Issuu

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30

VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 115

WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

Members of U. gather to protest GOP tax bill Five bikes

stolen on Nov. 15 alone

DPS offers to swap cable locks for U locks, directing more resources to stop bike thefts across campus By ALEX SKIDMORE UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

TIFFANY DING / HERALD

Graduate students gathered near University Hall to express concern for the effect of the GOP tax plan. The administration said they are making efforts to stymie the progress of the bill, including reaching out to U.S. Senators Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sheldon Whitehouse, D-R.I.

Graduate students fear effect of new tax bill, demand U. work against its passage By BAYLOR KNOBLOCH SENIOR REPORTER

In solidarity with graduate students across the country organizing similar

demonstrations, close to 100 graduate students gathered outside of University Hall to protest the proposed GOP tax bill, which would increase income tax on graduate student stipends and tuition waivers, effectively cutting their incomes in half. The University is actively lobbying against the bill; President Christina Paxson P’19 has called U.S. Senators Jack Reed, D-R.I., and Sheldon

Whitehouse, D-R.I., and is in the process of speaking to other members of Congress. On Nov. 27, Paxson denounced the bill in a communitywide email. “The bill is about more than graduate students,” said Julie Skarha GS, the first of the event’s 12 speakers. In between speeches, protesters chanted “We are workers” and “Hey, C. Pax, we need your help to fight this tax.”

“It’s not a surprise that it’s not going to be easy to live on $13,000 a year, which is what our stipends would amount to if this tax bill were to pass,” said Dennis Hogan GS, a member of Stand Up for Graduate Student Employees advocacy group. “Graduate students, who are living on $30,000 a year, $33,000 if they’re in the sciences, we’re flipping out,” Hogan » See TAXES, page 3

Five bicycles were stolen from the north side of campus Nov. 15, according to the Department of Public Safety crime logs. Only one other bicycle was reported stolen during the month. Two of the bikes were stolen from the Jonathan Nelson ’77 Fitness Center and the three others were on Pembroke Green, though it is unknown if the incidents were perpetrated by the same person or group, said Chief of Police Mark Porter. The bike thief “severed the cable lock with a cutting device” in all » See BIKES, page 3

ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

Steeves ’19 registers back-to-back double-doubles Co-captain forward snags personal-best, 19 rebounds, first doubledouble on Saturday By MARI HERREMA STAFF WRITER

The women’s basketball team (4-1, 0-0 Ivy) traveled to California to win the Pacific’s Turkey Tip-Off Tournament over the weekend. After taking down Hampton University 73-66, Brown advanced to the finals to beat the hosting University of California at Berkeley 7457. Co-captain forward Erika Steeves ’19 registered her first double-doubles of the season in the tournament, scoring a total of 26 points and collecting 33 rebounds over the weekend. For her back-to-back double-doubles and achieving a personal-best 19 rebounds in one game, Steeves was named The Herald’s Athlete of the Week. Herald: Congratulations on winning the Pacific’s Turkey Tip-Off Tournament! How did the victory feel? Steeves: Thank you! It was amazing. We knew it was two really big games,

INSIDE

and so it was a momentum shift for us. When did you first start playing basketball? When I was seven or eight years old. My brother was a basketball player and so was my dad. I started playing with both of them. My dad was my coach for a while. I’m from Canada, so I went to prep school for basketball and soccer and academics. My brother went with me too — he’s 15 months older — so he left to play at Harvard for four years, and I ended up here.

When did you first really get into basketball? I was a big sports person in general growing up, and when I went to prep school, we had to play two sports. I did soccer, basketball, and I ran track. I was a sophomore, I got a big concussion playing soccer, and I decided to stop, and I think that’s the time I went more towards basketball. Has your family played a large role in developing your relationship with basketball? It definitely helps that my brother is 6’7” and I’m 6’2”. So when people look at us, they’re like, ‘Volleyball or basketball family?’ And we had a basketball hoop growing up in our backyard, and

so every time I came home from school, I’d be like, ‘Oh, let’s go shoot hoops!’ And it was never a serious workout, it was always just a fun thing. So I think it’s really when I got to prep school, that I really noticed the seriousness of it. Before that, it was always, ‘Aw, let’s go hang out with my brother and play basketball!’ They never pushed me into it. I easily could have been playing volleyball or soccer, but we’re a basketball family. Was it always a goal to participate in college athletics? It became a goal when I got to prep school, and I saw everyone around me striving towards that, and it was really motivating to me to see my brother go play at Harvard. He unfortunately tore his ACL and was out for three years, so when I was trying to get recruited, he was talking to me about it, and he was like, ‘If you get the chance to play at an Ivy League school, you can’t pass it up.’ I’m from Canada, I didn’t know anything about recruiting, I didn’t play (Amateur Athletic Union). I played for Team Québec back home, and I initially had no idea how to even go about talking to coaches. So my senior year, I reached out to a few coaches, I sent a few highlights, and they were

COURTESY OF BROWN BEARS ATHLETICS

Erika Steeves ’19, The Herald’s Athlete of the Week, registered her first double-double in Pacific’s Turkey Tip-Off Tournament this weekend. like, ‘We’re really interested, but we’re filled, we have everybody,’ because I was a little late. I was kind of bummed.

