Thursday, September 26, 2019 by The Brown Daily Herald

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

VOLUME CLIV, ISSUE 17

BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Student Labor Alliance previously organized campaign to install cooling system

University to redirect gifts from Sackler foundation

Sharpe Refectory cools down with new A/C

Sackler family foundation donated over $1 million to University, $100,000 to Annual Fund

BY LI GOLDSTEIN SENIOR STAFF WRITER A bustling kitchen has always been typical for Sharpe Refectory dining staff as they prepare meals for the students who pass through each day. But the chefs in the kitchen on a September morning — meticulously frosting carrot cake and braising chicken — remarked on how much had changed in just one year. Since June, a newly-installed air conditioning system hums behind the scenes, tucked away in mechanical rooms and ceiling vents, invisible at the surface level but felt throughout the facility. The installation of air conditioning follows complaints of unsafe working conditions in the Ratty due to extreme heat in the summer months, The Herald previously reported. During the summer of 2017, the Student Labor Alliance began campaigning for the installation of air conditioning in the Ratty, and students rallied around the cause over the next academic year. The installation of air conditioning is “unequivocally a good thing,” said SLA member Hal Triedman ’20.5. “It

BY DAN GOLDBERG AND KAYLA GUO SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

staff, said Noa Machover ’19.5. With the consent of the staff, SLA posted flyers across campus, held two community meetings with dining workers and met with administrators, she said. The University installed temporary cooling towers in the Ratty in the summers of 2017 and 2018. But SLA members said that the towers did not

The University has begun redirecting donations from the Sackler family’s organization, La Fondation Sackler, to Rhode Island charities that support treatment for opioid addiction. Brown’s senior leadership decided to redirect over $1 million in gifts from the foundation over concerns about the “extensive demonstrable harm” caused by Purdue Pharma, the pharmaceutical company that has been controlled by the Sackler family for generations, Vice President for Communications Cass Cliatt wrote in an email to The Herald. The move marks the first time in the University’s recent history that it has redirected a charitable donation.

RATTY PAGE 2

SACKLER PAGE 2

YILAN GAO / HERALD

would be irresponsible of me to say that student activism around this issue has played an overly-deterministic role, or has completely changed the narrative,” Triedman said. “But it would also be irresponsible of me to say that it didn’t have anything to do with what happened.” Initial planning for installing air conditioning in the Ratty began in 2015, wrote Director of News and

Editorial Development Brian Clark in an email to The Herald. SLA gave the issue more notoriety by starting a campus-wide conversation about working conditions in the Ratty, and their demands “aligned with the final steps of infrastructure improvements and physical installation of A/C,” Clark wrote. SLA’s campaign was “driven by … validating the concerns” of dining

METRO

UNIVERSITY NEWS

I-195 Commission approves Fane Tower design

Students protest companies tied to ICE at Career Fair

Three zoning laws waived for luxury housing complex during Wednesday meeting BY SOPHIE CULPEPPER AND HENRY DAWSON METRO EDITOR AND SENIOR STAFF WRITER After hearing Providence residents testify about the luxury development project Fane Tower, the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission voted to approve the tower design released Monday. The commission also approved three waivers to zoning laws, which the design plan required. If constructed, the tower would become the tallest building in the state and the tallest in New England outside of Boston.

The committee examined three zoning law waivers. The first waiver bypasses a law that regulates the heights and shapes of buildings so that they have similar proportions. The second grants the tower more flexibility in building outdoor cafe and restaurant seating. The third deals with the transition line — a line on a building’s facade, marking the transition from lower to upper stories. Jason Fane, who is financing the project, estimated that the proposed tower would house 800 to 900 people. The apartment complex would be 46 stories high. “We think it is what people want,” Fane said of the design. Fane added that the skyline addition could stimulate economic growth in the city and “become a symbol of Providence.” The Fane Tower falls on land

SEE FANE PAGE 4

Microsoft, Amazon, Palantir, EY targeted for ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Students staged a demonstration at yesterday’s Career Fair to protest four companies that conduct business with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Two of those companies — Amazon and Microsoft — had representatives at the Career Fair. The other two — Palantir and Ernst & Young — along with Microsoft, have partnered with the University’s Department of Computer Science. Four students stood in front of Amazon’s table, which was located near the entrance to the Olney-Margolies Athletic Center, with signs that read

