SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018
VOLUME CLIII, ISSUE 2
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
By CHLOE brightens Thayer with vegan eats Growing CS department
struggles to pay all TAs
Popular in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, healthy eatery takes Au Bon Pain’s place
TAs for intro courses receive mix of salary, credit to compensate for lack of funds
By ELISE RYAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
By CHLOE, the long awaited casually hip vegan restaurant, opened its doors to eager customers at 223 Thayer St. last Friday. This Thayer Street location is the newest addition to the by CHLOE chain, with two locations in Boston, one in Los Angeles and six open in addition to one upcoming in New York. By CHLOE is also spreading beyond the United States, with two locations slated to open in London this year, according to the restaurant’s website. The Providence location was originally set to premiere summer of 2017, The Herald previously reported. By CHLOE has amassed a large social media following, boasting 87 thousand followers on Instagram and over 20,000 likes and follows on Facebook. This doesn’t come as a surprise — its rustic-meets-bohomeets-dream-dorm-room aesthetic
By ALEX REICE STAFF WRITER
SAM BERUBE / HERALD
By CHLOE on Thayer Street adds a new dimension to local cuisine, pairing vegan, gluten-free and Kosher options with a trendy aesthetic. is any instagrammer’s dream. At the Providence location, a white wicker swing with tie-dye pillows hangs in front of the window facing Thayer Street, creating the perfect spot for an afternoon study break — or photo opp.
U. partners with MyinTuition financial aid calculator Cost-estimator contains six personal financial questions, quiz takes less than three minutes By ARJUN GANGA STAFF WRITER
The sticker prices of colleges can be shocking to prospective students and their families. Many schools offer financial aid in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study to help alleviate costs. A simplified financial aid calculator — called MyinTuition —recently partnered with the University in hopes of making it easier for students and families to get an idea of how much they will really be paying to attend Brown. When Phillip Levine, professor of economics at Wellesley College, started thinking about sending his son to college, he wanted to know how much financial aid he was eligible for, but he found he wasn’t readily able to obtain a figure. In response he created MyinTuition, a simplified financial aid calculator consisting of six personal financial questions. “MyinTuition makes it a lot easier to get at least an initial, ballpark sense of what the cost is going to be,” Levine
INSIDE
said. The calculator aims to let users look beyond“the $70,000 sticker price and down to a number which for them might be much more feasible.” Reframing the number“is very useful and opens a door for them that otherwise might be closed,” Levine added. MyinTuition began a partnership with the University last summer, and the calculator became available for use Jan. 17, allowing prospective students to get an estimate of how much attending Brown would cost. This calculator can be employed in addition to the federally required netprice calculator to help families quickly calculate their costs without referencing their tax returns, said Dean of Financial Aid Jim Tilton. Levine agrees with Tilton. “Use my calculator first and get a really quick ballpark estimate, which is fairly precise but not super precise,” Levine said. “At some point, you may want to narrow down the price. And at that point, pull out your taxes, dedicate some time and enter all the values that are asked for.” According to Tilton, the University worked closely with MyinTuition before rolling out the program. Tilton hopes that the University’s » See FINANCIAL, page 3
“We’ve ... worked hard to create a welcoming environment that encourages students to visit us for lunch between classes, as a meet up for a study group or a place to grab coffee with » See CHLOE, page 2
As computer science becomes increasingly popular, paying all of its undergraduate teaching assistants has become a challenge for the department. For introductory courses in the Department of Computer Science — such as CSCI 0150: “Introduction to Object-Oriented Programming,” CSCI 0170: “Computer Science: An Integrated Introduction,” CSCI 0330: “Introduction to Computer Systems” and CSCI 1230: “Introduction to Computer Graphics” — TAs are paid only for grading, and are given course credit for the rest of their responsibilities. For all other computer science courses, TAs can choose to be paid an hourly wage, or do everything for course credit. Without this system in place, “we can’t afford to pay all our TAs,” said Tom Doeppner, associate professor of
computer science and vice chair of the department of computer science. “Last year the department spent $840,000 on TAs,” he added. While Doeppner said the department’s inability to pay all of its TAs is “unfortunate,” the department does make exceptions for those with financial difficulties and for those from a low-income background. But some students aren’t bothered by the arrangement. Many like receiving a combination of salary and credit because it gives them more time to focus on classes. “I thought it was a really good experience to have it as a little bit of both,” said Shawna Huang ’20, who was a TA for CSCI 0170. Receiving salary and credit “gave me the freedom to only take four classes and not feel like I was missing out on something academically,” she added. Audrey Kintisch ’20 shares similar sentiments. “For me it made sense to do it for credit and salary because I didn’t think I could handle having four courses and a job that intense.” But Huang plans to switch over to exclusively pay when she gains more » See CS, page 3
The Low Anthem releases new album
COURTESY OF JEFF PRYSTOWSKY
The Low Anthem embraces unconventional recording and performing methods as their new album takes nautical inspiration, with tracks taking place under and around the sea.