I got a few Division III offers, did a few different visits, which were awesome, » See AOTW, page 4

WEATHER

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30

SCIENCE & RESEARCH Members of Climate and Development Lab head to COP23 climate conference in Germany

SCIENCE & RESEARCH Researches now able to account for a difference in mantle composition

COMMENTARY Okin ’19: Do not let first semester of college dictate how you feel about Brown

COMMENTARY Vilsan ’19: Women should not restrict themselves to or be pressured into professional roles

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NEWS

PAGE 2 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Climate and Development Lab attends COP23 in Germany Students, researchers travel to Germany to attend United Nations climate conference By JACKSON WELLS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Nations from across the world congregated in Bronn, Germany to discuss climate agreements and how they could battle climate change for the United Nations Climate Change Conference 23rd Conference of the Parties. Among the delegates, organizations and other attendees were members from the Climate and Development Lab at Brown. The conference stretched from Nov. 6 to Nov. 17, with six of the 12 undergraduate students in the CDL going the first week and the other six going the second, said Julianna Bradley ’17.5, one of the students in the CDL. Preparation for the conference took place largely in the class ENVS 1575: “Engaged Climate Policy at the UN Climate Change Talks,” which was taught by J. Timmons Roberts, professor of environmental studies and co-founder and co-director of the CDL, said Emma Bouton ’20, another student in the CDL. Students had a set of core readings, which included topics such as the history of the climate talks, climate vulnerability and

financing, gender and loss and damage, said Stacy-Ann Robinson, postdoctoral research associate and member of the CDL. Students also worked on individual and group projects, she said. The students spent their time at COP23 working on “embedded” projects with organizations assigned to them before COP23. For Bradley, this meant working with Oxfam America, an organization that aims to reduce poverty. Oxfam sent delegates from their climate subsection to COP23, and Bradley attended negotiations for them, taking notes so she could report back. For Bouton, this meant working with the Global Island Partnership, for which she would attend events and work with social media. Other students worked with groups such as the United Nations Development Programme, Climate Home, the chair of the Least Developed Countries and the International Centre for Climate Change and Development. The students also worked on independent projects while at COP23. Each student focused on a specific issue, deciding which negotiations and events to attend and which people to contact. Bradley’s project involved working with a group called Climate Home and looking at cities’ participation in meeting U.S. climate agreements. Bradley said approaching and interacting with people involved in climate

COURTESY OF STACY-ANN ROBINSON

Members of Brown’s Climate and Development Laboratory attended the 23rd United Nations Conference of the Parties. The students worked on group as well as individual projects with various organizations. action was one of the best parts of COP23. Though there was a hierarchy with pink-badged “delegates” holding higher positions than yellow-badged “observers,” it was not rigid. “Anyone would talk to anyone,” she said. Bradley recalled standing in line at a coffee shop and recognizing the man behind her as the mayor of Carmel, Indiana, the

only Republican at the conference. She introduced herself, and they conversed for 45 minutes about climate change. Bouton said that the conference was overwhelming, but she was disheartened by the slow pace of progress. The United Nations structures negotiations in a flawed way that allows them to continually push back decision-making,

she said. Guy Edwards, co-founder and codirector of the CDL, agreed that decision-making regarding climate change was occurring too slowly; however, he said that the shift to a low-carbon economy is now undeniable. “Far more needs to happen, but this process is an important step forward,” he said.

Former Tel Aviv professor lectures on Israel’s first prime minister Anita Shapira, head of Rabin Center, discusses Israel’s founding leader at Watson event By EMILY DAVIES SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Anita Shapira, former Professor in the Study of Zionism at Tel Aviv University and head of the Rabin Center, led a discussion on the life and legacy of Israel’s first prime minister David BenGurion Wednesday afternoon at the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs. Shapira opened her lecture by highlighting Ben-Gurion’s choice of his burial location as emblematic of his historical presence. Instead of lying alongside leaders of the state, such as Zionism founder Theodor Herzl,

Ben-Gurion asked for his grave to be on a cliff just south of the Sde Boker Kibbutz in the Negev. His gravestone was to be inscribed only with the date of his birth, death and a phrase stating the year he immigrated to Israel. While some may be inclined to see this isolation and simplicity as a sign of humility in the face of death, Shapira began her talk by asserting otherwise. “In Jewish tradition … the highest of all is the one who’s untitled name is sufficient,” she said. “Not mentioning deeds on his gravestone was intended to say his name is sufficient, and the rest will be told in the history books.” Professor of History Omer Bartov, who introduced Shapira, said he chose Shapira to speak for her ability to present historical figures with empathy. “She doesn’t write militant history, she writes biographies,” he told The Herald. “Something that humanizes