“Amazon Sells Tech to ICE,” “IBM Sold Tech to Nazis” and “#NoTech4ICE.” Others distributed flyers connected to a Brown Immigrant Rights Coalition petition calling on the computer science department to end partnerships with Palantir, EY and Microsoft, and for all four companies to cancel contracts with ICE. The protesters at the Career Fair were members and allies of BIRC as well as allies of the undocumented immigrant population, said Caiya Sanchez-Strauss ’21, a member of BIRC’s leadership. Shortly after the protest began, officers from the Department of Public Safety arrived after being contacted by CareerLAB. The officers approached and engaged with the students standing in front of the Amazon table, but eventually walked away, and the demonstration continued. DPS could not be reached for comment by press time. “We fully support students’ rights

BY MELANIE PINCUS UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

News

Commentary

University plans construction of “green wall” to ensure residents’ privacy Page 2

Panel on gun violence brings personal stories, calls to action to College Hill Page 3

UCS elects three positions, discusses ResLife concerns with admin Page 3

Hall ’20: University should rise to confront climate change Page 7

to protest any event or any program that they disagree with,” said Director of CareerLAB Matt Donato. “I think we would’ve preferred if they weren’t protesting right in front of the table, but that’s their choice, and we recognize their right to free speech and to stand up for what they believe in.” The four companies in question, none of which could be reached for comment by press time, have all faced criticism for their respective ties to ICE. For instance, employees at Microsoft have expressed opposition to the company’s $19.4 million contract that gives ICE access to data processing and artificial intelligence tools. Palantir has faced increasing opposition on college campuses. The company canceled an information session at the University of California at Berkeley following student pressure earlier this week, and more than 1,200 college students have signed a petition from

PROTEST PAGE 3

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

METRO

University proposes ‘green wall’ for local residents University, community discuss neighborhood privacy concerns at Wednesday meeting BY BEN GLICKMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER University representatives presented a plan to build a “green wall” on the south end of the Erickson Athletic Complex to members of the Stimson Ave. Neighborhood Association during a meeting Wednesday night. The plan suggests turning an existing path next to Dexter Wall, which runs between Nelson Fitness Center and Terrence Murray Baseball Stadium, into a mixture of evergreen and deciduous trees as well as small shrubbery. The proposal, designed by Joe Wahler of the Cambridge-based STIMSON landscape architecture studio, would provide a barrier to block light and noise from the Erickson Complex while also closing off the current path that leads to fields. Those walking to the fields from Hope Street would have to traverse a new path that avoids the Dexter Wall. The Dexter Wall and several chain fences are the only barriers between the complex and residents’ backyards. Al Dahlberg, assistant vice president of government and community relations for the University, said the proposal came as a result of community concerns. At the community discussion Wednesday night, residents were generally receptive to the plan, though apprehensive about the University’s overall relationship to the community. “The University can be a good neighbor, but I find that they don’t

SACKLER FROM PAGE 1 The Sackler family has come under fire for Purdue Pharma’s role in the opioid crisis. The company recently filed for bankruptcy after being sued by various state and local governments. The Sacklers are also known for their donations to cultural and academic institutions, such as a handful of Ivy League universities and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. On Wednesday, Yale announced that it would no longer accept Sackler donations, though its Sackler Institute will remain, the Yale Daily News reported. La Fondation Sackler donated over $1 million to the University in 2015 to endow a series of arts events. The Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, approved the gift in February 2016. But as University leadership discussed how to structure the arts series, Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family received increased scrutiny for the effects of the company’s signature opioid, OxyContin, and the family’s contributions to a system that created a deadly crisis. The University decided to hold off on spending the donation between late 2017 and early 2018 due to the controversy. “Some members of the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma were found to have engaged in deceptive marketing practices that contributed to a major, widespread health epidemic,” Cliatt wrote. Members of the University’s senior

BEN GLICKMAN / HERALD

“The green wall,” which would consist of evergreens and deciduous trees, aims to address neighborhood concerns about trespassing, light pollution and wind, among others. think about the neighbors first,” said Michael Marino, chairman of the Providence Historic District Commission and resident of the neighborhood. “Ultimately, they come around, and today is a good example of that.” Residents living near Brown’s athletic facilities had long complained about bright lights at stadiums late at night, as well as incidents of trespassing from local residents traveling over the wall to the complex. At the meeting, one resident discussed re-

moving his garbage from next to the wall after a trespasser used it to climb the fence; another pointed to wind created from the open field space, telling the story of a glass table in his backyard being blown against his house and shattering. “We still have a material amount of light and, of course, noise,” Marino said. “We have to have shades in all of (our sons’) rooms because it would be too much light when they’re going to bed.”

