticed the high number of RISD students in her class early on and asked her colleagues if it was typical. She added that “the impression she received” from colleagues was that the high number was rare. “Generally speaking, among the RISD students, there is definitely a more embodied or hands-on approach to understanding the history of religion,” she wrote to The Herald. “It is much appreciated in my class, and I encourage the students to talk to each other both in and out of the classroom.” Renée Surprenant Fitzgerald, an associate teaching professor of set design and instructor for TAPS 1280G, found that shifting her class this semester to a time that didn’t conflict with a large RISD design studio attracted more RISD students than usual. Surprenant Fitzgerald said she has a wide variety of students taking her class, including RISD master’s students, as well as both RISD and Brown undergraduates. “I think one of the best strengths for both schools is for students to be able to cross-register and meet each other and learn from each other,” said Surprenant Fitzgerald. “In my class, I really try to make sure there’s a lot of presenting to each other and learning from each other’s creative process.” JAPN 0100: “Basic Japanese” is tied for the third most popular Brown course for RISD students this semester. Assistant Teaching Professor of East Asian Studies Sachiko Hiramatsu, one of the instructors, has noticed that the course has been popular with RISD students for years. She noted that RISD students might be attracted to Japanese because of the rich artistic culture of the country, highlighting that knowledge of the language could help them in their careers. For RISD senior Brightly Shen, “Basic Japanese” is the third Brown class she has enrolled in. Though she thinks the cross-registration process is “tedious,” she said she finds the liberal arts classes
at Brown more interesting than the ones at RISD. Summer Chang, a RISD sophomore who is also taking “Basic Japanese,” said she appreciates the opportunity to take Brown classes — even though she found cross-registration anxiety-inducing because of how close to the start of the semester the process occurs. Shen said that the global popularity of Japanese media most likely contributes to the number of RISD students who enroll in the language class, as well as the fact that RISD has Wintersession courses that take place in Japan. CSCI 0111: “Computing Foundations: Data” also makes the list of the most popular Brown classes for RISD students. The class’s instructor, Assistant Teaching Professor of Computer Science Milda Zizyte, said that since the course does not assume any programming knowledge, it attracts students from all different fields. She also noted that she often receives requests to take the class from students pursuing RISD’s computation, technology and culture concentration, which merges digital technologies with art and design practices. Anthony Liao, a RISD senior studying graphic design and concentrating in CTC, joined the class to learn more about backend development. He noted that the cross-registration process is “long and complex,” and the biggest obstacle to taking classes at Brown is working around RISD’s course schedule. For Ryan Doody — an assistant professor of philosophy and political economy — RISD cross-registration is “the coolest.” His class, PHIL 0555: “Choice, Commerce and Conflict: An Introduction to PPE,” is the fifth most popular class at Brown for RISD students. “I do think that there’s a unique perspective that RISD students bring up that comes up every once in a while, just typically having slightly different backgrounds and different interests than the Brown stu-
dents,” he said. Meanwhile, down the hill, 84 Brown students are participating in RISD studio classes across the arts. Renee Cornue, an MFA student in photography at RISD, teaches PHOTO 5350: “Intro to Digital Photography” — the fourth most popular class for Brown students at RISD this semester. She said that since the class is a non-major course, students from a variety of fields take it to learn the basics of photography. “I have noticed an earnestness in the Brown students that I really appreciate,” she said. Cornue has also taken a class at Brown in the Middle East Studies department, which she said has benefited her thesis work. Lobbin Liu, a critic in graphic design at RISD, teaches GRAPH 2117 Workshop: “UI/ UX Design: From Mind to Screen,” which has attracted Brown students from a range of disciplines. Though class registration is prioritized for graphic design students at RISD, a variety of Brown students email her every semester looking for a spot in the class. Students take the workshop for four weeks, and three sessions are offered through the semester. “It's always interesting to see students from different backgrounds and disciplines and their contributions to the discussion and to the critique,” she said. “I welcome one or two Brown students in each section,
if there is a spot.” Selena Zhu ’29, who studies psychology and visual arts, is currently cross-registered in an illustration class at RISD. She said she found it difficult to find a spot in a RISD class due to time conflicts and limited space. “The class I’m currently registered for had only one slot left, and the other eight classes I emailed for were full,” she wrote in an email to The Herald. “Still, I would say it’s a great opportunity. I am finding this class very valuable and also enjoy making new friends at RISD with similar interests in painting and illustration.” Associate Professor of Music Anthony Cheung teaches MUSC 0091: “Film Music: History, Theory and Practice” — one of the top classes for RISD students cross-registered at Brown. He emphasized the strength of the relationship between Brown and RISD that he has witnessed as the director of graduate studies for music and multimedia composition. “A lot of our students actually go to RISD to take specialized courses there at the graduate level, because there is a kind of natural extension of our curriculum into theirs when we’re talking about sound and sound studies,” he said. “I’m just really glad to see that Brown and RISD have this very close, historical, symbiotic relationship with the arts.”
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
PAGE 5
METRO BUSINESS
The Nitro Bar to officially open Ives Street location After several soft openings, the cafe held its grand opening Thursday
to have different places to go” when she wants a coffee.
BY PAVANI DURBHAKULA METRO EDITOR On Friday afternoon, The Nitro Bar held the first soft opening for its new Ives Street location. The cafe, which began as a pop-up coffee cart that traveled around Providence, will officially open its second Providence location on Thursday, according to Audrey Finocchiaro, who co-owns The Nitro Bar. The Nitro Bar announced plans for its new location in April, taking over the space occupied by Glou, a Fox Point bar that closed earlier this year. When Glou contacted The Nitro Bar about selling the space, “it was serendipity,” Finocchiaro said in an interview with The Herald. The Ives Street location was originally slated to open in late May or early June, but “it took a little bit longer than we wanted it to,” Finocchiaro said. This was the “biggest build-out that we’ve done,” she added. The Nitro Bar on Ives Street originally planned its opening for Friday, Finocchiaro said, but with the forecasted Nor’easter they did not want customers to visit in potentially hazardous weather conditions. Instead, they opted for a soft opening on Friday afternoon and limited hours over the weekend, which will extend into this week. “We also wanted to have the team be able to have time and get to know the space and make sure they feel comfortable in it” before fully opening the cafe, Fin-
ANNAMARIA LUECHT / HERALD
The Nitro Bar's Ives Street location was originally slated to open in late May or early June. occhiaro added. On Saturday and Sunday mornings, The Nitro Bar posted an Instagram story sharing the soft opening hours with followers, but the official opening date has not been announced online. “We have had such great feedback from the community,” Finocchiaro said, adding that she appreciated the Providence locals who visited the cafe during its initial soft opening on Friday. “Glou was such a meeting hub for everyone, and so I think that loss was really felt,” she said. The cafe’s neighbors were “so grateful for (The Nitro Bar)
putting intention back in the space,” she added. Finocchiaro hopes to see Brown and RISD students attend The Nitro Bar’s new location. Lilia Duque ’27 came to The Nitro Bar during Saturday’s soft opening after seeing that the cafe was open on Instagram. Duque told The Herald that she is “super stoked” about The Nitro Bar’s new location. “I love how close it is to campus,” she said, adding that “students who don’t have a car or have a hard time getting access to the other Nitro Bar locations can still
enjoy a community space.” Kiara Anderson ’27 noted that while she feels that College Hill is somewhat oversaturated with coffee shops, there is still a “high demand” for them among students as people look for spaces to work and grab a sweet treat. Frances Saenz, a North Providence resident, is “super excited” about The Nitro Bar’s new location because she works just down the street. “I feel like they know what they’re doing with coffee,” she said. Saenz appreciates the variety of coffee shops in this area, noting that “it’s nice
Sophie Mueller ’29, who stopped by The Nitro Bar on Saturday, similarly enjoys the variety of the College Hill coffee shop scene. “The Nitro Bar was so far away that it was like an outing before,” Mueller said, referring to the cafe’s Federal Hill location. Mueller is currently living in Perkins Hall, so the cafe’s new location is relatively close to her, she said, adding that she appreciates how “spacious” it is. Camille Cardona, a wedding photographer from Florida, visited the cafe’s new location while on a work trip. She discovered The Nitro Bar while hunting for a local coffee shop during a previous work trip to Rhode Island. After trying it for the first time, she “came back every single day and tried a different thing each time” throughout that trip. Cardona especially appreciates the “intentionality of the branding” that The Nitro Bar uses, adding that it makes the cafe “inviting.” Cardona enjoys the whip that the cafe puts on many of their iced coffees, but she added that “even the basic coffees are good.” Finocchiaro reflected on the cafe’s origin as a coffee cart traveling around Providence. She noted that bringing The Nitro Bar cart to Brown “turned around the whole business,” and the business would not be the same without College Hill. “It feels like coming home,” Finocchiaro said.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 27, 2026.