leaders, even leaders like Ben-Gurion. I think there is a strength in doing what she does.” Shapira gave listeners a taste of her narrative style when she spoke about Ben-Gurion’s modest upbringing in Poland, then part of the Russian empire. Raised with little financial security, he was inspired by the first Russian Revolution. Soon after, Ben-Gurion found his ideological homes in Zionism and Socialism, she said. “He was a young man without a purpose until he discovered politics,” Shapira said. “He possessed a sense of historic responsibility which guided him through his most difficult times." Shapira highlighted Ben-Gurion’s “miraculous decade” as the years between 1941 and 1952, which include the founding of the state of Israel in 1948. She credits him for the success of voting for independence, which was

not a foregone conclusion at the time. Bartov questioned Shapira’s praise of Ben-Gurion’s accomplishments in the context of Palestinian refugees. “I want to ask a question a little bit around the elephant in the room,” he said. “Ben-Gurion’s greatest accomplishment is the establishment of the state of Israel. And that greatest accomplishment was the greatest catastrophe for the Palestinians. How did he understand this?” Shapira responded to Bartov by saying that Ben-Gurion “established the state, he didn’t start the war,” and that the historical context made it so Ben-Gurion did not deeply consider the reality for Palestinians. “Nobody thought that this was something abhorrent,” she said. “I am sure that in his heart of hearts he thought about it, but at that time, he, as others were, (was) so busy with other

things that this was pushed aside.” David Steinfeld ’20 found this answer to be the most memorable moment of the talk. “I was interested in how she defended him in his decision around independence,” Steinfeld said. “It’s definitely interesting how she framed it in the perspective of the time period where that sort of method to deal with population transfer was accepted.” Shapira said she hopes students in attendance gained a new outlook on Ben-Gurion’s political contributions. “I hope students got a perspective … of the feeling of the first years of the Jewish state and of the struggle to establish statehood and how important it was at that time for the Jewish people,” she told The Herald. The event was part of the Watson Institute's Israel-Palestine Distinguished Lecture Series.

NEWS

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Two of the bicycles were taken from Nelson Fitness Center and the other three were stolen from Pembroke Green. Police do not know how many people were involved in the thefts.

» BIKES, from page 1 incidents, the report stated. “We know that cable locks can be cut off rather easily,” Porter said. To protect bikes from theft, a “quality U lock that locks through the bike frame” is preferable to a cable lock that can be cut, said Amanda

» TAXES, from page 1 told The Herald. “The reassurances that the University has been willing to give are not enough. My concrete demand would be to promise the students that whatever happens, our tax costs aren’t going to go up. They can make the math work.” “We’ve been hearing a lot of vague reassurances. … And I understand, you can’t make promises before you know what the exact provisions are, but you can promise that the worst effects won’t come to pass,” Hogan said in his speech. “Poor students are going to fall out. Some of us are already planning our exit strategy,” said Felicia Bishop GS. Graduate students overall felt the

Resch, who works at Legend Bicycle on Brook Street. Cyclists should also make sure they lock their bikes to a sturdy structure so thieves cannot rip the bicycle and lock off of something weak, such as a wooden staircase, she added. DPS offers a program to swap cable locks for U locks, and it has

issued about 205 U locks to students this year, Porter said. Austen Sharpe ’18 had her bike stolen from the backyard of her off-campus house a few weeks ago. She locked her bike on campus with a cable lock for three years without any issues, but the lock was cut in the middle of the night at her residence, she said.

Bike thefts are “a growing trend across college campuses,” Porter said. To combat the thefts, DPS has increased officer patrols around bike racks to “create more officer visibility” around the bikes. On a recent patrol, officers apprehended and stopped a potential bike theft, he added. The department also created a

map of the various bike racks around campus in collaboration with Bikes at Brown to document where bikes are stolen most often and direct the officer patrols to those vulnerable areas, Porter said. Overall, more thefts occur on the north side of campus but there is “nothing today that indicates why that occurs,” he added.

protest was a success. “The University runs and is affected by the presence of graduate workers, so to have people walk out and leave those spaces is an effective way to draw attention,” Hilary Rasch GS told The Herald. Rasch helped organize the event, along with Jeff Feldman GS. “We’re here to say that we’re done with subsidizing the rich,” Skarha said to the crowd. “We call on Paxson today to speak out more about this bill and to stand up for grad students as well as others who will be affected by this bill,” she added. “The research we do is not a luxury,” echoed Lubabah Chowdhury GS to the group of fellow graduate students. “It’s imperative.”

The event also included a sing-along to an anti-fascist song led by Annie Wentz GS. Towards the end of the event, Chief of Staff to the Provost Marisa Quinn exited her office to come see the graduate students on the Main Green. The administration was aware of plans for the protest, Quinn said. “Advocacy is critical to ensure that members of Congress know about the implications of the particular provisions of the bill,” she added. “Brown is actively advocating for what’s in the best interest of students and higher education, and our hope is that as Congress continues to consider this legislation, graduate students and other members of the Brown

community will continue to make their voices heard,” wrote Director of News and Editorial Development Brian Clark in an email to The Herald. “Our livelihoods are being jeopardized by the proposed tax plan,” Diego Luis GS told The Herald. “If it goes through, we’re all completely screwed.”

