Monday, November 29th, 2021 - The Brown Daily Herald

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021

VOLUME CLVI, ISSUE XXXXII

UNIVERSITY NEWS

METRO

Bagels return to Bagel Gourmet cafés Bagel Gourmet to reopen at new location at 205 Meeting St. after nearly two months

Students react to first post-COVID Thanksgiving Many said the break allowed them to relax, reset, see family for the first time in years

BY KATY PICKENS SENIOR STAFF WRITER After a nearly two-month bagel hiatus, Bagel Gourmet will open a new location at 205 Meeting St. Monday, bringing bagels back to eager students and East Side residents alike.

Bagel Gourmet’s location at 250 Brook St. closed Oct. 3 due to University construction, The Herald previously reported. This was Bagel Gourmet’s original location, and its closure meant that staff temporarily lost access to their baking equipment, resulting in a disruption in bagel production, according to Bagel Gourmet owner Richard Weis.

The loss of Bagel Gourmet’s bagel baking left many students without their morning fix. Zara Lei Norman ’22, a customer since her freshman year, is thrilled that Bagel Gourmet will be serving bagels once again.

“I used to work as a lifeguard at the

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BY GAYA GUPTA UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

HENRY DAWSON / HERALD

The new location will return bagel production to Bagel Gourmet’s locations on Thayer Street and in the Jewelry District.

Nelson and do the morning shift and then come back and get a bagel,” Norman said. “(It’s) a ritual that I’m very excited to be having back in my life.”

Norman’s longing for Bagel Gourmet bagels even inspired her to write a piece for The Rib entitled, “When Will My Bagels Return From War?” Bagel Gourmet locations at 288 Thayer St. and 222 Richmond St. remained open and served breakfast burritos and other snacks, but the opening of the Meeting Street site will bring the

“bagel” back to Bagel Gourmet.

Weis said that when he signed the lease for the Brook Street location in 1995, he knew the University would eventually develop that lot to build more dormitories. “I’ve heard this for 25 years,” Weis said. “Finally, it came to fruition, and (the University) finally went ahead with their plans to do so.”

Weis added that the pandemic had made it difficult to move to a different location sooner. “I was looking for

This year’s Thanksgiving registered as one of the busiest days for airports across the country, as individuals made their way home to see their loved ones.

Unlike fall 2020, Brown students this year were allowed to go back home to visit family for the holiday and return to campus for finals. For Abbie Macher ’23, the break meant she was able to see much of her extended family for the first time since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

“I have been in such good spirits.

I’m probably the happiest I’ve been in such a long time,” Macher said. “I get to see my entire family who I hadn’t seen since the summer, I have my extended family in town and I’ve gotten

BAGELS PAGE 3

to see my grandparents, which is so nice because I haven’t seen them for two years. So it’s been really, really nice to have everyone back together.”

Macher was one of the few students last fall that stayed on campus through the end of the semester, opting to celebrate Thanksgiving with her friends and finish finals from her dorm rather than at home. Staying in her Perkins dorm with her two friends during the break was “quite isolating,” she found.

“We ended up going to my friend’s house for Thanksgiving because she lives in Rhode Island,” she said.

“Thanksgiving was at least relatively normal, but it was very sad for me to have my parents calling me that day. They were also sad that I wasn’t home.”

This year, returning home to Washington, D.C. for Thanksgiving celebrations has been a welcome return to normalcy, she said. But she finds that the holiday is still “definitely different,” despite being able to return home, since COVID exposures

THANKSGIVING PAGE 3

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Prof. Mutlu Konuk Blasing, renowned poetry critic, dies peacefully at 77 Students, colleagues, family reflect on Blasing’s dedication to poetry, teaching

BY ALEX NADIRASHVILI SENIOR STAFF WRITER Professor Emerita of English Mutlu Konuk Blasing, 77, died peacefully Aug. 16 in her summer home in her native country of Turkey. Blasing left behind a deep impact on the scholarship of poetry, and she was known by family, friends, colleagues and students for her intellect, honesty and dedication to her work.

The Herald spoke with several of Blasing’s family and colleagues in the months since her death about her legacy and character.

“Mutlu had a deep understanding of human nature. She loved people, loved listening to them and had strong opinions on all kinds of things,” wrote Suzie Nacar, currently lead IT support consultant and formerly a computing coordinator for the English department, in an email to The Herald. “Get her started and she would be eloquent about history, world events, politics, classic movies, religion and of course poetry. She was a dear friend.”

During her time at the University, Blasing established herself as someone who loved poetry and undergraduate

teaching, and moreover a professor who challenged her students to look beyond standard understandings of poetry.

