SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019
VOLUME CLIV, ISSUE 33
BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
UNIVERSITY NEWS
SPORTS
Warren Kanders Must Go criticizes U. connections to Safariland Group owner
Harvard, leads league
Students protest U. ties to Kanders ’79 Women’s soccer beats Bruno breaks Crimson’s seven-game win streak with 4-2 victory Saturday
BY OLIVIA GEORGE SENIOR STAFF WRITER Students disrupted the start of a Family Weekend campus tour Saturday afternoon, unveiling banners and reciting demands that the University must sever all ties with Warren Kanders ’79 P’23, who owns law enforcement and military supply manufacturer the Safariland Group. The demonstration began shortly after 3 p.m. when nine students, all of whom are members of student collective Warren Kanders Must Go, climbed the steps of the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center and approached a tour group predominantly composed of current students’ family members. Two more students poked their heads out of a second-floor window in Faunce and released a banner reading: “Brown University Sponsored By Tear Gas.” “At Brown, our Protest and Demonstration Guidelines make clear that protest is a necessary and acceptable means of expression within the Brown
BY RANDI RICHARDSON STAFF WRITER
REBECCA HO / HERALD
Safariland manufactures law enforcement supplies that have reportedly been used on migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. community — but that protest becomes event entitled “Environmental Change, unacceptable when it obstructs the basic Societal Challenges and the Power of exchange of ideas, disrupts or materially Financial Investments,” hosted at the interferes with the educational func- Institute at Brown for Environment tions of the University,” wrote Brian and Society. Kanders, who could not Clark, director of news and editorial be reached for comment by press time, development, in an email to The Her- is a member of the advisory council for ald. Clark also wrote that if a protest the IBES. Along with his wife, Allison were to violate University guidelines, Kanders, he has also financially supit would prompt the school to “review ported a Brown Arts Initiative lecture the circumstances in the context of the series since 2017. Code of Student Conduct.” Kanders stepped down as vice Saturday’s protest follows a series chairman of the Whitney Museum of of actions led by members of Warren American Art this summer over protests Kanders Must Go. In addition to disrupt- about his company’s sale of tear gas, The ing the tour, students distributed fliers at a Friday afternoon Family Weekend SEE KANDERS PAGE 3
ARTS & CULTURE
Diving into ‘The Lighthouse’ with Director Robert Eggers IFFBoston and A24 host screening, Q&A at Harvard’s Brattle Theater
BY KATHERINE OK SENIOR STAFF WRITER An advanced screening of “The Lighthouse,” a film directed by Robert Eggers, uneased and astonished audiences at the Brattle Theater Oct. 17. The event, hosted in collaboration with A24, marked the beginning of the new “The Film And…” Festival, hosted by Independent Film Festival of Boston. According to the Brattle’s lead creative programming director Ned Hinkle, the Festival focuses on film screenings and related events that range from live commentary to director Q&As and lectures. “The Lighthouse” is the much-anticipated sophomore film from Robert Eggers, the director known for his critically acclaimed debut horror film “The VVitch,” also released by A24. Horror aficionados and A24 fans alike
lined up outside of the Brattle in hopes of gaining entrance to this advanced screening of “The Lighthouse.” Located in Harvard Square, the Brattle has been operating since 1953 and boasts independent, repertory-style programming that features classic, foreign and art-house cinema. While admission was free, the small capacity of the theater limited the screening to a first-come, first-serve basis. Set in the 1890s, “The Lighthouse” portrays the descent of two men into darkness as they weather the simultaneously beguiling and terrifying forces of the ocean. The film explores the existential tension and homoerotic physicality between Thomas Wake and Ephraim Winslow, played by Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, respectively. A slow-burning, psychological thriller, “The Lighthouse” investigates how nature and human nature can foster darkness. “The Lighthouse”’s most pronounced attributes are its intensely stylized visual and technical aspects. Utilizing the atypical dimensions of a
SEE LIGHTHOUSE PAGE 4
Saturday morning, Lauren Hinton ’22 rode her bike along the path between the Jonathan Nelson ’77 Fitness Center and the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center before hopping off and locking it down with her U-lock. The next stop: a face off against Harvard with the rest of the women’s soccer team. Bruno hoped to beat the Crimson — its equally 3-0 Ivy League rival — to lock down first place in the conference, instead of being tied at the top. Hinton’s morning calm would foreshadow the Bears’ cool domination as they defeated Harvard 4-2 to clinch first place in the league and snap the Crimson’s seven-game win streak. The Bears were also the first Ivy team to find the back of the net against Harvard, which is ranked 40th in the country, according to NCAA RPI. Bruno
currently sits at fifth in the national rankings. “There was a lot riding on this game given the fact that both teams were 3-0 and tied for first, with both teams capable of scoring and neither team conceding many goals,” said Head Coach Kia McNeill. “The result continues to show how dominant our team is, and the scary thing is we can continue to get better from here.” “This was such a big win for our program — we were neck and neck with Harvard, and from the beginning you could tell both teams really wanted it,” said junior captain Sydney Cummings ’21. “When a team like this wants something, the team standing in our way better watch out. We are really proud and happy as a team, but our work isn’t done.” Bruno did not waste any time getting down to business: Rebecca Rosen ’22 scored a header off a corner from senior captain Abby Carchio ’20 within the first five minutes of play. This was Rosen’s first goal of the season and the fifth of her career. Later on in the first half, Brown an-
SEE W.SOCCER PAGE 2
SPORTS
