SINCE 1891
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018
VOLUME CLIII, ISSUE 11
WWW.BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM
Arts center met with controversy from Providence locals Elorza,
teachers union clash at City Hall
Vote on U.’s proposal delayed until March 20 following request for continuance By ERIC CHOI SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Providence City Plan Commission has moved the vote on the University’s plan to build a performing arts center — which has sparked controversy over the possibility of demolishing or moving five historic buildings — to March 20, wrote Choyon Manjrekar, principal planner at Rhode Island’s department of planning and development, in an email to The Herald. The vote was first scheduled for Dec. 19 and then moved to Jan. 16, according to a press release from Rhode Island Public Radio. However, the University requested a continuance to move the decision again to March, Manjrekar wrote. At the December hearing, the public comments regarding the University’s proposal were “unanimous” in opposing the construction of the performing arts center, said Rachel Robinson, director of preservation at the Providence Preservation Society. After listening to the public
Teachers picket for pay raise outside as mayor delivers his State of the City address By SOPHIE CULPEPPER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
GUS REED / HERALD
After a December hearing featured concerns from various community members, the vote on the possible demolition of historic sites to build the performing arts center was postponed a second time. opinions, “it was clear that the proposal was not ready to be acted on at that meeting,” said Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, executive vice president for planning and policy at the University. “We requested a continuance, which … means that that matter stays on the agenda.”
It is unclear whether or not the initial plans will change before the hearing in March. “I’m not saying that they haven’t changed or they have changed,” Carey said. The possibility of demolishing or moving the historic buildings — all built in the 19th century — is one
source of opposition. One of the buildings at risk of being demolished is the Urban Environmental Lab, a proposition that has seen opposition from students and faculty, The Herald previously reported. The University could move the » See ARTS CENTER, page 2
Yesterday, in the Council Chambers of City Hall, Mayor Jorge Elorza was scheduled to begin his annual State of the City address at 6 p.m. But by 6 p.m., Elorza still had not made his entrance — and the staircases above and below the third-floor chambers were jam-packed. People chatted and chanted intermittently. Signs were written in English and Spanish, in bright colors and stark black marker. Some of the messages were personal: “Elorza … you were EDUCATED by PVD schools … Don’t throw us under the BUS!” » See ELORZA, page 2
U. researchers develop more complete model of sickle cell
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The Titan supercomputer, located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, mapped fiber formation in sickle cells, enabling more detailed analysis of molecular interaction. Research conducted with this computer, the fourth-fastest of its kind in the world, has helped increase treatment options for sickle cell anemia.
Using supercomputer, University team simulates sickle cell formation, hopes to analyze possible treatments By CATE RYAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER
University researchers have developed computational methods using a supercomputer that enables them to dive deep inside sickle cells and analyze their molecular characteristics. By modeling the processes responsible for sickle cell formation, the team will be able to explore possible treatments for the disease. Sickle cell anemia is caused by a genetic mutation that makes normally concave, round red blood
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cells become stiff and misshapen, said George Karniadakis, professor of applied mathematics. Sickle cell was identified as the first molecular disease by Nobel laureate Linus Pauling in 1949. Pauling’s initial characterization was based on the behavior of hemoglobin, a molecule normally distributed evenly throughout the red blood cell. In an infected individual, the molecule “will self-assemble into a fiber, and this fiber will push the red blood cell into a sickle shape,” said Lu Lu GS, the study’s first author and
a member of Karniadakis’ research group. These fibers are rigid and behave similarly to the fibers in a plant stem, said Gregory Kato, professor of medicine and director of the Sickle Cell Center of Excellence at the University of Pittsburgh. While the cells affected by the disease are often thought of as sickleshaped, there are dozens of abnormal shapes they can also take, Karniadakis said. The presence of these abnormal red blood cells in the body catalyzes a sort of “crisis.” Unable to easily pass through thin vesicles and capillaries, hemoglobin cannot transfer oxygen everywhere it needs to go. The study, led by Karniadakis and
published in the Biophysical Journal, attempts to model hemoglobin fiber formation — a topic first discussed 30 to 50 years ago, but has since been relatively neglected in the field, Kato said. Today, the availability of supercomputer technologies makes the team’s study so unique. “They allowed for a new level of detail of molecular interaction … that has never been possible before,” Kato said. The study also stands out for its interdisciplinary approach to medicine, as it brought together mathematicians, engineers and physicians in an effort to learn more about sickle cell anemia, Karniadakis said.