leadership began discussions about the gift with La Fondation Sackler several months ago. The University intends to redirect the major gift to Rhode Island organizations that provide medicine-assisted treatment for opioid use disorders and related research, Cliatt wrote. The terms of the major gift’s agreement require that the foundation agree with the University on the decision to redirect the funds, as well as the organizations to which the funds will be redirected, she added. The University is currently working with La Fondation Sackler toward redirecting this gift. Once they reach an agreement, the Corporation will be asked to vote on the redirection of the gift. La Fondation Sackler also donated $100,000 to Brown’s Annual Fund, which supports general University operations. The University has already redirected that gift to CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, a Rhode Island-based nonprofit organization that provides outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder, Cliatt wrote. “CODAC is highly regarded for the quality and reach of its work, including its innovative treatment programs at Rhode Island adult correctional institutions,” she added. Brown’s decision about the Sackler donations comes as universities face pressure to reexamine from whom they accept donations and why. The University currently faces pressure from students and faculty to cut ties with Warren Kanders ’79 P’23, a member of the advisory council for the Institute

at Brown for Environment and Society, The Herald previously reported. Kanders stepped down as vice chairman of the Whitney Museum of American Art in July over protests about his company’s manufacture and sale of tear gas. The University appears to stand by its decision to have Kanders on IBES — Director of News and Editorial Development Brian Clark declined to comment on Kanders’ resignation from the Whitney and his position at the University, previously telling The Herald that the news was “not specific to Brown.” “When accepting a gift, the Brown administration and the Corporation exercise judgment about whether a gift is aligned with Brown’s mission of education and research, and whether association with a donor will harm the integrity of the institution,” Cliatt wrote. “Concerns about Warren Kanders reflect a larger policy issue — whether tear gas should be approved for use by law enforcement — rather than a specific concern about how Kanders’ company conducts business.” The University has no remaining gifts or proposals from the Sackler foundation, according to Cliatt. “There are no plans to receive gifts in the foreseeable future. Brown has no programs, initiatives or buildings bearing the Sackler name,” she wrote. Neither La Fondation Sackler nor a representative for the Sackler family could be reached for comment by press time.

Some residents voiced doubts about the University’s commitment to the neighborhood. “I think they’ve made an attempt to contact the neighborhood, but at times I wonder how quickly they can act on some of the things that they promise,” said Laura Samit, a Stimson Ave. neighborhood resident who has been a regular at neighborhood association meetings for two years. Others were particularly concerned about the use of large machinery in

RATTY FROM PAGE 1 offer a permanent enough solution and that the University had a responsibility to invest in the wellbeing of dining services staff. Rabbit Hoffinger, who oversees meal preparation in the Ratty and other dining facilities, said that the addition of air conditioning this summer has been a remarkable improvement from previous grueling conditions. Without proper air conditioning mechanisms, the kitchen feels about 12 degrees hotter than the outside temperature on any given day, making operations in the facility unbearable without it, he said. After many hot summers in the Ratty, Hoffinger “didn’t believe it” when he was told that the dining hall would receive air conditioning. Christina Smith, who manages the bakery in the Ratty, said that the air conditioning has had a positive impact not only on the morale of her fellow workers, but also on the kitch-

the construction process — describing previous construction as “six weeks of earthquakes.” The University aims to finish the project within a three to four month period, which could begin as early as this spring. Dahlberg stressed the importance of preserving Dexter Wall in the construction process, which has existed since 1824, when Providence socialite Ebenezer Knight Dexter had the city construct a stone wall around his property.

en products themselves. For example, Smith noted that baked goods absorb moisture and react negatively to the humidity in the kitchen. Like Hoffinger, Smith was in disbelief when she found out about plans to install air conditioning, which she added was a rarity in most kitchens. Dining Services originally sought to implement air conditioning before this summer, said George Barboza, director of dining operations. The Ratty was built in 1951 before the creation of summer academic and athletic programs on campus, so the facility was not built with the summer heat in mind. Design work for the air conditioning system was completed in fall 2018, and installation took place during winter 2018 and spring 2019. “It’s about time,” Machover said. “I’m glad that they did it, but there’s so much time (when) it should have happened.”

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Grassroots activists, politicians talk gun

UCS holds internal elections for three positions

REBECCA HO / HERALD

Dozens of students filed into a room in Friedman Hall Wednesday night for an “Introduction to Gun Violence Prevention” event co-hosted by three on-campus organizations.

