Monday, October 25th, 2021 - The Brown Daily Herald

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

VOLUME CLVI, ISSUE XXX

BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

UNIVERSITY NEWS

U. expands financial aid by nearly $25 million

BY WILL KUBZANSKY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

mented, will add nearly $25 million to the annual undergraduate financial aid budget, pulling from the endowment and the BrownTogether fundraising campaign. The financial aid budget currently stands at $153.7 million.

Tuition eliminated for families earning under $125,000

SEE AID PAGE 2

Home equity elimination likely to most impact middle-income students The University will cover the cost of tuition for most current and future students from families earning under $125,000 a year by removing home equity — which essentially describes the current market value of a property — from Brown’s calculations of family contribution and financial aid scholarships, President Christina Paxson P’19 announced in a Monday press release that also included a broader suite of investments in financial aid and access to the University.

The changes, once fully imple-

Need-blind admission for international students Initiative to be implemented within four years for class of 2029 The University will begin moving toward need-blind admissions for international students over the next four years, according to the financial aid and access announcement. But the impacts will begin “right away,” Paxson said, with “big increases” to international financial aid coming next year.

International admissions are currently need-aware, Paxson explained, meaning they operate with a budget constraint.

“It means we can spend only $9 million a year on financial aid for international students,” Paxson said. “As you admit, you’re keeping track. And when you hit that cap, you’re done.”

That cap will grow over the next few years. But international members of the class of 2029 — current high school freshmen, who will be admitted in fall 2024 and spring 2025 — will be the first to apply to the University without any financial constraint on their acceptance.

Paxson said need-blind admissions for international students has ranked among her priorities since the beginning of her tenure.

“It’s been ten years now,” she said.

“I want to get this done.”

To grow the funding for international financial aid, the University will pull from the endowment and other existing funds, but will also embark

Prep program for PPSD students and selective four year institutions U. will develop program with consultant, PPSD, community stakeholders A new University initiative will aim to prepare Providence public school students to enter selective four-year institutions, in addition to bringing more PPSD students to the University, according to the financial aid and access announcement.

Paxson said that the initiative remains in development at the moment, but will likely begin operations next fall with an annual cost of “at least $1 million” — which she looks at “as a minimum.” By May 2022, the University expects to have the “outlines” of the program, with the hopes of bringing in students by fall 2022.

The program, according to the release, will work with community part-

SEE NEED BLIND PAGE 2

The Underground reopens after March 2020 closure

BY CHARLIE CLYNES CONTRIBUTING WRITER The Underground, a student-run coffee shop in the basement of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center, reopened Oct. 12 for the first time since March 2020. The decision comes as the University continues its return to relative normalcy, following a pause on most in-person operations a year and a half ago.

Chloe Khosrowshahi ’22.5, one of the three managers of The Underground Coffee Company, said that the company had been planning to reopen since last spring and has worked closely with the University throughout the summer to plan a safe and effective return. The Underground began its return to operations by serving drip coffee out of a pop-up stand to the students and faculty on campus for the summer semester.

SEE PPSD PAGE 3

Endowment growth to grow operating budget U. will continue assessing gaps in financial aid, internship funding The University expects the endowment to contribute more to the operating budget in the coming years, as the portion drawn from the endowment

SEE ENDOWMENT PAGE 2

SPORTS

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Coffee shop founded to offer cheaper coffee on campus, currently only accepts cash

ners to “develop, fund and lead the college-preparation program for students attending public high schools in Providence.” The University is in the process of retaining a consultant who will help develop the program in concert with the Annenberg Institute, the Summer@ Brown Program, the Swearer Center, the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice and “external stakeholders.”

“That was kind of our initial step toward reopening — showing the school that we could do something like that,” Khosrowshahi said. In September, the University informed the Underground that it would be able to resume operations in its primary location beginning in early October.

Originally founded in 2015, the company was conceived by two students who hoped to introduce a more affordable on-campus coffee option.

It was known on campus prior to its 2020 closure for good coffee, friendly staff and pleasant study environment.

“The vibes here are really warm, really comfortable, compared to a lot of other places on campus which are a bit more sterile or academic,” Angela Wei ’24 said. Like many students who arrived on College Hill for the first time after the start of the pandemic, Wei wasn’t familiar with the Underground before its reopening. “It feels like this must have been a staple for Brown’s community,” she added.

The company faced a number of logistical challenges during reopening, including a broken coffee grinder and problems with the location’s

Football wins last-minute at Cornell Graham Walker ’24’s clutch touchdown leads Brown to 49-45 victory during Saturday game

BY LOKI OLIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER The football team (2-4) claimed its first victory against Ivy League competition in dramatic fashion against Cornell Saturday. With 29 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and Brown trailing by three, Graham Walker ’24 scored the game-winning touchdown to give the Bears a 49-45 victory.

“When you go on the road to Ithaca and get a win, it is a terrific win,” said Head Coach James Perry ’00. “We are building a program here and part of building a program was getting the win at home — we got that against Colgate, and that was a good moment for us as a program. Now, to go on the road to a place like Cornell and get a win is a big deal.”