Mapping the previously elusive process of fiber formation is an “expensive” computational problem, Karniadakis said. The problem’s complexity stems from the multi-scale approach necessary to consider both the microscopic and macroscopic implications of sickle cell anemia. The process “is more complex than most protein interactions. … There’s a lot of action going on,” Kato explained. Creating an accurate computational model required the use of the Titan supercomputer located at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, as well as other facilities, and a smaller-scale system on campus » See SICKLE CELL, page 2
WEATHER
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018
NEWS Narragansett Bay Commission converts waste into energy to achieve sustainability
SCIENCE & RESEARCH University researchers study effects of longevity protein found in mitochondria of fruit flies
COMMENTARY Illick-Frank ’18, Sharpe ’18: U. has not been upfront about plans for performing arts center
COMMENTARY IBES committee member serves as chairman of group that supplies crowd-control weapons
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» ELORZA, from page 1 Hundreds of teachers picketed the address. “We’re here to let the mayor know that what he has given us in negotiation terms is not fair,” Rachel Greenberg, a teacher at Asa Messer Elementary School, told The Herald. Ken Drake of Esek Hopkins Middle School told The Herald that the proposed three-year contract does not include a pay raise other than a 0.5 percent hike in the final year of the agreement. “That’s not a raise, that’s a joke,” he said. The mayor’s presence on a charter school board constitutes a “conflict of interest,” he added. Elorza’s speech started over 20 minutes late as a result of the picketing. Despite being booed as he entered the chamber, Elorza began his speech with a doggedly positive portrayal of Providence as a city that has exemplified a “show of unity” in welcoming refugees, deliberately broadcasting a political message that is contrary to President Trump’s position on the issue. “For the past three years, we’ve been continually reminded of the power of the people,” Elorza said, as the chants of “shame on you” continued to reverberate throughout the chambers from outside.
Elorza addressed the issue of education early on in his speech. He described his initiatives as always crafted in response to the voices of the city. “We asked the public, ‘What is missing from our schools?’” Elorza said. “We heard that our students and teachers want facilities that support 21st century learning.” Elorza referenced his pledge in August 2017 to dedicate $400 million over the span of 10 years to school “facilities … because our students and teachers demand it and, frankly, because they deserve it,” he said. “While classrooms themselves are important, so are the tools we give our students to learn with.” Prior to the address, Providence Teachers Union President Maribeth Calabro gave an impassioned speech of her own to the crowd of protestors. “On January 3, our mayor boasted a $5.4 million surplus for the city of Providence. Sixteen days later, he sent one of his negotiators to the table to say ‘sorry for ya, we don’t have any money for teachers,’” Calabro said. The crowd clamored with displeasure. “Teachers touch more lives than mayors,” called one voice from the crowd. “Absolutely. Actually, teachers impact more lives than anybody. We
ENGLISH DEPARTMENT SPRING PRIZES 2018 Betsy Amanda Lehman ’77 Memorial Award for Excellence in Journalism 1st prize $1200 2nd prize $500
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by 3:00 pm on Thursday, February 22, 2018. *ONE ENTRY PER COMPETITION.* *NO HARD COPIES OR LATE SUBMISSIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED.* *ESSAYS THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY RECEIVED AN ENGLISH DEPARTMENT AWARD ARE NOT ELIGIBLE.*
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD make mayors,” Calabro responded. Calabro explicitly recognized how Rep. John Lombardi, D-Pawtucket, Sen. Maryellen Goodwin, D-Providence and Sen. Dominick Ruggerio, D-Providence “would not cross the picket line” in solidarity with teachers. A fair deal would mean “consistency,” Greenberg told The Herald. Elorza “has given us a variety of different people who are on the team to negotiate, but we have come with one team every time,” she added. “I find it to be kind of doublespeak, and I find it to be insulting. … In order for us to be able to move forward, the mayor needs to be honest with himself and his representation of the city’s finances,” Calabro told The Herald. In a press conference following the address, Elorza spoke of an “opportunity for a transformational contract” and emphasized his commitment to “our kids and our schools.” He said that teachers were given a raise eight months ago, and that “when you look at the long-term city’s finances, we simply don’t have the money” for another raise. “We have a surplus in the city, we have a rainy day fund; all of that is going to evaporate in a heartbeat unless we watch our costs going forward,” he added. Elorza characterized the picketing
» ARTS CENTER, from page 1 performing arts center to a similarly sized area that does not contain historic buildings, said Brent Runyon, executive director of the Providence Preservation Society. “There is a lot of vacant land across the river” that could be used for the performing arts center instead, he added. The Providence Preservation Society named the five historic buildings proposed to be moved or demolished to the “2018 Most Endangered Properties List,” according to the Providence Journal. Public commentary also revealed
» SICKLE CELL, from page 1 at the Center for Computers and Visualization. The supercomputer is the fastest of its kind in the United States and the fourth most powerful in the world, according to the bi-annual Top500 Supercomputer ranking released in June 2017. The research provides insight on drugs currently being tested to treat sickle cell anemia. From the late 1990s until mid-2017, only one drug, Hydroxyurea, was FDA-approved to treat the disease. The drug works to soften sickled red blood cells and
SOPHIE CULPEPPER / HERALD
Mayor Jorge Elorza responded to the protest by welcoming continued negotiation with the Providence Teachers Union. as “democracy in action” and said he is open to conversation and continued negotiation, though nothing has been scheduled yet.