Football suffers historic loss to Princeton
Bears’ defense gives up most points in school history in 65-22 loss to Tigers Saturday BY RYAN HANDEL SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Saturday marked a new low for the football team, which suffered a historic loss against Princeton in a Family Weekend matchup. Princeton’s explosive offense went to work during the first half to put up an astounding 51 points. The undefeated Tigers spent most of the second half winding down the clock and left Brown Stadium with a 65-22 blowout victory. The score broke Brown’s record for most points allowed in a single game; the Bears previously allowed 62 points against Dartmouth in 1903. “Princeton was definitely a great team, hats off to them,” said linebacker Malcolm Brunson ’23, who led the Bears in tackles Saturday. “The score is not indicative of how well we played. We still have a lot of progress to make, but overall I think
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Bruno’s record for most points allowed in a single game previously stood at 62, during a 1903 match-up against Dartmouth. we did pretty well.” Brown (1-4, 0-2 Ivy) jumped out to an early 6-0 lead with a receiving touchdown from quarterback EJ Perry ’21 to wideout Jakob Prall ’21, and held Princeton (5-0, 2-0) to a field goal on the Tigers’ first offensive drive. However, a three and out by the Bears gave the ball right back to Princeton, and the Tigers’ running back Ryan Quigley ran for his first touchdown on the day. On the next Tigers possession, Quigley ran for his second score, giving Princeton a commanding 17-6 first quarter lead. The Bears continued to fight
Sports
News
Commentary
Commentary
Women’s volleyball beats Columbia 3-1, bringing Ivy record to 2-5 Page 2
Athenaeum exhibit honors 200th anniversary of Walt Whitman’s birth Page 3
Klein ’20: No clear front-runner for this season’s NBA Finals Page 6
Arnold ’20: Women, minority groups may find unique outlet in astrology Page 7
despite the deficit, and a 42-yard strike to Prall brought Bruno to the 1-yard-line. Running back Allen Smith ’22 rushed into the end zone to cut Princeton’s advantage to 17-12. On the ensuing possession, linebacker Jason Medeiros ’22 picked off Tigers quarterback Kevin Davidson. Brown nearly capitalized on the turnover by driving to the Princeton 1-yard-line, giving them an opportunity to take a second quarter lead over the returning conference champs. But the Princeton defense
SEE FOOTBALL PAGE 4
TODAY
TOMORROW
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019
SPORTS
Bears win three consecutive sets to eclipse Columbia Brown volleyball brings Ivy League record to 2-5, to face Yale Saturday at home BY AMELIA SPALTER STAFF WRITER The women’s volleyball team outplayed Columbia in three consecutive sets to win 3-1 at home Saturday. The first period got off to a tense start, with the Bears falling to Columbia 19-25, but fluid defense and an eye for passing opportunities allowed Bruno to come surging back to shut down Columbia 25-17, 25-22 and 25-17. “We just had to pull it together and remember that we’re playing for each other and no one else,” said outside hitter Sophia Miller ’23. Miller led the team in digs with her 18 saves over the course of the night. The Bears (10-7, 2-5 Ivy) spent the first stanza finding their footing, as the Lions (10-7, 3-4) took an early lead in the set and rolled to a 1-0 lead in the match. But the Bears returned for the second set with a vengeance, taking an early 3-1 lead at the hands of outside hitter Makena Ehlert ’20, who snagged the first kill. Columbia tied the game at 4, but back-to-back kills from Miller inched the Brown lead to 6-4. The Bears
held tight to their advantage for the remainder of the set, even as Columbia tied at 12, 13 and again at 14. Brown won the set 25-17, with eight of their ten kills brought in by Ehlert, who led the night in kills alongside Miller with 19 apiece. “Today we came in with a different vibe about how we wanted to leave the gym,” Ehlert said. “It was nice to see everything come together, finally backto-back-to-back and pushing through point by point without letting up at the end.” Columbia came in hot at the top of the third set, opening with three unanswered points. Columbia’s ball-handling errors tallied Bruno’s first two points of the game, but the Lions responded with two kills. Ehlert broke the mold, supplying Bruno’s first kill of the set to bring the score to 5-3. It would not be until the score tied at 7 that the Bears leapt up, or in this case, dove down, to grab the lead. Hurling herself across the attack line, Kaitlyn Wong ’23 made Brown’s sixth, seventh and eighth points possible to hold the lead until Columbia tied the Bears at eight. “Kaitlyn’s steadiness was unbelievable today,” said Head Coach Ahen Kim. “She was able to cover a lot of attackers, she passed repetitively and her serving continued to get stronger. Having a couple (of) people that are steady like (Wong) makes it that much
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
Sophia Miller ’23, Makena Ehlert ’20 (pictured) and Kaitlyn Wong ’23 distinguished themselves as key players in Bruno’s defeat of Columbia. easier for the next person, who can then say ‘I messed up, but since my teammate is strong right now, I have room.’” Both teams scratched and clawed their way through the tight remainder of the set, with no team pulling further than two points ahead until a kill from right-side hitter Eliza Grover ’21 brought the score to 24-21 with Bruno ahead. Miller recorded the set-winning kill to finish the stanza with a 25-22 Brown victory. Every game-winning point of the night came off of assists
from setter Kristin Sellers ’22, who was fifth in assists per set in the Ivy League last season and tallied 29 assists in the match. Brown surged to victory in the final stanza, not allowing Columbia a single lead in the winning set. There were several close calls early in the period, but when Columbia tied the score at 3, Miller and Ehlert retaliated with backto-back kills to notch a 5-3 advantage. When Columbia tied the score at 5, Miller and Ehlert drove the tally up to 7-5. Bruno sprinted to the finish line,
W. SOCCER FROM PAGE 1
COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS
After beating Harvard Saturday, the women’s soccer team will take a break from league play to face off against the University of Vermont this Wednesday.
