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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017

VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 119

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U.’s Circumpolar Lab Brown EP to visit T N E I R explores Arctic W NYC startups Established in 1973, lab gathers research, artifacts, in anthropology museum in Bristol By LIYAAN MASKATI STAFF WRITER

As temperatures drop, University researchers continue studying the wintry climes of the North at the University’s renowned Circumpolar Laboratory. The lab is tucked away in the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology’s Collections Research Center in Bristol. Founded in 1973 by Douglas Anderson, the lab was created as a part of the University’s program in anthropology. It is the “federal repository for important ethnographic and archaeological collections primarily from northwestern Alaska,” according to its website. In celebration of the Haffenreffer’s 60th anniversary, the museum created an exhibition entitled “Northern Horizons, Global Visions: J. Louis Giddings and the Invention of the Haffenreffer Museum of Anthropology.” The exhibition, currently held at Manning Hall, explores the life and

work of the Haffenreffer’s first director and displays some of the artifacts from the Circumpolar Lab’s collections. Despite its vast archives and rich history, the Circumpolar Lab appears to be largely unheard of by the Brown c om mu nity. The reason for this seems to be twofold: The Haffenreffer’s Research Center is not open to the public, and it is not located on campus. Nevertheless, individuals involved with the Circumpolar Lab and with Arctic research appreciate » See ARCTIC, page 3

Undergrad ecosystem and entrepreneurial ecosystem in New York City,” said Rohan Rastrip part togi ’18, director of special events for of Synapse Brown EP. “We want to demonstrate that there are industries, markets and series By ALEX SMOLAR STAFF WRITER

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The Brown Entrepreneurship Program will offer undergraduates from Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design the opportunity to travel to New York City and meet with various start-up companies as part of its Synapse series from Jan. 21 to 23. “Synapse New York City is an opportunity for Brown and RISD students to better understand the start-up

communities that are unique to New York City, such as media, fashion, finance and many others.” Organized entirely by students, the trip aims to include diverse types of start-ups in order to maximize student exposure to various fields. In its fifth year running, this year’s trip will include visits to successful start-ups such as Ellevest, MongoDB, Buzzfeed and General Catalyst Partners. “We try to find new firms in different spaces,” Rastogi said. “There’s usually a technical firm, and we try to focus on a media firm, if possible.” The organizers plan to select 36 student applicants to take on the trip. “We look for the same type of candidate that we look for in our general EP application,” said Jacob Saltzman ’18, copresident of Brown EP. “Someone who is thoughtful, who is curious, who is dedicated to building things and trying to innovate and think about the future and do it in interesting ways.” » See STARTUP, page 2

Poll finds athletes three times Arts audiences mostly white, non-first gen comedy groups more likely to take painkillers Theater, make strides to include

With an increased access to painkillers, athletes may use them to cope with pressure By TESS DEMEYER & MARI HERREMA SENIOR STAFF WRITER & STAFF WRITER

Varsity athletes use prescription painkillers nearly 3 times more than nonathletes, according to The Herald’s fall 2017 poll. While 3.1 percent of non-athletes reported using painkillers recreationally, 8.3 percent of polled athletes reported that they do. Researchers said athletes — who may overuse painkillers to cope with pressure to perform at high levels — could be at greater risk for painkiller abuse than non-athletes due to their increased access to prescriptions. Multiple varsity athletes responded via email that they were not aware of recreational use of these drugs among their teammates but mentioned that, in the case of injury, athletic trainers can provide such prescriptions. R e c e n t l y, the Tr u m p

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administration declared the opioid crisis a national health emergency but did not allocate any funding to deal with the issue. Between 2005 and 2015, opioid-related deaths among Americans age 24 and under almost doubled, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Opioid-related emergency room visits by young people also nearly doubled over five years, according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services. Though “painkiller” can be used to mean drugs such as Ibuprofen and Tylenol, these pain relievers function by reducing fever and inflammation. Painkillers, on the other hand, include powerful opioids such as Hydrocodone and Oxycodone. When used for non-medical purposes, painkillers can create a “high” similar to that of other opioids, such as heroin. According to an NCAA study, student-athletes are prescribed narcotics for pain medications at higher rates than other students. And in a » See PAINKILLERS, page 3

more diversity among members, make shows free By ANNABELLE WOODWARD, DIVYA MANIAR & ELIZABETH TOLEDANO STAFF WRITERS & SENIOR STAFF WRITER

With students’ eyes focused on the performers on stage, the audience is sometimes forgotten. The Herald’s spring 2016 poll found that those who attend arts events most frequently tend to be non-firstgeneration students and mostly white students. “I think that a lot more needs to be done by way of outreach or inclusion,” said Zach Silberberg ’18, a member of IMPROVidence, an improvisational comedy group, and a Herald illustrator. According to poll results, 11.5 percent of first-generation students have never been to an arts event, compared to 7.3 percent of non-first-generation students. About half of white students attend arts events at least once a month, whereas about 40 percent of students of color attend with the same frequency. More and more, cost and accessibility has become less of an issue,

said Yolanda Rome, associate dean for first-year and sophomore studies. Many arts organizations have made a concerted effort to eliminate these boundaries. “We’ve found ways to get tickets to low-income and first-gen students,” said Patricia Ybarra, chair of theatre arts and performance studies. Production Workshop and Musical Forum do not charge for performances, and Sock and Buskin has launched initiatives to get tickets to first-generation students. Part of the discrepancy could have to do with the fact that much of the appeal of arts events is attending with friends, Rome said. Often, first-generation students tend to “seek each other out, so they can understand and talk about their experience with other people who share their perspective,” she added. When first-generation students do not see their friends attending arts events, they might not go either. Valentin Perez ’18 speculated that the disparity had to do with the way the materials were advertised or worded. “Making sure that the people represented in the pictures are diverse, from different races and socioeconomic classes — it lets them know that it’s something that people like them

(would want to) go to,” he said. Still, while 10 percent of white students reported attending arts events once a week, only 5 percent of students of color reported attending arts events as often. In light of this discrepancy, some groups have made strides to increase diversity within their groups. “I’m so proud of our group right now because in regards to gender and to race, over the last two years we have brought in amazingly talented and funny people that are not just white men, and this is reflected in the audience,” Silberberg said. Benjamin Hayslett-Ubell ’18.5, a member of Out of Bounds Sketch Comedy, echoed this sentiment. “Now there is a more conscious effort to make the space more inclusive,” he said. In March, The Herald wrote about how those from diverse backgrounds navigate the comedy space at Brown. “The sorts of conversations about how gender and race and class have influence even on a group of friends are conversations happening,” Hayslett-Ubell said. “They’re really hard sometimes, but these conversations must take place.” Hayslett-Ubell and Silberberg noted » See ART, page 2

WEATHER

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017

NEWS Nine students who transferred from the University of Puerto Rico stay with faculty, staff

HOLIDAY GUIDE Roundup of best coffee shops in Providence for seasonal treats, holiday movies to watch