Providence indie folk band, founded by alums in 2006, prepares for fifth LP release By ANNABELLE WOODWARD SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Low Anthem, an eminent Providence-based indie folk act, is slated to release their fifth LP, “The Salt Doll Went to Measure the Depth of the
Sea” Feb. 23. Band co-founders Jeff Prystowsky ’06 and Ben Knox Miller ’06 both studied music at Brown, founding The Low Anthem shortly after graduating in 2006. Instead of moving to Brooklyn — where Knox Miller said “all the cool bands wentin the Myspace days” — they decided to produce their music in Providence because “it’s cheap and there are lots of inspiring people who are trying to do something creative” and it’s “also within two hours of all these
major markets where we can go and perform.” One of their albums, “Smart Flesh,” released in 2011, was recorded in a deserted Porino’s pasta sauce factory in Central Falls, Rhode Island — a building with surprisingly great acoustics. “It was a cavernous space, and at the time we were interested in sound that sounded like it was coming from across a field or a mile away,” Knox Miller said. » See ANTHEM, page 3
WEATHER
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018
ARTS & CULTURE Tropical Smoothie Cafe opens on Thayer Street, caters to healthy eaters, families
SCIENCE & RESEARCH Alpert Medical School researchers identify drug to the reduce risk of skin cancer
COMMENTARY Vilsan ’19: Milo Yiannopoulos only “dangerous” because he thrives on controversy
COMMENTARY Cardoso ’19: Brazil’s conviction of da Silva undermines Brazilian democracy
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NEWS
PAGE 2 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Tropical Smoothie Cafe brings healthy options to Thayer Street Chia Banana Cacao, Bahama Mama among indulgent smoothies offered at new eatery By ANNABELLE WOODWARD SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Catering to just about every frozen fruit fantasy under the sun, Tropical Smoothie Cafe opened in the oncevacant lot above the Soban Korean Eatery on Thayer Street on Jan. 14. While a long list of “Supercharged” and “Superfood” smoothies appease the Cafe’s health-conscious patrons, it also offers a selection of “Indulgent” smoothies like the “Chia Banana Cacao” and the “Bahama Mama,” which contain sweets such as chocolate, peanut butter, and other guilty pleasures. Customers looking to grab lunch on the go might be enticed by the Cafe’s “Smoothie and a Half ” deal: a smoothie as well as a half of a sandwich for $7.99. This will be the second Tropical Smoothie Cafe in the University’s vicinity, joining an older location on Waterman Street. “The (Waterman) location is more for people who are ‘on the go’ and need a quick meal for lunch,” said Devin McKeever, the manager of both the Thayer and Waterman locations. “This new (location) will provide college students with a nice place to hang out and study and drink smoothies.” The new location is already popular among Brown students. “We have a couple of athletic teams that have been regulars so far,” McKeever added. “I love smoothies, and before this new location opened, it was hard to find them around here,” said Signe Burchim GS, a Cafe customer and first-year grad student who used to
» CHLOE, from page 1 friends,” Samantha Wasser, cofounder of by CHLOE, wrote in an email to The Herald. The combination of small tiled bistro tables and larger dining tables allows for this flexibility. The building by CHLOE occupies is not owned by Brown, unlike some of the retail and restaurant spaces on Thayer, said John Luipold, assistantvice president of real estate for Brown. But Brown’s vicinity certainly served as a drawing factor for the restaurant chain. “When the corner location became available on Thayer Street,
frequent the Cafe’s Waterman location. “I’m very excited that the new location is closer to campus” “There was clearly a lack of smoothies on Thayer Street, and now there’s a place for exactly that — smoothies,” said Julia Rosenfeld ’19. “They’re surprisingly fairly priced,” Rosenfeld added, tempering her enthusiasm of the store with some censure of the smoothies’ likely high sugar content. “Those smoothies are so intimidatingly large — there’s no way they could be healthy...” When asked about the reasoning behind the University property’s new allocation of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, John Luipold, Brown’s assistant vice president of real estate, said, “The space that Tropical Smoothie Cafe now occupies on Thayer was once a bar, and we did not want to add another bar to Thayer Street.” Thayer previously played host to the Shark Bar and Grille across the street from the now Tropical Smoothie Cafe. “We wanted to have something that was a little more family-friendly and easier to manage, frankly,” Luipold said. “We just thought that Tropical Smoothie Cafe would be great for not only Brown students but also for families in the neighborhood and visitors coming to Brown.” The Cafe will join the ranks of other health-conscious options on Thayer, such as by CHLOE and Pokéworks. “It’s a relatively healthy alternative to some of the other fare on Thayer,” said Luipold. “There’s a lot of change going on in the retail community and a lot of it is that older business models that used to work are not as popular as they used to be,” Luipold said, in reference to the recently closed Au Bon Pain’s business plan.