Panelists share stories on gun violence in their communities, political action BY TYLER JACOBSON STAFF WRITER In 2015, artist Scott Lapham walked into a sporting store in Rhode Island to take a 20-question true-or-false test that “any 10 year old could study for,” he said. One week and $400 later, he walked out with an AR-15. That’s all it took to get a “literal weapon of war” in Rhode Island, a state with one of the strictest gun laws in the nation, Lapham said. “It was painfully easy.” Lapham, founder of the nonprofit One Gun Gone, was one of five panelists in an event titled “Introduction to Gun Violence Prevention” at Friedman Hall Wednesday night. The event was co-hosted by three on-campus organizations: Thoughts Prayers Action, Brown Progressive Action Committee and the Brown College Democrats. “We wanted a way to engage Brown students who were new to Rhode Island, new to Providence in the amazing advocacy that’s going on in Providence and beyond,” said Grace Reed ’22, president of Thoughts Prayers Action. “We wanted this event (to be) a place to bring local organizers from those groups together to introduce the work they do, to excite everyone to get started this semester,” Reed added. The five panelists represented multiple constituencies and organizations, yet, despite their diverse backgrounds, all five panelists have been impacted by gun violence in their communities. Kat Kerwin, Providence City Council councilwoman and director of communications for the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence, said there have been three homicides on her street in the last year alone, and two involved a gun.

PROTEST FROM PAGE 1 activist organization Mijente committing to not work for Palantir. “A lot of institutions have been breaking their ties … with Palantir specifically, recently,” said Jai Chavis ’21, who distributed flyers at the fair. “It’s important that we continue to organize and continue to keep people engaged with the issue.” At the University, the computer sci-

Survivor Lead for R.I. Moms Demand Action Diana Garlington lost her daughter in 2011 in a drive-by shooting. Five years later, she lost her brother in another shooting. Lapham has lost four of his art students to gun violence in Providence. “You can have all of your emotional skills in play,” he said. “It doesn’t matter. It just vanishes. Nothing can prepare for that.” The conversation evolved as the panelists shared their stories on how they turned their frustrations with gun violence into political action. “We need to elect more people that prioritize gun safety,” said R.I . State Senator and member of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence Bridget Valverde, adding that she would like to see many more gun safety reforms passed at a state level. Rhode Island is one of several states that mandates background checks for private gun sales, a seven-day waiting period on all firearm purchases and dealers to obtain licenses, among other provisions, according to the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. Valverde was a stay-at-home mom when the Sandy Hook school shooting occurred in December 2012. While she did not personally know anybody who died, her cousins attended Sandy Hook at the time. Valverde previously lost a family member to gun suicide, and another family member accidentally shot her relative with a gun. She worries about the world her first-grade child will grow up in — a fear that inspired her to first run for state senator in 2018. “Gun violence touches us all, directly or indirectly,” Valverde said. Lapham uses his artistic abilities to express his emotions about gun violence. As part of his One Gun Gone nonprofit, Lapham makes artwork using molds he crafts from handguns he bought off the street, and resells them to raise money for a police-sponsored buyback program.

ence department’s Industry Partners Program gives companies access to University faculty and students. Microsoft and EY-Parthenon pay $15,000 a year to be “affiliates” in the program. Palantir was previously an affiliate, but was no longer listed as an industry partner by press time. “Things are under review right now,” wrote Assistant Professor of Computer Science Jeff Huang on Palan-

“The older we get, the more we notice how gun violence affects everyone around us,” said Edwin Pastor, another panelist representing One Gun Gone. As a first-generation college student whose parents are from Guatemala, he joined One Gun Gone to “teach his community, have a voice (and) be a part of something bigger.” The conversation ended with a discussion on how to end gun violence at the grassroots level and beyond. Garlington called for young people to take action on the local level, expressing their “disgust” for gun violence. “It’s all a matter of forming together, being unified,” she said. “As an artist, I work in a sphere of culture,” Lapham said. “We need to change the culture, need to show facts, show that we are no safer with a gun than without.” Pastor added that the conversation around gun violence should not end at the conclusion of the panel discussion. “Let’s have conversations like these tonight presented at other schools,” he said. “Don’t be afraid, speak up, have a voice.” About 50 students attended the Wednesday night event, and many walked away feeling more informed about gun violence. Joshua Tharpe ’22, a Chicago native, said that he did not know that gun violence was “such a big issue in Rhode Island” and that there were organizations leading the fight against it. Thomas O’Neill ’23 said that he “enjoyed that there were actual community leaders brought in, ones that were actively involved … in the political sphere.” “It went really well,” said Zoe Mermelstein ’21, president of Brown College Democrats. “The stories that these activists shared were all very personal, which drives their activism. … We talk a lot of high policy, and I think its really important to see what work is going on. … at the grassroots level. It’s not something Brown students get to hear very often.”

tir’s status in an email to The Herald. Yesterday’s protest comes as BIRC works on a campaign to urge the University to cut ties with the four companies, “which includes being a guest at Career Fair,” Sanchez-Strauss said. “The broader goal and the connection to Mijente is to put pressure on those companies to end their collaboration with ICE.” During the protest, the line to speak

DANIELLE EMERSON / HERALD

At Wednesday’s general body meeting, UCS members discussed concerns about Reslife and accessibility.