EDUCATION
PPSD superintendent proposes two school consolidation projects The proposals look to merge middle schools with elementary schools BY AMBER MARCUS-BLANK METRO EDITOR On Sept. 18, Providence Public Schools Superintendent Javier Montañez proposed two school consolidation projects looking to merge Roger Williams Middle School with Young Woods Elementary School, and DelSesto Middle School with Anthony Carnevale Elementary School. The district has been developing these plans for several months as a part of a $1 billion school improvement plan to ensure all Providence students have access to “new or like new” buildings by 2030. The Providence School Board has roughly a month to deliberate before they are expected to vote on the consolidation plans on Oct. 21. “The merger of Young Woods/Roger Williams would allow us to create a Pre-K hub for specialized instruction,” PPSD spokesperson Alex Torres-Perez wrote in an email to The Herald. “Both schools already have a significantly higher percentage of special education students. The project will allow us to create dedicated additional classrooms, specialized support areas and accessible spaces.” But Lindsay Paiva, president of the Providence Teachers Union, expressed concern about the mergers. While the school consolidation plans were developed
COURTESY OF YOUNG WOODS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. The Providence School Board has roughly a month to deliberate before they are expected to vote on the consolidation plans on Oct. 21.
through collaboration between the PPSD, the City of Providence and the Rhode Island Department of Education, the PTU was not consulted, Paiva said. Torrez-Perres wrote to The Herald that the PTU was informed of the recommended merger of Carnevale and DelSesto on Aug. 28, and that the district held meetings about the proposals with staff at the two schools in September. “Over the next few weeks, we will hold additional meetings to engage with families and community members about the proposed plan,” she added While the PTU is framing the changes as mergers, Paiva disagreed. “They're calling it a merger,” said Paiva. “It’s a closure. One school is closing, and it's being added to another school. It doesn't mean that school is not closing, right? That's a space for those children and families and teach-
ers, and that is no longer going to exist.” Torres-Perez wrote that she encouraged the PTU to share feedback with the district about the mergers during the coming meetings. She wrote that, “To date, we have not heard any opposition from (the) PTU, and we welcome the opportunity to hear their perspective as discussions continue.” Paiva described Carnevale as “one of the few barrier-free schools,” enrolling a large student population “with high need.” “It's concerning that they're thinking of moving those children to DelSesto, which does have some ability to have accommodations for those students, but I'm not sure that it will be the same,” Paiva said. Torres-Perez wrote that because DelSesto is “structurally sound” and that, after renovations, it will have “improve-
ments to better serve students with higher needs.” Under the proposed consolidations, the Young Woods building, which currently serves grades PK-5, would house PK-2 while the Roger Williams building — located less than a quarter-mile away — would serve students in grades 3-8. Roger Williams students would move into a swing-space building during construction, and a few Young Woods classrooms would also be displaced. Carnevale, which currently houses grades PK-5, was found to have significant long-term structural settlement and contamination issues. Under the merger, the DelSesto building will be renovated to serve students in grades PK-8. The Carnevale “findings do not represent a new immediate safety concern, and the building remains safe for students and staff to use today,” Torres-Perez added. “However, (renovating Carnevale) would require a disproportionate share of the project budget to go toward below-ground structural and environmental work rather than classrooms and student spaces.” According to the memo, “substantially renovating Carnevale would require deep excavation and extensive contaminated-soil remediation.” The memo estimates that relocating Carnevale would save $500,000 annually in operational and maintenance costs, while helping the district toward its goal of increasing PK-8 pathways. The state’s “Newer and Fewer” strategy, adopted in 2022, has prioritized developing
bigger, newer schools through statewide financial incentives. According to Torres-Perez, school consolidation projects can receive reimbursements for capital projects from RIDE which typically cover 80% of the cost. Under a state incentive, 91% of the costs will be covered if construction is completed by June 30, 2029. Once construction begins, “our priority is to minimize disruption to the school day while keeping students and staff safe,” Torres-Perez wrote, noting the dDistrict’s intent to coordinate with school leaders and construction staff to accommodate school activities and notify constituents of changes as they occur. “I hope the School Board passes this proposal,” wrote Torres-Perez. “Not doing so would have a domino effect on the entire project, and we could risk not being able to substantially complete it by the reimbursement deadline of June 30, 2029.” If the projects are delayed, the city would face $40 million in additional costs because of the reduced reimbursement rate, Torres-Perez added. “These proposed mergers represent a critical step forward in our commitment to providing high-quality, modern learning environments that are highly beneficial for the district as a whole,” Montañez wrote in the memo.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 29, 2026.
PAGE 6
Friday, October 2, 2026
SPORTS GYMNASTICS
Gymnastics alums oppose leadership painting over legacy wall The painting of the wall sparked pushback from alums BY SAJIV MEHTA SPORTS EDITOR
Since 2004, members of the Brown gymnastics team have recorded their names, hometowns and years of team membership on a wall in the gymnasium at the Pizzitola Sports Center. The “legacy wall” was created in 2004 by Melissa Forziat ’05, who documented the names of former team members on the gymnasium’s wall. Since then, Brown gymnasts have continued to add their names to the wall. Each square on the wall was given to one athlete or staff member of a Brown gymnastics team. Earlier this year, the wall boasted around 250 names. But on Sept. 11, members of the gymnastics team walked into their gym to find the wall painted white, according to a statement from Forziat. “Nobody (from Brown Athletics) gave anybody any heads-up on this as the wider community,” Forziat, who was part of the team from 2001 to 2005, said in an interview with The Herald. In a letter to the Brown gymnastics community on Sept. 24, Head Coach Brittany Harris and Sport Supervisor Jen Miller-McEachern apologized that they “did not adequately communicate these changes to our community in advance.” Harris and Miller-McEachern explained that the wall was painted over as part of a planned upgrade to the facility. They added
COURTESY OF JENNIFER LOWE
Each square on the wall was given to one athlete or staff member of a Brown gymnastics team. that plans were already in place “to create will be responsible for gathering community tirety of Morris’s time at Brown. She drew a permanent tribute to the proud history input on “an appropriate tribute within the parallels between the University’s cutting of our program.” updated facility,” as well as strengthening the program in 1991 and the act of painting But the painting of the wall generated connections between current athletes and over the wall. strong reactions from program alums, some alums. Upon hearing of the development with of whom were not satisfied by the letter. The situation “definitely could be han- the wall, Morris “felt several emotions,” “Part of the importance of (the legacy dled in a different way,” McKenna Weiner she said. “I’m not sure which was first: wall) was that it was a grassroots process ’24 said. “I just honestly find it really strange sadness or anger, honestly, or just a sense and heartfelt in a way that focus groups and that the staff kind of just roguely decided to of deja vu.” a planned wall or plaque can’t really ever do this without consulting anyone.” The Herald reached out to all 19 curbe,” said Amy Morris ’96, who was on the The Brown gymnastics team was elim- rent members of the Gymnastics team for team from 1992 to 1996. “It evolved over inated by the University in 1991, alongside comment. Two declined to comment and the years, and people participated over the the women’s volleyball program and men’s 16 did not reply. One team member would years in ways that they now cannot. That’s water polo and golf teams. In 1992, a group only speak on the condition of anonymity, been stripped away.” of female athletes filed a Title IX lawsuit for fear of retaliation from alumni. According to the letter from Harris and against the University. In 1996, the United “I understand why (the wall) means a Miller-McEachern, plans for the develop- States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit lot to the gymnasts who signed it,” the team ment of a Brown Gymnastics Alumnae Asso- ruled in favor of the student-athletes. member who requested anonymity, a Brown ciation were under development. The group The lawsuit was ongoing for the en- gymnastics senior, wrote in a message to The
Herald. “I don’t see painting the wall as a step back for women’s sports. The investment our program is getting now is what supports the visibility of women’s sports.” “I was surprised at first, but the gym looks cleaner and more professional now, and our coaches have plans to add banners and new decor that celebrate our program's history.” the senior wrote. “I see it as part of a bigger investment in our program.” “Our history isn’t going anywhere,” she added. The reaction in the community was largely sparked by a Sept. 11 Facebook post by Lisa Barca-Hall P’18, a parent of a former student-athlete on the team, in the online group Brown G.A.P.S. — gymnasts, alumnae, parents, supporters — announcing that the wall had been painted over. The post led to an outpouring of distress on the forum and the creation of a shared album into which community members placed pictures of the wall and the team over the years. “I think it’s insulting,” Forziat said. “I think that the purpose of the wall was to be inclusive, to honor the legacy of this team, to honor every person who’s contributed.” Forziat started a petition advocating for the Brown gymnastics community to “have a voice in how its legacy is restored,” the petition reads. The petition currently has over 200 signatures. “We went through a lot to stand up and be counted and be seen and move the needle forward for women and women’s sports nationally, and that has deep meaning for many of us,” Morris said. “I recognize they have a hard job. It is very hard to please everybody,” she added. “It’s also not hard to do things right sometimes.”
