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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY. OCTOBER 30, 2018

VOLUME CLII, ISSUE 91

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Report suggests combining Interfaith vigil mourns Tree of Life victims Faith leaders offer Watson concentrations Students, faculty mixed on potential union of IR, development studies, public policy By LYDIA DEFUSTO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Last April, the Office of the Dean of the College led a review of the three undergraduate concentrations affiliated with the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs. The eventual report produced by the committee recommended changes to the programs’ structures, curricula and advising practices. Among other changes, the committee recommended that the three Watson concentrations — development studies, international relations and public policy — be combined into a single concentration with two tracks, according to the report. The proposed changes have elicited mixed reactions from faculty and students. In response to the spring report, a committee of Watson faculty is now conducting an internal review of the concentrations with the goal of

crafting its own proposal. The report Former Dean of the College Maud Mandel chaired the review of the Watson concentrations. Other committee members included faculty from disciplines outside of Watson, administrators and students, according to the report. The committee’s work was “a genuine effort done in good faith to look with fresh eyes on these three concentrations,” said J. Timmons Roberts, committee member and professor of environmental studies and sociology. In crafting the report, the committee reviewed information and data about the concentrations, compared the programs with those at similar universities and met with the heads of the disciplines, Roberts said. At the core of the report, committee members suggested reducing “the number of concentrations from three to a single concentration with two tracks.” One development track “might be loosely modeled on the current (development studies) concentration,” while » See WATSON, page 3

support, solidarity, message for political action to combat hate By JACK BROOK STAFF WRITER

Following the recent mass shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, hundreds of Rhode Islanders gathered in an interfaith vigil outside the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island headquarters Monday evening. Impassioned Jewish, Muslim and Christian leaders led prayers and disavowed hateful rhetoric but also implored politicians and their community members to take action to implement gun control reforms. “I am haunted by this question — what else can the faith community do?” said Rev. Donnie Anderson, executive minister of the Rhode Island State Council of Churches. “In the spirit of our prophetic tradition … I ask our political leaders to be leaders JACK BROOK / HERALD of courage … (and) to pass meaning- Community members lit candles in remembrance of the 11 victims of the ful gun legislation that might mitigate mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh. » See VIGIL, page 2

Booker Prize winner talks literary nuance Corporation celebrates

Friedman Hall, BrownTogether

Novelist John Banville reads from ‘The Infinities’, discusses writing process, literary influences

Fall meeting discusses Performing Arts Center location, expansion of Watson Institute

By LIYAAN MASKATI

By EMILY DAVIES AND JONATHAN DOUGLAS

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

METRO EDITOR AND SCIENCE & RESEARCH

Monday night, the Department of Literary Arts hosted Irish novelist John Banville, author of Booker Prize-winning novel “The Sea.” Though small in size, the audience present in Salomon Center 001 listened with rapt attention as Professor of English Paul Armstrong opened a conversation with Banville on various literary subjects. Academic Program Director and Senior Lecturer Gale Nelson introduced Banville as “a writer of incomparable gifts.” For readers interested in adding Banville’s works to their repertoire, “a logical place to start with would be ‘The Sea’,” Nelson said, proceeding to also recommend “The Book of Evidence,” “Ghosts” and “Athena.” From the very start, Banville’s interactions with the audience were characterized by his dry sense of humor. He first addressed audience members by jokingly thanking them for “finding (their) way into this crowded auditorium” and added

EDITOR

ARTS & CULTURE

INSIDE

COURTESY OF AMADALVAREZ

John Banville read excerpts from his novel “The Infinities” and offered aspiring writers career advice at a Literary Arts department event Monday. that he “hardly recognized” the praise Nelson had flattered him with. Banville began by reading two

passages from his novel, “The Infinites.” One might compare “The Infinities” to “a » See BANVILLE, page 2

