Monday, March 13th, 2023

ARTS & CULTURE

Mezcla thrills with annual performance

‘Chrysalis’ showcases variety of traditional, contemporary Latin dances

BY RYAN SMITH SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Mezcla — Brown and RISD’s Latinx dance troupe — welcomed an excited audience into Alumnae Hall on Friday and Saturday night for their annual performance. Mezcla dancers performed alongside other Brown dance groups including Brown Badmaash and Oja! Modern African Dance.

The troupe performed for full houses both Friday and Saturday night, with audience members traveling from across the United States and abroad to attend the shows, the troupe announced at the performances. Both shows sold out by Wednesday night.

“Chrysalis” — a name inspired by the metamorphic stage in a butterfly’s life cycle — demonstrated the rich diversity of traditional and contemporary Latin dance. The show opened with a “sexy, seductive and sultry” salsa, then moved

into bachata and bolero, according to the show’s virtual program.

Some numbers mixed songs from popular artists like Bad Bunny, Rosalía and Shakira. Other numbers included a burlesque Milonga — described as a “fast style Argentine tango” — and an Afro-Latin fusion in collaboration with Oja!.

“We’re doing all of these different styles, many of which people are learning for the first time,” said co-Financial Director and dancer Emma Berg ’23.

Some dance numbers incorporated

skits, during which Mezcla dancers acted out the experience of auditioning for the troupe or took the audience through George Lucas’s “Star Wars” universe alongside dancers from Badmaash.

A South Asian fusion dance team, Badmaash incorporates dance elements from other cultures to create their “own story and style,” said Naveen Abraham ’23, a head captain of Badmaash. Badmaash and Mezcla have a long history of collaboration, Abraham said.

SEE MEZCLA PAGE 3

ARTS & CULTURE

Fane Tower project canceled after six years

METRO Proposed in 2016, controversial project was delayed by litigation, pushback

BY RHEA RASQUINHA METRO EDITOR

More than six years after initially proposing a controversial residential development in the Jewelry District, the Fane Organization announced Friday that its proposed luxury building will not be constructed.

“I came to Providence with a vision for a great and iconic project that would provide much-needed housing, quality jobs, and revenue for local government and have worked long and hard to make it a reality,” Fane wrote in a statement. “However, due to recent risk factors outside of my control, it is no longer feasible to move forward with this project.”

The plans, which initially called for three residential towers on land made vacant by the relocation of

Interstate 195, were scaled down to one tower in 2018. The project almost immediately faced criticism for its design and scale and underwent multiple revisions, The Herald previously reported.

While the building’s design received I-195 Commission approval in October 2019, the organization proposed a new design due to changed market conditions in December 2022 and brought it before the commission in January, The Herald previously reported. Projections estimated the final design’s cost at roughly $300 million. With a proposed height of 550 feet, the tower would have been the tallest in the city’s skyline and required a zoning ordinance exemption, which was upheld by the Rhode Island Supreme Court last June.

In January, Utile Architecture and Planning — a consultant for the I-195 Commission — recommended that the commission not approve the new proposal until “significant design revisions” were made. Design updates

SEE TOWER PAGE 4

Bill proposes increased access to police recordings

METRO Legislation aims to respond to police accountability concerns

BY JULIANNA CHANG CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Recent legislation proposed in the Rhode Island General Assembly would make it easier to access public records including 911 calls, arrest reports and police body camera footage.

The bill, introduced by State Sen. Louis DiPalma MSc’89 P’08 (D-Little Compton) and Rep. Joseph Solomon (D-Warwick), aims to expand the Access to Public Records Act, which facilitates “public access to public records,” according to the bill. Private universities that currently employ police or peace officers — including Brown, Johnson and Wales University and Providence College — would also be subject to requests for police records covered by the bill.

“There is absolutely a public interest in transparency and open government because our public de-

Doyle Center hosts 2023 Women’s History

Students shine at SASA cultural show

serves the right to know where and how their taxpayer money is being spent,” said Solomon.

Solomon cited the increasing role of technology in the public sphere — including R.I. law enforcement’s implementation of body-worn cameras in 2021 — as one of the primary motives for updating APRA. The bill was last updated in 2012.

“It’s been over a decade since the General Assembly took a really close look at (APRA) and made any meaningful changes to it,” said Steven Brown, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island. “The time has certainly arrived for this most recent review.”

In a Feb. 22 press release, DiPalma said that the proposed legislation comes in response to growing concerns over police accountability.

The proposed bill, introduced Feb. 16, would expand and clarify public access to a number of police records. Any body-worn camera footage containing “police use of force” would be made public within 30 days of the incident, unless the

BY AALIA JAGWANI ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

The South Asian Students’ Association’s annual cultural show brought together University community members Friday for an evening of collective expression through dance, poetry and music.

The show’s theme was “kahaani,” which means “story” in multiple South Asian languages. Storytelling tied the performances together — through classical dance forms like Bharatanatyam and Kathak or through clothing in the fashion show.

“This show is probably the most collaborative event that the e-board has done so far,” Oamiya Haque ’24, president of SASA, said. “Every single member of SASA has spent the last three weeks doing different things to make sure the show is going to go smoothly.” The last week leading up to the show was particularly intense, Haque added, with two full technical rehearsals.

Among the South Asian student groups performing in the show was Abhinaya, a classical dance group that currently practices four styles — Bharatanatyam, Odissi, Kathak and Kuchipudi — according to Preeti Nagalamadaka ’24, co-captain of the team.

“Bharatanatyam originated as a way to tell stories through dance,” Nagalamadaka said. Abhinaya told the story of “Bajirao Mastani,” a Bollywood movie loosely based on

a historic love story from the 1700s, by performing its songs in the order they appeared in the film. Abhinaya was formed in response to the absence of Indian classical dance on campus, Nagalamadaka said. Prior to their launch, Badmaash, a Bollywood dance group, was the only South Asian dance group on campus. She hopes to see an increase in the campus community’s appreciation of

SEE SASA PAGE 8 SEE

‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinnochio’ wins Oscar

South Asian community gathers for evening of cultural expression, storytelling

COURTESY OF SOUTH ASIAN STUDENTS’ ASSOCIATION The proceeds raised from donations at the show went to organizations combating cancer in Pakistan and India.

COURTESY OF RASHAWN ALAM

The troupe performed for a full house both Friday and Saturday night. Numbers included songs from popular artists and many music styles.

Sarah Doyle Center events celebrate Women’s History Month

Programming includes herbalism workshop, talks from keynote speakers

BY CHLOE FATSIS STAFF WRITER

The Sarah Doyle Center for Women and Gender is hosting a series of events throughout the month of March in celebration of Women’s History Month. The 2023 Women’s History Series will feature presentations related to the theme of “World Building/Building World: Creative Praxis for Radical Futures.”

Ariana Brown, a poet and author, gave the series’ first keynote lecture March 10, and Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, a disability justice activist, will deliver the second keynote lecture March 16.

Brown discussed “what it means to be a Black Mexican-American poet in different kinds of spaces, thinking of identity but also thinking of futurity, navigating many contentious identities,” said Alexa De La Fuente ’23, a

LEGISLATION FROM PAGE 1

incident is actively under investigation.