The Undergraduate Council of Students elected the chair of the Student Activities Committee, the UCS-Undergraduate Finance Board liaison and a UFB representative at its general body meeting Wednesday evening. Associate Vice President for Campus Life and Dean of Students Koren Bakkegard also heard student concerns about residential life, among other topics, at

Student Activities, according to the Division of Campus Life. “At this point in time for me, all information is useful information,” Bakkegard said at the meeting. Issues that came up multiple times included dorm building safety, increasing transparency in the room placement process and accessibility in dorms and other campus buildings. On accessibility, several general body members said Graduate Center and Wriston Quadrangle dorms lack well-functioning and easy-to-access elevators. Chair of Student Wellness Shivani Nishar ’20 also said that ramps built at the back of buildings can further stigmatize and separate students with disabilities. The general body referenced incidents of mold and disrepair in dorms

the meeting. Alex Song ’20, who served as student activities chair last year, ran uncontested and was re-elected. The position was open because the student chosen in last spring’s executive board elections no longer attends the University. Ellis Clark ’23 was elected UCS-UFB liaison over Vasu Agarwal ’22, who also ran unsuccessfully for UFB representative. Clark will serve on the Student Activities Committee and facilitate collaboration and communication between UCS and UFB. Anika Ahluwalia ’23 took the UFB representative position over Mukul Khanna ’23, Bright Tsagli ’23, Agarwal and Clive Johnston ’23, who was not present for the election. UCS President William Zhou ’20 read Johnston’s speech. For the first hour of the meeting, UCS members primarily gave feedback to Bakkegard on residential life at the University. Bakkegard was hired Aug. 1 and oversees the Offices of Residential Life, Student Conduct and Community Standards, Student Support Services and the Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center and

at the start of the year, and brought up concerns about how the University handles these situations. Bakkegard said ResLife works closely with Environmental Health and Safety and Facilities Management to manage mold and similar situations when students call in reports. Students also highlighted the importance of dorm safety. Suggestions included working with the Department of Public Safety to better spread information on how students can keep their buildings safe. First-year representative Zane Ruzicka ’23 asked Bakkegard about the staff turnover in recent years at ResLife. Bakkegard said that the staffing structure of the office has been changed in the past few years, but there are currently three vacant positions — associate dean and director of residential education, assistant director of operations and one of six area coordinators. At the start of the meeting, UCS Chief of Staff Melissa Lee ’20 introduced herself as the Council’s ombudsperson for the year. General body members can submit anonymous feedback to Lee, who will respond as necessary.

with the Amazon recruiters remained long. “The point of protesting is to get people to notice and have an impact,” said Ariel Weil ’21, who was in the Amazon line. “It is inevitable that you will get some people angry with something like that, but that doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the wrong.” Michael Mao ’21 said he thought the protest in front of the table lasted

too long. “I understand that everybody has their rights to voice their opinions,” he said. Last year, between 1,500 and 1,600 students came to the fall Career Fair, Donato said. This year’s fair featured over 100 employers across multiple industries. —with additional reporting from Celia Hack

General body elects students to UFB, UCS, discusses ResLife, accessibility with admin BY KAYLA GUO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

MICHAEL BASS / HERALD

The Fane Tower project is the latest development in the I-195 district. Last summer saw the completion of the pedestrian bridge and the Cambridge Innovation Center on 225 Dyer Street. Construction will also begin this fall on a new hotel in the district, according to Caroline Skuncik, the acting executive director of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission.

FANE FROM PAGE 1 overseen by the I-195 commission — a group appointed by Governor Gina Raimondo with authority to develop, lease and now make zoning changes within the area. Even though Providence uses the Downtown Design Review Commission to approve building plans, the I-195 Commission retains final authority over the building proposal. The DDRC voted against the building design plan in April. The I-195 Commission’s vote of approval marks the first time that the body has gone against a DDRC recommendation.

