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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017
VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 39
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American Federation of Teachers approved by grad students as union affiliate Grad students next to organize card campaign in steps toward unionization By ROSE SHEEHAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
In the March 19-21 affiliation vote organized by Stand Up for Graduate Student Employees, graduate student voters selected the American Federation of Teachers as their union affiliate should unionization occur, according to SUGSE members. AFT was chosen on Tuesday night over the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America. SUGSE members had previously told The Herald that the results of the affiliation vote would be announced after spring break. For graduate students to unionize, the union that they choose to affiliate with must organize a card campaign, in which a minimum of 30 percent of members of the bargaining unit must sign cards indicating that they want to join the union, Provost Richard Locke
said. The bargaining unit consists of graduate and undergraduate students who serve as teaching assistants and graduate research assistants, said Lubabah Chowdhury GS, a member of SUGSE. If unionization occurs, students included in the bargaining unit will pay dues as members of AFT and play a role in the negotiation of the union contract with the University, Chowdhury added. AFT will not file with the National Labor Relations Board to hold a unionization vote unless 65 percent or more of eligible graduate students have signed cards in the card campaign, wrote Joseph Skitka GS, a member of SUGSE, in an email to The Herald. Waiting for a supermajority of 65 percent to commit to joining the union should ensure a vote in favor of unionization, he added. The NLRB would then organize and administer the unionization election, Locke said. Several universities have negotiated pre-election agreements regarding logistics such as polling locations and the type of ballots used, he added.
HERALD FILE PHOTO
The American Federation of Teachers was selected by the Stand Up for Graduate Student Employees as the union affiliate of graduate student workers in the case of unionization. “A union is going to make it a lot easier for us to bargain for things that affect all graduate students,” such as healthcare, childcare and spousal support, Chowdhury said. As workers, graduate students have a right to form a legally protected,
representative body that the University must recognize and incorporate into its governance structure, rather than act as individuals or advocacy groups, which the administration has no obligation to recognize, said Anne Gray Fischer GS, a member of SUGSE.
Graduate students have legitimate concerns, and “I want us to work on those issues … regardless of whether or not there is a union,” Locke said. A union “isn’t actually going to be able to address some of the issues that students have,” he added.
Computer science professor Unearthed Fitzgerald story offers new insights Newly released story selected as Sloan Fellow Professor Tim Kraska to pursue research in democratizing data analysis tools By AILEEN SEO STAFF WRITER
For the fourth year in a row, a faculty member in the computer science department has received the Sloan Research Fellowship, which recognizes the work and promise of early-career scholars by awarding winners a twoyear, $65,000 fellowship, according to its website. Tim Kraska, assistant professor of computer science, was selected as a fellow for his work to make data more accessible “through the development of a new generation of algorithms and systems for interactive and sustainable data-driven discovery,” according to his research statement. “I think more people want to analyze data,” Kraska said. But “data scientists need year-long trainings in machine learning, statistics and data management, but not everybody has that.” Professor of Computer Science Ugur Cetintemel nominated Kraska for the award. The department can nominate up to three candidates per year and, in most years, this quota has
INSIDE
been filled, Cetintemel said. “We make an effort to make as many nominations as possible, as a shot not taken is a shot missed.” With the fellowship grant, Kraska hopes to continue with his project developing programs that allow non-experts without technical skills to analyze and visualize data sets. He is currently working on three interconnected projects, according to his research statement. The first project, a new program called Tupleware, allows everyday users to conduct common analytical tasks. He also works to develop Vizdom — a touch- and pen-based interface that allows users to visually test hypotheses and build complex models with minimal effort. Finally, Kraska is working to develop an Interactive Data Exploration Accelerator that will facilitate visual data exploration and integrate it into Tupleware. This year, the Sloan Fellowship received 800 applications from scholars across various fields and granted 126 fellowships, said Nathan Williams, Sloan’s communications manager. The foundation does not select the candidates and rather relies on three to four person committees composed of scientists in the field who consider factors like independent research, creativity and leadership, he added. Sloan gives the researchers leeway to » See SLOAN, page 2
touches on publishing industry, love, reveals new take on acclaimed author By ELIZABETH TOLEDANO SENIOR STAFF WRITER