The bill also makes public all initial narrative arrest reports, which the bill defines as any written report from an arresting or investigating officer detailing the circumstances of an arrest.

While reports of internal investigations into police misconduct have always been legally considered public information, Steven Brown said that the proposed legislation would clarify the public’s right to access these reports. Personal information about the officers under investigation, though, may not be disclosed if doing so would be an “unwarranted invasion of personal privacy,” according to the bill.

Expanding APRA, Solomon said, would also make it cheaper for citizens to access government information. For all public records requests, the bill would decrease the maximum cost of copying records from 15 to 5 cents per page. The bill also requires the approval of any cost waiver or reduction requests in the public interest. Currently, the law states that a court may choose to reduce or waive fees for a request in public interest.

According to Solomon, the maximum fine for a willful violation of the laws surrounding a valid public records request would also increase to $10,000 from $2,000.

Proponents of the bill, including ACLU Rhode Island and Black Lives Matter Rhode Island Political Action Committee, argue that expanding ac-

MEZCLA FROM PAGE 1

“Every year it’s so much fun,” he said, adding that bringing the two groups together “highlights what (both) teams do best.”

This weekend’s performances were the culmination of months of preparation by Mezcla’s 29 dancers and its tech team.

Tech week — the week of rehears-

student coordinator.

When planning the series, De La Fuente and peck ’23, another student coordinator, focused on “all the feminist theory, frameworks, leaders and praxis that inspire our work,” according to De La Fuente.

One of the main goals for the organizers was to look beyond “cis white

cess to public records is key to government transparency.

“We think it should be a fundamental component of any public official’s duties to provide information to the public,” Steven Brown said.

“This bill really addresses a gap when it comes to not only reporting, but also restoring public faith in what’s actually going on,” said Harrison Tuttle, president of BLM RI PAC.

Both Steven Brown and Tuttle highlighted the bill’s potential impact on police accountability. Police “have tremendous power in enforcing the law,” Steven Brown said. “It’s really crucial to ensure oversight of such an awesome power.”

According to Solomon, the proposed bill would not affect Rhode Island’s Law Enforcement Officers’ Bill of Rights, which determines what information can be disclosed to the public in the event of officer misconduct. Since the murder of George Floyd in 2020, organizations including BLM RI PAC have pushed for the reform or repeal of LEOBoR, The Herald previously reported.

While LEOBoR would “still be a hurdle to getting information,” if the new bill passes, Tuttle believes that the new legislation “opens the door” to increased transparency.

But not all organizations are supportive of the bill as written.

Sidney Wordell, executive director of the Rhode Island Police Chiefs’ Association, said that the organization plans to oppose numerous sections of the bill in committee hearings.

Access to public records, Wordell said, is a “balancing act” between

als immediately preceding the show — involved long rehearsals every day, in addition to ensuring everything from costumes to lighting was ready for opening night, Berg said.

“I was most excited about finally getting a crowd because we’ve been performing (for) zero people this past week,” Berg said. “We really feed off everybody’s energy.”

Co-Director and Mezcla dancer Val-

Piepzna-Samarasinha is a “nonbinary, femme, autistic disabled writer, space creator and disability and transformative justice movement worker,” according to the SDC’s announcement email.

To prepare listeners for their talk, entitled “Imagining Disabled Futures Is an Act of Resistance,” the SDC held a reading circle March 6. Participants read and discussed portions of Piepzna-Samarasinha’s recently published book, “The Future is Disabled.”

On March 8, the SDC and the Global Brown Center for International Students held an International Women’s Day brunch featuring a speech by Alice Plane, senior fellow in international and public affairs.

sions for the future and a communal art project inspired by the discussion’s ideas.

Douglas also led BIPOC Restoration Day on March 12. For the event, each room of the SDC was converted into a different “invitation to some form of intimacy or care or reflection,” such as “an altar for feminist ancestors and teachers,” face masks, bath salts, games and food, according to the event description.

womanhood and feminism as defined within those bounds traditionally and historically,” peck said.

This led them to select two keynote speakers, both of whom “approach their work with frameworks that include race, gender, sexuality and disability justice,” said Madyson Crawford, assistant director of the SDC.

the right to privacy and the right to transparency. While RIPCA supports “the idea of releasing information and transparency,” Wordell said that “the bill goes a little too far in some areas.”

These areas, Wordell added, in

clude granting expanded access to arrest reports and internal investigations and decreasing costs for retrieval. Providing access to initial narrative reports of arrest and internal investigations “takes the presumed innocence out of the equation,” Wordell said.

In the event that an internal in

vestigation is non-criminal and the officer is not fired, Wordell said he believes that the investigation “should stay within the four walls” of the department as “discipline is not meant to shame an individual.”

In particular, Wordell said he is opposed to the section declaring that public bodies — including the police department — can no longer charge for any time spent redacting private or irrelevant information from the requested records.

Wordell hopes that the committee hearing process will be an opportunity to “find a happy medium” between privacy and transparency.

Solomon anticipates that the decision to pass, amend or reject the bill will be made sometime before the legislative session ends June 30.

The bill “was a product of positive discussions,” Solomon said. “The committee process always provides us with an opportunity to make a great bill even better.”

erie Villegas ’25 said she was excited to “see the culmination of my hard work and the team’s hard work” and to share what she has been working on with her friends outside of the group.

Audience members were encouraged to cheer loudly between and during numbers. “Mezcla audiences are known to leave with a lot of joy,” Villegas said.

“It’s the most incredible, lively ex-

“My goal ... was to share my own personal journey with my understanding of feminism and climate change,” Plane said, as well as to consider questions of what society values in those contexts.

Rocky Douglas GS, a wellness practitioner, held an event entitled “Imagining our Worlds with Rocky’s Root Care” March 7, which featured a conversation about participants’ vi -

Douglas will host “Root Care: Connecting Herbalism, Spirituality and Mental Health” on March 20. At the workshop, Douglas will introduce herbal medicine and bring some herbs for participants to test. She will also teach participants “how to incorporate herbal medicine into day-to-day routines.”

“Although there are so many issues with the sort of historical association of care work with women’s work,” Douglas said, “there also can be a lot of power in claiming that.”

“It’s a homage to the feminists … who came before us, who’ve talked about the importance of this work as a political project, as a communal project,” she added.

perience as a Puerto Rican person to see my people dancing on stage,” said Nélari Figueroa-Torres ’25, who attended the show. They added that Mezcla’s standards “go up every single year.”

Preparations for next year’s auditions will begin as early as June — while rehearsals for next spring’s dances will begin in October.

Villegas said that Mezcla will now take “a couple week(s) hiatus” to rest,

but will spend the rest of the semester performing at smaller events they are invited to.

And the troupe’s energy from this weekend’s shows also “extends to our regular lives at Brown,” Berg said.

The team is “just like family,” Villegas said, noting that its success occurs “because we care about what we do and work really hard to maintain that core place of love.”

