SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 67
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
DNC Chair Tom Perez ’83 P’18 named Watson senior fellow Alum to lead non-credit student study group on governance, leadership in polarized times By EDUARD MUÑOZ-SUÑÉ SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Chair of the Democratic National Committee Tom Perez ’83 P’18 will lead a study group at the University this fall as part of his new role as a senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, the Watson Institute announced in early September. The group, entitled “Governance and Leadership in Challenging Times,” will meet for seven sessions spaced throughout the fall semester. Student participants in the group will not receive any academic credit. Perez, who was also secretary of labor under former president Barack Obama from 2013 to 2017, will lead approximately 50 students in conversation about the practical difficulties and complexities of enacting governmental policies to improve the public good, according
to a Watson press release. “Today’s students at Brown will be tomorrow’s leaders,” Perez wrote in a statement to The Herald. Perez hopes the seminar will “expose students to leaders who have been wrestling with some of the most difficult issues confronting our nation, share lessons of success and failure and discuss tools for future progress.” Perez will continue his full-time role at the DNC and will personally pay for his travel expenses to campus from Washington, D.C., according to an aide from the DNC. The group sessions will also feature guest speakers who have direct experience working in governance. The list of speakers includes Obama’s former Chief of Staff Denis McDonough, Gov. Gina Raimando and former chair of the Republican National Committee Michael Steele, according to the Watson press release. “The idea of bringing in speakers is to broaden the discussion possibilities and to broaden the kinds of experiences that are represented to students,” said Director of the Watson Center Edward » See PEREZ, page 3
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Tom Perez ’83 P’18, who was the Secretary of Labor under former president Barack Obama, will continue his full-time role at the Democratic National Committee while leading a study group of approximately 50 students.
FOOTBALL
Duncan ’19 leads Bears with three TD’s in first start Duncan ’19, Jarvis ’17.5 seal victory with stellar performances in season opener By TESS DEMEYER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
CALEIGH AVIV / HERALD
Members and supporters of the Pokanoket tribe protested for the reclamation of the University-owned property in Bristol as first-years made their way through the Van Wickle Gates during Opening Convocation.
Legal claims cloud U., Pokanoket land dispute U. proposed to consult with indigenous groups on condition that encampment broken up By ELENA RENKEN SCIENCE & RESEARCH EDITOR
Since the Pokanoket Tribe began an encampment on University-owned property in August, contradictory claims to the land have clouded communications between the two entities, surfacing layers of complex ancestries
INSIDE
and historical legal acts. The University offered a plan Aug. 30 to Pokanoket leaders outlining a timeline to work toward an agreement with the Pokanoket encampment. Leaders there rejected the proposal the next day. In the proposal, the University suggested a 12 to 18 month process during which it would consult with stakeholders, including indigenous groups with ties to the contested land, the city of Bristol and the state of Rhode Island. The University also offered to fund a study investigating the oral
history, geography and archeological and historical significance of the land. The plan rested on the condition that the encampment is broken up. University researchers from the Steering Committee of the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at the University released a statement to the encampment Aug. 24 casting doubt on the indigenous ancestry and status of the Pokanoket Tribe. In a Sept. 6 post on the Po Metacom Camp Facebook page, Sagamore » See POKANOKET, page 2
Starting quarterback Nicholas Duncan ’19 had a strong showing in the football team’s home opener, accounting for three of the Bears’ (1-0) four touchdowns in a 28-23 victory over Bryant University Saturday. Rookie Scott Boylan ’21 woke up the Bear Den with a 95-yard kickoff return for the Bears’ first touchdown. Though penalties plagued Bruno’s offensive efforts, big plays on defense by cocaptains Richard “Dewey” Jarvis ’17.5 and Isaiah Thompkins ’19 kept the Bulldogs under control. “It’s huge to start off with a win,” Jarvis said. “Everyone’s feeling good about it. We’re going to clean up all the mistakes we made … It’s just nice entering the season on a high.” Brown came out of the gates flying as Jarvis sacked Price Wilson for an eight-yard loss on the first play of the game. After swapping punts, the veteran defensive end recorded an identical sack on the Bulldogs’ second offensive possession. Later in the