But Luis doubted the effectiveness of a protest of Wednesday’s nature. “I don’t think it’s going to do much unless we go in there and demand a response from the administration,” he said. After around 45 minutes of short speeches, the protest dissolved into smaller conversations and eventually disbanded.

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NEWS

PAGE 4 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

M. BASKETBALL

Men’s basketball falls to URI in anticlimactic Ocean State matchup Continuing 6-year losing streak, Bears dominated again by defensive Rams in the 86-62 loss By ALEX SMOLAR STAFF WRITER

The men’s basketball team has not defeated the University of Rhode Island since 2011, and it was clear from the opening tip that the most recent chapter of this fierce Ocean State rivalry would not go Bruno’s way. The Rams, who were last season’s Atlantic 10 Conference champions and advanced to the round of 32 in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, dominated in almost all statistical categories in their 24 point victory against the Bears. “URI played well,” said Travis Fuller ’19. “They are a very tough defensive team.” The game got out of hand for Brown (4-3) before anyone in the arena could blink, as the Rams (4-2) jumped out to an early 20-7 lead behind 56 percent shooting and 13 points from Fatts Russell off the bench on 3-3 three point shooting in the first half. Desmond Cambridge ’21 carried the load early for the Bears, contributing nine points and making all three of Brown’s three point shots in the first half. The rest of the team went 0-9 from beyond the arc in the first 20 minutes.

At the half, the Rams led 43-25 as the Bears only shot 28 percent from the field and had nine turnovers compared to URI’s four. The Rams also recorded five blocks, while Bruno did not record any. The second half was more of the same in a game that was already long out of reach. Although Brandon Anderson ’20 caught fire with 13 second-half points on 5-9 shooting, the team was still only able to connect on 39 percent of its field goals and 29 percent of its three point shots. Meanwhile, the Rams shot an explosive 67 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. When the final buzzer rang, the Rams led the Bears in shooting percentage 61 to 34, three point shooting percentage 63 to 26, rebounds 37-30, assists 16-11 and blocks 8-1. Anderson finished with 17 points and three assists while Cambridge added 16 points and two rebounds. Tamenang Choh ’21 notched a career-high eight points along with Jason Massey’s ’18 eight points on 4-5 shooting off the bench. The Bears shot well from the free-throw line, shooting 19-25 from the charity stripe compared to 7-14 shooting from the Rams. Russell added seven second half points to his hot first half to finish with 20. Jared Terrell also finished with 16 points along with Jeff Dowtin’s 14. URI’s bench was also impressive throughout, as they outscored Bruno’s bench by

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

The Bears continued their losing streak against the University of Rhode Island, which has not been broken since 2011. Even after losing the game, the Bears say they are keeping a positive outlook for the rest of the season. 22 points. Despite a tough loss to an intra-state rival, the Bears are still optimistic about the long season ahead and are sticking together as a team.

Prof. talks gender development, mental health Olson says transgender children supported by family less likely to feel anxiety, depression By LIORA MORHAYIM

which makes it a fun atmosphere.” The Bears will return home to the Pizzitola Sports Center Saturday for a game against Central Connecticut State University at 2:00 p.m.

» AOTW, from page 1

such a great atmosphere.

but eventually I decided I wanted to play Division I basketball and I took a post-grad year at Phillips Exeter. I had a great year, had a great summer of playing AAU, got a few offers, and then was so happy I committed to Brown.

How is the team feeling as tournament and out of league play starts shifting towards Ivy League play? I think we’re all excited. We also feel like every game that we play in the preseason is really getting us ready for the Ivy League, which ultimately is the biggest part of our season. But these games are also really important. For example, this past tournament, we had some freshmen step up, a sophomore come off the bench and hit two huge threes. We just know we have a lot of girls that can participate, help us out, and we are more of a veteran team now, so I think that going into Ivy play, we’re definitely really excited to rely on our veterans and rely on our leadership and honor seniority and know that it’ll help us out when we get to the big, fourthquarter-tie-game kind of thing.

Why did you choose Brown? When I first came here I loved it. It was beautiful out, and when the coach reached out to me, that’s the first thing that I remembered. I was like, ‘It was so pretty.’ I didn’t commit for that, obviously. I had a five-school tour planned out, four Ivies and one Patriot League school, and Brown was the first one I visited. I spent the day here and went out to lunch with the coaches, met a few of the girls, and then I committed that day. I called all the other schools and I was like, ‘Uh, I’m sorry, I’m committed. Awkward. I was supposed to come to you tomorrow, but I’m not.’ I think it was just a feel for the place, the coaching staff, the team, and it’s kind of like the cheesy, ‘When you get here, you just know.’

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Kristina Olson, associate professor of psychology at the University of Washington, shed light on her team’s recent research on gender development and the mental health of transgender and gender non-conforming children Wednesday. Her talk, “When Sex and Gender Collide: Early Childhood Gender Diversity,” was the most recent installment of the Michael S. Goodman ’74 Memorial Lecture Series. Olson first emphasized the effect sex and gender social categories have on people’s lives regardless of the society into which they are born. Children use these social categorizations very early in development to make judgments on things such as who to interact with or which clothes to wear, Olson said. For her study, Olson worked with 300 transgender children between ages three and 12, who have socially — but not medically — transitioned. She compared clothing, peer and toy preferences of trans and cisgender children who identified as the same gender and discovered that these two groups shared similar preferences. She also compared the preferences of gender non-conforming children with transgender children and found a lot of variability. Olson talked about gender stability and presented her findings on children’s perception of their own and other’s gender stability. Her research found that almost everyone thinks that their

“Our biggest strength is how tight knit our team is,” Fuller said. “We are extremely connected both on the court and off. We’re a family that’s working hard to get better each and every day,

LIORA MORHAYIM / HERALD

Kristina Olson, associate professor of psychology at the University of Washington, presented her study on diverse gender identity gender will be stable at a young age. Although the ways of understanding gender and its influence on the human experience have been central to the study of human psychology for decades, nearly all research has focused on people who experience gender identity that aligns with one’s sex, Olson said. She pointed out that this past research is not representative of transgender individuals, telling the story of Jazz Jenning, a transgender television and YouTube personality who socially transitioned as a child.

In the final part of her lecture, Olson spoke about the mental health of transgender children. "It is almost a moral responsibility” to address the mental health of “a sample which there has been little literature about,” Olson said. Transgender children are more likely to experience depression and anxiety compared to non-transgender children, she added. Family support is essential for the mental health of transgender youth as there is clear evidence between familial support and decreased anxiety, she said.

What’s the best part about being a member of the basketball team? I think that as a culture, we’ve really changed. My freshman year I came in, it was a lot about playing time, and I think there was a lot of tension on the team, but as a culture, throughout my three years here and with the new coach, it’s just become actually a family. And I never really thought that that would be real. Because everybody says it, ‘It’s your second family,’ but I actually just spent American Thanksgiving in San Francisco with my team, my coaches, and it was really like a family Thanksgiving. One of my teammates, (Shayna Mehta ’19), her family opened up their home to us, and it was really fun. It was

Do you have any aspirations postcollege to play professionally or for Team Canada? I definitely want to eventually play for Team Canada — it’s one of my goals. I think I might also want to play pro, but overseas. My first language is French, so I feel like if I were to play, you know, France or West of Switzerland or something like that, where they do speak French, that would be really cool. And I’m studying internationalrelations/econ, and I think it would be interesting to play overseas and either get a job on the side or continue my studies there because I could mix both of my worlds up there. The Bears will take the courts at Providence College on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 12:00 p.m. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

TODAY

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

objec tive histories

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Barbecue Bam Bam, Mary Jane, Spicy 5-Cheese and Garlic Mac and Cheese, Cookie Slice/Brownie Slice JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Chicken Dinner Bowl, Rodeo Burger

Soup: Chicken Artichoke Florentine, Turkey Chili

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Chicken Pot Pie, Spinach Pie Calzone, Steamed Broccoli with Lemon, Magic Bars

Sweet and Sour Pork, Steamed Jasmine Rice, Stuffed Shells Florentine, Frosted Brownies

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Beef Carnitas, Colorado Pork Chili, Italian Beef Noodle Casserole, Magic Bars

Swiss Steak, Vegetable Stuffed Red Peppers, Sunny Sprouts, Basque Cake with Raspberry

sudoku JASMINE RUIZ / HERALD

The various antique knick-knacks that the University has on display are just a few of the many historical objects on campus. These pieces in particular display the great progress in technology over the years.

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

“Brown is actively advocating for what’s in the best interest of students and higher education.” — Brian Clark, Director of News and Editorial Development