“It fulfills all the requirements of fiction: it is one long sweet lie,” wrote F. Scott Fitzgerald in “The I.O.U.,” a previously unpublished short story that came out posthumously Monday in the New Yorker . The quote comes from a conversation between two of the short story’s central characters — a fraudulent publisher and the man who his publishing house has publicly pronounced dead in its most recent nonfiction book. Here, Fitzgerald offers a taste of his self-aware sense of humor in his ability to poke fun at the publishing industry. According to the New Yorker, Fitzgerald wrote “The I.O.U.” in 1920 for fashion magazine Harper’s Bazaar. Fitzgerald dubbed many of his own short stories “trash,” sending these texts to publishers for fast-profit. By the time he wrote “The I.O.U.,” Fitzgerald had become fairly well-known, acquiring the means to focus on novel writing. He rescinded the initial submission of the story’s manuscript, claiming he planned to add some revisions before
ARTS & CULTURE
publishing. He then abandoned the story altogether and turned to writing the “The Beautiful and the Damned.” In 2012, Fitzgerald’s estate sold “The I.O.U.” to Yale, along with 14 other of his unpublished short stories, which will come out Apr. 25 in a collection called “I’d Die for You: And Other Lost Stories,” edited by Anne Margaret
Daniel. “The I.O.U.” revolves around a New York City publisher who recently released “The Aristocracy of the Spirit of the World,” an autobiography written by character Dr. Harden. The book recalls Dr. Harden’s communications with his nephew, Cosgrove Harden, » See FITZGERALD, page 2
WEATHER
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017
NEWS Stephen Karam ’02 discusses Tony win, acting, playwriting experiences at Brown
NEWS Pussyhat co-creator Jayna Zweiman ‘01 returns to campus, speaks on Women’s March
COMMENTARY Wayland ’18: Beauty and the Beast retells timeless classic while adding humanizing nuances
COMMENTARY Jacobs ’18: Despite controversial legacy, David Cameron shows his commitment to open dialogue
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
» FITZGERALD, from page 1
COURTESY OF TIM KRASKA
Assistant Professor of Computer Science Tim Kraska develops algorithms to allow people without extensive training to analyze data. He will continue this work under the prestigious Sloan Fellowship.
» SLOAN, from page 1 use the grant’s funds as they see fit, Williams said. At the end of the two years, fellows are expected to submit a report about how they allocated the money and what research results they found.
Cetintemel believes University faculty members have had success applying to Sloan due to their innovative approach. “I think Sloan is particularly looking for out-of-box thinking and creativity. They are looking for people who are not taking the beaten path,”
Cetintemel said. “Typically, (the) faculty members we have are not very narrow and one-dimensional. We recruit people who can combine different areas and topics in a coherent and rigorous way to attack real-world problems (and) to come up with innovative solutions.”
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which occur after he was supposedly killed in World War I. Cosgrove, who is, in fact, very much alive, discovers the falsified text claiming his death in a chance encounter with the publisher on a train. Upon confrontation, the publisher defends his decision to market the text as nonfiction, claiming, “nonfiction is a form of literature that lies halfway between fiction and fact.” Following this episode, journalists swarm the publisher, exposing the fraud. Since the story’s publishing, many media organizations have drawn a parallel between this fabricated autobiography and the contemporary infiltration of fake news. This story exhibits many of the themes for which Fitzgerald is wellknown. He develops a character who, like himself, has been thoroughly impacted by World War I. The central conflict revolves around the publisher’s desire to commodify a soldier’s story, reducing contemporary tragedy into material for the “Great American Public” to devour. Fitzgerald too made his living off of stories about World War I, which — through the lens he casts in this story — makes for an uncomfortable reassessment of his later novels. This concept reflects the post-World War I culture, which is haunted by new revelations on the human condition and the issue of how to address largescale tragedy in the media. Fitzgerald meanwhile examines his own pertinent moral discomfort in balancing art and profit through his characters. In his witty short story, presented as a conversational narrative punctuated with dramatic irony, Fitzgerald does
not fail to touch on his most recurrent themes — love and death. Fitzgerald often juxtaposes humorous dialogue and underlying morbid material to highlight the comical aspects of the existential crises that were known to plague the author. For example, Cosgrove and the publisher later request that Dr. Hardin dies within ten years to keep reputations safe in the wake of fraud. “Humor is out of place in this discussion. If you’ll make an honest agreement to die, with no mental reservations — ” he requests. Fitzgerald closes the piece with the publisher’s hopeful and ironic call for manuscripts about love, which he feels confident will sell better. “Love is a sure thing — it takes a living man to love,” he says. Again, Fitzgerald discloses what could be a baser motivation for the content of his books such as “The Great Gatsby” or “Tender is the Night.” Is love the driving force behind Fitzgerald’s work or just a way to turn a profit? In Fitzgerald’s typical fashion, the concise short story plays with existential crises in the midst of interpersonal interactions in post-World War I America. Though the story is lacking in Rosemary-style romance, East Egg alcoholism or corrupted heirs, readers instead encounter a quippy, sardonic reflection on the literary world, which showcases Fitzgerald’s immense skill in writing on dynamic themes that appeal to the contemporary reader. Whether the story reveals Fitzgerald’s discomfort with the politics of the publishing world or with his own motivations in writing to cater to his readership, the story ultimately offers new insight into a writer that has almost become a character himself in the literary canon.