COMMENTARY Steinman ‘19: Despite President Trump’s decisions, the US should still fight climate change

COMMENTARY Pichardo ’20: Stakeholders influence the removal of homelessness from public view

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that often those attending events reflect the demographics of the performers. “We’re inviting the people in our friend groups,” Silberberg said. “And when there are these same circles, it’s going to end up being the same people.” In the same vein, Silberberg said: “You’re going to see a lot of the same people going to the same events. This is something that can and should change. … We publicize events on Facebook, (and use) posters — but for the most part, this needs to be better.” The content of arts events might also shape their audiences. “A variety of topics would be interesting — beyond the usual Broadway, Eurocentric topics,” said Samanee Mahbub ’19. For many arts groups, creating a platform for people of color has become an important goal, Ybarra said. By diversifying content, arts groups have attempted to make their events more visibly accessible. “Last year, we produced a number of shows written by playwrights

Brown University students typically attend art events on a semesterly or monthly basis, with Humanities concentrators averaging the highest regular artistic event attendance. Never

Humanities Concentration

» ART, from page 1

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Once a year Social science

Once or twice a semester Once or twice a month

BEO/Econ

Once a week

Life sciences

More than once a week Physical Sciences 0

80 100 percent

Attendance SARAH MARTINEZ / HERALD

of color (and) often directed by directors of color. One of the reasons people go to arts events is to see their stories on stage and commitment to telling stories from a diversity of

perspectives diversifies your audience,” Ybarra added. Last year’s production of “In the Heights” drew in an overwhelming response from the Latinx community

and beyond, she noted. The sold-out show stands as a testament to the progress in diversifying the arts across campus, she said. “Even if the arts community and the

comedy scene is diversifying naturally, there always needs to be a conscious effort to say that this should not just be a space for white people,” Silberberg said.

» STARTUP, from page 1 Saltzman, who has been involved in Brown EP throughout his time at Brown, had a worthwhile experience on a Synapse trip to New York as a first-year. “It was really inspiring to be part of a like-minded community of students, who are willing to hop on a train and spend a weekend in a different city,” Saltzman said. “I was able to meet really smart and curious people who I would not have been able to meet otherwise.” The Synapse series receives funding from the Jonathan M. Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship, which is also aiding the program in expanding to new locations. “We have a really strong, seamless relationship with EP and its leaders,” said Executive Director of the Center Daniel Warshay ’87 P’20. “We’re working hard with EP’s leadership to expand Synapse to other cities and even to other countries.” Warshay, who was a founding trustee of Brown EP, is hoping to work with the club to put together a similar trip to Barcelona in the spring. Saltzman shares this goal and looks to expand to other regions of Europe and even the Middle East, he said. “Students are eager to learn about entrepreneurial ventures by visiting them and hearing from their founders and alumni who work in them,” Warshay said. “These are really good catalyst programs that introduce — in some cases (to) people who don’t know anything about entrepreneurship — what those environments are like and stimulate interest.”

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» PAINKILLERS, from page 1 recent New York Times article, one researcher pointed out that athletes in high-contact sports, such as ice hockey or wrestling, are often prescribed these medications and can be especially vulnerable. The men’s lacrosse, women’s ice hockey, wrestling and volleyball teams did not respond to requests for comment. “From what I know about painkillers, they are mainly prescribed by either team or personal physicians in response to injuries,” wrote Richard “Dewey” Jarvis ’17.5, co-captain of the football team, in an email to The Herald. “But most of the painkillers that we are prescribed do not have narcotic effects.” Generally, Brown coaches discourage the use of painkillers among their teams, even for medical purposes. Sara Carver-Milne, head coach of the gymnastics team, said she encourages team members to listen to their bodies and openly discuss their health. “We do not in any way recommend that they use painkillers,” she said. “We have them see our trainer before and after every practice to ensure that they’re taken care of and ensure that they’re taking the steps necessary to be healthy.”

» ARCTIC, from page 1 the value of the laboratory and the artifacts it houses. A chilly history The history of the Circumpolar Lab begins with the Haffenreffer’s first diector, J. Louis Giddings, said Kevin Smith, deputy director and chief curator of the museum. Until 1955, the museum was privately owned by the Haffenreffer family. But when its founder passed away, the family gave the museum to Brown. Since Brown had no archeology department at the time, the University hired Giddings, a “pioneering Arctic archeologist,” to be its first director, Smith explained. Giddings came to Brown in 1956 and began taking students with him to the Arctic to conduct research, Smith said. The artifacts Giddings and his students excavated came back to Bristol, where they were housed in the Haffeneffer. “Unfortunately in 1964, at the peak of his productivity, Giddings was involved in a car accident and passed away a week later,” Smith said. Douglas Anderson, a former Brown graduate student of Giddings, took over Gidding’s position in the Department of Anthropology and continued on with the Arctic program at Brown. “In 1973, I established the lab for circumpolar studies,” said Douglas Anderson, emeritus professor of anthropology. He aimed to enable students to take courses in Arctic studies and provide research opportunities for them in Alaska and Northern Canada. When the lab was first established, it was formed as a part of Brown’s program in anthropology, Anderson said. However, “in the last four to five years, the Department of Anthropology has shifted its geographical focus away from the Arctic” and it became clear that “for the laboratory to function well, it could no longer be a part of the academic program — it needed to be fully handed over to the (Haffenreffer).” The

Of the student-athletes contacted by The Herald, few mentioned specific painkillers, but some said they had been prescribed Meloxicam (commonly referred to as Mobic), a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug, and Codeine, an opioid. Erika Steeves ’19 and Megan Reilly ’18, co-captains of the women’s basketball team, wrote in an email to The Herald that they had been prescribed both these drugs to aid with injury recovery. “While we didn’t necessarily use them, they’re still in our possession,” they wrote. “Once we don’t need them anymore, we have to give them to our trainer, but I don’t think the same can be said for every sport.” Opioids or not, painkillers can still be dangerous for athletes in developing drug dependencies, a fact that athletes, coaches and professionals alike are aware of, at both the collegiate and professional level. Philip Veliz, research assistant professor at the Institute for Research on Women & Gender at the University of Michigan, said athletes may use prescription painkillers to “mask pain in order for them to participate” in their sport. “If they do have a really nagging injury and they don’t want to sit out, they may be using those (substances) so they can continue to participate,”

he said. “They might have the mentality that they’re going to do whatever it takes in order to get back on the playing field and perform at an optimal level.”