See TAXES on page 2. crossword

STAY UP-TO-DATE. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK. FACEBOOK.COM/BROWNDAILYHERALD

calendar TODAY NOVEMBER MARCH

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

Raphael and Re-use 5:30 P.M. List Art, Room 120

Ethical Inquiry Lunch 12:00 P.M. Salomon Center, Room 203

Careers in Medicine 5:30 P.M. CareerLAB

TOMORROW

31 1

EEB Brown Bag Seminar 12:00 P.M. BioMed Center, Room 202

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

Piano Workshop 4:00 P.M. Grant Recital Hall

UEL Art Exhibit 6:00 P.M. Urban Environmental Lab

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

EDITORIAL

comic

Inviting ED students to ADOCH is a waste of U. funds

A Horse Of Any Other Name |Zachary Silberberg

Students accepted early decision — including the past selves of a few members of the 127th Editorial Board — love to complain about not being invited to Brown’s admitted students’ event: A Day on College Hill. They groan about how they never got to join in on the late night arch sings, sigh longingly when someone mentions the free food and have a hole in their hears where others carry the ADOCH address by the dean of admission. But then again, many of them only sent in one application, had to wait a month in agony for a decision instead of four and got sick of the arch sings that were so special at ADOCH by the sixth week of school (the third if they were living in Wayland). The University has taken our memes seriously by inviting early decision admits to ADOCH, which will now take place over two different two-day periods. But while the invitation may prevent the saltiness some early decision admits still have, the move ultimately holds little meaning for those to whom it matters the most and may spend resources that would better be diverted toward other necessities. The early decision admits will not be able to utilize on-campus housing, which will be saved for regular decision admits. This is just another iteration of the exclusionary elements of “CUBS Day” — what used to be a vastly underwhelming day for admitted early decision students that lasted about three hours and did not include any housing accommodations. A lack of housing meant the event was predominantly attended by wealthy students or those who lived nearby. The fact that early decision students would not receive housing entirely undercuts the Admission Office’s goals of making ADOCH more equitable. We applaud the admission office for committing more money to travel grants so that low- and middle- income students can visit Brown, but what good is a student travelling out to Providence if they would just have to pay for a place to stay when out here? And perhaps the admission office isn’t deciding to fund travel grants for early decision applicants. In that case, you have mostly wealthy early decision admits coming out for ADOCH — exactly the problem they were trying to stymy by doubling their travel budget. According to Dean of Admission Logan Powell, the University is inviting early decision admits so their enthusiasm about Brown may spread to regular decision admits who are choosing between schools. But this seems largely unnecessary as current Brown students can spread their excitement to ADOCH attendees by hosting events for them and housing them in their dorms. And the chance that early decision admits will be making a convincing case to attend Brown — especially when they are still denied the full ADOCH experience — is small. In the end, early decision students really don’t need to be convinced to come to Brown: The fact that they applied to this school knowing that they would have to attend makes that clear. Ultimately, Brown would be wasting funds that could be better spent on other areas like financial aid. Editorials are written by The Herald’s 127th editorial board: Lauren Aratani ’18, Matthew Brownsword ’18, Rebecca Ellis ’18 and Katharine Talerico ’18. Send comments to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

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COMMENTARY THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Embrace uncertainty, first-years REBECCA OKIN staff columnist Before I left campus first semester freshmen year, I got my cartilage pierced. For those of you who don’t conform to the true-rebel lifestyle this implies, “getting my cartilage pierced” refers to the life-altering moment of a shiny needle and a shinier stone sliding into the upper crevice of my left ear. It was so crazy, it was so Brown. It was exactly the symbol I hungered for at the end of my longest time away from home, one that would broadcast my identity as an infinitely successful and gloriously happy first-year Brown student to others and to myself. But after the deed was done, as I looked into the dirty mirror of that Thayer Street studio, I already understood a truth: No amount of holes in my ear would reconcile the fact that my first semester at Brown was nowhere near as fantastic as I had dreamed it would be. I’m a junior now and wish I could tell you that every day spent on College Hill is a perfect one. But even as the self-proclaimed biggest fan of Brunonia, I can’t. But I will offer this to students who are now wrapping up their first semester: Hang tight. While I can’t promise you that collegiate life will improve, I can tell you

that your first semester, and each semester beyond, will inform your perspective and expand the breadth of your college experiences. When you come back to school for the spring semester, campus will not be the unknown place you were thrown into this fall. Buildings will have effortless nicknames and Courses@Brown

ones that will develop and expand your experience on College Hill. With this sense of command comes a heightened sense of conviction in the validity of your choices: what you study, where you spend your free time, who you spend it with. Don’t underestimate how empowering simply knowing more about your

me. It invigorated me, introducing new trajectories I hadn’t even considered. This experience occurred after my first semester, and there may similarly be undiscovered areas of your collegiate life that reveal themselves later. The knowledge you gain from your first semester will grant you the confidence to approach

Don’t underestimate how empowering simply knowing more about your own college experience can be.

will make a lot more sense. Even if it there are only a few recognizable faces — perhaps classmates, neighbors or fellow club members — they will paint your walks to class. It’s this tighter reign of Brown that will grant you confidence in the decisions you will make on campus, the

own college experience can be. At the same time, appreciate how there are so many activities and resources and clubs you have yet to try out or even hear about. Joining a sorority at the beginning of my second semester was a rebirth of my freshmen year, a totally new endeavor for

them. To the first-year who feels intimidated by the beginning of a new semester, you are not alone. Coming back from winter break is a strange moment where everyone starts over. Shopping period is a show with many, many plot twists. Whether it’s

your first year or your fourth, chaos ensues as you start to doubt the perfectly constructed course cart made in November. In adding and swapping and dropping classes, there can be a sense of community amidst confusion. Moreover, we permit this momentary mayhem for the sake of allowing ourselves the chance to enrich our lives at Brown. If you felt lost this first semester, consider how temporary disorder might provide you with an enhanced perspective when approaching future college experiences. My collegiate life has been measured by the number of Northeast Regional trains taken and the book annotations scribbled and the hours spent waiting in the lunch line at the Ratty. It’s been measured in the pounds gained and lost, the tears comforted on the Main Green, the stunning walks and late-night conversations had. Very literally, it’s been measured by the time I’ve spent on this campus, learning it, complaining about it and admiring it. Hang on if you feel lost — with every new class taken, event attended and person met, your life at Brown will expand, swelling up with every new decision made. And this could be exactly what you need.