NEWS
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Playwright Stephen Karam ’02 talks Tony win, future projects Karam discusses dealing with artistic failure at Brown, film adaptation of ‘The Humans’ By BELLA ROBERTS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Stephen Karam ’02 started writing at Brown and has since been recognized with numerous accolades for his work, including a Tony award for his play “The Humans.” Karam, who grew up in Scranton, Penn., initially thought he wasn’t “fancy enough” to attend a school like Brown, but continued to write and act. Now, Karam is developing a new play and writing a screenplay for a movie adaptation of “The Humans.” The Herald: How did you begin writing plays? Karam: I just really fell in love with it without making a conscious choice. I didn’t have exposure to a lot of theater where I grew up, so my first connections to theater were when I was in a production of “Little Shop of Horrors” and (saw) a community theater production of “The Glass Menagerie” in Scranton. The best way to describe (my love of theatre) is that it’s just a feeling that people get with things they are obsessed with like baseball or flying planes. It felt like I was home. Theatre was so fun for me to experience that I wanted to help recreate that experience for other people. What are you working on right now? I am working on a new play and the film version of “The Humans.” I have always had a visual obsession with “The Humans” and the way in which it’s both a psychological thriller and a family thriller. It’s been inspired by so many genres I love, and the chance to be obsessed with the visual landscape and architecture of that space felt like a risk worth taking. What is your writing process like? I am a very slow writer. I research and read and dream a lot before I am able to start. I am very visual, so there are usually things when I am writing that pull me through from beginning to end. In the case of “The Humans,” it was an architectural obsession with space and people in it. The play I am currently trying to get off the ground is very spatially oriented. I am always trying to figure out something that I can’t quite figure out, and that’s what
keeps me writing. Beyond that, I am a writer and a rewriter and a rewriter and a rewriter. My process is slow, but I like taking my time and rearranging the pieces like a puzzle. A lot of your plays use humor to deal with difficult, painful subjects. Why is humor effective in this way? I like to laugh at myself and people are pretty resilient. I use humor to write through a lot of difficult situations myself. I think it’s an extension of how I see the world in that humor and tragedy exist side by side very easily. Who are some of your favorite playwrights and authors? I have been influenced by so many different writers and artists. To narrow them down would feel like a lie. Does your experience at Brown affect your work? It’s where I grew up as a human being. I wasn’t really a go-getter when I was at Brown. My first experience was not getting cast in the Sock & Buskin play I auditioned for. There were about a billion parts, and I did not get called back. The same semester I ended up doing a production of the “Little Shop of Horrors” at Production Workshop, playing Seymour. What’s amazing about Brown for me is that it really was a microcosm of what has become my professional world — being involved in the arts is learning it’s not always about success but also about falling down and failing. I had a Brownbrokers show that changed my life. I didn’t even know that I could do a musical. I ended up doing this brawling, overwritten, spectacularly fun adaptation of a Jane Austen novel, and Brown gave me the funding and support to actually make that happen. When I left and was still writing and pursuing a career, it set me up in a really wonderful way to learn to expect things to not always go your way. At the time you might think, “Oh my god I’m at a college campus in Providence, Rhode Island. If I can’t make it now, I will never be able to make it in the real world.” But the truth is, you are on a campus full of people who will be doing this professionally. I remember auditioning with John Krasinski, and they ended up giving the part to John Krasinski. But, at the time, I was just like “I can’t believe I didn’t get a part in the play.” Looking back, a lot of the actors went on to be professional actors. Chris Hayes was doing theatre with me and inspired me. At the time he wasn’t
COURTESY OF STEPHEN KARAM
Stephen Karam recounted how his experiences developing as a playwright at Brown paved the way to the creation of his award winning plays. He also touched on future works and his adaptation of “The Humans.” MSNBC Chris Hayes — he was just a smart and talented guy. It’s funny looking back to see how many people have made their way into the theater and communication world. What was it like to win a Tony? It was a lot of fun. I was very
anxious. The best part was after it was all over. It’s really fun to be recognized for work you do. This was a play that was so personal and sprung from a place of essentially assembling people and artists I loved. I don’t think it gets better than that. I could have won a Tony for writing a jukebox musical,