ASHLEY CHOI / HERALD

ELSA CHOI-HAUSMAN / HERALD

Keynote speaker Ariana Brown discussed navigating intersectionality within identities, Student Coordinator Alexa De La Fuente ’23 said.

Visual art department showcases senior capstone exhibitions

Three seniors discuss exhibits, inspiration, mediums, themes behind pieces

BY CAMPBELL LOI CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Seniors concentrating in visual art have begun showcasing their thesis projects as part of the department’s semester-long capstone exhibitions.

Each student’s work is showcased for a week during the semester in one of three gallery spaces at the List Art Center, free for viewers to enjoy.

Last fall, seniors in the department were entered into a lottery system to receive a time slot for their exhibition, according to Professor of Visual Art Leslie Bostrom, who is chair of the department.

The exhibitions represent a culmination of years of hard work in the Department of Visual Art, she added.

The most important thing is that students graduate not only with skills in fine arts but also the ability to think critically about themselves and the world, Bostrom said. The department aims to ensure that graduating students know “what they want to do and what they want to express, and then (how to) do it well.”

The Herald spoke to three of the featured artists in the department about their showcases.

‘Creating

art that I like to create’:

Amanda Tabet ’23 and ‘Human Conditions and Sensations’

The daughter of a photographer, Tabet has been exposed to visual arts from a young age. But it was not until the pandemic that these interests became more focused.

“When COVID hit, I had a lot of free time on my hands,” she told The Herald. To fill this time, she began painting and selling sneakers on her Instagram account, @tabbysneakers. “That’s kind of when I knew … I love painting, I love design.”

When planning the theme for her capstone exhibition, which ran from

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Feb. 24 to March 2, Tabet said she “wanted to pick apart at feelings that every human experiences.”

Each of the five works displayed depicted a “widely experienced human condition,” according to her artist statement: paranoia, nostalgia, depression, anxiety and dissociation.

Tabet drew from her own experiences with each of these emotions and also took inspiration from those around her.

“I sat down with a circle of my friends and asked them to describe” each emotion, she said. Through these discussions, the concept, color scheme and composition for each piece slowly began to come together, and the conversations allowed her to incorporate multiple viewpoints in her work.

“For me, the feeling of paranoia … could be totally different from what my friends feel, or what any other person feels when they’re paranoid,” she said. “I wanted to create work that felt super personal and that I could connect to, but that was also universal.”

The pieces are diverse in composition, ranging from pen on paper to collaged fabric, yarn and glass beads on a painted canvas. Most of the works involve paint in various forms, which Tabet explained is her favorite medium.

Tabet said the VISA department has helped her “formulate more of an aesthetic” of her own.

“Being able to explore my own interests, my own creativity, creating art that I like to create in the way that I want to … has been the best thing,” she said.

‘Hyper-specific mundane moments’:

Kate Salke ’23.5 and ‘Sweet Globe’

While half of the work for her show was completed in the fall semester, Kate Salke ’23.5 had just two months in the studio to wrap up her thesis. After drawing the second-to-last number in the lottery last fall, her exhibition was slated to run from March 3 to 9 — giving her much less time than she had anticipated.

Faced with a time crunch, Salke’s solution was simple: just keep making art. “The way I had to approach it was to keep making every day, showing up every day to my studio,” she said. “Ob-

viously not everything I make is going to make it into the show, but I don’t have difficulty with making a lot of art because that’s what I love.”

Each piece in the gallery highlights one of what Salke calls “hyper-specific mundane moments” in her life, together serving as a “love letter” to these fleeting instances.

“All the places that are featured in the show are places that are really special to me,” she said. “I would start with how they really appear, and then I would allow my experiences with that place and the experiences with the material I’m working with to come through.”

Initially drawing significant inspiration from events in her life, the pieces eventually became abstractions of these moments. Salke explained that in this way, her art was deeply familiar and nostalgic while simultaneously representing the unknown and her fascination with it.

“The process of improvising has something so magical and wondrous about it that I don’t need to understand and don’t think I ever could,” she said. “That’s where the magic element comes in.”

Most of the pieces displayed were created with paints and pastels, showcasing Salke’s love for all things oilbased. She noted that she especially

loves blending her pastels by hand, which gives her more control and makes the process more intimate and personal.

“Making art is always going to be a huge center point of my life,” she said. “Whether or not it ends up being the way that I support myself as an adult we are yet to find out, but no matter what, it’s going to be something I prioritize.”

A ‘way to process the world’: Jaden Bleier ’23 and ‘Material Weathers’

A double concentrator in VISA and literary arts, Jaden Bleier ’23 aimed to showcase experiences of the world through both language and art, exploring their intersections as well as highlighting their differences.

“I’m really drawn to the way that language filters the world,” she said. “Things can get lost in that translation from the experience of the world to language, or really to any artistic medium.”

For her thesis exhibition, Bleier hopes to convey this experience of translation and filtration. One of her pieces, depicting the Seekonk River, incorporates a wide variety of mediums, including an audio recording, photography and even a sample of the river’s water.

“Obviously, none of (the art pieces) are the river, there’s no way to put the river in a building,” she explained, adding that while each component adds

another dimension to the experience, there is no way to truly and fully encompass it.

Each piece in the gallery utilizes a large variety of materials, from found items such as branches and driftwood to screenprinting on fabric and handmade paper.

Bleier used cyanotype, a process in which a solution is applied to a surface and reacts to ultraviolet light, throughout the gallery. Sections that are exposed to sunlight turn blue, while spaces where the light is blocked or solution is wiped away remain white.

“The environment can actively change it while it’s being created,” Bleier said. In this way, the pieces fit perfectly into her theme — capturing the essence of the surrounding environment in its most authentic and unfiltered form.

“It’s hard for me not to be creative,” she said. “It’s my way to process the world.”

Bleier’s gallery opened Friday and will be up until March 16 in the second-floor gallery at List. Exhibitions will continue to cycle through for the remainder of the semester.

“I think the arts are so important,” Bostrom said. “In the world we live in, arts are among the most healing kinds of activities. It’s exactly the kind we need right now.”

TEDxBrownU conference spotlights open-mindedness, introspection

Speakers share personal journeys with change, willingness to transform perspectives

BY ANISHA KUMAR SENIOR STAFF WRITER

At TEDxBrownU’s eighth annual conference Sunday evening, six presenters explored the theme “Truth or Dare?” through topics ranging from accessibility in the arts to the benefits of mindfulness and the power of ancestral lands. The conference also featured performances by the Jabberwocks and the hip-hop dance group IMPULSE.

According to TEDxBrownU co-President Vikas Rana ’24, roughly 1,000 people from Brown, the Rhode Island School of Design and the greater Providence community registered for the conference, which was held in the Salomon Center.

“‘Truth or Dare?’ as a theme … sets the tone of the entire conference and (encourages) the speakers to be very honest,” said Tiffany Chan ’23, co-president of TEDxBrownU.

Members of the club chose the theme and began accepting speaker nominations and applications in the fall, Rana said. The TEDx curation team interviewed applicants and worked with the final lineup of presenters on their speeches over the next few months.

