SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
VOLUME CLV, ISSUE 14
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Corp. approves 3.75 percent tuition increase Undergraduate Tuition and Fees
60000 Tuition Charge (Dollars)
UNIVERSITY NEWS
Students demand Paxson, Corporation divest Approximately 60 students call for “free Palestine,” celebrate ACCRIP vote
The 3.75 percent increase for FY 2021 will bring annual tuition charges up from $57,112 to $59,254.
50000
BY OLIVIA BURDETTE UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR
40000 30000 20000 10000 0
BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
2018
2019
2020
Fiscal Year
Corporation voted to increase undergraduate tuition 3.75 percent, from $57,112 to $59,254 BY CAELYN PENDER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, approved a 3.75 percent tuition increase for undergraduate and most graduate programs during its winter meeting Feb. 8, according to a University press release. Tuition for the 2020-2021 school year will increase to $59,254 from $57,112. Medical school tuition will
2021 ALLIE REED / HERALD
increase by 3 percent to $64,974. The University tuition rates are established each year by the University Resources Committee — a group made up of students, staff, administrators and faculty and chaired by Provost Richard Locke P’18 — before being approved by the Corporation. The URC includes
SEE CORPORATION PAGE 4
Students gathered in front of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center Saturday morning in support of student group Brown Divest’s demand that the University divest from “companies identified as facilitating human rights abuses in Palestine.” Approximately 60 students watched as several speakers from Brown Divest gave short speeches calling on University President Christina Paxson P’19 and the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, to remove endowment funds from several companies that aid Israel’s occupation of Palestine. The demonstration marked Brown Divest’s first formal action since the Advisory Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies voted to recommend divestment to the Corporation. “What’s next, President Paxson?”
one member of Brown Divest shouted into a megaphone aimed at University Hall. “We did everything we possibly could do. We passed a student referendum, ACCRIP voted yes and now it’s really just up to President Paxson and the Corporation to come to the same conclusion as us. It’s time to divest.” Brown Divest organized the demonstration to fall during the Corporation’s February meetings, which took place on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Yara Doumani ’22, a member of Brown Divest, said that it would have been a plus if the Corporation members saw the protest, but that in the end, it “wasn’t for them.” “We’re here for the movement,” Doumani said. “The majority of (the) progress we’re going to make is not going to be getting a ‘yes’ from the Corporation. We’re still fighting for that, obviously, but the real progress will come from building a movement that’s institutionalized and sustainable so that people can do this next year and the year after that.” The Corporation is set to vote on divestment during its May meetings. Doumani said that until then, Brown
SEE DIVEST PAGE 2
METRO
SPORTS
R.I. students take fight for civic education to courts
Bears extend Ivy win streak to four games
A lawsuit against Gov. Raimondo aims to reach SCOTUS, change education nationwide BY SARAH WANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER A group of Rhode Island students won an award for using their civic understanding to fight for civics education. The student activists, who are fighting for civic education in public schools, received the New England First Amendment Coalition’s 2020 Antonia Orfield Citizenship Award at NEFAC’s 10th annual awards luncheon in Boston Friday. Brian Aun, Symone Burrell, Melly Sok, Nancy Xiong and lead plaintiff Aleita Cook, who all accepted the award in Boston, are among 14 student plaintiffs involved in the class-action lawsuit Cook v. Raimondo, which they hope will make it to the Supreme Court and result in constitutional change.