Corporation members joined faculty and students to celebrate the completed renovations of Friedman Hall at the annual fall meeting, President Christina Paxson P’19 wrote in a campus-wide email Sunday. “Friedman is our most heavily used classroom building, and the interior spaces provide the excellent instructional facilities Brown students and faculty deserve,” Paxson wrote. “The addition of convening, study and social spaces has made Friedman even more active and vibrant, and, most importantly, the building is now fully accessible.” The Corporation also formally accepted gifts and pledges of more than $89 million since their May meeting. The funds will go toward “the performing arts, the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs, endowed professorships, financial aid, graduate education, athletics, and support for a range of academic programs,” Paxson

wrote. As of January 2018, the University had surpassed its midpoint fundraising goal for the BrownTogether campaign, raising $1.64 billion. These gifts help keep the University on track toward its $3 billion fundraising goal by 2022. Additionally, Corporation members discussed graduate student unionization, faculty hiring and diversity and improvements in health, wellness and residential life. Highlights from the meeting also included an update on the Performing Arts Center. Providence’s City Plan Commission approved the center’s construction at 450 Brook St., which was changed from the original site location on the west side of the Walk. Corporation members engaged in an informal discussion with students as “part of the continued effort to increase communication and engagement between members of the Corporation and the student body,” Paxson wrote. The conversations centered on the Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan as well as the University’s strategic plan Building on Distinction. The Corporation elected three new Trustees as well as Viet Nguyen ’17, who will serve a two-year term as a New Alumni Trustee following an annual election process. The Corporation also approved the appointment of five faculty members to named chairs, Paxson wrote.

WEATHER

TUESDAY. OC TOBER 30, 2018

SCIENCE & RESEARCH U. professor utilizes satellites to study the effect of tree population on surrounding fauna

ARTS & CULTURE Renowned installation artist Jean Shin discussed themes, artistic process at visiting artist lecture

COMMENTARY Bouton ’20: DNC must stick with decision to ban fossil fuel money, abandon Perez’s reversal

COMMENTARY Meszaros GS: U. immunization costs, communication of alternatives must improve

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NEWS

PAGE 2 • TUESDAY. OCTOBER 30, 2018

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Tropical tree study uses satellite technology » VIGIL, from page 1 University researchers examine tree population over time, substantiate decades-old hypothesis By ZACHARY LEVIN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In a study of a species of brightly-flowering trees, a University professor used satellite imagery to observe how the trees’ population density affects their spread. The study’s design demonstrates that satellite imagery is a viable method of studying tree populations and opens the door for global ecological studies in the future. As the population of the tree Handroanthus guayacan increased in size, it became more severely hunted by its predators. In this sense, there is “a penalty for getting too common,” said James Kellner, assistant professor of environmental studies and co-lead author of the study. The study found evidence to support the idea that greater population size is tied to lower population density, as proposed by the Janzen-Connell hypothesis, a foundational theory of ecology relating to the biodiversity of tropical forests.

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

Scientists have studied how population density affects trees but never had empirical data to corroborate it, Kellner said. Using new remote-sensing technology, the study set out to quantify the observations of the Janzen-Connell hypothesis, Kellner said. Several previous studies have examined how seeds or saplings are preyed upon in areas with a greater concentration of trees, but this is the first project to observe the actual changes in the population of a tree in a tropical forest, Kellner said. Using highly accurate satellite imagery, researchers looked at the canopy of trees on Barro Colorado Island, Panama to see when each individual H. guayacan tree flowered. They also measured the population and location of these trees over a period of 10 years with satellite photos and by manually counting each tree, Kellner said. Along the way, Kellner had to find a statistical and mathematical way to account for any possible data inaccuracies, such as random anomalies or overhead clouds. “If you have a tree that happens not to flower for a given year, but it’s alive, you don’t want to say it died. So you have to have a way of estimating how many trees were not detected in a given census interval,” said Stephen Hubbell, former professor at University of California, Los Angeles and co-lead author of the paper.

Using various statistical methods, Kellner was able to compensate for these types of challenges and improve the accuracy of his data set, Hubbell added. One of the principal implications of this paper is the precedent it sets for future research into global ecology using satellite imaging, Hubbell said. “I think the most important finding is that, by using tools to identify canopy trees of individual species, and by taking longterm data, we can actually measure the population dynamics of rare tropical tree species,” he said. This type of science will play a key role in providing data for conservation efforts, climate change and habitat loss, Hubbell added. Working with Planet Labs, a California-based company that designs and sends shoebox-sized satellites called “cube sats” into orbit, Kellner and Hubbell anticipate being able to take a snapshot of the entire Earth every single day. Planet Labs’ “imaging constellation can uniquely observe changes in large tropical trees every day the sky is clear, enabling ecologists like Jim to develop truly novel science,” wrote Joseph Mascaro, director of academic programs at Planet Labs, in an email to The Herald. The global impact this kind of data and research can have across many disciplines “is fundamentally game-changing,” Kellner said.

SIMONE ZHAO

» BANVILLE, from page 1 composition by Bach or Mozart,” Nelson said, adding that the work is not only “structurally sure, (but) is also exquisite in terms of pace, language and point of view.” Following the reading, Banville was joined by Armstrong, who discussed the process of writing and delved deeper into some Banville’s works. “You said I should read ‘The Infinites’ because it is work of

yours that discusses you the least,” began Armstrong, asking Banville what he meant by this statement. “‘The Infinites’ is the book that came nearest to what I set out to do,” Banville responded, adding that writers often start out with wonderful optimism and then halfway through the process of writing the novel, “we’re wading through muck. … That’s what novels do.” But with “The Infinites”, he believes he got “somewhere close to

what he (planned to do).” Armstrong proceeded to discuss various aspects of the process of writing and the idea of whether authors produce art consciously or subconsciously. “When I started writing I felt very much in control,” Banville said. “When we’re young, we think old age brings wisdom, but of course, old age just brings confusion,” he said sarcastically, adding, however, that confusion is a good state for novelists. “You

the American tragedy of gun violence.” The crowd stretched across Elmgrove Avenue, cupping flames of candles in their palms and murmuring assent to the messages of love and communion that flowed from the speakers. “Look at everyone here, all around you, bearing light,” said Rabbi Sarah Mack of Temple Beth-El synagogue. “This is how we combat hate. By standing together, from across our communities, with unity. Together, we move forward to spread love and pursue peace.” Projecting the ethos of solidarity, Mufti Ikram Ul-Haq represented the Masjid Al-Islam mosque in Smithfield, Rhode Island. “I would like to say to my Jewish brothers and sisters, when someone expresses animus toward you, it is directed toward all of us,” Ul-Haq said. “When someone attacks you, it is an attack on all of us. We will always stand by you, in good times and bad.” Jakob Wells ’19 and several other students who were part of congregations that met at the Tree of Life synagogue lit candles for the 11 members killed in the shooting. The lights represented individual victims like Bernice and Sylvan Simon, who were married 60 years ago at the synagogue. “Events like this one tonight have given me the conviction that we as communities can overcome and rise against the hate and bigotry with compassion and move forward and survive and heal together” Wells said as a member of the Dor Hadash congregation. Representatives for organizations including the Anti-Defamation League, Dorcas International and the Rhode Island Coalition Against Gun Violence were on hand to offer resources inviting vigil participants to become involved and offer support. “We really wanted to make sure that we were able to offer opportunities to the community … to prepare to take action,” Jewish Alliance CEO Adam Greenman said. “Coming together to pray was important, but

realize that art is made in darkness,” he said. “We think we’re reasoning, but in fact we’re drifting. … All knowledge is in retrospect.” The conversation soon steered toward Banville’s sources of inspiration. “My biggest influences would be Henry James and (William Butler) Yeats,” Banville said, describing how James “captures the sense of what is it to be alive,” while Yeats taught him “not to be afraid of grandeur and

coming together to act was equally important.” Some disagreed that the vigil should be accompanied by political calls to action. “Is this a political rally?” screamed Alan Gordon, jumping onto stage during Rev. Anderson’s speech. “I’m a Jew and I am offended by this politicization of our time of mourning.” But many politicians present — including Gov. Gina Raimondo and State Senator Joshua Miller (D-28) — emphasized the fact that future tragedies like the Tree of Life shooting could be prevented through gun control reform. “You can’t take the politics of gun control out of an incident where an automatic weapon was used as part of the incident,” Miller told The Herald. “They’re inevitably tied — you cannot untie that. So, if there’s something more to be done to make communities that don’t feel safe feel safer, that’s part of what we do on behalf of the victims of violence.” “We should all be able to agree there are too many guns in society,” Raimondo told The Herald, “and you shouldn’t have to be afraid of going to school or church or synagogue, and we need some better common sense gun safety.” Linda Finn, President of the R.I. Coalition Against Gun Violence, stressed that her organization and policymakers like Sen. Miller have pushed for gun control laws for the past five years. But laws such as bans on the AR-15 assault rifle and highcapacity magazines, along with a “Safe Schools Act” preventing concealed carry permits in schools, have all fallen through in the State House. “It is a politicized issue in that it’s politicians that make laws that can affect outcomes,” Finn said. As the candles dimmed, those gathered at the vigil expressed the spirit of resilience and change through one last song. “We may never see this moment or place and time again,” the crowd sang at the vigil’s conclusion. “It will take a change of heart for this to mend. If not now, tell me when.”

stately language and not to write down.” Armstrong concluded the discussion by asking what advice Banville would give to aspiring writers. “The only advice I could give to a young writer is to look into the world and not into your own soul,” Banville said. “First of all, you haven’t got a soul — it’s a myth,” he joked, ending on a more serious note by saying,“it’s the world that counts.”

NEWS

TUESDAY. OCTOBER 30, 2018 • PAGE 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

COURTESY OF TAEKHOSONG

Students and faculty at the Watson Institute of International and Public Affairs are engaged in conversation about the prospect of combining the concentrations of International Relations, Development Studies and Public Policy into one concentration with two separate “governance” and “development” tracks.

» WATSON, from page 1 the other governance track “would reimagine the former public policy and international relations concentrations into a single track focused on comparative policy,” according to the report. The new model would emphasize the “critical concept of ‘global studies’” rather than “traditional ‘international relations”’ to evaluate and critique “our increasingly interconnected world,” the report states, adding that several peer schools have already adapted this structure. “This feels like a really good opportunity to re-examine the concentrations, not because the concentrations are in trouble but rather the world is just in a very different place (from) where a lot of us expected it to be,” said Edward Steinfeld, the director of Watson. But according to Nina Tannenwald, director of the IR program, this proposal “would effectively eliminate the IR concentration by folding it into a public policy concentration,” she wrote in an email to IR concentrators. “It’s puzzling to me that the largest and most popular of the Watson Institute concentrations would be the one that’s eliminated while the smallest one — development studies — is preserved,” Tannenwald told The Herald. Within the new concentration structure, there would be several curricular changes including the addition of a required introductory course for concentrators that would be co-taught and “provide students with a broad and interdisciplinary foundation to global studies and development.”

Isabella Saker ’20, a public policy concentrator, thought that the committee’s recommendation to combine IR and public policy would reduce the nuance in academic study provided by three distinct concentrations.“In the end, it really does a disservice to students because we go to a school with such an open curriculum already that if I wanted to diversify my academic background and take some IR classes I could.” Concentrators would also be required to take “three full years of university study” in a foreign language, though the report stipulates that further discussion of the mandate is needed for students “focusing on the U.S. region.” Currently, IR and development studies concentrations require three years of language study, but there is no language requirement for public policy. Additionally, the committee suggested the development of a research design course for sophomores and juniors. Tannenwald praised this development. For advising, the committee reported varying levels of satisfaction with the advising structure of the three concentrations. According to the report, IR concentrators described a “notable lack of sufficient faculty to provide hands-on advising and thesis support,” while development studies concentrators communicated “a high level of satisfaction” with their advisors. The spring report recommended pairing undergraduate concentrators with a faculty advisor and limiting each faculty member to six advisees per advising cohort to remedy student concerns. “Students were having trouble

even being able to meet with and find academic advisors to figure out what courses (to take)” Roberts said. Annie Phan ’20, a Development Studies DUG leader, echoed Roberts’ call for an improved advising structure, adding that students will benefit “if Watson tries to put more emphasis on smaller (advising groups).” Further review from Watson faculty committee Watson has formed its own faculty committee to review its undergraduate concentrations in response to the report from the Office of the Dean of the College. “I thought it was an excellent report

… (but) our charge is not simply to implement what the report says,” said Steinfeld, a member of the faculty committee. “We are agnostic about the particular path that was recommended — or at least mentioned — in the Dean of the College’s report, but we’re taking it up and examining it.” The faculty committee held town halls Oct. 16 and 23 to gather feedback from concentrators. “It’s great that students are being invited to participate,” Tannenwald said. “The Watson Institute concentrations could use a little bit of revamping,” said Jason Togut ’20, an IR department undergraduate group leader. “I was excited to hear about the changes. The

Global Studies idea is a lot better.” “We are open to a bunch of possibilities, but the path of reform delineated in the report is not the only option,” Steinfeld said. “We’re very early in the process. … We’re basically in datagathering mode now and then also brainstorming mode.” Steinfeld said that the committee hopes to have drafted a proposal addressing potential changes to the Watson undergraduate concentrations by the end of this semester. Once this proposal is complete, the committee will gather additional feedback from students and Watson faculty, Steinfeld said.

ARTS & CULTURE PAGE 4 • TUESDAY. OCTOBER 30, 2018

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

Visiting artist discusses installation materials, process Jean Shin gives insight into use of discarded items, delves into personal inspiration at List talk By ELISE RYAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Jean Shin, a renowned installation artist and adjunct professor of fine art at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, greeted her audience with soft wind chimes and a projection of a colorful, kinetic canopy — what would soon be revealed as the fabric of broken umbrellas, layered and stitched together — during her Visiting Artist lecture last Wednesday. Speaking about some of the themes that have inspired her work — which include community, environment, waste and history — Shin detailed a number of the major installation projects she has completed throughout her career. “Jean’s work truly transforms everyday objects,” said Heather Bhandari, an adjunct lecturer in the Visual Art Department and coordinator of the Visiting Artist program. Bhandari met Shin 15 years ago while she was working at Mixed Greens, a contemporary art gallery that represented Shin, Bhandari told The Herald. She further recalled a time when she would call Shin to notify her when she found broken or discarded umbrellas on various New York City street corners. The umbrellas Shin collected were used in “Penumbra,” commissioned in 2003 by Socrates Sculpture Park in New York. Utilizing “the tragic umbrella,” Shin explained, she created canopies that freed the nylon umbrella-tops from their isolating, individualized skeletons and combined them into one collective awning. The canopy hung from tree

COURTESY OF JEAN SHIN

For her piece “Chance City,” Shin gathered thousands of discarded, losing lottery tickets to create towers without any adhesive. The lottery tickets, totaling thousands of dollars in value, served as the primary materials for her 2009 rendition of the project. branches, fluidly responding to wind and weather, something Shin had not fully considered in her creative process. This project exemplified the ways in which expectations had to become compromises, as her installations became one with the environment that surrounded them. “There are a lot of artists who I think have these moments where they wonder, ‘What am I doing putting more stuff into the world and where is this stuff going?’” Bhandari said, and added that Shin avoids that issue by

“using trash, in most cases, to create these really amazing pieces that have a lot of depth to them.” Shin’s choice to reclaim discarded materials came from both an acknowledgement of consumer culture and her own position as “an emerging artist with a very low-paying full-time job — so it kind of made sense for me to think about the resourcefulness of my materials,” she told The Herald. “I was seeing so much excess just thrown out on the streets of New York City.”

Other materials Shin used include non-winning lottery tickets — discarded not for their inconvenience or fragility but simply because they were valueless. After noticing the tickets littering the streets, Shin considered taking risks that went against the odds, she said. “There was kind of a wonderful analogous comparison for me about how these losing tickets really were symbolic of all of our lives,” Shin said. Collecting thousands of thrownaway tickets, Shin constructed towers

and relied on gravity as she stacked the cards without any adhesive in three different museum spaces. “Chance City” was first created with $17,119 worth of discarded “Scratch and Win” lottery tickets at the Caren Golden Gallery in New York in 2002, according to the artist’s website. It was most recently constructed in 2009 with $32,404 worth of discarded tickets at the Smithsonian American Art Museum. The towers — assembled by hand, without glue — were inherently fleeting, but were the result of a long, arduous and specific process. The idea of connecting her own story as an artist to those of the thousands of individuals represented by losing lottery tickets is reflected in many of her pieces. “There were a lot of objects that really just connected a story to a story that I felt like I was living, and that maybe others could connect to” as well, she said. Other objects Shin has used in pieces include vinyl records, prescription pill bottles, discarded post-alteration pant cuffs, old trophies and green plastic soda bottles — all discarded symbols of lives lived, of individual stories coming together to create a collective message. Shin also emphasized the influence of her Korean-American background on her work as an artist. After finishing her education, Shin “felt a disconnection to the history of art, even though it is one that I had been brought to learn,” she said. “People who were Asian-American, people who were women, people of color, were not represented” as painters. She then delved into the practice of installation. “I just went where there was least resistance, I think, and I kind of reveled in feeling whole. There was a history that I was connected to,” she said. “In my practice I’m hoping that I can make a mark within that history as well.”

TODAY

TUESDAY. OCTOBER 30, 2018 • PAGE 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

fa l l i n g f o r fa l l

SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS

Pizza: Cajun Chicken, Spinach & Feta, Pepperoni, Sausage & Jalapeño, Curry Bar JOSIAH’S

BLUE ROOM

Dumpling Bar, Rodeo Burger, MYO Grilled Cheese

Focaccia Bar, Chicken Mushroom Xacuti

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH

DINNER

Pork Fajitas, Chicken Fajitas, Garden Bean Chili, Corn and Sweet Pepper Sauté

Huli Huli Chicken, Sweet and Sour Meatballs, Crispy Thai Tofu with Fresh Lime, Beet Poke

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH

DINNER

Spinach Arugula Vegetable Pasta Sauté, French Fried Onion Rings, Liz’s Great Vegetable Soup

Sunny Rum Ham, Stuffed Shells with Meatless Sauce, Carrots with Tequila, Cheese Bread

sudoku DANIELLE EMERSON / HERALD

As campus shines with fall colors, students may revel in the temperate fall weather as they take strolls, bike, and scooter down the various brick sidewalks of College Hill.

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

“Art is made in darkness … we think we’re reasoning, but in fact we’re drifting … all knowledge is made in retrospect.

”

— John Banville, author

See banville on front.

calendar TODAY OCTOBER

Chinese Language Table 12:00 P.M. Page-Robinson Hall, 340

Peer Career Advisor Open Hours 1:30 P.M. CareerLAB

Brown in France: Paris Predeparture Meeting 4:00 P.M. Page-Robinson Hall, 440

Free Halloween Zumba Bash 6:30 P.M. Nelson Fitness Center

TOMORROW How to get a job at a Startup 12:00 P.M. Rockefeller Library, DSL

Halloween Social 4:30 P.M. List Art Building

Halloween Movie Night Hocus Pocus 9:30 P.M. Sayles Hall

Midnight Halloween Organ Recital 11:30 P.M. Sayles Hall

COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • TUESDAY. OCTOBER 30, 2018

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COMMENTARY TUESDAY. OCTOBER 30, 2018 • PAGE 7

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We must demand a fossil fuel-free DNC EMMA BOUTON op-ed contributor In June, the Democratic National Committee ended its long-standing policy of accepting money from the fossil fuel industry. But in August, a resolution put forth by party Chairman Tom Perez ’83 P’18 reversed the June decision. As Clare Steinman ’19 wrote in a column back in September, Perez’s decision was a disappointing reversal that signaled the DNC’s willingness to turn a blind eye to fossil fuel executives’ use of political donations and lobbying to deliberately spread misinformation about climate science. The DNC’s lack of leadership on this issue is particularly concerning in light of a report released earlier this month by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that informed policymakers of the urgent need to pursue far-reaching systemic transformations and reduce emissions to net zero by 2050. The impacts of failing to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius range from worsening food shortages and hurricanes to drastic sea level rises, all of which will harm poor communities and historically marginalized groups first and worst. To avoid the catastrophic and profoundly unjust effects of climate change, the report suggests that governments transform the global economy by putting a price on carbon that accurately accounts for its social and environmental destruction.

This type of rapid socioeconomic transformation can seem unforeseeable in the current U.S. political climate, especially as the party purportedly committed to fighting climate change remains open to accepting contributions from oil, gas and coal executives who are enabling the problem. So why has the DNC lost its resolve to reject the corrupting influence of fossil fuel money? The answer lies in the longstanding myth about the division between two of the Democratic Party’s core constituencies: labor and environ-

sage of the second resolution, Perez said: “We have to draw the line that we are indeed a party of a big tent where all working people are welcome. We’re not a party that punishes workers simply based on how they make ends meet.” But, he said, the DNC would simultaneously remain committed to its “platform, which states unequivocally our support for combating climate change.” The subtext of Perez’s statements, though, is a supposed tension between the labor and environmentalist movements. Perez seems to give

incredible number of high-quality jobs in what has been conceived as a “Green New Deal.” But this collaboration and progress will be impossible if the Democratic Party leadership continues to seek financial support from fossil fuel executives and block initiatives that would be detrimental to their profits, which clearly includes the transition to renewable energy. While the DNC has received no money from the fossil fuel industry since the original resolution was passed back in June, the energy and natural re-

As young voters, we must demand that our political leaders champion the visionary change necessary to ensure a more equitable and livable world. mentalists. The second resolution passed in August states that the party “support(s) fossil fuel workers” and therefore will accept donations from “unions’ or employers’ political action committees.” However, this phrasing permits a loophole through which highly-paid executives of fossil fuel companies can fund the DNC through these PACs. In contrast, the original resolution, for which Perez and the rest of the DNC voted unanimously in June, barred donations from oil, gas and coal company PACs and instead allowed workers in these industries to make donations on an individual basis. Perez has justified the DNC’s decision to accept fossil fuel money by arguing that the Democratic Party should be an advocate for labor. During a conference call following the pas-

in to the fossil fuel industry’s narrative that policymakers cannot embrace the cause of workers and climate action at the same time. But, in fact, labor advocates and environmentalists, two constituencies that fossil fuel executives have historically worked to pit against each other, have a common interest in creating good jobs that protect both people and the planet. Climate change presents a promising opportunity for labor and climate activists to come together and demand a just transition to renewable energy involving the large-scale creation of new green jobs. For instance, the IPCC report suggests that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius will require an average annual investment of $2.4 trillion, or 2.5 percent of the world’s GDP, between now and 2035. This has the potential to create an

sources sector — which includes fossil fuel producers and mining companies — donated $2.6 million to the DNC in 2016. The sector continues to make substantial contributions to Democratic candidates, who receive donations separately from the DNC, but nevertheless supposedly share many values. Going into the 2020 elections, a “Green New Deal” should be a core priority of the Democratic Party. It is an outstanding opportunity to draw labor and climate activists together and set the United States on a path for the type of transformation necessary to fight climate change. But this type of visionary action will not be possible if the DNC remains open to the corrupting influence of fossil fuel money. The DNC must send a clear signal that it will not prioritize the profits of oil, gas and coal executives over the future of our planet

any longer. Sunrise RI, a chapter of the national Sunrise Movement, which is a youthled movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process, has been organizing a campaign on campus and across the country to pressure the DNC to stop accepting donations from fossil fuel executives. After the second resolution was passed back in August, Sunrisers traveled to Chicago to disrupt the DNC summer meeting and deliver a petition with over 100,000 signatures calling on the DNC to refuse fossil fuel PAC money. Across the country, Sunrise and other progressive partner organizations have also gotten over 1,250 candidates and elected officials running at all levels of government to sign a No Fossil Fuel Money Pledge. On campus, Sunrise RI has been speaking with Perez on a regular basis and circulating a petition for students to urge him to commit the DNC to being fossil fuel free. As young voters, we must demand that our political leaders champion the visionary change necessary to ensure a more equitable and livable world. This must start with refusing to accept the toxic influence of fossil fuel executives and the false divide between labor and climate activists.

Emma Bouton ’20 is a member of Sunrise RI and can be reached at emma_bouton@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

The hidden costs of immunizations E.L. MESZAROS op-ed contributor I got my flu shot last week. The whole process was fast, convenient and entirely free — in fact, the most difficult part for a brand new student was finding the basement lounge where the shots were being administered. Encouraging the student body to inoculate against the onset of flu season is an admirable goal, but the ease of this process stood in stark contrast to my other experience with vaccinations at Brown. Rather, registering the rest of my existing immunizations with the University was disorganized, complex and costly. Brown, and the state of Rhode Island, require a set of immunizations of all incoming students, graduate and undergraduate alike. Despite this standard, the process of proving compliance with this requirement is expensive, outdated and not fully communicated to students. This poses problems and potential barriers to entry for students — the costs associated with proving compliance can be significant in medical bills but also in time off from work and transportation. Worse than the substantial cost of this part of the onboarding process is the fact that alternatives exist that are not communicated to students. I’d like to illustrate with my own experience. The immunization record form required by the University must be filled out and signed by a physician or medical provider. Before any doctor would sign my form, they required an intake physical. Because I was interning outof-state, none of these non-emergency medi-

cal procedures were covered under my health insurance, meaning that I was paying entirely out-of-pocket for a physical, lab work, transportation and missed internship work. Incoming students are informed that immunization records are due by July 1 the summer before they arrive. It was mid-way through June and I was more than $500 in debt from the process when I realized that I still needed a second dose of the varicella vaccine — the chicken

informed by the nursing staff that I could ignore the July 1 deadline, come to Brown not in compliance and get my final vaccination covered by my insurance from Health Services. The cost of preparing my immunization record was nearly prohibitive, only affordable because it turns out I didn’t need it. I came to Brown while not in compliance, got my health insurance here, then received my final varicella vaccination for free. If this option had been

Finding ways to enable students to have power over these personal matters is critical, especially when we’re talking about health and barriers to entry.

pox shot — which would add close to another $200 to my debt. I was not in compliance and didn’t have the money to afford the final vaccination. Even though my graduate program at Brown has provided a sizable stipend, covering my tuition and health insurance, I wasn’t going to be able to afford to even get to Brown. Out of desperation, I emailed Health Services to see if there was any sort of fellowship or scholarship they could provide to cover medical expenses necessary to get to Brown. I was

communicated to me, I would have saved a substantial amount of money. Five hundred dollars may not seem like much, but it was the difference between paid and unpaid credit card bills and determined whether I could buy any of my textbooks at the beginning of the semester. So how do we fix this? Accept more forms of vaccination verification rather than just the established form; records faxed from doctor’s offices should be sufficient. Regardless of whether

health staff here evaluate them and determine compliance, or whether a different doctor fulfills the same task, the result is the same. An increase in communication is imperative as well — is it okay to come to Brown while non-compliant? Let your students know. And affording immunization records isn’t the only onboarding cost awaiting new students — their future holds internet setup costs, textbook rentals and, in the case of graduate students like me, trying to afford food when stipend payouts don’t come until the end of the first month. Finding ways to enable students to have power over these personal matters is critical, especially when we’re talking about health and barriers to entry. Even with good funding and covered health care, the cost of entrance into school can be prohibitive, and the way to make it possible could just be a matter of actively sharing information with students. Vaccinations are important, and they should be required. To that end, Brown should make it as easy as possible to ensure that its student body is protected. And that doesn’t always mean coming in with a signed immunization form. Because while my situation may have been unique, every student who comes here faces their own, often pricey, obstacles. Awareness of these hidden costs, and steps to mitigate them, will ultimately ensure a healthier and more accessible campus environment.

E.L. Meszaros GS can be reached at e.l.meszaros@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@ browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

NEWS THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

TUESDAY. OCTOBER 30, 2018

9 8t h

F E AT U R I NG

Ernesto Zedillo President of Mexico (1994-2000)

98 th

Director, Yale Center for the Study of Globalization

Challenging the Challengers of Globalization Monday, November 12, 2018 | 5 p.m. Salomon Center for Teaching De Ciccio Family Auditorium 79 Waterman Street

Tickets Required

For more information please visit brown.edu/ogden Doors open at 4:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the public. Backpacks and large bags are not allowed.

To request special services, accommodations or assistance for this event, please contact the Office of University Event & Conference Services at universityevents@brown.edu or 401-863-3100.