Vulnerability, growth and open-mindedness were themes touched upon by several speakers throughout the event.

Team USA Olympic figure skater Vincent Zhou ’25.5 recounted the ups and downs of his skating journey, including the COVID-19 diagnosis that stopped him from competing in the 2022 Beijing Olympics.

“I thought, ‘There’s no better thing to talk about than this incredibly difficult experience that I’ve struggled to vocalize up to this point,’” Zhou told

The Herald. “The journey of writing multiple drafts, getting comfortable with it and being vulnerable up there … helped me feel more complete.”

Zhou said he hoped his talk conveyed the message of “daring to think differently.”

Barbara Tannenbaum, distinguished senior lecturer in theatre arts and performance studies, gave a talk about adoptee rights and the stigma and lack of transparency around the U.S. adoption system, drawing on her experience as an adoptee and adoptive parent herself.

“The truth about adoption is not always known,” Tannenbaum told The Herald. “I think if we dare to examine all different kinds of bias, we can become stronger as a group of change agents.”

Tannenbaum, who teaches the popular public speaking course TAPS0220: “Persuasive Communication,” had coached past TEDxBrownU speakers before being invited to speak this year, she said.

“Presenting allowed me to under-

stand my students who are anxious,” Tannenbaum said. “I was very frightened, and everyone was so quiet. But I could feel keen attention and respect. People were willing to not only listen but learn more about the issue.”

Other speakers included engineering master’s student Charlie Maitland GS, who spoke about the environmental potential of nuclear energy, daring audience members to consider a future with an energy source that is at times overlooked.

Rishika Kartik ’26 dared listeners to “view accessibility as an opportunity for creativity.”

Kartik had worked with members of the blind community, leading them in tactile art classes. She explained that oftentimes, art is inaccessible to disabled people — she encouraged the audience, like her students, to “smell the art, hear the art, feel the art and yes — please touch the art.”

Director of the Mindfulness Center Eric Loucks, who is also an associate professor of epidemiology, medicine

and behavioral and social sciences, spoke about his research on the benefits of mindfulness for young adult mental health, and Kalikoonāmaukūpuna Kalāhiki ’24 shared how reconnecting with their ancestral Native Hawaiian land helped them heal from intergenerational trauma.

By daring to return to their roots and anchor themselves through farming, Kalāhiki explored the transformative power of hands-on engagement with the land. “Most of us grow up learning how to survive, but through the land, we can truly learn how to thrive,” Kalāhiki said.

“TEDx gives a platform to people you might not otherwise encounter,” Rana said. “We’re channeling these voices to the greater community.”

Rana added that the talks will be posted on TEDx’s YouTube channel, which has 37.8 million subscribers.

“TEDx is unique in that it’s educational, but also highly personal,” Chan said. “It’s really inspiring to hear what our community is made of.”

CAMPBELL LOI / HERALD

The Department of Visual Art emphasizes that students should graduate with the ability to think critically about themselves and the world, Department Chair and Professor of Visual Art Leslie Bostrom said.

Vogue Business editor talks retail journalism at F@B fashion week kickoff

Hilary Milnes talks networking, reporting, business side of fashion with Fashion@Brown

BY ISABEL HAHN STAFF WRITER

Hilary Milnes, executive Americas editor of Vogue Business, kicked off Fashion@Brown’s annual Fashion Week at a talk titled “Behind the Business of Vogue.” In line with this year’s Fashion Week theme, “Fashion Beyond the Screen,” Milnes shared her experiences in fashion journalism and working at the intersection of fashion and business with students in Alumnae Hall Saturday evening.

F@B co-President Kaila Zimnavoda ’24 introduced the conversation, which was moderated by co-President Natalia Brown ’23. Recognizing that many audience members were likely interested in fashion-oriented careers, Brown began by asking Milnes about her path from covering the retail industry to becoming an executive editor at Vogue Business, a Condé Nast publication that focuses on the impact of trends and “global patterns” on the fashion industry, according to the publication’s website.

From her own experiences covering retail fashion, Milnes emphasized the importance of figuring out different ways to apply her own skillsets.

evolves. From her own experiences covering retail, Milnes emphasized the importance of figuring out different ways to apply her own skillsets.

After graduating with degrees in English and journalism from Boston University, Milnes wrote for a local Boston publication before moving to focus on fashion at different publications. When Vogue Business launched out of London two years later, she reached out to one of its editors and became the new publication’s first hire in the U.S. as a feature editor, she said.

The conversation also covered the often uncertain nature of the fashion media industry, especially as the business model for journalism changes and

Working a job that deals with a more quantitative side of fashion, Milnes discussed the unique behind-the-scenes position she often finds herself in, in addition to the people-driven aspects of retail journalism that she has struggled with.

“There’s much more at play in wanting to understand the history and background of” fashion, she said. “There’s so many personalities in fashion that you need to follow and know.”

Rather than working directly within the more visible sides of the industry, Milnes said she focuses on its “nuanc-

$86 million in construction wages and $250 million in tax revenue over the next 40 years — along with the boost it would provide to private sector construction.

es,” such as entertainment value and consumer decisions. Because her job also includes covering companies that are underperforming, Milnes said that it is important to keep “editorial integrity … being fair and accurate but standing behind those stories. We’re not just going to write puff pieces.”

At Vogue Business, Milnes and her team are making efforts to introduce new voices and writers who are often underrepresented in the industry, she said. Milnes noted that her favorite past project was the Vogue Business talent competitions held in the United States and United Kingdom, which provided opportunities for aspiring fashion journalists to be published in Vogue Business and meet mentors.

“There’s much more at play in wanting to understand the history and background of” fashion, she said. regarding balconies, wind impacts, greenery and paneling were presented at the February meeting — but concerns regarding the project persisted, The Herald previously reported.

Supporters of the project cited its economic benefits — including over 1,500 projected construction jobs, over

“I am disappointed in the news that the Fane Organization will not be proceeding with their proposed development,” said Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio in a state-

ment as reported by the Providence Journal and GoLocalProv. He added that the tower “would have provided badly needed housing and jobs and helped to foster a vibrant downtown.” Ruggerio also expressed concerns about “numerous roadblocks” apart from the I-195 Commission’s standard review process — and that developers may be discouraged from investing

CALENDAR

The conversation also touched on how fashion publications cover topics such as labor laws and sustainability.

Milnes discussed her team’s initiatives to spotlight those who work in fashion manufacturing when covering sustainability. “We want to make sure we’re challenging (these problems) … actually backing up and hopefully pushing them in the right direction,” she said.

“I really enjoyed how nice (Milnes) was and … how she took us back to her college experience as well, which was something that I could relate to,” said Cecilia Sarantopoulos ’23.5, who attended the talk for inspiration.

Kyra Haddad ’23 said she “liked how relatable (the conversation) was” in terms of the trends and concepts Milnes

in Rhode Island due to “obstacles to development that take years to overcome.”