but this felt like my ultimate dream because it was something that came from an original place without the intentions of becoming a commercial enterprise. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Live-action ‘Beauty and the Beast’ retells timeless classic Disney’s new release indulges in childhood nostalgia, navigates ethical questions By DANIEL WAYLAND ARTS & CULTURE CRITIC
“Beauty and the Beast” revels in the nostalgia of its source material — at times, to a fault. The live-action remake of Disney’s 1991 animated classic smashed box office records with a $170 million opening week in North America, but critics remain divided in their responses to the film. Certainly, the refurbished product will have its detractors: rooting its appeal in cloning the original, “Beauty and the Beast” begs the question of what its existence actually adds to the Disney canon. And yet, despite my best efforts, I could not help but surrender to the charming sentimentality of its spectacle. For any who traffic in the nostalgia and delight found in Disney musicals, “Beauty and the Beast” will thrill as an enchanting Baroque reverie. The plot follows Belle, played by Emma Watson, whose affinity for books and invention earns her the ire of those in her provincial French town. Since her character’s creation in 1991, Belle has been a thorny subject for feminist scholarship — to some, her literary proficiency and creative spirit represent the veneer trappings of agency, rather than real agency itself. But “Beauty and the Beast” is a period piece, and thus requires setting Belle in contrast to the 18th century cult of gendered anti-intellectualism. Unlike the original, the live-action remake establishes its protagonist as the only literate woman in her town. The performance of reading assumes an active form of feminist resistance, rather than a mere character quirk. The titular Beast, a disgraced former prince played by Dan Stevens, later imprisons Belle. The Beast and his cursed former castle servants have been transformed into monsters and house-hold items, doomed to exist in their physical prisons forever lest the Beast open his heart enough to fall in love — and be loved in return. The
PIA MILEAF-PATEL / HERALD
nature of the fairytale raises ethical and psychosexual questions about the potential for an organic relationship between Belle and the Beast. Certainly, there are elements of Stockholm syndrome at work here, and revisiting that
dynamic does “Beauty and the Beast” no favors. Belle quickly succumbs to her captivity in a manner that is incongruous with her personality. Yet, director Bill Condon navigates this terrain delicately, taking care to explore
the budding romance in a manner that emphasizes the pair’s common background. Both have been publicly branded as outcasts and find tenderness in that shared experience. The use of CGI helps to tame the Beast in a
way that the 1991 animated film never could — Stephen’s eyes and facial ticks betray a certain sensitivity, offering a window into the monster’s ultimate humanity. The film’s live-action approach both expands and limits its imaginative boundaries. The castle’s animated household items in particular are hampered by the medium’s commitment to realism, as they appear lifeless and devoid of real expression despite the legends voicing them such as Ian McKellen, Ewan McGregor and Emma Thompson. The limits of computer animation also undermine the fairytale moment of Belle and the Beast’s famous dance scene — seeing the awkwardness of their movements breaks the spell the film has built up over the first hour. At the same time, the interplay between human actors and their CGI counterparts can be incredibly charming. Indeed, the film finds its soul in the interactions between Belle and the household items. Condon displays a real knack for blending the theatricality of musicals with the live-action genre: the beloved “Be Our Guest” number, sung by McGregor’s animated candlestick, Lumiere, is downright cheeky in its nod to Broadway stage productions. Moreover, the film’s cinematography is stunning. Condon’s camera frames bodies against such enchanting French Rococo set pieces that it’s impossible not to get lost in the castle’s magic. The film’s color palette is astounding. Rarely has gold been put to such good use: the castle’s brilliant hues radiate warmth and subtly pull viewers into the film’s spell, while silkier tones play upon lighting and reflected surfaces. Gold soaks every frame, evoking the kind of nostalgic fantasy the film hopes to construct inside the imaginations of its viewers. In an “A.V. Club” review, critic A. A. Dowd wrote: “Disney hasn’t even bothered to make a tale as old as time feel new again. The oldness is the selling point.” Dowd may be right: there are moments when “Beauty and the Beast” feels unnecessary, even lifeless. And yet, during too many moments throughout the movie I caught myself smiling, basking in the modern visual spectacle of a timeless classic.