series, Bryant escaped a sticky 3rdand-16 after a costly penalty negated an interception by Sebastian Dovi ’19. Bruno stopped the Bulldogs before they could reach the end zone, forcing Bryant to kick a field goal for the first score of the game. Boylan responded instantly, scoring on his first collegiate touch on the ensuing kickoff. Bryant had success in the passing game early, outgaining Brown 76 yards to 10 in the first quarter. But Duncan eventually found his rhythm in his first start, finding a reliable target in Jaelon Blandburg ’20. After a Bryant field goal went wide right early in the second, Duncan connected with Blandburg for a 24-yard gain. A sixyard completion to Livingstone Harriott ’20 moved the Bears to midfield. On the next play, Duncan rushed into the endzone untouched for his first score, putting Brown up 14-3. The Bulldogs secured a touchdown of their own to close out the second quarter, and the teams headed to the locker room with Brown leading 1410. The Bears started off the second half with a trick play. A fake fourth down punt that featured a direct snap to Thompkins fooled Bryant, and the junior rushed for 17 to pick up a new set of downs. The Bears burst into the » See FOOTBALL, page 3
WEATHER
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
U. NEWS Students around New England come together to advance medical technology in hack-a-thon event
COMMENTARY Mitra ’18: College rankings leave out important factors, such as financial aid opportunities
COMMENTARY Renshaw ’20: Legacy admissions could potentially undermines diversity goals at universities
SPORTS Goals from Story ’19, White ’21 fuel women’s soccer to comeback victory over Central Conn. State
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TOMORROW
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NEWS
PAGE 2 • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
Metro Roundup BY GWEN EVERETT, METRO EDITOR
State legislature to open for special session Tuesday
The Rhode Island General Assembly will open this Tuesday for a special legislative session, the Associated Press reports. Proposals on the docket include: a bill that would require employers provide paid sick leave to their workers; a potential override of Gov. Gina Raimondo’s veto of a law that would extend expired labor contracts for public employees; and a move to write certain guarantees of the Affordable Care Act into state law. September sessions such as this are not typical practice at the State House: The state’s General Assembly is part-time, and typically they would not reconvene after the spring until January. But budget talks overtook the legislative agenda toward the end of the session — Tuesday’s session aims to tie up some of the loose ends left when the State House closed in June. While most Rhode Island news publications describe special legislative sessions as rare, Joanne Giannini, who served as a state representative until 2010, wrote in GoLocal Providence that they actually had occurred a number of times during her 16 years in the State House. These sessions can be fruitful so long as most members of the General Assembly show up, she wrote. But legislators are not required to attend, as the session falls outside of the normal legislative calendar.
Sinclair Broadcast Group has come to Rhode Island
Sinclair Broadcast Group, a national media conglomerate that owns local Channel 10 TV news stations throughout the country, requires the Ocean State’s WJAR-TV to run pro-Trump programming on the air daily, according to the Providence Journal. Required programming includes things like the Terrorism Alert Desk, a program that runs a new story about terrorism every day, and news spots from Boris Epshteyn, a former Trump aide who is now Sinclair’s chief political analyst, the Journal reported. Sinclair’s practices have sparked controversy in the state: Congressman David Cicilline ’83 told the Journal that local news should be produced in-state, not by out-of-state, national companies. The Journal also quoted a Rhode Island resident who said she had stopped watching WJAR since Sinclair bought the station and programming changed. A media columnist from the Washington Post analogized the role Fox plays for cable news to that of Sinclair for broadcast news. Sinclair Group refutes these criticisms — arguing that pre-programmed national coverage from the parent company frees in-station reporters to double down on quality local news coverage, the Journal reports. Sinclair Group gained notoriety this year when John Oliver made the group the subject of an entire show.