Brown fell behind to start the game, ending the first quarter down 16-7 with its only points coming on a rushing

touchdown from quarterback EJ Perry ’22. After making their way into the red zone to open the second quarter, Brown handed the ball off to running back Ian Franzoni ’24 for his first rush attempt in a Bears jersey. Franzoni found a gap and beelined for the end zone, scoring his first career touchdown and narrowing the deficit to two.

According to Coach Perry, Franzoni’s return from injury will help give Bruno the versatility it wants on offense. “That’s characteristic of the type of football we want to play,” Coach Perry said. “We want to distribute the ball, we throw it to a lot of wide re-

ceivers. We want to hand it to a lot of running backs … It’s a great lift having Ian out there.”

On their next drive, the Bears took the lead with a touchdown completion to Hayes Sutton ’23, who finished the game with three touchdowns on five catches. Sutton leads Brown’s receivers with six touchdowns through the first six games of the season.

Sutton said that his offseason training with EJ Perry contributed to his success this year. “We’re building off of last year,” Sutton said. “EJ and I were putting a lot of work in this offseason and I mean, I feel like we’ve just been

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

After being neck and neck with Cornell throughout the game Saturday, the Bears scored in the final minute and sealed a 49-45 victory.

SEE UNDERGROUND PAGE 8

SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 7

Commentary

Metro

Sports

Arts & Culture

Levine ’23: Streaming premieres are a threat to Hollywood workers Page 4

Elorza and City Council announce small business COVID relief grant program Page 5

Women’s volleyball ends its seven-game win streak after losing to Yale Page 5

From teen heartthrob to music idol: Harry Styles throughout the years Page 8

TODAY

TOMORROW

64 / 48

61 / 52

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AID FROM PAGE 1 Paxson said in an interview with The Herald that the investments, which come on the heels of the news that the University endowment grew by 51.5% to $6.9 billion, had been in the works since late summer. She added that the increased aid and new initiatives will help improve financial diversity on campus, moving the University toward fulfilling a number of longer-standing goals.

By removing home equity from aid calculations, the University will grant “thousands of additional dollars” for aid packages, the release said. The investments in financial aid also mean that summer earnings expectations for students with no parent contribution will drop to $1,700 for first-year students and $1,900 for other students, meaning that the University will cover all expenses, including tuition, books, room and board, for that cohort, according to the release.

Eliminating home equity in calculations, Paxson said, will likely have its greatest impact on moderate-income students — which Dean of Admission Logan Powell previously defined as students who, with the consideration of home equity and other assets, currently have an expected parental contribution, but also receive financial aid. Earlier this month, The Herald reported that the University attracts, accepts and enrolls fewer students from middle- and moderate- income brackets than any other income bracket.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

But the impact of eliminating home equity from calculating a family’s assets, Paxson added, will likely impact a number of families across the income spectrum that already receive aid. And it may also open up aid to families currently not receiving it.

“It will increase income diversity on campus, and it will increase the fraction of students who receive financial aid,” Paxson said. The proportion of students who end up receiving financial aid after the new investments — 44% of the class of 2025 receives aid — won’t be clear until next year’s packages are calculated.

“I would like to see it at over 50%.

But when you do need-blind admissions, you find out when you find out,” she said.

The families who will benefit the most from the elimination of home equity in aid calculations, Paxson said, will be those who have relatively low incomes but whose assets are concentrated in their homes.

Paxson added that the University’s financial aid packages currently match most of its Ivy League peers, but fall short of others. The average net price for students receiving aid in 2021-22 at Brown is roughly $28,000. At Yale, the median net price for students receiving aid is roughly $13,000.

While Harvard does not consider home equity in financial aid calculations, for example, Columbia and Yale still do.

Bringing in more middle- and moderate-income students, Powell

and Provost Richard Locke P’18 told The Herald last month, also requires improved recruitment among those families in addition to increased financial aid.

With home equity no longer factoring into aid packages, the simplicity of the calculation for most families earning under $125,000, Paxson said, will likely help the admissions office improve recruitment. And she added that “students who aren’t even applying to Brown now” will likely realize that they can afford to go — a possibility that she called “exciting.”

“It’s really useful to have very clear messages when we talk to applicants (about financial aid), so we’re not saying, ‘Go to the website, put in tons of information and see what pops out,’” Paxson said. “When you can say … ‘if your family income is under $125,000 and you have assets that are typical for that income level, tuition is free at Brown’ — that’s a crisp statement.”

Income diversity, Paxson said, is critical for ensuring that the University pulls from the “full talent of the entire country and globe.”

“When you’re missing a chunk of the population, it means you’re missing incredibly talented students who could have come to Brown and contributed to the community,” she said. And “community cohesion” will also improve with a “less bimodal income distribution,” she noted.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

NEED BLIND FROM PAGE 1 on a new fundraising campaign; this is the only initiative in Monday’s announcement that will require further fundraising. Getting the funding to go fully-need blind, Paxson admitted, is a “heavy lift.” But she also expressed confidence that alums — who helped fund the elimination of loans from financial aid packages — will “lean in and help us get there.”

Locke said in the release that need-blind admissions for international students will positively impact everyone on campus, and the world at large.