Concerns about the tower among community members and leaders included a lack of available data about market need, the affordability of units, insufficient parking, failure to meet deadlines and adverse impacts on the neighboring Innovation District Park,

TODAY’S EVENTS

Linkages Between Urban Greenspace and Public Health 12 p.m. School of Public Health, Room 375

AINU | The Indigenous People of Japan Movie Screening 4:30 p.m. Rhode Island Hall, Room 108

TOMORROW’S EVENTS

Workshop on Indigenous Mindfulness

9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Brown-RISD Hillel

Good Vibrations: Sex Toy Workshop 12:00 p.m.

Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center, Room 229

talked about, such as sustainability and the launching and management of new brands.

Geneva Bass ’25 noted she attended the talk due to her interest in artistic industries and the businesses that drive them. “This panel allowed me to be able to get a peek into the fashion industry as a whole,” she said. “I enjoyed the intimacy of the conversation.”

In response to an audience question about building and maintaining human relationships in the fashion industry, Milnes emphasized the importance of being confident when working on the editorial side of fashion. “It can be very intimidating,” she said. “But it’s a matter of (thinking) ‘I deserve to be here’ and just putting yourself out there.”

The Herald previously reported. While state House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi (D-Warwick) said in a statement that he was also disappointed by the end of the Fane Organization’s project, he noted he is “optimistic about the future of biotech and life sciences in our state,” WPRI reported. The parcel of land, he noted, is “prime real estate for potential growth.”

Religion, Public Intimacy, and Saintly Affects in Pakistan 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. Online

SAD GIRLZ LUV MONEY: Sexy Dance Workshop 7:00 p.m. 450 Brook Street

Harini Suresh: Context and Participation in Machine Learning 12:00 p.m.

Watson Center for Information Technology, Room 368

Jazz Combos Concert

7:00 p.m.

Grant Recital Hall

KAIOLENA TACAZON / HERALD

TOWER FROM PAGE 1

‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinnochio’ wins Oscar for Best Animated Feature

Strong lineup included ‘Turning Red,’ ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,’ ‘The Sea Beast’

BY ASHLEY GUO STAFF WRITER

There were five fierce contenders on the shortlist for this year’s Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Though the honor was given to “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinnochio,” the rest of the nominees are not to be overlooked. Each film uniquely shined and could be equally praised for breaking new ground in animation. Between the splashy, illustrative style of “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” and the expressive yet distinct stop-motion production “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” and “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinnochio,” this year had a strong lineup on the animation front.

This year’s slate of animated feature films was competitive, with the films’ high-caliber animation and strong storytelling feeding off each other. “Turning Red” presents a Chinese-Canadian preteen girl turned red panda, “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” follows a whimsical walking shell looking for his family and “The Sea Beast” tells a tale of misunderstood sea monsters. We saw a reinvention of a classic story with “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio” and a sequel to a spinoff in “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” both of which surpass their predecessors.

Gone are the days when animated movies catered only to children. Together, these five films demonstrate the storytelling power of animation.

‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ (Guillermo del Toro, Mark Gustafson)

The past few years have seen a number of Pinnochio remakes, including a lackluster Disney live-action remake and a hilariously bad animated

reboot. This year’s Academy Award winner, “Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio,” breaks from the pack to reimagine the story of Pinnochio in an unexpected setting and time period, revitalizing a plot that has been rehashed too many times. This version of Pinocchio takes place in interwar Italy during Benito Mussolini’s rise to power. In a war-torn state where people blindly follow their leaders, Pinocchio (voiced by Gregory Mann) struggles to live up to the expectations of his father Geppetto (voiced by David Bradley). Already unable to blend in due to his wooden skin and famous growing nose, Pinnochio’s rowdy energy stands out in a culture characterized by obedience.

Produced using stop motion, the film’s incredible character design and fantasy elements already make it a standout work of art. While some symbolism admittedly comes off as heavy-handed, this film redefines the standard for story remakes, earning high praise among critics for its artistry and depth of storytelling. The film’s production, concept and unique historical context make it worthy of the title of Best Animated Feature.

‘Marcel the Shell With Shoes On’

(Dean Fleischer Camp)

Is it possible to cry for an hour straight about a one-eyed shell with pink sneakers? The answer is an unequivocal yes. “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” follows a meta-film plotline: The film follows the making of a documentary about Marcel (voiced by Jenny Slate) and his grandmother

“Nana” Connie (voiced by Isabella Rossellini), two tiny, anthropomorphic shells living in a large house all alone.

But Marcel and Connie were not always the only shells living in this home. They used to be part of a large community until one day everyone but Marcel and Connie was taken from their home. When documentary filmmaker Dean (Dean Fleischer Camp) discovers Marcel, he makes a short film and posts it online, garnering

massive internet attention and granting Marcel an opportunity to find his family.

Based on Camp’s popular, threeminute-long YouTube videos of Marcel, this feature-length film effortlessly integrates stop-motion animation with live-action elements while retaining the homemade feel of the original videos. Whimsical, adorable and full of heart, “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” is not only an incredible showcase of the expressive nature of stop motion but also an exploration of loneliness, fear and grief. Perhaps it’s Marcel’s one-inch stature that allows him to appreciate the little things, but his sparkling personality, curiosity for the world and raw honesty are enough to win any audience member’s heart. Though it ultimately did not win the Oscar for Best Animated Feature, “Marcel the Shell With Shoes On” was certainly deserving of the title for the sheer force of its emotive power conveyed through the tiniest details.

‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ (Joel Crawford)

Although 20 years have passed since the release of the first Shrek movie, the “Shrek” franchise is not over just yet. In fact, it is more alive than ever in “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” Sword-wielding, feathered hat-flourishing and boots-wearing Puss (voiced by Antonio Banderas) has found himself at the last of his nine lives. As he flees death and reunites with ex-lover Kitty Softpaws (voiced by Salma Hayek) and new friend Perrito (voiced by Harvey Guillén), Puss attempts to lengthen his life by chasing the Last Wish, a fallen star that will grant a wish to anyone who finds it.

This fantasy adventure film shatters any expectations of being a vapid sequel with its surprisingly profound story about the meaning of life and taking risks for the ones we love. Its splashy, punchy animation delivers an immersive experience, adding an electrifying, illustrative aspect to its vivid action sequences. Touching on

topics of mental health, the film lends a complexity to Puss’s character that is refreshing compared to other animated movie protagonists. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is a sparkling addition to the Shrek universe, elevating the flair and personality seen in previous stories, and a worthwhile watch for even those who haven’t seen the franchise’s previous films.

‘The Sea Beast’ (Chris Williams)

“The Sea Beast” is a family-friendly, computer-animated kaiju story — a genre involving large monsters — that takes place in a world where hunters are praised for their heroic exploits in slaying sea monsters. Hunters on the ship the Inevitable are tasked by their king and queen to capture the Red Bluster, a legendary and invincible massive sea monster. Hunter Jacob Holland (voiced by Karl Urban) and stowaway orphan Maisie Brumble (Zaris-Angel Hator) are taken on an unexpected adventure where they learn that there is more to “monsters” than they thought.