Unemployment stays low in Rhode Island, but average income worst in New England
The Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training announced Thursday that the state unemployment rate went unchanged in August. Within Rhode Island, 4.3 percent of the labor force is without work. The number of employed Rhode Islanders actually fell last month, but the number of people looking for jobs also fell. Overall, the number of unemployed people people has fallen this year, while the number of Rhode Island-based jobs has risen. In August in particular, private hiring offset a shrinkage in public jobs in the state. But unemployment rates do not tell the full story of the Ocean State’s economy. Rhode Island still has the highest poverty rate in New England (25th in the nation), the Providence Business News reported Friday. The median income in the state is $60,596, but this average conceals a disparate reality of income inequality in the state. While White and Asian households make a median income of $63,122 and $83,610, respectively, Black households make a median income of around $42,425 and Hispanic or Latino households make a median income of $36,877.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
» POKANOKET, from page 1 Po Wauipi Neimpaug noted that communications from Brown to its students “are forcing the Pokanoket Tribe to reassess Brown University’s good faith commitment.” Bloodlines The sagamore of the Pokanoket spoke about his ancestry in a video posted to the camp’s Facebook page Sept. 25, stating that his ninth-generation grandfather was King Philip, or Metacom, the leader of the Pokanoket. King Philip, for whom King Philip’s War was named, was murdered on the contested land. The NAISI Steering Committee’s statement acknowledges that members of the tribe may have native ancestry, but notes that records used by the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe — a federally recognized nation — indicate that the Pokanoket Tribe became part of the Mashpee community following King Philip’s War. In a statement released Sept. 25 on behalf of the Council of the Pokanoket Tribe, Sagamore Po Wauipi Neimpaug recounted the Pokanoket Tribe’s lineage through “rigidly kept oral tradition” passed along through generations of his family. He stated that after King Philip’s War, members of the Pokanoket Tribe became recognized as Shetucket Indians and part of the Seekonk Indian Tribe. “The Pokanoket Tribe has very few bloodline ties to the Mashpee,” he wrote. “This is who we are as a people.” Neesu Wushuwunoag, director general of the Federation of Aboriginal Nations of America and Ponham Sachem of the Mashapaug Nahaganset Tribe, felt insulted by the NIASI Steering Committee’s statement. “That’s a very colonial mindstate to have that you get to decide who the Indians are or are not when our bloodlines speak for themselves,” he said. “You’re not going to tell me I’m not who I am.” The tribe belongs to an association that requires evidence of aboriginal ancestry. In a letter to the general public and Brown community, Wushuwunoag wrote on behalf of FANA that member nations of the organization must “demonstrate a lineage and heritage that predates the occupation of the United States government in their
ancestral lands.” Despite these contentions, the Pokanoket have not received recognition from the state. A resolution introduced in the Rhode Island General Assembly’s January 2007 session stated that “This General Assembly of the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations hereby formally recognizes the Pokanoket Tribe of the Wampanoag Nation.” The resolution did not pass, but was held for further study. Legal Action Like the state of Rhode Island, the federal government does not recognize the Pokanoket Tribe. The NAISI Steering Committee’s statement noted that without federal recognition, the Pokanoket Tribe would not have the ability to place the contested land in a federal trust, a shift which allows for the operation of Native American reservations. Other land claims have been made by indigenous groups in the area. In 2005, a case in Rhode Island District Court addressed a claim for land in the northern part of the state made by the Seaconke Wampanoag Tribe based on aboriginal title, according to court documents. The case was dismissed because of the Rhode Island Indian Claims Settlement Act. The Act extinguished all aboriginal titles to land in Rhode Island and approved previous transfers of state land “from, by, or on behalf of any Indian, Indian Nation, or Tribe of Indians” as lawful when it was signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1978. The Pokanoket are not seeking federal recognition, or the establishment of a federal trust — the group created their own Tribal Trust under the guidelines of the International Hague Trust Convention, Wushuwunoag said. No parties rebutted the Tribe’s official notice, he added. To Wushuwunoag, the relationship between the University and the Pokanoket Tribe is “an international relationship,” he said. “It’s an eye-to-eye, nation-to-nation relationship, and it all comes down to who was here first.” The International Hague Trust Convention, which took place in 1985, addressed law applicable to trusts and how trusts are recognized. The United States is a signatory to the treaty, but has not ratified it, according to the
Hague Conference on Private International Law website. The treaty has not entered into force in the United States. The FANG Collective, which has publicized Po Metcom Camp since it began Aug. 20, responded to the NAISI Steering Committee’s message with its own statement Aug. 25. FANG voiced its support for the search for sovereignty on the part of indigenous groups regardless of federal recognition and noted the right to selfdetermination defined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The Declaration was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2007, at which time the United States was one of four votes against. The United States is now in support of the Declaration, according to the U.N. website, but the Declaration is not legally binding. Standing Firm The University has emphasized the importance of strong relationships with all indigenous communities in the area in its communications. The NAISI Steering Committee’s statement noted that organizations including the FANG Collective “jumped into supporting and orchestrating the cause without reaching out to Aquinnah, Mashpee, Assonet, Herring Pond Wampanoag or Narragansett” groups. The FANG Collective said in a statement that it had reached out to several indigenous nations in the Northeast to discuss possible effects of infrastructure projects, but did not specifically address their communications surrounding this land claim by the Pokanoket Tribe. The message from the NAISI Steering Committee asked students to refrain from sharing any materials from the FANG Collective on social media and encouraged that they reach out to NAISI faculty before sharing information. In the University’s Aug. 31 statement, it reaffirmed its commitment to “work earnestly to engage the Pokanokets and local Native tribes” and noted its desire to reach an agreement without disrupting the University’s instruction and research. The Pokanoket encampment will continue, Wushuwunoag said, until Brown “does the right thing.”
