Monday, March 19, 2018

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018

VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 34

Solidarity in solitary: the fight for rights Solitary confinement affects prisoners in R.I., across nation, faces constitutional challenges

By COLLEEN CRONIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When Luis Estrada was released from prison Dec. 21, 2005, he had spent almost half of his life incarcerated.

At 23 years old, Estrada participated in a jewelry heist worth $860,000, according to the Providence Journal, and then spent the next 22 years in prison.

Estrada was imprisoned for 16 years in the federal system and six years at the Rhode Island Adult Correctional Institutions. For the first three and half years of his sentence, Estrada only spent nine months outside of solitary confinement.

“I spent two nine-month stays ‘down there,’” Estrada said, explaining that “down there” or “the hole” describe population segregation, otherwise known as “solitary confinement.”

“There’s no sunlight, no one to talk

to,” he said, “It was cold. There was quite a bit of weight loss for me. In nine months, I lost 30 pounds.”

Estrada explained that measuring those personal changes was difficult. It was only until he had to “put on court clothes” that he realized how much weight he had lost. “You’re not noticing that you’re getting pale … that you fatigue easily,” Estrada said.

“I came out more stubborn,” he said.

In “the hole” and out again When Estrada was in the R.I. ACI, he said that there were inmates kept in solitary confinement for extended periods of time. In both Rhode Island and across the country, prisons have been grappling with this issue, questioning the value of solitary confinment.

It was an “institutional rumor” that John Carillo had his door welded shut during confinement, Estrada said.

Carillo, who killed R.I. Correctional Officer Donald Price in 1973 during a prison riot, was dubbed “Rhode Island’s most dangerous inmate” according » See SOLITARY, page 3

Fair educates community on brain science University fair hosts 35 exhibits as part of weeklong effort to present brain science in R.I.

By ARJUN GANGA STAFF WRITER

Housed in the recently opened Engineering Research Center, the Brown Brain Fair welcomed more than 800 attendees to learn more about brain sciences Saturday. Organized by the nonprofit Cure Alliance for Mental Illness, the event was part of the third annual Brain Week Rhode Island, which aimedto raise awareness about the “progress and benefits” of brain science, according to the organization’s website.

Victoria Heimer-McGinn, a postdoctoral fellow at Providence College whose father founded the nonprofit, created Brain Week Rhode Island to showcase the types of brain research occurring in the state and to educate people about what scientists have learned about the brain in recent years.

The program also came out of “a desire to make brain research accessible and fun to the public,” she added.

The week-long series of events sponsored by the Brown Institute for

Bruno drops Ivy League opener to Harvard Bears move the ball well, but are unable to finish the drill in close road loss to Crimson STAFF WRITER

Entering the weekend off of a win against a previously undefeated Villanova University squad, the men’s lacrosse team hoped to serve Harvard its second loss of the season. However, strong goalkeeping and a consistent offensive attack allowed the Crimson (5-1, 0-1 Ivy) to narrowly edge out the Bears (2-3, 0-1), 10-8 Saturday.

Brain Science and the University of Rhode Island George & Ann Ryan Institute for Neuroscience included dance workshops for the movement impaired, displays showcasing brain-inspired art, a storytelling event focused on experiences with science and two brain fairs with dozens of interactive exhibits on

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Coming off of an upset victory against Villanova University, the Bears were unable to start their Ivy League slate with a win against Harvard. deficit to one before the end of the stanza.

The second quarter followed a pattern similar to that of the first, as Harvard posted the opening pair of goals. Carson Song ’19 scored with 4:54 remaining in the second, and Harvard followed with a goal roughly two minutes later.

Michael Panepinto ’19 found the back of the net as another 3-2 quarter gave the Crimson a 6-4 lead over the Bears entering halftime.

Newsome got Bruno off to a quick start in the second half by recording a goal in the first 40 seconds of the third period. However, the Crimson widened its lead with three straight goals, and the Bears found themselves at a 9-5 deficit with 8:23 to go in the third quarter.

But Stephen Hudak ’18 ended Harvard’s run by finding the back of the net three minutes later. Newsome then » See M. LACROSSE, page 2

brain research, advocacy and mental illness.

“We’re sneaking in the teaching of science through fun stuff, ” HeimerMcGinn said.

Throughout the week, an “army of neuroscientists” traveled to Rhode » See BRAIN, page 3

UCS, UFB candidates engage in public debate

By MELANIE PINCUS

M. LACROSSE

INSIDE

KAITLYN LEW / HERALD

The third annual Brain Fair, part of Brain Week Rhode Island, invited more than 800 attendees to learn about brain science research.

Participants discuss legacy admissions, diversity of speech on campus, student activities fee

By EMORY HINGORANI

Harvard opened scoring with 9:45 left in the first quarter. The Crimson struck again less than a minute later and held onto the lead for the duration of the matchup.

Jackson Newsome ’19 notched the first point for the Bears midway through the quarter and scored his initial goal in what would become a hat-trick effort.

The Crimson responded quickly, scoring once more to put the game at 3-1 with just under five minutes remaining in the period. Jake Miller ’18 replied with a goal ten seconds later and trimmed the

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Candidates for top positions on the Undergraduate Council of Students and the Undergraduate Finance Board addressed topics including communication with the University administration, the #FullDisclosure campaign and diversity of thought on campus at a public debate Sunday night.

Shanzé Tahir ’19 and Fabrice GuyotSionnest ’20 are contending for the UCS presidency, while Camila Pelsinger ’20 and William Zhou ’20 vie for the vice presidency.

Lisa Schold ’19 and Drew To ’19 are competing for chair of the Undergraduate Finance Board, and Julian De Georgia ’20 runs unopposed for UFB vice chair.

Both Schold and Guyot-Sionnest participated in the debate over Skype. Schold is currently in South Africa as part of a study abroad program and Guyot-Sionnest was traveling back to the University

from a mock trial tournament.

In her opening statement, Tahir said her presidency would focus on three primary themes: “protecting students affected by the current political climate,” reducing “interpersonal and institutional harm on campus” and demanding “increased accountability and response as well as proactiveness from the administration on student concerns.”

Although Guyot-Sionnest’s platform focuses on increasing diversity of thought on campus, he said in his opening remarks that, if elected, he would also work to advance other initiatives.