“I’m hoping for a phone call that says, ‘Let’s get back to the table and start conversations again,’” Calabro told The Herald.
concern about parking and traffic, according to GoLocalProv. But the University believes these concerns are not serious. The University is required to do a “parking and traffic impact study,” Carey said. “We’ve done (the study), and we feel that (the building) has minimal impact.” Not everyone believes the plans to be detrimental. “The historic value of the buildings coming down is greatly exaggerated,” wrote Dietrich Neumann, professor of history of art and architecture and director of urban studies in an email to The Herald. “The buildings that came down to make
room for the Engineering School on Manning Walk were actually much more valuable.” The University’s plan to build a performing arts center is part of an amendment to the Institutional Master Plan that is filed with the city every five years, Carey said. The hearing for the amendment was pushed back to allow the University to provide more information on the proposal, wrote Director of News and Editorial Development Brian Clark in an email to The Herald. “We’ve heard the community input and we’re reviewing that very carefully and evaluating options,” Carey said.
increase their elasticity, allowing the cells to more feasibly pass through the thin channels they would otherwise block, Karniadakis explained. However, a new treatment, Endari, was approved to treat sickle cell last year. There are still more drugs in the process of being tested and analyzed, Lu said. The team hopes to use their research to test the different effects of the drugs, he added. This computational model will enable researchers to ask questions “that you wouldn’t be able to ask in the laboratory and certainly not with real patients” and
predict drug outcomes before requiring specialized resources, Karniadakis explained. With “the mathematical model, … we don’t have to wait for someone to give a blood sample,” Kato said. “We can just think of the experiment and plug it into the computer and get a simulated answer.” In the future, the team hopes to gain insight into cell-to-cell interactions as well. Karniadakis “already has advanced computational understanding to know how to do all these things,” Kato said. “It will just take time and effort.”
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NEWS
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018 • PAGE 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Wastewater plant to turn sludge into renewable energy Narragansett Bay Commission aims to become powered by renewable energy By CELIA HACK SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Wastewater treatment plants certainly have enough sludge, but they’re in need of another commodity: energy. The Narragansett Bay Commission, operator of two wastewater treatment plants in Rhode Island, decided to turn their “sludge,” or the byproduct of wastewater treatment, into energy, said Jamie Samons, public affairs manager of the Bay Commission. Within the month, a biogas generation facility will begin to convert waste into power, she said.This step comes two years after the Bay Commission set a goal to be 100 percent renewable by 2020, following net metering laws that allowed organizations to receive renewable energy credits for green energy produced off-site. Wastewater treatment plants can be “one of the most energy-intensive facilities in a given city,” Samons said. It’s estimated that moving dirty water accounts for 1 percent of the nation’s energy, according to Curt Spalding, former Environmental Protection Agency administrator for New England . One way to alleviate the carbon footprint associated with wastewater treatment plants is to take the methane produced by sludge, which was previously released or used as heat, and turn it into fuel for the plant itself . Sludge creates methane when heated in an oxygen-free
environment, Spalding said, and the methane is scrubbed of any toxins and then burned to create energy for the plant. At Bucklin Point, the smaller of the Bay Commission’s two plants, an $8.2 million implementation of the biogas generation facility will provide one quarter of the energy it needs to function, Samons said. The other treatment plant does not yet have the technology necessary to capture the potential energy of biogas. “There is a need for very, very rapid deployment of renewables into the grid to solve the climate problem, or to help slow down the climate problem,” said Stephen Porder, associate professor of ecology and evolutionary biology. “In some ways, it’s easier for one organization to decide to buy a whole bunch of solar panels than it is for millions of individuals to band together to do the same thing. …We have very, very little time left.” Besides the environmental benefits of turning sludge into energy, the Bay Commission itself will eventually save money on energy expenses. Currently, it spends $12 to $15 million a year on electricity — a cost that will drop to practically nothing once capital costs are paid, Samons said. “Electrical prices can be incredibly volatile,” he added. “The fact that we’re creating our own energy lets us have greater stability in what we expend for energy because the expenditure is wrapped up in those capital costs.” At the University, the Transition to Renewable Sources of Energy committee is exploring investments in renewable infrastructure, mirroring the Bay Commission’s renewable energy initiative, Porder said. After