NEWS
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
ELI WHITE / HERALD
Bruno defeated the Bryant Bulldogs 28-23 in its season opener at Brown Stadium. Starting quarterback Nicholas Duncan ’19 accounted for three touchdowns on the day, two on the ground and one through the air. The Bears’ first touchdown occurred on their first kick return on the year after Bryant kicked a field goal on its opening drive.
» FOOTBALL, from page 1 redzone after Duncan found Harriott for a 21-yard gain. Duncan held onto the ball for his second rushing touchdown, putting Brown up 21-10 after the extra point. Bryant answered with a score of its own. But in the Bulldogs’ next series,
» PEREZ, from page 1 Steinfeld. “We will look to glean insights from them, and students will be able to articulate their own concerns to these individuals.” In an application that has now been closed, students hoping to participate in the course were required to answer only a single question in 250 words or less: What is the greatest challenge to American democracy today, and what
Brown’s defense forced and recovered a fumble, resulting in Duncan connecting with Isaac Whitney ’18 for a touchdown. But the Bears’ defense started feeling the heat late in the fourth quarter as Bryant converted multiple fourth downs. “I don’t think I’ve ever sweat this
much before in-season,” Jarvis said. “Usually it’s not this humid, and a lot of guys were catching cramps all throughout the game … Everyone bore down and kind of dug through it. It was a huge test of resilience, and everyone stepped up.” The Bulldogs managed one final touchdown but failed a two-point
conversion, leaving the score at 28-23. Brown’s defense got a second wind and cut Bryant’s last offensive drive short with a sack by Jarvis and a game-ending interception by Thompkins. “Knowing you got that win under your belt, you have a little bit of swagger and a little bit of confidence going into the next game,” Jarvis said.
The Bears travel to Harvard to open conference play Saturday at noon, and Head Coach Phil Estes P’18 has clear expectations: “win.” “We haven’t had a win in a long time against Harvard,” Estes said. “We had a lot of penalties called against us, so we have to clean that up. If we can do that, then we’re going to have a game.”
do you propose as a possible solution? Steinfeld praised several aspects of the study group, which he described as “a new experiment” for Watson. He highlighted the importance of bringing people to the Watson Institute who have extensive firsthand experience and a practical understanding of governance in a time marked by extreme political polarization. “By creating these kinds of seminars, these opportunities to engage with
practitioners and people in various kinds of positions of power, our students, I hope, will be inspired to do something about an environment they are not entirely happy with,” Steinfeld said. “Consistent with what Watson does, it not only recruits traditional faculty to teach students and engage with them both in class and outside of class, but it also brings in practitioners to campus to do the same thing,” said Provost Richard Locke.
Steinfeld also emphasized the benefits of the discussion aspect of the group’s structure. “Because this is a not-for-credit seminar, it really is about discussion and …multi-way conversation,” Steinfeld said. “My hope is that by participating in this kind of conversation, students and other participants will get inspired to change the world.” “All our students — wherever they are in the political spectrum and wherever
they are from — every student I have met is interested in effecting change for the better,” Steinfeld said. “My hope and belief is that the kind of conversation that Secretary Perez will lead will help people come up with better solutions and help them articulate their own sense of what those solutions can look like,” he added. “Knowing (Perez’s) area of expertise,” Locke added, “I think it is going to be terrific for our students and for our community.”
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NEWS
PAGE 4 • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
COURTESY OF BROWN HACK HEALTH
Brown Hack Health, a hack-a-thon for the development of progressive healthcare and medical implemements, attracted 150 participants over a three-day event. A panel of expert judges awarded the winning prize of $1,000 to Grow-UPS, a team that focused on customizable, universal prosthetic sockets for above-knee amputations.