TODAY
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017 • PAGE 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
g o t ta c at c h ‘ e m a l l
menu SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Pizza: BBQ Bam Bam, Spicy 5 Cheese & Garlic, Pepperoni Make Your Own Pasta JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Cobb Salad, Jambalaya, Black Bean and Sweet Potato Burger
Vegetable Mango Curry, Chicken Kadhai, Turkey Chili
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Shaved Steak, Grilled Turkey Burgers, Edamame Chow Mein, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars
Slow Roast Pork Loin, Jambalaya, Pot Pie with Biscuits, Boston Cream Donuts
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Beef Pot Pie, Garlicky Green Beans, Cinnamon Toast Crunch Bars
Honey Citrus Vegetable Sautee, Green Peas, Chicken Parmesan, Jelly Rolls
sudoku HUAYU OUYANG / HERALD
A new student art exhibit adorns the halls of the List Art Center. Artistic-minded students must step around reconstructed glass heads, gathered around white pedastals on the second floor of the art building.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
“I remember auditioning with John Krasinski, and they ended up giving the part to John Krasinski. But I just remember thinking, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe he got the part.’ RELEASE DATE– Monday, January 23, 2012
—Stephen Karam, playwright
Los Angeles Times Puzzle c r o sDaily s w oCrossword rd
See karam on page 3.
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Thumbs-way-up reviews 6 Knocks with one’s knuckles 10 Not feral 14 Low-budget, in company names 15 Happily __ after 16 October birthstone 17 Hexes 20 Dined 21 Twosome 22 Heart chambers 23 Positive thinker’s assertion 25 Cleopatra’s river 27 Surprised party, metaphorically 32 Beelzebub 35 Oboe or bassoon 36 Baled grass 37 “Jurassic Park” terror, for short 38 Meanspiritedness 40 Home plate, e.g. 41 Above, in verse 42 Apple computer 43 Showed on television 44 Destination not yet determined 48 Detest 49 Oscar-winning film about Mozart 53 End of __ 56 Yard sale warning 57 British mil. award 58 Beatles song, and a hint to the hidden word in 17-, 27- and 44Across 62 Opera solo 63 Like a steak with a red center 64 “That is to say ...” 65 Double O Seven 66 “P.U.!” inducer 67 Willy-__: sloppily
4 USNA grad 5 Slight trace 6 Symbol of financial losses 7 State firmly 8 For each 9 Málaga Mrs. 10 Best-seller list 11 Mimic 12 West African country 13 Jazzy Fitzgerald 18 Indian bread 19 “To your health,” to José 24 Big-screen format 25 Russian rejection 26 “That’s clear now” 28 Angels shortstop Aybar 29 Sear 30 Operate with a beam 31 Kept in view 32 Halt 33 Zone 34 Alaska, once: Abbr. 38 Obscene material 39 Glazier’s fitting
40 Tough spot 42 Newton or Stern 43 Inundated with 45 Needle’s partner 46 Sadat’s predecessor 47 Leave out 50 ’50s Ford flop 51 Typical 52 Hot-headed Corleone brother in “The Godfather”
53 Moby Dick chaser 54 Fiddling emperor 55 “__ Brockovich” 56 Flying prefix 59 Gold, in Granada 60 Insane 61 Record label initials across the pond
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CORRECTION A previous version of the article “Graduate students unionization affiliation vote closes” misstated that SUGSE members decided between which labor union the organization would affiliate. In fact, all graduate students were eligible to vote on which labor union SUGSE would affiliate with. The Herald regrets the error.