The recently opened Tropical Smoothie Cafe on Thayer Street is a new offering for students and Providence locals looking for variety and healthy, on-the-go food options.
we knew we wanted it, so that meant Providence was our next city to conquer,” Wasser wrote. “I think that the offerings that are on Thayer, particularly with the addition of by CHLOE and B.Good, tap in to the Brown student community very well,” Luipold said, noting that Thayer is following the trends of the restaurant industry, as healthier options take over. By CHLOE’s decor and selection of healthy food are very much geared toward millennials, making college students the perfect audience. Its first location on Bleecker Street in New
York City catered to New York University students. “College towns are filled with a perfect cross-section of residents, students, faculty and tourism, and towns like Providence that have an amazing dining and culture scene only make it that much more appealing to us to continue growing,” Wasser wrote. The millenial vibe of by CHLOE is evident as soon as customers reach the cashless register — by CHLOE has transitioned to a solely card based payment system. Orders are taken quickly, and cashiers request phone numbers along with names so texts can
CONNOR SULLIVAN / HERALD
be sent automatically once orders are ready. Among the menu’s favorites are the sweet potato fries, avocado pesto pasta and creative daily specials such as clementine lemonade. The food isn’t necessarily cheap. The small serving of pasta is $5.95 and the popular Guac Burger is $10.95, but customers may find it reassuring to know that the ingredients are fresh and healthy, and that each dish is made to order. Patrons Peri Sheinin ’21 and Katie Ta ’19 enjoyed an avocado toast and a spicy Thai salad. “I found out about it from my teammate who lives in Boston,” Sheinin said, affirming that she
would return because of the selection of new and different lunch options. Both Ta and Sheinin agreed that the food was expensive, but the health benefits and flavors would bring them back. The shop appears to have garnered popularity on campus — a walk by the storefront windows reveals students at last tasting the highly anticipated cuisine. “By CHLOE is a place where students can get affordable and delicious food no matter their dietary preferences. Whether you’re plantbased, kosher, dairy-free or gluten-free — there is an option for everyone,” Wasser wrote.
NEWS
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
» ANTHEM, from page 1 When looking for a place to record their fourth album, “eyeland,” released in 2016, The Low Anthem stumbled upon the then-shuttered Columbus Theater in Federal Hill. Before closing in 2009, the Columbus had served as a performance venue — a role dating back to the 1920s. With some fundraising generated for its reopening, the Columbus came to be converted into a recording studio, music co-operative and concert venue. When asked which contemporary indie artists they admired, Prytowsky and Knox Miller mentioned Mega Bog and Haley Heynderickx, but said
that they glean most of their inspiration from the performers who come through the Columbus Theater. “Nothing beats the quality of what you can see on the stage,” Knox Miller said. “The music that I’ve been exposed to is usually coming through the Columbus Theater specifically,” a venue which has recently been host to alt-rock acts Mitski and Mount Eerie, among others. The record will be marked by an accompanying release show at the venerated theater Feb. 24 to kick off the East Coast leg of The Low Anthem’s North American tour. The Low Anthem’s sound has evolved considerably over the years. Jeff described “eyeland” as a
“fantastical, psychedelic sci-fi album” centered around the “vast[ness] of our neural networks.” Eerie, cosmically whimsical tracks like “am i the dream or am i the dreamer” and “in the air hockey fire” excavated childhood and consciousness and cheekily critiqued capitalism and bureaucracy. Their new LP, “The Salt Doll Went to Measure the Depth of the Sea,” is similarly experimental and conceptual, but centers around another subject entirely: The ancient metaphor of the Salt Doll, which the band’s founders happened upon in a biography about American composer John Cage called “Where the Heart Beats.” “The story goes that the Salt Doll
tries to measure the depth of the sea, but it inherently can’t measure the sea and come back to share its measurements because it will dissolve,” Prystowsky said. “It’s a nice, concise account of the comedy of trying.” Ten out of the album’s eleven tracks take place under or around the sea, with clever and occasionally twee lyrics that muse on the perspectives of ocean dwellers, eulogize supercontinents and chronicle the Salt Doll’s ultimately futile search for meaning and personal reconciliation as it journeys downward through the ocean’s layers. All of the rhythms on “The Salt Doll” were created on an instrument
composed of three record players, an “experimental music station” invented by Knox Miller that involves “distressing a vinyl with sandpaper to create continuous loops” — a process which gives the album a uniquely immersive aquatic feel. Above all else, The Salt Doll is conceptual, not confessional. “We get on a kick about something and we just write about that thing,” Knox Miller said. “None of our records are autobiographical — we’re latching onto an idea and illustrating it. It’s not about us at all — it’s as if we were documentary movie makers and our newest documentary was ‘The Salt Doll.’”