Recent legislation also granted the I-195 Commission authority to change zoning ordinances within the area without going through the city. State Senator Dominick Ruggiero, who is also the chamber’s president, and Speaker of the House Nicholas Mattiello have voiced support for the project. But the mayor, City Council members and other community members have previously spoken out against waiving zoning ordinances to allow the tower’s construction. “The City’s concerns regarding the proposed Hope Point tower project are well documented. … Mayor Elorza vetoed the ordinance relating to the

zoning change,” wrote Ben Smith, deputy director of communications for Mayor Jorge Elorza, to The Herald. During the hearing, city council members Helen Anthony, Ward 2, and Nirva LaFortune, Ward 3, also criticized the project for hurting Providence’s landscape and undermining accessible housing. “We do have a housing crisis. Yes, we need more housing, but we need affordable housing,” LaFortune said, in response to the Fane’s prioritization of luxury housing. Peter Avanti, a Providence resident, also expressed concern with the Tower’s luxury housing. “We will live

with this with no access to it. It will not belong to us,” he said. A few residents voiced environmental concerns over the building’s construction on a floodplain. Greg Gerritt said he felt “disgusted because … the commission did not understand economic development in the age of a climate emergency.” “That area, there, is going to be underwater in the (next) 100 years,” he added. But the project received support at the meeting from over 20 union members who belonged to the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron-

workers Union. The members stood outside the meeting on 225 Dyer St to express their approval. Tim Burns, a union representative, spoke at the meeting in favor of the waivers, saying many workers support the project and the construction jobs it will create. Fane Tower isn’t the only development in the area: over the summer, the I-195 district saw the completion of the pedestrian bridge and Cambridge Innovation Center’s site at 225 Dyer Street. Construction will begin on a new hotel in the district this fall, Caroline Skuncik, the acting executive director of the I-195 Redevelopment District Commission, told The Herald.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | TODAY

CA L E NDA R TODAY

SEPTEMBER S

Don’t Forget to Breathe Series 12:00 P.M. CareerLab, 1st Floor

Seminar in Cancer Biology 12:00 P.M. Alpert Medical School

Study Abroad 101 4:00 P.M. Page-Robinson Hall

Chinese Language Table 4:00 P.M. Gerard House

TOMORROW Fall 2019 Legal History Workshop 9:00 A.M. Faculty Club

Global Health Conversations 10:00 A.M. 121 South Main Street

DUG Leader Training 12:00 P.M. Friedman Hall

MCBGP Data Club 4:00 P.M. Sidney E. Frank Hall

Q U OTE OF TH E DAY

S U D O KU

“It is inevitable that you will get some people angry with something like that, but doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the wrong.”

—Ariel Weill ’21 SEE PROTEST PAGE 1

W I L D CARD RELEASE DATE– Thursday, March 15, 2012

Los Angeles Times Puzzle CR O SDaily SWOCrossword RD Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

ACROSS 1 “The Fiddler” painter Chagall 5 Brooch part 10 Scraped (out) 14 Miami River locale 15 Postal scale unit 16 Ristorante bottle 17 Capital of 62Across 19 Victorious cry 20 Refines, in a way 21 List-ending abbr. 22 Coffee bar stack 23 Biol. branch 25 Too pooped to pop 27 First ones to spot the kingʼs ghost, in “Hamlet” 31 “Stop bugging me!” 34 Eight, in Essen 35 Bellyache 37 Yo-Yoʼs strings 38 Pronoun on the briny 39 Mark Twain, e.g. 41 Overly permissive 42 Insanely cold 44 Icelandic work that influenced Tolkien 45 Swelter 46 In any way 48 Closed, as a sleeping bag 50 Sealing aids 52 Greenish-blue 53 “Bad Reputation” singer 55 “__ only money!” 57 Mental grasp 61 Clueless 62 Where “The Lord of the Rings” movies were filmed 64 Actress Teri 65 Bridge call 66 Activist Brockovich 67 Dope (out) 68 Bother a lot 69 Stiff hair DOWN 1 Levels the playing field? 2 Cutting-in word

3 Grate 4 Amass 5 Simple soup 6 Tote with difficulty 7 Starting money of a sort 8 Dilbert creator Adams 9 One may be seen behind an ear 10 Sinister stare 11 Capital of 62Across 12 Sooner State city 13 Puts on 18 Strong urge 24 Italian director Sergio 26 TVʼs “The Amazing __” 27 Scary nestful 28 Allergic reaction 29 With 30-Down, capitals of 62Across? 30 See 29-Down 32 Oddball 33 Deceived 36 1976 Olympics headlines name 39 Coach

40 Reference site for travelers 43 Images used by Wii players 45 With “the,” band with the 2006 remix album “Love” 47 Keep under control 49 Metamorphosis stage

51 Instructions opener 53 Crying spells 54 Old Testament twin 56 Party loot 58 Flower in Bern? 59 Make a wool cap, say 60 “Mother Ireland” writer OʼBrien 63 When repeated, a Gabor

xwordeditor@aol.com

03/15/12

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

GUS REED/ HERALD

03/15/12

On a clear and crisp morning, the grime of the battered balcony juxtaposes against a beautiful view and charming buildings of downtown Providence. The orange tipped trees signal the start of fall.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

CO R R ECTI O N A previous version of the Sept. 25 article “Student loan bill of rights protects R.I. borrowers” stated that Kara Humm visited the office of Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. In fact, she visited the office of Sen. Jack Reed. The article also stated that the Rhode Island Office of the General Treasury rarely weighs in on policy, but the Treasury actually does tend to lobby for policy. The Herald regrets the errors.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY

Textbook costs undermine the promises of the Open Curriculum BY ALISA CAIRA OP-ED CONTRIBUTOR

Shopping period has now wrapped up around campus and, in its wake, it leaves a significant amount of financial woes for some students. With the absurd costs of books and the sheer number required by some professors, students may have to choose their courses based on finances, not their actual interests. The Open Curriculum is supposed to allow students to explore whatever courses are offered at the University. In theory, when choosing a course, students should primarily take into account their interest in the subject, their desire to explore a new area or how the course will contribute to their overall educational or preprofessional goals. They should not have to consider the financial burdens that a particular course would entail, especially after paying tuition. The full extent of the Open Curriculum is drastically limited by the extremely high costs of textbooks and by the tough decisions many students have to make concerning those costs. I’ve experienced first hand the financial constrictions of the purportedly “Open” curriculum. This semester, I decided to leave my comfort zone by taking a new language, German, which I don’t see as adding professional value to my undergraduate education; but nevertheless, it sparked my intellectual curiosity. After the first couple of classes, I was hooked. I was thrilled by the idea of learning a new language from the very basics again and thereby

gaining access to a new cultural perspective. The keyword of that sentence is “was”. My excitement waned significantly once I saw the cost of the online textbook. I still wanted to take the course because by this point I had already committed excessive time to keeping up with the course load. But I was hesitant to make such a financial commitment to a course on which I was already taking a big academic

sured by the cost of textbooks. “Emergency-Gap Funds,” a grant given through the UFunds portal, can cover textbook costs when they exceed $1632 per semester or when “no additional resources are available.” But that bar for support is too high. The costs of textbooks is still a burden, even if under $1600. Yet many professors think E-Gap is sufficient for their courses and put little effort into alternative solutions.

“The full extent of the Open Curriculum is drastically limited by the extremely high costs of textbooks and by the tough decisions many students have to make concerning those costs.”

risk. When talking about this problem with my mother, who was already perplexed by my outof-nowhere interest in German, I felt a strong sense of guilt. I was privileged enough to end up sticking with the course anyway, but many students would have lacked such privilege, and no one should have to feel guilty for exploring a new academic interest. Brown currently has a few programs in place to cover the cost of textbooks for students who demonstrate the highest level of need, but these programs are inadequate because they do not extend to all students who are financially pres-

Brown seemed to recognize the failings of E-Gap Funds when it implemented a pilot program last year to cover the full cost of textbooks for 85 first-year students who are on full financial aid. This year the program was expanded to first-years who received various levels of financial aid and students of other years who are on full financial aid, amounting to approximately 1,100 students. Though this program is a big step in the right direction, it is still not enough to assist all the students on campus with financial need. For example, the program favors first-years, who do not necessarily have greater

financial need than the rest of the student body. In future years Brown should expand this program to cover the needs of the entire student body equally. Some professors do find innovative solutions to help cover the cost of textbooks, but these are inconsistent and unreliable. I was able to afford my German course because another professor decided to cover the entire cost of his class for me, leaving me with extra money for the German textbooks. While I greatly appreciate his generosity, I should not have to rely on the arbitrary whim of an unusually generous professor. We need, instead, a standardized and adequate program in place to manage textbook costs that would relieve all of the stress placed on students and streamline the process. If Brown continues to fail to provide adequate learning resources for its student body, the school is not living up to the promises of its own Open Curriculum. There is no Open Curriculum until every student has the ability to take every course — and that ability remains impossible without further textbook funding. Until Brown expands the scope of these programs or offers better alternatives, it is fair to say that the Open Curriculum is a feature of Brown University accessible only to wealthier students. Alisa Caira ’22 can be reached at alisa_caira@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald. com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

Academic departments must stop hiding from climate change BY GALEN HALL STAFF COLUMNIST

