Monday, October 15, 2018

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018

VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 82

WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

SUGSE, AFT to file election petition Census dry run faces

lack of funding, publicity Test run of Census 2020 allows online completion, does not include question about citizenship

By COLLEEN CRONIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

ROLAND HIGH / HERALD

An election on graduate student unionization will be held within 15 business days of filing the petition. SUGSE and AFT believe a majority of eligible graduate students will support unionization.

U. received notice Oct. 11 of SUGSE, AFT’s intention to file petition in 10 days at earliest

By ERIC CHOI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Stand Up for Graduate Student Employees and the American Federation of Teachers notified the University of their intention to file an election petition for graduate student unionization, according to an Oct. 11 AFT press release.

Following the terms of the pre-election agreement, SUGSE and AFT will file the

petition at least 10 calendar days after the notice, and an election on unionization will be held within 15 business days of the filing.

The notice comes after SUGSE and AFT determined a “strong majority of the 1,250 graduate employees have » See UNION, page 3

The 2020 Census’ first and only dry run was conducted in Providence County earlier this year. The test run included a new ability to respond to the census through an online survey but did not include the controversial “citizenship question,” which would ask respondents about their U.S. citizenship status. The results from the test will not be published until early next year, according to Census Bureau Public Information Officer Daniel Velez.

In previous years, there has been more than one test before the census roll-out. Originally, the Census Bureau had planned to do three full dry runs — one in Providence County and two others in Washington and West Virginia. Because of years of underfunding, the Bureau had to scale back to one dry run and had no available funds to publicly advertise the census in Providence, said William O’Hare, president of O’Hare Data LLC and Demographic Services.

City and state officials in Rhode

Island were concerned about the lack of preparation and public education for the test run last April, the Providence Journal previously reported.

“The City and state of Rhode Island have much to lose should our population fall as a percentage of the national whole; including federal funding for seniors, roads and educational programs, and the state’s representation in Congress could be affected,” wrote Ben Smith, deputy director of communications for Mayor Jorge Elorza, in an email to The Herald. He believes that there will be more advertising when the fully funded census rolls out in 2020.

Facing a lack of funding, national and local organizations — including the Providence Complete Council Committee — stepped up to try to inform the public of the dry run.

Among the members of this committee was Secretary of the PortugueseAmerican Leadership Council of the United States Marie Fraley, who helped troubleshoot problems the test census encountered. Fraley said she used social media and both print and online publications to inform and encourage those in the Portuguese community to participate in the test.

She hopes to use the outreach model on a national level in 2020. » See CENSUS, page 2

U. community usage Men’s soccer stuns Harvard in OT of RIPTA declines Number of total riders of RIPTA in fiscal year 2016-17 lowest since decline starting from 2013

By DYLAN CLARK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The University is entering its tenth year as a participant in the Rhode Island Public Transit Authority’s UPass program. Since the program came to Brown in 2008, students, staff and faculty alike have had free use of RIPTA buses on any route in Rhode Island with a simple swipe of their University ID. The UPass program has provided over 37,000 individuals in the Brown community with almost 3.8 million rides over the course of the past decade.

The UPass program was created out of necessity to the University, according to Elizabeth Gentry, the assistant vice president for business and financial services. Before UPass, “the University

INSIDE

used to subsidize RIPTA ride(s) for a (set) percentage” of the fare, Gentry said. At the time, the University had also recently reduced the number of on-campus student parking spots from around 400 or 500 to 50. “It was time that we provided other options for transportation,” she added.

The University’s agreement with RIPTA stipulates that RIPTA share data on the number of unique riders who use UPass and the total number of rides taken by members of the Brown community. “The numbers (of total riders) are still pretty high, but this past year was the lowest we’ve ever seen,” Gentry said. But the total number of rides taken has increased slightly in the past year from its lowest point in the fiscal year 2016-17.

Faculty and staff usage numbers also declined considerably in the fiscal year 2016-17; the number of unique riders dropped by over 100 in the past year. Overall, the number of unique » See RIPTA, page 3

TED ORBEN / HERALD

Midfielder Rodrigo D’Andrea ’20 rushes to celebrate the game-winning goal with his teammates. With the crucial victory, the Bears move to 1-2 in conference play and 6-5 overall this season.

Bears earn first Ivy League win of the season on overtime goal from Toby Howell ’19

By RYAN HANDEL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The men’s soccer team earned its first Ivy League win of the season after netting a dramatic overtime goal against Harvard Saturday night at Stevenson-Pincince Field. Despite dominating possession for most of the game, the Bears could not convert on their numerous scoring opportunities in regulation. But a

well-timed pass from midfielder Daniel Schiller ’20 allowed Toby Howell ’19 to tap in the game-winning goal from close range and seal the 1-0 victory for Bruno in the 103rd minute.