laboratory continues to be run by the museum in Bristol. The lab today While the lab may be located “19 miles off campus, and it is hard to bring students down to work with the collections,” it still remains “very active,” Smith explained, adding that in the past 10 years, the lab received almost $2 million in federal grants to conduct research. One of the lab’s ongoing projects concerns viking and medieval archeology. Another research project focuses on “the roles of women and their production — from the Canadian Arctic, all the way to Norway and Denmark,” Smith described. The lab is also currently working with x-ray fluorescence, Smith said — a method used to examine the elemental composition of objects, in order to trace where they came from and how far they moved. The collections at the Circumpolar Lab continue to fascinate many researchers. “The collections we have here go back to the end of the last ice age, spanning 11-12,000 years of prehistory,” Smith described. They consist of various “archeological materials — anything that has been brought back from the Arctic on expeditions,” Anderson said. The 800,000-850,000 objects in the lab’s collections include a unique pair of snow goggles. Snow goggles, in general, help to keep the glare of the ice and snow from blinding the wearer, Smith said. “But these ones are actually made to also make the face of the hunter take on the characteristics of the seals that he’s hunting,” he added. “The holes for the eyes actually have the tear ducts that the seal has.” Another feature that sets Brown’s circumpolar lab and Arctic researchers apart is their approach to consulting with native communities. This originates from Giddings’ own method of collaborating with indigenous groups, which was unlike the reseach of most archeologists at the time and made everything that Brown did “different

After performing with the aid of these substances for an extended period of time, athletes might believe they must continue using these drugs to maintain the same level of

performance. For college athletes in particular, Veliz said, “your identity really hinges on this idea of being a confident athlete. If you can’t maintain that, you’re going to have this anxiety that you’re going to lose your friends or your close relationships.” “Athletes may have more internalized pressure to … self-medicate in order to perform,” he added. Bryan Denham, chair of the communication department within the College of Behavioral, Social and Health Science at Clemson University, said “sensation seekers” may be more prone to shift from using painkillers as performance enhancers to recreational pleasure. “Sensation seekers tend to be a bit more willing to experiment with drugs,” he said. “They often are injured and need a pain reliever, but sometimes that sense of well-being is too much to resist, and they continue with using these drugs.” Kenneth Leonard, director of the Research Institute on Addictions at The State University of New York at Buffalo, echoed Denham’s sentiment in an email to The Herald. “I would imagine that there are a fair number of athletes who are high risk-takers, and, perhaps, this risk-taking also involves substances.” Sometimes the choice to misuse

these substances is not even for thrill-seeking, but simply to feel better. Jeremiah Gardner, manager of the Hazelden Betty Ford Institute for Recovery Advocacy who is himself in long-time recovery, said that those who are inclined to use other substances recreationally might be more at risk for using painkillers that way if they’ve been exposed to them. “If you’re a student who is inclined to drink or perhaps use marijuana, if you’ve used opioids for medical reasons and experienced the feeling that comes with that, it no longer is a stretch to think you might use those for recreational purposes,” he said. The Herald’s poll found that 87 percent of athletes drink alcohol, whereas 80 percent of non-athletes do so. Rates of marijuana use were the same for each group — around half have used it in the last year. Moreover, “as a group, they may have easier access, particularly if they have had their own prescription, or a teammate’s prescription,” Leonard wrote. Over-prescribing can also enable abuse problems. “You don’t need to have a supply of 30 opioids or 30 pills to deal with an injury,” Veliz said. For example, if an athlete requires knee surgery, they need no more than two or three pills, adding that “the rest can be Tylenol.”

and important — and very ethically responsible from a very early time,” Smith explained.

Gentis said these consultations with the native peoples have a dual benefit: They enable researchers to identify the

artifacts and understand how they were used and give indigenous communities “a window into their past.”

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University of Puerto Rico students find homes in houses of staff, faculty Visiting students from University of Puerto Rico praise hosts who provide housing, academic, social support By EMILY DAVIES SENIOR STAFF WRITER

In the wake of Hurricane María, random housing assignments were taken to a whole new level. Nine students from the University of Puerto Rico who enrolled at the University in late October are currently living in the homes of faculty and staff, said Chief of Staff to the Provost Marisa Quinn. Katerina Ramos-Jordán ’20 first met Deputy Provost Joseph Meisel and his family Oct. 22, just hours after she landed from Puerto Rico and only three days after she was notified of her acceptance to the University. “It was an instant connection with them,” Ramos-Jordán said. Meisel agreed. “Given all she had been through, Katerina showed her amazingly positive spirit,” Meisel wrote in an email to The Herald. “In spite of all the disruption, she seemed primed to get the most out of her time here at Brown.” Ramos-Jordán attributes part of her successful transition from 30 days

without electricity to life on College Hill in her third-floor quarters at Meisel’s house, she said. “Not feeling that loneliness that you feel in a dorm is such a wonderful thing to have,” she said, adding that she has found both academic and social support through her hosts. This faculty-student housing arrangement was not formed with the explicit intention of cultivating relationships but was created more out of necessity, Quinn said. To ensure that each of the 30 students enrolling from the University of Puerto Rico had a place to stay, Provost Richard Locke sent a survey to department chairs on Oct. 9 that included questions about interest and capacity to host visiting students — 14 of the 71 responders said that they could house a student in the fall or spring semester or both, Quinn said. Even after this survey, additional staff and faculty members of the community reached out to open their homes. “It really is heartwarming to see people just meeting as human beings,”

Quinn said. “We are a community that values education, and this project is really about helping these amazingly talented, bright (and) driven students get on with their work.” Some faculty members face a bigger adjustment than others, as not all have raised college-aged children, Quinn said. “Having raised a college-aged child myself, that can be very different from having a young child,” Quinn said, adding that she encouraged faculty members to set guidelines for the students they host from the start. Ramos-Jordán said she finds Meisel’s rules relatively lenient. “They emphasize that ‘We want you to have that experience of being independent,’” Ramos-Jordán said. She does not have a curfew and is invited to have friends over as she pleases, she said. Ramos-Jordán is looking forward to hosting friends for a cookie decorating Christmas Party at the end of the year. “She’s an adult, and college is supposed to be an independent time, so we don’t want her to feel that she has to check in with us all the time,” Meisel wrote. “She is under the (Rhode Island)

legal drinking age, so that is one rule for the home.” Other hosts have slightly stricter ground rules. Jessica Ortiz ’19, who lives with Professor Jeffrey Colgan, his wife and their four-year-old daughter, Sophie, can have guests in the afternoon and the morning but not at night. Even so, she said she feels “very at home,” and has noticed that Colgan is “a really good dad.” “Having Jessica (at home) has meant cultural enrichment for my family, and — for me — that is a real pleasure,” Colgan said. Not all aspects of the transition to living with a new family have been seamless. The customs surrounding dinner took some getting used to, both Ortiz and Ramos-Jordán said. “They have dinner and it’s like a ritual, everyone sits down at the same time,” Ramos-Jordán said. “In Puerto Rico that can happen, but in my house … everyone makes their meals depending on what they are craving and then we just sit down … it’s not like an official thing.” Ramos-Jordán has come to enjoy dinner with Meisel and his family, she said, and has made a goal to eat at their

house at least two or three times a week. Neither Ramos-Jordán nor Ortiz feel as though their housing has prevented them from engaging in campus life, they each said. Whether by walking 20 minutes to campus or catching a ride with Meisel or his wife, Ramos-Jordán spends most of her time in campus buildings, she said. Ortiz eats most of her meals in the Sharpe Refectory. University of Puerto Rico students recently received a Google Form asking whether they would like to remain in their current housing or if they want to request a change, Quinn said. Each student remaining on campus in a faculty member’s home said they felt comfortable staying where they were, Quinn said. A few did state preferences to be moved to dorms, citing colder weather and proximity to campus, she added. Ramos-Jordán is excited to spend her next semester in her new home. “I decided to stay because they are so lovely,” she said. “I have everything I need here. I want to keep cultivating that relationship, I just feel at home.” “I think we all feel quite comfortable with each other,” Meisel wrote. “It’s pretty much like having another member of the family.”