Rebecca Okin ’19 can be reached at rebecca_okin@brown.edu.

There is no ideal feminist FABIANA VILSAN staff columnist In 1992, Hillary Clinton infamously stated that she “could have stayed home and baked cookies” but decided instead to fulfill the profession she chose before her husband entered public life. The quote has haunted her ever since, and although Clinton spent weeks apologizing for the perceived insensitivity of her comments, some women have found it hard to move past. At Brown, I am surrounded every day by empowered, ambitious and intelligent women who plan to — and likely will — succeed as high-achieving professionals, mothers and wives all at once. But it is also important to respect the fact that some women at Brown may look forward to pursuing marital and familial goals instead of professional ones. Nearly 26 years later, the condescension expressed by Clinton still persists: The feminist woman is supposed to seek professional advancement in tandem with a strong personal life — anything else is deemed insufficient. But that ideal does not always describe the path that female students at Brown hope to pursue. It’s about time we start treating the feminist movement for what it is — a movement for female equality, not a hierarchy of female merit based on professional achievement. I have frequently overheard female students talking down to their peers who don’t plan on pursuing lifelong careers, asserting that an Ivy League education would be a waste of money if not used in a professional capacity. For example, at a recent recruiting event, female attendees discussed the often-difficult choice

women face between balancing the professional with the personal or choosing between the two. Upon listening to one of the guest speakers — a successful woman in the banking industry who pushed back her marriage into her late 30s to focus on her professional goals — many students chimed in with their own opin-

Brown do just that, there are also countless women who choose instead to focus on nonprofessional pursuits unapologetically. Brown prides itself on being a liberal institution that promotes gender equality and encourages all students to follow their own paths. As such, women at Brown shatter glass ceilings

It’s about time we start treating the feminist movement for what it is — a movement for female equality, not a hierarchy of female merit based on professional achievement.

ions on the matter. And the overwhelming consensus was strikingly similar to Clinton’s statement in the early 1990s: True feminists pursue their professional goals unapologetically, and work to maintain healthy relationships and families in harmony with their careers. And while many female graduates from

upon graduation left and right. But embracing traditional roles does not mean that you have accepted to live under the glass ceiling that feminists before you have worked to destroy. It simply means that you value familial goals, like raising children, above professional ones. And while some women are able to

harmonize their work and family lives, others make a choice. Pursuing an Ivy League education should not restrict or pressure women into professional roles that they do not wish to undertake. After all, there is such a thing as education for the sake of personal growth and academic interest. Feminists, by definition, advocate for a woman’s right to determine the course of her own life — whether the path leads to clocking in 100-hour workweeks in a competitive industry or to becoming a full-time mother and wife. If we champion one and demean the other, we are not truly feminists. We are condescending to those women whose priorities do not align with our own. It is always spurring for me, as a Brown student, to continue to hear women putting each other down for making decisions that may not necessarily conform with the feminist ideal. Ultimately, we cannot claim to be feminists if we do not respect women’s choices, professional or otherwise. One of Brown’s most notable alums, Janet Yellen ’67, is understandably an inspirational figure for many young women walking through the Van Wickle Gates. As one of the most powerful figures in the world today, she has distinguished herself as a scholar and successful chair of the Federal Reserve, all the while being an excellent wife and mother. But her life isn’t and shouldn’t be the only example of success for female students. There are countless female alums who have graduated from Brown and gone on to build strong families instead of pursuing careers, and it is perfectly valid to be inspired by their paths as well.

Fabiana Vilsan ’19 can be reached at fabiana_vilsan@brown.edu.

NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30

UCS committees review semester goals, initiatives

Members summarize semester of work, vote in confidence of UCS president, vice president By EDUARD MUÑOZ-SUÑÉ SENIOR STAFF WRITER

At its general body meeting Wednesday evening, the Undergraduate Council of Students summarized the work its completed over the semester and members of the group voted in confidence of UCS President Chelse-Amoy Steele ’18. Chair of the Campus Life Committee Camila Pelsinger ’20 described the committee’s work placing more water stations around campus. The University is a “plastic-water-bottlefree campus,” and “we want to make water more accessible to everyone at Brown,” she said. Pelsinger also mentioned that the committee is trying to get the University to provide shuttles to local train stations and airports at the end of each semester. Sharon Zeldin ’20, chair of the health and wellness committee, reported that the committee has spent the semester working to provide an on-call health insurance coach who can help students better understand their health insurance. She also mentioned that the committee is working with faculty to help them better understand the necessity of SEAS for some students. Chair of the Academic Affairs Committee Mar Weiss ’20 mentioned the committee’s focus on academic