“If we want to be the best students we can be, the best citizens we can be, the best members of the community that we can be, I just believe that instead of silencing opinions that we don’t agree with, we have to hear them, so we can legitimately disagree with them,” GuyotSionnest said.

The debate’s moderators — current UCS President Chelse-Amoy Steele ’18, UFB Chair Yuzuka Akasaka ’18 and VP for Campus Life Eric Estes — asked candidates personalized questions related to their platforms. In the past, Herald editors have also served as debate » See UCS, page 2

WEATHER

MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018

SPORTS Gymnastics concludes regular season, gears up for ECAC Championship

NEWS Brown, Trinity MFA program seeks to increase diversity among faculty, students

COMMENTARY Steinman ’19: Celebrities’ contributions to political discourse should be valued

COMMENTARY Miller ’19: Oscars’ snide partisan commentary does disservice to progressive social movements

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Gymnastics closes out regular season with third-place finish Bears turn their attention to ECAC Championship, need strong finish to qualify for Nationals

By TESS DEMEYER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

One week out from the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship, the gymnastics team wrapped up its final meet of the regular season with a third-place finish at the University of Bridgeport. Brown tallied a 192.600 Saturday evening and bested the Centenary College of Louisiana while finishing behind Yale and the Purple Knights.

W. GYMNASTICS The Bears are on the brink of qualifying for the USA Gymnastics Collegiate National Championships with only one competition left before teams travel to Texas to vie for the title.

“We’re coming in with this attitude that we have nothing left to hold back,” said Regan Butchness ’18. “This is our last shot. This is the last push, so full steam ahead.”

Going into the quad meet at

» UCS, from page 1 moderators, but Steele and Akasaka declined a request from The Herald to join the moderating panel.

In her platform, Pelsinger says she would work to eliminate textbook costs for low-income students. In response to a question about other economic barriers for low-income students, Pelsinger mentioned that student activists within first-generation and low-income communities on campus are also working on initiatives to create stipends to cover costs for food and transportation, among other pursuits.

Throughout the debate, Pelsinger, who is currently the UCS chair of campus life, also stressed the importance of incorporating student groups into conversations with relevant administrators.

Similarly, Zhou’s platform includes a provision to expand communication between student groups and

Bridgeport, the team knew they had to put up a solid team score to protect their qualification ranking. The conference meet next Saturday is Bruno’s last opportunity to punch its ticket to the season finale by raising its regional qualifying score.

“We’re in one of the final qualifying spots, so we have to do really well in these last meets,” said Head Coach Sara Carver-Milne. “It’s going to come down to the last meet of the season to determine whether or not we qualify to nationals as a team. … It’s all very, very tight right now. Everyone is within hundredths of tenths.”

The Bears kicked off the competition on the balance beam, where they were able to regain composure after a fall early in the lineup and hit five routines for a strong first rotation. Julia Green ’19 and Emma Hansen ’21 posted a pair of 9.600s while Rose Domonoske ’21 supported with a 9.650. Cassidy Jung ’19 built on their scores by tying her seasonbest 9.700, and Butchness closed out the event with a 9.775 in the anchor spot.

With the most nerve-racking event out of the way, Bruno rotated to floor exercise where all gymnasts posted scores of 9.600 or above. Anya Olson ’18 earned

a 9.625, and Anne Christman ’20 contributed a 9.725. Julia Green ’19 led the team with a 9.775, and Anya Barca-Hall ’18 recorded a 9.650 to bring the Bears to the halfway point.

After two events, Brown sat in second, trailing Yale by six tenths of a point.

The Bears took to the vault for their third rotation, boasting upgraded skills and stronger execution.

“We’re peaking at the right time, and at this point in the season, a lot of teams are tired and worn out,” Carver-Milne said of the team’s improvements. “Our team is still thriving, upgrading and growing every week.”

En route to tying a season-high 48.275, Kate Nelson ’21 scored a 9.575, and Gabrielle Hechtman ’19 earned a 9.650. Christman and Green added matching marks of 9.675 while Alyssa Gardner ’21 competed the most difficult vault in the lineup for a 9.700.

The Bears ended the meet on what is usually their strongest event, the uneven bars. But the pressure of qualifying for nationals took a toll on the lineup and resulted in uncharacteristic mistakes from the final two competitors. Though Bruno had to count a routine with a fall, Olson and co-captain Claire Ryan

’18 helped Brown stay on track with scores of 9.700 and 9.600, respectively.

Caroline Warren ’21 and Erin Howell ’20 also contributed matching 9.525s at the top of the lineup and brought up the final team score of 192.600.

With only a few practices left before facing off against conference rivals, the Bears are staying focused on themselves and preparing for the unconventional format of ECACs, which features two byes among six rotations. Bruno has high expectations for the championship and aims for six hit routines on every apparatus and a team total above 193.

Carver-Milne is confident the team can come together to put up a solid performance.

“We’re in a great spot,” she said. “The team is healthy and motivated. Their minds are set on our team goals, so we’ll pull through. … It’s so tight right now that it’s kind of anyone’s game, but I really don’t doubt that we will continue to be in one of those qualifying spots.”

Butchness similarly captured this sentiment: “There is just something special riding on the fact that this very well could be our last meet as a team, and if we don’t want that outcome then we should definitely come together as a

administrators. In conversations with student leaders, Zhou said their top priority is consistently increasing administrative transparency.

Zhou, who is currently the UCS chair of student activities, also highlighted his experience on issues including developing amendments to the Campus of Consent Bill, organizing a career fair in the fall and collaborating with UFB to help student groups reduce their event costs.

Tahir, Pelsinger and Guyot-Sionnest all discussed what having diversity of thought means on campus.

Guyot-Sionnest stressed the importance of learning how to engage with and refute opposing or ignorant ideas.

Tahir and Pelsigner both noted the importance of free speech on campus, but said they would prioritize student safety over discourse.

The UFB debate occurred in the hour preceding the UCS debate with the same moderators. Candidates emphasized the

importance of increasing transparency within UFB. On the issue of the student activities fee, Schold said she would support smaller annual increases to reflect inflation as opposed to larger, more irregular increases.

To said the fee should increase only as much as is necessary for UFB to continue funding student groups, and De Georgia said he would support a small student activities fee increase every year to avoid any large jumps.

The student activities fee is currently $274 for each student and funds the UFB budget. The fee will rise to $286 next year, The Herald previously reported.