swered a Harvard goal with its second of the period when Celia Story ’19.5 finished off a goal kick with just over 20 seconds left. Story pounced on an unclaimed ball resting inside the penalty box and added to the scoreboard by capitalizing on Harvard goalie Kat Hess’ absence from her line. Story gave Brown a 2-1 advantage going into halftime and a formidable start to locking down Saturday’s victory and the league title. “Rebecca’s early goal really helped our momentum and Celia’s goal in the 45th minute was just what we needed going into the half,” Cummings said. “We knew they were going to play short and our forwards were up for the challenge.” The unrelenting Bears took to the field to open the second half with two goals 20 seconds apart, both within the opening 12 minutes. Carchio sent over a free kick and Ava Seelenfreund ’23 headed the ball down to the foot of none other than Star White ’21, who masterfully slid the ball from within the goal area past the goalie and into the net at 57:16. Soon after, at 57:33, Brittany Ra-
going on a three-point run from 17-13 to 20-13 thanks to service errors from Columbia. Bruno traded points with Columbia until 23-17, when kills from Grover and Miller finished off the set at 25-17 to win the match. “There was good maturity shown by (our team),” Kim said. “Those opportunities have been there for us time and time again and we hadn’t been capitalizing on them. We’re finally finding that right balance.” The Bears will face Yale Saturday at 2:00 in the Pizzitola Sports Center.
phino ’23 gave Hess another Bear attack. Zoe Maxwell ’22 played a long ball through Crimson’s back line to Raphino, whose initial shot was rejected. Raphino finished the rebound and added a point to the scoreboard her second time around. Harvard scored its second goal of the game during the 89th minute, but Bruno had already sealed its first-place position at the top of the league. “Our win against Harvard with four goal scorers just goes to show the dynamics and depth of our team,” White said. “While we are enjoying (the) recent win, the focus for the last three Ivy games is to finish the season as strong as we started to ensure that we get the championship title.” “I’m proud of the team and the way they executed our game plan,” McNeill said. “We wanted to pin Harvard’s backs into their half, and that’s exactly what we did. Having four different goal scorers continues to show the depth of our team and how dangerous we are in the final third.” The Bears will take a break from league play for a Wednesday afternoon matchup against the University of Vermont.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS
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UNIVERSITY NEWS
Watson scholar sues federal government over freedom of speech Timothy Edgar takes on constitutionality of prepublication review process BY DANIEL GOLDBERG SENIOR STAFF WRITER Timothy Edgar, senior fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs and former associate general counsel at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, has filed a First Amendment lawsuit against the directors of several federal agencies. Edgar and four other former government employees allege that the process of prepublication review restricts speech to an unconstitutional degree. A prepublication review involves the government reviewing and potentially censoring the writings of former government employees who were privy to classified information. The complaint requests that this process — one of “prior restraint,” according to the document — employed by the ODNI, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Department of Defense and the National Security Agency be declared unconstitutional, and that the court files an injunction to stop prepublication review from continuing in its current form. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University filed the complaint for Edgar v. Coats et al. April 2 with the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland on behalf of the plaintiffs. The plaintiffs claim that the submission requirements and review standards of prepublication review are “vague, overbroad and leave former employees uncertain” of what they are obligated to submit to the government for review before publishing, according to the complaint. For example, the ODNI requires all former employees to submit any information intended for publication that “discusses opera-
KANDERS FROM PAGE 1 Herald previously reported. Safariland Group sells tear gas that law enforcement officials have reportedly used on migrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border, among other incidents worldwide. In a February 2018 letter to The Herald, Kanders affirmed his commitment to the University community and defended Safariland and its products. “Our less lethal products are designed to give law enforcement crowd control options in dangerous situations,” Kanders wrote. “As with any product, ultimate responsibility for its use falls on the individuals involved in their use.” “We reject the false choice between meeting protesters with tear gas or with bullets,” Nina Wolff Landau ’20 told the tour group Saturday. “The solution is not controlling a crowd through violence, it is addressing the systemic failures that protesters are calling out.” Behind her, other demonstrators held a large banner simply lettered: “Warren Kanders Must Go.” After about a minute, student tour guides proceeded with their introductions, urging protesters to move, saying they were on a tight schedule. “I wasn’t sure what to do,” Tyler Zickmund ’22, who has been a tour guide since the spring, told The Herald. Zickmund’s parents were on the tour,
tions, business practices or information related to the ODNI (the Intelligence Community) or national security,” according to ODNI’s guidelines for prepublication review. In response, the Department of Justice has filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit on the grounds that Edgar’s case lacks standing. The DOJ states that the current system of prepublication review is necessary to ensure that former employees do not reveal classified information to the public. The DOJ also
lawsuit against Snowden, alleging that he violated his non-disclosure agreements with the CIA and NSA by failing to submit his book to the agencies for prepublication review. Edgar has previously taken an interest in Snowden. In 2017, he published a book titled “Beyond Snowden: Privacy, Mass Surveillance and the Struggle to Reform the NSA,” in which he stresses the importance of bolstering privacy protections and outlines the shortcomings of the NSA’s structure.