» CS, from page 1 experience. Other students pointed out discrepancies between what they thought should count and what actually counts as grading. Kintisch noted that there have been “a couple of complaints that we weren’t paid for design checks” or “for final grading sessions” since TAs “weren’t technically doing any grading at the sessions,” but “weren’t just normally holding hours or holding labs,” Kintisch said. There may be an end in sight for this TA payment situation. The University is about to complete a $10 million endowment, which Doeppner hopes will lead to increased funding for TAs in the computer science department. “There’s a big gap between what we’re currently getting from the endowment, what the University is paying us and what we have to pay our TAs,” Doeppner added. “We’re hoping that once the endowment is fully funded and once the University kicks in more money we don’t have to require students to TA for course credit in these courses.”
ALEX SKIDMORE/ HERALD
» FINANCIAL, from page 1 partnership with MyinTuition will especially benefit middle- and low-income families. “It’s important that moderate and low-income families get a sense of whether or not they could really afford to attend Brown,” Tilton said. “When you’re paying $71,000 worth of tuition, it’s really nice to get a sense of what kind of aid you might be eligible to apply for.” Since its creation in 2013, MyinTuition has partnered with 31 schools and garnered over 150,000 hits. The average completion time of the calculator is under three minutes and 90 percent of the people who begin the six questions finish. Eric Kim ’21 found the calculator helpful when he was applying to college. “I didn’t want to use the complicated and time-consuming net-price calculator, so when I read about MyinTuition, I checked it out and found the process very simple and intuitive.” In the future, Levine hopes to reach even more institutions. “Expanding beyond the 31 and into the hundreds would be nice,” Levine said. “Right now, the tool is highly targeted to sort of elite institutions, and pricing issues for students interested in college is relevant in all ranks of institutions,” he added.
ALEX SKIDMORE/ HERALD
SCIENCE & RESEARCH PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Research shows drug reduces risk of certain skin cancers Multi-year trial on veterans shows lowered rates of cancer after using skin treatment By JEFF DEMANCHE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
A drug previously used for treatment of skin growths has been found to help prevent the development of certain skin cancers, according to a new clinical trial in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Led by Martin Weinstock, professor of dermatology and epidemiology at the Alpert Medical School, the trial examined patients from Veterans Affairs hospitals around the country and found that a course of fluorouracil 5 percent (5-FU) cream substantially reduced the risk of developing one type of skin cancer — making 5-FU the first drug known to continue to prevent squamous cell carcinoma after the duration of its course. “Here, for the 5-FU, it’s one course for two to four weeks, and then a year’s worth of risk reduction,” Weinstock said. According to Weinstock, 5-FU has been used for decades in order to treat a specific kind of growths. While not cancerous, these sun-induced skin growths can evolve into cancerous squamous cell carcinomas if not treated. Being a chemotherapy medication, 5-FU likely works by inhibiting cancer cells from growing on the skin, said Christopher Dimarco, assistant
COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY
Warren Alpert Medical School researchers found that a drug previously used to treat sun-induced skin growths has potential applications for skin cancer treatment. professor of dermatology at the Med School, in a statement to The Herald. “It was natural to see whether this medication could be effective in preventing skin cancers,” Weinstock said, adding that research into skin cancers has been a career goal of his. The patients involved in the trial were considered “high-risk” since they were veterans who had two or more
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of the cancers in question on the face or ears prior to beginning the course, said Julia Siegel, a medical student who worked as a Dermatoepidemiology Research Fellow during the study. Of those studied — 932 patients from 12 VA medical centers across the country — the majority were elderly Caucasian men, a group that tends to develop skin cancers at high rates, Siegel said.