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Digital Memory: What Can We Afford to Lose? 12:00 P.M. Digital Scholarship Lab
Axolotl Day 2017 4:00 P.M. Sciences Library, 315
Public Health Alumni Career Panel 5:00 P.M. 121 S. Main Street, 375
Language Game Night 6:00 P.M. Stephen Roberts Center, 229
TOMORROW Mesa de Conversacion 12:00 P.M. Sharpe Refectory, 6
“Urban Renewal in Providence” Bus Tour 3:00 P.M. Maxcy Hall
Intro to Buddhist Practice 4:30 P.M. J Walter Wilson, 411
Learn Malay with the Brown Language Society 5:00 P.M. Sayles Hall, 002
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
comic
Recent editorial too
A Horse of Any Other Name | Zachary Silberberg
defensive To the Editor: As an alum of The Brown Daily Herald who went on to a career in journalism, I think your March 21 editorial, “Toward a better Herald,” is too defensive. As long as The Herald keeps reporting honestly on campus news, The Herald shouldn’t feel the need to prove to anyone that its heart is in the right place. J.V. Reistrup ’58 Herald alum
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COMMENTARY THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Collaboration over caricature NIKHIL KUMAR staff columnist
On Tuesday, four candidates for top Undergraduate Council of Students and Undergraduate Finance Board positions published a letter in The Herald declaring that they “will not be seeking an endorsement from The Brown Daily Herald given The Herald’s history with people of color and marginalized groups on campus.” The Herald simultaneously ran an editorial detailing the steps it has taken in recent semesters to build a more inclusive organization and to highlight diverse perspectives on campus. The stunning gap between the oppressive institution painted by the candidates and the commitment to constant improvement expressed by the editorial board reveals that the candidates have not considered the recent institutional changes The Herald has pursued. Rather, they have targeted a living, increasingly diverse organization for the sake of political expediency. My defense of The Herald does not rest on its importance for the “freedom of expression” that the candidates cite in their letter as a commonly used excuse for “racist messaging.” I am more immediately concerned with the reduction of this publication — representing a community of over 150 students — to a caricature. By failing to acknowledge the steps that The Her-
ald has taken since publishing two egregiously racist columns in the fall of 2015, the candidates cast doubt on their commitment “to wor(k) as liaisons as The Herald opens up lines of communication to begin this process” of improvement. In reality, this process actually began three semesters ago, and the lines of communication are already open. It is true that The Herald may have erred since the fall 2015 columns, but the candidates fail to reference any other specific transgressions. Their statements make suggestions with no evidence. Since many Brown
it seems preposterous to suggest that The Herald’s reputation is so tarnished that it should be ostracized by the candidates. The editorial board’s response acknowledges “the pain The Herald has caused marginalized communities, particularly through the racist columns that were published in fall 2015” before pointing to the institutional mechanisms subsequently implemented to create a more inclusive culture. These improvements include revamping the newspaper’s mission to prioritize diversity, editing opinions pieces more vigorously, creating “a diversity
tique this newspaper to ensure that it continues to progress. But “critiquing” implies that The Herald offers something of value, and that improving it is a worthwhile task. By ignoring the recent work The Herald has done, the UCS and UFB candidates have not provided a thoughtful critique. In fact, they veer dangerously close to portraying an alternative reality in which this publication is defined solely by the racist columns it published in fall 2015 — an unproductive move for future leaders of the student body. Why is The Herald worthy of ear-
By ignoring the recent work The Herald has done, the UCS and UFB candidates have not provided a thoughtful critique. In fact, they veer dangerously close to portraying an alternative reality in which this publication is defined solely by the racist columns it published in fall 2015 — an unproductive move for future leaders of the student body. students already viewed The Herald with suspicion, the candidates’ public excoriation of it likely solidified or expanded their support base while accomplishing little else. It seems that the letter serves no other purpose than to win votes. In reading that the candidates’ mission is “to support students of color at Brown,” my knee-jerk reaction is to point out that many students of color are members of The Herald. Even with the understanding that historically marginalized peoples can and do contribute to oppressive institutions,
and inclusion advocate role” and holding mandatory workshops on writing about diverse perspectives. Granted, The Herald has not articulated many of these changes to the public, besides in editorials explaining changes to the opinions section and the website’s comments section. Though even better transparency is needed, the changes already show through in the choices The Herald makes in its daily coverage. No publication is perfect, and the editorial recognizes that “The Herald has so much more work to do.” Indeed, it is vitally important to cri-
nest critique? The publication is a major source of information for students and shapes campus dialogue, attracting op-eds and letters from University administration, alums and student groups and generating conversations across campus about University policy and social justice issues. The very fact that the candidates singled out The Herald and then used it as a vehicle to express their perspective reveals the publication’s unavoidable position in campus dialogue. For better or for worse, The Herald essentially has a monopoly in the market of
daily student newspapers at Brown. It has existed since 1891 and shows no signs of closing its doors in the near future. Given that The Herald is here to stay, both sides — Herald staff and the historically marginalized groups who wish to improve the publication — must work together under the assumption that they share a common goal. The candidates’ flashy letter denouncing The Herald exhibits no such desire for genuine cooperation. Like the candidates, I, too, believe that “The Herald can do better to help make the concerns and ideas of these (marginalized) groups visible.” In my role as columnist, I have personally made an effort to bring some of these issues to the table, including inequalities and injustices on the basis of regional and national origin, race, gender and class. Of course, my writing is influenced by my own identity and privilege, so I would encourage those who wish to share other perspectives to join The Herald as writers or editors. It’s important to keep in mind that — especially after the Indigenous Peoples’ Day columns — much thought goes into all of the narratives that The Herald chooses to tell. I hope that, rather than vilifying the newspaper for political gain, the UCS and UFB candidates will stick to their word and work collaboratively to make The Herald a better, more inclusive publication.