“It will create new opportunities for students to learn from internation-

al peers who have distinct experiences and perspectives, while also providing a Brown education for talented young people who will go on to serve their communities locally, nationally and globally,” he said.

“We have incredibly talented international students,” Paxson said.

“But we are turning down incredible students because they can’t afford to come to Brown. And at the end of the day, that’s not good for Brown, that’s not good for the world. Our mission is to promote the education of incredibly talented students. Until we’re need blind for international students, we’re not doing that.”

ENDOWMENT FROM PAGE 1 is based on its average market value over the past three years, according to the financial aid and access announcement.

And money begets more money: Harvard saw a comparatively smaller return on its endowment this year, but its already-larger endowment size meant that smaller returns by percentage still brought back $11.3 billion.

With that in mind, Paxson said that the University will continue to assess what the next, “most important” challenges are surrounding financial aid.

Current gaps in financial aid, Paxson said, include better funding for public-service and low-paying internships, and making transfer admissions

need-blind. “As we get more resources, we can move in those directions,” she said. “I’m excited about that.”

A vocal and sizable cohort of student protestors have also called upon the University to use its growing endowment to create more equitable conditions on campus.

“I hope they see we are using it,” Paxson said. “I hope they also understand that endowments are not checking accounts … Our endowment consists of thousands of accounts that are targeted for specific purposes …

There are a lot of restrictions.”

“We want to use our endowment,” she continued. “The reason it’s there is to support the Brown community.

But we have to use it in a way that is prudent. We could have a market crash tomorrow.”

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

PPSD FROM PAGE 1 Initially, Paxson said, the program will likely start with a smaller cohort, to “assess and see how it’s working,” before growing the number of students involved over time. The program, according to the release, may extend to other parts of Rhode Island if it proves successful.

While the program will not explicitly aim to send every student enrolled to the University, Paxson said she hopes that it will result in more local students matriculating.

“This is a big effort,” Paxson said, noting that the University will need to hire a staff, a director and student-facing employees within the coming months. “We have to grow an organization within the University to make this happen.”

Critically, the program also needs to

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

work with PPSD — currently under state control — as well as other community stakeholders.

PPSD, Paxson noted, has seen “a lot of change.” But she emphasized that the University has “very good partners” in the district.

“I view this as an optimal time to start this program,” she said. “Once it’s started, and once it’s institutionalized, it will weather any future changes in administration (of PPSD).”

The last time the University made a large-scale commitment to PPSD, a $10 million commitment following the release of its 2006 report on the University’s ties to slavery, it took 14 years to fully fund the program. But Paxson said that she has no concerns of history repeating itself.

“I am committed to making this program, standing it up and getting it going right away,” she said.

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

Levine ’23: Streaming premieres are a threat to Hollywood workers

BY ISABELLA LEVINE STAFF COLUMNIST

After three release delays spanning almost a year, Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of the sweeping sci-fi epic, “Dune,” finally opened this past weekend. General anticipation among film enthusiasts was sky high for the movie that promised to do the famously impossible task of putting Frank Herbert’s classic book to screen.

With a cast straight out of FilmTok and Villeneuve floating plans for a sequel before the film was even released, “Dune” was practically a guaranteed cultural success.

Now, the film is out — with one caveat. The production studio behind the project, Warner Brothers, has slated its entire 2021 lineup to simultaneously premier both in the theater and on its streaming site, HBO Max. In an attempt to compensate for underperforming box office sales, production giants like Disney popularized the strategy of releasing films over streaming services concurrently with theatrical releases to capitalize on the high monthly streaming fees.

In the discourse surrounding these decisions, the qualms taking center stage focus on how theaters will suffer and, consequently, the magic of the moviegoing experience will be lost. But these conversations often miss that the rise of streaming movie premieres enables studios to exploit their workers.

Take Scarlett Johansson’s high-profile lawsuit against Disney, for example. The actor claimed the studio breached her Black Widow contract by releasing the film simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ in an effort to promote the streaming platform. This essentially guaranteed that the movie would net less profit

at the box office, reducing the bonuses that the studio must contractually pay Johansson.

Johansson is plenty wealthy, but her suit is emblematic of the neglect of workers across all levels of the industry. If an actress who was the single highest-paid female actor in 2019 is vulnerable to this sort of exploitation, imagine the

premiere date through residuals, the fees that channels pay to show reruns. These fees fund health and pension plans for below-the-line workers, whereas directors and actors get a straight check. Not only do shows produced for streaming services yield fewer residuals, they also limit pension benefits due to their classifi-

And what demand does this glut of streaming releases actually meet? What do I get out of watching Timothée Chalamet ride a sandworm on a 13-inch laptop screen? WarnerMedia’s CEO Jason Kilar said, “If we start our days and end our days focused on the customer, we’re going to lead the industry.” But this corporate

difficulty of workers without the cultural and capital clout to bargain their way out. The debacle ended in an undisclosed settlement, failing to produce the ripple effect of increased work-

cation as “new media.”

Hollywood’s labor force is vocal about streaming pushing them to the breaking point.