time at the CIA for review, the agency took eleven months to complete the process, and as a result, the book’s publication was postponed, according to the complaint. Edgar encountered similar problems when he submitted a manuscript for his book “Beyond Snowden: Privacy, Mass Surveillance, and the Struggle to Reform the NSA.” He believes that there is, in practice, an indefinite review period, which in turn restrains speech. “Part of writing in a way that’s effective
SUMMER ZHANG / HERALD
argues that the former employees voluntarily signed lifetime non-disclosure agreements, which allow for prepublication review, in order to obtain their security clearances, according to the defense’s brief supporting the motion to dismiss. The court has not yet issued a date of oral argument on the motion to dismiss. The DOJ did not respond to The Herald’s request for comment. The complaint landed months before Edward Snowden, former National Security Agency contractor, released a memoir about his decision to disclose a slew of confidential government documents. Days after the memoir hit stands, the United States filed a civil
and he noted no one in the tour group brought up the disruption during the tour. Demonstrators continued to recite demands as the tour guides gave their introductions. Beyond cutting all ties with Kanders, the collective of students are calling for the University to establish “a transparent, ethical gift policy,” Wolff Landau told the group. Brickson Diamond ’93 and Bernadette Aulestia ’94 — both members of the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body — expanded on the University’s gift policy in a letter to The Herald last month. “Brown does not accept gifts if it’s evident the proceeds were obtained illicitly, and only accepts gifts that are aligned with Brown priorities and do not carry strings dictating educational or research decisions,” they wrote. In a Feb. 21 op-ed in The Herald, President Christina Paxson P’19 evoked Brown’s current gift policy, adopted in 2002, as the standard she and the University abide by: “Gifts will be accepted so long as they are found to contribute to the approved purposes of the University.” Members of Warren Kanders Must Go have disputed the president’s response, demanding that the University impliment and publicize a more stringent ethical line for gifts with input from students, faculty and staff.
“The system has gotten out of control,” Edgar told The Herald. “I try to comply with it to the best of my ability, but I don’t think anyone could actually physically comply with the system exactly how it’s written.” Brett Max Kaufman, a senior staff attorney at the ACLU, added that the prepublication reviewers do not always adhere to their stated benchmark of 30 business days. “There is no assurance from any of the agencies, and certainly no guarantee of prompt review for works of writing that need to reach the public in order to be relevant to an ongoing debate,” he told The Herald. When a plaintiff in Edgar v. Coats submitted a 2017 manuscript about his
in the national conversation is knowing that timing and getting it right,” he told The Herald. “The right to speak is the right to speak when it actually matters.” For Edgar, the biggest issue with prepublication review is its effect on how he decides what to write. Because he wanted to publish the book on Snowden in a timely manner and avoid conflict with the government, Edgar said he frequently found himself thinking, “What can I do to make sure ... that my relationship (with the government) is preserved?” “I shouldn’t be thinking that way. That’s censorship,” he added. Kaufman called this fear that negative writing will result in increased
redactions and damaged relationships with government agencies a “chilling effect on speech,” arguing that the prepublication review constitutes a suppression of speech “through anticipation of government action” rather than direct censorship. The DOJ argues that the plaintiffs’ concerns represent “a mere preference not to use the existing (appeal process) available to them to contest individual prepublication review decisions,” according to the defense’s brief. They argue that the plaintiffs’ claims of a chilling effect on speech have no standing, as the plaintiffs all stated in the complaint that they intend to continue writing about the government regardless of the “systemic inadequacies they allege.” The DOJ also asserts that the amount of time needed to review any given submission is dependent on “numerous factors that the Agencies cannot control,” such as submission length and the amount of classified information it contains, according to the defense’s brief. The defense further argues that whenever prepublication review results in the requirement of a change to submitted writing, “the explanation is that the material is classified.” They state that explanations of why such material is classified would reveal information that the writer is not authorized to receive. Edgar acknowledged the importance of some form of prepublication review when national security is at risk. “If I really genuinely thought that something I was going to write could damage national security, I would certainly want to submit it to an (agency) and get a second opinion,” he said. “I did make a commitment to the government to keep certain secrets, and I actually honor that commitment.” But he remains committed to challenging the current policy. “It gives the government too much power over that critically important group of people who have credibility to speak to national security issues.”
ERICA HUNT KARAN MAHAJAN Join us in welcoming two new members of the Literary Arts community: Erica Hunt, Assistant Professor of the Practice in Poetry and Karan Mahajan, Assistant Professor in Fiction, by coming to hear them read from their work.
Tuesday, 22 October 2019 at 7:30 pm McCormack Family Theater 70 Brown Street, Providence [use Fones Alley entrance]
Erica Hunt is a poet, essayist and author of Local History, Arcade, Piece Logic, Time Flies Right Before the Eyes and other publications. Her latest title is Veronica: A Suite in X Parts. Karan Mahajan is the author of Family Planning andThe Association of Small Bombs, which was shortlisted for the 2016 National Book Awards.