“I think everyone on Earth loves poetry, but Mutlu understood the possibilities of it in ways that most lovers of poetry don’t even grasp,” said David Ben-Merre PhD’08, professor of English at SUNY Buffalo State and a former student and close friend of Blasing.

“She understood the potentials of all of the quirks of poetry: sounds, echoes, pauses, enchantments, lineation, stanza forms. … Poetry was central to her understanding of everything else in the world.”

Over nearly four decades of professorship, Blasing’s expertise in the field of American modernist poetry solidi-

fied her as a foundational professor in the University’s English department.

Blasing’s academic legacy is survived by the “sheer number of people whose dissertations she’s advised, the large number of doctoral students she had,” said Randy Blasing, poet, translator and former husband of Blasing.

It was one of Blasing’s former undergraduate students who first informed the English department of her passing, a testament to her deep connection with students, according to Chair of English Richard Rambuss.

“She was a very kind instructor. She was very good at listening to students,” Ben-Merre said. “We became friends after I finished my degree in 2008. …

We would have great email exchanges

COURTESTY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Blasing’s expertise in American modernist poetry solidified her as a foundational professor in the English department.

BLASING PAGE 3

METRO

Providence retailers reflect on impact of pandemic on Black Friday Stores discuss impact of pandemic, college student presence on revenue

BY JACK WALKER UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

As the holiday season approaches, stores across the country are preparing for a month of increased commercial demand while also navigating public health concerns. For many local retailers, the COVID-19 pandemic shaped their customer engagement and oper-

ations in this year’s Black Friday sales.

The Herald spoke with three Providence retailers to discuss how the pandemic influenced their stores during Black Friday.

Ryan Demagistris, store manager at Sneaker Junkies on Thayer Street, said that the store experienced a “decent

turnout” this year, but overall Black Friday sales for the store were lower this year than they were prior to the pandemic.

“I’d definitely say Black Friday was good,” Demagistris said. “Not as busy as the previous years, but definitely good.”

Trey Digioia, brick specialist at The

LEGO Store in Providence Place, noted that The LEGO Store actually spreads its sales over the course of two weeks, which lowers overall revenue made in the store on Black Friday.

“Our store doesn’t do an insane amount of Black Friday deals, and we

SALES PAGE 7

Sports

Arts & Culture

Sports

Sports

Men’s basketball team finishes sixth in Paradise Jam tournament Page 4

Netflix adaptation of Nella Larsen’s “Passing” mesmerizes audiences Page 5

Men’s hockey team loses to Providence College 4-0 playing for the Mayor’s Cup Page 6

Women’s volleyball will play the Huskies in the 2021 NCAA Division I Tournament Page 8

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BAGELS FROM PAGE 1 an appropriate location to put in the baking (equipment),” he said. “There was nothing, because there was a lot of uncertainty due to COVID.” The University owns the new Meeting Street location, and Bagel Gourmet will occupy this building for a few years, Weis said.

Weis said he was looking forward to serving community members once again, and he hopes patrons will be patient as Bagel Gourmet staff resume bagel production. “We have a responsibility to make sure we maintain a reputation,” Weis said.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS Now that the bagels are back, Norman is excited to return. “I love them so much, and I’m so happy that they’re back,” she said.

“The Brook Street Bagel Gourmet was so good, and it will be missed dearly,” Norman added. “I hope the new one is good enough to make up for the two months of bagels that I couldn’t have.”

Weis was touched by the outpouring of community support of his business and staff. “It’s very flattering to know that we’ve hooked up with the community to the extent that we have,” he said. “They’ve been supportive about making sure that we’re coming back.”

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

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BLASING FROM PAGE 1 throughout the year. She was always keeping me on my toes — it wasn’t the type of discussion where you could just say, ‘Hey, how are you?’ They were always fun and thoughtful. …

We would email back and forth over clever crosswords or language games.”

For Catherine Imbriglio MA’88 PhD’95, senior lecturer emerita in English, her relationship with Blasing transformed from that of one between dissertation director and student to one between University colleagues.

“She helped me get my first academic publication. I owe her a lot of gratitude and thanks,” Imbriglio said.

As colleagues, “I remember laughing with her over why we were doing what we were doing. She was always outside smoking — sometimes I would stand outside and talk with her. We were always kidding with one another about our love of poetry and getting excited when John Ashbery was coming and talking about our rivalry with certain other critics.”

Blasing had a hand in hiring Associate Professor of English Ravit Reichman, who called this a “debt that cannot be repaid.” Reichman similarly remembers moments with Blasing while smoking outside.

“Back in the days, she and I would stand outside in the bitter cold in front of the English department, joking about how nobody smoked anymore,” Reichman said. “There was something delicious about finding that stolen time with her outside the department. It felt like the world was changing, and we missed the companionship.”

For many of her colleagues, what made Blasing such a compelling figure was her honesty and directness.

Students “could take her at her word, and her word was always good,” Randy Blasing said. “I certainly admired that, and her students came to admire it too.”

“She was a no-BS person, no-BS teaching,” he added. “She could laugh, too, but she was definitely serious about her work.”

Reichman describes Blasing with a certain intensity and “razor-sharp precision” that is often associated with people who work on poetry. She had “an incredible toughness to her,” as well as a “certain softness,” Reichman said. “She made me more comfortable being myself, being genuine with her and with others.”

While Blasing’s intense passion for undergraduate education was a defin-

ing marker of her dedication to poetry, much of her life was supplementarily focused on the poetry world outside of the University setting.

Beginning in the mid-70s, Blasing would spend her summers in Turkey with Randy Blasing, translating the work of the well-known Turkish poet Nazim Hikmet, whose poems had not yet been introduced to the English-speaking world.

Blasing’s connection to her native country and tongue allowed her special insight into how to do Hikmet’s work justice. In Turkey, she had access to archives which could help determine issues of history and language, in addition to Hikmet’s contemporaries, whose living memories often gave insight into the poet’s work.

For Randy Blasing, his most memorable interactions with his former wife took place while working on these translations. “We got into some pretty heated arguments. As a perfectionist and a person who knew Turkish, she knew ‘This is how it’s got to be,’ and as a poet, I’d say, ‘No, it’s got to be this way,’” he reminisced. “I really liked those interactions, … as fractious, as calamitous as some of them were. …

We’d probably still be arguing till our last breath.”

Blasing published eight volumes of translations with her former husband, including “Human Landscapes from My County: An Epic Novel in Verse” and “Poems of Nazim Hikmet.” She also authored multiple books critiquing poetry, published by the likes of Yale, Cambridge and Princeton.

“She was really smart. … Considering she was working in a second language, she went from not knowing English to writing about great American poets,” Randy Blasing said. “She never gave up — she worked until she got it right and her books showed it. … She was demanding of herself. She was a perfectionist.”

Imbriglio cited Blasing’s “Lyric Poetry: The Pain and Pleasure of Words” as the work she admires most and wishes received more recognition.

“I was always in awe of her. She was a brilliant woman,” Imbriglio said. “‘Lyric Poetry’ is truly helpful for those of us that want to learn to write poetry. It’s one of the most important theoretical takes on poetry; it’s dense and rigorously argued, and it has many facets. … I think a number of people who are writing today would admire what she’s doing in that work.”

According to Jonathan Culler, professor of English and Comparative

Literature at Cornell, who refereed the book, it is Blasing’s “refreshing insistence” against standard ideas of poetry that people in the field are most likely to remember.

Through both her scholarly work and the people she has influenced, Blasing’s impact has transcended international borders. A shared sentiment endures among her contemporaries, such as Professor of English Philip Gould ’83, that Blasing’s legacy must be remembered at the University level as well.

“I’d like to see the (English) department of the University organize something,” such as an undergraduate award or departmental speaker, in Blasing’s name to recognize her contributions to poetry at the University, Gould said.

Ben-Merre expressed similar thoughts, describing a recent push away from the study of poetry in academia. “I think she would want the study of poetry to continue in all of its facets,” Ben-Merre said. “Mutlu would want people to value and continue to approach poetry with new questions, treat it as a living document that has so much possibility.”

THANKSGIVING FROM PAGE 3 have still prevented her from seeing other friends and family.

“It’s nice that I get to see everyone, and the whole family is back together. But it still isn’t like the world pre-COVID,” she said. “We still have a bunch of precautions we have to take.”

International students once again weighed whether it would be worth flying overseas to go home for the break. Aya Akhmetzhanova ’23, an international student from Kazakhstan, spent her Thanksgiving this year in Boston with a few friends.

“I was very happy that we were given permission to travel somewhere this year for Thanksgiving,” she said. “Since my friends are all international, it’s not worth going back for a few days. So we decided to explore something within the U.S.” She hopes to keep up the tradition of traveling elsewhere around the U.S. for the holiday.

“I honestly don’t know what’s gonna happen next year, but I really like traveling.”

Avery Oliver ’23, Cici Osias ’23 and Sarah Hoxha ’23 all spent their Thanksgiving together in fall 2020, but found that the break didn’t allow them to truly take a moment away from school or to actually enjoy the holiday.

“It was nice to be able to at least be with my friends during Thanksgiving, but it was definitely really sad (since) it was the first time ever in my life that I was away from home during Thanksgiving,” Osias said.

Osias picked up food from a family friend in Rhode Island, while Oliver and Hoxha attempted to pick up food from Federal Hill before finding that several stores and restaurants were closed. While the group enjoyed the time they had together, they were disappointed with the lack of community on campus during the 2020 Thanksgiving break.

“The entire semester was isolating. But I think like that day in particular just like, kind of honed in on that isolation,” Hoxha said. “That plus academic and social burnout and

COURTESY OF CICI OSIAS

Thanksgiving break provided a welcomed opportunity for students to physically distance themselves from campus before the stress of finals.

COVID burnout ­— totally a bit of a recipe for disaster.”

Hoxha found that being able to physically distance herself from campus by going back home to New York City this year allowed her to take more of a break and reset before finals.

“I think the physical distance from campus really encouraged me to take a break ­— I think if I were still at school, I probably would have made more time to do homework or try to catch up. But since I was away, I

was like, I owe it to myself to use this as actual relaxing time for sleeping, watching TV and hanging out, rather than catching up on work.”

Osias pointed out that this year’s break was the first time she was allowed to return back to campus in such a short period.

“Really, ever since freshman winter break, every time I leave (campus) I’m not coming home anytime soon,” she said. “And so it felt disorienting at first to be going home.”

Especially since she’s planning

to study abroad next semester, Osias has really appreciated the extra time after Thanksgiving to say goodbye to friends.

Oliver felt a significant difference between this and last year’s celebrations, though she’s grateful for both experiences.

“I feel like my mindset was different (last year), where I think I was looking to just accept anything. So (this year’s Thanksgiving) was a lot better than last year.”

In addition to their individual

family celebrations, the friends celebrated their own Friendsgiving just prior to the break.

“Things really did feel a lot more normal than they have (previously) in the last year, and it was nice to finally be back in community with family,” Osias said, adding that she celebrated Friendsgiving with both friends from home and college. “It was really nice just to be able to see everyone and to be able to share food and just talk and relax.”

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021

SPORTS

Men’s basketball places sixth at Paradise Jam last weekend Bears win one of three games at Virgin Islands tournament against Bradley University

BY GABRIELLA SARTORI SENIOR STAFF WRITER The men’s basketball team (5-4) competed in the 2021 Paradise Jam tournament last weekend in the U.S. Virgin Islands, finishing sixth out of eight teams. The Bears fell 78-57 to Creighton University in the first round, defeated Bradley University 65-62 in the consolation bracket and lost 54-52 to the University of Colorado Boulder in the fifth place game.

Brown 57, Creighton 78 Brown’s first game in the Paradise Jam resulted in a loss to Big East powerhouse Creighton University (6-1).

Creighton’s offense caught fire early, as the Bluejays shot 11 of 16 to take a 2610 lead with 12 minutes left in the first half. Before intermission, Creighton was five-for-nine from the three-point line, outpacing Brown’s one-for-nine three-point shooting.

Brown rebounded with a 14-7 run, with contributions from guard Dan Friday ’23, forward Jaylan Gainey ’22, guard Paxson Wojcik ’23, guard Kino Lilly Jr. ’25 and forward Tamengang Choh GS, who made his season debut after being out due to a hip injury. “It felt really good being back in the lineup,” Choh said. “Kinda funny, but I’m really looking forward to practice and being back in our gym. I personally got a lot to work on to get back into rhythm.” Despite Brown’s efforts, Creighton maintained a lead of nine or more the remainder of the opening session, ending the first half at 46-29.

Down by 17 to start the second half, Brown continued to fight from behind, with a dunk from Choh narrowing the deficit to 14 with 6:44 remaining. But the Bears were unable to get within 14 points for the remainder of the game, and the Bluejays completed their dominant win.

Lilly Jr. had a team high of 12 points against Creighton, followed by Wojcik’s 10. Choh came off the bench with nine points and four rebounds, and Gainey

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Beyond playing in the tournament, the off-court experience spending time together as a group on the trip to the U.S Virgin Islands was a valuable experience for building team chemistry, according to Coach Martin. led the Bears’ defense with a team high of three blocks.

Brown 65, Bradley 62 Brown bounced back from its tournament-opening loss and came out victorious against its second opponent, Bradley University (2-5) of the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bears pushed past the Braves in a thrilling 65-62 win.

Forward David Mitchell ’22 and Lilly Jr. led Brown with 11 points each. Choh made his return to the starting lineup, contributing 10 points of his own and a team high of eight rebounds.

The first minutes of the game were a back-and-forth affair, with neither side leading by more than five points.

The game was tied at 20 with 6:15 left in the half, but the Bears pulled off a 13-4 run to get ahead 33-26 into the second half.

Brown stayed in front and led 5650 with 7:30 left in the game. But the Braves caught momentum and went on a 9-0 run to take a 59-56 lead with 4:18 remaining. Lilly Jr. hit a three-pointer with 59 seconds left in the contest, and the Braves answered back on the

ensuing offensive possession. To regain the lead, Wojcik notched another three-pointer, and three late free throws

by Friday secured the win.

Head Coach Mike Martin ’04 said he was pleased with the way the Bears kept their poise as they transitioned between different opponents. “We tried to play to our identity as much as we could in each game, and I feel we did that for the most part,” Martin said.

“From game to game, we adjusted certain defensive coverages based on the opponents’ strengths and we also had different plans offensively, depending on what the opponent was trying to do against us defensively.”

Brown 52, Colorado 54 Brown fell just short to Pacific-12 opponent Colorado (5-1) Monday in the Paradise Jam’s fifth place game. Wojcik’s 14 points and Friday’s 13 helped spark the Bears’ offense, which was complimented by Mitchell’s defensive efforts with a team-high six rebounds.

Brown started the game quickly, up 7-3 just three minutes into the first half with contributions from Wojcik, Friday

CA L E N DA R

and Gainey. Brown would maintain momentum and pull away with an eightpoint lead of 30-22, before Colorado scored two free throws to cut the lead to six entering halftime. The Bears held the lead for about 30 minutes of the game, but a slow second half gave the Buffaloes a chance at the win.

To start the second half, both teams scored just three combined points in the opening three minutes. After a Wojcik three-pointer with 14:30 remaining, the Bears took a seven-point lead. But Colorado quickly responded with a push of its own, scoring nine unanswered points to take the lead with 11:12 remaining.

The final 11 minutes of the game saw eight lead changes and four ties.

The Bears regained the lead with eight minutes left after a Kimo Ferrari ’24 three-pointer. Colorado responded with a three of its own, continuing the backand-forth contest. With 7:46 to go, it was 46-44 in favor of the Bears.

After a jumper and a free throw, the Buffaloes regained the lead. Choh then retook the lead at 48-47, scoring off a drive to the basket. Colorado went back up 49-48, but a jumper by Friday would

give Brown its final lead of the game at 50-49 with 2:03 left in the game.

The Buffaloes overpowered the Bears in the final minutes as they scored off a drive to the basket, caused a turnover and made a jumper to take a 53-50 lead.

The two sides traded free throws in the closing seconds of the game, but Colorado came out on top at 54-52.

Despite the loss, the two-point deficit was the closest game the Bears played against a Power Five school since beating Northwestern in the 2007-08 season.

Gainey was proud of the team’s efforts and expressed optimism after the tournament. “Overall, we did really well,” he said. “Our record may not have shown it, but we played some extremely talented and ranked teams, and barely lost. We proved to plenty of doubters that we are really good this year and will be the team to beat in the Ivy (League).”

Aside from playing in the tournament, the off-court experience in the U.S. Virgin Islands was impactful as well, according to players. Activities including snorkeling and boat trips — Gainey and Choh’s favorite parts of the trip — were enjoyed by the squad and staff.

Coach Martin said the experience was key to building the team’s chemistry. “Best part of the trip was being together as a group for an extended period of time and being able to spend so much of the time together,” he said.

“Chemistry is so important to every team and it will be critical for us to continue to grow closer off the court as we try to win a championship on the court.”

The Bears traded the 80-degree sunshine in the U.S. Virgin Islands for the fast approaching Providence winter as they took on Bryant University (3-3) Friday. Despite a spectacular rebounding performance from Choh, who secured 21 boards, Bruno fell 65-59 to the Bulldogs. Brown rebounded Sunday with a victory over Quinnipiac University (33) by a 72-61 margin, led by 24 points from Lilly Jr. Brown will battle two more local non-conference rivals in the coming week, as the team will travel to the University of Massachusetts Lowell (52) Wednesday night before taking on Sacred Heart University (2-4) at home Sunday afternoon.

COVID -19 AT BROWN LAST 7 DAYS*

NOVEMBER S

7

Completed Tests

People Tested

M

Tu

W

Th

F

S

2,253

2,185

1

2

3

4

5

6

Confirmed Positives

Positivity Rates

3

0.1 %

8

9

10

11

12

13 SINCE AUGUST 24, 2020*

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

Completed Tests

People Tested

577,043

18,077

Total Cases

Prevalence

839

4.6 %

*AS OF NOV. 28

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

5

ARTS & CULTURE

‘Passing’: a mesmerizing, poignant adaptation of the classic novel Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut explores race, womanhood, sexuality

BY JULIA VAZ STAFF WRITER “Passing,” actor Rebecca Hall’s shining directorial debut, reproduces the finest details of Nella Larsen’s brilliantly crafted 1929 novel. In the face of the seemingly insurmountable challenge of bringing Larsen’s delicate prose to life, the 2021 Netflix production mesmerizes the audience with the same poetic, dream-like quality of Larsen’s words.

Hall demonstrates her acute sensitivity to subtleties and conveys the unsaid through stylistic choices, opting for the old Hollywood aesthetic of 4:3 ratio shots and a black-and-white film instead of color. Each aspect of the adaptation is carefully constructed to bring to life a literary classic in a movie worthy of the same status.

Written during the Harlem Renaissance, Larsen’s “Passing” tells the story of Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson) and her relationship with Clare Kendry (Ruth Negga), two childhood friends that, while African American, are able to pass as white women because of their mixed heritage. Larsen holds a mirror to 1920s New York — the boisterous, decadent scene of the Flapper Era. With the sharp reflection of racial segregation, the loose threads of the cultural moment begin to unravel. Discussing race, womanhood and sexuality — and all their intersections — Larsen offers a portrait of the famed decade, but also a timeless tale on the construction of identities.

The audience catches its first glimpse of Irene as she navigates bustling downtown New York shops with an efficiency that borders on invisibility.

After almost passing out from the heat, Irene grabs a cab to the fictional Drayton Hotel. She deftly steps into the tea room, an opulent space predominantly frequented by white patrons. Conveniently passing as a white woman, she powders her imperceptibly darker skin.

The camera follows her as she begins to observe the other customers. Her fascination and amusement reveal her tendency to both wonder about and reject notions of different possibilities, different alternatives to her current social position — an upper-middle class Black woman who occasionally passes as white for small conveniences, like a break in a tea room, but nothing more.

Just as we adjust to the gaze of an observant woman who goes unobserved, we abruptly meet Clare Kendry, sitting on the next table, who stares at Irene openly and unflinchingly. With a single shot, we are introduced to the two main characters, starkly opposite to each other in nature. Clare’s fair complexion and piercing eyes announce a woman who not only catches the attention of passersby but also feels comfortable under the spotlight.

Irene panics under the other woman’s scrutiny, having failed to recognize Clare — could this white woman catch her in the act of passing? Yet as Clare moves towards Irene, surprising her with an affectionate “Renie” and a melodious laugh, the scene’s tension subsides.

Childhood friends, estranged during

their late adolescence and early adulthood, are reunited when Clare’s husband John (Alexander Skarsgård) visits the city for work. It is at that moment that we become privy to Clare’s secret: Unlike Irene, who passes for brief, unnoticed stints, Clare has completely hidden away her Black identity. The secret is not only kept from society, but from Clare’s own husband, who, as Irene discovers in an anxiety-filled scene, reveals nonchalantly to hate African Americans “as much as his wife.”

Despite the danger of her situation, Clare gradually slips back into Irene’s Harlem community, inserting herself into the latter’s daily life: husband, children, friends that “could not pass.”

While Irene shows concern over the security of her friend’s secret, Clare’s catlike personality, a perfect balance

Hall’s adaptation of “Passing” not only remains faithful to the plot and dialogue of Larsen’s novel but also acutely captures the emotional core of the human quest for identity amidst racial segregation in America.

of fearlessness and docility perfectly portrayed by Negga, makes it impossible for Irene to cut ties.

Clare’s lavishness, beauty and mystery both enthrall and repel Irene who, while seeming to condemn Clare’s lifestyle, turns the friend into a measure against which she evaluates her own life. Soon Irene starts to feel isolated by her adherence to social boundaries, trapped within her loneliness.

Both ethereal and extremely grounded, the stage-play-like production, with its limited number of sets and powerful dialogue, captures the theatrics of Larsen’s novel. Constantly crafting and unveiling illusions of identity, the encounters, relationships and emotions of “Passing” are always more complex than what our first instincts suggest.

The psychologically charged nature of the story is met with symbolic shots of cracked ceilings, broken vases and first snowfalls, hypnotizing the audience with the same cadence of Clare’s alluring voice. While aesthetically soft and appealing, the movie remains loyal to the cruel, hard truths of reality — segregation, racism, inevitable betrayals — that influence the narrative.

The adaptation is not only faithful to Larsen’s work; beyond the exquisite delivery of plot, characters and dialogue, the movie reaches the novel’s core, matching even its tone, rhythm and concerns. Warm and cold, inviting and haunting, the movie meditates on the deeply emotional consequences of racial segregation and the human search for identity with all its dilemmas and delusions. After all, as Irene observes, “We’re all of us passing for something or other, aren’t we?”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

6

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021

SPORTS

Men’s hockey shut out by Providence College in 2021 Mayor’s Cup Bruno’s defeat to city rivals caps 0-3 week after losses to Harvard, Holy Cross

BY NICHOLAS MILLER STAFF WRITER The men’s hockey team (1-7, 1-5 Eastern College Athletic Conference) fell to No. 14 Providence College (12-5, 6-3 Hockey East) 4-0 Saturday night at Meehan Auditorium in the Mayor’s Cup, the annual matchup between the two intracity rivals. Earlier in the week, the Bears fell 5-2 at No. 15 Harvard (5-3-1). The matchup with Providence was the 105th between the two schools, and the 35th since the introduction of the Mayor’s Cup trophy.

Players who spoke to The Herald said that the game was special. “You don’t get to win that many championships during the year, so getting an opportunity to win a trophy was huge for us,” said defenseman Luke Krys ’23.

But with Saturday’s defeat, the Bears have now lost six straight to the Friars stretching back to January 2016.

Providence jumped out to a lead six minutes into the game, with Brett Berard scoring a wraparound goal before Brown goalie Luke Kania GS could stretch across the net.

Brown created a couple of good opportunities during the rest of the period including a shot from forward Thomas Manty ’25 that the Providence goalie just barely prevented from eking through his legs.

Still, a number of strong saves from Kania, who recorded 42 in the game, limited the Bruno deficit at the first intermission to one. But two Providence goals in the first five minutes of the second period put the Bears in a deep hole.

Brown couldn’t find the net past

COURTESTY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Due to injuries, the Bears dressed less than the full 19 skaters in the games against Providence College, Harvard and College of the Holy Cross.

Providence goalie Austin Cain, who in the second period saved a one-timer from a wide open Cole Quisenberry ’23 and a wrister from Michael Maloney ’22 on a Bruno break.

In the third period, Providence scored a fourth goal, deflecting a slap shot past Kania to ice the game.

Forward Nathan Plessis ’23 said the team played better than the final score suggested. “I think the scoreline was a little unfair,” he said.

Regardless, Brown has now been shutout in three of their past six games. “It’s been tough,” Plessis said.

“We can’t really score fewer goals than we have so at some point I think the bounces are going to start coming our way,” he said.

The Providence game marked the end of a difficult week for the Bears, who were plagued by injury for all three games. Brown missed nine players in the Mayor’s Cup due to injury, and the team dressed fewer than

the maximum 19 skaters in all three games.

“It’s tough having some of our top players out, but it’s an opportunity for younger guys to step up,” Krys said.

In the Harvard game Tuesday, the Bears fell behind quickly when the Crimson drove home a rebound two minutes into the game. Brown would manage just three shots in the period, but 14 saves from Kania kept the game at 1-0.

Harvard scored again three minutes into the second period, but Manty would respond just two minutes later, rifling a puck into the top shelf from a tight angle for his first collegiate goal.

“Just to play and to start is a huge accomplishment, and to score your first goal is an even bigger accomplishment,” Manty said. “It’s something very special to me … but the loss took away from that a little bit.”

Two Crimson goals in quick succession around the midpoint of the

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period put the game out of reach for the Bears.

A third-period goal from forward Jake Harris ’22 off of a flicked pass from defenseman Brett Bliss ’25 was a consolation for Brown after Harvard had already added a fifth.

Brown returned to the ice Friday in a visit to the College of the Holy Cross for its first non-conference matchup of the season. Early on, the Bears again were forced to play from behind after conceding a goal just 1:34 into the first period. The Crusaders would add three more goals before Quisenberry got Brown on the board in the final seconds of the second period. A Holy Cross goal in the final minutes cemented a lopsided 5-1 scoreline.

“The theme of the week was that we were playing hard … but sometimes we weren’t as effective with our play as we should’ve been,” Manty said.

Still, Krys said the scorelines didn’t reflect the team’s performance, and

that there were positives to take from the three games. “We took steps in the right direction this week,” he said.

“We’re on the right path now, and one day it’s going to click.”

Brown’s schedule won’t get any easier with perennial powerhouses Harvard, Boston College and Boston University composing three of the Bears’ next five matchups.

Plessis said that, with the team improving and players returning from injuries, the Bears remain confident.

Krys agreed. “To play these great teams … is a great opportunity for us,” he said. “I believe in our group … we’re going to give ourselves a chance to win each night.”

The Bears will try to rebound Friday night in another matchup with Harvard at home.

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MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021

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7

SALES FROM PAGE 1 actually offered more” sales leading up to Black Friday, Digioia explained. “It was busier the week before Black Friday than it was on actual Black Friday.”

Across the country, revenue from Black Friday sales has decreased in recent years, influenced by the expansion of major sales in many retail stores to various dates throughout the year.

For some stores, demand on Black Friday has remained high throughout the pandemic despite public health concerns. Demagistris said that Sneaker Junkies also had in-person Black Friday sales last year, and that the store had high levels of customer turnout both this and last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, “people still came out (on Black Friday) … regardless of restrictions and everything,” Demagistris explained. “People definitely came out.”