“You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words. And yet I’m one of the lucky ones. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction, and all you can talk about is money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth. How dare you!” This grief-stricken rebuke earned 16-yearold climate activist Greta Thunberg a hearty round of applause at the United Nations’ Climate Action Summit on Monday. For younger viewers who feel Thunberg’s anger, the audience’s enthusiastic response appeared both out of place and fitting. It is the kind of reaction we are used to seeing from our elders: empathy and words of encouragement unaccompanied by any meaningful action. This attitude was reflected in the cheers and proclamations U.N. diplomats gave after each of the toothless climate change agreements introduced over the past 30 years. All the while, the prospect of a dying world has become ever more real, and hope for the future has receded. And this attitude can also be seen across Brown’s academic departments. From political science to international relations, to computer science, to economics, to Africana studies, curricula that otherwise engage deeply with global problems seem to nervously skirt around the biggest of them all. A search through Courses@Brown reveals about 10 courses directly related to climate change throughout the entire University for the 201920 academic year (excluding courses in geology and environmental studies). The few courses on climate change that there are, such as ECON 1340: “Economics of Global Warming,” generally cater to higher-level students. We can interpret this conspicuous scarcity

in multiple ways. Maybe departments actively suppress professors from teaching accessible courses on climate change. Maybe people are just ignorant of the importance of climate change and the ways in which it already disrupts and destabilizes human society. But neither of these explanations seems plausible. It seems more likely that this reticence stems from multiple sources. There is trepidation about tackling a subject traditionally confined to the environmental sciences; moreover, a “soft denial” about the horrible scale of climate change persists. Both factors lead professors and people across the University to treat this

climate change merits a debate, Perez wondered, “how does (the DNC) say no to the numerous other requests we’ve had?” Academic departments at Brown seem to silently echo such questions: Why should we give climate change special attention? What more is there to do than dedicate a lecture or two to this issue? Let’s answer the why first. The central fallacy here assumes climate change to be an issue like any other — something to be weighed against energy security, gender and human rights, immigrants’ rights, etc. This is wrong. Never mind that climate change will result in

“From political science and international relations, to computer science, to economics, to Africana studies, curricula that otherwise engage deeply with global problems seem to nervously skirt around the biggest of them all.”

problem of fundamental importance as more of a specialty issue, to be taught and debated among experts or especially interested students — not to be given a place of prominence in the academic mainstream. This interpretation of climate change — as a niche “issue” to be confined to conversation among climate scientists, a smattering of other experts and activists — recurs throughout the upper echelons of liberal American society. It is evident in the rationale of the Democratic National Committee — as stated by its chair, Brown’s own Tom Perez ’83 — for denying a climate debate, which equated climate change with a host of other narrow political issues. If

exponentially more death and injustice than any of these problems — more importantly, it is reductive to treat climate change as an isolated issue in the first place. The ultimate causes of climate change are bound up in the structure of the global economy, the history of colonial expansion and multiple enduring injustices. Therefore, to mitigate and adapt will require changes across all of society. We cannot effectively respond to climate change without treating it as what it is: a basic constraint on the material economy of our country and the world, and a shift in circumstances that will destabilize most systems of production on which we depend. From agriculture to manufacturing, to

the service industry, to tech, every part of our society requires fuel and infrastructure which must be replaced in the next few decades, lest we risk large parts of the world becoming uninhabitable. With this in mind, we can start to answer the second question: what more can Brown do? Specifically, how can different departments actually prepare students for the fundamental changes they will witness and deal with in the next decades of their lives? Here are some suggestions: First, Brown must aggressively expand the number of lower-level courses dealing with climate change, outside of the Environmental Studies and Geology departments. The Open Curriculum means that anyone can take courses in these departments, but that freedom is no longer enough: not only are there too few of these classes to accommodate everyone, but many students will not go looking for courses on climate change that do not relate directly to their interests. Departments need to try much harder to make such information evident and accessible. Further, concentration requirements must include courses on climate change. It is negligent that concentrations like political science, international relations and economics do not require students to expose themselves at all to what will be the defining problem in their disciplines. The climate crisis should feature early and often in each of these concentrations and others. Finally, the University should incentivize interdisciplinary research and teaching that relates to climate change. By incorporating these changes, Brown can begin to develop an academic culture that sees climate change as a vital problem in all fields. Galen Hall ’20 can be reached at galen_ hall@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald. com and op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2019

A book talk

“Proving Einstein Right” with authors

S. James Gates, Jr. Ford Foundation Professor of Physics and

Cathie Pelletier Discussants Joan L. Richards Professor of History Christopher Rose Professor of Engineering

Thursday, October 3, 2019 4 p.m. The Joukowsky Forum Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs 111 Thayer Street Reception and book signing to follow. “Proving Einstein Right” An adventure story about a scientific fellowship among astronomers who traveled the world from 1900 to 1922 and whose daring efforts launched and solidified the global superstardom of physicist Albert Einstein. To request special services, accommodations or assistance for this event, please contact the University Event & Conference Services Office at universityevents@brown.edu or 401-863-3100