Holiday Roundup BY ELISE RYAN AND CATE RYAN, STAFF WRITERS

Providence cafes offer holiday drinks, food As finals loom and winter break approaches, sweet treats and warm drinks become all the more welcome. Whether you’re seeking a coffee shop perfect for studying or a sweet treat getaway, Providence cafes offer countless opportunities to indulge. Many of these restaurants are already student favorites, but with winter specials, they’re worth giving another look. Sometimes, a sweet treat or caffeine pick-me-up is needed to get through a long day of studying. If you find yourself searching for one, don’t hesitate to try out one of these places. Dave’s Coffee, popular for its modern decor, available seating and coffee and espresso bar, has now rotated into its winter menu. While their classics — such as the Classic Breakfast Sandwich and the Avocado Toast — remain, new items, such as the grab-and-go Winter Soba Noodle Salad, have been added. In the top shelf of their pastry case, Dave’s features a new gingersnap sandwich cookie with orange cream filling as part of the winter menu. Pair it with your morning (or evening) coffee for a motivational treat. Dave’s, located on South Main Street, is open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. Dave’s Hot Cocoa is $3 for a small (8 oz.), and $3.50 for a large (12 oz.). The Thayer Street staple Tealuxe offers customizable tea-infused hot chocolate. Flavors include spicy chai and spearmint. One current special at Tealuxe is the Holiday Milk Tea, which includes a combination of gingerbread, cinnamon, vanilla and caramel black teas. With counter seating along the windows and small booth-style tables, Tealuxe — open until 10 p.m. daily — offers a cozy environment to settle into for a long day of studying. Tealuxe’s tea-infused Hot Cocoa is $4.69 for the regular size (16 oz.) and $5.19 for the large (20 oz.) Sydney Providence, a six-minute walk from Providence Place Mall, serves as the perfect destination for a holiday shopping break or for a weekday study session. Open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Sydney boasts a large pastry and drink selection, as well as lunch and brunch items. Sydney’s holiday specials include the peppermint bark latte, topped with whipped cream, and new macaroon flavors such as gingerbread and white chocolate peppermint. Sydney’s hot chocolate is $3.62 for the small (12 oz.), and $3.95 for the large (16 oz.). Small Point Cafe, downtown on Westminster street, similarly offers a wide selection of food and drink options. With four large booths and plenty of small tables in the main dining area, the cafe has space for those looking to study alone or with a small group. If you’re striving to be adventurous in your coffee choice, go for their seasonal drink: the rosemary brown sugar latte. If you’re lucky, your barista might go beyond the classic latte art, creating animals or festive designs. Located across the street from the Vault Collective, a vintage clothing shop, and Craftland, a store featuring work by over 100 artists, and not too far from Providence Place Mall, Small Point is another great place to stop after shopping. Small Point’s Hot Cocoa is $2.25 for the small (12 oz.) and $2.95 for a large (16 oz.). If you desire a sit-down environment for your holiday treat, Pastiche, located on Federal Hill, has a wide variety of cakes, tarts and pastries available. Open until 11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights, Pastiche offers cafe seating with table service, perfect for indulging in a slice of dutch apple pie or raspberry almond cake. Their selection of cakes and pastries, including cannolis, eclairs, brownies, muffins and scones, are are also available to-go. The hot chocolate at Pastiche is $2.75 for the small (8 oz.), and $3.75 for the large (16 oz.).

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Christmas movie recommendations for the holiday season As students prepare to transition from finals to festivities, The Herald has compiled a list of holiday favorites, which will transport you anywhere from the North Pole to Hogwarts. For a family watch party: “Elf ” (2003) — “Elf ” is a favorite featuring Will Ferrell as a man raised by Santa and his elves at the North Pole. Traveling to New York City to find his biological father, Ferrell’s character, Buddy, engages in hilarious antics, falls in love and spreads Christmas joy throughout the city. The movie is perfect if you want to experience all the festivity of a New York City Christmas vicariously through Buddy the Elf. For the kid at heart: “Home Alone” (1990) — This instant classic is sure to put you in the holiday spirit. Follow 8-year-old Kevin McCallister through a series of hijinks as he attempts to navigate life during the holidays while separated from his family. Though most have seen the first “Home Alone,” you may not know that the movie kicked off a five-part franchise. Unfortunately, not all of the following movies feature the same cast of characters. For a sing-along: “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966) — Reminisce about holidays past and join the Whos of Whoville, the Grinch and his adorable dog Max with this classic 25-minute cartoon. For a watch party with friends: “Love, Actually” (2003) — This well-loved romantic comedy unites an all-star cast through multiple romantic, platonic and problematic stories. The film is set in London during the month preceding Christmas. If you’ve seen “Love, Actually” more times than you can count, the BBC ONE recently released a 15-minute video allowing fans to check in on the characters in the present day. For those who don’t care about originality: “New Year’s Eve” (2011) — If you are looking for something similar to “Love Actually,” you might try this film, which also relies on a cast of recognizable faces and multiple stories that come together at the end through various interpersonal connections. This time, the setting is New Year’s Eve in New York. For the romantic: “The Holiday” (2006) — This romantic comedy stars Cameron Diaz, Kate Winslet, Jude Law and Jack Black. Diaz and Winslet’s characters swap houses and fall in love while on their respective trips. It’s the perfect movie to watch if you’re looking for something light and romantic with a wintry setting. For someone in search of a new holiday favorite: “The Family Stone” (2005) — A mix of drama, comedy, tragedy and romance, “The Family Stone” features another star-studded cast, which includes Sarah Jessica Parker, Rachel McAdams, Diane Keaton and Claire Danes. The film deals with issues that arise when Sarah Jessica Parker’s uptight character is introduced to her new boyfriend’s family. For the eternal believer: “The Santa Clause” (1994) — This 90s favorite combines magic and reality, as a young boy, Charlie, watches his father, Scott Calvin, gradually become the next Santa Claus as a result of a mishap on Christmas eve. While the first is by far the best, the later two films in the trilogy provide more options if you’re looking to binge watch Christmas movies. The second and third were released in 2002 and 2006, respectively, and portray life in the North Pole with Charlie as a teenager. For the Amtrak lover: “The Polar Express” (2004) — This artfully animated film follows a group of children to Santa’s Workshop via a magical and mysterious ride on the “Polar Express” train. For the lover of classics: “It’s a Wonderful Life” (1946) — The top-rated holiday movie on Rotten Tomatoes (with a 94 percent fresh rating), this film is “worth an annual viewing,” according to the site’s critics. With a moving plot, the film grapples with the influence a single person can have on the greater world. For the bookworm: Harry Potter movies (2001-2011) — Winter break is the perfect opportunity to watch all seven Harry Potter films, which should take you slightly less than 20 hours total. Significant holiday moments include the first film’s depiction of 11-year-old Harry and Ron spending Christmas together at Hogwarts and the fourth film’s Yule Ball during the Triwizard tournament.