Nikhil Kumar ’17 can be reached at nikhil_kumar@brown.edu
A capricious ‘conscious’ conservative JULIAN JACOBS staff columnist When former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom David Cameron finally appeared in the small Q&A room of about 50 students, the audience would be forgiven for exhaling a nostalgic sigh of relief. He emerged in a stately fashion; his youthful facial features and composed expressions were a reminder of another, more optimistic time — one when he was still prime minister, when Brexit seemed out of the question and a Trump presidency even more so. He was the familiar face of a disappearing world order that, despite its obvious failures, operated on a set of principles that brought a sense of stability. And yet the audience would not be forgiven for allowing this initial sense of relief to linger. After all, the former prime minister sitting before us, legs crossed and fingers interlocked in confident anticipation of student questions, enacted misguided austerity measures under the purported aim of reducing the deficit. What resulted was an underfunded National Health Service, ballooning university tuition and, broadly speaking, a fiscal policy that seemed to disproportionately hurt the poor. Most significantly, he was the man who provided last year’s populist movements with their first chance at victory by calling for a public referendum on European Union membership. Despite Cameron’s controversial legacy and some of his shortsighted statements, his talk was a timely reminder of a political establishment willing to welcome open dialogue. I went into the talk with strong opinions
about Brexit in particular. Soon after the Brexit votes were counted, I wrote about my immediate thoughts on the decision. I said that “Cameron … gambl(ed) away the fate of the international system and transform(ed) an internal Tory schism into a case study in the perils of ‘tyranny of the majority.’” The misguided decision to call for this vote alone is sufficient reason to designate him as a “bad” Prime Minister — a man who will be remembered by history not for his successes, but for one single failure. During the Q&A with invited students before the lecture, I asked Cameron about his decision to call for a referendum despite the obvious perils in
sistent. He offered praise of questions he thought were interesting or well constructed and polite disagreement with the framing of other questions. But most importantly, his responses were generally nuanced and coherent, intelligent and well-thought-out. I sympathized with some of his views and scoffed at others, but felt that the discussion taking place was always productive. Despite the obvious reasons why one might not like Cameron, there was refreshing common ground and a commitment to reasoned discussion that simply does not seem as possible in American politics. Of course, this is chiefly a consequence of the
Despite Cameron’s controversial legacy and some of his short-sighted statements, his talk was a timely reminder of a political establishment willing to welcome an open dialogue. doing so. I expected a non-response or evasion — why, after all, would a former prime minister substantively answer some American undergraduate? And yet, as he shifted his gaze from the floor to the audience and then back to the floor, he offered some thoughtful insights into his decision. He explained that the people had a fundamental right to vote on the means by which they were ruled and postponing the referendum or imposing voting quotas would only have delayed the inevitable. Unconvinced as I was, I was thankful that he attempted to put forth a genuine argument. As I sat listening to his responses to other students, his approach to answering questions remained con-
political atmosphere in the United Kingdom compared with that in the United States — put simply, U.K. politics are operating within a more liberal paradigm today and the divides within Parliament therefore do not seem as large as those in Congress. For many Labour Party supporters, “Dodgy Dave” was the man who implemented Tory policies that targeted the poor while simultaneously privileging London’s wealthy elites. But in the United States, Cameron was a compassionate conservative — a centrist of the kind one might see in the Democratic Party establishment. His speech’s opening dig, in which he expressed relief at not having to listen to President Trump’s wire-
taps, seemed to exemplify exactly this — it was safe, diplomatic, sterile and calculated “consensus” humor that would not have drawn laughs had it not come from a former prime minister. And yet, amid Cameron’s professional championing of the liberal 21st century order, he made fatuous claims that dispelled his almost transfixing charm and aura of reason. When addressing the criticism that an interventionist foreign policy had bolstered terrorist groups, he was especially weak and unconvincing. In particular, he asked why an aggressive foreign policy would give a terrorist the right to commit murder — a rhetorical question so shortsighted that it would feel redundant to remark that it misses the point. Perhaps more significantly, he pointed out that 9/11 occurred prior to the Iraq War. We would therefore be misguided, he suggested, to blame U.S. or U.K. foreign policy for exacerbating terrorism or destabilizing the Middle East. To this I would simply respond: It’s 2017. Does anybody really believe this? All of this is to say that the experience of having Cameron on campus induced a series of conflicting emotions. At first, I was struck by the extreme privilege of receiving the chance to hear him talk, then cautious thankfulness for his charisma, commitment to reasoned discourse and ample ability to defend his views. This was followed by a sinking disappointment at his legacy and policies. This resulted in an unsettling amalgam of gratitude and frustration. I was left both stacking my counterarguments to this capricious, “conscious” conservative and simultaneously hoping that one day our political enemies too can be so damn reasonable.