FOOTBALL FROM PAGE 1 Bears’ nine-yard line. But just as Harvard appeared poised to strike first, the Brown defense manufactured a shining moment, punching the ball loose on a run play. Amid the scramble that followed, defensive back Alejandro Bello ’28 emerged with the football for the first takeaway of the night. But the Bears’ offense could not capitalize. Facing third-and-12 under pouring, wind-driven rain, Murphy looked downfield but instead misfired directly into the hands of Harvard defensive back Xaden Benson. Once again, Harvard pushed their way downfield with a combination of quick passes and runs. By the time they reached Bruno territory, a crowd that had slowly filed into the stadium during the game’s opening began to make itself heard. Harvard quieted the arena. The Crimson attacked the top-right corner of the end zone on a slot fade, where Harvard receiver Ryan Tattersall outpaced his Brown defender and hauled in the ball for a touchdown to put Harvard ahead 7-0. Brown attempted to answer by leaning on running back Matt Childs ’28, who scored twice in the Bears’ season-opening victory over New Haven earlier this month. But the Harvard defense remained stout, fending Childs off for the moment and cutting Bruno’s drive short. The Bears’ special teams unit found some success. With less than 2 minutes remaining in the first quarter, punter Malcolm Flynn ’28 launched a punt from Brown territory toward the opposite goal line. Three Brown players converged at the edge of the end zone, nimbly juggling the ball before finally securing it at the 1-yard line. Harvard suddenly found itself operating with almost no room. Bruno defensive lineman Liam Fitzgerald ’28 made the Crim-
son’s situation even more uncomfortable on third down, dragging down Harvard quarterback Charlie Smith. The sack, which marked Fitzgerald’s first of his collegiate career, forced Harvard to punt from deep in its own territory. But once again, the Bears could not turn their favorable field position into points, and Flynn returned to the field. The punter produced another booming kick, pinning Harvard at its own 14-yard line. This time, the Crimson escaped. Harvard made its way to Brown’s 43-yard line, where the Crimson faced fourth-and-5. Rather than send out the special teams unit, Harvard kept the offense on the field, and Smith scrambled to pick up the first down. Several plays later, Harvard found itself at the Bears’ 8-yard line facing another fourth down. Once again, the Crimson went for it — and once again, the aggressiveness paid off. Smith lofted another pass toward the corner of the end zone, where tight end Teigan Pelletier came down clutching the Crimson’s second touchdown of the night. The score capped an 86-yard drive and gave the Crimson a 14-0 advantage. Brown responded with one of its biggest offensive plays of the night. On the drive’s second snap, Murphy found Childs in space, and the running back surged downfield for a 34-yard gain. After the 2-minute warning, Brown remained within field-goal range and had an opportunity to finally put points on the board. But instead, another offensive blunder doomed the Bears’ drive. Murphy delivered a pass behind wide receiver Trevor Foley ’28, and the ball slipped through Foley’s hands and into Harvard’s possession. In a post-game interview with The Herald, Murphy credited the Bears’ offensive struggles to “inconsistency in the pass
game.” “We didn’t get the completions that we wanted,” Murphy said. “I think that comes back to me.” Harvard attempted to run out the half, but eventually punted deep into Brown territory to leave the Bears with no choice but to kneel and head into halftime trailing 14-0. Brown opened the second half by returning to Childs. Less than 3 minutes in, Bruno dialed up a trick play featuring two handoffs that eventually freed Childs for a 26-yard gain. But again, the drive ultimately stalled. Brown’s punt team came through once more, leaving Harvard to begin at its own 5-yard line. The Bears’ defense used the field position to their advantage, earning their second turnover of the game. As Smith attempted to throw his way out of trouble, defensive back Garrett Nichols ’29 got a hand on the ball and deflected it into the arms of linebacker Max Malo ’27, giving Brown another chance to cut into Harvard’s lead. On the Bears’ ensuing drive, a botched snap sent the ball rolling backward, and Murphy hurried to recover it, costing Brown 18 yards. But the special teams squad created another tremendous moment. From 48 yards out, kicker Drew Crabtree ’29 drilled a career-long field goal, eclipsing his previous best by 10 yards and finally putting Brown on the board at 14-3. As Harvard tried to respond, Fitzgerald struck again. The defensive lineman broke into the backfield and brought down Smith for a 7-yard loss, recording his second sack of the night and his collegiate career. The play helped end Harvard’s possession, though the Crimson answered Brown’s
special-teams performance with a strong punt of their own entering the fourth quarter, pinning the Bears at their 6-yard line and ultimately dooming that drive. By the last quarter, much of the crowd had already trickled out of the rain-soaked stadium, but the game was far from finished. Harvard lined up for a field goal, but the kick sailed wide left, with the wind proving less influential than kicker Kieran Corr had anticipated. Finally, Bruno took advantage of a Crimson mistake. On the Bears’ next possession, Childs bobbled a pass before securing it and turning upfield for 15 yards. The Bears continued working their way toward the end zone before handing the ball to Jackson Bennett ’27 at Harvard’s 29-yard line. Bennett took an inside-zone rush to the left, found a sea of damp grass before him and exploded into the open space and beyond for the longest touchdown of his career. Suddenly, Brown trailed just 14-10. Murphy said the Bears’ second-half offensive turnaround centered around “emphasizing the run and (having) a little bit more effectiveness in the pass game.” The contest’s momentum continued to swing the Bears’ way. On the next kickoff, two Harvard returners hesitated over who would secure the football, giving the Crimson poor field position. Harvard attempted to drain the clock, but Brown’s defense refused to let the game slip away. Defensive lineman Nathan Marsh ’28 slipped into the backfield and strip-sacked Smith around the Harvard 20-yard line. Though the Crimson recovered the football, they could do no better than punt on the next play. For a moment, it appeared Brown would
have the ball back with a chance to take the lead. Then, the punt bounced off Cap Davis ’27. A Harvard player dove on the loose ball at Brown’s 48-yard line before any Bear could recover it, handing possession back to the Crimson just as Bruno appeared to have seized control of the game. After the 2-minute warning, Brown’s defense stopped the Crimson on fourth down, earning Murphy and the offense one last opportunity. Seventy three yards stood between the Bears and the end zone, and Brunonians’ hopes for a comeback seemed to wane. On the drive’s second play and rushing to beat the clock, Murphy turned his attention to receiver Najih Rahman ’27 on his left. But the ball never reached Rahman. Benson seized it for his — and Murphy’s — third interception of the night. The pick allowed Harvard to take over in Brown territory and run out the remainder of the clock with a rush and series of kneels. Murphy called his interceptions “unacceptable,” but he pointed to bounce-back performances last year — including during their victory over the University of Rhode Island in last year’s Governor’s Cup — as fuel for upcoming games. The Bears will face URI (2-3, 1-2 Coastal Athletic Association) at 12 p.m. on Saturday at the Centreville Bank Stadium. Saturday’s annual Governor’s Cup match will be the 110th contest between Brown and URI. “We got eight weeks ahead of us,” Perry said. “We got to get better.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 28, 2026.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
PAGE 7
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Elaina Bayard
Section Editor Christina Li
Section Editors Helen Hen Anika Kotapally
HEAD ILLUSTRATORS Lesa Jae Junyue Ma
ARTS & CULTURE Managing Editor Sasha Gordon
COPY CHIEF Jessica Lee
NARRATIVE Managing Editor Gabi Yuan
There is a particular kind of girl on the internet who doesn't seem to like purple so much as to have been claimed by the color. I know this
LAYOUT CHIEFS James Farrington Alexa Gay Amber Zhao
Section Editors Lucie Huang Chelsea Long
because I am, or at least my phone thinks I am, one of them. As I endeavored down the internet rabbit
Layout Designers Hannah Gapp Lily Rantanen Joshua Rezneck Emma Vachal
LIFESTYLE Managing Editor Hallel Abrams Gerber
hole of the so-called “Purple Girl,” it became clear that she exists within a fully developed atmosphere. Edits of purple moons suspended over black water, black cats with violet eyes, long
Section Editors Alayna Chen Tatiana von Bothmer
brown wavy hair cascading over a leather jacket, perhaps a flannel, coffee in a mug that you just
ISSUU.COM/POSTMAGAZINEBDH
Copy Editors Eve Kobell Kate Schuyler Michelle Wassef Su Yang
Section Editors Gabriella Miranda Rebecca Sanchez
by Coco Kanders
See Full Issue:
SOCIAL MEDIA Yana Giannoutsos Hung Lam Eva Mahajan Rebecca Sanchez
know has gone cold, purple Converse, images of Euphoria glitter tears, or even better, Maddy,
least produc t ive debat es
a central Euphoria character who internalizes spectatorship as a form of authorship, in her purple two-piece set from the Season One carnival scene. These reels are almost always soundtracked to a moody hit like Air’s “Playground Love,” or
1. Oxford comma (it’s correct) 2. The one between me and my mom 3. Presidential 4. Is zero a natural number? 5. Everyone Gets A Puppy (50.1%) vs. Diarrhea Forever (49.9%) 6. Should I, the prince of Denmark, kill my loser uncle?? 7. Should I stay…or should I go? 8. Brown vs. Harvard 9. Is water wet? 10. Moses vs. Pharaoh
Grimes’ “Oblivion," or the Smashing Pumpkins’ “1979.” The images themselves have almost nothing to do with one another; purple is the principle that allows them to coexist. The color that turns a collection of otherwise unrelated objects into a single sensibility.
ISSUE 3
purple girl
FEATURE Managing Editor Chloe Costa Baker
VOL 38
excerpt from
Friday, October 2, 2026
POST-POURRI Managing Editor Tarini Malhotra
OCT 2
PAGE 8
Cover by Lora lai
1
2
3
how do we talk to each other?
4
5
by Evan Griffith-Ebrahimi illustrated by orla maxwell
6
7
Across
1. _____ code 5. Alter written work 6. Newspapers, TV, radio 8. Your dog when it's angry
8
9. An affirmation
Down 1. Elmo on fire, Kermit sipping tea, or Big Bird riding at dawn
9
2. Lyric poem 3. John Denver's Blues? 4. What a gossip does to a pot 7. My reality plus a little more
8
Want to be involved? Email: elaina_bayard@brown.edu!
“Cockroaches can survive anything but falling on their back.” “The sanctity of the horse has been destroyed.”
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
PAGE 9
table of contents 1 te quiero
11 a dichotomy on wickenden
Daniela Trejo-Rodriguez
5 purple girl
Jack Serpick
13 a series of monologues in which you get to become someone else
Coco Kanders
7 i'm not homesick?
Acadia Phillips
15 ouroboros
Krisha Pakala
9 explore the world!