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Friends come from similar racial, socioeconomic demographics, poll finds Race, socioeconomic background shape friend groups, connections made on campus By JACK BROOK STAFF WRITER

For some students, going out to eat can make or break a friendship. “The first time you say, ‘I can’t go,’ then it becomes five times, then eventually they don’t even call you anymore because they know you’ll say no,” said Aidea Downie ’18, a first-generation student. Small actions like these might help explain why many students find themselves friends with people mostly from their socioeconomic background. Of 854 students polled by The Herald’s fall poll, four in ten said most or a majority of their friends were of the same socioeconomic background as they were. Results varied significantly by respondents’ financial aid status. Of students who receive grants covering all costs, 25 percent said “very few” of their friends were of the same socioeconomic background, whereas only one in 20 students receiving no financial aid reported this. Responses also varied significantly by the race of respondents, with black and Hispanic students less likely to have a majority of friends from the same socioeconomic background. Black students were the least likely to report that they had most or a majority of friends from their same socioeconomic class, with three in 10 reporting this. Comparatively, about half of Asian students, and four in 10 white and Hispanic students shared this experience. Half of students identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native and 40 percent of Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander students reported having a majority or most friends of the same socioeconomic background, but this was out of a sample of 10 and five respondents, respectively. “There’s a lot of research in social psychology that shows that people prefer to hang out with people who they perceive as similar to them,” said Gregory Elliot, professor of sociology. “While it has short-term benefits, in that it can be comfortable in the moment, it also has long-term costs — where huge chasms develop between groups and nobody feels like reaching out to the other side.” The University has taken steps to increase diversity, notably with its Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan launched in January 2016. Though the recently admitted class of 2021 is considered the University’s most diverse class — 40 percent of the class identifies as students of color, 43 percent receive need-based aid and 26 percent have no expected parental contribution — factors like race and socioeconomic background continue to influence friend group disparities on campus. “I think diversity is harder to achieve than people think it is,” Chaplain of the University Janet Cooper Nelson said. “When people are truly different than we are, it’s not always easy to know them and not easy for them to know us.” For many first-generation and lowincome identifying students, joining a predominantly white and wealthy university can be difficult. More University

ALEX SKIDMORE / HERALD

students come from the top 1 percent than the bottom 60 percent of the income bracket, according to a study reported by the New York Times. First-generation and low-income students like Downie often feel the need to find people who can understand their experience at the University — having to stay on campus for Spring Break or worrying about paying for textbooks. “For me, with all these financial challenges, it’s been helpful to have people who understand what I’m going through,” Downie said. She points to racial and class-based educational segregation as strongly influencing not only who gets to come to Brown, but also who students socialize with when they are here. Another contributing factor is that students who come from elite circles may carry over those relationships when they arrive on campus, said Michael Shorris ’19. “The networks people come from are intentionally structured so that people of a certain background hang out only with people from that same background,” Shorris said. “You go to the same beach club, same country club, same program abroad … and namely go to the same schools that are very much exclusionary and then end up at an Ivy League school like Brown.” Abby Levy-Westhead ’19 said she came to the University with several friends from her private high school in New York City, which formed the basis of her initial friend group. Although Levy-Westhead said her friend group has since expanded, she acknowledged that socioeconomic background can play a factor in what organizations students choose to be a part of, such as her work for the business team of the Ivy Film Festival. “Often times, the students most interested in that come from backgrounds where raising money for arts is important. That tends to be more of an upper class background,” LevyWesthead said. “The organizations that I found tend to be in my socioeconomic background.” While developing affinity communities for marginalized groups of students is important, students from more privileged backgrounds should be more conscious about who they

become friends with, said Justin Willis ’18. “It’s important to interrogate who you become friends with and why,” Willis said. “Students might ask: ‘Why is my friend group all white? Why are there no people of color in this friend group?’ At the same time, I don’t think friend groups should play a game of affirmative action.” Peter Simpson ’20, who is a Minority Peer Counselor from a predominantly

Latinx high school of immigrant students in Brooklyn, arrived at the University consciously seeking to develop a diverse friend group. One of his high school teachers advised him to make sure he branched out, he said, and he took the advice to heart. “She was like, ‘What’s the point of only making a ton of black friends?’” said Simpson, the son of Jamaican immigrants. “Which is just to say that there are multiple places on this

campus and life in general where you’ll find great people who don’t have the same skin tone as you. I think she meant, ‘Don’t sell yourself short by thinking that people who don’t have the same skin tone as you can’t offer great friendship.’” On an institutional level, Associate Dean for First-Year and Sophomore Studies Yolanda Rome said that continuing to invest in identity centers for students, such as the recently launched First-Generation College and LowIncome Student Center, helps foster more integration in student groups. “The centers are making an effort to bring others into their spaces,” Rome said. Ally training workshops for groups ranging from the LGBTQ+ community to undocumented students may help other students understand their position of power in relation to the historically marginalized people represented by these centers, she said. The University has recently increased funding for all of its diversity centers, she added. According to Cooper Nelson, students can be uncertain of how to enter into conversations with others who have differing identities, perhaps fearing potential backlash. “I think at the moment, friendship, university work, interactions can feel full of landmines to students, as though at any moment something will blow up on them,” Cooper Nelson said. “It’s difficult to get the courage or patience to wade into conversations where the » See FRIEND GROUPS, page 6

NEWS

PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

» FRIEND GROUPS, from page 5 person on other side doesn’t think the way you think.” To develop a space that allows these conversations to take place, Cooper Nelson encourages embracing diversity not only in the content of ideas professed within the classroom, but also in the pedagogy of how these ideas are taught by creating a classroom where students of all backgrounds feel comfortable engaging in difficult topics like race or class differences. Stratified friend groups are not necessarily indicative of a lack of interaction between students of different backgrounds on campus, said Assistant

Professor of History and Religion Andre Willis. When students socialize, they want to be comfortable where their culture is most easily “translatable,” he added. For Willis, the strength of Brown’s campus is that it forces students to confront differences while providing them with spaces to relax with those who don’t need to “translate” their identities. “What’s most important is the kind of nitty gritty, quotidian encounters that come from being in a classroom, being on a team or sharing a bathroom or dining hall,” Willis said. “I think this environment is rich for consistently encountering and negotiating vast differences.”