Students collaborate at convention for progressive healthcare technologies Annual hack-a-thon garners over 150 participants from surrounding schools in New England area By DIVYA MANIAR CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A buzz of innovation and activity characterized this year’s Brown Hack Health, a hackathon in which teams gathered to develop implements for progress in the fields of medicine and healthcare. With a theme of “Reducing Health Disparities,” Hack Health’s second run furthered its mission of creating solutions for national and global issues. Hack Health co-president Elizabeth Carlson ’19 said the goal of the event was “to bring Brown students and other students from the New England area to think about the intersection between health and technology.” Held at the Warren Alpert Medical School, the interdisciplinary hackathon garnered over 150 participants,
who brought skills ranging from computer science to visual arts. “We get some really great solutions that could possibly help out and be used in the future,” Carlson said. Some participants felt that their different skill sets allowed for a greater group dynamic. “Half our team is computer science-focused, and the other is more public health, bio-med,” said participant Neha Reddy ’21, adding that, despite the different backgrounds involved, the members of the team “complement each other.” Neha’s teammate, Ana Lucia Espinosa Dice ’20, noted that it was “really beautiful to watch the STEM field and the technology and business industries bleed into the public health world.” Rajiv Kumar ’05 MD’11, president and chief medical officer of Virgin Pulse, was invited to be the keynote
speaker of the event. Kumar was also a co-founder and CEO of Shape-Up, a wellness company focused on social connection and employee health. In his keynote address, Kumar shared his experience in business, technology and public health, telling participants that “digital health offers an opportunity to change lives.” Throughout his speech, Kumar reminded the hackathon’s participants to be patient and realistic. “Focus on your outcomes,” Kumar advised the audience as they began to prepare for Hack Health. Kumar left participants with an encouraging thought: “One thing got us up and going every day. It was that we actually had an impact on people’s lives.” With that, participants were sent off to try their hand at developing their own solutions. After numerous pitch presentations and hack sessions, Hack Health wrapped up in an awards presentation
ceremony. The panel of judges brought together a range of experts including Waterline Ventures Managing Director Robbie Greenglass, Associate Professor of Industrial Design at RISD Claudia Rébola, President and CEO of the Rhode Island Foundation Neil Steinberg, Associate Dean for Medical Education at the Medical School Allan Tunkel and Director of the Center for Biomedical informatics Neil Sarkar. Awards were given out to the top three teams. The first prize of $1,000 went to GrowUPS, a team that focused on “prosthetic sockets” that could be customized for patients with aboveknee amputations. GrowUPS team member Alex Lo ’18 said that their project aims to increase access to prosthetics among low-income patients, particularly those in developing countries. The runner-up was Directed Step, which worked on a prosthetic alignment device. The third place award went to SimpleIR, which used
infrared technology to ease the process of venous and arterial blood draws. The Hack Health team also introduced new awards for this year’s competition: The Brown Center of Biomedical Engineering awarded a prize to the project that showed the most promise in engineering, and the Swearer Center for Public Service awarded a prize for the project demonstrating potential in public service. The Brown Center of Biomedical Engineering award went to first prize winner GrowUPS, and the Swearer Center award, a $500 prize, was given to REMINDlet, “a wearable, time-dependent, color-changing appointment reminder.” Though the events of this packed weekend have come to a close, the Hack Health team said they hope that participants’ efforts do not end here. Carson hopes that “a group will be inspired by this event to then continue on with their project.”
TODAY
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 • PAGE 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
menu
the last of summer
SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Pizza: Caprese, Chicken Ranch JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Chicken Wings Bar, Bacon Burger, Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables
Turkey Chili, Chicken Noodle Soup, Spinach and Feta Soup
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Chicken Florentine, Freekeh Sauté with Roasted Tofu, M&M Cookies
Lemon Sesame Chicken, Rice with Jalapenos, Bean and Potato Goulash, Lemon Cake Roll
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Shredded Pepper Chicken, Indian Style Chickpeas, Nachos, Frosted Brownies
Colorado Pork Chili, Grilled Boneless Pork Chops, Brown Rice Pilaf, Lemon Cake Roll
sudoku
KAITLYN LEW / HERALD
Students experienced the last of the summer weather as they rediscovered campus. Since students weren’t shopping for classes, they instead enjoyed the blossoming flowers and clear blue skies over the weekend.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
“…wherever they are from — every student I have met R
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ACROSS 1 Island witchcraft 6 On The Border restaurant offering 10 Fabian, for one 14 “La donna è mobile” composer 15 Harmonics 17 Storyteller’s admission 18 Symbolic honor 19 Power source 21 Ab __: absent 22 Statistical calculations 23 High order 25 “__ ’nuff!” 26 Practice grounder, say 27 Pacific island nation 28 How a lot of bad decisions are made 30 Sift 31 Nails down 32 __ sci 33 The River Foyle runs through it 36 Gulf of Guinea island 39 Energy acronym 40 Rolls and binds 41 Derisive call 43 “Diplomacy for the Next Century” author 44 Mosey 45 Maintenance 46 Shades-wearing drummer 49 Pittsburgh Steelers’ founder 50 Dangerous, probably 51 Argentite, e.g. 52 Type of crown 53 Host of the 24th Academy Awards 54 ’90s Mariners star 55 Equine
DOWN 1 Sheep 2 “Animal House” actor 3 Swedish jazz trumpeter Rolf 4 2008 Best New Artist Grammy winner 5 Tepee material 6 Cloudbursts 7 Run 8 Five-time 1970s Gold Glove winner César 9 Sea predators 10 Stock pile? 11 Relevant 12 Nobility 13 Cape May hrs. 16 Tic follower 20 Court jester, e.g. 24 __ paper 26 Stood up to 27 Inclines 29 Mentioned something sensitive 30 Good counterfeit, say 32 Discussed
33 Article in Le Monde? 34 Its flag resembles the U.S. flag but with only one star 35 Barely sufficiently 36 Arctic 37 Where kyat are spent
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Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
38 Tax targets 40 Key of Brahms’s Piano Sonata No. 3 42 Golden age 44 Old marketplace 45 Flea market pickup 47 Shad output 48 __ mat 49 Pop the question
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— Edward Steinfeld, director at the Watson Institute
See PEREZ on page 3.