With a strong script, creative and immersive action sequences and vibrant animation, “The Sea Beast” is certainly an entertaining watch. Out of all the animated films nominated this year, this is the most clearly oriented toward younger audiences, but that doesn’t stop it from discussing mature themes of anti-violence, the dangers of glorifying war and the moral gray areas encountered trying to fight the good fight. The storyline of “The Sea Beast” is similar to those of other popular children’s movies such as “How to Train Your Dragon” and “Moana,” but it gives it a new spin. Its clear narrative provides an effective vehicle for delivering lessons to children on moral dilemmas that adults face every day.

‘Turning Red’ (Domee Shi)

When it first came out, “Turning Red” made waves for depicting a Chinese-Canadian preteen navigating the struggles of puberty and her changing

relationship with her mother. These are both relatable experiences to many audiences, except that Meilin “Mei” Lee (voiced by Rosalie Chiang) has to deal with another change in her body: She frequently turns into a giant red panda. And yes, the panda is a metaphor for periods.

Mei’s relationship with her mother Ming (voiced by Sandra Oh) becomes strained as she embarks on a series of preteen rites of passage, like crushing on the local convenience store clerk or trying to see her favorite boy band. Mei’s relentless, uncontainable energy — combined with her struggles to meet her mother’s idea of a good daughter — make for a heroine that could transport any viewer back to their preteen years.

The film’s animation has a squishy, adorable quality that perfectly adds to the feeling of being a thirteen-yearold girl. “Turning Red” speaks directly to the struggles of trying to grow up without growing apart from family, tackling the universally relatable chaos of tweenhood while incorporating a diverse, immigrant-family perspective. The representation in “Turning Red” is a huge win for children of Asian immigrants, with the film adeptly portraying the complexities of their relationships and experiences on the big screen.

Mei’s favorite boy band, 4*Town, is fictional, but the songs they perform in the film are written by real-life pop songwriters Finneas O’Connell and Billie Eilish. The vocals are performed by O’Connell, Jordan Fisher, Topher Ngo, Josh Levi and Grayson Villanueva. The music is reminiscent of the era of bands like the Backstreet Boys, adding a distinct 2000s feel to the movie and grounding the story in the iconic time period.

Although a captivating and accurate portrayal of the struggles of coming of age, “Turning Red” is not just for Asian preteen girls — its themes of navigating a changing relationship can appeal to anyone of any age or background.

Sung ’23: What to remember from last year’s mismanaged UCS election

It has been a year since the chaotic and unconstitutional spring election for the Undergraduate Council of Students presidency. To summarize, the Student Government Association declared Chas Steinbrugge ’24, who secured only 34.45% of the vote, president over Ricky Zhong ’23, who got 32.90%, when in fact the election should have gone to a runoff under UCS bylaws. After Zhong fought for and was granted a runoff election, he won with 63.42% of the vote. Throughout this process, Instagram was flooded with posts comparing candidates to Trump, comments implying the election had been rigged, and various criticisms of UCS’s election procedures. This showcased how Brown’s microcosm of politics is highly vulnerable to the same problems of declining civility, populism and institutional fragility that we see on a national level. For this reason, UCS must remain diligent as it executes this year’s election — and we must keep it accountable for doing so. Looking to the future, we can no longer assume the resilience of our student democracy and must move forward acknowledging its fragility.

After the recall had been announced, The Herald published an editorial titled “Broken elections, broken UCS,” highlighting how “nobody seems to know what the rules are,” even UCS members. That said, this mismanaged election was not a singular, isolated failure — it was the product of an accumulation of shortcomings on UCS’s end. This began in fall 2021, when all three branches of student government formed SGA to streamline communications between groups. SGA decided to standardize the elections procedures on campus, but these regulatory changes were never fully implemented

across all branches. This lack of coordination ultimately ended in chaos, with President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 eventually stepping in to issue guidance. In effect, the premise of student self-governance failed.

Of course, UCS representatives and Brown students care about upholding democratic norms, but democracy is not sustainable by

it is boring, difficult or cumbersome, meticulous rule-following must inform all decision-making, especially electoral processes, to sustain just and fair institutional practices.

Failure to adhere to the UCS constitution and its principles has eroded trust in democratic institutions and has contributed to

UCS ignored constitutional rules, conspiracies and populist sentiments penetrated our campus and have left a lasting impact.

Why is it that disasters are what bring awareness to flaws in our institutions? A constitution is not merely a tool to found a democratic institution but a constant presence that helps it respond to threats. Our constitution should inform all UCS decisions, even student initiatives that are less prominent than elections. Thankfully, UCS has started to take actions along these lines, such as bringing on elections chairs for both UCS and SGA to “manage the UCS, UFB and CCB elections to ensure fair and impartial elections, publicize and increase turnout for elections and periodically review UCS elections code and (recommend) updates” — a structural change we can be optimistic about.

sentiment alone without proactive practices for good governance. Though the failure of the 2022 UCS election did not reflect an intentional violation of rules, it was nonetheless an inexcusable dereliction of duty from UCS, seemingly brought on by indifference and an exhaustion with the bureaucratic procedures of the UCS constitution, election codes and bylaws.

A steadfast commitment to democracy is often unglamorous, requiring regular, dayto-day governance that is not always visible to the public. Despite the lofty language we often use to describe democracy, it runs on countless pages of regulations that need diligent reference and maintenance. Even if

democratic backsliding. When Steinbrugge posted the runoff results on his meme account, conceding the election to Zhong, students filled the comment section with doubts about the credibility of the runoff outcome, claiming that the election had somehow been rigged. One commentator suggested that the 48% increase in student participation for the runoff was itself suspicious, neglecting the likely explanation that campus discussions of the drama drove up turnout in the second round. It is concerning that some students had become so disillusioned with the system that an increase in voter turnout, an objective success, was evidence of impropriety. Ultimately, because

Going into this election cycle, we must remember that UCS has overlooked electoral procedures in the past and we must insist it properly conducts this year’s election. A lack of accountability drains our constitution of its value, rendering it a mere document that never sees the light of day and threatening the robustness of our democratic system. Laws may carry the best intentions, but if they go unimplemented, violations will persist as if they are not violations in the first place.

Irene Sung ’23 can be reached at irene_ sung@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.

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“A lack of accountability drains our constitution of its value, rendering it a mere document that never sees the light of day, threatening the robustness of our democratic system.”

UCS presidential, vice presidential candidates discuss platforms

BY LILY STARRS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The Undergraduate Council of Students’s general elections will begin March 17, with three candidates campaigning for the role of UCS president and two for the role of UCS vice president.

Each candidate’s flyer can be accessed on the Student Government Association website.

Students can cast their ballot using a link that SGA will send to their emails. Voting will start at 12 p.m. March 17 and continue until 11:59 p.m. March 20.

Continuing UCS’s work: Mina Sarmas ’24

Mina Sarmas ’24 has an extensive UCS track record: She currently serves as its vice president, and previously served as its chair of campus life and a first-year representative.

Sarmas noted she hopes to be elected president to continue her work, she said: This past year, she has focused on initiatives surrounding free menstrual products and food insecurity, among others.