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019
LIGHTHOUSE FROM PAGE 1 1.19:1 aspect ratio to claustrophobic effect, “The Lighthouse” most closely resembles films from Hollywood’s bygone eras. The film’s high contrast sharpens Dafoe’s wrinkly grimaces and Pattinson’s fearful glances with an exaggerated severity. These technical aspects are what allow Eggers’ film to paint an unnerving portrait of the loss of sanity. “The Lighthouse” resembles the stylized gothicism of American paintings like those by Edward Hopper. After the screening, the Brattle brought out Director Robert Eggers for a quick question-and-answer session with the audience about the production of the film. Responding to a question about his experience creating the set of “The Lighthouse,” Eggers discussed the painstaking process of cultivating the film’s atmosphere. Further elaborating on the focus of even minute details, Eggers described how “the period-correct buttons, the facial hair and the dirt under the fingernails” gave “The Lighthouse” a rare realism. Responding to a question about whether it was difficult to negotiate the culturally obsolete aspect ratio with the film’s financiers, Eggers bluntly said, “Yes.” The audience laughed, and he continued, “To be totally frank,… A24 was totally supportive and gave me an incredible amount of freedom. … That didn’t mean that I didn’t have to talk a lot and wear them down to get what I want.” Many audience members had questions relating to Eggers’ inspiration and creative process behind “The Lighthouse,” which features archaic, accent-heavy dialogue and references to specific sea tales of sirens and mythology. “It took a lot of research, being that this film took place in a nautical setting in the 19th century,” Eggers said. “Obviously, we are going to open up Melville, … Coleridge, … Stevenson and other usual suspects.” According to Deadline, “The Lighthouse” opened on eight screens in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and Washington D.C. to an estimated $419,764, receiving a 92 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. In the coming weeks, the film will expand to about 500 screens nationwide. MICHAEL BASS / HERALD
On Friday Oct. 18, the Brattle Theater in Harvard Square presented an early screening of A24’s “The Lighthouse,” along with a question and answer segment with the film’s director, Robert Egger. This is Egger’s second directorial project, after “The VVitch,” also produced by A24.
FOOTBALL FROM PAGE 1 held firm and came up with a fourth down stop. That was the closest Bruno would get to the Tigers for the remainder of the game, as the Princeton passing game began to fire on all cylinders. Davidson rebounded from his early pick to toss a 28-yard touchdown following the goal line stand. Then, a Perry interception set up the Tigers with great field position, and Quigley capitalized with a short rushing score. Quigley finished the game with 44 rushing yards and three touchdowns on nine carries. Perry launched an accurate deep ball to receiver Dan Gemmell ’21, who glided into the end zone for an easy score to give the Bears a glimmer of hope midway through the second quarter. But the Tigers’ offensive onslaught was just getting started. Princeton scored a touchdown on each of its final three possessions of the half to waltz into the locker room with a 51-19 lead. Davidson tossed two of those touchdowns, and Zachary Keller punched in the third with a
run. Suddenly, what was a close game just minutes ago was a blowout by halftime. Princeton did not slow down out of the break. Davidson threw another long bomb to Dylan Classi, who blazed past the Bruno secondary for a 39-yard score. Brown was able to salvage a field goal on the following drive, but Davidson threw a 40-yard touchdown before the third quarter was over. The Princeton signal-caller finished the game with 379 passing yards and five touchdowns. The Tigers played conservatively in the fourth quarter, using two five-minute drives to wind down the clock and put the finishing touches on their historic victory. Princeton put up 65 points, just one point fewer than the Tigers’ all-time single game record. “Sometimes people get hung up on the scoreboard, but I’m not one of those people,” said Head Coach James Perry ’00. “I’m really happy with how we’re practicing. I know we’ll get better. The lessons learned today will lead to wins in the coming weeks.” Despite the loss, Smith had a ca-
reer day with his first ever 100-yard rushing game. He recorded 109 yards on 15 carries to go with a short touchdown run. “The O-line was blocking great, getting me the holes,” Smith said. “A lot of credit to the O-line.” The Bears will look to get back on track Saturday and earn their first Ivy victory as they head to Ithaca, New York to take on Cornell. The Big Red have also struggled early this season, beginning their year with an 0-2 conference record.
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | TODAY
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Paul Adler: The 99 Percent Economy 12:00 P.M. Watson Institute
Math and Art Panel Discussion 6:00 P.M. 121 South Main St.
Smart Women Securities Interview Prep Series #2 7:00 P.M. Smith-Buonanno Hall
PW presents: 3c2c 8:00 P.M. TF Green Hall
TOMORROW Alex de Waal: Starvation Crimes in the Horn of Africa 12:00 P.M. Watson Institute
I Stand with Immigrants Day of Action 1:30 P.M. Main Green
Latin American and Iberian Film Series: 7 semanas 6:00 P.M. Rochambeau House
Jazz Combos Concert 8:00 P.M. Grant Recital Hall
Q U OTE OF TH E DAY
“The result continues to show how dominant our team is, and the scary thing is we can continue to get better from here.”
—Head Coach Kia McNeill SEE W.SOCCER PAGE 1
T HE L AD DER TO SUCCESS CR O S SWO R D
LEON JIANG / HERALD
The four planks on this ladder outside the RISD Woods-Gerry Gallery may represent the four formative years many students spend in college. The climb to the top may be hard, but the view will be worth it!