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Career Fair Bootcamp I, Job Recruitment Series 12:00 P.M. Main Green
Physics Colloquium: Vesna Mitrovic 12:00 P.M. Barus &Holley, 166
Theory Seminar - Juuso Toikka - MIT 4:00 P.M. Robinson Hall
Vinyasa Yoga 6:00 P.M. Hillel, Winnick Chapel
TOMORROW Conversation and Q&A with Yanick Lahens 11:30 A.M. Rochambeau Hall
Public Health Virtual Fairs 12:00 P.M. 121 South Main Street
DUG Leader Lunch/ Training 3:00 P.M. Stephen Robert ‘62 Campus Center, 225
Brown Meditation Community Sit 4:00 P.M. Manning Chapel
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
comic Comic | Ceyhun Firat
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COMMENTARY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Stop reading college rankings MILI MITRA opinions editor Over the years, people have attributed the economic inequality in higher education to a variety of conditions: the advantage given to legacy students, the lack of extensive and well-communicated financial aid opportunities and the altogether inscrutable college admissions process. Now, a new factor has been thrown into the mix: the college ranking system. University rankings have long been criticized for being opaque, inaccurate and reductive. But these lists — particularly the recently released U.S. News and World Report College Rankings — have far greater implications for the higher education landscape than simply misleading high school seniors. According to a new report from Politico, the criteria used in the U.S. News’ ranking decisions can directly feed into systems of economic inequality on campuses, creating perverse incentives for colleges to favor wealthier students. Don’t believe me? Well, let’s look at the various factors taken into consideration by the U.S. News rankings formula. They include low acceptance rates, which can incentivize colleges to favor early decision applicants over low-income applicants who tend to
apply later; students’ performance on standardized tests, which correlates with family income; and financial resources and alumni giving, which can result in colleges accepting more legacy applicants to ensure their parents will continue donating. All of these focus areas implicitly favor students from wealthier backgrounds. And this doesn’t even account for the most egregious criterion of all: reviews from high school guidance counsel-
News rankings — or any other popular set of rankings, for that matter. It would be easy to argue that these aspects of a college education are difficult to quantify, and in some cases that is fair. But, as researchers from the Equality of Opportunity Project (including Brown’s own Associate Professor of Economics and International and Public Affairs John N. Friedman) have already shown, economic diversity and mobility at
rankings. Carol Christ, chancellor of the University of California, Berkeley, told Politico that the annual listing has a “mind-boggling” effect on administrative decisions. F. King Alexander, president of Louisiana State University, went even further: “I think U.S. News has done more damage to the higher education marketplace than any single enterprise that’s out there.” That’s a lot to place on one rank-
University rankings have long been criticized for being opaque, inaccurate and reductive. But these lists — particularly the recently released U.S. News and World Report College Rankings — have far greater implications for the higher education landscape than simply misleading high school seniors. ors at high-performing (and often elite) schools, which somehow determine 7.5 percent of the ranking. Meanwhile other critical factors are left out of the equation. Financial aid opportunities, student satisfaction levels and well-being indicators, to list a few obvious points of interest, were not included. What about economic diversity, socioeconomic mobility, health and counseling services, responsiveness to assault and misconduct allegations, housing conditions, the diversity of the faculty and student body or students’ living costs? As you can imagine, none of these criteria are directly factored into the U.S.