All three candidates have experience working on UFB. To currently serves as the board’s vice chair, while Schold has served as the UCS-UFB liaison from fall 2016 through fall 2017. De Georgia has served as a UFB representative for the past two years.

The candidates agree that UFB should compile periodic reports on UFB’s funding, according to their platforms, and provided similar ideas about crafting and distributing these reports by using UFB’s recently redesigned website.

All seven UCS and UFB candidates expressed their support for the #FullDisclosure campaign in response to audience questions from Shawn Young ’19.5 and Joseph Vukel ’19, who help lead the campaign at the University. #FullDisclosure aims to make any information regarding the use of legacy status in the admission process public and push the University to reexamine the role of legacy status. UCS will hold a referendum on these objectives as part of elections this week, as The Herald previously reported .

Voting for UCS and UFB positions will open March 20. Polls close March 22 and results will be announced at 10 p.m. on the steps of Faunce.

Whose Streets?

In their documentary film, Whose Streets?, filmmakers Damon Davis and Sabaah Folayan closely follow grassroots activists and protesters after the 2014 police killing of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Described by The Guardian as “outstanding and incendiary,” Whose Streets? strikingly asks “Whose story?”, speaking volumes about narrative voice, perspective, injustice and bias in the mainstream media.

A conversation with filmmaker Davon Davis will follow the screening of Whose Streets?

This film screening and conversation with the filmmaker was made possible by the Department of Literary Arts, the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity in America, the Swearer Center for Public Service John Nicholas Brown Center for Public Humanities and Cultural Heritage, Brown Center for Students of Color, Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, Department of Modern Culture and Media and Department of Africana Studies.

Tuesday, 20 March 2018 at 7 pm

Martinos Auditorium, Granoff Center 154 Angell Street, Providence

COURTESY OF STEW MILNE

Regan Butchness ’18 performs a side aerial on the balance beam. team. …I’m so ignited to really just do my best gymnastics and be fully present and in the moment come Saturday.”

Brown’s fight for the ECAC title and a final shot at nationals begins Saturday at noon.

» M. LACROSSE, from page 1 scored his third goal of the afternoon with four seconds left in the period and narrowed Harvard’s advantage to two upon entering the final quarter of play.

The fourth quarter was a low-scoring affair, as the Crimson put away a goal with 6:16 left to play. Panepinto scored again with just over two minutes remaining and set the game at its eventual final score of 10-8.

The Bears finished with a seasonhigh 45 shots on the game, but the team struggled to convert these attempts into points. Only 25 shots were on goal, and Harvard managed to make 17 saves for the afternoon.

“Hats off to that goalie — he played a great game,” said Luke McCaleb ’20. “But the harder you make it for the goalie, the easier it is to win and score goals. So I think the biggest thing is just getting back out there … making sure we’re flowing and finishing our shots.”

Newsome led overall scoring for Brown with three goals. Song paced the team with four assists, and Phil Goss ’20 posted nine saves on the afternoon.

“We worked really hard and played with a lot of heart, but we didn’t execute.

Our fundamentals weren’t there most of the game,” wrote Miller in an email to The Herald. “Their settled defense (stifled) us and we missed valuable chances to take the ball away.”

The loss to Harvard marks yet another narrow defeat for Bruno, as all three of the team’s losses on the season have come by a margin of two goals or fewer. According to McCaleb, the team can end up on the right side of close finishes by sticking to the basics.

“It’s the little things that make the biggest difference, whether it’s riding for one more second, … finishing one more shot or coming to and through a pass,” McCaleb said. “Those little things build up, and they turn into big things, which end in wins.”

The Bears will be back in action Tuesday as they travel to Worcester to face the College of the Holy Cross before returning home to host the University of Massachusetts Amherst Saturday.

NEWS

MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018 • PAGE 3

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» SOLITARY, from page 1

LITERARY ARTS PRIZES 2018

to the Providence Journal, and was eventually released from solitary confinement in 1980 after he sued the R.I. ACI. Carillo had been spending 23 hours a day in his cell for more than eight years.

“What made that case different was that he killed (a correctional officer). It was horrible what was happening in that case,” said Robert Mann, the lawyer who represented Carillo. Mann still practices criminal defense in R.I. “My sense is that it is not as bad as it was 25 to 30 years ago,” Mann said. He still believes that the state overuses situations that put inmates in limited contact with other people, calling himself a “bleeding heart liberal.”

In the Carillo case, Mann said that the courts avoided deciding on the constitutional issue of solitary confinement and instead ruled that the R.I. ACI violated Morris Rules.

Established in 1983, the Morris Rules were formed out of inmate litigation and negotiation in R.I. and outlined specific procedures for stays in population segregation, according to the case records.

While Mann believes that the R.I. ACI is now imposing shorter segregation periods, he said there is a “semantic argument about what constitutes solitary,” and that there should be a “push to get rid of solitary.”

Ventura says that there are always ways to improve the system and that there are “concerted efforts to make sure we are consistent in our treatment,” adding that, “the way we address discipline is always evolving.”

Estrada said that the period he spent in solitary confinement allowed him to reflect and to get sober.

“Thirty-one years Feb. 28, clean and sober,” he said.

Today, Estrada is the office manager of a law firm, has four college degrees and, in his own words, has turned his life around. As a sitting board member of OpenDoors, a group that aids reentry into the community for the formerly incarcerated, and several other community groups, Estrada says he sits on a board with a man who once denied him parole five times.

Rhode Island’s prison confinement policies and practices “There’s been serious issues in Rhode Island with the use of solitary confinement,” University of Pittsburgh Law Professor Jules Lobel told The Herald. Lobel has challenged the legality of solitary confinement for decades.

“I think the Rhode Island Director of Corrections is trying to perform, trying to change them. Rhode Island has overused solitary in the past and has kept people in poor conditions,” Lobel said. The system “could use more due process.”

Chief of Information and Public Relations Officer for the R.I. Department of Corrections J.R. Ventura explained that in the current system, inmates can be segregated out of the population for 30 days to one year.

To prisoners, a 30-day segregation period is called a “rest” — a vacation from the constant pressure that looms over inmates, Estrada said. “That’s only a sleepover.”

When legislation or policies have been suggested to decrease any segregation period to only 30 days, Estrada says he’s questioned if that’s the right number. “Department of Corrections’ job is extremely difficult,” Estrada said. “(They) only have two really effective tools: to deter or encourage.” Inmates can either be offered “good time” for good behavior, education or work, which shortens their sentence, or they can receive punitive measures.