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NEWS

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Poll finds 67 percent of students agree professors foster diverse discussions U. does not require faculty training for facilitating discussions, offers individual help By LYDIA DEFUSTO AND ANUVA GOEL STAFF WRITERS

In a 2016 Washington Post editorial, President Christina Paxson P’19 wrote that we are living in a “time of fierce debate about whether institutions of higher education are becoming places that stifle speech in the interest of protecting students from ideas and perspectives they don’t want to hear.” According to The Herald’s fall 2017 undergraduate poll, 67 percent of Brown undergraduates strongly or somewhat agree that professors successfully facilitate discussions that respect opposing points of view, while 23.9 percent of students strongly or somewhat disagree. Nearly three quarters of first-years agree with this sentiment — the highest percentage of any class year. Patrick Heller, chair of the sociology department, said that at the University, conversations about controversial topics often arise during classroom discussions. “Brown faculty and students have always been committed to openly engaging with all of the difficult and challenging questions of our time,” he said. Many faculty members in the social sciences and humanities departments have been trained in teaching and leading discussions during their time in PhD programs, said Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughlin. Yet, “if it’s reflected in student or colleague evaluations that (discussions led by a professor) lacked focus or didn’t cover material assigned for class, the department helps (that professor) improve for next year,” McLaughlin said, though he added that the University does not facilitate official trainings. Faculty can receive individual help from the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning. The center’s website contains a number of links that provide strategies for leading effective group discussions, including advice on creating an inclusive environment, using the method of active listening and asking students to lay out evidence-based arguments. In light of the

Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, the Sheridan Center, along with the Office of the Dean of the College, also ran workshops about how to tackle sensitive topics in the classroom, such as race and gender. Graduate students also receive instruction on teaching practices. They are allowed to serve as teaching assistants beginning their second year and only after attending a summer workshop or course about effective teaching, McLaughlin added. Kenneth Wong, chair of the education department, emphasized that good discussions connect with the course’s assigned readings and learning goals. “We want class discussions to be grounded in the knowledge that we cover in a particular session,” he added. To stimulate discussion, Wong usually “pose(s) a couple of critical questions for the class to think through based on the readings.” When discussing hot topics, such as charter schools in an education policy class, Wong added that professors “have a particularly instrumental role to play, (which is to make) sure that all the voices are heard and articulated.” Controversial topics can make some students hesitant to share their opinions. “There’s some fear of being politically incorrect … or not saying the right thing, but that can be broken down,” said Anthony Levitas, director of the undergraduate public policy program. “It’s critically important that we don’t shy away from arguments and ideas we don’t agree with.” Clubs provide additional opportunities for discourse outside of the classroom. The Alexander Hamilton Society hosts U.S. foreign policy debates between professors and outside experts, such as military personnel. “We try to focus on issues that are highly complex and not easy to answer with a yes or no question, topics that are nuanced, thought-provoking and (ones that) not everyone spends their time thinking about,” said Jake Goodman ’19, president of the Brown chapter. He added that classroom lectures are often one-sided because they are presented from the perspective of the professor. Not every student agrees that University faculty members give enough space for opposing viewpoints. Charis Edwards ’21 noticed that teaching assistants and professors often hesitate to present ideas with which they

KATE TALERICO / HERALD

disagree. “Because (they) don’t want to encourage (their) listeners to investigate a perspective (they) think is problematic or incorrect, it promotes ignorance to ignore the existence of other opinions, especially when (professors are) charged with giving an

educational overview,” Edwards said. “In my public health class, we often discuss policy interventions that would probably have wonderful effects on the improvement of public health, but we rarely discuss the fact (that) those same interventions could be viewed as drastic government

overreach,” Edwards wrote in a followup email to The Herald, adding that this ignores “a very real perspective.” “We ought to learn how to listen to one another … (and) how to build our knowledge base so that we can continue to mature professionally as well as academically,” Wong said.

NEWS

PAGE 8 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Interfaith dinner brings religious dialogue to campus Dinner hosted by Office of the Chaplains fosters inter-faith conversations among students By COLLEEN CRONIN STAFF WRITER

Though The Herald’s spring 2017 undergraduate poll found that 69 percent of Brown undergraduates never participate in religious activities at Brown, religious life remains active for the 31 percent who do. Interfaith dinners hosted by the Office of the Chaplains play a part in this. Tuesday night, several religious groups on campus got together for interfaith dinner on the fourth floor of J. Walter Wilson to discuss social justice, their religious lives and where they intersect. While this was only the second interfaith dinner of the semester, Rabbi Michelle Dardashti hopes it will lead to the “resurrection of an interfaith council.” More than 20 students representing Judaism, Islam, Baha’i and different

denominations of Christianity showed up to the event to share their ideas on social justice. The atmosphere was casual, and Meaghan O’Brien Crayne, Catholic campus minister, even brought her dog Artemis, who was running around and greeting students with a wagging tail. After some eating and introductions, an “open space activity” began that Dardashti explained was a place for voicing questions and issues that would become discussions. Students were welcome to write a topic on a piece of paper that would act as a conversation starter. Topics included environmental justice, intersection of racial justice and faithbased activism and mental health and faith. Dardashti told students to “vote with your feet” and move in and out of groups based on interest, knowledge and experience with each topic. Junaid Malik ’20, one of the directors of Building Relationships: Islam and Judaism, a program that brings together Muslim and Jewish fifth-graders from Rhode Island, was a part of the “Intersection of Racial Justice and Faith

ALEX SKIDMORE / HERALD

Based Activism” discussion. The group conversed about the racialization of faith and the role religion plays in encouraging the faithful to participate in racial justice. Malik, who is Muslim, brought up the issue of the racialization of Islam. On campus, people explicitly “say things about Islam or Muslims that I find overly generalizes … the experience of Muslims,” Malik told The Herald. Malik believes there “needs to be a great focus on creating areas and spaces where people are able to voice their questions.” “If you have questions about Islam, there are Muslims here,” Malik said. “We want you to ask questions!” The group reconvened as a whole to debrief their ideas, get contact information and make plans for initiatives in the future. Everyone in the group had to name a “one-on-one” they were going to have with a person of another faith. Besides further interfaith social justice dinners, Hillel has interfaith Shabbats and many religious events on campus welcome students of other religions or no religion. When the dinner was over, O’Brien Crayne explained that all the chaplains get together for weekly interfaith staff meetings. “I mentioned at those meetings that we do a weekly Catholic social justice dinner. … Rabbi Michelle (said), ‘That sounds amazing, why don’t we do things together? Why don’t we talk about that together?’” O’Brien Crayne said. “So that was the initial birth of the collaboration.” Janelle Wheeler ’18, the Catholic social justice coordinator, attended both interfaith dinners. Wheeler has been involved in her faith since before coming to Brown, saying that her mom is deeply involved in the “social justice aspect” of Catholicism. When talking about religion with people outside of faith groups, Wheeler said she assumes “secular, unless proven otherwise.”