different schools can and have been compared. There is no excuse for not integrating these types of data into college rankings, especially not in an era when debates about education are driven by notions of equity. Yet, despite the sizable gaps in the methodology used by the U.S. News, its metrics still have an enormous impact on the strategic decisions of college administrations. Politico reached out to over 20 former and current education officials and members of university leadership and found that the vast majority attributed the lack of economic diversity on campuses, at least in part, to the U.S. News
ing measure, and we should take this with a grain of salt. But it should still be alarming that so many stakeholders involved in higher education take issue with the U.S. News system. So what can we do about it? Well, for a start, colleges need to stop manipulating the ranking system at the cost of student diversity and inclusion. Admittedly, that is easier said than done, since the prestige that comes with a high rank often leads to more funding opportunities, applicants, faculty prospects and research capabilities. Still, elite universities — and particularly the Ivy League institutions — have some leverage to
cast the rankings aside and find their own way forward; the top 20 institutions remain largely the same year over year, and the difference of a few ranks in one direction or the other is unlikely to make a significant difference. Instead of worrying about whether they rank 14th or 18th on the U.S. News list, college administrations should publicly acknowledge that these composite ranking systems are inherently flawed and move away from the rat race. At the same time, analysts must develop more comprehensive and equitable metrics to assess the quality of universities. The College Scorecard website, created by President Obama’s Department of Education, and the Equality of Opportunity Project’s mobility report cards are a step in the right direction, but campuses need to do a better job communicating and reacting to these measurements. As for students — high school and college students alike — there is a simple solution: Stop reading the U.S. News rankings. Base your decisions on curricula, campus environments, facilities, professors and, yes, any data you can find on campus inequality. These are all better measures than a system that has been described as “the greatest inefficiency ranking in America.”
Mili Mitra ’18 can be reached at mili_mitra@brown.edu.
End legacy admissions at Brown LENA RENSHAW staff columnist Though both my parents pursued degrees in higher education, my dad was the one who went to college in America. He went to a school similar to Brown, and one that I was moderately interested in attending when I was choosing colleges. Since I had legacy — I was the child of an alum — everyone told me I would likely be admitted. My guidance counselor pushed me to apply there early, my friends told me how lucky I was that I had an in, and even my mom told me she was secretly thankful for my sake that she had married someone who went to college there. All of this ultimately resulted in me not wanting to go to this school — not because it was a bad fit for me, but because I thought if I got in, I wouldn’t have earned it. I ended up choosing Brown instead, since I felt like Brown wanted me for who I was, and that I didn’t deserve my acceptance to the other school. Maybe I did, and maybe I didn’t. Either way, higher education institutions — Brown in particular — should stop engaging in legacy preferences, because they make it harder for students to feel like they belong at college and for administrators to meet their own standards of diversity and equity. Legacy admissions can actually harm the student experience at colleges like Brown. In 2014, The Herald ran a poll asking for students’ opinions about legacy as a factor in admissions. A little over half of students disagreed with the practice of using legacy, 30.5 percent agreed with its use and the remaining students had no opinion; Students receiving financial aid from the University were even less likely to support legacy policies. It is easy to understand why leg-
acy admissions are so unpopular. Students who are children of alums often feel self-conscious about their legacy status. Brown’s legacy preferences also skew the composition of the student body, putting underserved students at a disadvantage for admissions and, in turn, compromising the University’s ability to meet its own diversity goals. In February 2016, the University published a plan of action entitled, “Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion.” In the section of the plan that justified why these actions were necessary, the University found that, “institutions of higher education, including Brown, have traditionally failed
students made up between 10 and 12 percent of incoming students each year at Brown. Yet, the action plan — which, to its credit, does discuss the importance of reaching out to and meeting the special needs of underrepresented students and did incorporate feedback from the community — makes no mention of legacy admissions. In a letter introducing the report, President Christina Paxson P’19 notes that the plan “calls for a doubling of graduate students from historically underrepresented groups” and “improvements in outreach and recruiting for undergraduates from underrepresented groups.” But the University cannot
After all, isn’t creating an appropriately diverse and qualified student body really what the admissions process is all about? And shouldn’t we do as much as we can to meet our goals of increasing student diversity? to include fully people of all races, ethnicities, creeds, socioeconomic classes, gender identities, sexual orientations and disability statuses. To confront this reality and its enduring legacies, the University is committing to transform the policies, structures and practices that have led to the exclusion — rather than the meaningful inclusion — of members of the community.” One such policy that has contributed to the exclusion of underrepresented members of the community, but has gone unexamined by the administration, is legacy admissions. Let’s not pretend that legacy practices at selective universities have a negligible impact. Just this past week, The Harvard Crimson reported that over 29 percent of its class of 2021 are legacy students. In a 2014 Herald article, former dean of admissions Jim Miller ’73 said that legacy