After struggling in its first two Ivy League contests with a 3-1 loss to » See M. SOCCER, page 3

WEATHER

MONDAY, OC TOBER 15, 2018

SPORTS Football team defeated 48-10 on road against Princeton, will face Cornell next week at home

NEWS FLi Center connects first-gen, low-income, undocumented students with mentorship

COMMENTARY Klein ’20: Golden State will win NBA Finals with help of new addition DeMarcus Cousins

COMMENTARY Flynn ’20: University should include GPA in student transcripts for efficiency’s sake

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NEWS

PAGE 2 • MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Bears stifled by Tigers, drop 10th straight in Ivy League Bears soundly defeated 48-10, fall to 1-4 overall, 0-2 in conference matchups this season

By ALEX SMOLAR SENIOR STAFF WRITER

While the football team improved on last season’s 53-0 defeat against No. 21 Princeton, the Bears’ efforts were not nearly enough, as they fell 48-10 to the Tigers on the road Saturday. For the second week in a row, and for the third time this season, the Bears’ defense gave up more than 40 points. The offense, which seemingly came alive against Georgetown two weeks ago, has dramatically regressed — Bruno was shutout by the University of Rhode Island last weekend and could only muster 10 points on the Tigers’ stout defense.

“I think a lot of what went wrong today on offense was in our control,” wrote quarterback Michael McGovern ’21 in a statement to The Herald. “We need to clean up the mistakes and have all 11 guys on offense do their job, and we’ll be very successful.”

From the opening snap, the Bears (1-4, 0-2 Ivy) were in trouble. Princeton quarterback Kevin Davidson, in the first start of his career, found Steven Carlson for a 39-yard gain on the first play from scrimmage of the game. A pass interference penalty a few plays later put the Bears’ defense on the ropes, and the Tigers (5-0, 2-0) capped the drive when Davidson found Ryan Quigley in the end zone. Just 154 seconds into the game, Bruno was down a touchdown.

Brown’s offense could not get anything going on their first series, and the Tigers responded on their next drive with a 62-yard touchdown strike from Davidson to Jesper Horsted. Horsted caught the ball at around the 25-yard

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Running back Allen Smith ’22 runs against the University of Rhode Island in a shutout loss last weekend. Bruno’s rushing attack has left much to be desired this season, as the team is only averaging 65.4 rushing yards per game and 2.4 yards per rushing attempt. line, but had the angle on the safety and took off for the end zone to put the Bears in an early 14-point hole.

For the rest of the quarter, Bruno’s defense looked up to the task of stopping the robust Princeton offensive machine. It halted a Tigers series and forced a 4th down on Princeton’s next two drives. But at the start of the second quarter, the wheels fell off for Brown.

Tigers running back Charlie Volker converted a 4th and 1, and Davidson found a leaping Horsted in the end zone on the very next play.

The Bears’ offense continued to be plagued by drive-killing penalties and missed opportunities. On Brown’s next drive, the team fumbled two snaps and had a punt blocked to give the Tigers the ball at midfield.

“We’re (going to) watch the film, find the mistakes and fix them,” McGovern wrote.

The Tigers seamlessly passed the reins of the offense to quarterback Zach Keller in the second quarter, and he led a 58-yard march in just 90 seconds.

Volker scored a 22-yard touchdown to finish the drive and give his team a 28-0 lead.

Though the Bears blocked a Tigers field goal and embarked on a promising drive before the end of the quarter, Princeton was firmly in control, leading by four touchdowns at the half.

In the third quarter, McGovern led the Bears on a nine-play, 43-yard drive that resulted in a field goal and broke a scoring drought that had lasted over one and a half games.

» CENSUS, from page 1 Providence Complete Council Committee member and Executive Director of Common Cause Rhode Island John Marion said that underfunding is cause for concern. During an event he held last June, Marion asked the Census Bureau for brochures to hand out but was told instead to print out information from the Bureau’s website, as no literature had been prepared.

While the Bureau attended all committee meetings and answered all the questions it could, “what was frustrating from the common view point was that they weren’t allowed to do a robust outreach effort,” Marion said.

“The community is going to have to stand up and be counted and not wait for the census to come count (them).”

Over half of Providence County responded to the census without a phone call or home visit, and 61 percent of those who responded filled out the census online, according to the Census Bureau report. Both the response rate on first attempt and internet response rate were higher than the Bureau expected, according to the report.