“The biggest problem is inmate-oninmate violence,” Estrada said, adding that for some inmates, particularly those serving a life sentence, the only way to prevent this violence is through segregation.

Ventura agrees that safety is of the highest priority inside. He says that “closed confinement” and “administrative confinement” are not just punitive measures, but measures to keep the population and staff safe. According to Ventura, R.I. uses a “step down” system, which means that inmates go in front of a board every 30 to 60 days to review why they are in segregation and whether their behavior has changed, so they can return to the rest of the population.

“I don’t know enough about the

MIKAELA CARILLO / HERALD

The Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights and the University’s chapter of the ACLU hosted a talk by University of Pittsburgh Law Professor Jules Lobel, who argued that solitary confinement is unconstitutional.

Rhode Island program, but I think a step down program, which is relatively short, which really gives people incentives to move out of solitary, is a good thing,” Lobel told The Herald.

“Some step down programs are good and some are just continuing to warehouse people.”

Rhode Island’s disciplinary confinement can not be deemed “solitary,” according to Ventura. “The notion of solitary confinement presents a picture of no human contact,” Ventura said.

“Even the most egregious of offenders … a person that will throw feces … or attack an officer, even those people have contact with officers and counselors,” he said.

chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union March 8.

Cells in Pelican Bay’s SHU were 80 square feet, “twice as big as the average American walk in closet.” Inmates in the SHU were allowed one half-hour exercise period each day, with no equipment. There were no programming or religious ceremonies for prisoners. Family visits were done through glass barriers. The prison’s location on the California-Oregon border was isolating and prevented many families from visiting altogether, Lobel said.

Many of those in the SHU were linked to or associated with prison gangs. “California considered gangs to be as evil as … terrorists,” Lobel said.

To leave the SHU, Lobel said inmates had to get parole, die or become informants. Often, informants were kept in similarly isolated situations; Lobel described the situation as a “Catch 22.”

“When I think about how long I could last in (solitary confinement), I would give myself a couple of weeks, maybe a month — not ten years, as hundreds of people were subjected to,” Lobel said.

Making the argument that “people

have a basic need for human interaction,” Lobel and his colleagues asserted that the deprivation of basic rights in the SHU constituted cruel and unusual punishment. Two hunger strikes and years of litigation led to a settlement that “removed virtually everyone” from that kind of solitary confinement, Lobel said. He credits the sweeping victory to several previous lawsuits.

Both before the Pelican Bay Case and ever since, Lobel says his own struggle against violations of civil liberties and human rights has often involved losses. “One of my claims to fame is that I’ve sued every President (since Reagan) up until the current one — who I’m itching to sue,” Lobel said, adding that even among those cases, a win does not always culminate in action.

“As I speak here today, there are 100,000 individuals in solitary confinement,” in the United States, Lobel said.

He is currently working in Pennsylvania to change rules and regulation there. Ohio and New York have already passed solitary confinement laws, but it is still a major issue in the United States, Lobel added.

The Literary Arts Department is sponsoring the following prizes for the Brown community

» BRAIN, from page 1

Academy of American Poets Prize: For the best poem (up to 10 pages). Open to all Brown students.

Kim Ann Arstark Memorial Awards: For the best poem or poems (up to 20 pages) written in celebration of life. Open to all Brown students.

Mark Baumer Prizes for Language Art: For the best works in language art (any media).

Open to Brown students. A discrete Mark Baumer Prize is open to university staff and information about this will be shared under separate cover.

Feldman Prizes in Fiction: For the best story or stories (up to 20 pages). Open to all Brown students.

Beth Lisa Feldman Prize in Children’s Literature: For best story or stories for children four to eight years old (up to 50 pages). Open to all Brown students (and may be a collaboration).

Frances Mason Harris ’26 Prizes: For a book-length manuscript of poetry or prose fiction by a currently enrolled undergraduate or graduate woman.

John Hawkes Prize in Fiction: This contest honors the memory of John Hawkes, the internationally-recognized author and dedicated professor of creative writing at Brown University. The contest is open to all students currently enrolled in the Graduate Program in Literary Arts. The submission must be a work of fiction (up to 50 pages).

Edwin Honig Memorial Prizes in Poetry: Honoring the memory of Edwin Honig — poet, translator and founder of the Literary Arts Department at Brown University (up to 10 pages). Open to all Brown students.

Keith and Rosmarie Waldrop Prize for Innovative Writing: For literary work, any genre, that best exemplifies the spirit of innovation found in the writings and translations of Keith and Rosmarie Waldrop. Up to 15 pages. Open to all Brown students.

Island high schools with preserved human brains to teach students about the complex workings of the organ, according to Heimer-McGinn.

The Brown and URI Brain Fairs capped off the week of events. “Brain science, most people think, is just neuroscience, but there’s a lot of cognitive science involved, and engineering too,” said Anna Xu ’18, one of the organizers of the University fair and head coordinator of the neuroscience outreach group Brown Brain Bee said. “We’ve really tried this year to make sure that we had a lot of disciplines coming together.”

Assistant Professor of Neuroscience and of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Theresa Desrochers organized one of the booths at the University fair. The busy exhibit allowed attendees to see the effects of trauma on tofu, which according to Desrochers, is very close to the consistency of the human brain.

“I think people in general are really surprised at what the consistency of the brain is actually like. People have really learned a lot about why (protecting

your brain) is an important topic,” she said.

At the fair, there was also a spotlight on the activism around brain diseases and related technological advances, Xu said.

The fair’s target audience spanned a wide range of ages, with an emphasis on making the event family friendly, said Dorothy Yam ’19, another organizer of the fair and head coordinator of Brain Brown Bee. “Rhode Island is making neuroscience one of the cornerstones of its economy, so it’s pretty exciting to see how (the brain fair) is placed in the greater Rhode Island community.” Yam added. “It’s exciting to have Brown be a part of that. Although we are a private institution, we want to make sure we reach out to the community, and through neuroscience, there’s a way to do that.”

Last year, about 3,500 people attended the week’s events, with about 800 coming to the Brown Brain Fair, up from 1,500 people and 600, respectively, during the inauguralyear, Heimer-McGinn said. This year, she expects the numbers to grow.