The trial focused on two forms of skin cancer, namely basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. Researchers were hopeful that the drug would help prevent both, Weinstock said. But while the results showed a marked 75 percent reduction in risk for squamous cell carcinoma, the reduction for basal cell carcinoma was not significant. This distinction is not surprising
because, while these cancers — commonly treated with 5-FU — have been shown to be precursors to squamous cell carcinoma, less is known about their relationship with basal cell carcinoma, Siegel said. Basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are the first- and second-most prevalent forms of skin cancer respectively, Dimarco said. They are estimated to account for 75 percent of all cancers diagnosed in the United States, he added, but this statistic isn’t tracked by national databases and comes from insurance data. Both Weinstock and Siegel emphasized the trial’s importance to future treatments. “It’s such an exciting finding because it could save people from these surgeries and from the stress and worry that comes from having these skin cancers,” Siegel said. “It means we have a good starting point and another option now, but we still have a ways to go to prevent squamous cell and basal cell carcinoma,” Dimarco said. “We need to study it more to optimize the treatment.” According to Weinstock, the number of reported cases of these cancers has dramatically increased during recent years, and now reaches upwards of five million in the United States. “One of my goals has been to turn that around,” Weinstock said. Weinstock, Siegel and Dimarco all noted the importance of sunscreen use in preventing skin cancers. Dimarco pointed to a study which found that sunscreen use reduced the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by up to 40 percent.
TODAY
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018 • PAGE 5
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Providence, once known as the “Beehive of Industry,” has rebranded itself as the “Creative Capital” in order to shift focus to educational resources, artistic community and trendy eating options.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
crossword
“Those smoothies are so intimidatingly large — there’s no way they could be healthy.” — Julia Rosenfeld ’19
See Smoothie on page 2.
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Lightstep Tech Talk Latency Matters 5:30 P.M. CIT, Room 368
Feminism 101 5:30 P.M. 222 Richmond St. Room 270
Athletes in Action Prime Time Gathering 8:00 P.M. Pembroke Field House
Wellness at Brown: Tai chi 12:00 P.M. Sayles Hall Auditorium
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CBC: Fundamentals of R Workshop 9:00 A.M. CIT, Room 241
Scientific Computing Seminar: Jianxian Qiu 11:00 A.M. 170 Hope Street, Room 108
Music Now with Kate Soper 1:00 P.M. Orwig Music Building, Room 109
Cognition Seminar Series 3:00 P.M. Metcalf Research Building, Room 305
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
News Roundup BY JACKSON WELLS, SCIENCE & RESEARCH EDITOR
BrownTogether fundraising surpasses halfway goal
The University’s BrownTogether campaign raised $1.64 billion, exceeding its midpoint goal, wrote President Christina Paxson P’19 in a University-wide email. The project has raised around $300 million per year. The money raised is earmarked for four different initiatives: $193 million dollars to the Annual Fund, $400 million for Investing in People, $609 million for Education and Research and $323 million for Campus and Community. Investing in People has made the least progress towards its goal, with 36 percent of the $1.1 billion raised, while the other three categories have all raised over 50 percent of their respective fundraising goals. Part of the Annual Fund will support BrownPromise, which will make student aid packages loan-free starting in the 2018-19 academic year. The fund is unique in that the money allocated to it can be spent within the year of donation, said John Atwater ’83 P’17, a corporation member. If the fundraiser continues increasing at $300 million per year, it should reach its goal in five years, Paxson told The Herald. Ending the campaign by 2022 is “a conservative estimate,” Paxson said. “If we hit the end date before then, we’ll either stop the campaign and celebrate or extend it,” she said.
P IA M I L IA F- PAT E L
Person arrested in the non-fatal Providence Place shooting
A 17-year-old was arrested in his Pawtucket home after fleeing a shooting that occurred in Providence Place Mall on Jan. 15. The victim, 19-year-old Leonard Liriano, was not fatally wounded after being shot in the leg. An altercation between the two teenagers escalated into a shooting, which subsequently led to a complete evacuation of the mall. Though the patrons of the mall were only told to evacuate via a vague intercom message, word of the shooting eventually spread. The shooter was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit assault with a dangerous weapon. He was taken to Rhode Island Training School before ultimately appearing before a Family Court judge. He was released on home confinement and is scheduled for a pretrial on Feb. 13.