Filed in November 2018, the lawsuit claims that the state of Rhode Island has violated students’ constitutional rights by failing to provide the necessary civic education to prepare students to effectively engage in a democracy. Cook said the plaintiffs are currently waiting to hear District Judge William E. Smith’s decision, which is expected next month. “If we don’t win, that’s kind of what we’re hoping for,” Cook said. If the case does move its way up to the Supreme Court, it would have the potential to reverse a precedent that equal access to quality education is not a constitutionally guaranteed right. Cook says that it is her personal goal to have the case capture the attention of students nationwide and motivate them to advocate for educational changes in their local communities. “Everyone deserves the right to civic education, and everyone deserves to know how to use (it) toward civic engagement in this country, especially
SEE CIVICS PAGE 3
With Harvard, Dartmouth wins, Bruno edges into Ivy Tournament contention BY RANDI RICHARDSON SENIOR STAFF WRITER Screaming fans, intense physicality and a championship run at stake characterized the men’s basketball team’s nail-biting victories over Dartmouth and Harvard this weekend at the Pizzitola Sports Center. Brown entered the weekend on a two-game win streak in the Ivy League and added to its run with a 67-65 defeat of the Big Green and a 72-71 win over the Crimson, both coming down to the last play of the game. The wins moved Brown into a two-way tie for third place in the conference standings and put Bruno firmly in contention for a berth in the conference tournament. Brown 67, Dartmouth 65 The Bears (11-8, 4-2 Ivy) and the Big Green (7-14, 0-6) traded buckets back and forth during the opening
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Tamenang Choh ’21 drives to the hoop against Harvard. Brown defea Dartmouth 67-65 before beating Harvard 72-71. five minutes of their Friday night matchup, but Dartmouth soon put on a three-quarter court press to slow
Sports
A&C
Commentary
With a win and a tie, men’s hockey gets closer to first-round home-ice advantage Page 2
Author and poet Jenny Zhang speaks to balancing heritage and culture Page 3
Han ’23: We can grieve for Kobe Bryant while still acknowledging the pain he caused his accuser Page 7
the Bears’ pace. Dartmouth showed
SEE STREAK BACK
TODAY
TOMORROW
44 / 35
44 / 30
2
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
SPORTS
Men’s hockey topples Princeton 4-3, ties No. 16 Quinnipiac 2-2 at home
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Brent Beaudoin ’20 scored twice to give the Bears an early lead over Quinnipiac Saturday night. With six games remaining in the regular season, the team aims to secure home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs in March. The Bears will face off next against Dartmouth and Harvard this week.
Four different Bears score in third period Friday, Beaudoin ’20 nets two goals Saturday BY ALEXANDRA RUSSELL SENIOR REPORTER Following a road trip to New York last week, the men’s hockey team earned a lucrative three points over the weekend, eclipsing Princeton 4-3 in a comeback victory Friday and tying No. 16 Quinnipiac University 2-2 Saturday. The results allowed the Bears to surpass Union College for ninth place in conference standings, a critical jump as the team seeks to secure home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs in March. Brown 4, Princeton 3 Friday night, the Bears (6-16-1, 6-91 ECAC) scored four times in the third period to erase an early deficit and secure a pivotal win over their Ivy rivals. Tony Stillwell ’21, Luke Krys ’23, Tristan Crozier ’22 and Bradley Cocca ’23 each netted goals to fuel Bruno’s comeback effort and capture the victory. “We work best when we’re working together as a team,” Stillwell said. “In the third period, we just stuck to our game plan and a lot of that came from just shooting the puck more and more effectively — a lot of our shots before were just missing the net, and then our
DIVEST FROM PAGE 1 Divest plans on “meeting with individuals in the Corporation” to convince them to vote for divestment. David Morales MPA’19, who is running for state representative in Rhode Island House District 7, also gave a
next goal was just to get one goal, and we knew that they would maybe crack.” Tigers defenseman Derek Topatigh gave Princeton (3-16-4, 1-12-3) an early lead in the opening stanza, scoring a pair of power-play goals in a five-minute span. The two tallies resembled one another, as Topatigh sent the puck through a screen from the right circle both times. A scoreless second period saw the Bears outshoot the Tigers 7-6. Though the teams exchanged blows and pressured one another offensively, neither side would find the back of the net again until Bruno equalized the game with a pair of 4-on-4 goals in the third frame. A critical top-shelf goal from Stillwell put the Bears on the board in the final stanza and ignited a spark in the team’s offense. Five minutes into the frame, Stillwell worked his way into the zone and launched a shot from the slot over the shoulder of Princeton goaltender Aidan Porter. Krys followed 48 seconds later, burying a backhand shot from behind the net to even the score. The Tigers caught on to the Bears’ newfound energy four minutes later, as Matt Kellenberger scored on a one-timer to reclaim the lead. The goal inspired Bruno to play with greater offensive urgency, which culminated in a goal from Crozier midway through the stanza. Finding the puck at the left side of the crease, Crozier sent a backhanded shot neatly past Porter to even the tally. Cocca sealed the comeback for the Bears three minutes later, finishing a