Solitary Confinement in the United States Outside of R.I., Lobel has battled against the use of solitary confinement, including the Pelican Bay State Prison class action lawsuit. Lobel sought to change the California prison’s solitary confinement practices in their “Security Housing Unit,” Lobel explained at a talk hosted by the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights and Brown’s

DEADLINE: 11:59 PM ON 19 MARCH. ALL APPLICATIONS ARE COMPLETED ONLINE. TO APPLY, VISIT: HTTPS://WWW.BROWN.EDU/ACADEMICS/LITERARY-ARTS/LITERARY-ARTS-PRIZES-2018-LISTING

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PAGE 4 • MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018

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Brown, Trinity MFA Program focuses on diversity, equity Program hosts workshops, weekly meetings to foster greater inclusivity in its art community

By CELIA HACK SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The student’s common space for the Brown University/Trinity Repertory Program is vaguely reminiscent of a college dorm, with pale blue lockers lining two parallel hallways and a nondescript and homey eating area in between. But here, in the break room, lies the first clue to the program’s prestige: A significant part of one wall is filled, top to bottom, with articles featuring graduates or soonto-be graduates working in television, directing plays or acting in musicals.

The Brown University/Trinity Repertory program, started in 2002, is one of the top six Master of Fine Arts acting and directing programs in the country as ranked by the Hollywood Reporter. Alums regularly go into television and film or perform on Broadway post-degree, according to Stephen Berenson, founding director of the program. Despite this prestige,

the space exudes comfort.

Yet “resting” — physically or on their laurels — is practically uncharted territory for those enrolled in and in charge of the program. Students, comprising two directors and 14 actors per class, spend upwards of 10 hours per weekday and eight hours on Saturday attending classes or rehearsal, according to Anwar Ali MFA ’20, a first-year student in the program.

For faculty members, a primary area of focus for the program’s improvement is diversity, equity and inclusion, Berenson said.

The University recently announced that it would provide full tuition scholarships for all students for the 20182019 school year, The Herald previously reported. This decision was a step in the right direction, Berenson said.

“There were some wonderful people who would have liked to apply that I’m sure didn’t because it’s very expensive to come here,” he added.

The current program is about 45

percent students of color, while next year’s class will be at least 50 percent, if not more, Berenson said.

Ali was waitlisted by the program before his admittance and was later told that he was initially waitlisted because there were not enough funds to provide him with a full scholarship, he said. “Because I had some debt from my past, and I had financial need, I would need a scholarship, and so (they) would rather just not accept me at all,” he added.

In addition to removing barriers to admission, the program is working internally to underscore the importance of equity, diversity and inclusion. The program holds weekly EDI meetings and recently had a weeklong workshop with Art Equity, a company that facilitates conversations about how arts communities can be more inclusive, Ali said.

The EDI meetings also equip students and faculty with the necessary “vocabulary and ways to examine inequity, like getting everyone on board with discussions of intersectionality, like the history of oppression around

certain populations,” said Jack Dwyer MFA ’18, a third-year student in the program.

The meetings allow faculty and students to grapple with their individual concerns about the program.

One of the most consistently expressed concerns is the lack of faculty of color on the program’s staff, according to Dwyer. All of the department heads are white men and women, he said, adding that uncompetitive salaries for the program’s staff make it difficult to attract more diverse faculty.

“All of our acting teachers could get better salaries in other places, and right now they are all staying because they love the program and they love the work the program does,” Dwyer said. “But in terms of attracting new faculty members, and particularly in terms of diversifying our faculty, what the University is paying our faculty presents a challenge.”

In addition, the works studied in the program can sometimes inhibit progress towards inclusivity. “If you’re working on a Shakespeare play, which of course was written for all white

men, how do you open it up so that can be inclusive to everyone?” Berenson said. “You go to the majority of plays right now around the country, and the cast is very diverse. But then how do you support that as an actor when something in the language is perhaps against who you are or what your background is?”

In response, students in the program have actively embraced the opportunity to explore the work of underrepresented artists. For instance, a director in one of Dwyer’s classes is committed to putting on plays written exclusively by women of color, with the exception of the two Shakespeare plays required by the program, Dwyer said.

Berenson, Dwyer and Ali agree that increased diversity in the program is a necessity when it comes to accomplishing the true task of theater: reflecting life through stories.

“If we are reflecting life, we have to reflect what we see and what is around us,” Ali said. “And there are stories that are not being told, and there are bodies that need those stories told.”

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MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018 • PAGE 5

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The Brain Fair hosted several family-friendly booths that educated attendees about brain science. One booth modeled the effect of trauma on the brain through demonstrations on tofu.

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

“When I think about how long I could last in (solitary confinement), I would give myself a couple of weeks, maybe a month — not ten years, as hundreds of people were subjected RELEASE DATE– Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c rNorris o s sandwJoyce o rNichols d Lewis Edited by Rich

ACROSS 1 As yet 6 “Atlas Shrugged” writer Ayn 10 WWII carriers 14 ’60s-’70s Twins star Tony 15 Sautéing acronym, à la Rachael Ray 16 Ear-related 17 “Doesn’t bother me!”

19 “__ Zapata!”: Brando film 20 Harbinger of lower temperatures 21 Man on a misión 22 Biblical mount 23 More than hesitant 24 Sign of puppy love?

25 Ben & Jerry’s purchase 26 Spice gathered by hand from crocus flowers 30 Leave no escape route for 33 Aquamarine, e.g.

34 Carol syllables 35 After “on,” relying mostly on hope in desperate circumstances 39 Stinky 40 Floor cleaner 41 __ fit: tantrum 42 “500” racesanctioning group 44 Boxer Max 46 Fed. property agency 47 Prefix suggesting savings 49 Sox, on scoreboards 52 Creep 54 Deli sandwich 56 Brit of Fox News 57 “Shake!”

58 Most draftable 59 Fortitude 60 Cardiologist’s concern 61 Cold War initials 62 Year, on monuments 63 Small fry

DOWN 1 Puccini opera 2 Butterlike products 3 Bohr of the Manhattan Project 4 Ancient Roman poet 5 Hemming and hawing 6 Apply more varnish to 7 __-garde 8 Waters between Great Britain and Europe 9 Fawn’s mom 10 Chick flick subject 11 Dangerous bottom feeders 12 DVR pioneer 13 Battle reminder 18 Wrinkle remover 21 Personal ad abbr.