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The Narragansett Bay Commission will convert sludge into energy in its wastewater treatment plants. Wind turbines and solar facilities also contribute to the Commission’s goal to be 100 percent renewable by 2020. meeting throughout the fall, the energy committee plans to put out a call for developers to propose renewable projects that the University could implement. “The administration is very supportive of the idea and really wants to do their utmost to do what is both economically good and environmentally good,” Porder said, adding that the committee hopes to sign up for purchasing renewable-generated electrictiy in the next six months. The University’s carbon footprint will drop because of the Bay Commission’s commitment to diversifying energy sources, Spalding said. “The fact is, every time someone flushes a toilet at Brown, it goes to (the Bay
Commission’s) facility,” Spalding said. “It’s fortunate that the Bay Commission decided to be a leader and reduce their emissions.” The Bay Commission’s commitment to renewable energy extends beyond their conversion of sludge. After investing in three wind turbines in 2012, which directly produced 40 percent of the power needed for the Fields Point facility, the agency decided to invest in the construction of three more wind turbines off-site.Two five-megawatt solar facilities will also go online this year, completing the 100 percent renewable energy mosaic pieced together by the Bay Commission. Once complete, the agency will be powered by over 50 percent wind, 8 percent biogas and 30 to
35 percent solar, she added. Even after the renewable energy initiatives are completed, wastewater treatment plants may still be able to reduce wasted energy and emissions even further, Spalding said. Currently, after the sludge is anaerobically digested, it is incinerated in Woonsocket, releasing emissions like mercury into the air. The Bay Commission may be able to prevent this discharge by “pelletizing” the sludge and selling it as a low-nitrogen fertilizer instead of burning it. “There’s better ways to manage sludge than burn it,” Spalding said. “That, I think, is their next big challenge. They’ve done a great job looking at the energy they’re using.”
Substance-free students carve niche in social scene SoBear Activities Club gains following, hosts at least eight alcohol-free events each semester By BONNEE NIE STAFF WRITER
When Alexandre Davis ’20 came to Brown as a first-year, he quickly discovered a lacking social scene for students who do not use substances. More often than not, he and fellow sober members of the community stayed in on weekends and wished that there were more alcohol-free recreational activities for students. In spring 2017, Davis began to think about creating a substancefree activities group with weekly events that allowed members to meet each other in a sobriety-friendly
environment. The club, which he founded last semester in partnership with current Vice President Natalie Zummer ’19, is known as SoBear. Davis aims to continue the club’s growth and success this semester. “We want to have fun and we want to be substance-free,” Davis said to sum up SoBear’s mission. Since its inception, SoBear has proved quite popular, gathering over 250 members on its Facebook page and hosting events that dozens of students attend. The club tries to organize at least eight events per semester, including a mix of dances, rock climbing and even a haunted house
during Halloween season, Davis said. Small, informal events are also popular, Zummer said, adding that some of her favorites have included “game night and movie showings.” “The Donovan Substance-Free Student Initiative granted the club some seed money this fall when they were created,” said Shannon O’Neill, the club’s advisor and assistant dean for the junior and senior class & chemical dependency. The Undergraduate Council of Students, Student and Employee Accessibility Services, BWell and the Office of Residential Life have also supported the club financially. SoBear’s events are free in order to allow all students, regardless of financial constraints, to attend alcohol-free gatherings. The club’s budget comes
largely out of grants and institutional funding, Davis said. Davis and the club are planning a Spring Weekend camping retreat at the Alton Jones Camp in West Greenwich. The retreat should allow sober students an alternative to the heavy drinking generally expected on campus during that weekend, Davis said, adding that the getaway was one of his first event ideas when creating SoBear. Both Davis and Zummer are excited to witness SoBear’s growth this semester. The club will again host eight larger events open to all members of the Brown community. Zummer explained that SoBear “isn’t just intended for people who are substance-free or have that identity,” and she hopes more non-sober community members at
events “will destigmatize the substance-free identity.” “I just wanted to have fun on the weekend, like any normal kid in college,” Davis said. College comes with an expectation to drink, “but people, for the most part, are respectful and understanding,” he added. In spite of that, he said the pervasiveness of college drinking culture did pose a significant hindrance to his social life. O’Neill is pleased by the club’s progress and excited about the environment SoBear is creating for sober students at the University. “I think the biggest thing that the institution and the Brown community can do for substance-free students is to maintain the integrity of substancefree spaces,” she said.