U. suggests merging with Care New England
The University proposed working with Prospect Medical Holdings to merge with Care New England, President Christina Paxson P ’19 wrote in a University-wide email. Partners HealthCare, the largest health care system in Massachusetts, is currently trying to acquire CNE, which lost over $53 million in 2016, and announced that it was looking into a merge with Partners in April 2017. The University is concerned that if CNE moves states as a result of the Partners merger, doctors providing specialty care will no longer want to be in Rhode Island, Paxson told the press. The merger could also negatively affect the benefits that come with a “strong local academic health system that brings in federal grants, generates spin-off companies and creates new jobs in Rhode Island,” Paxson wrote. Further, the move could increase health care costs, said Cass Cliatt, vice president for communications.
RISD to creating maker space nature lab
The Rhode Island School of Design’s Nature Lab is currently transforming part of its bottom floor into a “maker space,” in which both Brown and RISD students can come to create nature-inspired systems and experiment with biomaterials. Though the space’s designed environments will be artificial, they are intended to address real issues. In addition, RISD students will introduce curricula developed by the maker lab into local high schools. “Part of our role is to support the campus community by demonstrating the ways in which there are not only historical and cultural influences on art and design, but also biological influences,” said Neal Overstrom, director of the Nature Lab. The lab itself is designed around the human tendency to relate to nature. The construction will make use of “symbolic references to patterns found in nature and numerical arrangements that persist in nature,” said Kylie King, a RISD graduate student studying material architecture and a research assistant at the Nature Lab.
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COMMENTARY THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Vilsan ’19: Milo shouldn’t be “dangerous” FABIANA VILSAN staff columnist Milo Yiannopoulos, the notorious political celebrity and former Breitbart editor, may think that his brand is “dangerous” — the title of his personal website and most recent book. But he is, in fact, entirely predictable. Like every other provocateur before him with no real talent or skill to showcase, he resorts to controversial statements and outright insults to garner attention. And this strategy has worked for Yiannopoulos. His rhetoric is obviously incoherent and hateful — but that didn’t stop him from becoming the ninth most Googled personality in 2017. Yet, as student bodies across the country protest to keep him from speaking (for good reason), his support base becomes increasingly convinced that Yiannopolous’ voice is being silenced because liberals cannot handle being exposed to a conflicting viewpoint. Or worse: because liberals are afraid of losing to him. If we truly wish to push Milo into the irrelevancy that he deserves, progressives must stop giving him exactly what he craves to maintain his popularity: the satisfaction of watching us be offended. It would serve us much better if students allowed Milo to perform his foreseeable tricks on stage.
Deny him — and his supporters — the satisfaction of trolling young liberals, and instead engage with him calmly, though that requires courage. It’s no secret that Yiannopoulos delights in targeting marginalized populations. From his Breitbart articles to his Instagram posts to his talk show, Yiannopoulos basks in the blowback to his outrageous, deliberately provocative behavior. In 2017, he wished everyone but single mothers a Merry
he probably didn’t have a real stance against single mothers. He was, however, enjoying watching his Instagram engagement climb. It’s the oldest trick in the book. When you have nothing of substance to offer, create scandals. But the best way to counter Yiannopoulos’ manufactured scandals is not to shut him down, as protestors at the University of California, Berkeley did last year. Such responses only empower him and energize his sympathizers. Yiannopoulos used the en-
tive about the story of a man hated, banned and feared by young liberals. But if Yiannopoulos’ story weren’t so exciting — if he encountered engagement with his ideas, instead of violent protests or even calls for his removal from campus — I doubt he’d sell as many books, gain as much conservative sympathy or make as many headlines. Critics have alleged that giving Milo a platform at a major university — even if he’s been invited by student
If we truly wish to push Milo into the irrelevancy that he deserves, progressives must stop giving him exactly what he craves to maintain his popularity: the satisfaction of watching us be offended.