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019
Who will win the NBA Finals? BY GEORGE KLEIN ’20 SPORTS COLUMNIST The NBA season returns Tuesday night to much anticipation, since, for the first time in a while, the league truly feels wide open for a variety of contenders. There is no one single dominant Big Three, but rather several strong two-star duos. While a host of teams have viable championship aspirations, let’s take a look at three in particular that seem to be a cut above the rest. On paper, the Los Angeles Clippers look like the best team in the NBA. Between Kawhi Leonard and Paul George, they have the best twoway wings, and we’ve already seen how Leonard can take over a team and lead a group to the championship. Over 24 playoff games last season for the Toronto Raptors, he averaged 30.1 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. A third NBA Finals MVP would secure Leonard’s place among the all-time greats. Teams will struggle to score against the Clippers in general, as the combination of Leonard, George and Patrick Beverley will make it tough for guards to find openings. Los Angeles has plenty of depth to back up its two stars. Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrel form a devastating second-unit pair, and Landry Shamet is the perfect roleplayer on a championship team with his three-point shooting prowess. The Clippers have to be wary of injuries, though. George will miss at least the first 10 games of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery. Leonard seems fine, but the health of his legs will be watched closely by fans throughout the season. He only played
nine games in the 2017-18 NBA season and had a noticeable limp throughout the later rounds of the playoffs last year. Another concern is ball-handling: Los Angeles does not have a clear playmaker to set up teammates. The Clippers will most likely pursue options in the buyout market midseason, but spacing on the court could become an issue early on. Still, they boast star power, depth and
“With no one overpowering team, any contender has a real chance at the title.”
terrific defense — right now, they are the favorites to win the championship. Next we have the Los Angeles Lakers. Any team with LeBron James and Anthony Davis is sure to contend for a championship. Pickand-roll and pick-and-pop plays run by the two stars will prove almost impossible for opposing defenses to stop consistently. James has never played with a big man as talented as Davis, and he can conserve his energy for the playoffs, deferring to Davis for stretches. The Lakers also have other pieces who can offer large contributions in a championship chase. Kyle Kuzma can score in bunches with his elusive moves to the basket and Danny Green is a classic 3-and-D
player who has won two rings. Still, depth could become an issue for the Lakers. Time will tell if the front office has put enough pieces around James and Davis. JaVale McGee and Dwight Howard, both question marks at this point, will see playing time at center, with Los Angeles hoping that Howard can resurrect his career. They, like the Clippers, also don’t have many playmakers. LeBron will start the season at “point guard,” and Rajon Rondo is the only other player known for his passing on the roster. Rondo will have to step up his defense significantly if he wants to have an important role. The Lakers’ season could come down to whether those secondary veterans — Rondo, McGee, Howard and Avery Bradley — can produce enough. Moving to the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers stand out. While the rest of the league has embraced small ball, Philly has gone in the opposite direction, putting together an enormous starting lineup. Between Ben Simmons, Josh Richardson, Tobias Harris, Al Horford and Joel Embiid, no one stands shorter than 6 feet 6 inches (and four out of the five are 6 feet 9 inches or taller). The defense might emerge as the league’s best — opposing teams will have little space in which to operate among all these towering defenders. The addition of Horford should help Embiid most of all, since he won’t have to face Horford’s defense in the postseason anymore. The 33-year-old will also alleviate some of the punishment Embiid takes in the paint over the course of the season. The Sixers have some solid younger players who should be able to contribute as well; Zhaire Smith boasts impressive athleticism and Matisse Thybulle will generate plenty of steals on
defense. But does Philadelphia have enough shooting? The Sixers will miss JJ Redick, and no one besides backup Mike Scott currently offers well above-average accuracy from the three-point range (unless Harris recovers his form from earlier last year). Simmons has been working on a shot throughout the offseason, but it remains to be seen whether his jumper will become an actual feature of his offense during real games. If he still can’t shoot, expect inconsistent playoff performances from him yet again. Still, the Sixers will look to play a brand of bully ball, and with little competition in the East besides the Milwaukee Bucks, they should reach the Finals. Of course, several other teams are right in the championship hunt, too. The Bucks were two wins away from the Finals last year, and Giannis Antetokounmpo could take his game to another level and dominate the playoffs. The Houston Rockets will pair James Harden with Russell Westbrook, and while the fit could seem a bit rough at first, team chemistry should be much improved this year. The Rockets have won 118 games combined over the last two seasons and should earn a high seed again. And don’t forget about the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry will have to take over in the regular season, but no one will want to face them in the playoffs once Klay Thompson comes back. With no one overpowering team, any contender has a real chance at the title.
George Klein ’20 can be reached at george_klein@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.