Though the online response format will save the Bureau money, some have questioned its effect on rural areas.

“There’s a lot of data that shows

YILAN GAO

that rural areas are less likely to be connected or have high speed internet, and so there’s some concern among rural advocates that (by) pushing the internet response, … some people in rural areas may be missed disproportionately,” O’Hare said, adding that it’s a concern for people in any type of community that have limited or no internet access.

The dry run also had a significant omission: the citizenship question.

After the test run began in Providence, the Trump administration announced that the question, which asks everyone living in the United States whether they are citizens, would be included in the 2020 Census.

“There was a lot of confusion among the public in Providence County about whether the citizenship question was included on the test, which it wasn’t,” Marion said.

“The timing was very poor for the

The Tigers quickly re-established their dominance from the first half and followed up Bruno’s field goal with two touchdown drives of their own to put the score at 42-3 with 12 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

In the waning moments of the game, Brown finally reached the end zone to cap a 75-yard drive. Running back Allen Smith ’22, who scored the Bears’ last touchdown two weeks ago against Georgetown, galloped 13 yards for the score.

Princeton went on a long, clockkilling drive for another touchdown before the final whistle sounded, handing the Bears a 38-point loss.

“As a defense, we just needed to finish plays,” wrote defensive captain Michael Hoecht ’20 in a statement to purposes of the test.”

O’Hare said he worries that the citizenship question could have significant effects on the number of responses to the 2020 Census. In a published report, O’Hare found that since 2010, fewer people have been responding to the citizenship question in the annual American Community Survey, which is also conducted by the Census Bureau. He also found that Hispanic, Asian and non-citizen populations, among others, are less likely to respond to the question.

“My study shows that there is much higher sensitivity to the question on citizenship than there is to other kinds of questions that will be on the 2020 Census, and that sensitivity is very likely to lead to more people not responding to the census,” O’Hare said.

Professor of Population Studies Michael White said that although the Bureau prepares years in advance for the decennial census, their preparation for the use of the citizen question is inadequate.

“From my point of view, I’m quite concerned that this effort was made to include (the citizenship question) in the 2020 Census without testing it fully,” White said, adding that citizenship information can be gathered from other sources.

The census will roll out in April 2020.

The Herald. “We let a few sacks, tackles and interceptions slip away that could have changed momentum. We were put in the right positions — we just need to make the play when our number is called.”

The Bears were outgained 556-222 on offense and only recorded 15 first downs, compared to 27 from the Tigers.

McGovern was 17 for 29 from the field with 146 yards and an interception. He was also sacked five times.

“Now we’re going to learn from our mistakes in this past game and get better for Cornell,” McGovern wrote.

“We don’t need to change the plan, we just need to execute it.”

Bruno will return home to face Cornell at Brown Stadium Saturday at 1 p.m. during Family Weekend.

NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» RIPTA, from page 1

» UNION, from page 1

riders has consistently declined since fiscal year 2013-14.

These RIPTA usage numbers can possibly be attributed to the rise of ride-share programs like Uber and Lyft, Gentry said, but she could not confirm if that was the sole reason behind the decline. In The Herald’s spring 2015 poll, 10.9 percent of students polled reported using Uber or Lyft multiple times a week; 20 percent reported using them once a week, while 30 percent reported using the ride-share apps once a month.

Despite the fall in rider numbers, the University does not foresee a time where they would cancel the UPass program. The old process was “archaic,” Gentry said.

Brown is not the only school in Rhode Island to take part in the UPass system. “We have UPass agreements with … most private colleges and universities in the state: Bryant, Johnson and Wales, (the Rhode Island School of Design), Roger Williams and Salve Regina,” wrote Director of Public Affairs for RIPTA Barbara Polichetti in an email to The Herald. State schools are currently in discussions with RIPTA for ride programs, and a pilot program opened at the University of Rhode Island in 2017.

The decline in ridership does not affect RIPTA on a financial level, Polichetti wrote. “RIPTA is a public, nonprofit agency, so all revenue is important. But revenue from ALL fares (not just colleges and universities but all

indicated support” for a union, according to the press release. Graduate students who will be eligible to vote are doctoral or master’s students who have served as “teaching assistants, research assistants and/or proctors” during this semester or in any of the last two semesters, according to the Office of the Provost’s website.

Before any election, a forum on unionization issues may be held by the University. “Representatives of the Brown administration, SUGSE/AFT and the Graduate School Council” may be present at these forums, according to the pre-election agreement.