rebound on the power play to clinch the victory. “We’re getting scoring through the lineup,” said Assistant Captain Brent Beaudoin ’20. “We got a couple of big goals (against Princeton) from guys that aren’t always producing, so that’s huge for us. Everyone’s important, and I think a lot of guys played some big minutes.” Brown 2, Quinnipiac 2 (OT) The following day’s tie snapped the Bobcats’ three-game winning streak, which included a 5-0 victory over thenNo.1 Cornell Jan. 31. Beaudoin netted a pair of goals to give the Bears an early lead before Quinnipiac (17-9-2, 10-42) tacked on two tallies of their own to send the teams into overtime. “It was a great weekend,” said Head Coach Brendan Whittet ’94. “We’ve been very good the last three weekends in the league and that was a big point — (Quinnipiac is) an excellent hockey team. They’re a team that has a lot of skill, a lot of pace, they are very structured and well-coached, so for us to get a point is a good thing.” Beaudoin put Brown on the board on the power play in the penultimate minute of a vigorous first period, tapping in a rebound after an initial shot from Stillwell and deflection from Cocca sent the puck to the right of the crease. The middle frame was marked by penalties on both sides as the Bears outshot the Bobcats by a margin of 147. Bruno’s offensive persistence was
highlighted by Beaudoin’s second goal of the evening, which gave the team a lead of two late in the stanza. Beaudoin again collected a rebound and beat Bobcats goaltender Keith Petruzzelli for the score, while Zach Giuttari ’20 and Crozier each recorded assists. Quinnipiac’s Ethan de Jong responded with just three seconds remaining in the period, edging the puck over the goal line through a pile up in front of the net. The play was sent to video review before officials made the affirmative call, sending Bruno into the final stanza with a lead of one. Alex Whelan scored the equalizer for the Bobcats just over two minutes into the third period. As the game grew increasingly physical, goaltender Gavin Nieto ’20 made a series of pivotal saves to preserve the score and force overtime. The teams pressured one another in the extra frame, but each held off the other’s attack to keep the contest even. When “there’s two good teams on the ice, the things such as special teams, face-offs, little things like making sure pucks get deep (and) winning battles end up winning or losing hockey games,” Whittet said. ”The guys were very good in those situations.” With six regular season games remaining, Bruno’s primary aim is to secure home ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs, which is granted to the fifth- through eighth- finishing teams in the conference. The Bears are currently ninth in the standings, trailing
Yale by two points. “Right now we’re on the cusp of breaking through,” Stillwell said. “It’s going to take a couple more weeks of consistency, and I think once everyone starts to wrap their arms around our upperclassmen, I think we’re going to take off for sure. It’s just going to take practice, habits and starting games fast — that’s always been our Achilles tendon.” The team also emphasizes the importance of a diligent and consistent work ethic as it sets its sights on a pair of contests at Dartmouth and No. 17 Harvard this weekend. “Every day you have to come to the table with the right attitude, and I think we’re getting a lot better at it,” Beaudoin said. “With practice you’ve got to come to the rink every day ready to go because that translates into games, so I think we’re doing a much better job playing as a five-man unit and playing consistently in all three zones.” “In our last five (games), we are 3-1-1 so that’s a good growth moment, that’s a team that’s maturing (and) doing the right things down the stretch — that’s what you want as a coach, you want a team to continue to get better,” Whittet said. “I was happy with the way the guys are continuing to grow as individuals and as a team.” The Bears return to action with their Ivy League road trip this weekend, before returning to Meehan Auditorium to host Colgate University Feb. 21 and No. 2 Cornell Feb. 22.
speech telling the Corporation to “put your money where your mouth is.” “If you truly care about human rights, if you want to talk about all the great things this liberal campus does on your pamphlets, then start by setting the example of being one of the first campuses to successfully divest every
single last penny,” he said. Morales said that the Corporation’s priority is profits “regardless of the deaths we have seen” in Palestine. The audience responded by shouting, “shame.” Doumani ended the protest with chants of “from the river to the sea,
Palestine will be free” and “free, free Palestine.” Ifeoma Anyoku ’22, who attended the protest, said she hopes the demonstration shows the Corporation “how much the student body is behind this movement, and how we are not going to back down until they listen to us.”
“I hope it shows them that we won’t accept going to the institution and benefiting from (its) dirty money, and I hope (Paxson) realizes that her students have spunk,” Anyoku said. University Spokesperson Brian Clark could not be reached for comment by press time.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS
3
COURTESY OF DAVID ROSEN
Rhode Island students in economically disadvantaged areas often have fewer opportunities to learn civics in their schools, said student activists fighting to make the subject more accessible.
CIVICS FROM PAGE 1 during this time,” Burrell said in her acceptance speech. Cook told The Herald she believes that civic education should not be restricted to exclusive classes such as Advanced Placement United States History. Instead, it should be provided to everyone and treated as having the same importance as English or math, she added. “How can you be a citizen in America and not even know the basic human
rights you have or your branches of government? It just doesn’t make any sense,” Cook said. In a speech introducing the student activists, Edward Fitzpatrick, a reporter who covers Rhode Island for the Boston Globe, spoke on how the lawsuit raised the question of educational inequality. “Rhode Island allows school districts to decide for themselves whether and how to teach civics, and the lawsuit says that leads to big discrepancies,” Fitzpatrick said. “Students in affluent towns often have access
to rich curriculum and a range of extracurricular activities like debate team and field trips to the state legislature that are beyond the reach of poor schools.” According to Justin Silverman, executive director of NEFAC, the Antonia Orfield Citizenship Award was created to honor regular citizens — who are neither journalists nor attorneys — for advocating for the First Amendment and for fighting for open, transparent government. Silverman said that NEFAC was
“incredibly inspired” by the student activists’ initiative to not only demand a better civics education but also to sue the state in order to force the implementation of a civics curriculum. While the activists differ from past recipients who have fought for information through public record battles, Silverman said that all recipients share the same goal: “to access information so that they can be better-informed citizens and have an easier time holding government accountable and being part
of the democratic process.” Cook told The Herald that as a student interested in pursuing activism as a career, she felt excited by the award and that it gave her “more exposure and opportunity in the future to continue to do social justice work within the community.” “This is a precedent of what youth are capable of,” said Aun at the awards ceremony. “Youth are not just the future leaders of this world because they are the present leaders of this world.”
ARTS & CULTURE
Author Jenny Zhang discusses experience in Writers on Writing series Author of “Sour Heart” reads award-winning stories, speaks on identity, culture BY MINE KOVAVISARACH SENIOR STAFF WRITER
On Feb. 6, the Literary Arts department welcomed poet and short story author Jenny Zhang to read her work as part of its Writers on Writing series. Almost 100 people filled the seats in the McCormack Family Theater as the lights dimmed. During the hour-long event, Zhang read excerpts from “Sour Heart,” her debut collection of short stories, and her forthcoming poetry collection, “My Baby First Birthday.” Both excerpts describe a young
Chinese-American girl’s struggle to relate to her heritage while also attempting to fit into American culture. “Sour Heart” was inspired by “a phase where (Zhang) was really interested in writing about family.” “I was interested in questions of childhood and how a child navigates coming into the world feeling so beholden and indebted … while still getting to be a child,” Zhang told The Herald. Zoë Fuad ’23, an audience member who had previously not heard of Zhang, said she “felt incredibly seen” by the collection. “These stories feel so personal and universal somehow at the same time,” Fuad said. “The way she writes is striking, … it resonates in you.” “Sour Heart” is a required text for Writers on Writing, a course offered every semester in two iterations — one designed as a first-year seminar and
the other as an advanced 1000-level class. The course instructors invite each author and poet featured in the seminar to read their works in front of an audience; Zhang’s reading is the first of many. “It’s one of the best things that the Literary Arts department offers to its students,” said Karan Mahajan, assistant professor of literary arts and teacher of the 1000-level edition of the seminar. “Access to some of the most vital voices of the time … is something that should really be treasured.” Mahajan commented on students’ positive responses to the collection, referring to Zhang as a “voice of her generation.” The author received the the PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Fiction and the Arts Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction in 2017. The Literary Arts department included the book in the course for its
“astonishingly fearless voice that uses the syntax of childhood … to make very adult observations about the immigrant experience,” Mahajan said. Mahajan also described Zhang’s collection as “one of the major fictional debuts of the last five years, if not the decade.” Zhang wrote the first story in the collection when she was a sophomore in college. The first story “was just something I wanted to say and then I kept writing. … Over time it just seemed like I had written a portrait of a collection of people that I thought went well together,” Zhang said Zhang called herself “willfully naïve,” recalling that she wasn’t scared of publishing these personal stories because she “knew if (she) thought about it too much (she) would be scared.” “I didn’t know what would happen. … Back then, I was just so hell-bent on being able to say what I wanted to
say that I wasn’t thinking about what would happen once someone let me say it,” she added. Although she was unafraid, Zhang expected some backlash. “There’s not a lot of examples of young, non-white women writing crudely, or obscenely, or explicitly, … and not being torn apart for it,” she said. She described her writing process as trying to answer “broad, big questions” with more precise ones. “How is a person supposed to live? What is love, truly? Why do horrible things happen? … Within (those questions), I have specific questions that occupy me, and then I write so much towards that question I don’t have any more to say,” she explained. The next Writers on Writing seminar will feature Poet and Sound Artist Tracie Morris, and will be held in McCormack Family Theatre on Feb. 13, from 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM.
4
CORPORATION FROM PAGE 1 seven student members — four undergraduate students, two graduate students and one medical student — each chosen by their respective student councils. While the press release states that the URC works to keep tuition increases “as low as possible,” tuition fees still serve as roughly half of the University’s operating budget, according to Locke. The URC made a “conscious decision” this year to keep the tuition growth under 4 percent to signal that the University wants to “bring down the growth curve of tuition and fees,” Locke said. The University hopes to continue to decrease the percentage growth of tuition in future years, he added. The 2019-2020 school year saw a 5 percent increase from the previous academic year, The Herald previously reported. The URC recommends the annual operating and capital budget to President Christina Paxson P’19 based on factors such as the investments the University wants to make, the physical upgrades the campus needs and the student resource centers that have requested increased funding. Paxson then presents the recommendation to the Committee on Budget and Finance, which compares the proposed tuition against those of the “20top universities,” Locke said. The URC focuses on accessibility to make sure it is not “harder, especially for middle-class families” to attend
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS
Brown, Locke said.“We don’t want to be overpriced, we don’t want to be way underpriced,” he added. The Corporation also approved 2.5 percent salary increase pools for faculty and staff. Faculty and staff members will receive different raises based on their individual performances throughout the year, adding up to a 2.5 percent total salary increase, Locke said. In past years, the University has released a full budget at the Corporation’s February meeting, but this year marks the first use of a new base budget system that is meant to be “increasingly predictable” and “less reliant on tuition and fees,” according to the press release. A base budget system focuses on reallocating funds within departments to avoid having to increase the budget as much each year as the University previously has, Locke said. The University hopes to continue to decrease the growth of tuition and fees by growing the endowment through fundraising and investment. In this new system, the full budget will be approved at the Corporation meeting in May. Tuition and fees were released this month to allow students to “anticipate the following year’s cost of attendance,” according to the press release. The financial aid portion of the budget will not be released until it is finalized during the May Corporation meeting. “Every year (financial aid) increases, (and) it always increases much greater than tuition and fees,” Locke said.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
Find Post- magazine on Facebook! facebook.com/postmagazinebdh
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | TODAY
5
CA L E NDA R TODAY
FEBRUARY S
M
Tu
W
Th
F
S 1
2
3
4
5
6
7
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
24
25
S U D O KU
26
27
28
HIAA DUG Semester Opening Party 5:30 P.M. List Art Center
Environmental Justice at Brown Info Session 7:00 P.M. Friedman Hall, 102
2020 Democratic Presidential Candidates’ Forum 7:30 P.M. Friedman Hall, 208
8
9
23
Gender in Israeli and Palestinian Film Festival 9:30 A.M. Watson Institute
TOMORROW
22
Brown in Washington Info Session 12:00 P.M. Swearer Center
Effective Interviewing 12:00 P.M. CareerLAB
29
World Trivia Night with Dean Zia 5:30 P.M. Stephen Robert ‘62 Campus Center
2020 MLK Lecture: Beverly Tatum 6:00 P.M. Salomon Center for Teaching
Q U OTE OF TH E DAY
“Back then, I was just so hell-bent on being able to say what I wanted to say that I wasn’t thinking about what would happen once someone let me say it.” —Jenny Zhang SEE ZHANG PAGE 3
CAU T I O N: BUS I S TURN I N G CR O S SWO R D
JULIA GROSSMAN / HERALD
Hazy overhead lights shower the narrow bus tunnel with a cautious glow. Only the bravest students, throwing caution to the wind, will make the trek into the cave after RIPTA buses retire for the night.
6
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
STAY UP-TO-DATE. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK. FACEBOOK.COM/BROWNDAILYHERALD SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Editorial Leadership Editor-in-Chief Colleen Cronin Managing Editors Sophie Culpepper Allie Reed Senior Editors Elise Ryan Alex Smolar post- magazine Editor-in-Chief Amanda Ngo
Sections Arts & Culture Editors Katherine Ok Emily Teng
Special Projects Coordinators Jacob Lockwood Melanie Pincus
Metro Editors Henry Dawson Olivia George Isabel Inadomi Maia Rosenfeld
Commentary Opinions Editors Jordan Allums James Flynn Krista Stapleford
News Editors Olivia Burdette Daniel Goldberg Li Goldstein Kayla Guo Kamran King Spencer Schultz
Editorial Page Board Amanda Brynn Riley Pestorius Vicky Phan Krista Stapleford Dylan Tian
Science & Research Editors Emilija Sagaityte Cate Ryan Sports Editor Ryan Handel
Multimedia/Production Design Editors Bilal Ismail Ahmed Keelin Lyons Head Photo Editors Rebecca Ho Victoria Yin
Copy Desk Chief Vicky Phan Illustrations Editor Summer Zhang Graphics Editor Usha Bhalla Immersive Editor Michael Bass Business General Managers Nicholas Fabrizio Mariel Jackson Office Manager Diane Silvia Directors Rey Blandon Shreya Das Arman Lateef Michael Wang
@the_herald
facebook.com/browndailyherald
@browndailyherald
youtube.com/browndailyherald
195 Angell St., Providence, RI (401) 351-3372 www.browndailyherald.com Editorial: herald@browndailyherald.com Advertising: advertising@browndailyherald.com
Submissions: The Brown Daily Herald publishes submissions in the form of op-eds and letters to the editor. Op-eds are typically between 750 and 1000 words, though we will consider submissions between 500 and 1200 words. Letters to the editor should be around 250 words. While letters to the editor respond to an article or column that has appeared in The Herald, op-eds usually prompt new discussions on campus or frame new arguments about current discourse. All submissions to The Herald cannot have been previously published elsewhere (in print or online — including personal blogs and social media), and they must be exclusive to The Herald. Submissions must include no more than two individual authors. If there are more than two original authors, The Herald can acknowledge the authors in a statement at the end of the letter or op-ed, but the byline can only include up to two names. The Herald will not publish submissions authored by groups. The Herald does not publish anonymous submissions. If you feel your circumstances prevent you from submitting an op-ed or letter with your name, please email herald@browndailyherald.com to explain your situation. You can submit op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com and letters to letters@browndailyherald. com. When you email your submission, please include (1) your full name, (2) an evening or mobile phone number in case your submission is chosen for publication and (3) any affiliation with Brown University or any institution or organization relevant to the content of your submission. Please send in submissions at least 24 hours in advance of your desired publication date. The Herald only publishes submissions while it is in print. The Herald reserves the right to edit all submissions. If your piece is considered for publication, an editor will contact you to discuss potential changes to your submission. Commentary: The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only. Corrections: The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Postmaster: Please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Advertising: The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.
The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. is a financially independent, nonprofit media organization bringing you The Brown Daily Herald and Post- Magazine. The Brown Daily Herald has served the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during Orientation by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. Subscription prices: $200 one year daily, $100 one semester daily. Copyright 2019 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY
7
On Kobe: As a Celtics fan, and as a daughter BLISS HAN STAFF COLUMNIST
On Sunday, Jan. 26, Kobe Bryant, his thirteen-year old daughter Gianna and seven others died in a helicopter crash. My heart stopped when my friend texted me with the news that he was gone. The world wasn’t prepared to deal with this — perhaps the greatest sports tragedy ever. If it took me, a lifelong Kobe hater, a week to even begin to process the news, I cannot imagine how it hit his personal family and friends, as well as those who had spent their entire lives as his fans. In the days that followed, it seemed as though every basketball player and every sportswriter on the planet had a moving tribute to Kobe. Countless other famous people, from Miles Teller to Patrick Mahomes, attested to his boundless curiosity, tireless work ethic and incomparable influence on their lives and careers. When I read these tributes, I realized that there were a lot of contrasting opinions about Kobe’s life and legacy. On one hand, there were testaments to his greatness as a basketball player, his post-retirement endeavors and the ways he inspired an entire generation of kids. On the other hand, there were columns that insisted we remember the harm he inflicted upon his accuser. But nonetheless, it is still understandable to grieve his death, even though we may have conflicting feelings about his legacy. I didn’t love Kobe Bryant. In fact, I hated him. As an ardent Boston Celtics fan inspired by the classic 1980s Celtics-Lakers rivalry, I opposed him for two NBA finals matchups and countless iconic moments. I shed tears of happiness when we beat him in 2008 as he wilted under the pressure against Boston’s “Big Three,” and I wallowed in a deep and empty sadness when he got his revenge in 2010. I completely bought into the counternarrative that he was a knock-off Jordan, a ball hog, a selfish teammate and a failed leader. Add my personal qualms with his off-court behavior — namely the credible accusation of rape against him in