Julian Jacobs ’18 can be reached at julian_jacobs@brown.edu.
ARTS & CULTURE THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 2017
Jayna Zweiman ’01 brings her ‘Pussyhats’ to campus Pussyhat co-creator provides context for creation of hats symbolic of Women’s March By ETHEL RENIA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Posters of “Pussyhats” peppered campus for days before the Visual Arts Department welcomed back alum and Pussyhat Project co-founder Jayna Zweiman ’01. Zweiman spoke at the List Art Center yesterday about life events that led to the creation of the Women’s March’s now-iconic cat-shaped headwear. “I knew right away that we needed to bring her back to Brown and embrace her and celebrate this phenomenal project that she developed and co-founded,” said Professor of Visual Art Wendy Edwards, the chair of the visual arts department. Zweiman became interested in knitting after she sustained a head injury three and half years ago. She had long been curious about the medium of thread and the idea of “using a line and turning it into a space,” she said. Knitting was also a form of creative expression that required no cleanup — an activity for which she did not have the energy due to her injury. “Having a form of disability can inform your art,” Zweiman said. She and her future Pussyhat Project co-founder Krista Suh subsequently
joined a knitting community based in a Los Angeles yarn shop called The Little Knittery. Zweiman says it was President Trump’s victory in the election that sparked the inspiration for the “Pussyhat.” “Out of that devastation, Krista and I went to the Little Knittery and started talking about the Women’s March,” Zweiman said. Both were motivated to start a movement that reacted to the presidential win and would empower women into action everywhere. “If everyone wore hats, we could create visibility for this march,” Zweiman said. They wanted the “Pussyhat” to be a way for people who might not be able to attend the Women’s March in D.C. for financial, health or disability reasons to be included in the movement anyway, she added. The goal was for people around the country to be able to participate and make a statement if they wanted to. To this end, volunteers across the United States individually crocheted, knitted and sewed bright pink hats with two little cat ears. These hats were either worn by their maker, given to a friend or stranger to wear at a march or shipped to the Pussyhat Project to be redistributed to protestors. The exchange of hand-made hats symbolizing a feminist movement aimed to create a national sense of community and solidarity, according to Zweiman. The success of the hat soon became evident as millions of women wore the hat
COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
Jayna Zweiman ’01 co-founded the Pussyhat Project, in which volunteers around the country knitted hats to be worn in the Women’s Marches that took place in cities across the United States. internationally for the Women’s March of criticism,” Zweiman said. The name able to attend the Women’s March due and the International Women’s Day. “Pussyhat” was used in response to the to her past head injury, she gave her During the question and answer sec- Donald Trump scandal involving the hat to a stranger to wear at the march. tion of the talk, one student referenced non-consensual grabbing of female In this sense, the “Pussyhat” fulfilled the fact that critics of the hat have sug- genitalia. In a wider sense, the word its mission to involve everyone in the gested that the word “pussy” in “Pussy- “pussy” is used in a derogatory fashion Women’s March, regardless of their locahat” excludes transgender women from to relate to an individual’s female char- tion or circumstances, she said. “In this the movement. acteristics, Zweiman said. “Pussyhat” is political climate, it is really important “I think it is really important to lis- trying to reclaim that word, she added. that people stand up for what they are ten to what people have to say in terms Though Zweiman herself was not worried about,” Zweiman said.
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