Monday, December 3, 2018

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018

VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 110

Mayor vetoes proposed zoning change for tower City Council can override Elorza’s decision with supermajority of 10 votes, next meeting Dec. 6

Bears claim first place in Bruno Invite Women’s swimming, diving team hosts six teams for three-day long invitational

By COLLEEN CRONIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After several public hearings and a litany of high-profile City Council committee votes, Mayor Jorge Elorza vetoed a height ordinance change for the proposed 46-story Hope Point Tower Friday afternoon.

The decision from Elorza comes a little more than a week after the City Council approved the tower in a nine-to-five vote with one abstention.

To override the Mayor’s decision, the Council needs a supermajority of 10 votes.

The tower was slated to be built on former I-195 land downtown, which is currently zoned for 100-foot-tall buildings. The height limit was established under a comprehensive zoning plan for the city three years ago, The Herald previously reported.

In a letter to the City Council, Elorza wrote that his veto was motivated by the Fane Organization’s unwillingness “to provide assurances that the city’s design recommendations would not be disregarded” when developing the tower.

Elorza explained that he requested “that the city, either through the (Downtown Design Review

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By ALEX SMOLAR SENIOR STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF KENNETH ZIRKEL

Though City Council originally approved zoning changes for the tower in a nine-to-five vote Friday, Mayor Jorge Elorza vetoed the measure.

Committee) or the Planning Department, have final approval over the design of the project, rather than merely advisory input,” he wrote. “If this building is going to reshape our skyline, then the city should be able to approve what it looks like.”

Initially proposed by developer Jason Fane in November 2016, the tower would guarantee “public benefits” like maintaining a nearby pedestrian bridge, Elorza wrote. Additionally, the Fane Organization promised to » See ELORZA, page 4

Coming off of a victory over Wagner College and a defeat against Rutgers University, the women’s swimming and diving team powered to a firstplace finish in the Bruno Invite this weekend. The Bears hosted Dartmouth, Princeton, the University of Miami, Johns Hopkins University, Villanova University and Rider University in the three-day long meet.

Brown led the scoreboard throughout the weekend and finished with 992 points after amassing 269 on day one and 637 by the end of day two.

“One of our major mantras for this meet is to swim with ‘no expectations, but not low expectations,’ which has made the past two days of racing extraordinarily exciting,” said Kelley Tackett ’20, Herald copy desk chief. “There’s a lot of energy behind the blocks that just keeps building off of every swim.”

The Bears earned numerous firstplace finishes throughout the meet and started the weekend by tying a program record of 1:31.21 in the

200-yard freestyle relay. Miku Takabayashi ’22 also set a school record of 2:01.19 in the 200-yard individual medley race Friday. Other notable performances included a secondplace finish for the 200-yard medley relay team and a third-place, 54.72 second performance from Andrea Wei ’22 in the 100-yard butterfly.

“Esp e cia l ly comp are d to two years ago when (the Bruno Invite)was here, (the competition) is a lot faster,” said Sarah Welch ’20.

“It’s giving us a better opportunity to race and to see how we’re doing.”

On the final night of the meet, Bruno clinched the victory with a few clutch performances. In the 100-yard freestyle, the Bears dominated, as Taylor Seaman ’21, Marley Cross ’20 and Maddie Salesky ’19 took home the top three places.

Brown won first place in the 400yard freestyle relay with an impressive 3:18.90 time from the team of Salesky, Seaman, Cross and Tatiana Prendella ’19.

“One advantage to big invites like (the Bruno Invite) is getting to swim against competitors from outside the league,” Tackett said. “More competition always means more opportunities to get better, and we’re working hard to claim our space in and among the top scorers of the invite.” » See W. SWIMMING, page 4

Club aims to raise awareness, Researchers design new brain implant funds for Rohingya refugees Brain-computer interface “Solidarity with the Rohingya People” club partners with global health effort of U. prof

By BENJAMIN KOBLINER STAFF WRITER

After spending a summer volunteering in a Rohingya refugee camp in Bangladesh, Olivia Cummings ’19, Huy Nguyen ’19 and Briana Chung ’19 were inspired to create a club to raise awareness and generate support for the civilians displaced by sectarian violence in Myanmar. The students partnered with Health and Education for All — a nonprofit created by Associate Professor of Surgery Ruhul Abid that provides free health care to Rohingya refugees — to establish the Solidarity with the Rohingya People Club.

Through the club’s platform, the students hope to “fundraise for

INSIDE

HAEFA” and support Abid’s humanitarian work, Nguyen said. In Abid’s pursuit to provide the displaced Rohingya people with free, quality health care, HAEFA uses electronic medical records to help ensure continuity and accuracy when medically treating refugees.

“Abid is really interested in working with undergrads,” Cummings said, adding that he enables students to make an impact. “If someone has an idea that could be beneficial to” Rohingya refugees, Abid will seriously consider implementing it to “really help people,” she said.

The students also want “to educate the general Brown community about this (humanitarian) issue,” Nguyen said. Last summer the Myanmar army attacked Rohingya villages and caused about 700,000 Rohingya people to flee to Bangladesh, the New York Times previously reported. “The Rohingya people is an ethnic and religious » See ROHINGYA, page 4

lets those with paralysis control cursor on unmodified tablet

By ZACHARY LEVIN STAFF WRITER

Researchers have shown that an experimental brain implant allows individuals with paralysis to control a cursor on a tablet computer. The study marks another step toward the group’s ultimate goal of restoring forms of communication to individuals with neurological impairments, said Krishna Shenoy, professor of engineering at Stanford University and a senior author of the paper.

The study comes from a team of researchers working as part of BrainGate, which has labs at Stanford, Brown and Case Western Reserve University that are focused on designing braincomputer interfaces to aid patients with neurological deficits.

The study, published in November, is the first to show that patients can

TALIA MERMIN

use a brain-computer interface machine to control a cursor and “click” on an unmodified tablet, according to Jaimie Henderson, a neurosurgeon at

Stanford and one of the study’s senior authors. This is the first time the technology is being tested on a standard » See BRAIN, page 2

WEATHER

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018

SPORTS Wrestling team finishes 35th in Las Vegas Invitational, Keeley ’20, Realbuto ’22 earn wins

SPORTS Men’s hockey team ties St. Lawrence, loses to No. 17 Clarkson this weekend

COMMENTARY Editorial: In light of Donovan House findings, U. must revise its lead exposure policy

COMMENTARY Editorial: Due to high student activities fee, more comprehensive budget reports required

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Wrestling finishes 35th in Las Vegas Invitational Five Bruno wrestlers pick up wins, Keeley ’20 advances into tournament’s top 20

By RYAN HANDEL STAFF WRITER

Following tournaments at Binghamton University and the United States Naval Academy, the wrestling team headed west to Las Vegas this weekend to take on several of the nation’s best teams at the prestigious Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. The Brown wrestlers struggled to build momentum throughout the tournament and finished 35th out of 43 teams. Positives for Bruno included a top-20 upset by Trey Keeley ’20 (125 lbs) and a solid performance from Colin Realbuto ’22 (141 lbs).

The Brown wrestlers recorded a combined 6-18 record on the weekend, with Keeley, Realbuto, Zachary Krause ’20 (149 lbs), Christian LaBrie ’19 (157 lbs) and Jonathan Viruet ’19 (165 lbs) all picking up wins. “It was a true test to see where we are at and what we need to work on,” said Head Coach Todd Beckerman.

Keeley began with a match against Drew Hildebrandt of Central Michigan University. Trailing 1-0 entering the third period, Keeley had a chance to earn the tying escape, but Hildebrandt earned the rideout to hold on for the win. Still, Keeley advanced in the consolation bracket thanks to a medical forfeit, setting up a showdown

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Trey Keeley ’20 earned his first career victory over a ranked opponent, defeating 20th-ranked Cole Verner of the University of Wyoming in the 125 lb weight class. with Cole Verner from the Univesity eliminated from the tournament by rebounded in his next match against of Wyoming, who was seeded 11th in Tyshawn White in his next match, but rival Trevor Tarsi of Harvard, using a the tournament and ranked 20th in he relished his win over Verner, his strong ride in the second period and the country by FloWrestling. first against a ranked opponent. “My a late takedown in the third to seal the Keeley kicked off the match against coaches have instilled confidence in win. Though Realbuto lost to ninthVerner with a bang, using a slick inside me that I can hang with these guys. seeded Nate Limmex of Purdue Unitrip to pick up a takedown and two There’s no reason that I should lose versity in his next match, Beckerman nearfall points. After a Verner escape, to a guy just because he’s ranked. … was impressed with his performance.

Keeley used a single-leg takedown to I’m right there with the best of them,” “Realbuto looked good as a freshman jump out to a 6-1 lead. Verner clawed Keeley said. coming out here for the first time,” back and cut the lead to 6-5, but failed Realbuto faced third-seeded Mi- Beckerman said. to execute on a risky throw, extend- chael Carr of the University of Illinois Krause got off to a hot start, as he ing Keeley’s advantage and setting in his first match, putting up a val- dominated Ethan Wendell of Highline him up for the 15-9 win. Keeley was iant effort in an 8-3 loss. But Realbuto College in a 15-0 technical fall. Krause

» BRAIN, from page 1 tablet without any special software or design, he said.

Participants in the study navigated tablet apps, such as an email program, a weather app, a web browser and a chat interface, said Leigh Hochberg ’90, professor of engineering and a senior author of the study. The tasks required users to navigate a cursor across the tablet screen and initiate clicks by thinking about moving their own hand, he added.

The BrainGate implant is responsible for sensing an individual’s brain signals and sending that information to a series of processors that translate the signals into cursor navigation and “clicking,” Hochberg said.

The whole system consists of a device that is implanted in the region of the brain responsible for movement and a set of processors that use mathematical methods to read the brain signals, Shenoy said. “At the heart of the technology is the so-called ‘decoder,’ … and this is a mathematical algorithm that is able to translate electrical impulses from many different neurons into a continuous movement signal for a computer cursor,” he explained.

Since this is the first time this type of technology has been applied to an unmodified tablet, the study acts as a “proof of concept” that the BrainGate system can be used functionally on unaltered hardware, Henderson said.

“We can actually start to see how these systems could be used in the real world by individuals with paralysis,” said Vikash Gilja, a researcher at the University of California at San Diego who was not affiliated with this study but has previously worked with

then gave third-seeded Grant Leeth of the University of Missouri a close match, falling by a score of 9-5. But during a consolation bout, Krause suffered an injury and was forced to forfeit the match, ending his tournament.

LaBrie also put up a 1-2 record on the weekend, defeating Kizhan Clarke of American University.

Viruet, who entered the tournament seeded 10th and ranked 19th in the country, controlled Tanner Skidgel of Navy in his first match, racking up eight nearfall points off of tilts en route to a 14-0 victory. This set up a match with seventh-seeded defending Junior World Champion Mekhi Lewis of Virginia Tech. Viruet could not break through the defense of the positionally-sound Lewis and fell 6-4.

In the consolation, Joshua McClure of the University of North Carolina used multiple low doubles to upset Viruet and end his tournament run.

“I personally would say that I perhaps underperformed, but I’m not going to make excuses. There’s a lot of things we need to learn as a team,” Viruet said.

Hunter Kosco ’21 (133 lbs), Bryce Rogers ’21 (174 lbs), CJ LaFragola ’19 (184 lbs) and Ian Butterbrodt ’19 (285 lbs) each went 0-2 in the doubleelimination tournament.

The Bears will face another stiff test in their next competition, the Midlands Championships held at Northwestern University Dec. 29 and 30.

“This is a perfect time, during reading period and exams, to work on the technique that they need to work on,” Beckerman said.

BrainGate. This study shows how brain-computer interface technology can function successfully on a more generalized level, since the participants completed more practical and commonplace computer tasks, he added.

With an eye to the future, the team looks to improve the system and continue progressing toward better functionality and technology. “Right now, it’s possible to use these systems, but they don’t move as quickly or as accurately as you might want them to,” Shenoy said.

According to Henderson, advancements in neuroscience and improvements in the machine itself lie ahead.“The human brain is a big place with a lot of complexity, and we’re only scratching the surface of that complexity and how it can be leveraged to improve our ability to use assistive devices,” Henderson added.

On a similar note, Hochberg stressed the need for future improvement in calibration, external hardware and personnel.

After 14 years of development, the BrainGate system has functioned with unmodified tablets, but there is more work to be done before the technology becomes widely available. The group hopes that one day the system will be able to restore communication to people with neurological damage, citing this new study as one step toward that goal.

“The participants in our trial … deserve enormous credit. They enroll in the trial not because they’re hoping to gain any personal benefit, but because they’re hoping to help us to develop and test this technology we … hope will help people with paralysis in the future,” Hochberg said.

NEWS

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Bruno ties St. Lawrence, falls to No. 17 Clarkson on the road Offense persistent as men’s hockey outshoots Saints 44-22 in second overtime contest of season

By ALEXANDRA RUSSELL SPORTS EDITOR

Following a 17-day hiatus over Thanksgiving break, the men’s hockey team resumed conference play on the road this weekend with a 5-1 loss to No. 17 Clarkson University Friday and a 2-2 tie against St. Lawrence University Saturday.

Saturday night, Nolan Aibel ’20 equalized the game late in the second period to send Brown (1-6-2, 1-4-2 ECAC) into its second overtime contest of the season. Joachim Weberg ’21 and Justin Jallen ’22 scored Friday and Saturday, respectively, while Brady Schoo ’19 recorded a pair of assists against the Saints.

Brown 1, Clarkson 5 Friday night, Weberg scored in the second period to bring the Bears within one goal of the Golden Knights (85-0, 2-2-0), but a trio of unanswered Clarkson goals put victory out of reach for Bruno.

The Golden Knights opened scoring in the first minute of the game as Kevin Charyszyn found the back of the net on a one-timer 44 seconds into the contest. Marly Quince extended the lead for Clarkson late in the stanza, sending a shot into the Brown goal from between the circles.

But the Bears responded early in the second period, when Weberg redirected a feed from Chris Berger ’21 past Golden Knights netminder Jake Kielly. Berger maneuvered around a Clarkson defenseman through the right circle and sent a pass across the crease, where Weberg tapped the puck past Kielly to narrow the deficit to one.

Dorian Dawson ’22 also recorded an assist on the play.

Aaron Thow widened the Golden Knights’ advantage to two with a goal midway through the stanza. Though the Bears’ offense remained persistent, outshooting Clarkson 10-6 in the final period, the Knights tacked on a pair of goals — including one on the power play — to secure the victory.

In net, goaltender Gavin Nieto ’20 posted 23 saves. The Bears went 6-for7 on the penalty kill in the contest.

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Nolan Aibel ’20 scored the equalizer late in the second period against St. Lawrence University Saturday. The Bears return home to host Union College and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in their final contests before the winter break at Meehan Auditorium this weekend.

“We were working hard but sometimes not working intelligently — we got away from some systematic things,” said Head Coach Brendan Whittet ’94. “We needed to come back with a much different effort … on Saturday and I thought we responded very well.”

Brown 2, St. Lawrence 2 (OT) The following day, the Bears dominated possession from the drop of the puck, outshooting the Saints 23-4 in the first period and 44-22 overall.

Aibel scored the equalizer late in the second stanza to send the teams into overtime.

“We were all over them — we’re at our best when we’re cycling down low, maintaining possession in the offensive zone and getting pucks up quick in the neutral zone,” Aibel said.

“We were doing all that and we were getting a lot of pucks to the net. … I think we just have to bear down on our chances a little bit and we’ll find some wins in the future.”

Jallen put Bruno on the board with his third goal of the season late in the

first period. After having his initial shot denied, Jallen finished off his own rebound in a play that was sent to video review and ruled in favor of the Bears.

The Saints (2-11-1, 0-3-1) responded with a pair of goals in the span of a minute and a half to gain an advantage early in the second frame. Andrew McIntyre sent a backhand shot from the slot past Brown netminder Luke Kania ’21 three minutes into the stanza before Alex Gilmour converted on St. Lawrence’s second power play of the evening to reclaim the lead.

The Bears continued to pressure the St. Lawrence net and leveled the tally when Aibel collected a pass from Schoo and launched a shot past Saints goaltender Emil Zetterquist late in the second period.

After a scoreless third stanza, Kania made four key saves in overtime to preserve the tie.

“Saturday was a real step forward for us — we played the way we wanted to and I think we definitely did enough to win that game,” Weberg

said. “Unfortunately, we couldn’t come away with a win, but it’s always good to get at least one point on the road.”

“I like a lot of things we did in the game, and if we continue to trend upwards with those habits, with those systematic things that we stress, it eventually will lead to wins,” Whittet said. “We just can’t deviate — we’ve got to play as a team and I did see that on Saturday and I was very happy to see … how the guys responded to a Friday night game where we weren’t at our peak.”

Looking ahead, Whittet emphasized the importance of playing with tenacity around the net in order to convert offensive opportunities into goals.

“We’ve got to find a way to bear down around the net a little better …

We’re gripping the stick a little tight right now,” he said. “If we continue to get the chances we’re getting, eventually it’ll go in. But it’s a situation where, in practice, you’ve got to constantly stress finishing drills, making sure that you’re depositing pucks in

the net.”

As the first half of the season draws to a close ahead of the winter break, the Bears are preparing for a pair of home games against Union College and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute this weekend. The team hopes to carry the momentum from Saturday’s matchup into the contests.

“We haven’t gotten the results that we wanted the past few weeks, but we’re confident in our ability (and) we’re confident in all of our teammates, our coaching staff and our game plan as a team,” Weberg said.

“We’re getting better and better every day, and I think that showed on Saturday.”

This weekend, it’s important for the team to “really put all of our energy into these two games, hopefully come out with four points and put ourselves in a good spot after Christmas break,” Aibel added.

The Bears return home to host Union Friday and RPI Saturday at Meehan Auditorium. Face-off is at 7 p.m. both nights.

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PAGE 4 • MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» ELORZA, from page 1

COURTESY OF ROHINGYA SOLIDARITY GROUP

build the tower within a reasonable time frame to prevent the lot from remaining vacant for too long, he added. Elorza wrote that, though these are important considerations, the design of the building remains his top priority and the primary motivation for his veto.

“Jason Fane is disappointed in the Mayor’s action today,” Fane Spokesperson Dante Bellini wrote in an email to The Herald.

Calling the veto a “punitive action against this specific project and the economic development Hope Point represents,” Bellini said that Fane has already made compromises to suit the city and people of Providence.

Leading up the Mayor’s announcement, local neighborhood groups like the Jewelry District Association and the College Hill Neighborhood Association opposed the building, The Herald previously reported.

The Providence Preservation

Society joined local neighborhood associations in protesting the tower.

In a statement, PPS’s Executive Director Brent Runyon called the proposed zoning change “short-sighted and destructive” and thanked Elorza “for putting the city’s interests above the interest of one developer.”

After the City Council initially approved the height change, Runyon told The Herald that he was disappointed in the decision.

Rhode Island union workers, on the other hand, have been some of the tower’s strongest proponents.

Tweeting at Elorza following the decision, the Rhode Island Painter’s Union wrote, “Shameful ! @Jorge Elorza this is a foolish decision. Sad to see you turn your back on working people of this city!”

If the City Council votes to override Elorza’s veto, the tower would be the tallest building in Rhode Island.

The City Council has not yet released an agenda for its next meeting, which will take place Thursday.

Olivia Cummings ’19, Huy Nguyen ’19 and Briana Chung ’19 started the Solidarity with the Rohingya People Club on campus. They have hosted a teach-in and are planning to present additional events this year.

» ROHINGYA, from page 1 minority in Myanmar,” he said.

“Ethnic tension has been simmering throughout history between the Rohingya and the majority.”

Ultimately, the students’ experience of volunteering in the refugee camp inspired them to take further action after returning to campus.

Cummings, Nguyen and Chung organized a teach-in on campus where Abid spoke about HAEFA and the refugee crisis.

As the club co-founders plan to attend medical school in the future,

» W. SWIMMING, from page 1 Behind the Bears in the final standings, Princeton finished in second place with 852 points, followed

by Villanova, Miami, Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins and Rider.

their time observing the refugee clinic and engaging in non-medical work at the camp was particularly eye-opening, they said.

Within these environments, “the patients do not have a lot of agency,” Nguyen said. “We saw a lot of young children who came to the clinic just by themselves, and we didn’t even know if they understood what (medicine) they were supposed to take, so agency is a problem. As future doctors, of course we’re going to have a lot of power (in) our hands, so it’s up to us to use that power in a meaningful way. To use that power so you can bring justice

to other people.”

Looking ahead, the three students will host another meeting to recruit new members. They will also hold events featuring guest speakers from Brown and other universities to talk about the Rohingya people and other refugee crises across the globe, he added.

“One part of the future (of the club) would be having a space where people can have conversations about what it means to work in the humanitarian area and to work in global health as people living in the (United States),” Cummings said.

“It’s really exciting to beat (Princeton) because … they are usually some of our biggest competition,” said Julia Benz ’20. “(There is) a lot of good competition, a lot of good swimmers (and) a lot of good divers. We’ve had a lot of people come

and watch, which is really great. …

We’ve had a record turnout, so it’s really fun.”

The Bears will return to competition with a meet against Ivy League rivals Penn and Harvard in Cambridge, MA Jan. 12.

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YOU ARE INVITED TO THE

71ST ANNUAL BROWN UNIVERSITY

LATIN CAROL CELEBRATION Monday, December 3, 2018 • 8 p.m.

The First Baptist Meeting House in America 75 North Main Street, Providence, RI 02903 Featuring seasonal readings by members of the Department of Classics Musical prelude and accompaniment by University Organist Mark Steinbach, plus the Chattertocks’ rendition of The Twelve Days of Christmas and a special arrangement by the Brown Madrigal Singers

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

The Bears finished the meet with 992 points, just ahead of second-place Princeton’s 852 points. Women’s swimming and diving will return to action Jan. 12 for a meet against Ivy League rivals Penn and Harvard.

TODAY

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

menu

the first baptist church in america

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Sammy Special, Barbecue Chicken Ranch, Caprese Queen’s Green Salad, Pulled Pork Sandwich JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Dumpling Bar, Panini Grill, Guacamole Burger

Turkey Chili Soup, Chicken Noodle Soup, Bread Bowl

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Roast Chicken with Sambal Chimichurri, Beef Lo Mein, Blondie Bars

Asian Style Barbecue Ribs, Garlicky Hoisin Shrimp Stir Fry, Banana Cream Pie

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Cavatelli with Romangna Bolognese, Curly French Fries, Coconut Cookies

Slow Roast Pork Loin with Herbs, Sun-Dried Tomato Alfredo Gnocchi, Italian Bread

sudoku

crossword

ANITA SHEIH / HERALD

As finals season quickly approaches, students who require divine intervention to save their grades this semester can attend services at the First Baptist Church of in America, which opened in 1775, at nearby 75 Main St.

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

“If this building is going to reshape our skyline, then the city should be able to approve what it looks like.”

— Mayor Jorge Elorza

See Elorza on page 1. calendar TODAY DECEMBER

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Out for Lunch: Coming/ Being Out and Going Home 12:00 P.M. Stephen Robert ’62 Center

Music Now with Marc Perlman 12:00 P.M. Orwig Music Building

Serve UP: Puerto Rico Info Session 1:00 P.M. Geo-Chem Building, 150

Hindi Language Table 4:00 P.M. Page-Robinson Hall, 312

TOMORROW German Language Table 12:30 P.M. Stephen Robert ’62 Center

Quaker Meeting for Worship 12:05 P.M. Page-Robinson Hall, 409

Screening: ‘Bergman: A Year in the Life’ 6:00 P.M. Granoff Center for the Creative Arts

SPEC Presents: Candyland!

7:00 P.M. Sayles Hall

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL

U. needs to dramatically revise its lead exposure policy In mid-November, The Herald reported the troubling news that residents in Donovan House, where one of the University’s special interest housing programs is located, discovered what they believed to be lead paint in areas of the dorm with chipped paint. Officials from Environmental Health and Safety inspected the residence and determined that, though the paint damage did perhaps reveal lead paint, it was unlikely to cause lead exposure. The University decided that the damaged areas would nonetheless be repainted over winter break. It is good to see the University respond rapidly to student concerns about lead paint found in campus residences. Nevertheless, it has become evident that the University needs to improve its policies regarding how it checks for lead paint, inform students about the status of lead paint in dormitories and communicate the procedures students should follow to avoid lead exposure.

To be sure, even the slight chance of lead paint exposure is a serious problem.

Though the University reported that the degree of paint damage found in Donovan House is not significant enough to constitute lead exposure, whenever paint becomes damaged in a building that predates 1978 — when federal law outlawed the use of lead paint — there is the potential for chipped coats of paint to expose old layers of lead paint. When this happens, it becomes possible for residents to inhale airborne lead paint particles.

Since many of Brown’s residence halls were built before 1978, this is a possibility that all students should be made aware of. Lead poisoning can cause damage to the brain and other vital organs and can lead to headaches, stomach aches and exhaustion, among other more serious illnesses. As one University professor put it in a research report press release

this fall, “there is no safe level of lead.”

Thus, it remains incredibly disconcerting that the critical task of ensuring campus residents are not subject to any level of lead exposure has essentially been left to residents themselves — with many largely unaware that this burden has fallen on them. Though the Office of Residential Life told The Herald that Facilities Management checks for exposed lead paint every May when students move out, this policy — as evidenced by the case of Donovan House — is in need of serious scrutiny.

While the University acknowledges that wear and tear could cause paint chipping that would contribute to lead paint exposure throughout the school year — during which there are no procedural checks for lead paint — the University does not currently make students aware of the extent of this potential problem or provide them with resources for reporting issues during their time in the residence halls. While we commend the University for planning to move forward with factsheets for students that would clarify these issues, it is troubling that this was not done sooner. Furthermore, future communication on this issue should provide students with better clarity regarding the reporting process for lead paint exposure and should include detailed information about how students can follow up on this issue.

Moreover, since a Donovan House resident reported noticing the exact same lead paint exposure last year, it remains questionable whether or not this policy of checking for lead paint exposure every May even works successfully. We encourage the University to look into this potential oversight and remain transparent with students as it continues to modify and improve its policies on lead paint in residence halls.

The University is not alone in its struggles with lead paint prevalence. In 2015, Yale students in one residence hall reported decaying paint that was determined to have 15 times the level of lead at which paint is considered dangerous. In the end, Yale decided to repaint dozens of dorm rooms to fix the problem, but it failed to inform the current inhabitants of what was ocurring. Brown can learn a lot from Yale’s handling of the situation: It is unacceptable to expose students to hazardous environmental conditions, to put the burden of lead monitoring on students themselves and to hide episodes of chipped paint or degraded infrastructure from students.

While state and federal laws mandate that sellers and landlords disclose any and all knowledge of the presence of lead-based paint in residences to homebuyers and renters, federal law exempts college dormitories from this practice.

As such, we commend the University for being willing to include lead paint disclosures in housing contracts moving forward. These disclosures, however, are not enough. The University’s updated policy will be most effective when combined with a renewed look at Brown’s lead paint inspection policy and the provision of information on potential lead paint exposure. It is only with these improvements to Brown’s lead paint policy that we will be able to fully ensure that students do not live in fear and uncertainty about the health and safety of their living environments during their time at Brown.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: Anuj Krishnamurthy ’19, Rhaime Kim ’20, Grace Layer ’20, Mark Liang ’19 and Krista Stapleford ’21. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and opeds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

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COMMENTARY MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL

UFB’s budget reports need to be comprehensive and timely On Nov. 21, the Undergraduate Finance Board released its budget report for the 2018-2019 academic year. According to the report, UFB’s approximately $2.2 million budget comes primarily from the $286 student activities fee all Brown students must pay. UFB’s budget report describes its allocation process at length, and breaks down the budget into broad categories of expenditures, such as event support, annual budgeting and supplemental budgeting. But, while the budget report is helpful in demonstrating broad categories of organizations and services funded by the activities fee, it is not detailed enough — especially considering how high our student activities fee is compared to our Ivy League peers. In future budget reports, the UFB should continue to increase transparency around the activities fee so undergraduates can have a clearer idea as to how their money is being used; release the reports on time; and provide more granular details about the allocation of the budget.

Of the Ivy League institutions that list their student activities fees online, the University has the highest fee.

(Princeton and Penn include their activities fees in larger expenses; they do not make available the student activities fees they charge.) Dartmouth has the lowest activities fee, at $75, while Cornell, the school with the secondhighest fee in the Ivy League, still only charges students $234. Because the University has a relatively high fee, it is even more important for students to clearly understand which initiatives and organizations their money is supporting. Going forward, the UFB should explain why our student activities fee is so high when compared to our peers, and how the University determines the activities fee.

The student activities fee is primarily associated with student groups and clubs. However, UFB also funds many initiatives and activities on campus that one might intuitively deem the financial responsibility of the University. For example, $75,000 of the budget is given to Club Athletics. These 11 club sports teams are all managed by the Department of Athletics, yet continue to receive UFB funding and follow UFB policies. It is unclear why Athletics does not supply the funding

for club sports. An additional chunk of the budget is given to the Sarah Doyle Women’s Center, the LGBTQ Center and the Brown Center for Students of Color. While these organizations are extremely important to the Brown community and deserve adequate funding, it is similarly unclear why the University does not fully fund these affinity centers and why they must rely on the student activities fee for support.

To its credit, UFB has taken a fairly significant step toward greater transparency this year by publishing a report about its budgeting process. But it is important that these reports be released on the timeline set by UFB’s own members so that undergraduates have the time to read and digest them fully. UFB’s first budget report was initially projected to be released at the end of September. The report has instead come at the end of November.

For the majority of the first half of the school year, therefore, students had no way of knowing how their activities fee was being spent. UFB has stated that it hopes the student body gives feedback on fund allocation, but in

late November, no changes can reasonably be articulated and enacted this semester.

Finally, the report does not include enough information for students to fully understand the budget. While the groupings provide some structure, almost 51 percent of the funds falls under “Annual Budgeting,” a nebulous category that includes all student organization funding that is predicted at the end of the spring term for the following year. Brown has over 400 clubs and student organizations, and it would be useful to learn how much money each organizationreceives, particularly the largest recipients of UFB funding. This breakdown is certainly feasible; the Cornell Student Assembly published an allocation overview for 2010 to 2018, naming each organization and how much money it receives from the student activities fee. This level of transparency allows students to advocate for the specific changes they would like to see in the budget in more detail than is currently possible.

In a similar vein, UFB ought to take another cue from Cornell and offer more historical background about

the student activities fee. This would better allow students to understand the purpose of the fee and how it has changed over time.

Ultimately, while the budget report demonstrates UFB’s efforts to bolster transparency, it does not provide enough information to allow students to provide meaningful feedback. Nor does it explain why our student activities fee is significantly higher than that of our peers. UFB Vice Chair Julian De Georgia ’20 told The Herald that UFB plans to publish more detailed reports in the coming years. We hope that these reports will give a breakdown that makes it simple for students to see how their money is being used and lead to a more informed and sustained conversation about our activities fee.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: Anuj Krishnamurthy ’19, Rhaime Kim ’20, Grace Layer ’20, Mark Liang ’19 and Krista Stapleford ’21. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.

NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

MONDAY, DECEMBER 3, 2018

E D I T O R’ S N O T E

The Herald names 129th Editorial Board The Herald announced the members of the 129th Editorial Board Saturday at its annual banquet Dec. 1.

The 129th Editorial Board will be led by Editor-in-Chief and President Emily Davies ’19.5, a public policy concentrator from Washington, D.C. Priyanka Podugu ’20, a political science concentrator from Canton, Ohio, will serve as managing editor and vice president.

Joining them on the editorial board are Managing Editor Anna Kramer ’20, an international relations concentrator from Chester Springs, Pennsylvania, and senior editors Anita Sheih ’20, an English and visual arts concentrator from Phoenix, Arizona and Sarah Wang ’20, an applied math-economics concentrator from Palo Alto, California.

The 128th Editorial Board is excited to see The Herald and its content develop next year under the leadership of the incoming board. We are so proud of you all.

The Herald also announced a new slate of section editors, business leaders and department heads: Section Editors Arts & Culture: Elise Ryan ’21, Annabelle Woodward ’20 Features Program: Ethel Renia ’19, Jackson Wells ’20

Metro: Colleen Cronin ’21, Sophie Culpepper ’21, Celia Hack ’21 Newsletter: Dylan Clark ’21 Trisha Thacker ’21 Opinions: Emily Miller ’19, Derek Simshauser ’20 , Rebecca Aman ’20 Science & Research: Cate Ryan ’21, Chris Schutte ’21 Social Media: Alex Reice ’21 Sports: Alexandra Russell ’20, Alex Smolar ’21 University News: Katherine Bennett ’21, Jacob Lockwood ’21, Melanie Pincus ’21, Allie Reed ’21 Business General managers: Ravi Betzig ’20, Phil Masiakowski ’20 Finance directors: Rey Blandon’21, Rudra Srivastava ’21 Sales director: Bersabel Yifru ’20 Strategy director: Edwin Farley ’19 postEditor-in-Chief: Anita Sheih ’20 Editor’s Notes are written by The Herald’s 128th Editorial Board: Elena Renken ’19, Kasturi Pananjady ’19, Alex Skidmore ’19, Madison Rivlin ’19, Ben Shumate ’19 and Hattie Xu ’19.

ALEX SKIDMORE / HERALD

Sarah Wang ’20, Emily Davies ’19.5, Priyanka Podugu ’20 and Anita Sheih ’20 (left to right) will serve on The Herald’s 129th Editorial Board, along with Anna Kramer ‘20 (not pictured).