25 Schoolyard handshake 27 Sound system part 28 Cheers for a torero 29 Not a one 30 Mata __ 31 Obi-Wan portrayer

32 Psychological tricks 33 Econ. yardstick 36 Org. with a much-quoted journal 37 Like beer cans before recycling 38 Dimming gadget 43 Lo-__: lite 44 Mackerel-like fish 45 Pre-med subj.

48 Replace a dancer, perhaps 49 Paper-pusher 50 Gold rush storyteller Bret 51 “Don’t get any __” 52 Dynasty during Confucius’ time 53 Legs it 55 Hail in a harbor 57 Sports tour organizer, for short

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to.”

— University of Pittsburgh Law Professor Jules Lobel

See Solitary on page 1.

CORRECTION A previous version of the March 15 article “Rosa Parks exhibition canceled” stated that James Nash was not contacted by the University before the cancellation decision was made. In fact, Nash was contacted by the University before the cancellation decision was made. The article has also been updated to include the University’s offer to allow the artist to decide where the house will be placed. It has also been updated to include the University’s claim that the artist and all donors were contacted before the decision was announced. The article also stated that according to Mendoza, the University was asking for the house to be removed from Providence as soon as possible. In fact, Mendoza received a letter from the University stating that house would have to be removed from the WaterFire Arts Center by March 22. The article has also been updated to remove the quote, “Brown, because of their pusillanimous fear of a cease and desist order, is demanding the house go back to Germany before any Americans can see it” from James Nash. In fact, the University did not demand the house return to Germany. The Herald regrets the errors.

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Food on the Move Fruit and Vegetable Market 12:00 P.M. 121 South Main, 241

Massage Mondays 12:00 P.M. Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center, 229

Chas Freeman: Diplomacy As Strategy 4:00 P.M. Watson, Joukowsky Forum

How To Find A Job, For Seniors 8:00 P.M. CareerLAB, 167 Angell St.

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Zine Making Workshop 12:00 P.M. Metcalf Auditorium, 190 Thayer St.

Wellness At Brown 12:00 P.M. School of Professional Studies

Fluids At Brown: Daphne Klotsa 3:00 P.M. 170 Hope St, 108

Berlin: Art, Overlay, Transformation!

5:30 P.M. John Nicholas Brown Center

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Rosa Parks exhibit should not give up its seat To the Editor: A couple of days ago I read a Feb. 21 Herald article about a house that Rosa Parks once stayed in being put on display by Brown. A March 15 Herald article said the display was being canceled due to a dispute as to how much time she actually spent in the home. Ironically, I am fighting to save a home in Camden, New Jersey that Martin Luther King, Jr. once stayed in as well, and the same type of argument is being made by the state’s historic preservation office to deny the property’s significance. Here, we have two of the most recognized figures of the civil rights movement, both pivotal figures in the formation of our nation, yet both properties are being unfairly scrutinized. To offer some context: In New Jersey we have dozens of properties that are on the National Register of Historic Places that are connected to George Washington, some where he only stayed a

night, but yet they have been declared to be significant to the history of our nation. Clearly there is a double standard at play here.

Rosa Parks’s decision to not move on that bus was just as powerful as the shot that was heard around the world, and her memory should be honored in Alabama, Detroit, Michigan and all over the world. I find it ironic that Brown has asked Ryan Mendoza to move the house after it has already started to be built because in a sense, the house has now taken its seat. Rosa Parks was told that she was not significant enough for that seat, but she refused to move, and that changed the course of our nation. We are in desperate need in this nation for another shift in our paradigm and for a national conversation about our past and how we make a better future, so please Mr. Mendoza, do not give up your seat.

Patrick Duff

C EY H U N F I R AT

REMY POISSON

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COMMENTARY MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Award shows are partisan echo chambers EMILY MILLER staff columnist On Sunday, March 4, the 90th Oscar award ceremony took place, featuring a star-studded guest list, much laughter, long speeches and, of course, politics. Host Jimmy Kimmel could hardly wait 10 minutes before getting in a jab at President Trump and his cabinet. On the president, he said: “Wow, the stunning Lupita Nyong’o — she was born in Mexico and raised in Kenya. Let the tweetstorm from the president’s toilet begin.”

The overt partisanship demonstrated by the Oscars is less than helpful to the important causes which the entertainment industry is trying to advance. Yes, free speech is free speech; but this opportunity to present important ideals is too rare and valuable to be squandered in a forum that showcases only liberal voices, affirms the opinions of like-minded viewers and shuns, offends and further entrenches an enormous voting bloc. What a waste of the important activist strides the Oscars could further with a little equanimity.

The Oscars serve as a powerful soap box to reach a wider audience — 26.5 million people in 2018 — and call widespread attention to pressing social issues. I believe that actors should be able to stand for the causes that matter to them and ensure that the rest of the population is exposed to their ideas. For example, the #MeToo movement condemning sexual assault would not have gained as much traction without the clout of celebrities. The Oscars were and will be a perfect stage to continue this discussion and many others to come.

However, blind ridicule and wholesale dis-

paragement of the values of the right completely undermine the inclusive stance many liberals purport to espouse and detract from the positive resolution of important issues that should not be swept under the rug. Derision without self-reflection only further entrenches each camp in their ideals and hardens party divisions. The Oscars are a great time to shine a

isolated to the Oscars, and represents a greater trend in Hollywood and American awards shows. At this year’s Grammy award show, a plethora of celebrities, from Snoop Dogg to Hillary Clinton, read excerpts from the scathing White House “tell-all” book, “Fire and Fury”. Ben Shapiro, a conservative political commentator, tweeted in response: “Hillary

Yes, free speech is free speech; but this level of exposure of important ideals is too rare and valuable to be squandered in a forum which showcases only liberal voices, affirms the opinions of like-minded viewers and shuns, offends and further entrenches an enormous voting bloc.

light on our most pressing issues: gun control, sexual assault movements such as #MeToo and #TimesUp and racial discrimination. But when this happens alongside blatant mockery, it weakens the credibility and legitimacy of these movements. Derision may cause conservatives to discredit the entire message, or simply turn off their TVs and with it their minds.

Such one-sided exposure is hardly new, not

Clinton reading ‘Fire and Fury’ at the Grammys is why Trump won. But actually. It is.” While there are virtually no things on which Shapiro and I agree, he might be on to something here.

Clinton, a learned and highly competent woman, made a set of mistakes that contributed to her loss of the 2016 presidential election. Many have pegged her greatest folly as being “out of tune” with “real” Americans. Clinton ran a star-

studded campaign and argued that the voting power of the white working class was no longer relevant in the face of liberal enlightened thoughts. At the ballot box, they proved her, and the many celebrities who supported her, to be wrong. Whether or not Clinton has learned the lesson, the Oscars show that her celebrity followers have not.

Those who direct, speak and perform at the Oscars and those who laugh at the jokes are not ill-intentioned. In fact, they are mostly the opposite; a group of liberal-minded individuals looking to blow off steam after a tough electoral year and enact change. However, creating such a partisan Oscars does not help the progress of liberal ideals, and rather further isolates and alienates conservatives as “not welcome” in such events.

Whether we like it or not, Republicans currently hold the power in the Senate, House and presidency. If we want to see change, Democrats cannot continue to chortle in their echo chamber every time there is a stage to do so. The true Kodak-moment will be once we give constructive criticism, or take our voting power to the ballot box in 2018.

As Brown students on a left-leaning campus, we should realize that change requires the embrace of individuals on all sides of the aisle. Ad hominem attacks are not helpful in the long run because they undermine the larger social discussions they attempt to further. Most importantly, they do not work.

Emily Miller ’19 can be reached at emily_miller@brown.edu.

Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and opeds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

Lead on, Hollywood CLARE STEINMAN opinions editor It’s taken fourteen months, but President Trump has finally figured out what’s wrong with America. In a recent 5:25 a.m. tweet following the Oscars, he declared: “Problem is, we don’t have Stars anymore — except your President (just kidding, of course)!” His long history of selfaggrandizing statements would suggest that he is not kidding, but the tweet speaks to a broader schism that has existed between Trump and pop culture for decades. What began as mockery throughout Trump’s years as a businessman has transformed since he announced his candidacy into a self-stylized resistance, not just to the man himself, but to the cultural forces of intolerance and distrust that helped lead to his election. Highly recognizable media figures like Meryl Streep and Oprah have expanded their roles in the public sphere to become not just icons but cultural crusaders. This, presumably, is what Trump means when he writes that we don’t have “stars” anymore — because those stars are aligned against him.

Yes, we have come a long way since Hollywood’s so-called Golden Age, when movie stars symbol-

ized not politics or rancor or trending hashtags, but abstract, nonpartisan ideals like glamor and grace. But like so many presidential late-night tweets, this conceptualization is a fiction. The idea of Hollywood as the face of unpatriotic, even dangerous political sentiment is far from new, and the entertainment industry has never been sheltered from the politi-

further than the #TimesUp movement to see how quickly superstar status can wither in the face of public outrage). If stars today would rather talk about political and social issues than more vapid concerns, they are supported at least in part by an audience that prizes and incentivizes engagement over apathy.

As for the tone of the conversa-

fectively, perhaps even making their viewpoints seem more accessible, rather than less.

A call against the politicization of the Oscars could be on the surface considered a call for unity, for a momentary, well-deserved pause in partisanship. Why the focus on inclusion, representation and social movements? Why can’t awards

We have long looked to movie stars to define who we are as a nation — and that definition is changing.

cal climate. In 1947, 40 movie industry employees were infamously subpoenaed by the House Un-American Activities Committee for their suspected Communist beliefs, and hundreds more were listed on a blacklist that prevented them from finding work over the following decades.

Furthermore, movie stars and other popular entertainment industry icons draw their status almost entirely from popular opinion. (Look no

tion, it is the job of entertainers to entertain. They know how to use showmanship and humor and sentiment to deliver maximum impact — methods that are not dissimilar to the ones Trump favors, though with the crucial difference of not being applied to actual policymaking or diplomacy. By combining sober political commentary with their core skill set, Hollywood’s activists are able to spread their message widely and ef-

shows just be nights devoted to black tie attire, too-long speeches and celebration of artistic achievement?

Ironically enough, the answer can be found in Trump’s tweet. We have long looked to movie stars to define who we are as a nation — and that definition is changing. As women and people of color across America push toward cultural equality, that push is reflected on- and off-screen, in movements like #MeToo, #Os-

carsSoWhite and #AskHerMore and in Best Actress winner Frances McDormand’s call for inclusion riders.

Nearly all Americans who reach household name status today are athletes, actors or politicians. In his opposition to the Take a Knee movement, Trump has already taken aim at the athletes who have attempted to make a political statement by insisting they should keep to their sport. The fact that he is now doing the same with actors is notable and concerning, tying into a larger pattern of attacking high-profile critics and harkening back to his ominous proclamation at the 2016 Republican National Convention: “I alone can fix it.” Though we should not be entrusting untrained celebrities with key political decisions (yes, that includes Ivanka), we should still recognize the value of their contributions to the political sphere. We still have stars, but today many of those stars represent more than designer labels and paparazzi — they represent inclusion, empowerment and engaged citizenship. And they shine brighter for it.

Clare Steinman ’19 can be reached at clare_steinman@brown.edu.

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

SPORTS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

MONDAY, MARCH 19, 2018

Bears falters against Patriots’ solid offense 2-1 in away series Bruno failed to match Dallas Baptist University’s explosive scoring in nonconference road defeats

By ALEX SMOLAR SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The baseball team fell in a three-game series on the road to Dallas Baptist University this weekend, losing their first two contests 17-2 and 14-4 before claiming a 9-5 victory in their final matchup Sunday. The Bears moved to 4-7 on the season and halted a sixgame losing streak following a series defeat at the University of California, Berkeley last weekend.

M. BASEBALL “I think we definitely dug some holes for ourselves — we had the opportunity to make plays defensively and then execute some pitches at times that we didn’t do,” said Head Coach Grant Achilles. “But … we competed, especially (in) game three. We did a great job on the mound offensively and defensively, making the Dallas Baptist team really play our game. (I’m) really proud of our guys and how they finished the weekend.”

Brown 2, Dallas Baptist 17 In the series opener, the Bears (4-7) were outmatched from the first pitch, as the Patriots (11-7) managed to cross the plate six times in the first two innings alone. In total, Dallas Baptist

hit seven home runs and recorded 19 hits. Infielder Garett Delano ’20 hit Bruno’s lone home run of the game, and catcher Mark Sluys ’19 tallied an RBI on a sacrifice fly.

“Rebounding from the kind of loss we took (in the first game) is all about turning the page — something I think this group is really good at,” wrote center fielder Sam Grigo ’18 in an email to The Herald. Strong performances on the mound from relief pitchers Calvin Farris ’20 and Dustin Baird ’20 were highlights of the game, Grigo added. “(They) did a great job battling and soaking up much needed innings in relief against a team that can really swing it.”

Brown 4, Dallas Baptist 14 The following day, Bruno stood firm in the opening innings and kept the score close with the Patriots. In the top of the fifth inning, Brown trimmed Dallas Baptist’s lead to two after shortstop Louis Gaitley ’21 hit a single that sent second baseman Rich Ciufo ’20 sprinting across home plate for a run.

“One of my main goals for the season is to have quality at bats and help the team in anyway I can,” Ciufo wrote in an email to The Herald. “If each guy comes into each game confident and willing to do whatever it takes to help the team, we will be very successful.”

But the wheels quickly fell off for the Bears, as the bottom of the fifth saw the Patriots score five runs to put the game out of reach for Bruno. A rain delay postponed the game in the

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Bruno suffered two large defeats to open the series against Dallas Baptist University, but played a complete game to win the final contest 9-5 and end their six-game losing streak. seventh inning, but Brown could not turn the tide in the final innings the next morning, eventually falling 14-4.

Brown 9, Dallas Baptist 5 In the final game of the series later that afternoon, the Bears jumped out to an early lead when Grigo hit a tworun single to left field. In the fifth inning, starting pitcher Delano threw his way out of a bases-loaded jam, leading the Bears out of the frame unscathed to preserve the team’s slim advantage.

In the eighth inning, Brown’s bats

caught fire as the Bears notched five runs — including a two-run moonshot

by Ciufo — to put the game out of reach for the Patriots. The Bears recorded 11 hits in the four-run victory.

“We have a team that — freshmen through seniors — does an awesome job showing up every day with confidence regardless of what happened the day before,” Grigo wrote. “Baseball is too hard and too random to sweat our results on a game-to-game basis, and we have a group that’s always focused.”

The Bears will begin Ivy League

play next weekend, facing off with Penn in a three-game series on the road.

“Our team is very confident right now. From just the health perspective, we’re really counting on getting some guys back and getting guys healthy this week,” Achilles said. “I’m just hopeful that this is going to be a very positive week for us to build into going into Ivy play.”

Brown will host Ocean State rival Bryant University for the team’s home opener at Murray Stadium March 27.

Dear NFL players: don’t be loyal, be rich CAL BAINSCH-DAVID sports columnist It’s fourth down with under a minute to play in the 2014 NFC Championship. The San Francisco 49ers are knocking at the door of the Seattle Seahawks’ end zone, and they have one last chance to erase a 23-17 Seahawks lead. Colin Kaepernick drops back and unfurls a looping pass to the corner of the endzone. But before the ball can land in the hands of intended receiver Michael Crabtree, Richard Sherman breaks up the pass and tips it into the hands of a teammate. “The Tip,” as it came to be known in the archives of Seattle sports history, arrived at the zenith of a long-escalating rivalry and mutual disdain between the two NFC West foes.

Impassioned and with a microphone stuck into his face after having executed the most important play of his career, Sherman spouted an angry sound bite that any Seattle sports fan can recognize: “Well I’m the best corner in the game. When you try me with a sorry receiver like Crabtree, that’s the result you’re going to get. Don’t you ever talk about me.”

Next season, Sherman will don the jersey of the 49ers — the very team whose Super Bowl hopes he dashed fewer than four years ago. And that’s a good thing.

It’s good because he is making more money than the Seahawks were likely willing to give him,

and it’s good because loyalty does not and should not matter in a profit-motivated and success-driven league where players are becoming increasingly expendable.

Sherman’s decision to sign with his former team’s most hated rival was met with disappointment and anger from many Seahawks fans. Such is often the case when free agency gives players the ability to choose with which team to sign. It is a time when the conflicting motivations of fans and athletes clash, and when fans are made acutely

axiomatic than their fandom. Management is motivated by winning games and making money. The decision-makers of the most respected organizations in the league often disregard loyalty in the strategic interest of the team. Bill Belichick and Pete Carroll, for example, seem to have no problem trading or cutting superstars if they think it will make their team better. These decisions are often motivated by a “next man up” mentality, which depersonalizes athletes and makes their efforts expendable.

Loyalty does not and should not matter in a profit-motivated and success-driven league where players are becoming increasingly expendable. aware of their delusion — that the connection they feel with a team is also felt by those who play for it.

During this period, accusations of disloyalty and betrayal are leveled at athletes who switch teams in order to earn more.

And just a few days into NFL free agency, situations similar to Sherman’s are occurring around the league.

The three main actors in sports — fans, players and management — are all driven by different motivations. To fans, loyalty is paramount; they are often supporters for life, and there is little more

But athletes are driven by an entirely different motivation. Sure, many NFL players are motivated by the glory of winning a Super Bowl, but their primary motivation will almost always be money.

The greatest imbalance between the motives of these three groups is that fans and managers are primarily concerned with the success of the team, while athletes are concerned with their financial well-being, as they know that their athletic abilities are ephemeral. The foundation of an athlete’s livelihood is a fleeting period of supreme physical condition — one that can be taken away by a

damaging hit to their head or a turn of their knee.

This profitable period needs to be seized, especially in football, where the average player’s career lasts only 3.3 years. In addition, the restrictive policies of the NCAA add to the situation as the culmination of an athlete’s life-long effort can only be monetized as a professional for a brief period of time.

Compensation for 3.3 years of work is certainly not enough to sustain a lifetime.

So what are athletes to prioritize? Are they to buy into the fans’ notions of loyalty and remain with a team that pays them less? Or are they to lobby for themselves and take advantage of the maximum wage they can earn for their work?

To me, the choice is clear. It stands to reason that if a coach or general manager is not going to be loyal to a player, a player should not be loyal to them – no matter what the fans say. In a system that is built on the commodification and expendability of an athlete in order to benefit the well-being of the team as a whole, where management will not blink an eye before releasing a still-productive player rather than continuing to pay him, athletes have no choice but to advocate for themselves and make the most money they can.

Cal Barash-David ’19 can be reached at callan_barash-david@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@ browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.