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MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY
7
Who we talk about when we talk about astrology tique of astrology is inherently misogynistic, or homophobic or racist — of course it’s not. I, for one, share Flynn’s concern that it’s all too possible for vulnerable young people to turn to astrology in lieu of seeking professional help. But I do think that the answer to the question “What value could astrology possibly have?” can be found, at least partially, by looking to the
the people who consult astrologers, psychologist Graham Tyson came to the conclusion that “consulting an astrologer is a response by an individual to the stresses with which he or she is faced.” It makes sense, then, that women, LGBTQ+ people and people of color — all of whom have been reported to have higher levels of stress — would be the ones to turn to astrol-
is: “Is this how you see me?” and “Is this how I see myself?” Even if the impetus for these conversations is pseudo-scientific, it doesn’t mean that the conversations themselves are unimportant. Astrology forces you to grapple with your identity by daring you to disagree with the proscribed personality trait. The real understanding doesn’t come from being handed a
claim. When asked about who she thinks the main followers of astrology are, she says, without hesitation, “it’s for girls and gays.” And while Rosenbohm’s assertion may seem like a gross stereotype, there’s plenty of evidence that she’s onto something. A quick Google search will yield dozens of articles examining the same pattern, with titles like: “Astrology is Booming, and It’s Queerer Than Ever” or “Why Women Believe in Astrology More Than Men” or “Queer Astrology: Why LGBTQ People Seek Answers in the Stars.” The association between astrology and queer identity is so ubiquitous, in fact, that last year the queer magazine “them” published an article about how queer people who don’t believe in astrology often feel ostracized by their own community. And in terms of the correlation between belief in astrology and gender identity, there’s data to back that up, too. In the very same 2018 Pew Research Center poll — cited in Jamie Flynn’s ’20 Oct. 9 “When the stars don’t align: The failures of astrology” Herald column — you’ll notice a marked gender discrepancy. While 20 percent of American men believe in astrology, 37 percent of women do. The poll also shows that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to believe in astrology than their white and non-Hispanic counterparts. It is important to talk about who believes in astrology and why it might be useful, something the “When the stars don’t align” column fails to do. So when we talk about the “uninformed” people who are increasingly looking to “fake and meaningless” tools to gain a better un-
identity of the people who practice it.
ogy. When you’re constantly handed the short
Why do so many people who are part of marginalized groups find themselves drawn toward astrology, then? Well, there are a couple of theories. The first is that, at least for some queer people, astrology offers a spiritual outlet and sense of community similar to that of organized religion, without any of the bigotry and conservatism. Talking about her sizeable queer following, Jessica Lanyadoo — host of the wildly popular astrological show “Ghost of a Podcast” — says: “Too often queer people are rejected by their families and the religious institutions that they grew up in … Astrology offers a totally non-denominational and non-judgmental method of connecting to the Divine.” Astrology, then, carves out an important middle ground. It’s a space for people who are still very spiritual — but who, for some reason or another, might feel
end of the stick in part because of your race, your gender, your sexuality or some combination of the three, there is a certain comfort and a certain value in understanding that not everything is in your control. For the record, I don’t believe in astrology at all: I’m just about as big of a skeptic and a cynic and a textbook-thumping hard-scientist as you can get. But even as someone who has only ever looked at astrology from an ironic distance, I still see how it can serve as a great tool for self-reflection. Astrology hands down labels and explanations and asks people to figure out to what extent those explanations apply to their own lives. To have a conversation with someone about whether or not you “seem like a Sagittarius,” for example, isn’t just a vapid, passive exchange where you trade clichés and then blindly submit to the will of the universe. In fact, it’s the exact
label, but how you try to make sense of it. As someone who has struggled with how exactly to label myself ever since I realized that I was attracted to women, I find that there is a lot in common with the way both astrology and my sexuality force me to try out different labels and explain who I am to other people. Maybe astrology speaks to women, queer people and people of color because they are already forced to see themselves from outside themselves: forced to explain what it means to be a woman, what it means to be trans, what it means to be Latinx — and so on — in a society that was not built with their existence in mind. Maybe astrology serves as a fun, low-stakes way to continue to think about one’s identity outside of oppressive social structures. Or maybe it is about finding a spiritual refuge outside of religion. Or maybe it is about coping with stress. But whatever the reason, if astrology really is a part of life for a lot of marginalized people — and it is — then it probably does serve an important function. And even if you think that astrology really is ruining people’s lives and has absolutely nothing of value to contribute, then it is more important than ever to think about the kind of people that astrology attracts. Are “girls and gays” being failed by doctors, by mental health professionals, by organized religion and by the self-help industry? Is that why they are turning to astrology? Or do they just know how to have more fun?
derstanding of themselves and their world, it’s important that we recognize that we are talking about a group of people that is significantly more female, more queer and more diverse than the mainstream. This isn’t to say that any cri-
alienated by organized religion — to find meaning and belonging. Another theory, like Flynn suggested, is about coping with stress and making sense of a senseless world. In a 1982 study profiling
opposite: it’s an active and engaging interrogation of the self. When you’re asking people if they think you are, in fact, “generous and idealistic, but also impatient,” like Sagittariuses are supposed to be, what you’re really asking
BY ALLIE ARNOLD ’20 OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR
In a quote from an article titled “Why Straight Men Hate Astrology So Much,” lesbian astrologer Randon Rosenbohm puts out a provocative
“Why do so many people who are part of marginalized groups find themselves drawn toward astrology?”