Christmas on Instagram — because, he insinuated, single mothers should be blamed for allowing their families to fall apart. Needless to say, his statement sparked outrage, and women spoke up against the misogynistic claim that single mothers do not have their children’s best interests at heart. Countless women commented that they had been victims of domestic violence, or had been widowed, or had simply been unhappy in their previous marriages. But Yiannopoulos didn’t care about any of the messages left on his inflammatory post, and
suing media storm to sign a book deal and secure several appearances on television, during which he claimed that liberals were denying him his constitutional right to freedom of expression because they were scared of his ideas. Don’t get me wrong — I believe students are right to oppose his disturbing rhetoric. But it’s about time we stop letting ourselves become a vehicle for Yiannopoulos’ pathetic ticket to fame and fortune. After all, his book, “Dangerous,” was a bestseller because there’s something attrac-
groups, not the university itself — normalizes his message. But stopping Yiannopoulos from speaking to students strengthens his popularity and persuade his supporters that he was right in branding the left “intolerant.” Letting Milo speak is not the same as surrendering to his ideas; it’s the exact opposite. It’s a sign that young, liberal students are firm in their own convictions and can counter poisonous rhetoric, no matter how inflammatory, wherever they see it. So instead of shutting Yiannopoulos up, young, liberal students on col-
lege campuses should give him a chance to speak and challenge him on his deeply flawed beliefs — even though this is a larger burden for the groups he has targeted. Young liberals should ask him how he is comfortable living with so many contradictions. He married a black Muslim man and yet is against gay marriage, Muslim immigration and Black Lives Matter. Instead of booing him off the stage (as Yiannopoulos expects and, likely wants, them to do), young progressives should show him that they are ready to offer an intellectually sound rejection of his prejudice. As Bryce Campanelli ’18 wrote in a column last year, this sort of engagement may actually prove constructive, teaching students how to refute unfamiliar or extreme ideas. Of course, healthy debate probably won’t change Yiannopoulos’ views. But it will likely undermine his provocative agenda — since scandals generally don’t start at respectful academic forums. Young people must remember that Yiannopoulos is dangerous not because his message is meaningful or worth hearing, but because it is amplified by controversy.
Fabiana Vilsan ’19 can be reached at fabiana_vilsan@ brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.
Cardoso ’19: Brazil’s democracy woes CONNOR CARDOSO opinions editor Just yesterday, a Brazilian appeals court ruled to uphold the bribery conviction of former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva. With this ruling, the court has placed significant obstacles before da Silva, who is planning to run once more for president in this year’s election. However, what may ostensibly appear as a triumph for Brazilian democracy — the conviction of a popular former president seems to suggest a strong, independent judiciary — is in fact the opposite. Yesterday’s spectacle evinces a fiercely partisan court system that, rather than rendering a judicious verdict, has internalized the same antipathy toward the country’s traditional political class that is shared by most of the population. While Lula is himself still a member of that political class, many Brazilians fondly recall the prosperity of his years in office despite this widespread anti-elitism. The issue with the proceedings against da Silva began from the get-go. His trial judge, Sérgio Moro, has achieved superstar status in Brazil for his work leading the investigation into Brazil’s all-consuming corruption scandal, “Operation Car Wash.” Indeed, his status is largely built on his reputation as the brave judge that would “clean up” Brazil’s corrupt political class. Convicting da Silva, then, would appear to be a crowning achievement in his effort to root out corruption in Brazilian politics. While fighting corruption is a laudable effort, Moro’s tactics seem to demonstrate that he had already adopted a grim view of those he was investigating before he
tried them in court. He created a media frenzy when he had police surprise da Silva in his home and then drag him out for questioning. This was after da Silva had already publicly agreed to be questioned. Moro was also chastised by the Supreme Court when he released wiretapped conversations between da Silva and his successor, Dilma Rousseff. Any hope of receiving a fair appeal would
severity of the penalty to twelve years and one month in prison. In contrast to the chief judge’s praise for Moro’s ruling, the actual conviction was based on very poor and limited evidence. The prosecution’s sole piece of evidence is the testimony of one former construction company executive who had his sentence reduced in exchange for his cooperation. According to sev-
However, what may ostensibly appear as a triumph for Brazilian democracy — the conviction of a popular former president seems to suggest a strong, independent judiciary — is in fact the opposite. Yesterday’s spectacle evinces a fiercely partisan court system that, rather than rendering a judicious verdict, has internalized the same antipathy toward the country’s traditional political class that is shared by most of the population.