Locke affirmed support for “discussions among graduate students as they explore whether or not unionization is right for them,” in an email sent to the University community.

SUGSE is “fighting for a vision of the university where ‘shared governance’ actually means shared power, where transparency actually means accountability and accessibility, where teacher and researcher mean worker,” Hilary Rasch GS, a member of SUGSE, stated in the press release.

» M. SOCCER, from page 1 Columbia and a 2-0 loss to Princeton, Brown (6-5, 1-2 Ivy) found itself at the bottom of the league standings. Still, Head Coach Patrick Laughlin said that the Bears enter every game with a determined mindset. “Every Ivy League game, we feel, is a must-win,” Laughlin said.

Brown appeared to have the advantage over Harvard (3-9, 1-2) throughout the majority of the first half. By halftime, Bruno led Harvard in shots on goal and corner kicks by identical 3-1 margins. The first promising opportunity for the Bears arose when forward Malcolm Johnson ’22 helped set up a Brown corner in the seventh minute. Schiller took the kick, but midfielder Derek Waleffe ’22 headed it over the net. Just two minutes later, Bruno missed another chance as defender Will Crain ’22 lobbed a pass to defender Jackson Goebel ’20, whose header was on the mark but was brilliantly saved

by Harvard goalkeeper Matt Freese.

Harvard stumbled soon after Freese’s save as Crimson forward Alfred Perez committed a bad foul and earned himself a yellow card in the 14th minute. But Perez rebounded, creating what was arguably Harvard’s best chance for a score in the game. Alone near Brown’s goal, Perez attempted to lob the ball over goalkeeper James Swomley ’22. Swomley leaped up and just barely blocked the ball with his fingertips, an impressive athletic display that prevented Harvard from taking the lead.

Bruno had two more solid chances to score before halftime, including a transition shot by midfielder Matthew Chow ’20 that was off the mark and a shot by forward Nathan Plano ’21 that Freese saved. Laughlin was not worried about the Bears’ several missed opportunities. “Goal scoring is hard

IMAN HUSAIN

fare revenue generated) represents less than 20 percent of our total revenue.

So it’s important because it’s revenue, but fare revenue is less than a quarter of our total revenue stream.”

While RIPTA may not be financially reliant on students, student ridership is still important because it enables the agency to offer more route options and is “a great way to introduce young adults to public transit use,” she added.

Betsy Shimberg, director of student development at the Swearer Center for Public Service, said she believes RIPTA use is invaluable to a Brown education.

— if it was easy, everyone would do it.

The more opportunities you create, the greater chance you get one to go in, like we did at the end,” he said.

The Crimson went on a small run in the beginning of the second half, controlling possession for the majority of the first 20 minutes. Brown managed to regroup and reclaim control for the remainder of the Ivy League showdown.

“There’s always up and downs in every game,” said defender Gabe Welp ’19.

As Brown began to get into its groove, midfielder Nicolas Perez ’22 set up an opportunity for the Bears to get on the board. Howell drove down the field and sent a pass to Perez in transition, but the midfielder missed the short-range shot just to the left.

Harvard’s Taner Dogan had the second of the Crimson’s two shots on goal in the game in the 81st minute, but another leaping one-handed save by Swomley kept the score level. Brown was in control for the rest of regulation, sending a barrage of shots Harvard’s way as time wound down, though all of its attempts were unsuccessful.

With the game still tied at zero, the Bears and the Crimson entered two ten-minute sudden-death overtime periods. Early in the first overtime, defender Will Mims ’21 was knocked down inside the Harvard penalty box but no foul was called, drawing the ire of the Brown crowd. But fans of the Bears were soon sent into a frenzy as Howell kicked in the game-winner for the victory.

“I wanted the initial ball to be played to me, but it was played to Schiller. But I found myself in front of the goal with a good pass from Schiller and I tapped it in,” Howell described.

Bruno will continue its four-game homestand against Providence College Tuesday. The Friars also defeated Harvard 2-1 earlier this year.

“It a) gives you a perspective and lets you understand more about our city, and b) it gives you a chance to reflect on your privilege. You are taking this bus for free. Other people have paid,” she said.

Shimberg emphasized how important RIPTA is for students who engage in direct service within the Swearer Center. Approximately 500 students engage in Swearer Center Community Corps programs, such as Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere, Brown Elementary Afterschool Mentoring and Connect for Health. “They’re

engaging in direct service all over the city,” she said. “The privilege … for Brown students to ride the bus for free … really eliminates barriers for people to participate.”

Former Swearer Center fellow and frequent user of the RIPTA Devra Levy ’19 said she plans on staying in Rhode Island post-graduation. “Losing access to free RIPTA won’t affect my frequency of use because it’s a necessity, but I will have to pay for it which is unfortunate,” she said. “You don’t realize how much of a privilege it is. We take it for granted.”

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NEWS

PAGE 4 • MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

FLi Center launches community-building program Low-income, first-generation, undocumented students connect with staff, peers

By TRISHA THACKER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Julio Reyes ’12, program director of the First-Generation College and Low-Income Student Center, and Renata Mauriz ’17, the center’s student success coordinator, collaborated this summer to launch the FLi Scholars Program. The program is a year-long community building and leadership program for first-year students that is aimed at cultivating socially conscious leaders, according to the center’s website. Low-income, first-generation and undocumented students were eligible to apply to the inaugural cohort this year.

According to Reyes, the duo wanted to “imagine new possibilities and new ways to support students.”

The program is focused on three aspects: community engagement, leadership development and advising, Reyes said. The program tries to build “a community of peers” among firstyear students by creating a cohort, allowing students to have “people they could rely on for additional support,” he added.

A key aspect of the program is its focus on intersectionality. “We realized that students who are first-generation and/or low-income students

TIFFANY DING / HERALD

The FLi Center provides community building and leadership training opportunities to first generation, lowincome and undocumented students. The program pairs students with staff members who serve as advisors. hold many other identities,” Mauriz said. In order to effectively adopt an intersectional approach, the program partnered with the Brown Center for Students of Color, Counseling and Psychological Services and the Office of the Dean of the College. “We are proactive in ensuring that our students that are in the cohort have the tools to succeed from their first semester of Brown,” Mauriz added.

These partnerships also ensured that

the program built on the work of existing pre-orientation programs that might also be tailored to the scholars’ interests and identities.

The program aims to provide students with a support network. Each of the 20 scholars in the program is paired with a staff worker from the FLi Center who acts as their advisor.

The center’s “strength-based” advising “is oriented by the student’s goals, and it validates their experiences and

knowledge before they enter Brown,” Mauriz said. The program hopes to dispel the myth that low-income students are behind their peers and instead seeks to highlight the skills and assets they bring to campus, Reyes and Mauriz said.

Scholars are also encouraged to look beyond the College Hill bubble in their first year and participate in off-campus fundraisers and events. “Off-campus events create an

opportunity for them to think outside of Brown and build community beyond campus,” Mauriz added.

Sibeles Torres ’22, a FLi Scholar, said she was motivated to join the program because she “thought it was the perfect opportunity to be part of a community right away, especially … a community of people with similar backgrounds as me.” She added that the program helped her overcome her homesickness.

Over the summer, a committee of graduate students and staff at the FLi Center selected “change-oriented” and “community-oriented” incoming students to participate in the program, Mauriz said. The committee sought out students who “demonstrated some sort of passion or commitment to a particular issue or population” and leadership skills. “We prioritized students who articulated how their identities and experiences influence how they thought about leadership,” she added.

Looking ahead, the FLi Center hopes to offer the program annually, Reyes said.

Mauriz also plans to add a peermentorship component to the program in the coming years. “We would love to connect the students who went through the program the first year to students who are in the program the next year,” she said. “We’re developing a model for mentorship for sophomores to first-years so they can create a community beyond their cohorts.”

TODAY

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

menu

autumn on pembroke

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

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

BLUE ROOM

Dumpling Bar, Samosa Burger, Panini Grill

Frittata and Breakfast Sandwich Bar, Focaccia Bar

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Five Spice Chicken, Purple Sticky Rice, Sweet Tofu with Sesame Noodles, Sunbutter Cookies

Italian Style Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Chicken Piccata, Carrot Cake

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Hot Roast Beef Slices with Au Jus, Stuffed Shells with Meatless Sauce, Macaroon Bars

Taqueria Bar, Tuscan Pork Roast, Gnocchi Alla Sorrentina, Potato Bread with Roasted Onions

sudoku

RELEASE DATE– Monday, October 15, 2012

Los Angeles Times Puzzle c r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 Trot or gallop 5 Home with a domed roof 10 Stylish 14 Earth Day sci.

15 Playground chute 16 Avatar of Vishnu 17 Four-to-midnight production overseer, say 20 Bill of Rights amendment count 21 “Les Misérables” author Victor 22 Parisian love 23 “What __ the odds?”

24 In liberal amounts 26 Dead battery hookup 31 Get hitched in a hurry 32 Without warning 37 Unload for cash 38 Colorado ski city 39 Secure in the harbor 40 Mind readers 42 Luxurious bedding material 43 Encased dagger 45 Popular restaurant fish 49 18-Down, on a sundial 50 Shoreline feature 51 Stare at impolitely 53 Time Warner “Superstation” 56 Dry runs, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 26- and 43-Across 60 Clumsy one 61 Mail for King Arthur 62 Wrinkle remover 63 MDs for otitis sufferers 64 With tongue in cheek 65 Maddens with reminders DOWN 1 Bothersome insect 2 Exercise woe 3 Nickel or dime

4 Tiny toymaker 36 Seaside swooper 47 Alaskan native 38 Contented 48 Outplays 5 Periodical sounds 51 “Goodness publisher 41 Exams for sophs gracious!”

6 Sound from a 52 Earth sci. or jrs. water cooler 53 OʼHara 42 Winter Olympics 7 Fat-reducing entrant homestead procedure, briefly 44 Swank of 54 Opinion website 8 Poem of praise “Amelia” 55 IRS form entries 9 “__ the ramparts 45 Move furtively 57 Inexperienced, as ...”

46 Scandalous recruits 10 Punishmentʼs newsmaker of 58 Go wrong partner 2001-ʼ02 59 Moral wrong 11 Is wearing 12 Poker concession ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE: 13 Have in stock 18 Midafternoon hour 19 __ parking 23 Winesap, e.g.

24 Most capable 25 Draw up a schedule for 26 Kid around 27 Oscar-nominated Peter Fonda role 28 “__ Flanders”: Defoe novel 29 Social divisions 30 Wolf pack leader 33 Muscat resident 34 “Surely you donʼt mean me” 10/15/12 xwordeditor@aol.com 35 Hairdo

LEON JIANG / HERALD

As the smell of colorful leaves and pumpkins fill the air, students can walk through the scenic Pembroke Green on their way to eat pho, grinders and even brunch burritos in Andrews Commons.

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

“The privilege for Brown students to ride the bus for free ... really eliminates barriers for people to participate.”

— Betsy Shimberg, director of student development at the Swearer Center

See ripta on page 1.

calendar TODAY NOVEMBER MARCH

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“Keeping it Halal” A Book Talk by John O’Brien 12:00 P.M. Nightingale-Brown House

“Don’t Forget to Breathe” Workshop 12:00 P.M. CareerLAB

Forging the Ideal Educated Girl 12:00 P.M. Watson Institute

Understanding the Imposter Phenomenon 4:00 P.M. Page-Robinson Hall, 512

TOMORROW

By Nancy Kavanaugh (c)2012 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

10/15/12

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Networking Breakfast with Walmart eCommerce 9:00 A.M. CareerLAB, 3rd Floor

Study Abroad 101 Information Session 12:00 P.M. Page-Robinson Hall, 440

“The World is Feminine” Colloquium 10:00 A.M. Granoff Center

Leavetaking Information Session 12:00 P.M. Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center, 228

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018

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COMMENTARY MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Golden State Warriors are an early championship lock GEORGE KLEIN sports columnist Believe it or not, the NBA returns this week. With so much going on in the world of sports during October between the MLB playoffs and football season, it can be easy to put basketball on the back-burner. That being said, the start of the NBA season should be fascinating. How will LeBron James look in Laker gold alongside Lonzo Ball, Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley? Will Kawhi Leonard feel comfortable in Toronto and turn the Raptors into true Finals contenders? What can we expect from Trae Young? There are plenty of intriguing questions to ask. Unfortunately, I can’t say with any honesty that the end of the NBA season will be quite so interesting. Because let’s face it: The Golden State Warriors are winning the 2018-19 season, and there’s nothing any other team can do to stop them.

Fans of the Celtics, Rockets, Raptors and maybe even Lakers may shout in rebuke. The Celtics won 55 games last season and went all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. With those guys back healthy, and further growth from Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown, the Celts will be much improved since last year. The Rockets took the Warriors to the brink of elimination in 2017-18, holding a 3-2 lead in the

Western Conference Finals before disaster hit in the form of an illtimed Chris Paul injury. If Carmelo Anthony can manage some semblance of a positive contribution, then Houston will be back and dangerous.

Meanwhile, the Raptors won 59 games and captured the first seed last year — now they’ve swapped out DeMar DeRozan, who has underperformed in the playoffs, for Leon-

magical yet again?

But all this hope and optimism is for naught. The Warriors were the best team in NBA history with Javale McGee and Zaza Pachulia at center.

Now they’ve added DeMarcus Cousins.

Cousins comes with plenty of question marks. He’s returning from a torn Achilles that will need rehabbing for a good part of the season.

He’s known for being a problem in

Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins. That’s an Olympic-level lineup of basketball talent.

The 28-year-old center fits in terrifically with Golden State. Cousins can score down low when needed, an asset that adds yet another dimension to the Warriors’ offense. Now they can pummel opponents in the paint if shots aren’t falling at certain points in the game. Cousins can also knock down three-pointers, meaning

Imagine a starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant and DeMarcus Cousins. That’s an Olympic-level lineup of basketball talent.

ard, a former Finals MVP. There’s a viable path for this team to win over 62 games. The Lakers have LeBron, and anything can happen with the King on the court. He’ll arguably have a better supporting cast this season with Ball, Brandon Ingram and Kyle Kuzma. LeBron dragged Jeff Green, George Hill and Tristan Thompson to the Finals last season in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Boston — surely there’s a chance he can pull off the

the locker room, sometimes a downright negative influence on his teammates. He occasionally slacks off on plays and doesn’t give his best effort. At the end of the day though, this is still Cousins, and 80 percent of Cousins at his best takes the Warriors to another level. This is a guy who was an MVP candidate before the injury, averaging 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game. Imagine a starting lineup of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green,

all five Warriors are able threats from the perimeter. Of course, he is an adept passer as well. The ball movement could be ridiculous.

Even if Cousins cannot fit seamlessly into the starting lineup, he can always provide scoring punch off the bench with the second unit, a weakness for the Warriors in the playoffs last year. With Andre Iguodala increasingly injury-prone, Golden State won’t have to rely on him and Shaun Livingston to the same extent.

Cousins can dominate against lesser bench players, especially in fourminute spurts.

Golden State doesn’t need Cousins to rush back and play to his normal level right away. He can take his time and ease back into games. The Warriors are only counting on him come April. And at the end of the day, they still have Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green. They don’t exactly need a ton of help.

So yes, there are a few teams out there that have championship aspirations. But no one comes close to the Warriors. The Celtics lost to a Cavs team that was swept in the Finals. Are Irving and Hayward enough to make up the difference against a championship Warriors team plus Cousins? The Raptors need Leonard to stay healthy and fit in with the team and even then, they will most likely be underdogs against the Celtics in the Eastern Conference. The Rockets peaked last year — can Paul stay healthy, Anthony contribute and the Warriors decline? Beyond doubtful. The Lakers are another star away from title contention.

I’m locking in my Finals pick early: Warriors in 4. Doesn’t matter who they’re playing.

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

Brown should calculate GPA JAMIE FLYNN staff columnist Most undergrads who have applied to an organization outside of Brown — virtually everyone — have had to take the annoying step of calculating their GPA. In the spirit of its unique educational philosophy, Brown refuses to calculate GPA; but other organizations, obviously, do not share this philosophy.

Whether applying to study-abroad, to law school or to a plethora of internships, one can usually count on the organization to request a GPA from its applicants. Brown’s denial of GPA is ideological but impractical, romantic but inefficient. For the sake of efficiency and accuracy, Brown ought to include GPA in undergraduate transcripts.

Of the various idiosyncrasies of the Open Curriculum, the denial of GPA is unique in that it has an exclusively ideological purpose. The lack of requirements outside a concentration, the grading without plusses and minuses and the option for S/NC all have real effects on an undergrad’s education. They allow undergrads to take whatever courses they wish, with reduced pressure to succeed and with more room to experiment. The denial of GPA, like the rest of these, is supposed to symbolize Brown’s commitment to its distinctive liberal education.

But in practice it has no effect on the education, for the simple reason that undergrads still worry just as much about their GPA as they otherwise would, knowing that the outside world will probably evaluate them by such a metric.

a new class or two, but they still feel the pain when a new class ends ups desecrating an otherwise pristine transcript. For they know that GPA will, indeed, matter for them upon graduation, even if it does not matter now.

Whether or not Brown calculates GPA,

practical necessity of GPA. It gives the following instructions to those using Handshake, a career placement tool: “Some employers in Handshake (about 10 percent) have a strict cutoff when it comes to GPA. If you don’t meet that threshold, you are likely not to be cho-

Brown’s denial of GPA is ideological but impractical, romantic but inefficient.

Anecdotally, many undergrads at Brown are as conscious of their GPA as undergrads elsewhere. They may be more willing to take academic risks, but they still check their grades anxiously. They are excited to explore

many undergrads themselves will still fret over them. Brown therefore seems to be deluding itself by denying the weight that undergrads actually give to GPA. CareerLAB, too, understands the

sen for an interview. For that reason, we recommend all students include their GPA (self-calculated) in their profile. The vast majority of employers look at a combination of factors and do not weigh GPA so heavily.” Also, 13 of

the 17 sample resumes on CareerLAB’s website contain a GPA. Since more often than not undergrads will eventually need to calculate their GPA anyway, why can’t Brown just do so for them?

The main problem with Brown’s denial of GPA, if I am to be honest, is the nuisance that it imposes on undergrads, who must go through the trouble themselves of calculating their GPA. But beyond the mere nuisance, GPA calculated by students also lends itself to unintentional or even deliberate errors. Calculating together the myriad classes, one could err in properly weighting a course or could deliberately write a higher number. Without an official GPA on the transcript, an employer who does not want to spend the time calculating a GPA would simply believe the number written on the top of the resume. An official verification would prevent the possibility of such errors.

Brown needs to accept the reality of the GPA. To pretend that it does not exist does not make them vanish.

By putting aside its lofty principles, in this case, for more practical concerns, Brown could do its undergrads a small but convenient favor.

James Flynn ’20 can be reached at james_flynn1@brown.edu.

Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

MONDAY, OCTOBER 15, 2018

Neuroscience professor receives $1.5 million to study sensory information Five-year grant to benefit paralyzed patients, advance understanding of sensory encoding

By CHRIS SCHUTTE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The fields of neuroscience and neurotechnology have been growing in recent years as researchers hope to understand the inner workings of the human species’ most puzzling organ: the brain. In particular, the motor cortex and its crucial role in coordinating movement has garnered attention from top scientists in the field. Assistant Professor of Neuroscience Carlos Vargas-Irwin ’02 recently received a $1.5 million, five-year New Innovator Award from the National Institutes of Health to fund his research that analyzes the motor cortex and potential clinical applications related to it.

The award will strongly benefit BrainGate, a joint research program between Brown, Stanford University and Case Western University that aims to help those with motor control issues and paralysis. “BrainGate is a whole endeavor to try to help paralyzed people move again,” said John Donoghue, professor of neuroscience and a principal investigator of the program.

Patient volunteers agree to become part of BrainGate research to help further the team’s understanding of the brain’s mechanisms. These volunteers are studied in controlled scenarios and receive a sensory implant in their motor cortex that collects data, Vargas-Irwin said. “They join the trial with the understanding that their experience will not necessarily help them now, … but (it will) help us develop better models for future clinical work.” Vargas-Irwin has devoted countless hours to BrainGate and has collaborated with a number of University faculty including Donoghue and Professor of Engineering Leigh Hochberg, another prinicipal investigator of the endeavor.

“Carlos is a wonderfully thoughtful and insightful neuroscientist. I’m thrilled that he’s received this new grant and honor from NIH,” Hochberg said.

The BrainGate team has used this technology to control artificial limbs. The team connects the sensory implant to technology that stimulates certain muscles in the limbs to facilitate movement, Donoghue described. By using these functional electrical stimulation systems, the team created a “physical nervous system” that allowed patients to regain movement, he added. Current technology, however, does not allow for fluid, fast or reliable movement.

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Carlos Vargas-Irwin’s $1.5 million award will benefit BrainGate, a program that aims to research paralysis and other movement disorders.

“The main challenge is closing that gap,” Vargas-Irwin said.

“The more we know about how

the brain controls movement, the more we can make it just as natural as you or me,” Donoghue said.

Using the recently acquired grant, Vargas-Irwin and his team are implementing cameras to capture external sensory input during movement. By combining this data with information from the sensory implant, the team hopes to create a cohesive model of sensory feedback to facilitate fluid transmission and movement of the patient, Vargas-Irwin said.

Currently, Vargas-Irwin and other researchers are working toward improving the decoding of information from the motor cortex and the engineering of the technology being used, Vargas-Irwin said.

The technology in use currently necessitates a connection to a computer to allow for movement, but the team hopes to work toward placing all of the necessary technology inside of the body, Donoghue added.

“The idea would be you’re in class with somebody someday and they’d be taking notes on their laptop, and they would say: ‘A few years ago I had a spinal cord injury, but I’ve got BrainGate and now you can’t tell,’” Donoghue said.

“Neurotechnology in general is gaining more and more interest. …

It’s a very exciting field to be working in, and I really look forward to taking this technology and making a positive effect in the lives of many people across the world,” VargasIrwin said.

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