Allie Arnold ’20 can be reached at allison_arnold@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Why we should protest Amazon To the Editor: In his Oct. 11 column, Andrew Reed ’21 writes, “But there are hundreds or perhaps thousands of companies whose products serve a critical role in the mission of ICE.” In 1960, why did civil rights activists protest Woolworth, the department store chain with racial segregation policies? Weren’t African-Americans unwelcome at most lunch counters? Well, partly, because targeting a company everyone knows leads to more media coverage. Would the protesters at CareerLAB have created as big of a story if it weren’t involving Amazon? He writes, “But there hardly seems to be any meaningful difference between Amazon and an office supplier who provides ICE with a product that is perhaps less cinematic, but no less essential to their function.” Following Reed’s reasoning, should we boycott the IHOP where the top officers get their senior discount breakfast? Food is essential to work because you have to live to work. Should we boycott the woman who gave birth to the guy who started the company that sells ICE their paper? That’s Reed’s ad absurdum argument again. Does he really think we want to boycott that woman? He writes “… if you don’t like ICE,
protest them.” We do. We protest Amazon in addition to protesting ICE. He writes, “You’re either with us, or you’re with them. Under this standard, being with them is not just a matter of disagreement — it’s indicative of a deep moral failure.” Separating children from their families and putting them in cages is the greatest crime perpetrated on U.S. soil in my lifetime. Yes, it’s a moral failing to do nothing about that. In 1972, theologian Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel said, “Some are guilty, all are responsible.” This is merely one in a series of arguments that can be called “do nothing at all.” To absolve one’s guilty conscience of complicity is to wash their hands of any responsibility. I wait anxiously each day for a fresh article telling me why this or that particular tactic is wrong, and I’m rarely disappointed. If I were to wait for an effective way of ending the heinous and barbaric crimes committed by ICE, I would grow old. Until there is one, we will keep targeting the most famous of the companies that are complicit in ICE’s work. It has worked before. Rafael Pizarro Activist
C ORRECTI ON A previous version of the Oct. 18 article “Quarter of undergrads support Warren in Democratic race,” stated that Pete Buttigieg supports a single-payer health care plan. In fact, Buttigieg supports a health care plan that would include private health insurance. The Herald regrets the error.
8
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS
MONDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2019
ARTS & CULTURE
‘Poet of the Body’ exhibit celebrates Walt Whitman Providence Athenaeum show features first edition of ‘Leaves of Grass,’ other artifacts BY AUBREY LI CONTRIBUTING WRITER In honor of the 200th anniversary of Walt Whitman’s birth, “Poet of the Body,” an exhibit featuring the first edition of “Leaves of Grass,” opened at the Providence Athenaeum Oct. 15. On Saturday, the Athenaeum hosted “A Walt Whitman Celebration” to highlight the great legacy of Whitman in literature, history and popular culture. The Athenaeum’s “Poet of the Body” featured objects from a larger exhibit of the same title that was displayed earlier this year at the Grolier Club in New York, the city where Whitman was born and raised. Included in the exhibit are various editions of “Leaves of Grass” and rare photographs of Whitman, alongside personal artifacts like Whitman’s rings and a walking stick. A portion of the pieces in the exhibit are from the private Walt Whitman Collection of Susan Jaffe Tane. The Athenaeum brings its own history with Whitman to the exhibition. Walt Whitman visited Providence in October of 1868, describing the city as “this half-rural, brisk, handsome, New England, third-class town,” in a letter to his partner Peter Doyle. Whitman stayed on Congdon Street during his visit.
“Both of the people he stayed with were members of the library. So, it’s likely that he came (to the Athenaeum) when he visited,” said Robin Wetherill, director of membership and external relations at the Athenaeum. “Very excitingly, we still have, in our collection, the first edition of ‘Leaves of Grass.’ What is special about ours is that it’s the first purchase by the library. …The copyright information is written by Whitman himself. It’s been part of our collection since 1858,” Wetherill said. The Athenaeum still has the $1.25 receipt from when they first acquired “Leaves of Grass” from a Providence bookseller. “It was unusual in so many different ways, from the size of the book to the fact that there’s no author on the title page, that the only indication of the author was this very casually posed portrait,” said Kate Wodehouse, the curator and director of collections at the Athenaeum. Alongside detailing Whitman’s ties to Providence, the exhibition also aims to present him as an active “master of self-promotion,” said Wodehouse. For example, Wetherill described how Whitman praised himself as “an American bard at last” and utilized new technology to promote his work. “He understood the power of imagery. He was securing his legacy by having himself photographed a lot,” Wetherill said. “He wanted his poetry to be reflective of sort of democratic ideals and inclusiveness, and to sort of heal the country as it was heading towards war,” Wodehouse said. During the Civil War,
EILEEN ZHANG / HERALD
“Poet of the Body” features various objects from Whitman’s life alongside historical photographs and editions of his writing. The exhibit emphasizes Whitman’s lasting legacy and his connection to Providence. Whitman “worked as a clerk during the day, and then would tend to soldiers during the evening. … He would write letters to their families for them, bring them anything that would give them some sense of comfort,” Wetherill added. Whitman is also known for having a nearly life-long relationship with Peter Doyle, a streetcar conductor. Whitman associated the plant Calamus with samesex love and attraction. He named one of the clusters of poems in “Leaves of Grass” after Calamus, celebrating the “manly love of comrades,” he wrote in a poem.
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“Though some of his writings are controversial, in the first edition of ‘Leaves of Grass,’ he’s calling for the equal society. ... So it’s really a celebration of people on an equal playing field in a way that (there) hadn’t been before in the US,” said Wetherill. “I really enjoy this exhibition, that you can bring everything to life in a way,” said Tom Ash, a local resident who visits the Athenaeum often to read and attend literary events. “It’s my first time visiting the Athenaeum,” said Ronald Yuan ’23. “It’s very
neat. … I haven’t read Whitman but am planning to read some of his poems.” Juli Anna Herndon, the executive assistant at the Athenaeum, also expressed her enthusiasm about the exhibit and the audience it draws to the Athenaeum. “We have a lot of communities that are very engaged, I feel really blessed to be a part of that,” she said. The celebration of Whitman will continue Oct. 25 with a talk from Whitman scholar and NYU professor Karen Karbiener. “Poet of the Body” will be showing at the library until Jan. 5.