MARIANNA MCMURDOCK / HERALD

University Chaplain Janet Cooper Nelson hosts inter-faith dinners, hoping to foster educated discussion about religion. If someone’s religion comes up in conversation, Wheeler said people tend to say, “You’re religious? That’s cool. I want to find out about it.” And Brown has a vibrant religious life despite its secular stereotype, she said. “If you aren’t a part of those (religious or spiritual) communities, you don’t necessarily see that.” Wheeler said. Michelle Miller ’18, a convert to Islam and a member of the Muslim Student Association, attended the first interfaith dinner. She told The Herald that she has faced misconceptions about her religion at home and on campus. Miller said she has received “weird looks” and has been asked, “Why would you choose that for yourself ” in regards

Apple Cider and Donuts at President Paxson’s Home Take a study break

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Chat with the President at her home this Saturday, December 9th at 3pm All students are welcome! 55 Power Street (5 minute walk from the Ratty)

to her choice to convert. Miller has a particular interest in the relationship between faith and mental health and hopes people know Islam is “truly a religion of equality.” These misconceptions may exist because of ignorance of her religion. Even on campus, MSA and Muslim life is relatively unknown. Though MSA is located in the basement of Morris and Champlin Hall, Miller said, “I would hope that people know about it, I would hope that they know it’s out there. It’s open to anyone that comes.” Though Reverend Janet Cooper Nelson could not attend the dinner, she said she feels that religion can sometimes be an uncomfortable or uneducated discussion to have on campus. “The least educated conversation that’s happening at Brown is the conversation about religion,” Cooper Nelson said. Ilana Brandes-Krug ’20, BRIJ codirector and a part of the 2017 Learning Chair for Brown-RISD Hillel, agreed. “Overall, my impression is that the Brown campus is not comfortable talking about religion,” she wrote in an email to The Herald. “Tension surrounding discussions of religion even persist between different faith groups. The mission of BRIJ is to create dialogue about how our traditions inspire us to stand together and work for local change in our communities.” Maria Ronchi ’19 and Jenna Tishler ’20, co-leaders of the Campus Unitarian Universalist Group, could not attend the interfaith dinner Tuesday, but both expressed a desire for more interfaith events. With a core group of six members, Ronchi and Tishler feel their group doesn’t always have the power to organize those events and can sometimes go unnoticed. On campus, Ronchi sometimes gets responses such as, “How is it even a religion?” or “Ew, spirituality, I wouldn’t go to that” when she talks about her religion, she said. Tishler agrees that there is a hesitance to UU, but not necessarily an animosity among Brown students. Laughing a bit, Tischler said, “They like us because they use our church for graduation.”

TODAY

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 • PAGE 9

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

f r e e f o o d f o r fa i r t r a d e

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Barbaque Bam Bam, Spicy 5-Cheese and Garlic, Meatball, Provolone, Rosemary JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Chicken Dinner Bowl, Rodeo Burger, Quesadilla Station

Soup: Chicken Artichoke Florentine, Turkey Chili

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Grilled Chicken Alfredo Sandwich, Roasted Broccoli Rabe, Shepherd’s Pie

Beef Pot Pie, Yogurt Bread, Baked Sweet Potatoes, Banana Cream Pie

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Spicy Pepper Pulled Chicken, BBQ Beef Sandwich, Broccoli Salsa Alfredo, Spicy French Fries

Pot Roast Jardiniere, Candied Sweet Potatoes with Apples, Banana Cream Pie

sudoku

TIFFANY DING / HERALD

Students advocating for fair trade set up a table under Faunce arch to give out drinks and food to those passing by. Students walking through the arch could stop and hear information about fair trade on their ways to class.

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

“It’s difficult to get the courage or patience to wade crossword

into conversations where the person on (the) other side

”

doesn’t think the way you do.

— Janet Cooper-Nelson, Chaplain of the University

See dinner on page 8.

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Brown Bag Concert 12:00 P.M. Sayles Hall Auditorium

Buddhist Practice 101 4:30 P.M. J Walter Wilson, 411

Irene Tang Violin Recital 6:15 P.M. Grant Recital Hall

B-Roll Presents: Rams by Grimur Hakonarson 7:00 P.M. Modern Culture and Media

COMMENTARY PAGE 10 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017

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The Barbara Banks Brodsky Prize in English - $800

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COMMENTARY THURSDAY, DECEMBER 7, 2017 • PAGE 11

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Americans in (and out of) Paris CLARE STEINMAN op-ed contributor Last month, I was lucky enough to attend the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, commonly known as COP23, in Bonn, Germany. While there, I saw world leaders, environmental activists and even a delegation from Brown (which included Professor of Environmental Studies and Sociology J. Timmons Roberts’ Climate and Development Lab) participate in meaningful work advancing solutions to the most pressing problems of climate change. Unfortunately, I also saw firsthand a trend that I fear is becoming all too common: the tendency among American liberals to define all of their actions in relation to President Trump, even at the expense of real progress. Of course, Trump’s presence was always going to be felt at COP23. This June, Trump announced that the United States would exit the Paris Agreement, to the dismay of all level-headed people, including a majority of people in all 50 states. But, since the withdrawal process will take up the remainder of Trump’s term in office, a delegation was shipped out to Bonn last month to, in the words of a State Department press release, “ensure a level playing field that benefits

and protects U.S. interests.” In line with this “America First” rhetoric, the delegation hosted just one public side event at the conference. Its title? “The Role of Cleaner and More Efficient Fossil Fuels and Nuclear Power in Climate Mitigation.” Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg aptly likened this event to “promoting tobacco at a cancer summit.” About two-thirds of the event’s attendees, including myself and students from the Climate and Development Lab, interrupted the

bled a tennis court bubble, the U.S. Climate Action Center was staging its own form of rejection — but their effort fell flat. The center was there to represent not the official U.S. delegation, but the “over 2,500 cities, states and tribes, businesses, academic institutions and faith groups” that have joined a nationwide network called “We Are Still In” — that is, still in the Paris Agreement. Across seven days of programming, the U.S. Climate Action Center was determined to drive home one message in addi-

and citizens of small island nations — were lost on a stage of senators and governors jostling to make the best crack at Trump. The irony was brought into sharp focus when Gov. Brown, interrupted mid-speech by a group of indigenous activists protesting his affinity for fracking, proceeded to make a Trump-style threat to “put (them) in the ground” while still trying to flash his climate credentials. Putting the moral repugnancy of his remark aside, Brown’s defense of California fracking is fundamental-