2003 — and I was one of the biggest anti-Kobe fans in the NBA. When it finally came time for him to retire, it was decidedly bittersweet. As fun as it was to root for the Celtics, it made it all the better to beat the Lakers. And while the Celtics quickly reinvented themselves as their stars aged, the Lakers chose to invest all of their resources into Kobe during his final few years rather than plan for the future. During the years after Kobe’s retirement, it almost seemed as though the Lakers’ golden years had retired with him, and there’s no fun in rooting against one of the worst teams in the league. As much as I would have denied it, it was true: Kobe’s best years were also my best
his basketball fandom to me; to this day, I doubt that he even knows which team I cheer for. But no one would relate more to Kobe’s “girl dad” pride than my father. Historically, Korean families such as my own have valued sons over daughters, for the same reason that many NBA players might — to carry on the family name and legacy. But my father always wanted a daughter. He never made me feel as though I was any less responsible for my family than a son would have been. He raised me to be as brave, independent and wise as he could, and he sacrificed constantly to provide me with everything I needed to pursue my dreams successfully. And when I did, he looked at me with that same expression. Much like Gianna, I strived to
their final moments. I didn’t know Kobe. I didn’t root for him, I didn’t idolize him, I didn’t love him. As a basketball fan, I despised him and the superstar mentality he embodied. As a person, I still believe that his personal legacy is fatally flawed, and that in the wake of his sudden death, we should be careful not to romanticize him or gloss over his many off-court failings. As one survivor of sexual assault put it, “Survivors need to make sure that our stories are not erased again and again to lift up powerful men’s legacies.” But as my father’s only daughter, my heart aches when I think about how I know exactly what it is like to be my father’s pride and joy, even though I’m “just a daughter.” I know
“That is what truly crushes me about this unbelievable tragedy – the relatable story of the strength of the bond between a father and his daughter.”
years as an NBA fan. I didn’t follow Kobe during retirement as closely as the Lakers fans in my life did, but I still followed the league closely enough to see his interview with ESPN in which he said that he didn’t need a son to carry on his basketball legacy because he had his daughter, Gianna. The cynical part of my brain was unconvinced by the loving “girl dad” act; along with his expressed support for the WNBA, it all seemed like a perfectly packaged, faux-feminist coverup for his past transgressions. But my sentimental side was moved by the expression on his face. It was the same look on my own father’s face when I aced a chemistry test, when I finished a great essay and when I got into Brown — that look of inexpressible pride and incomparable love. Unlike Kobe, my father did not pass down
live in a way that would justify my dad’s choice to value me as much as any son. I lived to make him proud. I still do. Without a doubt, the single most devastating part of the tragedy for me was the loss of his daughter. Kobe, even though he passed at the young age of 41, had lived a fuller life than most. His story is incredibly complicated, as a person if not as a basketball legend, but hers was yet to be written. Fellow NBA player Draymond Green said it best: in his final moments, Kobe was probably trying to comfort his daughter and tell her that everything was going to be fine, because “as a father, you can’t even show your child that you don’t think it’s okay.” That is what truly crushes me about this unbelievable tragedy — the relatable story of the strength of the bond between a father and his daughter, which mattered more than ever in
exactly what my father would have done in a situation like a helicopter ride gone terribly wrong: He would have given up anything to protect me. And although I don’t know what actually happened in that helicopter, the most guileless part of me believes that Kobe did the same. The NBA misses him. The sports world misses him. LA grieves for him. We didn’t all know him, and we don’t all agree with all of his choices. Certainly, I do not. But his passing still hurt me deeply and personally. And that’s okay too.
Bliss Han ’23 can be reached at bliss_han@ brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald. com.
Opinions pieces published in The Herald — which include columns, op-eds , letters to the editor and editorials — are written independently of news coverage.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Palestininan Authority, Say ‘Yes’ to Peace To the Editor: I completely disagree with the author of the Jan. 31 op-ed “Trump’s so-called peace plan for Israel and Palestine hinders progress.” Palestinian leaders should welcome any proposal to end the conflict, especially since all other attempts in the past have failed. One may disagree with certain aspects of President Trump’s plan, but one cannot argue with the fact that by rejecting this plan, the leaders of the Palestinian National Authority continue their historical trend of rejecting peace deals. Instead of saying yes to an opportunity to jumpstart the economy, build a future and create jobs for its people, the PNA chose to reject a peace deal before even looking at it. Israel continues to show a willingness to negotiate, but the Palestinian leaders still won’t come to the table.
Even their brothers and sisters in the Arab world are supporting this plan as a basis for negotiations. But the Palestinian leaders continue to reject this opportunity, and refuse to change the sad reality for their people as well as for the Israelis and others in the region. One needs to ask the question: If the Palestinian leaders would accept this deal as it is, even without negotiation, would their lives be better? The answer is a resounding “YES.” So what about the offer is problematic? They should come in good faith and give it a chance. I bet the Palestinians themselves would agree with me. But their leaders do not agree, and are holding their own people hostage with no hope for negotiation to end the conflict. Edward D. Greenberg, M.D. class of 1998
8
STREAK FROM PAGE 1 its press expecting to open up its tight lead, but instead accumulated eight team fouls in the first 16 minutes of the game. The fouls sent Bruno to the charity stripe, where it capitalized off of the opportunities and used them to take more offensive risks. In the last seven seconds of the half, Dartmouth committed another shooting foul — this time from beyond the arc. Brandon Anderson ’20 made all three of the ensuing free throws. But Dartmouth ran its next possession just in time to score a deep buzzer-beating three pointer to send Brown into the locker room with a 35-27 deficit. The second half began on a sloppy note for Dartmouth, with two unforced turnovers in the first two minutes due to offensive miscommunications. “I knew all week long it was going to be such a tough game,” said Head Coach Mike Martin ’04. “We wanted our physicality, speed and athleticism to take over.” The Bears didn’t back down despite
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS
getting bumped around. Instead, they doubled down on team play. Anderson picked up Dartmouth’s point guard full court, which forced an errant pass, making it easy for Daniel Friday ’23 to steal. From the Brown takeaway, Tamenang Choh ’21 scored a triple. Bruno still trailed 34-41 with fourteen minutes to play, but Choh’s three-pointer sparked an 11-4 Brown run which pulled the Bears within three points. “In the locker room at halftime, we focused on energy, and that energy carried us to the win,” Anderson said. The crowd’s energy matched the stakes of the game and the level of intensity from both teams rose as the clock wounddown. Dartmouth’s aggressive tactics came back to cost it because, once again, it earned eight team fouls and sent Brown to the free throw line. With roughly two minutes to go in the game, Jaylan Gainey ’22 converted a put-back dunk and blocked a Dartmouth shot on the other end. The sequence fueled a fast break
three-pointer from Perry Cowan ’23, and Choh took a charge on the other end of the floor to help the Bears pull ahead 61-52. But the Big Green fought back to within two points during the last 30 seconds. The game boiled down to the last possession, but Dartmouth missed the game-winning three and Brown walked away with the win, 67-65. Five players — Anderson, Cowan, Choh, Gainey and Zach Hunsaker ’20 — scored in double digits. Brown 72, Harvard 71 The Bears’ game against Harvard (14-7, 3-3) also came down to the final play. Brown found itself down 71-69 with possession and less than three seconds left in the game. With the crowd on its feet, Anderson took the ball out of bounds and tossed it to Choh. Choh faked the handoff to Anderson, snapped the ball back for a quick cross-over into a left handed dribble, passed his defender and kissed the ball off the glass through a foul as time expired. Choh finished off the and-one play to win the game 72-71.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 2020
Harvard and Brown entered the game in a three-way tie with Penn for third place in the Ivy League, and early on, the Crimson’s defense exposed Brown’s offensive weaknesses. The Bears were forced into turnovers and unlikely three-point attempts, allowing Harvard to head the other way for its own baskets. Harvard added to the scoreboard with high-low plays for easy layups, but Brown started to work the ball around to score. Each additional point brought more shoves and pushes, more players hitting the floor and more free throws, leading to a score of 27-23 Harvard with less than six minutes to go in the half. Free throws kept Bruno in the game, as the Bears knocked in 20 in the first half compared to Harvard’s 11. Brown worked to control the pace of the game, but struggled to fight through Crimson rim protectors blocking Bruno layups and scoring some of their own. Harvard posted double the paint points of Brown in the first half, at 24-12. The first half ended with Brown logging a block of its own, scoring from the
charity stripe and hitting a three to go into break tied at 39. The Bears’ momentum picked up right where it left off, as they went on an 11-3 run to start the second half. By the midway point of the half, Harvard had battled back and led 53-52. There were ten ties and 13 lead changes throughout the course of the game. The score stayed within two or three points as the clocked wound down, and with a minute and a half to go, the game was tied at 69. With just over three seconds left on the board, Harvard went up by two with a layup just as the shot-clock expired. On the final possession, Choh knocked down the critical layup and game-winning free throw to put Bruno in third place in the conference, behind only Yale and Princeton. “Coach called a great play and we executed it perfectly,” Choh said. “I’m grateful we won and now it’s on to the next game.” He finished the night with 17 points while Anderson posted 22. The Bears hope to extend their win streak to six at Penn and Princeton next Friday and Saturday night.
STAY UP-TO-DATE. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK. FACEBOOK.COM/BROWNDAILYHERALD