Krisha Pakala
Serena Lee
“This rain is so cold and miserable. I feel like I have been sweetly gaslit by the glorious weather of Providence’s summer.” —Tarini Malhotra, “juxtaposition” 10.04.24
“Fall enters Providence with a quiet gravity. The city’s color palette shifts as the trees along Benefit Street turn.” — Liv Moon, "shades of today" 10.03.25
letter from the editor Dear Readers,
with her first language. In Narrative, Coco explains what it means to be a “purple girl,” while Krisha muses on the feelings from her freshman fall. In A&C, Serena explores the world through Sporcle and details her love for geography, while Jack journeys to two Providence record stores to get to know the owners. In Lifestyle, Acadia provides some monologues to let you try out some different personas, and Krisha shares another piece in post-
After all of last week’s buildup and anticipation…we survived the nor’easter. Sure, it was not the most delightful weekend—starting with Harvard blowing us away on the football field and then the storm sweeping us up throughout the weekend—but all in all, we made it through. This weekend felt like a perfect metaphor for the gust of commitments
pourri about change, unpredictability, and rationality. Finally, make sure to complete Evan’s mini crossword before you go! As the winds calm down and the skies begin to clear, I look forward to brighter days ahead, filled with less responsibilities. I hope that you too, dear reader, can sit back and relax this week, and feel cozy with this issue of post-.
flying around as we leave Shopping Period behind and get settled into the semester. Sometimes it seems like an insurmountable storm, but somehow, we get through it. This week, our authors braved the storm to share some beautiful pieces for your reading pleasure. In Feature, Daniela discusses her evolving relationship
Craving those Gilmore Girls-esque autumn days,
Jessica Lee Copy Chief
october 2, 2026
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Friday, October 2, 2026
COMMENTARY Editorial: The Dec. 13 mass shooting does not justify the use of Flock When it comes to Flock Safety camera implementation, the debate in Providence has been colored by the Dec. 13 mass shooting on our campus. The shooter’s gray rental car was photographed by a Flock camera on North Main Street the day before the tragedy. The photograph of the vehicle’s license plate allowed investigators to identify the suspect from the rental car’s records. Defenders of Providence’s Flock cameras — including Mayor Brett Smiley and the Providence Police Department — have been quick to reference this use of the technology in justifying its deployment. We are grateful to the police and mayor for their leadership during the tragedy, and relieved that the responsible party was ultimately found. However, as Brown undergraduates, we take issue with city leaders invoking the tragedy to legitimize Flock, a technology that poses serious threats to privacy, civil liberties and police accountability. We do not want mass surveillance justified in our name. We urge the city to cancel its contract with Flock and explore alternative public safety solutions. Leaders in Providence, Rhode Island and beyond have justified the use of Flock because of the Brown shooting. Smiley has mentioned the shooting when justifying Flock’s use as “an important tool,” and former Rhode Island State Police Superintendent Steven O’Donnell and Barrington Police Chief Michael Correia have also pointed to the shooting as an example of the cameras’ utility. Beyond Rhode Island, Dan Haley, Flock’s chief legal officer, called the tragedy “the perfect use case for the value of the technology.” We regret that our tragedy is a use case for Flock. Surveillance is nothing new in America. But
the interconnectivity of Flock data gives these specific cameras undue power. Flock Safety has an estimated 120,000 cameras across the country and contracts with over 7,000 police departments — 40% of all departments in the United States. The company controls over 90% of the automated license plate reader market in the area around Providence, and holds a contract with the city worth $480,000. Flock’s system is designed such that in order to access data from other departments, a department must share its own data with the nationwide network. If a department decides not to share its cameras, then it can’t see others. This feature is what allows Flock’s algorithm to be so effective — as Flock has often stated, “crime doesn’t respect jurisdictional lines.” But Flock cannot actively stop crime — it aids in solving it after the fact. Bringing criminals to justice is essential, but not the same as increasing safety outright. Evidence for its effectiveness as a deterrent is mixed at best. Although a working study indicates a reduction of car theft and increase in clearance rates — the proportion of crimes that get solved — a more careful look at the data shows that these trends cannot confidently be attributed solely to the presence of Flock cameras. The results are skewed to favor areas that had higher rates of car theft and, overall, these trends already began before Flock cameras were installed. Other studies have found that standard CCTV cameras can slightly reduce minor property crime, but have no impact on violent crime. The limitations of surveillance technology is apparent in the Dec. 13 mass shooting — although Flock cameras helped law enforcement identify the shooter, they did not prevent his violent attacks.
Several New England towns have already cut their ties with the company over their security concerns. As the vice president of the Foster Town Council explained her vote to terminate their contract with Flock: “I appreciate the tool, and I have 100% faith in our police department. It’s just where the information goes from there.” The decision followed four other contract terminations in Narragansett, Glocester and North and South Kingstown. Statewide polling shows that 55% of Rhode Island voters oppose their community using Flock cameras, with just 31% in favor. In Providence, Smiley has defended Flock cameras by claiming that the city’s data is private, but Boston recently canceled its contract after Flock leaked its data in violation of its privacy agreement. Our neighbors recognize the risks associated with Flock’s data sharing practices — it is time for Providence to follow suit. Automated license plate reader technology has been linked to many striking data privacy controversies, including over 100 cases of misuse. Many of the cases have involved law enforcement agents stalking romantic interests. In one instance, a Texas sheriff using Flock’s network tracked a woman across state lines under suspicion of obtaining an abortion. In response, the company now asks users to click a button affirming that they “cannot search for license plates related to ‘reproductive care’ offenses in 17 states and Washington, D.C.” prior to conducting national searches. However, without an accountability mechanism, this button is a mere honor system. Closer to home, Rhode Islander Eva Pizzarelli was wrongfully arrested and prosecuted for six months for an alleged traffic violation. Police used
the woman’s social media account to identify her as a suspect caught on Flock camera footage committing a traffic crime in Cumberland. But Pizzarelli was not actually the woman captured on tape, and the case against her was eventually dropped. She is now suing Cumberland for the mistake. This story is more than just an example of gross negligence: State Rep. José F. Batista (D-12, Providence), who represents Pizzarelli, told The Herald that the Rhode Island General Assembly was “told on a number of occasions that Flock cameras are not used to identify people.” That was evidently false. As members of the community impacted by the shooting, we understand the use Flock cameras can have in investigating and solving crimes, and sympathize with those for whom they provide a sense of security. We support modern tech initiatives in policing, including conventional CCTV cameras, a position we previously voiced directly following the shooting. However, the national web of Flock cameras presents an unacceptable threat to privacy. As the city’s contract with Flock expires in May 2027 and the Democratic nominee for mayor, state Rep. David Morales MPA’19, has opposed these cameras, it is the perfect time for the city to cancel its contract with Flock.
Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board, and its views are separate from those of The Herald’s newsroom and the 136th Editorial Board, which leads the paper. A majority of the editorial page board voted in favor of this piece. Please send responses to this editorial to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
Murray ’29: Brown’s Inaugural Slavery and Justice Lecture gives me hope Last spring, a year after the University retired its first-year reading program, I wrote a column arguing that Brown should find a way to continue teaching its students about its relations with slavery. I openly criticized the school for turning its back on former President Ruth J. Simmons’s mission to educate us about ourselves and offered alternative ways that the University could continue fostering discussion of the report’s findings on campus. One of my suggestions was a lecture series. After the column was published, I finished my first year at Brown and went home for the summer. I never expected anything more to come from my opinion. So when I sat in the crowd at the Inaugural Slavery and Justice Lecture two weeks ago, I was deeply surprised to hear my column brought up as a source of inspiration for the event. Writing columns can feel like tossing ideas and hours of work into a deep void. But seeing my argument come to fruition in a real University initiative reminded me of why I came to Brown in the first place: for an education where student voices are challenged and respected. In the midst of a national debate over the purpose and worth of higher education, we should remember that the changes we want to see are possible if we continue to push for them. The fact of the Slavery and Justice Report’s existence highlights Brown’s tradition of listening to its students and challenging preconceived notions about what higher education should be. The report examining Brown’s role in and profit from chattel slavery was first advocated by students. After a racist, anti-reparations advertisement was printed in The Herald, students protested across campus and spurred former President Simmons to commission a committee of faculty and students to investigate the University’s historical ties to slavery. As I noted in my column, the report also found records of the original Brown family’s financial records that tied their wealth to slave vessels, and the building of University Hall to slave labor. The report had reverberations across the American higher education landscape and helped further cement Brown’s commitment to listening to its students.
This history of open dialogue at Brown extends back even further. In the crowd next to me at the Slavery and Justice Lecture sat Brown alums who
enrollment of Black women and $1.2 million set aside for further recruitment efforts. It is a risk for students to push back against their university institu-
CALEB LEE-KONG / HERALD
participated in the 1968 student walkout to demand the University enroll more Black students. These alums and their fellow students risked their place at Brown to urge the administration to increase diversity. It took a three-day sit-in at the Congdon Street Baptist Church until former Brown President Ray Heffner promised to take steps to meet students' demands. The agreement resulted in an increased
tions, but fostering an environment that acknowledges this risk and supports students' ideas is a tenet of Brown that can lead us into the future. The Open Curriculum, arguably the most quintessential aspect of education on College Hill, testifies to the Brown experience in large part because it was created by Brown students themselves. The original idea for the “New Curriculum” came from a report
written by students who envisioned an exploratory education that would more fully challenge them. After vigorous student advocacy for the proposal, it was the faculty’s final agreement with the students’ ideas that allowed for the creation of the Open Curriculum, whose academic freedom we all enjoy today. In recent years, there has been increased tension between student demands and the University that can make it difficult to believe in the possibility of open discussion, but even in these strenuous situations, Brown students and the school have worked at understanding each other. While dozens of schools experienced student protests over the Israel-Hamas war in 2023 and 2024, Brown was one of the few to facilitate discussions between administration and students over divestment. Even if student activists didn’t get the result they wanted when Brown decided not to divest, Brown’s commitment to transparent communication between students and administration was one of the biggest factors that drew me here. When Brown’s Ivy peer Columbia closed its gates on its neighbors to corral students and keep people out, Brown at least tried to hear students out. Those closed gates, compared to Brown’s open discussion, epitomized what I wanted and didn’t want from my college experience. I hoped that in coming to Brown, I would find a place where shouts into the void might eventually be heard. Hard conversations rarely result in a solution that makes everyone happy, but promising to hear students out is a commitment that schools need to maintain if they want their students to continue to engage difficult questions. There is no one way to make a college education “worth it” to every single student; calculating the value added to one’s life that four years on College Hill provides is impossible. What is worthwhile is ensuring that all students can have their voices heard.
Clara Murray ’28 can be reached at clara_murray@ brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
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OPINIONS Obialo ’29: Get rid of syllabus week Every semester at Brown, new and returning students are subjected to a two-week academic crucible, otherwise known as shopping period. Some cruise through it on the back of a strong preregistration while others claw their way into a coherent class lineup, but the point remains — Brown’s start of semester is one of a kind. Even though Brown doesn’t formally have a syllabus week, professors are still likely to dedicate a good portion of the first class to a syllabus overview. This practice might seem useful for giving students the broadest introduction to a course, but to students who are truly engaged and interested, the practice can be a redundant slog. The syllabus class might make sense at any other college. But Brown is not any other college. To best suit the unique advantages of shopping period, I implore Brown professors: Leave the syllabus on Courses@Brown, give the shoppers what they need — a taste of class as usual. While syllabi can communicate course expectations and policies well, they are not entirely representative of how any class will feel week to week. A syllabus is a primarily logistical tool, without much specific educational content. For example, ECON 0110: “Principles of Economics” the most widely taken class at Brown, has a syllabus that does not provide any content information other than a general summary and lecture titles. The same goes for classes in other disciplines: ENGL 0511H: “Late Romantics” only provides a schedule of course readings, and CHEM 0330: “Equilibrium, Rate and Structure” just gives a general summary. For students, syllabi like these aren’t particularly actionable. Mostly, we just use them to copy down deadlines into our planners and get a sense of how many classes we can miss without consequence. In their current form, these syllabi serve primarily as an instructor’s reflective tool. Largely, they are useful for professors as they set goals at the start of the semester and evaluate whether said goals have been met at its end. Freeing professors from the burden of a spoken
syllabus would allow them to do what they truly love earlier in the semester. If I were a professor, I’d be much more excited and engaging if I were talking about my life’s passion rather than the banalities of the syllabus. And that attitude shift can impact students, too. Studies show that instructor attitudes have a significant influence on student achievement.
course’s shopping time! Freeing up that time allows our braver peers to explore multiple classes in the same time period and other students to try out different classes later on, if they feel so inclined. Furthermore, professors are crunched for time during the semester as a whole. This year a particularly late Labor Day delayed the start of Brown’s
Professors teaching stimulating and engaging first lectures would help students better understand the classes they are potentially signing up for. Believe it or not, spending that one class talking about the syllabus is actually quite the scheduling sacrifice. Extra lecture time can be especially beneficial during shopping’s two-week blitz. Consider this: There are only four Tuesday/Thursday class periods in a given shopping period. Just 320 total minutes of class time means that if a professor spends even 40 minutes of the first day going over course expectations, students lose out on 12.5% of that
semester by a week compared to last year, leaving the same amount of content to be covered in fewer classes. This crunch is detrimental to students as well. The much-maligned classes on Monday and Tuesday of Thanksgiving week are basically a necessity for many professors under Brown’s current schedule. Reclaiming class time from the elimination of syllabus coverage does not fix this issue entirely, but it will alleviate some pressure on the part of faculty going forward. Even the student-focused policies like total course hours aren’t particularly worthwhile for
LUSIA AUSTEN / HERALD
students — and definitely not helpful enough to be read out in class. Because Brown students are diverse, so are our approaches to coursework. It is abundantly clear that Brown University and its students are committed to eclecticism. Herald polls have indicated that nearly half of incoming first-years come into Brown intending to double concentrate or pursue an additional certificate. Our very demographics are a mosaic of interests and experiences. Our student body will naturally take different approaches to a single assignment, even if it takes an average Brown student four to five hours to complete. With this in mind, a masterfully crafted syllabus can communicate expectations to perfection, but it cannot strongly affect a student’s motivation to perform well in a course because what the course really looks like is different for everyone. This incongruity with the Brown student body further exacerbates the pointlessness of dedicating such a large portion of the first day of class to syllabi. While this shift ultimately depends on the discretion of professors, students too have the responsibility of coming into class having reviewed the syllabus. For classes that students are already actively interested in and planning to shop, taking some time to read and understand the overarching content and practices of a course is by no means a chore. Brown can help push this with friendly reminders. Incorporating frequent, small announcements through Today@Brown or New Student Orientation to read and understand your syllabi before shopping period would help students to settle into our unique start of the semester, and let professors start their courses off strong.
Izuchukwu Obialo '29 can be reached at izuchukwu_ obialo@brown.edu. Please send responses to this op-ed to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
Hammerman ’30: AI policies should be varied — it’s part of the Open Curriculum Artificial intelligence tools have become increasingly impossible for universities to ignore. In attempts to understand AI’s impact at Brown, Provost Francis J. Doyle III charged Brown’s Generative AI in Teaching and Learning Committee with examining the role of generative AI across the University and developing recommendations for how Brown should respond. The committee report, published in July, found significant differences in AI use across academic disciplines. Following those findings, rather than establishing a consistent set of rules for every classroom, the report recommended that the University allow professors to determine themselves how AI best fits into their teaching. This has resulted in a broad range of AI policies across educational disciplines and courses. As an aspiring journalist and student of humanities myself, I am drawn mainly to classrooms where AI is kept out of the learning process. But I also recognize that AI is becoming increasingly intertwined with every industry, and it is beneficial for me — and for all students — to learn how to use AI tools thoughtfully. That tension is exactly why Brown’s approach makes sense. By giving professors the freedom to decide the AI policies best suited for their teaching, Brown’s AI guideline preserves the intellectual flexibility that makes its education distinctive. According to the report, over 70% of Brown students in the life sciences and physical sciences identify as frequent generative AI users, compared to only 41% of humanities and arts students. The report found similar fluctuations in faculty AI use across disciplines. Given these findings, the report suggests that the University set a school-wide “baseline” for AI use, while allowing for individual departments and professors to decide their course standards as long as they make them clear to students. This compromise touches on Brown’s fundamental ideologies of flexibility, where students aren’t expected to narrow their education to “one lane.”
Different disciplines warrant different amounts of AI use. In creative and writing intense courses, where generative AI models can impede a student’s ability to express complex ideas independently, some classes — like LITR 0100B: “Introduction to Poetry” — restrict AI use completely. But not all courses are aiming to teach students the same set of skills, and nor should they. The syllabus for IAPA 1002: “Foundations of Policy and
use AI to generate sample problems for studying. Brown students are given considerable freedom to map their own educational paths. Since the University’s adoption of the Open Curriculum in 1969, Brown students have not been required to follow a traditional set of general education requirements. Instead, they can craft individualized academic journeys which cater to their interests. This allows students to explore, challenge themselves and make
ARIENA THURAIRAJAH / HERALD
Governance” encourages students to treat “artificial intelligence as a fact of professional life.” Here, AI is not taboo, but a tool that students are expected to master, perhaps in preparation for professional careers that increasingly require the use of AI. Certain STEM classes approach AI in yet another way, encouraging students to use the technology to complement the learning in the class. In MATH 0180: “Multivariable Calculus,” students cannot submit AI-generated solutions to problem sets, but they can
the most of their education. It follows, then, that the University has given professors the flexibility to decide what their classrooms should look like. This does not mean Brown should leave professors to design AI policies without any support. The University has developed the “AI Policy Explorer for Faculty,” which allows instructors to select from lists of prohibited and permitted uses of AI, generating language which can be used in their syllabi. Brown is providing professors with a structured
framework while allowing each of them to choose the policies that work best for them. This standardizes the process without standardizing the outcome. Some might argue that this broad range of policies may create potential for misunderstandings and unintentional policy violations for students who are taking classes across several disciplines, as encouraged by the Open Curriculum. The same AI tool that could get you reported for an academic violation in one classroom might be considered a valuable collaborator in another. But requiring students to switch between different modes of AI use will actually produce more thoughtful and flexible learners. Rather than treating AI as inherently good or bad, students using these tools in a variety of ways learn to consider when and how AI best contributes to their education. Learning to move smoothly between these different modes of working forces students to think critically about the best way for them to learn, rather than relying on a pre-prescribed set of rules. Brown has always trusted its students with the freedom to chart their own intellectual paths. Now, the University is extending that philosophy to professors to determine how AI belongs in their classrooms. For students, this does require a little more work. We must be aware of the policies in each of our classes, understanding when AI can enhance or diminish our work. As AI becomes an increasingly unavoidable part of the workplace, learning to navigate these tools with intention is a skill that will benefit us far beyond Brown. It is our responsibility as Brown students to embrace this open approach to AI. Just as Brown does not provide a single AI policy, neither will our futures.
Ary Hammerman ’30 can be reached at ary_hammerman@brown.edu. Please send responses to this op-ed to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
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Friday, October 2, 2026
ARTS & CULTURE INTERVIEW
After filming RHORI cameo, Abby Lee Miller discusses ‘Dance Moms,’ upcoming series
The Herald sat down with Miller before a dance event at Bryant BY ANN GRAY GOLPIRA ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR This past Saturday, dancers ages eight through 22 flocked to Bryant University’s Chace Athletic Center to prove themselves worthy of the top of the pyramid. When the instructor entered, the rows of neon-colored leotards immediately stiffened into position; they knew there was no room for a flexed toe out of line in front of reality TV superstar Abby Lee Miller. Before the event, The Herald sat down with Miller for a conversation about her career, her cameo on the next season of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” and her upcoming competition series, “Abby vs. Cathy: Hit the 8.” The event at Bryant followed communications between Miller and Bill Kitsilis: a local attorney, restaurant owner and the fiancé of “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island” star Alicia Carmody. After speaking with Kitsilis about possibly teaching his daughter, Celina, a dance solo, Miller said she was subsequently invited to appear on “The Real Housewives of Rhode Island.” “Got here in the morning, pulled myself together, did my makeup on the plane, and showed up and started a solo for Celina,” Miller recalled on Saturday. “Did a little ‘Real Housewives,’ yelled at her mother a little bit. But I couldn’t get her to cry and scream — I tried.” Since she was already in Rhode Island, Miller said that “we can’t come here and not do an event.” With the help of Toni Gravel — the head coach of Bryant’s cheerleading and dance teams — Miller was able
KAIA YALAMANCHILI / HERALD
The Herald sat down with Ms. Miller for a conversation on her career, time in the entertainment industry and upcoming competition series, “Abby vs. Cathy: Hit the 8.” to secure the Chace Athletic Center for two separate events: a dance class and a Q&A entitled “Abby Lee Spills the Tea.” Since the end of “Dance Moms” in 2019, Miller has certainly kept busy. In 2023, the star released the first episode of her podcast, “Leave It On The Dance Floor.” While she initially “didn’t want to do a podcast because everybody was doing one” and she didn’t “want to keep talking about old stuff,” Miller said that the idea ultimately grew on her. “It’s nice because I get to interview a lot of people from Pittsburgh that I grew up with and friends and people that were at the dance studio before the TV show,” she said of the Abby Lee Dance Company studio. “I want the world to know that (it) was a wonderful place.” She added that the producers and the director “destroyed (the studio) — not us, not the dancers.” Miller later elaborated on the produc-
ers’ role on “Dance Moms,” noting that while the show wasn’t scripted — Dance Mom Kelly Hyland “couldn’t read a script,” Miller remarked — reality was certainly blurred by the camera. For example, even during episodes that portrayed that there were only “seven little kids in that whole building,” she said there were many more young dancers in the studio. “They just hid everyone, and that was awful,” she added. Kelly Hyland did not immediately respond to a request for comment. While Miller recognized that the producers were “doing their jobs,” she did not appreciate that the antics sometimes came at the expense of her studio — referencing moments where the crew chipped paint, banged into walls, damaged the floor and even put a hole in the roof. “My parents gave me their life savings to buy the land to build the building … I was married to that studio,” she said. “That
was like my mansion, my home — and (the crew) just destroyed it like it was a set.” In an email to The Herald, “Dance Moms” Creator and Executive Producer Bryan Stinson wrote, “Abby is a big colorful character who tells big colorful stories. I think she would even admit that she has told certain stories so many times that she’s not quite sure if they are true or not.” “I love Abby!” he added. Additional producers and creators involved with “Dance Moms” did not immediately respond to The Herald’s request for comment. Since the show, Miller has become a pop-culture staple, with her voice and likeness contributing to an overwhelming number of viral internet memes. Miller said the jokes and trending audios are “not a problem.” In fact, she profits off of them, as she has adapted viral audios of her into songs which she owns and profits from. She’s even seen the TikToks of peo-
ple dressing up as her. With Halloween approaching, she has only one piece of advice for those hoping to recreate her iconic looks: “Don’t buy a fake shirt from Etsy. Buy the real shirt from me.” As she looks towards the future, Miller touched on two upcoming projects: “Abby vs. Cathy: Hit the 8” and the Abby Lee Miller Dance Competition on the Stargaze Stage app. “Abby vs. Cathy: Hit the 8” — a vertical video series which has already been renewed for its second season — is a bracket-style dance competition judged by Miller and her on-camera rival Cathy Nesbitt-Stein. Miller added that “the talent is amazing. Cathy is not amazing.” When reached for comment, Nesbitt-Stein responded, “And what’s the difference in me calling her a big bag of wind on my Cameos.” For those hoping to enter the entertainment industry themselves, Miller had clear advice: “You have to do it all, or forget it.” In addition to mastering a variety of skills, individuals in this “tough business” must also compete against widespread nepotism in the industry, she said. “How does a kid from Rhode Island compete with one of the Kardashian kids?” Miller asked. “It’s rough.” When asked about his experience with Miller, Kitsilis spoke to her business acumen. “She’s super conscientious about how she develops her dances and how she runs her business,” he said. “It’s that attention to detail that kind of inspires me — being in business — to pay attention to the small things.” “I kind of admire her,” he added.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 28, 2026.
PERFORMANCE
Brown students dine on humor at Comedy Feast The annual event featured six comedy groups on campus BY AVA SCHELLING STAFF WRITER On Sept. 27, in the midst of the dark and stormy Nor’easter weather, some of Brown’s most prolific comedy groups convened in Salomon Center 001 for a joint performance known as Comedy Feast. At this year’s event, which saw every seat filled just a couple of minutes after the doors opened, six groups flexed their comedy skills with back-to-back improv games, stand-up sets, theatrical skits and multimedia presentations. The event also served as a recruitment opportunity for the groups, which promoted their open applications or upcoming auditions during each of their sets. The Brown Noser, Brown’s satirical newspaper, kicked off the night with a short presentation of their hit headlines. Laughter sounded from the audience in response to clever article titles like “Dual Degree Student Socially RISD, Fiscally Brown” and “Brilliant Baseball Metaphor Wasted on Sensitive Son.” The group revealed that their first edition of the semester will be released on Friday. The Brown Noser passed the mic on to IMPROVidence, a historic ensemble that received significant applause from the audience when taking the stage. As the oldest comedy group on campus, IMPROVidence specializes in short-form and long-form
improv acts. The group’s performance was eclectic, fast-paced and centered around a variety of games. Their first act had performers improvising different scenes until one of the other group members yelled “new choice,” at which point the actors would switch up the scene. The act began in the Wild West and ended in a parental dilemma involving faux backflips. Spontaneous scenes wrought with babysitter love triangles, risque socks, silly soliloquies and unexpected plot twists kept the crowd chuckling throughout the set. Up next was The Rib of Brown, a historically female and gender-queer comedy group and publication, which presented their comprehensive list of 2027 Ins and Outs. “Degrading Claude over small mistakes” and “tummy time” were in, while “pretending to know what ‘consulting’ is” and “desperation” — despite the group begging for funds at the set’s close — were out. Following The Rib, long-form improv crew Starla and Sons brought yet another performance type to the banquet table: Starla Style. In this form of improv, members performed short scenes related to an ongoing interview, which was being simultaneously acted out on stage. Members transformed the stage into a tech mogul Q&A platform complete with hyperbolized characters — Superman even made an appearance in the outlandish, on-the-spot skit. Both Starla and Sons and IMPROVidence asked for audience input before they began their segments. When asked for prompting words or locations, members of the crowd shouted out disjointed
CLAIRE KE / HERALD
The event served as a recruitment opportunity for the groups, which promoted their open applications or upcoming auditions during each of their sets. phrases like “peanut butter,” “tax bracket” and “IKEA” to help out the performers. “Magnet,” “fingernail,” “restaurant” and “cowboy” were the lucky winners of the comedians’ favor, ultimately determining the direction of their improvised scenes. Brown Stand-up — the fifth group to make an appearance — did not disappoint. The only joint Brown and RISD standup comedy group, their set featured three anecdotal, unapologetic solo sets. The comics inserted edgy commentary into childhood stories and walked the line between insensitivity and wit, with themes including post-partum psychosis, beans and flirting through telegraph. Then came the final act of the night:
Out Of Bounds Sketch Comedy. After the room suddenly went dark following Brown Stand-up’s last joke, chants echoed through the lecture hall and OOB troupe members streamed toward the stage from all directions. Despite some technical difficulties, OOB finished the Feast strong, with sketches ranging from love stories set during the Great Molasses Flood to recorded films spreading shower propaganda like, “the stiller you stand, the faster the water will glide off your skin.” The group closed out the evening with an act about a musical, incestuous road trip and cannibalistic conjoined twins. Shravya Sunkugari ’27, has attended Comedy Feast for the past two years and
said it has been one of her “favorite nights of the year.” “I had so much fun,” she added. Pawel Odziomek ’29, another attendee, made his way to Comedy Feast by chance after tagging along with friends. “It was definitely a great way to spend my Sunday night,” he said. Lighthearted post-show conversations and laughter indicated a job well done by Brown’s comedy groups as students feasted on the medium-rare occurrence of delicious comedic collaboration.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 28, 2026.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
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ARTS & CULTURE REVIEW
Taylor Swift should pull down the curtain on ‘The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore’ With four new songs, Taylor Swift is doubling down on her worst era BY ALYSSIA OUHOCINE SENIOR STAFF WRITER When Taylor Swift announced “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore,” she claimed the four new songs “were born out of pure gratitude for (fans’) exuberance for and celebration of the album we made.” This raises a difficult question: Who exactly was clamoring for more of the dumpster fire that was “The Life of a Showgirl”? “Patient Zero,” a bland and uninspired track where Swift advises the new partner of a former love, is the first unnecessary addition to the album. The song features a lazy vocal performance from Swift, who sings along to groovy but boring instrumentals. The track is inoffensive for the first two minutes until the bridge, when Swift implodes any hopes that the deluxe version would improve the original body of “The Life of a Showgirl.” The spoken-word bridge opens with “So let’s get into it,” an unimaginative device for a section that features lengthy sentences and cliche advice. This reveals the first problem with “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore”: Swift is desperate to convince listeners of the record’s brilliancy, but she makes no efforts to produce songs that aren’t derivative and unoriginal. Somehow the sonic universe of “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore” only worsens with “Cleveland!” The twinkling opening is uncanny, conjuring images of perfect suburban life in simulation games
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA VIA RONALD WOAN
For longtime Swifties, it’s difficult to understand how things went so wrong on “The Life of a Showgirl,” and how this deluxe version somehow digs the hole even deeper. like “The Sims 4.” On “Cleveland!,” Swift wants the world to know that everything is picture perfect. And yet, somehow, the most sage advice she can offer about love to listeners of “Cleveland!” is “You only need to find one person in this entire world / Who doesn’t find you completely insufferable.” Lacking all intimacy, the song is far more concerned with addressing the world’s perception of Swift than articulating the transformative power of love. The track is spiteful — lyrics like “Now I’m wearing white (Yeah), so hate all you like (Uh-huh) / This is the love of my life (Hey,
hey, hey)” highlight how art is instantly cheapened when the focus shifts from the artist’s inner world to the opinions of an exterior, imaginary audience. Swift knows about love and romance — no one can deny her this after 16 albums and four re-recordings with countless tracks exploring the ups and downs of relationships. Her interrogation of these subjects is so celebrated that she has been nominated for 58 Grammy Awards and has won 14. Why, after the vulnerable and brilliant lyricism of “folklore” and “evermore,” has she returned to the juvenile self-censoring
of words like “wh*re” and “b*tch”? What capitalist hellscape does she reside in that would normalize advertising her husband’s podcast in the middle of “Cleveland!,” a song supposedly about true love? Swift struggles under the weight of building a sonic universe, clearly unaware that not every track has to resemble a bad Broadway musical soundtrack to justify the album’s title. “Pink Clouding” is a slight improvement, straying from the theatrics but retaining a sparkly atmosphere and bubbly production. This is the extent of the praise it can be afforded. The song, an apology
to a rebound who became collateral damage in Swift’s healing journey, should be impactful. But the song’s emotional core gets lost in color-forward metaphors and yet another spoken-word bridge. The song is unmemorable and plays like a scrapped track from her 2019 album “Lover.” The only minor redemption of “The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore” is “Babylon,” the deluxe version’s closing track. Ruminating on the idea of not appreciating blessings until they’re gone, this is the track that gets the closest to introspection. This is not to suggest that the track doesn’t struggle with clumsy lyricism, like the redundancy of “a liberated libertine.” Rather, the song just manages to build a coherent narrative and achieve a meaningful climax, which is really no cause for celebration from the youngest woman inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame. For longtime Swifties, it’s difficult to understand how things went so wrong on “The Life of a Showgirl,” and how this deluxe version somehow digs the hole even deeper. The album was a commercial success, albeit aided by the release of 34 different variants during its first week of sales. Swift seems to have all that she ever dreamed of: the love of her life and a history of unobjectionable political takes. So why is the quality of her music suffering so much? Perhaps the answer lies in what happens when art is reduced to a cog in the machine of perfection, debased in service to an impossible goal.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 27, 2026.