On climate, as with so many other things, Trump has lowered standards so spectacularly that politicians can become heroes by putting in little more than greenwashing. We need to remember that supporting Paris is a low bar. panel discussion with a song set to the tune of “God Bless the U.S.A.” and then staged a demonstration outside with many climate justice and indigenous groups. The Trump administration’s foray into the climate world seemed designed expressly to provoke (and even troll), and it was met with a resounding chorus of rejection that significantly increased media coverage of the event. The success of this direct action underscores the importance of activism that is inclusive, urgent and impossible to ignore. Across town, housed in a temporary tent structure that most resem-

tion to their “We Are Still In” motto: “We Are Not Trump.” In other words, its climate policy for “The Resistance,” headlined by political heavyweights like Bloomberg, U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I., and Democratic California Gov. Jerry Brown. Not being Trump is certainly a good start, but inside the literal bubble of the U.S. Climate Action Center, climate change felt less like an existential threat than a playing field on which elites could score political points. Those on the front lines of climate change — for example, indigenous peoples, subsistence farmers

ly at odds with the Paris Agreement; the oil and gas fields we have already developed are more than enough to push us past the 1.5 degree threshold, even if we never build a new one. The entire incident was reflective of the self-congratulatory, myopic nature of that contradictory political strategy. On climate, as with so many other things, Trump has lowered standards so spectacularly that politicians can become heroes by putting in little more than greenwashing. We need to remember that supporting Paris is a low bar. Former ExxonMobil CEO and current Secretary of State Rex

Tillerson does. Literally every other nation in the world does. Moreover, when Trump is framed as the sole villain, it’s all too easy to ignore our own culpability: We are the world’s second-largest emitter and largest historical emitter (by a long shot) for reasons that have nothing to do with him. If we’re going to do anything about them, we need to look beyond solutions that sink to Trump’s level. These are trying times for American democracy, but they are endlessly more trying for those already bearing the brunt of the effects of climate change that the Browns and Bloombergs of the world will never have to face. We need to expect more from our Resistance. One day, (I pray) Trump will be gone, but climate change will still be here, and it still won’t be politically expedient to make the kind of changes we’ll need. The politicization of climate change in American politics may well devastate entire societies and nations — if it hasn’t already — not just because of Republican denialism and obstructionism, but also because it has become another way for Democrats to score political points. If I learned one thing at Bonn, it is that real climate action rests on a foundation made up of people, not politics.

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

Do you know where the homeless people are? MARIELA PICHARDO op-ed contributor Last week, the streets of Providence were especially empty. As I walked through Downcity Providence and up Broad Street, I could feel the absence of the city’s most vulnerable, who usually sleep near the river downtown, line the entrance of Crossroads Rhode Island, a large Providence shelter, and congregate at bus stops on the South Side. Over the past year, I’ve been working as an outreach worker with the Rhode Island Homeless Advocacy Project, an organization of formerly homeless people that seeks to build relationships with people currently experiencing homelessness and connect them with resources. During my time with RIHAP, I’ve come to look forward to my interactions with the homeless and on quiet nights like this most recent one, I always hope that the absence of familiar faces on the streets means that more folks have been housed. However, while I’d like to be optimistic, I know better than to believe this. Many in the homeless community are likely sleeping on the floors of overflow shelters that require them to leave before sunrise. Others very likely have journeyed out of the city to other parts of the state or even the country; a few individuals I’ve met before have done so in hopes of finding relief elsewhere. More still, I suspect, have been actively pushed outside of their usual dwellings by law enforcement, as has been occurring in downtown Providence for the past few years. This movement of people experiencing homelessness is not occurring on its own; the homeless don’t always leave public spaces of

their own accord. Stakeholders with influence at both the local and state level are taking deliberate steps to remove the homeless from public view. It is vital that people are aware of when the homeless community is both present in and absent from society. Over the course of the nearly two hours I was on outreach Thursday night, my team came across only five people, a record low for me. I was introduced to outreach last September through Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere, a student group I now co-lead that aims to end homelessness in Rhode Island. We have over 75 students doing nighttime outreach in downtown Providence, South Side and Paw-

or of Providence and owner of Paolino Properties, Joe Paolino — tried to tackle the “homeless issue” by banning smoking in Kennedy Plaza. According to WPRI 12 Eyewitness News, Paolino, who has business interests downtown, was strongly in favor of the ban on smoking and said it was about “fairness.” In 2015, a similar ordinance was implemented, banning smoking in all city parks, including Burnside Park, which sits beside Kennedy Plaza. (Homeless advocates say the smoking ban in Burnside Park drove the homeless from the park and into Kennedy Plaza.) While promoted as a public health measure, the smoking ban actually functions as a way to

Stakeholders with influence at both the local and state level are taking deliberate steps to remove the homeless from public view. It is vital that people are aware of when the homeless community is both present in and absent from society. tucket six nights a week. This week, the teams responsible for outreach in Downtown and South Side, which often see a steady number of people, were all asking themselves the same question: Where have all the homeless folks gone? At this time, we can only speculate as to whether or not these low numbers are here to stay, but in my experience, efforts to transform the area surrounding Kennedy Plaza and Burnside Park into lively hubs for commerce have meant increased policing and the criminalization of homelessness, particularly in down town Providence. This past summer, the Providence City Council — in conjunction with the former may-

encourage or “force” the homeless presence out of Kennedy Plaza and into less visible parts of the city, such as Broad Street in South Providence. When the ordinance was sent to Mayor Jorge Elorza earlier this year for approval, he vetoed it, writing in his veto message that though this “ordinance is ostensibly about smoking, its true target is the homeless community.” In an 11-2 vote, the council passed the ordinance, overriding his veto. Last year while on outreach, my team came across a group of about four police officers that had stopped some folks along the Providence River. We stayed in the area in case they were homeless and being harassed, and approached

the officers when the interaction had finished. While the folks they approached hadn’t been homeless, we learned that the officers were not from Providence, but rather from neighboring cities in Rhode Island, which certainly can affect the dynamics between those policing and those being policed. The lead officer that night, though informed of our work, said as we departed, “No one wants to see the homeless downtown … no offense.” Frankly, the homeless don’t want to be out there either; the list of Rhode Islanders awaiting housing is growing. For the many who have waited years to receive housing vouchers from local agencies, the wait continues as they and their case workers attempt to find a landlord willing to accept them as tenants. For many landlords, agreeing to house homeless individuals may seem risky, due to their financial insecurity and negative stereotypes surrounding homelessness, such as the idea that all homeless people suffer from addiction. Therefore, despite the vouchers (and at times because of them), landlords sometimes discriminate against the homeless. And this housing discrimination makes it vastly harder for them to get off the streets. It is our responsibility as members of the Rhode Island community to pay attention to and resist the deliberate push of homeless folks out of visible spaces and into marginalized communities. The homeless deserve to be seen and to occupy public spaces as they see fit. Their visibility mustn’t be denied because it makes other people uncomfortable.

Mariela Pichardo ’20 is a site leader at Housing Opportunities for People Everywhere, and can be reached at mariela_pichardo@brown.edu.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD