Tuesday, April 25, 2017

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017

VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 56

WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

U. launches undocumented student initiative Reyes ’12 named program

director of FLi Center

Initiative includes advisory board, legal resources for undocumented students

Julio Reyes ’12 to create strategic plan for center, building off previous experience at U.

By PRIYANKA PODUGU SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Amid student calls on the administration to better support undocumented students, especially in light of the Trump presidency, the University launched the undocumented student initiative to institutionalize resources for affected students last semester.

The initiative was created after the University’s announcement last September that undocumented students and students who qualify for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are now considered domestic students in the admission process and are therefore eligible for need-blind financial aid. The initiative was informed by proposals that students presented to the administration May 2016.

Resources and support services The undocumented student initiative seeks to create “institutional support systems that will assist and serve the needs of … the undocumented

By ELIZABETH TOLEDANO & GWEN EVERETT SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Kevin Escudero, assistant professor of American studies and ethnic studies, has been offering support and resources to students since the fall. student community” at Brown, said Kevin Escudero, assistant professor of American studies and ethnic studies. Since October 2016, Escudero has served as the Special Advisor to the Provost for the undocumented student initiative. In this position, Escudero

U. survey sheds light on course dropping Students drop courses due to course pace, lack of feedback, lack of clarity, survey shows

By MIA PATTILLO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After months of designing, surveying and analyzing students’ reasons for dropping courses, a study conducted by the Office of the Dean of the College, the Undergraduate Council of Students and the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning fall 2016 revealed that only a small number of students dropped courses — ­ most of which were dropped without negative impact on a student’s academic path.

Overall, only 933 courses — or around 4 percent of all enrolled courses — were dropped after shopping period, said Mary Wright, director of the Sheridan Center. In addition, most of these drops occurred at the end of the term or around the time of midterms, she added.

UCS approached the Dean of the College with the idea of looking at course dropping patterns in June 2016, Wright said. After researching

INSIDE

similar studies completed at other schools and creating a survey, UCS and the Office of the Dean of the College collaborated with the Sheridan Center on designing and distributing the survey, as well as matching responses to registrar data for analysis.

The survey results largely matched University student demographics, said Marc Lo, assistant director for assessment and evaluation at the Sheridan Center. Students receiving financial aid and juniors were slightly overrepresented, while first-years were underrepresented compared to the overall number of students in these categories, Lo said.

Dean of the College Maud Mandel said that the underrepresentation of first-years made sense, considering how “just coming out of high school, first-years aren’t yet used to having so much freedom in determining their own paths” so they are less likely to drop classes.

The study indicated that many of these drops were made strategically and generally did not have a large impact on students’ broader educational pursuits, Wright said.

Thirty-five percent of respondents » See SURVEY, page 3

said that his responsibilities include setting up “programming (and) reaching out to students.” Escudero did not provide The Herald with an estimate of the number of undocumented students currently on campus. » See DACA, page 2

Julio Reyes ’12 will be the inaugural program director for the FirstGeneration College and Low-Income Student Center starting June 15, wrote Assistant Vice President and Dean of Students Mary Grace Almandrez in a community-wide email Monday night. Reyes is currently at Oberlin College and Conservatory, serving as program director for Oberlin’s Undocumented Student Initiatives, assistant director of student outreach and success and Latinx student life coordinator. As program director of the FLi Center, Reyes will be tasked with developing a strategic plan for the center that incorporates the needs of first-gen, low-income and undocumented students, including students enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

During his first months at the University, Reyes said he hopes to begin a dialogue with his colleagues and student leaders to further his vision for the center. Reyes will “make sure that the center continues to be a space that focuses on community building (and) wellness,” he said.

“When I think of community, I think of ensuring that we’re putting forward intersectional identities,” Reyes added.

While he was a student at Brown, Reyes learned a lot about how to “navigate the world around me … including institutions like Brown,” he said. Those experiences “cultivated my understanding of social justice and education,” he said.

Reyes said he hopes to “build upon those experiences that I had at Brown as a student and ensure that we’re continuously transforming … institutional culture (and) environment” to improve the experiences of students on campus.

Reyes was selected by a search committee composed of undergraduates, graduates and administrators.

The committee’s hiring process began » See REYES, page 3

Berman ’77 reflects on time at Brown, ESPN ESPN personality since company’s inception started broadcasting career at WBRU

By NICHOLAS WEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

This past January, longtime sports broadcasting icon Chris Berman ’77 P’08 P’09 announced he would be assuming a less-involved role at ESPN after the 2016 National Football League season. Berman has been with the network since its inception in 1979 and has covered 31 NFL seasons as ESPN’s studio programming host. The upcoming 2017 NFL Draft will be the first televised draft not hosted by the six-time National Sportscaster of the Year. Over his career, Berman has also been involved with ESPN’s golf and MLB coverage. The Schwami — as he has been affectionately referred to by coworkers, athletes and fans alike — has been featured on the video screens before Brown football games and has remained tied to the University and its athletic department since he graduated.

In an exclusive interview with The Herald, Berman discussed his career development, his time at Brown and his plans moving forward.

COURTESY OF WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Chris Berman ’77 discussed how his past work with WBRU informs his sports broadcasting career in an exclusive interview with The Herald.

Herald: Reflecting on your career development and your time at ESPN so far, what parts stand out to you the most?

Berman: All of them, because I had fun in all of them. I always look longingly back to the ’80s. By the end of the ’80s, (ESPN got) the (NFL), which

people thought was a pipe dream when we went on the air. And I was the main anchor for the NFL — that’s a pretty good gig. I had dreamt about it in college watching Brent Musberger, and I was doing it. But this year, I knew before the public knew that it would be the last time. It was a really fun season. » See ESPN, page 2

WEATHER

TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017

ARTS & CULTURE “The Americas on Fire” exhibit examines how fire helped, hindered early civilizations

NEWS IBES series “What Fire Does” examines history of fire, interaction with humans

COMMENTARY Rowland ’17: 4/20 celebrations on campus highlight privilige, inequity around cannabis culture

COMMENTARY Johnson ’19: Public must hold corporations accountable for sexism

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PAGE 2 • TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017

» DACA, from page 1 Escudero said that he has worked in coordination with Associate Director for Campus Life Ricky Gresh, Associate Dean of the College Yolanda Rome and Associate Dean for Diversity and Student Life Maitrayee Bhattacharyya to develop the initiative. In addition, David Liendo Uriona GS was hired in December to be the initiative’s graduate student coordinator.

Escudero also helps connect students with legal resources. “The University will pay for the initial appointment with an attorney for undocumented students who want to talk about renewing or applying for DACA (status) or personal or family legal situations,” Escudero said. Usually, this arrangement allows students to meet with attorneys twice during their time at Brown, since most immigration attorneys don’t charge for the initial consultation appointment, Escudero said. While the University foots the bill, students are free to choose their attorneys, he added.

The Undocumented Student Initiative Advisory Board was created in March to facilitate conversation between students and administrators on issues faced by undocumented students at Brown. These administrators include representatives from the Office of the Provost, Office of Financial Aid, Office of Admission and First-Generation College and Low-Income Student Center. Marisa Quinn, chief of staff for the provost, said that the student advisory board allows the administration to “find out if some of the things we’re doing make sense (and if) there were things that (the students) see as essential that we should be considering to do as a University.”

“Right now there (are) five students on the advisory board,” Escudero said.

“We have a diverse set of people. …

Some people are undocumented or DACAmented, some people are part of mixed status families and some people … identify as allies of undocumented” students.

In addition, students on the board receive “a modest stipend to acknowledge their work and time,” he added.

» ESPN, from page 1 It’s hard to say — there are so many different eras and times, and so much that you learn. There’s no period that I wondered, ‘What I am I still doing here?’ Imagine getting a promotion every year but never having to leave.

That was ESPN in the ’80s and ’90s.

Imagine a place that got bigger as you got bigger. It was a perfect storm, and I was lucky enough to be a part of it.

How did you to get into sports broadcasting?

(My family) went to New York Jets games the year they moved to Shea Stadium — I was nine. The tickets were eight dollars for box seats. When I was ten, (the Jets) got Joe Namath. When I was 13, they won the Super Bowl. … It was in my blood. I was an okay athlete — played high school sports, but that was it. We even had a little

In their first meeting in March, the advisory board talked about engaging with alums for support, expanding resources for graduate students, increasing the accessibility of graduate programs to undocumented students and funding research and internships, said Silvina Hernandez ’17, a member of the board.

Escudero also said that he has given presentations to staff members from the Dean of the College, Curricular Resource Center, Office of Institutional Diversity and Inclusion and Office of Financial Aid, in addition to other administrative departments. The presentations were intended to inform staff members about proper “terminology” to use and “the best approaches and best practices (to use) when working with undocumented students,” he added.

However, Escudero’s contract as a faculty fellow expires June 30. The priorities of the initiative for the coming year are “yet to be determined” but “will be based on the new program director of the FLI Center,” he said.

The University announced Monday that Julio Reyes ’12, current program director of Oberlin College and Conservatory’s Undocumented Student Initiative, will be the director of the center starting June 15.

“I see the initiative as a product of student organizing, collaboration and engagement with faculty and staff,” Hernandez said. “I really think that this is one of the strengths of the initiative.

That continued engagement among students, faculty and staff is what … determines the success of the initiative.”

Role of student activism The initiative builds on the work of a group of students in Escudero’s class, “ETHN 1750A: Immigrant Social Movements: Bridging Theory and Practice,” who crafted a list of demands that were presented to the University May 2016 to better support DACA and undocumented students.

Escudero also said that it was important to him to blend activism with academia in his class. “I tried to encourage students to proactively take what they’re learning and apply it to radio station in high school, and on Saturday were the football games, so I announced them to the 100 people that might have been listening. … My freshman week (at Brown), in addition to the orientation, I went up to the radio station, introduced myself and said ‘I’m here to help.” But WBRU was my start — I became the voice of the Bruins. We were the Bruins then, … and by the time I was done with Brown, I had long known that I wanted to do it for a living if I was lucky enough. At WBRU, I definitely cut my teeth there.

Why did you decide to come to Brown?

I spent one night at Brown, and I felt at ease with the students. I felt like it was an Ivy League school where no one was overly impressed with themselves, and I didn’t find the same thing anywhere else. You knew that you were with intelligent folks from everywhere.

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD real world issues,” he said.

Students came up with the proposals after doing “research for part of class and work on their own as part of (the Brown Immigrant Rights Coalition) and other spaces,” Escudero said.

Members of BIRC also said that their organization led the student group last spring.

In a written statement to The Herald, members of the BIRC explained their contributions to proposals.

Members wrote that “the main change BIRC advocated for was changing undocumented/DACAmented students’ designation as ‘international’ students to ‘domestic’ students when applying for financial aid. We recognized from our own experiences that many undocumented students in the United States tend to be low-income, therefore a good financial aid package is crucial in attending institutions such as Brown when undocu/DACA-mented.”

Students introduced their proposals in a meeting with Provost Richard Locke, Dean of the College Maud Mandel and other staff members, including Liza Cariaga-Lo, vice president of academic development, diversity and inclusion and herself, Quinn said. “The students had done a lot of research and came forward (to say that) it’s time to rethink the way we admit and support undocumented and DACA students,” she said.

Originally, students asked for an “undocumented student services director” who could connect students to legal resources, according to a copy of a written proposal shared with The Herald by BIRC. However, while the University agreed to make changes to the admission process, they declined to hire a “dean or full-time staff member to work fully with undocumented students,” Escudero said.

BIRC members wrote to The Herald that students who crafted the demands based the initial proposals off of models implemented by other schools like Cornell, Pomona College, Providence College and the University of California at Berkeley. They wrote that “schools like (the University of California at Los Angeles) and Berkeley have You knew that the opportunities were boundless. I felt a comfort. I found everything to be very natural. I ended up applying early to Brown, and they were foolish enough to accept me. I smile every time I come up there.

What were you involved in while here at Brown?

I wrote for the BDH my freshman year every week. You can go back to the ’73 fall, and you’re gonna find a lot of articles on Brown football and basketball. I did that and the radio. I hope I wrote in complete sentences.

How did your trademark style as a broadcaster develop?

I was always upbeat. See, my style is really just an extension of me as an upbeat guy, excited about sports.

That stuff came out in my early days at ESPN, not as a design to be “famous” or even funny. ESPN needed a few of

undocumented student programs with staff that help support students with their transition to college as well as to provide a community for students. They also have a webpage that clearly displays what information is available for undocu/DACA-mented students. Some of the schools mentioned in our recommendations even have designated offices or centers for undocu/DACAmented students, which helps create a physical safe space for students. Brown still does not offer these resources.”

Students’ short term demands included ensuring that the dean of financial advising is attuned to the needs of DACA and undocumented students and that the University establish a temporary office dedicated to undocumented students. In the long term, they called on the University to set up an undocumented student center.

Escudero added that because the University was in the process of planning the FLi Center during the same time period, “the administration said, ‘Why don’t we think about undocumented student experiences as part of the First-Gen, Low-Income Center,” as they believed that the students involved in the planning of both projects were

asking them for the same things.

A website listing resources will be finished later this semester, Escudero said.

Following the presidential election, BIRC issued an additional set of demands in November asking the University to declare Brown a sanctuary campus, a request that was denied by the administration.

At an event hosted by the Office of the Provost, an immigration lawyer was invited to speak to DACA and undocumented students. A student at the event asked about the legitimacy of sanctuary campuses, and the lawyer reportedly responded that the term was an “empty gesture,” according to BIRC’s written statement to The Herald.

BIRC members wrote that “Neither the lawyer nor Brown’s administration ever understood the power and symbolism behind declaring itself as a sanctuary campus, nor did they attempt to speak to students about how the sanctuary campus definition could be expanded to become much more than just a symbol.”

us young ones to talk about sports, in my case at 2:30 in the morning — which was 11:30 in California — since I was the junior guy. I was on for half an hour a night, and at 2:30 in the morning, you are taking some chances, as the bosses aren’t awake. When I started, there were only 70 of us. There are 7,000 now. I think Brown is kind of “sink or swim” a little bit, and it was that way at the radio station. At ESPN, we were figuring things out on our own — to just to have the confidence to go out and do it, just as we did at school. I think Brown really helped me that way subconsciously.

them how proud of them I was as an old alum. Football, I am certainly quite involved with. (Head Coach Phil Estes P’19) is wonderful, and Brown couldn’t have a better ambassador.

Do you continue to follow Brown sports?

I actually went to (the NCAA men’s lacrosse semifinal) against Maryland.

I went to Philly for it. I was so proud of us. I know we lost, but so what? I spoke to the team afterwards. I told

Moving forward, what are your plans professionally and personally?

Moving forward professionally, I want to keep my hand in (ESPN). I have some good friends in baseball, football and golf — making sure that I keep my relationships. That’s important. I want to have an ear to the fans still. But boy, I have a lot to smile about. I guess it’s most important to keep things in perspective. I don’t have a plan yet, I guess it’s almost like taking the air out of your tires, but you can still drive.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

NEWS

TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

‘The Americas on Fire’ exhibit to open at JCB Guest-curated exhibit explores dual nature of fire in colonial Americas, third in series

By AMY WANG SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Under the dimly lit glass cases of the John Carter Brown Library, yellowed manuscripts reveal passages and images printed hundre ds of years ago — all of which share one thing in common: fire.

This Friday marks the official opening of a new exhibition at the JCB: “The Americas on Fire.” The third of a series on the four elements, the exhibit features approximately 50 documents, including manuscripts, maps and other materials gathered from the library’s collection. Spanning the 16th through 19th centuries, the pieces work together to demonstrate the role of fire in “literally fueling” many aspects of precolonial and colonial life, said Associate Professor of History and Director of the John Carter Brown Library Neil Safier.

The exhibit was guest-curated by Jake Frederick, associate professor of history at Lawrence University, and Júnia Furtado, professor of history at Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil, at Safier’s invitation. Both curators were well-suited for the task: Furtado had been discussing the idea of an element-themed exhibition series

ARTS & CULTRURE

» SURVEY, from page 1 had dropped a fifth class, and 16 percent of respondents had already foreseen dropping the course at the beginning of the semester.

“At Brown, with an open curriculum, you’re the architects of your own education, and students are very much acting in a strategic way,” Wright said.

But 34 percent of students noted that the dropped course was a prerequisite or requirement for their concentration.

When focusing on these disruptive drops, the study found that the primary cause of drop decisions was course pace, a factor cited by 46 percent of survey respondents. Thirty -nine percent of students cited lack of feedback from professors on how to

with Safier for a long time and Frederick was a fellow at the JCB in 2015, when he worked on a project about fire in the Americas. Following exhibits on Earth in 2015 and Air in 2016, the two began the curation process for Fire this January.

Throughout this process, the researchers shared the responsibility of selecting the documents to be displayed, often working remotely from the JCB’s digital collection. Several factors influenced their consideration of individual pieces, including a desire to “display the depth and breadth of the JCB’s collection,” Frederick said, as well as to create a cohesive narrative for the exhibit as a whole. “We decided what history we would like to tell,” Furtado said. Eventually, they divided their images into six separate categories: “the fires of daily life,” “commodities and consumption,” “fueling colonization,” “fire as foe,” “fires of resistance” and “contact, confrontation and condemnation” One of the earliest documents in the collection hails from mid-16th-century Brazil. Drawn from the experience of a German soldier, Hans Staden, who was captured by the indigenous Tupinambá tribe, the image depicts a scene of cannibalism, complete with human limbs roasting over a fire. Staden’s stereotypical portrayal of the Tupinambá was widely circulated after his return to Europe, influencing subsequent colonizers’ representations of native peoples.

“For a long time … (this image) was reproduced everywhere,” Furtado said.

“It became a stamp (to represent) the Native Americans. It became iconic.”

Another document, a Spanish manual intended for religious instruction, incorporates elements of indigenous artwork from central Mexico.

The manuscript condemns idolatrous speech through a series of pictographs — reminiscent of native Mexican imagery — depicting people both speaking and being punished for spreading blasphemies. “Spaniards were trying to use this native writing genre with their own Spanish twist on it,” Frederick said.

Collectively, the pieces showcase the many ways in which fire has been used throughout history to both help and hinder human civilization. “Fire is absolutely pervasive in the American experience and in the human experience,” Frederick said. “Looking at fire really can allow you access to any subject that you want to access … It is this very human thing, but it is also this powerful elemental force that can exert force over humans when the mood strikes it.”

Moreover, “The Americas on Fire” demonstrates that, even when domesticated, fire can be both generative and destructive. “Europeans used fire as a way to explore American nature, … to make American nature profitable,” Furtado said. Nonetheless, she added, “(fire can be) a way to resist colonization, … to break the European power in order to achieve independence.”

One of the JCB’s current goals is to “draw in undergraduate students who maybe don’t have the chance to do

improve as their reason for dropping, 38 percent cited poor explanation of concepts and 38 percent cited perception of lack of long-term relevance.

In particular, pace was the dominant concern among historically underrepresented groups and first-generation students, Lo said. For those whose first language was not English, keeping up with reading could be a challenge, and a lack of previous access to resources and exposure to course topics for students from underprivileged high schools could manifest itself in this overrepresentation, he added. This reasoning also helped explain the overrepresentation of students receiving financial aid, Lo said.

Incoming UCS President ChelseAmoy Steele ’18 suggested looking at how the course drop findings might

align with benchmarks of the Diversity and Inclusion Action Plans.

The experiences of historically underrepresented groups in various departments will inform how we talk to faculty members or administration about improving course pacing, Steele said.

This data will continue to be utilized through departmental meetings with chairs and directors, where members of the Sheridan Center advise on positive faculty practices, Wright said. With larger departments, the Sheridan Center can also present data specifically tailored to the department, but this is not an option for small departments because of the importance of maintaining student confidentiality, he added.

As a teaching and learning center, the Sheridan Center is also integrating

CATHERINE HABGOOD / HERALD

research at the JCB, but might discover primary source material that they could use for a class by visiting our exhibitions,” said Tara Kingsley, coordinator of academic programming and public outreach at the JCB. This entails the expansion of the library’s audience to students outside the traditional realm of the humanities.

As such, “The Americas on Fire” serves as a “jumping off point to think about collaborative and interdisciplinary scholarship,” Safier said. The exhibition coincides with a two-week

event sponsored by the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, titled “What Fire Does.” Through this event, the JCB and IBES collaborate to foster dialogue about both the scientific and historical connotations of fire and tie them together in the context of modern day issues, such as global warming, Safier said. He added that he “really (hopes) that … people are inspired to see our collection as useful for understanding the broader history, and the present day controversies, around climate change.”

the findings into their own programs, emphasizing the need to offer peerto-peer sections, encouragement of collaboration and timely feedback of regular assignments. To reduce further course drops, the Sheridan Center is focusing on addressing the four main causes: pace, lack of feedback, lack of clarity and lack of relevance.

Faculty have been “overwhelmingly receptive” to the results, with only three faculty members opting out of the study, Lo said. Many have been “ecstatic when finding out they’re doing particularly well.” For others who have more concerns, “they’ve already felt they needed to focus on particular aspects and the evidence helped confirm that,” Lo added.

LAURA FELENSTEIN / HERALD

» REYES, from page 1 in early February, said Alexis Rodriguez-Camacho ’18, co-president of First-Gens@Brown and a member of the search committee, and culminated in two weeks of interviews

with candidates.

The committee was “looking for someone who would be thoughtful,” said Rodriguez-Camacho. “We really wanted someone who understood the complexities and nuances” that come with identifying as a first-gen

student. Rodriguez-Camacho hopes that the addition of a director will aid the FLi Center in developing a more cohesive vision, he added. “Everyone has a different … idea of what they would want the center to look like,” so the committee sought “someone

LAURA FELENSTEIN / HERALD

who can organize and bring together all these different … viewpoints on the trajectory of the center,” he said.

Reyes’ “ability to relate to students as a (former) first generation, lowincome student at Brown” made him stand out in the interview process,

Almandrez said. His experience as an alum and as a board member of the Brown University Latino Alumni Council will enable him to utilize his connections at the University to be a strong advocate for students, she added.

NEWS

PAGE 4 • TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Event series explores fire in landscapes, history, art Researchers, artists investigate relationships between humans, fire over time

By ELENA RENKEN SCIENCE & RESEARCH EDITOR

The true nature of fire may come as a surprise, said Stephen Pyne, author of many books detailing fire’s history in the evolution of our planet and the modern United States. Many people today lack experience with fire beyond birthday candles and fireplace flames, but Pyne has investigated the powerful element through many years as a firefighter in national parks and a fire-focused academic career.

Pyne will offer a keynote address April 27 distilling his knowledge of fire’s history and the evolving relationship between humans and fire. The talk, one of the final installments of the Institute for Environment and Society’s event series “What Fire Does,” will discuss the wide range of uses and understandings of fire that have developed over time.

People have distanced themselves from fire in recent history, relying on

machines to light and fight fires instead of starting them ourselves. “Now we’re tipping into a new era in which the belief that we could prescribe fire is not working — it’s too expensive, too cumbersome, too legally entangled,” Pyne said. The state of the planet calls for a reduction of fossil fuel burning and a return to humans’ more personal relationship with fire as it was in the past, he added.

Some talks in the series also focused on fire in the modern American landscape. Alissa Cordner, assistant professor of sociology at Whitman College, addressed how wildfires are too often treated as problems when they serve important functions in nature. Thomas Pringle GS analyzed media depictions of fire as they related to climate change, underlining the persuasive power held by the images.

Artistic approaches to fire were rife within the series of events. Photos of fires at Standing Rock protests complemented a discussion of the ways the NoDAPL movement resembled the form of a fire, beginning with disparate sparks and growing into a consuming flame around which protesters congregated. “People came from all over the world to gather at this fire,” said

Elizabeth Hoover, assistant professor of American studies. “They felt compelled, they felt moved.”

Fire-related exhibitions were also held at the John Carter Brown Library and the Nature Lab, offering displays of fire’s history and transformational abilities.

A more immersive exploration of fire in art took place in the Rhode Island School of Design’s glass shop, where students and faculty crafted miniature volcanoes in a glass casting demonstration Wednesday. Clad in protective silver aprons and sleeves, the artists poured molten glass onto heaps of dirt to build irregular cone shapes that glowed red with heat. The myths, history and science tied to volcanoes convinced the artists to cast their likenesses, said Camille Cady, a glass student at RISD. Materials ranging from sawdust to orange peels to fireworks were fed into the mouths of the volcanoes, where they ignited and burned, sometimes sending flames feet into the air. Observers watched the construction of several little volcanoes, whose ominous presence diminished after the flames died out and the glass cooled into a fixed shape.

ELENA RENKEN / HERALD

Students and faculty at Wednesday evening’s glass casting demonstration make their own miniature volcanoes during the “What Fire Does” series.

The form of the volcano evokes a sense of reverence and amazement, said Jocelyne Prince, associate professor at RISD. Fire is often thought about as something wild and dangerous, but this project was designed to show off fire’s more enjoyable forms instead of

labeling it as destructive, she added.

Though researchers, artists and firefighters interact with fire in different ways, there is no complete form of control over the flames, Prince said. “It does what it wants to,” she added. “It is what permits transformation.”

Barred from US, Almilaji GS builds underground hospital in Syria Humanitarian Innovation Iniative to assist in the training of medical professionals for hospital

By ELI BINDER STAFF WRITER

Khaled Almilaji GS, whose U.S. visa was revoked while traveling to Turkey over winter break, is building the Avicenna Women and Children’s Hospital in Idlib City, Syria with his organization, the Sustainable International Medical Relief Organization. Health facilities in Idlib City and the larger Idlib Governate, which is controlled by the opposition forces, are routinely attacked by government forces, and the city is less than 40 miles from the site of the April 4 chemical attack, Almilaji said over Whatsapp from Gaziantep, Turkey. There is a severe lack of services for women and children in the area, he added.

As Almilaji is working on running the project, he is trying to get a visa to return to Providence to continue his Master’s in Public Health and reunite with his pregnant wife, Jehan Mouhsen, who is due with their child in August. He is also working with colleagues at the University to develop services and raise funds for the hospital.

Building underground The government frequently attacks health facilities, Almilaji said.

The structure where he is building a new hospital — formerly a hospital itself — has been repeatedly attacked, he added.

SIMRO, which is also known as the Canadian International Medical Relief Organization, is building on the two basement floors of the structure. Building underground makes the facility 70 to 80 percent more

secure from missile attacks and barrel bombs than above-ground hospitals, Almilaji said.

Most patients “prefer not to go to health facilities or to spend the minimum time in any health facility because everybody knows by now that those … are the most targeted facilities in the whole war,” Almilaji said.

Being underground will also allow them to provide surgical care absent in above-ground hospitals because “doctors are not willing to sit there for five to six hours because it’s so dangerous,” said Melissa Godfrey MPH, a classmate of Almilaji who is also helping him to fundraise for the hospital and create a media campaign.

The basement location “will increase the ability to provide care to patients.”

But “almost no facility can handle the Russians’ attacks. … There is no place secure inside Syria,” Almilaji said. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, a funder of the hospital, has offered to share the coordinates of the hospital with Russia in an attempt to have it spared from bombing.

Developing needed services “We have to keep delivering services, at least to the most vulnerable groups, which are women and kids,” Almilaji said. Most of the remaining medical services available in Idlib deal with trauma, and specialized services for children and women are scarce. The hospital will “host a whole women and children’s facility, a whole medicine department and an emergency and trauma department,” Almilaji added.

Almilaji, who is a Humanitarian Innovation Initiative International Fellow at the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, has asked for support from the Humanitarian Innovation Initiative, said Adam Levine, director of HI2

and associate professor of emergency medicine. HI2 plans to work with the hospital on a telehealth project.

“Most specialists and doctors and nurses have left the country, so there’s really only small numbers of trained individuals who are available to staff this hospital, and many of them have a generalist experience and not necessarily specific skills in (areas) like critical care, maternal health or child health,” Levine said.

“Through a telehealth program, we would organize trainings for staff at this hospital in Idlib” and others in the region, he added.

Almilaji is still figuring out what areas of support from HI2 will best help the hospital. Telehealth services range from videoconferencing that would allow specialists in the United States to train doctors in Idlib to messaging services that would allow doctors in Idlib to consult with U.S. partners on specific cases in real time.

“Likely we would recruit a cadre of volunteers: physicians, specialists in different areas — preferably ones (who) speak Arabic (and) have experience working in these kinds of settings. It will probably be a large roster because it will have to cover all sorts of different specialties,” Levine said. “I don’t think we’ll have a hard time finding” volunteers, he added.

HI2 plans to work with the Alpert Medical School, the School of Public Health and specialists to develop this partnership. They will also look to the Nelson Center for Entrepreneurship to help reach out to the tech industry, Levine said.

“What I love about this project is it’s not about humanitarian aid workers from Brown or from the U.S. going to help people in need in Syria. It’s about building the capacity of local physicians and nurses to provide care for their own people in the midst of a crisis,” Levine said.

Funding the project The hospital, which is 75 percent finished with renovations, is currently being funded by the UNOCHA and Expertise France. But it still needs $150,000 to finish rehabilitation and $600,000 for medical equipment, Godfrey said. The projected operational cost for a year is $1,200,000, and while it may receive operational support from the WHO in the future, the hospital needs private funding to start running, she added.

Godfrey is trying to start a mass media campaign in the United States, which she hopes will catch the eyes of large private donors. She also hopes that people will donate to the hospital through Refugee Protection International, SIMRO’s NGO partner.

Godfrey and Mouhsen presented on the hospital at Global Health Research Day at the Med School Monday.

HI2 is given a small budget from the University, so it will try to raise money for its partnership with the hospital by applying for funding both within and outside of Brown. “It’s going to be a really big undertaking,” with “huge costs involved in setting up the whole health program,” Levine said. Additional costs will come from administration of the program, developing and hosting trainings and hiring real-time translators to assist participants in the United States and Syria who do not speak both Arabic and English.

Moving forward Almilaji has been unable to come to the United States since his visa was revoked in January, and it has been three months since he has applied for a new one — with no word from the U.S. embassy. “Of course I’m trying to come back” to the United States, Almilaji said. Mouhsen is due with their child soon, and he does

not want to further delay his studies. If he does not receive a U.S. visa soon, he and Mouhsen will reunite in Toronto, where he will study at University of Toronto’s Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

“I’m excited for a new opportunity,” Mouhsen said, although staying in the United States is also her first choice. What is most important is “being with my husband and getting back to a normal life. We’re newlyweds, we just spent a few months together (before) this all happened,” she added.

Mouhsen, who is also a doctor, was studying for the U.S. Medical Licensing exam — now, she is studying for the exam’s Canadian analogue.

The couple plans to return to Syria after the war stops, Mouhsen said.

“We just need to get educated, so we can be more productive when we get back,” she added. Mouhsen wants to develop a specialty practice, which will be scarce in Syria; Almilaji wants to be prepared to help rebuild Syria’s health system.

In the past few months, Mouhsen has been alone and pregnant in a new country. This has been very difficult for her, she said, especially because she and Almilaji had barely been married before they were separated. The support of friends, as well as strangers who have sent her messages of support after reading about her in the news, has been helpful, she added. “I don’t want people to feel sorry for me.”

The “people are just wonderful” at Brown, and she appreciates the support from the University, Mouhsen said. “I have a wonderful impression of the whole country,” she added.

During her time in Providence, Mouhsen has made a lot of friends, and “I’ll feel sorry leaving them” if she moves to Canada, she added.

TODAY

TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

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f i e r y d e b at e

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Bacon Chicken Ranch, Spinach & Feta, Pepperoni & Meatball JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Mac and Cheese, Quesadillas, The Isabella Burger

Three Bean Chili, Turkey Sausage and Kale Soup

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

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Rotisserie Style Chicken, Bbq Navy Pea Beans, Red Velvet Cupcakes

sudoku

ELENA RENKEN / HERALD

Stephen Pyne, author of many books detailing fire’s history, will give a keynote address April 27 explicating his knowledge of fire and explain his idea of the evolving relationship between humans and fire.

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

“I ended up applying early to Brown, and they were foolish enough to accept me. I smile every time I come

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up there.

— Chris Berman ’77, ESPN host

See BERMAN on page 2.

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Spring into Action! 2 Day Blood Drive 11:00 A.M. Hillel, Social Hall

Women in Leadership: Chat with Michele Sullivan 1:15 P.M. Watson Institute, Kim Koo Lib.

Piano Masterclass with Saleem Ashkar 4:00 P.M. Grant Recital Hall

First Annual Sachs Lecture in Assyriology 4:30 P.M. Joukowsky Institute, 108

TOMORROW Rebecca Black — The U.S. Role in Global Health

Vishwas Satgar — The Crisis of South African Democracy

3,000 Nights: Film Screening with SWANA Heritage Series 6:30 P.M. Smith-Buonanno, 106

Holocaust Remembrance Exhibit Opening 7:00 P.M. Hillel, Social Hall

12:00 P.M. Watson Institute, Joukowsky

4:00 P.M. Watson Institute, McKinney

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Save the Indy and other Brown print media To the Editor: We write as former College Hill Independent editors and contributors.

We were dismayed to learn about looming cuts to the Indy and other campus publications, which could force many outlets to end their printed editions altogether. The Undergraduate Finance Board slashed budgets “out of the blue” and without explanation, according to editors quoted in an April 18 Herald article.

Students deserve better. For us and many other alums, the Indy was central to our education, building community both on- and off-campus and gaining the practical experience that helped us build careers in writing, publishing and design. The loss of the paper’s print edition will mean a decline in the role the Indy plays on campus and in Providence at large, and a sharp reduction in the breadth and depth of the education it offers to students interested in exploring careers in media and the arts.

Many of us have gone on to have careers in graphic design, newspaper journalism and publishing. Our contributions to the Indy came stapled to our first job applications. Killing the print paper would disadvantage current students hoping to pursue similar vocations.

This open letter has been signed online by more than 300 former Indy contributors from Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design. We urge UFB to reverse course. Restore full funding to the Indy and other campus publications, and protect Brown’s commitment to student-run, student-organized publications.

P IA M I L E A F- PAT E L

Margo Irvin ’10.5, Matt Sledge ’08 and Alexandra Kleeman ’07

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COMMENTARY TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017 • PAGE 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

4/20 has no chill LANIE ROWLAND

op-ed contributor

Unpopular opinion: 4/20 at Brown sucks. Seriously. The marijuana-centric celebrations of 4/20 indulgently highlight inequities and entitlement while staging an exclusive takeover of public spaces. I’m reminded of this every year, and 2017 was no different.

The last thing I want to do is take a gratuitous hit on a ritual that many seem to enjoy, but the stakes are higher than people seem willing to acknowledge.

First, consider the (hazy) image that graces the Main Green at twenty minutes past four. Hordes of Ivy League students lazing about basking in possession of an illegal substance, enjoying its effects with carefree and shameless sentiment. Students seem to be more bemused by this image than they are critical of its reflection on passive entitlement. Indeed, I did not have to be anywhere near any type of green (Main or otherwise) to know through Snapchat and other social media how my friends spent their afternoon. The broadcasting of this lawlessness is irksome, as it gloats at the unearned privilege of non-punishment with relative cheer. Such flippant acknowledgment laughs in the face of serious injustice.

It isn’t difficult to be persuasive about the inequities highlighted by 4/20. Over the course of the day’s ac-

tivities, the Providence Police are nowhere in sight. But in Rhode Island, possession of up to one ounce of marijuana is “a civil violation, punishable by a $150 fine, no jail time and no criminal record,” and possession of one ounce to one kilogram is a misdemeanor “punishable by a maximum of one year imprisonment and a maximum fine of $500.” A 2016 American Civil Liberties Union report showed

Island were arrested for drug possession at almost three times the rate of whites in 2014.” This disparity illustrates more egregious disproportionality than do arrest rates in Ferguson, Missouri, according to FBI data.

My classmates are very conscious of their privilege, including the systems that enable them to celebrate 4/20 unpunished. I think that’s a good thing. But this criticism generally only

activism at Brown is more performative than substantive — well, here’s exhibit A. (And, of course, that’s not to mention the questionable ethics of supporting an underground industry that can rely on violence and exploitation of people, as drug trafficking so often does.)

In addition to projecting entitlement, the celebration of 4/20 undermines the intentional creation of

Hordes of Ivy League students lazing about basking in possession of an illegal substance, enjoying its effects with carefree and shameless sentiment. Students seem to be more bemused by this image than they are critical of its reflection on passive entitlement.

that though the rate of drug use for black adults and white adults in the United States is similar, “a Black adult is 2.5 times more likely to be arrested for drug possession.” The report showed that Rhode Island has some of the worst racial disparities for drug-related arrest numbers: “Blacks in Rhode

goes as far as saying something along the lines of, “Oh yeah, that’s messed up, I think weed should be legal.” It does not dissuade anyone from celebrating the existence of our protected enclave at Brown, which to me illustrates a hard limit to a social critique of such systems. People complain that

safe and inclusive common spaces at Brown. Some students are made uncomfortable by the idea of sharing the Main Green with illicit drug use. This might be the case for a variety of reasons — physical discomfort based on health or preference or a feeling of social exclusion among those who

choose not to partake. Furthermore, some religious traditions (including groups within Islam, Buddhism and Mormonism, among others) prohibit the use of marijuana and other intoxicants.

Again, I understand and sympathize with the counterargument that the day’s ritual is short-lived and easily-avoidable, thereby justifying the enjoyment and sense of community it brings to its participants. My response to that is twofold. First, that community is a continuous commitment built on a sense of mutual respect that this has the clear potential to breach. A one-day blip in inclusivity undermines ongoing community-building efforts.

And second, that it isn’t ideal for an event that elicits some of the highest levels of community spirit at Brown to be centered around substance use.

Similar cases have been made in the past regarding the inclusivity of Spring Weekend, drawing upon further reasons why substance use in community settings is exclusionary.

We should respect that our common spaces are meant to be enjoyed by all and understand that they can put a spotlight on ugly manifestations of privilege. Changing this might take a joint effort, but it’s surely the chill thing to do.

Lainie Rowland ’17 is actually a fun person and can be reached at lainie_rowland@brown.edu

The misogyny factor GRACE JOHNSON staff columnist Last Wednesday, Fox News finally dismissed the host of “The O’Reilly Factor” after years of silencing sexual assault allegations with settlements. Bill O’Reilly earned Fox News $446 million in advertising revenue over a span of two years, a figure that dwarfs the $13 million the company paid to address women’s complaints about the host for more than a decade.

It is therefore unsurprising that the reason Fox News dismissed O’Reilly 13 years after the first public allegation against him is precisely because of money. After a New York Times expose and demonstrations by the women’s rights group Ultraviolet, over 50 companies pulled their ads from O’Reilly’s segment. Forcing O’Reilly out of the network had nothing to do with respect for women’s rights in the workplace; it was an economic calculation and a business deal.

This is the second time this year that a highly visible figure at Fox News has left amidst claims of sexual assault. Robert Ailes, former chief executive officer and chairman of Fox News, left the company last summer with a $40 million exit package after being accused six times. After his departure, a former network booker revealed that the company was aware for more than two decades that she had been harassed by Ailes. Another host filed a lawsuit against Ailes and O’Reilly, and Fox News responded by calling her an opportunist, not a victim.

As more victims came forward with allegations after Ailes left the network, Fox’s respons-

es were to deny the charges and to pay whatever was needed to keep the women silent. Though after the Ailes scandal Fox News stated that it will not tolerate behavior that “disrespects women or contributes to an uncomfortable work environment,” their response to O’Reilly’s scandal clearly negates those claims. Every response revolved around money — how much profit the old men made the company, how much money could be

ary Clinton “castrating” and this year’s “A Day Without A Woman” protest an “attack on white men.” Hiring another sexist host shows just how little the Fox News image relies on truth or respectability. How is O’Reilly’s absence from Fox News any sign of progress when the network hired a replacement so blatantly misogynistic?

We need to keep holding powerful cor-

As a public audience, we cannot let money cover up the network’s glaring systemic sexism. Instead, we can use our consumer power to manipulate network decisions.

spent to settle lawsuits and how much would be lost when companies pulled their advertisements.

And Fox News continues to facilitate sexual harassment. O’Reilly’s successor, Tucker Carlson, believes Democrats made up the term “sexual harassment” and made light of the outrage surrounding President Trump’s boasts of sexual assault. He also called Hill-

porations like Fox News accountable, even if their priorities lie nowhere near equal rights in the workplace. It can be easy for the left to label Fox News as an uncredible, right-wing news outlet and never engage with the network. But we need to pay attention to the internal politics within the corporation as well as the politics it spews on television. As a

public audience, we cannot let money cover up the network’s glaring systemic sexism. Instead, we can use our consumer power to manipulate network decisions. Though O’Reilly’s departure involved an estimated $25 million payout, it was spurred by the New York Times investigation and the ensuing protests. However stagnant Fox’s 1950s style sexism stays, we can’t stop protesting. Recent events have proved that this works: In a matter of days, United Continental Holdings lost $225 million in market stock value after mass public outrage over their violent removal of a passenger. Coalition can cause change, even when profit still defines success from a corporate perspective.

That definition of success can shroud misogyny and explains in part how we elected Trump, another top-tier executive accused of sexual harassment. Trump’s fake gilded brand name appealed more to many Americans than the superior qualifications of his opponent, a Yale-educated lawyer, senator and secretary of state. The released Access Hollywood tape that captured Trump’s brags of assault did not impact the result of his campaign. Instead, Trump’s wealth and celebrity gave him immunity from the ramifications of his harassment; in his own words, “When you’re a star they let you do it.” The illusion of success allows too many hateful sexual offenders to remain in power, and the trance that a few executive males hold over a large portion of our country is revolting. Money is, depressingly, still power. But as O’Reilly’s departure signifies, our public outrage has power, too.

Grace Johnson ’19 can be reached at grace_johnson@brown.edu

NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

TUESDAY, APRIL 25, 2017

U Melt to bring innovative grilled cheese to Thayer New eatery approved to open in former Nice Slice location before start of fall 2017 semester

By KYLE BOROWSKI METRO EDITOR

A newcomer will be joining the ranks of Thayer Street businesses after a Providence Board of Licenses meeting Monday granted tentative approval for the opening of a U Melt on College Hill. The approval came the same day the owners received keys for their new location: the space at 267 Thayer formerly occupied

by Nice Slice.

U Melt bills itself as a “gourmet grilled cheese store” offering a number of options ranging in complexity from the “Classic” sandwich of American cheese on white bread to a bevy of more specific delicacies.

“The Chipster,” for instance, elevates a simple cheddar and bacon on sourdough with the addition of BBQ Cape Cod potato chips. On a more sophisticated note, the “Turkey Brie” consists of brie cheese, roasted turkey and shallot fig jam on rye.

For those feeling a touch less sophisticated, the “White Trash” sandwich combines mac and cheese, cheddar and BBQ pulled pork on sourdough for a unique take on a traditionally simple dish.

At its downtown location, two salads are available — relatively tame interpretations of a Caesar and Greek — while another sandwich of sorts is available for dessert: the S’mores. Sandwiching Nutella, graham crackers and marshmallow fluff between two slices

KYLE BOROWSKI / HERALD

Already popular in downtown Providence, especially among Johnson & Wales students, for its unconventional take on grilled cheese, U Melt is moving to Thayer Street, aiming to open in the space formerly occupied by Nice Slice before the end of the summer. of raisin bread — the store’s singular sugary offering could even rival the fare of other Thayer Street sweet spots Ben & Jerry’s and Insomnia Cookies.

U Melt’s downtown location is adjacent to the campus of Johnson and Wales University, a factor co-founder Jonathan Kaufman said has been integral to the store’s success.

“Johnson and Wales is a great community,” Kaufman said, adding that the store has employed a number of JWU culinary students over the years who understand U Melt’s unconventional interpretations of grilled cheese.

“We get a little traffic from” College Hill, Kaufman said, “but we’re so excited now to share U Melt with the

Brown and RISD communities, not to mention residents of the East Side.”

Establishing a location on Thayer has been a goal of Kaufman’s since he and co-owners Benjamin and Jessica Wood first opened U Melt in 2013.

Kaufman met and befriended the couple while working for them during his studies at the University of

Rhode Island and said that opening a restaurant together had been a mutual dream for years.

Renovations, menu tweaking and other logistical formalities must be completed before U Melt can open, but Kaufman said that the owners are aiming to be operational by the end of the summer.

Ian Maxtone-Graham ’83, winner of seven Emmy Awards, will talk withTed Widmer about his work in television as writer and producer for Saturday Night Live,The Simpsons, Man Seeking Woman and Veep.

Ted Widmer, director of the John W. Kluge Center at the Library of Congress, continues to teach for Brown’s History Department and is author of Brown:The History of an Idea.

Tuesday, 25 April 2017 at 5:30 pm Martinos Auditorium, Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, 154 Angell Street “An Evening with Ian Maxtone-Graham '83 and Professor Ted Widmer” is made possible by the generous support of the Levin-Hokin Literary Arts Program Fund gifted to Brown University by Glenn I. Levin ’80 P’21 and Alexandra D. Hokin ’92 P’21. Additional support was provided by the Brown Arts Initiative.