also have been sanguine. Before the ruling, the chief judge of the panel overseeing da Silva’s appeal called Moro’s decision “technically flawless.” The judge’s chief of staff posted publicly on social media that she supported da Silva’s conviction. It is not surprising, then, that the panel not only unanimously ruled to uphold Moro’s decision but also increased the
eral analysts, no European or American court would have ruled to convict based on the evidence presented. That a court would so readily convict someone based on personal biases and with little substantial evidence is worrying in itself. What is truly disturbing, though, is the ruling’s implications for Brazil’s democracy. Last
year I wrote that Brazil’s democracy was in recess after the country’s then president, Dilma Rousseff, was, according to almost all objective observers, impeached for political reasons. Even though Rousseff won the popular vote, her opponents in the National Congress ousted her based on a common violation of a budgetary law. She was replaced by her vice president, Michel Temer, who began to implement harsh austerity policies — exactly the opposite of what Rousseff vowed to do. Fast forward to today, and the courts have blocked da Silva, who is the favorite to replace Temer in this year’s presidential election by a very large margin, from even competing. In doing so, the courts are placing their distrust of Brazil’s political elite before the will of the country’s people. Despite its good intentions, this type of judicial parochialism will only continue to harm Brazil’s nascent democracy. By inserting itself into partisan politics, Brazil’s court system has chipped away at another pillar of Brazil’s quickly crumbling democratic institutions. Without reliable institutions to regulate political disputes fairly and peacefully, Brazil will continue its descent into vicious political tribalism. The response by da Silva’s Workers’ Party evinces the urgency of the situation. According to one Workers’ Party leader, “Lula will not be arrested, for Lula to be arrested, people will have to be killed. … They’re going to have to kill us, and kill Lula. It will not be peaceful.”
Connor Cardoso ’19 can be reached at connor_cardoso@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.
NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2018
Author’s portrayal of 1970s “Wild World” takes inspiration from U. life Novel by Brown alum Peter Rush discusses idealism inside, outside of academic bubble By LIYAAN MASKATI SENIOR STAFF WRITER
“Is it better to do the right thing, even if it might be the wrong thing for you personally?” writes alum Peter Rush ’71 in his novel “Wild World.” The novel follows his protagonist, Steven Logan, as he struggles to make a change in a climate defined by political and social tension. Students will have a chance to hear from Rush firsthand on Feb. 1 at 6 pm, when he discusses and signs his book at the Brown Bookstore. “Wild World” by Peter Rush is set in the 1970s — an era rife with protests, scandals and the turbulence triggered by the Vietnam War. Despite this omnipresent chaos, Logan, a senior at Brown, initially appears to lead a well-structured, idealistic life. On the threshold of entering law school at Georgetown, he is protected inside the bubble of elite academia alongside his girlfriend. Although “Wild World” is a fascinating read, its opening is admittedly disappointing. The characters initially appear to lack nuance and the casual writing style — though accessible — is slightly stilted. But the story soon gains
momentum. The plot acquires depth, the characters gain complexity and the conversational narrative assumes an easy flow. Indeed, the remainder of the novel is nothing short of engaging. When four students at Kent State are shot by the National Guard during a protest, Logan experiences an outburst of ardent anger and shock. Convinced that he can single-handedly purge the system from within, Logan decides to defer his plan for law school and join the Providence Police instead. From there, his life alters drastically, as he finds himself trapped between two worlds but belonging to neither. The incongruity of his presence in the police force is unmistakable. Likewise, the rampant corruption inside the system disgusts him. Meanwhile, he grows estranged from his college friends, who begin to view him as one with the establishment — a symbol of the enemy. The story is on the cusp of this fault line of ideals as Logan grapples to navigate the harshness of reality. Rush’s landscape is carefully constructed. Interspersed with vivid snapshots of the political, cultural and social climate, the novel captures the zeitgeist of the 1970s with absolute candor and exhaustive detail. The portrayal of the mood on university campuses — specifically Brown’s campus — has a distinct flavor of authenticity that likely stems from his
COURTESY OF ZACHARY HOFFMAN
Brown Bookstore will host a book signing by alum Peter Rush, whose newly-released novel follows the tale of a protagonist battling a turbulent political and social climate in the 1970s. personal college experiences. Illustrations of College Hill permeate the story, remarkably delineating the spirit of Brown. While the novel may be set nearly half a decade ago, Rush is successful in capturing an essence of the campus that continues to linger today. “Wild World” often invites the reader to meditate on philosophical questions that have a timeless relevance. For instance, Rush considers
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how students in elite academic institutions live a life of illusions, isolated from the brutal outside world. “Do you have any idea how unreal this academic world is?” he questions. “What is the real human condition? Why are the people exploited? Why don’t we all live in harmony? Why, why?” At times, his ruminations may appear a bit harsh. He characterizes elite academia as a bubble where “parents
pay the bills and the kids pretend to have all the answers” in stark contrast to the real world in which “shit happens.” Like many aspects of the story, this idea is a perturbing thought. But Rush effectively elicits an emotional response from the reader, ultimately echoing the underlying message of the novel: Whether or not we realize it, we too are living in a wild world.