“Workers on certain ‘new media’ streaming

messaging tries to sell a kind of convenience nobody ever asked for, betraying an ethos that reduces film production and distribution to a matter of sheer volume. There is no longer even the pretense that studios like Warner and Disney view film as an inherently experiential art form. I can’t help but agree with Denis Villeneuve’s repudiation of Warner Brothers’ decision to premiere Dune on HBO Max: “There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here.” To these studios, movies are undeniably products, through and through.

When it comes to products, convenience rules the day. Streaming has ushered in a level of consumptive ease so total and unprecedented that, just like with Amazon Prime Delivery, we will become reliant upon this instant consumption. And the usual labor fallout will inevitably follow: crushed unions, compromised worker health and safety and diminished product quality — in this case, our movies. In this labor-hostile climate, it is imperative that any organized action is met with urgency and support. The majority of Hollywood’s workforce already has grueling, thankless jobs. For their sake, leave the sandworms for the silver screen.

“But these conversations often miss that the rise of streaming movie premieres also enables studios to further exploit their workers.”

er protections that some anticipated. Instead, the episode belied that the wealth of such a large studio essentially provides a blank check for producers and executives to mistreat their workers as they please.

The streaming boom has studios pushing out a higher volume of content faster than ever, often necessitating 12- to 18-hour work days from crew members with no guaranteed weekend breaks. And just like in Johansson’s suit, there’s a critical loss in compensation. Broadcast shows often continue to earn past their

projects get paid less, even on productions with budgets that rival or exceed those of traditionally released blockbusters,” according to a list of grievances from The International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, who recently threatened the largest strike in Hollywood history in protest of grueling work hours, abuse on set and low wages. And, vitally, Hollywood crew members who do not have Johansson’s cultural and financial leverage must resort to collective measures — strikes like these are one of their only recourses to unfair working conditions.

CA L E N DA R

Isabella Levine ’23 can be reached at isabella_levine@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.

COVID -19 AT BROWN LAST 7 DAYS*

OCTOBER S

3

M

4

Tu

5

W

6

Th

7

Completed Tests

People Tested

F

S

8,045

7,596

1

2

Confirmed Positives

Positivity Rates

6

0.1 %

8

9 SINCE AUGUST 24, 2020*

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24/31

25

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27

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29

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Completed Tests

People Tested

564,032

18,030

Total Cases

Prevalence

811

4.5 %

*AS OF OCT 24.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

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SPORTS

Volleyball loses undefeated streak and first Ivy League match to Yale Bears rally from two sets down but fall just short to Bulldogs three sets to two

BY RYAN HANDEL SPORTS EDITOR The women’s volleyball team (14-4, 7-1 Ivy) lost its first Ivy League match of the season at home to Yale (12-5, 5-3 Ivy) after winning its first seven conference matches. Yale took the first two sets, but Brown came back to tie the match at two sets apiece. In the final set, the Bears fended off four match points before finally succumbing to the Bulldogs 15-13.

Yale dominated the first set while Brown struggled to find its footing.

Bruno committed nine errors in the set, enabling the Bulldogs to run away with it 25-17.

The second set was much tighter, with both teams having opportunities to take it. Bruno raced out to a 22-17 lead and appeared to be in control of the set, but Yale fought back with five unanswered points to tie things up. Still, Brown set up match point at 24-23 with a kill from right-side hitter Kate Sheire ’24. But the Bulldogs rattled off three straight points including a service ace to take a commanding two-set lead.

Yale “is preseason number one for a reason,” Head Coach Ahen Kim said.

“They were really prepared for us, and

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

Despite the loss against the Bulldgos, Brown women’s volleyball is still in first place in the Ivy League with their 7-1 record. But, the margin for error is now thinner if the Bears hope to win the Ivy League title.

I thought we were a little bit shocked by them.”

Brown fell behind 6-2 early in the third set and appeared in danger of a swift three-straight-set defeat. The Bears maintained their composure, though, and chipped away at the Yale lead before pulling ahead 17-16. Bruno seized the momentum and took the set 25-20, with outside hitter Sophia Miller ’23 delivering the kill on set point.

The Ivy League rivals battled for

the lead in a hard-fought fourth set, as Brown jumped ahead 12-7 before Yale tied the set at 16 apiece. Yale set up match point at 24-23 after a Brown service error, but this time it was Bruno’s turn for a late-set run. The Bears won the next three points to take the set 26-24, including two kills by middle blocker Beau Vanderlaan ’25.

“We needed a sense of urgency towards the end,” setter Cierra Jenkins ’24 said. “Sets three and four we came

out with that and we showed (Yale) that we wanted to fight this battle to win the fifth set.”

In the deciding set, Brown took its first lead of the match and looked to be in good position to win, up 7-5.

But Yale went on another dominant run, this time of seven straight points, to pull ahead 12-7 before setting up match point at 14-9. With their backs against the wall, the Bears won four straight points but ultimately fell

three sets to two as Yale’s Kathryn Attar finally converted the winning point.

“We learned a lot today, we gotta use it. Use the anger we have into our next match, use the drive,” Vanderlaan said.

Following Brown’s loss to Yale, the Bears remain in first place in the Ivy League with a 7-1 record. The margin for error is now much thinner for Bruno to win an Ivy League title, as Brown is tied atop the standings with Princeton, although the Bears currently hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Tigers.

“We’re still first place, and it’s just an option of, we gotta grow up through it and learn some lessons here,” Kim said. “We have to get comfortable being the team with a target (on our backs).”

Kim and his players commended the large crowd that came to the Pizzitola Center to watch the match.

“Our record is one of the reasons as to why people are starting to come out,” Kim said. “I’m really just thankful to (Athletic Director) Grace Calhoun and the atmosphere she’s starting to build and put together here.”

Brown will hit the road next weekend for matches against Columbia and Cornell, each 2-6 in the Ivy League, before a crucial Nov. 5 showdown with Princeton at the Pizzitola Center that could determine the Ivy League champion.

METRO

Small business relief package announced by City Council and Mayor Elorza Micro-grants of up to $2,500 from Rescue Plan dollars to benefit small businesses.

fallout of the pandemic. “We’re coming out of this COVID crisis, but it’s still here,” Igliozzi said. “It’s a serious sit-

to adapt and recover from the pandemic, and the City’s goal is to continue to give them the tools they need to do so.”

to receive these microgrants were intentionally constructed so that small businesses who needed the

accessible to eligible business owners who might not have a computer, Elorza added that the City’s Office of

Friday Oct. 15 marked the launch of the COVID-19 Small Business Grant Program, which will provide Providence small businesses with microgrants of up to $2,500. Announced by Mayor Jorge Elorza, City Council President John Igliozzi and Council Finance Chair Jo-Ann Ryan, the program will offer grants to over 2,700 qualified businesses using nearly $7 million of federal American Rescue Plan relief

uation. We still need to be vigilant, we need to pay attention. So we decided to utilize some of this money to also help the small businesses that were impacted.”

The press conference was held at Maya Azteca Restaurant, owned by Cesar Morales, a constituent of Igliozzi and, according to the Council President, a dear friend of over 20 years.

“America is about helping each other.

We need to be more empathetic with each other’s plights, concerns and problems, but we have to respect each other too,” Igliozzi said. “And Cesar’s a great example of a great American success story. He’s done a great job of

Executive Director of the Thayer Street District Management Authority Donna Personeus voiced her support for the relief program. “The TSDMA supports programs and grant funding that support and strengthen R.I. small businesses like the 70+ community businesses that we have on Thayer Street,” Personeus wrote in an email to The Herald.

The creation of an online portal will allow business owners to apply for and receive funds in a simple and straightforward manner, Igliozzi explained. The criteria for eligibility

funds would be able to receive them, whereas others who had no need would not be able to qualify.

“Unfortunately during times of distress, some people try to take advantage of others,” Igliozzi said. “It’s a sad fact in all societies. So we made a checks and balances system in the portal to make sure that businesses that need to get the money get it and those that don’t, don’t get it.”

“Our goal is to make the program as accessible as possible to the small business owners in our city,” Elorza said. To make the grant application

Economic Opportunity Small Business Coordinator Victor Regino will be hosting office hours.

While Igliozzi sees these grants as a way to help businesses out of crisis, he acknowledges that there will be no way to return to a “preCOVID normal.”

“COVID has accelerated ... technology and advancement in how we do business because we had to adapt,” Igliozzi said. “During COVID, we had two choices, either adapt or fail. And what did we do? We adapted.”

funds, according to Faith Chadwick, deputy director of communications at the Office of the Mayor.

“These microgrants will give small business owners some relief when it comes to bills and expenses that might present a greater challenge during the pandemic, or costs that (they) have incurred as a result of COVID-19,” Chadwick wrote in an email to The Herald.

This plan is one of many programs supporting small businesses, including other efforts to waive outdoor expansion fees, provide zero interest loans and facilitate free parking in business corridors. The grant program builds on these existing resources by providing a one-time cash payout where businesses can quickly and easily receive funds to help with bills and expenses, Chadwick explained.

Igliozzi sees the grant program as a way to help businesses recover from the

creating a great restaurant, and being a great neighbor.”

According to Elorza, Morales is well known in the community, so holding the press conference at his business was a natural decision. “It was wonderful to see the small business community represented at the press conference, and even to have some small business owners apply for the grant program on the spot,” Elorza wrote in an email to The Herald. “We are grateful to have had the opportunity to celebrate this new program with him.”

Elorza is positive that the grants will bolster small businesses impacted by the pandemic. “The small business owners, artists and entrepreneurs in our community have continued to amaze me with their resilience throughout the pandemic,” Elorza wrote. “I hope that spirit of innovation and creativity remains as we continue

BY ASHLEY GUO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

COURTESY OF THE CITY COUNCIL

The criteria for eligibility was constructed to ensure that only small businesses that need the funds will be able to receive them. The application process includes an online portal to increase accessibility.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

METRO

Providence residents protest eviction alongside community group DARE Protestors demand moratorium, call for leadership to follow “people’s agenda”

BY SAMEER SINHA SENIOR STAFF WRITER Protesters gathered in Burnside Park in downtown Providence Saturday afternoon to call for action on evictions, homelessness and the housing crisis, all of which have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The protest was organized by the Rhode Island-based activist group Direct Action for Rights and Equality in support of the local families evicted from their homes during the pandemic.

Terri Wright, the main organizer of the protest, called on Rhode Island and Providence leadership to “provide housing for all” and to “stop evictions,” drawing applause and cheers from the crowd of around 40 people.

Many members of the crowd wore signs ranging from “Housing is a Human Right” to “Stop Evictions, Save Lives.”

Loud chants of “What do we want?

Housing! When do we want it? Now!” echoed through the park. Afterwards, various individuals, including DARE members and people who have been affected by the housing crisis, gave testimonials about their experiences to the crowd.

Wright spoke out against high housing prices, demanding that “everybody should have housing who wants housing,” leading to more applause and chants.

Brenda Taylor, a committee representative for DARE, called for the city to take prompt action, adding that whether the city should choose to “get more affordable housing built,

SAMEER SINHA / HERALD

While moratoriums delayed evictions for millions of Americans, evictions have now resumed as the latest moratorium was struck down. Protestors called on state leadership to enact a new eviction moratorium. or renovate the current housing here, we need housing and we need it now.”

“We want everybody to be home in their own place,” Taylor said, referencing the danger homelessness poses, especially during a pandemic. She said that it is common for families who have been evicted to stay with other families, potentially facilitating the spread of COVID-19.

Taylor also framed housing as a fundamental human rights issue: “Bees have hives, and bears have dens. Why can’t all humans have homes?” She went on to criticize the “astronomical” rent prices in the state. “We need to get it together as humans. ... People are entitled to life.”

Sucely Murillo, who was evicted twice, said she is again facing eviction after paying rent in her current apartment for six months.

“People are being hurt. We need to keep putting (landlords) on the spot and putting pressure on them,

just like they put pressure on me to pay rent,” Murillo said. “This is an abuse of power.”

Wright said that although homelessness has been a persistent problem in the past, shelter space was not at as scarce as it currently is. The waitlist for shelter in Rhode Island now has 1,000 people on it, The Boston Globe recently reported. Wright said that shelters offer no privacy, and beds in many shelters have to be reserved beforehand through the Rhode Island Coordinated Entry System.

Wright implored Governor Dan McKee to enact an eviction moratorium “to protect Rhode Island” and suggested the governor declare a State of Emergency for homelessness.

The wave of evictions prompted by pandemic-related economic hardship was put on hold by a series of eviction moratoriums from the federal government, the last of which was struck down by the U.S.

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Supreme Court in late August. The moratorium had effectively delayed impending evictions for millions of Americans, according to an analysis from Princeton’s Eviction Lab, which studies evictions and housing policy.

But since the latest moratorium was struck down, evictions have resumed.

Wright said that affordable housing for no-income and low-income families is crucial to helping people recover from COVID-19. She said that there has been “no political push,” so it is up to the people of Providence to advocate for “the people’s agenda.”

“What if we could bring this to the governor’s or mayor’s door?” Wright said. “This is the people’s agenda,” she repeated. “This is what unity looks like. We have to keep coming out, because pressure bursts pipes.

We are not going to stop until we can get housing for all.”

Among the crowd were a group of University students with Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere,

including Rocket Drew ’22 and Gabe Mernoff ’22.5.

“We conduct nighttime street outreach (with HOPE), so we are intimately familiar with the devastation that evictions can bring to people and the serious, life-threatening challenges that homelessness presents,” Drew told The Herald. “We think the state is not doing nearly enough.”

Drew added that “we have somewhat of a reparative obligation to be here as Brown students, in light of Brown’s history of gentrification and displacement in the area.” Students seeking off-campus housing on College Hill have contributed to forcing out local residents and straining already-reduced housing stock in the past, The Herald previously reported.

“In the College Hill bubble, it’s so easy to pretend that these issues don’t exist,” Drew said. “When you’re familiar with” the issues, he said, “you can’t just ignore it.”

Mernoff, a Rhode Island native, said that “having access to a home is so intimately tied to other issues, such as health and social determinants of health. I’ve never understood why we have such obvious inequality between (College Hill) and here in downtown.”

The motivation behind the protest was the current lack of an eviction moratorium, Wright told The Herald after the protest. She said that DARE “is helping with evictions. We have a center for justice” to help with low-income and no-income families.

“We are also working for rent stabilization,” she said, “so that our low-income tenants don’t get priced out.”

“It’s time to think about Rhode Island at the grassroots level, and not on the political level,” Wright said.

Echoing the repeated chants of protesters, she added, “Stop evictions, save lives.”

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MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

7

FOOTBALL FROM PAGE 1 getting better every game.”

Sutton scored another touchdown to open up the second half before Cornell responded, regaining its two-point lead. The two teams’ defenses battled it out through the end of the third quarter and the start of the fourth quarter, forcing five consecutive scoreless drives that held the score at 30-28.

The scoring seal broke with another touchdown by Sutton that gave Brown a five-point lead. Cornell quarterback Jameson Wang marched downfield and responded, finding Curtis Raymond III for a touchdown and Thomas Glover for the two-point conversion.

Brown trailed by three points with just over four minutes remaining in the fourth, needing a field goal to tie or a touchdown to take the lead.

At their own 44-yard line, the Bears handed the ball to running back Jordan DeLucia ’25. DeLucia pushed through a hole in the left side of the offensive line and broke a tackle before accelerating into the open field

and outrunning Cornell’s defenders for the go-ahead touchdown.

Although the touchdown left time for Cornell’s offense to operate, the Bears didn’t consider running down the clock before scoring. “For us to play fast and be able to get some big runs is characteristic of who we want to be,” Coach Perry said. “As far as time on the clock, you’re certainly never concerned about how quickly you score the football there. We were absolutely thrilled that he did that.

And then we had a great chance at the very end of the game to come out and do it again.”

With over two minutes remaining on the clock, Cornell’s offense scored quickly thanks to a 50-yard catch by Raymond and a touchdown reception

by Glover.

On the following drive, EJ Perry and the offense had a chance to implement the two-minute drill in a winor-go-home situation. “We know we can do that drill because we’ve done it before,” EJ Perry said. “Even when the game looked like it was out of hand, we still fought and ran our two-min-

ute drill against Harvard, against URI, against Princeton. And then we got it against Cornell, and it was for the game. We were very well prepared and executed very well.”

To start the drive, EJ Perry ran for four yards and Allen Smith ’22 ran for one before Allan Houston III ’23 caught a five-yard pass for the first down. On the next play, EJ Perry saw daylight and rushed out of the pocket, sliding at Brown’s 48-yard line for a gain of 13 yards.

With less than a minute and 52 yards to go, the Bears took a timeout but did not discuss the possibility of kicking a game-tying field goal. “Every drive we start, whether it’s four minutes, two minutes or the first drive of the game, we want to end the drive in a touchdown,” EJ Perry said. “That timeout, the only thing we stressed was to execute the play call, and that’s our mentality every time, no matter what the situation is — to execute the play that’s called.”

Coming out of the timeout, EJ Perry fired a pass to a wide-open Mark Mahoney ’24 to spot the ball at

Cornell’s 30-yard line. On first down, Brown set up to pass, with Sutton, Walker and Wes Rockett ’23 all lining up to the left of the offensive line.

Through six games, the three receivers have combined for 1,233 yards, 104 catches and 15 touchdowns.

“Our receiving core has been unbelievable in their preparation and work both in the preseason and the season, and it’s really showed. And (in addition to those three), there’s a whole plethora of guys behind them and guys who have recently gotten back from injury — like Mark Mahoney,” EJ Perry said. “I’m confident that those guys are going to be in the right spots and that they’re going to make a play.”

On the snap, Walker took off from the line of scrimmage and ran along the sideline with a Cornell defensive back in tow. As EJ Perry’s throw arrived, Walker jumped up and reached his arms around his defender’s red helmet, securing the catch and tumbling into the end zone. “I was able to throw that ball up in what was pretty good coverage and Graham just made an unbelievable play,” EJ Perry said.

“Those are the type of moments that as an athlete, you really live for and relish and enjoy. It was great to watch him make that play and then to be able to celebrate with him.”

After Brown’s defense held its ground and sealed the 49-45 victory, the Bears took to the locker room.

There, they celebrated with a brick taken from the ocean during a team bonding trip to Narragansett beach earlier this year. “We did get a chance to go down to Narragansett, and the next thing you know, the kids are having fun with a brick they found in the ocean,” Coach Perry said. “They took something that they had fun with during the summer into the locker room, which is fun for me to see. At the end of that game, we also sing the ever true Brown fight song — it’s fun to carry on old traditions like that and add our own spin to it, like the brick.”

We can talk about our pace of play, how hard we practice and all these guys making plays,” EJ Perry said. “But the real reason that we’ve won these two games and played well against Princeton is because of the brick.”

MONDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2021

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

8

ARTS & CULTURE

Harry Styles: teen heartthrob turned pop solo music icon After 11 years in the music industry, Styles still holds the hearts of millions REBECCA CARCIERI SENIOR STAFF WRITER A regular patron walking through Connecticut’s Mohegan Sun Casino may have felt a bit out of place Thursday evening. Lines of people in their early 20s were decked out in elaborate outfits that featured sparkly jumpsuits, rainbow boas, glow-in-the-dark cowboy hats and sheer crop tops — an ode to the flamboyant and fashion-forward pizazz of the singer, Harry Styles, thousands were planning on seeing that night. The casino was packed with fans holding signs saying “Disrespect Me!” and “Adopt Me Please!” in order to grab the singer’s attention inside the 10,000 seat arena during the “Harry Styles: Love on Tour” concert.

The One Direction days Styles gained initial fame when he auditioned for the British version of the X Factor at the age of 16 in 2010.

After failing to progress past bootcamp as a solo artist, he was put together in an ensemble with four other boys who were also cut — Niall Horan, Liam

UNDERGROUND FROM PAGE 1 electricity. But Khosrowshahi considers these to be a natural part of managing a student-run company and said that the University was accommodating throughout the setbacks. She added that she was especially thankful for Brown’s responsiveness in navigating the reopening process.