REVIEW
‘Pylon’ by beabadoobee is grounded in excellence but short of electric The artist’s new album is as cathartic as it is repetitive BY KENDRA EASTEP SENIOR STAFF WRITTER
Echoing the same poignant sentiments and lush guitar of her recent collaboration with The Mariás, beabadoobee’s fourth studio album “Pylon” is steaming with angst. With her newest record, which was released on Sept. 18, the British-Filipina singer-songwriter plunges headfirst into the 2000s rock soundscape, trading her soft-spoken melodies for feverish cries and metallic screeching. “Pylon” was written while beabadoobee was on tour promoting her previous album, “This Is How Tomorrow Moves.” In the opening track of her new release, she sings about a far away lover she remains connected to “like a pylon on an open road.” In a recent interview with fashion magazine ELLE, beabadoobee explained that seeing those towers carrying powerlines made her feel “closer to home.” The singer’s time on the road clearly influenced the record’s themes — the tracks feel homesick and hungry for connection. In an attempt to transcend the physical distance, the singer romanticizes handwritten letters, songs on the radio and highway powerlines. But while the album preserves the singer’s famous melancholic sound, the second track — “Sun Has Set” — introduces a new violent color to her discography: blood red. “Sun Has Set” is a refreshing explosion of punk and pent-up frustration. In the
KENDRA EASTEP/ HERALD
song’s music video, beabadoobee reaches a boiling point as she shatters a car window with a golf club, shouting, “When I say, ‘We’ll never be friends’ / I mean, we’ll never pretend / F— that, you can never run back to me now.” Paired with a mob of raging guitars, the artist spits out the
venomous lyrics like threats. Even so, beabadoobee’s outburst still shows glimpses of vulnerability in between breaths. Notably, she snaps and shouts “just stay away,” only to taper off and weakly sing, “From me now.” This vocal texture heightens the song’s emo-
tional core, cementing its place as one of the strongest tracks on the record. The fourth track, “Switchblade,” is equally as intense. With eerie vocals, beabadoobee compares herself to the titular weapon and sings, “With this anger / Can’t control this fever.” Though the
song lacks the same adrenaline of “Sun Has Set,” instead opting for a more subtle frustration, “Switchblade” seethes with buzzing percussion and hypnotic chanting. Other songs like “Write Me a Letter” and “It’s Alright” take on a more light-hearted tone. Transitioning to a cooler blue, the tracks return to hopeless pining and melodramatic drum beats. While the catchy and climactic choruses are a testament to beabadoobee’s mastery of the alternative-pop genre, these two tracks lack the gravity to grab audiences on first listen. Because a majority of the songs depend on guitar riffs and scant hooks to engage listeners’ interest, the rest of the tracks similarly blur together. Songs like “Spark” and “Nothing to Prove,” featuring Paramore’s Haley Williams, rely on cycling ‘la-la-las’ to a fault. “Estranged” and “Satellite” are easily digestible but lack memorability, especially in the broader realm of beabadoobee’s discography. Even “Despite That” — which surprises listeners with its layered harmonies — and “In Motion” — which builds into a screaming epiphany — cannot stand out amidst the flurry of electronic noise. Despite the sheer voltage of “Pylon,” beabadoobee’s reliance on pop formulas and short hooks render a handful of the tracks forgettable. Nevertheless, she offers listeners a gritty and gratifying emotional catharsis, elevating her sound while maintaining the charm of her older music.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 29, 2026.
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Friday, October 2, 2026
SCIENCE & RESEARCH BIOLOGY FROM PAGE 1
VIVIAN CHEUNG / HERALD
Cheung hopes that Brown can become a hub for RNA biologists to look at the sequences of RNA and understand them.
genetics and genome science at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, wrote in an email to the Herald. Lee is also another founding member of the consortium. The human body contains both DNA and RNA, and while every cell in one body has the same DNA, RNA mediates the differentiation of cells, according to Cheung. “Our brain cells, our immune cells have the same DNA sequence, but clearly my brain cells are different from my immune cells,” said Cheung. “That’s mediated by the RNA, and yet we cannot read it.” RNA is a key component of the flow of genetic information called the central dogma of molecular biology, acting as the bridge between DNA and protein. RNA is also involved in many other vital functions, such as gene regulation. The human RNome contains all of these RNA molecules. The RNome also includes specific chemical modifications for more specific biological processes. According to Lee, “scientists have identified at least 50 different modifications in humans.” At the early stages of this project, Cheung took a crowdsourcing approach; after making a huge batch of human RNA, the team sent samples to “anyone who had any kind of expertise in sequencing.” “Whoever are the experts, if they come and ask us, we will send them a sample of RNA,” she said. “To our surprise, a lot of people asked, and we got back 180 (sequenced) samples from 15 countries.” Then, using supercomputer technology from the U.S. Department of Energy, researchers uploaded the data to make the first RNA data hub, according to Cheung. According to Lee, the RNome is much more “dynamic” compared to the genome. Because not one RNA sequencing tech-
nique captures the complete picture of the RNome, researchers engaged in various different methods to “produce reliable RNA maps that contain information on the modifications,” he wrote. Peter Dedon, professor of biological engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and another founding member, emphasized that a big question during the data collection phase was how to standardize and store data collected from different methods. “The tools for that don’t exist yet,” he added. “Part of this big project is to develop those tools.” Cheung added that the next goal is for the data to be accepted for publication and made available to the public. According to Robert Reenan — professor emeritus of molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry who is not affiliated with the study — said that this RNA reference library would be “the dream” because it will allow researchers to get a more detailed picture of different types of RNA expression in different parts of the body. “Maybe someone’s interested in bone development, brain development or lung disease. They can say, ‘Oh, well, these genes I know are expressed in the lung, and they go up in lung disease,’” Reenan explained. Looking forward, Cheung hopes that Brown can become a hub for RNA biologists to look at the sequences of RNA and understand them. “The Human RNome Project Consortium is not something that’s going to have a finite endpoint. It’s never going to end,” Dedon said.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 30, 2026.