integrity and reinforcing the University’s academic code. “We want to create more of a culture around (the academic code) and holding people accountable to their other peers to do all work that is their own,” she said. Steele, in the place of William Zhou ’20, the chair of student activities, described how the committee has made it easier for student groups to seek categorization by accepting club applications on a rolling basis instead of only at the end of semesters. “That will lead to a quicker start of time for clubs,” said Steele. The committee has also worked to understand how changes to bias-related reporting of incidents will affect student groups on campus. The group also held a confidence vote. The general body must propose the vote each semester for the UCS president, vice president and chief of staff, according to Section XII of the UCS Constitution. A two-thirds vote by UCS general body members of “noconfidence” for any of the executive members would result in that person’s automatic and immediate removal from office. UCS Parliamentarian Austin Lessin ’19 described the vote as an indicator of “whether or not (the general body) felt like (Steele) has performed to the standards that we thought she would.” “In my 20 years, I have not met a harder worker than my president, Chelse Steele,” said UCS Vice-President Naveen Srinivasan ’19. “There are few people who really care about Brown as

TIFFANY DING / HERALD

Undergraduate Council of Students President Chelse-Amoy Steele ’18 summarizes the group’s accomplishments over the semester. Each committee chair then detailed more specific achievements. much as Chelse and work round the clock on a million things that most of us don’t even think about.” After individual speeches by Steele and Srinivasan about their tenure to date, they were excused from the room and members held internal discussions. In the interest of time, members voted to suspend normal voting procedures and vote by voice. The group voted in confidence of both Steele and

Srinivasan. The general body also approved the classification of eight new student groups as Category I, seven groups as Category II and three groups as Category III. UCS approved Opioid Epidemic Activists, Latinas@Brown, Brown Burlesque, Bouncing Bears, Brown Studios, Chabad Jewish Student Association, Building Relationships: Islam & Judaism and Journal of Philosophy, Politics

and Economics as Category I groups. The members approved 180 Degrees Consulting, Obsidian Magazine, Black in Business, Queer People and Allies for the Advancement of Medicine, SoBears, Ethnobotany Society at Brown and Bloco da Brown as Category II groups and approved Brown E-Sports, Institute for Healthcare Improvement Open School Brown Chapter as Category III groups.

Researchers measure masses of material distributed in earth’s mantle Study accounts for variation in mantle composition, discovers size of subterranean blobs By JONATHAN DOUGLAS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The Earth is a dynamic system, constantly in motion both above and below its surface. The movement of layers below the surface that compose the Earth’s mantle influence the movement of several rigid plates on the surface. This churning mixes different materials within the mantle, generating unique masses of matter. These blobs — referred to as mantle heterogeneities by geologists — vary in size, ranging from a few centimeters to thousands of kilometers in diameter. Utilizing constraints on both the composition and size of these masses, scientists hope to explore how mantle flow drives the movement of tectonic plates. Geochemists have analyzed the composition of rock samples from mid-ocean ridges to infer the makeup and occasionally the size of these masses. This type of study is limited naturally by its small scale, as geographical areas analyzed may be as small as a few centimeters in length. Researchers have also used seismic waves generated by earthquakes — which produce larger scale data — to gather information about these heterogeneities. These studies cover areas of 10 to 100 kilometers in length.

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

However, few researchers have studied an intermediate length scale of just a few kilometers. A new study co-authored by Boda Liu GS and Yan Liang, professor of earth, environmental and planetary sciences, sheds new light on magma generation processes that reveal mantle heterogeneities of one to 10 kilometers in size. By focusing on the intermediate scale, the study fills the knowledge gap regarding the size of heterogeneous masses generated by the mantle flow to the surface. Liu and Liang centered their research on Neodymium isotope variations between magmas and residue rocks called peridotites, which were sampled along mid-ocean ridges. Like fingerprints, Neodymium isotopes can be used to trace mantle materials of different compositions or origins. The team found that the magma from the mantle — which rises to the top of the tectonic plate to form new surface crust — had a relatively uniform Neodymium isotope composition, while the residue peridotites were more heterogenous and had a different average composition compared to the magma. The group was able to explain this difference through its discovery that the size of heterogeneous mantle masses beneath mid-ocean ridges is significant. The magma is mobile and thus able to mix more efficiently beneath mid-ocean ridges, while heterogeneous blobs in the residue do not easily mix with surroundings unless the size of masses inside them is smaller than one kilometer, Liu and Liang said. Based on their findings, Liu and Liang concluded that masses on

COURTESY OF NASA

Movements within Earth’s mantle lead to the production of mixtures of materials that researchers discovered to be 10 to 100 kilometers in length. kilometer scale must be widely distributed in the mantle, a new finding in the field. Based off their work, the team hopes that the broader scientific community will help explain how deep mantle processes produce these masses, Liu and Liang said.

Richard Katz, professor of geodynamics at the University of Oxford, wrote in an email to The Herald that the paper was a substantial contribution to the field, providing insight regarding a scale of study on heterogeneities that is often difficult to quantify.

“Boda Liu and Yan Liang are among the few people in the world who are addressing this challenge,” Katz wrote. “There is still much to do in this area of research but this paper establishes an avenue of progress and takes a large step down it.”