“We do a lot on our own, but the school has been pretty good about communications,” she said, noting that the University had helped them manage setup and finances. The coffee shop is currently only accepting cash as they update their payment systems, which some students cited as a deterrent to buying coffee. Khosrowshahi said she expects a card payment option to be available within the next few weeks.

While many younger students who spoke with The Herald were unfamiliar with the Underground before its closure, older students have greeted its reopening with enthusiasm. Cormac Collins ’23.5, who came to the space two or three times a week to study before it closed, expressed excitement about being able to return. “I enjoy it more than a lot of other study places on campus.

It’s a nice vibe,” he said, though he noted that he hasn’t purchased any coffee yet since he doesn’t usually carry cash.

Most of the staff is new this year, Khosrowshahi said. Armeen Golshan

Payne, Louis Tomlinson and Zayn Malik — forming the band One Direction.

The group finished third in the competition, but their success had just begun.

The band’s debut single, “What Makes You Beautiful,” was released in September 2011 to commercial and critical success, followed by their first album “Up All Night” later that year.

The debut album featured fun, upbeat and catchy tunes such as “One Thing” and “I Want” that highlighted the innocence and lovability of the boys, creating their pristine boy-band image.

Styles quickly stood out as the fan-favorite with his long, brown curly hair, dimpled smile and prankster personality. His voice was one of the ensemble’s strongest, which led him to have many solos and become the “face” of the band.

Following their newfound fame, the band consistently released music and toured throughout its five-year stint.

Each year, they released a new album that gradually matured in sound as the boys grew older. Their 2012 album, “Take Me Home,” featured bright electric guitar sounds with messages of unrequited love. “Midnight Memories” (2013) had a rockier and more grown-up tone, with Styles authoring tracks including “Happily,” a fan favorite, and “Something Great.” The band released two more albums — “Four” (2014), which featured the popular

’23 joined as a barista shortly after the closure but didn’t start training until this fall. “We had a few trainings leading up to opening day, and I could tell pretty early on that this would be something I would like a lot,” Golshan said, adding that the managers made training a “seamless process.”

“Overall, it was an incredibly welloiled machine in terms of opening day, and I think the team handled it really well,” Golshan said.

While a number of students associate the Underground with various events such as open mics, these are hosted by outside organizations that reserve the space and are unrelated to the reopening of the coffee shop. “A common misconception is that we’re responsible for the Underground space as a whole,” Khosrowshahi said. “We actually don’t have anything to do with those events.”

Khosrowshahi hopes that younger students will apply for barista positions and noted that more applications will be available in the next few months.

“Come to the Underground for the food or drinks, but also come for the community,” she said. “We really strive to make it an open and welcoming place.”

“If you want great coffee in an amazing environment, definitely stop by and try it out,” Golshan added. “There’s no better place to be on campus.”

LEON JIANG / HERALD

The Underground was originally created by two Brown students who wanted to offer a more affordable on campus coffee option.

REBECCA CARCIERI / HERALD

Fans await glimpses into Styles’ life through his two upcoming movies and his modelling campaigns for Gucci and are anticipating new music. single “Steal My Girl,” and “Made in the A.M.” (2015), a bittersweet farewell with the song “History” — before the band took an indefinite hiatus.

“Harry Styles” and “Fine Line” In 2017, Styles released his debut solo album “Harry Styles,” which explored themes of lovers and relationships. The sound of the album featured soft rock and 1970s rock melodies. Styles’s debut single from the album, “Sign of the Times,” is an almost six-minute soft rock ballad

with inspirations from soul and indie rock. The song sets Styles apart from his boy band days by steering clear of generic pop radio trends. With a blend of ballads and high-energy rock, tracks from the album range from soft musical numbers, such as “From the Dining Table,” a song about missing an ex-partner to “Only Angel,” a guitar-heavy rock number. “Kiwi,” a true upbeat rock anthem about the classic femme fatale, and “Two Ghosts,” a soft rock ballad about old lovers dashed with a light country twang, stand out

as some of the album’s top songs.

Following the critical and commercial success of “Harry Styles,” the singer’s second album, “Fine Line” (2019) highlights themes of breakups, kindness and — as Styles himself describes — “having sex and feeling sad.”

Inspiration for the album stemmed from Styles’ heartbreak after his failed relationship with French-American model Camille Rowe. A voicemail Rowe left for Styles is even featured in the album at the end of the heartfelt song “Cherry.” “Fine Line” is a more adventurous album with Styles integrating layers of harmonies in the song “Golden” and a funk guitar rhythm in “Adore You.” His most wellknown single from the album “Watermelon Sugar,” which won a Grammy Award for Best Pop Solo Performance, is a song about the shared pleasures of oral sex and the female orgasm famously disguised as a lively summer tune.

While Styles is on tour for another month, fans anxiously await new music and glimpses into other aspects of his life, offered through his upcoming movies, “My Policeman” and “Don’t Worry Darling,” as well as modeling campaigns for Gucci. Harry Styles is one of the top names in the music industry and with fans staying by his side for the past 11 years, it is clear that his popularity is here to stay.