meaningfully offer more opportunities to underrepresented students so long as it clings to legacy admissions, one of the prime engines of inequality. In fact, though many of the “actionable items” in the plan were targeted toward first-generation college students — including supporting their living expenses, creating a first-generation student center and increasing mentorship for first-generation students — these steps cannot alone diversify the admitted undergraduate student body. Unless the University reconsiders its legacy policy, the student body will not be representative of the broader population. For example, first-generation college students constitute only 13 percent of the class of 2021, but over 60 percent of American adults have not obtained a college degree. This is a major inconsistency, and Brown today, de-
spite its stated objectives, is still failing to include people of all socioeconomic backgrounds. Prestigious colleges defend legacy practices as necessary to raise money and maintain their reputation — it makes sense that alums who have gone to the same school for many generations would be more willing to donate and support a variety of programs. But it turns out that rolling back legacy preferences does not have a negative impact on their finances. Chad Coffman, a contributor to a book called “Affirmative Action for the Rich,” found that at seven institutions that dropped legacy preferences between 1998 and 2008, there was “no short-term measurable reduction in alumni giving as a result.” Institutions in Europe, such as Oxford University and the University of Cambridge, got rid of this outdated practice long ago, and their prestige remains completely intact. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology does not consider legacy, and still has a $13.2 billion endowment, supported by venture capital funds, private equity investments and, of course, alum donations. Alums continue to donate not because they need to secure their child a place at their alma mater, but because they are excited for incoming students to have the same experiences they did, regardless of their race, socioeconomic standing and college education. After all, isn’t creating an appropriately diverse and qualified student body really what the admissions process is all about? And shouldn’t we do as much as we can to meet our goals of increasing student diversity? The first and most obvious step in achieving these aims — at Brown and at other institutions of higher education — is to get rid of legacy practices in the admission process.
Lena Renshaw ’20 can be reached at lena_renshaw@brown.edu.
SPORTS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2017
W. SOCCER
Bears extend winning streak to three with 2-1 victory over CCSU Goals from Story ’19, White ’21 fuel Bears to comeback win ahead of conference opener By ALEXANDRA RUSSELL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Following a pair of victories over Lafayette and Massachusetts last week, the women’s soccer team extended its winning streak to three with a 2-1 win over Central Connecticut State University (3-5-0) at StevensonPincince Field Sunday. Goals from Celia Story ’19 and Star White ’21 powered Bruno (6-2-0) to victory, erasing an early, one-goal lead for the Blue Devils. “We came back from a deficit and then were able to put another goal away,” said Head Coach Kia McNeill. “Our team has a lot of resilience and you saw that tonight. That just says a lot about our leadership on the team and our attacking personalities, who were able to dig us out of that hole.” White scored the game-winning goal in the 55th minute, heading in a cross from Story on the right side. “In the first half, we had a lot of opportunities on goal, so I knew we were going to come back and score some more,” White said. “When Celia had that ball, I backed up and I just kind of headed it in — it happened so fast. We just had the willpower and said we were going to win, so we brought it.” Story tied the game in the 24th minute, sending the ball into the left corner of the goal off a cross from Mikela Waldman ’18. Waldman recorded two assists in the contest. The Blue Devils took an early lead in the 11th minute, when Yo
ELI WHITE / HERALD
Jennifer Caruso ’19 eyes an airborne ball in Sunday’s victory over Central Connecticut State. Mikela Waldman ’18 had two assists in the contest, Brown’s penultimate nonconference game before it takes on Dartmouth next weekend at Stevenson-Pincince Field. Tachibana followed up an initial block with a shot past Brown goalkeeper Christine Etzel ’19. “We came out in a 3-5-2, which is a little bit more of an aggressive offensive formation,” McNeill said. “Any time you play that, you’re a little bit vulnerable in the back.” Etzel made four saves for her sixth season victory. With Ivy League play looming,
McNeill emphasized the importance of maximizing both the team’s defensive strength and offensive output. “We want to solidify things on the defensive side, but we want to continue to get better offensively as well — you can’t win games unless you score goals,” McNeill said. “Getting more efficient (and) more aggressive in front of the goal is really going to be a strength of this team
going forward.” Mentally, the Bears are well-poised to open conference play against Dartmouth at home Sunday. “We all believe in each other, we had a lot of players playing in different positions tonight and everybody’s very confident,” McNeill said. “That’s definitely where we want to be heading into Ivy League play.” “We can just become even more
connected and tighten it as a group because we’re still getting used to how one person plays versus the other,” White said. “We’ve been constantly building and I don’t think we’ve reached our peak yet, so I think this was a good game to put our confidence up as a team.” The Bears will host Sacred Heart Wednesday before facing Dartmouth at home Sunday.