Throughout her time with UCS, the organization has created a menstrual product availability map located in the BrownU app, coordinated a free airport shuttle for students and planned an affirmative action town hall, according to her campaign flier.

If elected, Sarmas plans to connect the student body to UCS events through outreach while continuing ef-

forts to improve student life, student wellness and student government, according to her flier.

“We’re starting to think about health services, STI testing and kind of demystifying a lot of these things that students need as basic (necessities),” she said. UCS is also currently working with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank to address food insecurity and is looking to create a “community fridge” “for students to pick up leftovers.

Sarmas noted she hopes to broaden the diversity of UCS by raising awareness among students who do not know what student government does in an effort “to bring different voices with different ideas.”

An outside voice: Daniel Greenberg ’25

Daniel Greenberg ’25 — currently not on UCS — is hopeful his outsider perspective will serve as an advantage to tackle University issues, he said.

Greenberg said he has been meeting with student and campus groups to create a checklist of changes the student body wants to see accomplished.

These changes include improving street lighting on campus, revamping food offerings in libraries, improving the room booking process for student clubs and improving access to mental health services, among other initiatives.

“These are easy changes that we’ve been asking for (for) years,” he said.

While writing his checklist, Greenberg said he has connected with many students, relationships he hopes to continue fostering through his presidency. “I’m going to use my candidacy and presidency as a platform to power these other student groups to have a voice at the table,” he said.

“We’ve had the same problems for

a while,” Greenberg said, adding that he is confident in his ability to fix them. “I think my work has already started (through) creating this checklist (and) through conversations with student group leaders.”

“I think UCS can use a new face to help get us as a student body back on track,” he noted.

‘A blank slate’: Axel Brito ’26

In his first year on campus, Axel Brito ’26 is aiming for the UCS presidency.

Brito explained that he is running on a platform focused on any issues that are of concern to the student body. “I have no ambitions for student politics but to listen,” his campaign handout reads. “I’m a blank slate, use this flyer to write your thoughts.”

Despite tailoring his campaign toward student concerns, Brito also hopes to strengthen the relationship between the University community and the Providence Public School District, with a proposed program incentivizing University students to tutor at local schools, earning money for themselves while giving back to the surrounding community.

Brito added that he prioritizes “disassociating from the fossil fuel industry” and including community members in UCS affairs.

Brito envisions UCS sessions that are not only more publicized but also more social, attracting interest and attendance from students, he added.

Soliciting more input: Sarah Frank ’25

Current UCS Secretary Sarah Frank ’25 previously served as Class Coordinating Board’s 2025 secretary during her first year at Brown. She is looking to expand her reach within UCS in the

upcoming election.

Frank said she likes the idea of having “a hand in all of the things going on, whether it be campus life, diversity, equity and inclusion, health and wellness, all the different committees and collaborating with each of those chairs to work on projects.”

According to her campaign flier, Frank’s platform calls to improve transparency within UCS, increase collaboration with other branches of student government and raise student wages, along with other goals.

Frank said she also hopes to increase transparency between UCS and the student body by expanding access to meeting notes and summaries as well as offering more opportunities for UCS to solicit student ideas in addition to the organization’s current communications with students.

“We need more communication going the other way with people talking to us and telling us what they want,” she said. “I want to create an idea forum for people to submit ideas about things that aren’t working.”

She also hopes to strengthen the University’s relationship with Providence.

“I think it’s really important that the council look more outside of Brown and work on Brown’s relationship with Providence,” she said. “Brown takes a lot from the Providence community, and I feel like we’re lucky enough to be in a position where we can give so much back.”

New positions and more collaboration: Justin Li ’24.5

Justin Li ’24.5, currently UCS appointments director and previously the organization’s secretary, said he is pursuing the vice presidency in hopes of having a greater say in policy changes than in his former roles.

“My current position is very logistical,” he said. “It’s all about getting one project done after the other. But I really wanted to pursue something that (gives) me a platform where I can actually enact change on campus,” Li said.

Li said he hopes to expand communication between UCS and the student body through increased collaboration with the Class Coordinating Board, with the addition of a liaison between the two groups. Li also called to make UCS meeting notes readily accessible so the student body can keep up to date with its projects.

Li hopes “to increase the number of official positions on UCS, such as an “arts and culture position, CCB liaisons (and) perhaps an LGBTQ-specific position.”

“I just want to make sure that student government is a space where all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, political beliefs (or) where they’re from, are able to come and learn more about Brown and support the initiatives that we’re pursuing,” he said.

On the topic of campus life, Li said he wants to institute “Food Truck Fridays” to bring local businesses to campus as a social event. He additionally hopes to make changes to the Satisfactory/No Credit deadline and the University’s system for students with academic accommodations.

Li, who is a Brown-RISD dual degree student, also discussed the possibility of improving meal plan options, proposing lower prices and a plan that allows students to swipe into Rhode Island School of Design dining halls.

Additional reporting contributed by Kathy Wang.

Candidates discuss transparency, student services, interaction with Providence

COURTESY OF DANIEL GREENBERG

Daniel Greenberg ’25, UCS presidential candidate

COURTESY OF MINA SARMAS

Mina Sarmas ’24, UCS presidential candidate

COURTESY OF SARAH FRANK

Sarah Frank ’24, UCS vice presidential candidate

COURTESY OF JUSTIN LI

Justin Li ’24.5, UCS vice presidential candidate

UFB candidates discuss student activities fee, diversity, club funding

Current UFB initiatives focus on “fee-free campus” for student events

BY INDIGO MUDBHARY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

In this year’s Student Government Association Current Undergraduate Finance Board Vice Chair Arjun Krishna Chopra ’25 will face off against UFB Representative Peter Tangikyan ’24 in this year’s race for UFB chair.

UFB Representatives Ian Kim ’25 and Samuel Walhout ’25 are competing for the position of vice chair.

The voting period for UFB, the Undergraduate Council of Students and the Class Coordinating Board elections begins on March 17 at 12 p.m. and ends March 20 at 11:59 p.m., according to an email from the SGA. Students will be able to vote via an online form sent to their emails.

The winning candidates will be announced on March 22, both via email and at the steps of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center, according to the SGA website.

‘I’d like the opportunity to finish the work I’ve started’: Arjun Krishna Chopra ’25

Chopra said he is running for UFB chair to finish reforms he and UFB Chair Amienne Spencer-Blume ’23 began to implement this year, as well as to carry out a “clean and seamless transition.”

“I’d like the opportunity to fin -

the diversity of classical art.”

Sophomore through senior members of SASA also separated by year to each perform a piece for their class year. “The juniors have been practicing it for the last two weeks, and it was a really cute bonding moment for all of us,” Haque said.

The show also featured a classical music performance by the student group Brown Bhairavi, a South Asian fusion a cappella performance by Barsaat and a guitar and vocal performance of Bollywood songs by a more recently formed “Indian men’s ensemble” named Besabar.

Barsaat performs music “from all over the South Asian subcontinent fused with Western pop songs,” said Sidharth Anand ’24, Barsaat’s music director. Though the group previ -

ish the work that I’ve started,” Chopra said, “so that these projects … don’t get forgotten and don’t die.”