But Digioia said that at The LEGO Store, public health guidelines have limited how many customers visit each day.

“We keep our store at a capacity of no more than 25 people,” Digioia explained, making the “line outside the store … a little longer than normal” on Black Friday. The wait time to get into the store itself makes some customers less likely to shop at The LEGO Store, Digioia added.

“I’m hoping that by next year we don’t have to keep our store at capacity anymore,” Digioia said. “I know for a fact that there are some customers who aren’t willing to wait in line,” instead passing it by in favor of stores without

JACK WALKER / HERALD

capacities or with smaller lines.

Jessica Ford, store manager at Urban Outfitters on Thayer Street, noted that the store’s sales were higher on Black Friday this year compared to last.

Ford said purchases from local college students played a big role in boosting Urban Outfitters’ sales this year.

Ford accredited this growth to having more students from local colleges living on their respective campuses this

semester, compared to the fall 2020 semester when schools including Brown implemented protocols that reduced on-campus student population density.

Demagistris noted that, unlike Urban Outfitters, Sneaker Junkies does not usually see many college students shopping at the store during Black Friday, so the increase in college students living on campus at Brown and other Providence colleges did not significant-

ly affect the store’s Black Friday sales.

During Thanksgiving break, “college kids go home for the weekend, so you don’t see as much college presence,” Demagistris explained.

Instead, Demagistris noted the store’s primary clientele during Black Friday come from local families. “We see a lot of families coming out shopping for Christmas and their kids,” Demagistris said.

Ford explained that the positive growth in the store’s sales this year was seen in its conversion — the percentage of visitors to a store who make a purchase. This year, the store’s conversion was higher than it was last year, indicating positive growth in customer engagement.

“We did really good this Black Friday,” Ford said. “Students were really excited to be out and shopping.”

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2021

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

SPORTS

Women’s volleyball to face Washington in first round of NCAA Tournament Bears will travel to Seattle for first tournament game since 1998

BY RYAN HANDEL SPORTS EDITOR After an Ivy League title-winning regular season, the women’s volleyball team (20-5) learned its spot in the 2021 NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Tournament bracket during the Selection Show Sunday evening. The Bears will travel to Seattle to take on the 15th-seeded University of Washington Huskies (24-4) in the first round of the tournament, at a time this weekend that has yet to be determined. If Brown defeats Washington, it will face either the University of Hawai’i at Manoa (21-7) or Mississippi State University (25-5) in the second round.

This will be the Bears’ first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1998.

“It’s been such a long time since we made the tournament that nobody really knows how to feel,” said rightside hitter Kate Sheire ’24. “(Head Coach Ahen Kim) said that we’re basically all freshmen in this, because none of us have experienced

it before.”

According to Sheire, being matched up with Washington in the first round of the tournament was a surprise to the Brown team, which was expecting a geographically closer opponent. “We were expecting something a little more regional,” she said. “Everybody had predictions for what was going to happen, and Washington wasn’t really part of that discussion.”

Setter Cierra Jenkins ’24 said the long travel to Seattle will be challenging, but the Bears are prepared to handle it. “The flight’s going to be rough, but once we get a practice in and get a feel for the area and the location and the court, we’ll do just fine,” she said. “We’re very good at traveling and making another court home.”

With a two-week hiatus between Brown’s final Ivy League match and the Selection Show, the Bears added a match against the University of Southern California (15-15) to their schedule, which took place last Monday. Although Brown dropped the match 3-0, Sheire said the experience of traveling to Los Angeles and competing will serve the women’s volleyball team well against Washington. The trip was “partially in prep for that travel-right-off-the-

plane-into-volleyball experience,” she said. “We’re definitely more prepared than we would have been if we hadn’t (played USC). The trip to LA was brutal, it’s exhausting, but it’s something you push through and it’s something you get better at with practice.”

Kim and the women’s volleyball players believe that Washington will present a stern test. “(Washington) has a lot of good veterans … they play their system really, really well,” Kim said. “They’re a very precise team.” “(Washington) secured that No. 15 seed … so it’s a big opponent, but super exciting,” Sheire added.

Even still, according to Kim, the Bears may match up well with the Huskies. “We’re a team that can move the ball around, and anyone can get hot,” he said. “If we can serve and pass at a good level, I think we’ll be there. We just played USC, and we were able to serve and pass with that team effectively, and I thought that was a really, really good preparation match for a team like Washington who serves and passes comparably well. That part of the game needs to stay sharp, and if we can do that, then I think anything’s game.”

COURTESTY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

The Bears last participated in the NCAA Tourtnament for volleyball in 1998. The team, having just faced USC, is optimistic for its game which is to take place in Seattle against the University of Washington.

8