ENGINEERING
How one professor is using his sabbatical to progress complex fluids research At MIT, Srivastava is investigating the behavior of viscoelastic fluids BY LUCINDA EMPSON-SPEIDEN STAFF WRITER This semester, Associate Professor of Engineering Vikas Srivastava is returning to his alma mater as a visiting faculty member at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. There, he is working alongside MIT faculty on projects studying complex fluids and biomedical applications for soft materials. Srivastava is interested in the behavior of materials under extreme conditions and within biomedical systems — and in what causes those materials to fail. His research focuses on both biomedical and mechanical engineering applications that span from cancer treatment to defense technology. At MIT, Srivastava is using computational models to investigate the behavior of viscoelastic fluids, which are complex materials that behave as both fluids and solids. Designed for extreme impact, these materials are incredibly useful for designing protective products like ship hulls and football helmets. Srivastava works with materials like the one in “Silly Putty,” which is extremely resilient in high-impact situations but otherwise flexible, he said. To demonstrate its unusual protective capabilities to students, Srivastava coated an egg in the material. While an unprotected egg would break
when dropped, the coated egg is able to withstand the impact. “If you’re going at high speed, you and your ship hit something, this can actually absorb the energy” and protect the underside of the ship from breaking, Srivastava explained. Now back at his alma mater, Srivastava is working with some familiar faces. One collaborator, MIT Professor of Mechanical Engineering Gareth McKinley, taught Srivastava’s fluid mechanics class at MIT and even served on his thesis committee. “Things have come full circle,” McKinley said. Srivastava said his collaboration with McKinley at the juncture point of fluids and solids research is an “opportunity for (Srivastava) to expand out to something new and also contribute to a field that definitely can benefit from it.” According to McKinley, Srivastava’s expertise in solid materials will be a useful complement to McKinley’s focus on fluids. “The way he thinks about things in solid mechanics and the way I think about things are related, but they’re not the same,” he said. “It’s like a little bit of cross-training for us to build up a new muscle group.” McKinley said he is excited to develop models of complex fluids with Srivastava, who has experience integrating mechanics research with machine learning. The integration of machine learning with experimentation “will allow us to address problems that an exclusively experimental or computational approach could not solve alone,” collaborator and MIT
Professor of Mechanical Engineering Xuanhe Zhao wrote in an email to The Herald. Since his sabbatical began in late summer, Srivastava has remained committed to visiting his research group at Brown every few weeks. Working with students is his “favorite part” of his job, he told The Herald. Zahra Ahmed PhD’26, a member of Srivastava’s group who defended her dissertation in July, described Srivastava as “a great professor.” “A lot of students really look up to him and really enjoy the classes that he teaches at Brown,” she said. “He’s always very open to undergraduate students interested in research, or even just to talk,” she added. “Sometimes undergrads will pass (in) the hallways, and we just hear them whispering good things about him,” she added. Professor of Engineering Anita Shukla, who is married to Srivastava, echoed the same sentiments. “I can see him thinking about things, even well after hours, just about his students and really wanting to do as much as he can to support them,” Shukla said. “A sabbatical isn’t simply having more time to do research I was already doing,” Srivastava told The Herald. “It is having the freedom to learn something … (and) work with people who think differently,” he told The Herald. COURTESY OF VIKRAS SRIVASTAVA.
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 28, 2026.
Since his sabbatical began in late summer, Srivastava has remained committed to visiting his research group at Brown every few weeks.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
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SCIENCE & RESEARCH FACT CHECK
Fact Check: Can football ever be safe?
Researchers sayscience can inform safety-related changes in football BY ANGEL LOPEZ AND IVY HUANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER AND UNIVERSITY NEWS & SCIENCE & RESEARCH EDITOR
cause concussion symptoms,” contribute to the development of CTE, Daneshvar wrote. He noted that concussions are not the sole reason for CTE, writing that the average collegiate offensive lineman endures 341 other head impacts “of equal or greater force” for each diagnosed concussion. Kesari said that a difficulty in addressing CTE is the absence of pain receptors
the brain can help develop a feedback system to help players participate in the sport as safely as they can. For example, “if you take away the body’s ability to feel pain,” then this can result in more injuries as there is not a feedback system in place to stop the dangerous action, Kesari explained. “If a tennis player could not feel pain, they’ll keep playing
hundreds or thousands of head impacts over time.” Another way to prevent serious injuries, Daneshvar said, is for collegiate and high school teams to “practice like the pros.” He explained that head-impact exposure could be cut in half by making the simple change of limiting physical contact during practice, where 70% of head impacts
Football is the United States’ favorite sport. Nearly 1.5 million Americans play the game, but the high-contact sport can be very dangerous. With about 1.2 million football-related injuries each year, it begs the question — can the sport ever be safe? “My answer is yes,” said Associate Professor of Engineering Haneesh Kesari. “But in order to be able to do that, we need to be able to collect the data” on how the sport is being played. Head injuries are one of the most common types of injuries in football. Nearly 25% of NFL players who passed away between 2016 and 2021 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy, a neurodegenerative disease caused by repeated traumatic brain injuries. Patients with CTE may experience problems with cognition, memory and behavior, but the disease can only be “definitively diagnosed” after a person’s death, Associate Professor at Harvard Medical School Daniel Daneshvar wrote in an email to The Herald. In a recent study, Daneshvar — who is also the chair of the department of physical medicine and rehabilitation at Mass General Brigham hospital — and his research group “found measurable differences on MRI in living former football players that were related to the cumulative force of the head impacts they experienced during their careers.” “Repetitive head impacts over time, including the many impacts that never
in the brain. “Evolution did not expect human beings to be hitting their head so hard, so evolution did not give us pain receptors because they did not expect that our organs would be shaken like this,” Kesari explained. Kesari said that information such as brain strength and events experienced by
until their hand falls off.” Helmets can also play an important role in preventing major injuries. But despite the benefits that they can bring to a football player’s head safety, “no helmet can eliminate the forces transmitted to the brain when the head is hit,” Daneshvar explained. “Equipment does not address the fundamental problem of accumulating
occur. In the NFL, teams have reduced contact practices to once per week on average during the regular season. “There is no reason that younger athletes need to accumulate more unnecessary head impacts in practice than professional players do,” Daneshvar wrote. Adding CTE prevention protocols to standard practice could also prevent long-
SOFIA CICCOTTO / HERALD
term damage, he noted. “Players with greater cumulative exposure had more enlargement in specific parts of the ventricular system, the fluid-filled spaces within the brain,” Daneshvar wrote. Although it is not a definite test for CTE, this finding “suggests that we may be able to measure some of the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts while someone is still alive,” he wrote. According to Brown Football Head Coach James Perry ’00, the Ivy League has implemented some of these practices. In an email to The Herald, he wrote that during practices, players kick off from the 40-yard line instead of the 35-yard line to promote fair catches, in addition to not tackling during practice. “The Ivy League has been a leader in enacting these rule changes and the data supports its efficacy,” he wrote. At Brown, Kesari’s group used sensors in helmets to develop computational head models that “can predict what happens inside the brain.” “People can wear some sensors that will give (players) the feedback of what is and what is not safe,” he said. For example, if someone were playing football and there were sensors that informed them their brain “did not deform more than it would if you are climbing stairs or … playing tennis, then at least I know that football was as safe as climbing stairs,” said Kesari. “There is no way to make a contact sport risk-free, but I absolutely think we can make football safer,” Daneshvar wrote. “The goal is not simply to identify risk. It is to give athletes the benefits of sport while doing everything we can to protect their long-term brain health.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 28, 2026.
PUBLIC HEALTH
SPH researchers publish tracker to map private equity involvement in healthcare The interactive tracker shows consolidation of hospitals and practices BY BRENDON WEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER A new Private Equity State Tracker developed by researchers at the School of Public Health’s Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research disrupts the fog enshrouding private equity investments in U.S. healthcare. Focusing on hospitals and nine medical specialties, the tracker displays the expansion of PE through acquisitions in healthcare across the country between 2015 and 2023. The data is based on public reports from PitchBook, the Medicare Data on Provider Practice and Specialty and other records. According to the CAHPR report — prepared for the National Academy for State Health Policy and the Commonwealth Fund — empirical evidence has increasingly found that PE acquisition of physician practices is associated with increases in health care prices and spending. The fundamental principle of PE is “investor-driven enterprise,” said Andrew Ryan, professor of health services, policy and practice and director of CAHPR. Firms look “to make large margins and then sell again in a short time period.”
NAYANA KUNDU / HERALD
The report found that PE firms have invested around $750 billion from 2010 to 2020 through a “platform and add-on” strategy. The report found that PE firms have invested around $750 billion from 2010 to 2020 through a “platform and add-on” strategy, where the firms acquire a large practice and expand by purchasing smaller medical facilities. The price PE firms pay for small hospitals is often below the national threshold for mandatory transaction reporting, allowing firms to complete large scale purchases outside traditional antitrust oversight. Megha Reddy, project manager at SPH, emphasized the importance of ownership
transparency and systematic disclosures of healthcare PE deals. This transparency can benefit patient autonomy by informing the public as they compare prices at various institutions, she explained. With limitations in the availability of transaction reports, current numbers may have climbed even higher than indicated. “The limitations go to show how hard it is to construct a tool or to really understand how these firms are engaged in our healthcare systems,” said Nathan Hostert MPA’25, the director for state policy at CAHPR. He
said states without specific disclosure laws have “no way” of understanding PE activity in their healthcare markets. In an email to The Herald, the tracker’s lead researcher Yashaswini Singh — an assistant professor of health services, policy and practice at SPH — wrote that her work suggests PE is attracted to regions with large numbers of specialty physicians who practice independently and would be willing to join a PE-backed practice. “Our previous research has also found that state regulatory environment can influ-
ence PE investment patterns. For example, within cardiology, most of the states with PE entry in recent years are those with less stringent certificate of need regulations,” wrote Singh. The tool comes amid a wave of state legislation to increase transparency around PE involvement in healthcare. In April, Maine passed LD 2201, which requires PE firms to file for transaction review and approval at least 180 days prior to acquiring a healthcare entity. In January, Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s office established 110RICR-30-00-5, a pre-merger notification rule that parties involved in “a material change to the business or corporate structure of a medical-practice group” must notify the Attorney General at least 60 days in advance of implementing the change. The tracker aims to provide policymakers with a tool as they consider the “growing influence of private equity in healthcare,” Hostert added. “As we’ve been circulating this (tracker) with our state partners across the country, we’ve been blown away by the response,” he added. The team hopes to continue their research to “better drive these policy conversations.”
This article originally appeared online at browndailyherald.com on Sept. 28, 2026.
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Friday, October 2, 2026
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