Chopra wants to continue working to make Brown a “fee-free campus,” making events on campus free for undergraduates. He also noted UFB’s role in the introduction of free laundry this fall.

To make a fee-free campus possible, Chopra also wants to continue advocating for an increase in the student activities fee, which will increase by $14 next year to “enable additional free student activities, encouraging wider and more equitable participation,” according to a Feb. 13 Today@Brown announcement from President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20

Additionally, Chopra hopes to reallocate the Student Activities Fund to better reflect student opinions. “There’s certain categories of groups that are getting funded in a disproportionate way to other categories,” Chopra said, pointing to the Brown Concert Agency, the Ivy Film Festival and Brown Lecture Board, which together receive more than $550,000 from the Student Activities Fund.

In reference to successes during his tenure, Chopra noted that student reimbursements have been expedited this year, being completed weeks more quickly than before.

Chopra also discussed the issue of gender diversity on UFB, which he said “ultimately comes down to outreach.” Of 12 elected members on UFB, two identify as women.

ously performed most of its songs in Hindi, they have recently worked to include songs in other languages too, he explained.

At the show, they performed a fusion of “Woh Lamhe” by Pakistani singer Atif Aslam and “Mine” by Beyoncé. They also performed an arrangement of the Bollywood song “Dooriyan” layered with “Spring Day,” a Korean song by BTS.

A fusion approach allows Barsaat to “connect with people who haven’t necessarily heard the South Asian songs on their own and maybe open their eyes up to this genre of music,” Anand said.

Barsaat President Rohit Panse

’24 is also a founding member of Besabar, along with his roommate Shreyas Mishra ’24. Mishra plays the guitar, while Panse and the other members of Besabar are vocalists.

Only two women are running for UFB positions this year.

“It’s not that women aren’t getting elected, it’s that women aren’t running compared to the number of men that are running,” he said. “And UFB simply hasn’t been doing the outreach that it needs to be doing,” he said.

Making ‘ideas a reality’: Peter Tangikyan ’24 Tangikyan, currently a UFB representative, described his experience working with more than 20 student groups “to make their ideas a reality” as a “fulfilling” one.

“I’m a first-generation student, so I understand the importance of equitable funding,” Tangikyan said.

As UFB chair, Tangikyan would seek to create a dedicated fund for culture groups’ banquets and concerts, which UFB has not always been able to fully fund, he said. Tangikyan added that he wants to help culture and performance groups with “problems like booking spaces and finding rooms on campus in order to do their shows or their events.”

Tangikyan also hopes to improve funding for club sports. Though UFB and UCS partnered to remove a requirement that previously required club sports teams to fundraise, Tangikyan said “that’s still not enough.”

“They need new mats, they need new equipment,” Tangikyan said of club sports teams. “I think it’s fair to actually give them more fund -

“The two of us used to jam together, and we just realized it would be cool to have more people over” to play Bollywood songs together, Mishra said. There are about 12 members of Besabar who meet every week for jam sessions, six of whom performed at the culture show, he added.

While Barsaat is larger and has “a lot more structure to it,” Besabar makes music more spontaneously, Panse said. “It’s like if you were sitting in the living room with your parents and someone started singing, and someone else adds to it.”

“The group has great synergy,” Mishra said. “We have a great time when we are practicing, so we don’t always keep track of the hours.”

This year’s culture show also included the South Asian fashion show, which in the past has been a

ing.”

Tangikyan also wants to increase funding for Brown Concert Agency — and events a “majority” of students benefit from. Student-athletes, he noted, often do not have time to take part in clubs and do not otherwise benefit from the student activities fee.

As chair, Tangikyan also wants to prioritize making the reimbursement process faster, maintaining free laundry and funding carbon offsets for interested student groups.

To “promote diversity” on UFB, Tangikyan wrote in an email to The Herald that he supports adding non-elected positions to UFB, an idea UFB is currently considering — which he believes would “add new perspective to the board’s decisions.”

Candidates for vice chair

Kim, currently a UFB representative, said he wants to continue UFB’s support for club teams, while also supporting student performance groups — who can have trouble finding performance spaces — by opening performance locations that are “actually safe and accessible,” he said.

In order to build a community among students, Kim also plans to prioritize funding cultural events. “As a person of color myself, I really do miss my own cultural community. When I come to Brown, sometimes I’m not able to celebrate the same holidays as I am when I am back home, and I really want Brown

separate event. The fashion show was sponsored by clothing brands Tilfi and Yash Collections, Haque said.

Although the clothes sent by Tilfi did not arrive on time, the show’s 34 student models wore traditional clothing from either Yash Collections or their own wardrobes.

In addition to the larger group performances, the show featured individual student performances as well.

Former Herald staff writer and graphics editor Aanchal Sheth ’23 performed a spoken word poem about her multinational heritage and belonging to multiple places at the same time, and Akshay Ghandikota ’25 gave a solo vocal performance.

“I think it’s a universal Indian experience to have talent shows,” Panse said, recalling being made to

to feel like home to everyone” he said.

Kim is also proposing a newsletter similar to UCS’s to create more transparency and awareness among the student body about UFB.

Walhout, also a current UFB representative, wrote in his candidate statement he is running for vice chair because he wants to make the UFB budgeting process easier to navigate for those unfamiliar with the process.

“UFB is a very obscure thing and the process is really confusing,” Walhout said. “I really want to put in work to demystify it and make it really easy for people to use and interact with so (that) funding can be made equitable for everyone.”

Walhout added that he hopes to tackle the “knowledge differential” between established groups, which may have more “institutional knowledge” surrounding funding than “smaller, newer groups.”

As vice chair, Walhout would also prioritize creating a clear policy to establish what constitutes a “cultural group” — a decision which is currently “left up to individual students on (UFB)” — in order to increase equity in funding, he said.

To improve the organization’s diversity, Walhout said UFB should “continue reaching out to the wider campus community,” he said. “If everybody on campus knows that it’s an opportunity, I think it will naturally start to reflect the diversity of the Brown student body.”

sing in front of extended family at gatherings growing up. “The culture show is reminiscent of the talent shows we all did back home.”

For Nagalamadaka, the culture show was “about celebrating your culture with your South Asian community and showing your culture to the greater Brown community.”

SASA is a particularly diverse club because it represents an entire subcontinent as opposed to a single country, Haque said, adding that she thinks of the culture show as “a moment for there to be some common ground between all of us.”

The proceeds raised from donations at the show and tickets for the afterparty hosted by SASA went to Pink Ribbon Pakistan and CanKids, organizations combating cancer and providing cancer care support in Pakistan and India respectively.

COURTESY OF ARJUN KRISHNA CHOPRA

Arjun Krishna Chopra ’25, UFB chair candidate

COURTESY OF PETER TANGIKYAN

Peter Tangikyan ’24, UFB chair candidate

COURTESY OF IAN KIM

Ian Kim ’25, UFB vice chair candidate

COURTESY OF SAMUEL WALHOUT

Samuel Walhout ’25, UFB vice chair candidate

SASA FROM PAGE 1