NEWS
PAGE 4 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Research shows protein extends life of fruit flies, helps regulate metabolism Sirt4 shown to improve lifespan, research team hopes to uncover how protein is regulated By JEFF DEMANCHE SENIOR STAFF WRITER
University researchers have shown that Sirt4, a protein found in the cells of fruit flies, causes the flies to live longer on average than those without it. In a study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the researchers also found that flies which did not express the Sirt4 gene were more likely to starve to death. The protein is found in the mitochondria of fruit fly cells and belongs to a larger class of proteins called sirtuins, said Jason Wood, the study’s lead author and investigator in molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry at Brown. While sirtuins’ function in aging has been studied for nearly 20 years, mitochondrial sirtuins such as Sirt4 have not previously been shown to play a direct role in the aging process, Wood said. The study looked at three groups of
flies: a “knockout” group without Sirt4, a group with above-average expression of the protein and a control group with normal expression, Wood said. The level of Sirt4 in the flies was manipulated by the researchers, but it is unclear how much natural variation in levels of Sirt4 expression there is amongst fruit flies, wrote Wood and Stephen Helfand, co-author of the study and professor of biology, in a follow-up email to The Herald. After observing the flies, researchers found that those with more Sirt4 lived longer than both the control and knockout groups. Flies in the knockout group had a roughly 20 percent shorter lifespan than those in the control group, Wood and Helfand wrote. In addition to having shorter lifespans, flies without Sirt4 starved to death more quickly than their counterparts with the protein. The flies without Sirt4 also died before using up all of the available energy stored in their bodies, Wood said. “Sirt4 seems to have a very important role in using those stored molecules,” said Ashley Webb, assistant professor of molecular biology, cell
biology and biochemistry, who was unaffiliated with the study. Sirtuins are critical for the regulation of the metabolism of fats and carbohydrates in organisms, a process which is tightly linked to aging, Webb added. “Sirtuins have emerged as sort of key players in the aging process,” Webb said. “There’s still a lot of work that needs to be done in order to understand how these … ‘longevity determinants’ may actually regulate lifespan in a human,” Webb said. She added that variations of a gene known as FOXO3 have been linked to longer lifespan in humans. While the effects of various genetic factors on lifespan have been studied on insects and small mammals, studying these factors in humans can be more problematic. “We’re forced to look at what is going on in humans by looking at other organisms,” Wood said. The researchers’ next step is to better understand the how Sirt4 expression is regulated, he added. The working theory is that activation of the gene helps the organism adjust its metabolism when food becomes
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Fruit flies without the Sirt4 protein had a roughly 20 percent shorter lifespan than those in the control group with the protein. absent as a response to fasting, Wood said. Wood wants to understand how that process occurs at a molecular level.
“A really, really important next step will be to further predict … the precise mechanism by which Sirt4 is functioning to affect metabolism,” Webb said.
Faculty members seek to improve relations with staff Faculty members also amend policy on religious exemptions for final exams By ALLIE REED SENIOR STAFF WRITER
At the first faculty meeting of the spring semester, faculty members discussed ways to improve relationships between faculty and staff at the University. The discussion was planned in response to data from a staff climate survey conducted in spring 2016, which found that only 52 percent of staff agreed that “Brown is a place where its staff members are treated with respect by faculty,” said Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughlin. Relations between faculty and staff are worse particularly in the humanities departments, where professors “don’t really have to interact with (their) staff ” if they choose not to, he said. In order to address the divide between faculty and staff, faculty members need to “raise consciousness” about these relationships, McLaughlin said, adding that it can be as easy as sharing a meal with staff members. Faculty members noted that
relationships with staff members become tense when staff members feel they are not involved in decisions about software changes and special events like bringing speakers to campus, which can add to staff members’ workloads. Dean of the College Maud Mandel urged faculty members never to send emails to staff members while angry, adding that “you can make the same point without the anger, and it goes further.” Before the discussion of facultystaff interactions, Mandel filed a motion to amend the policy for religious exemptions to final exams in the Faculty Rules and Regulations, which faculty members then approved. Before the new policy, if a student had to miss an exam due to a religious conflict, the exemption was treated like a medical or family emergency: The student followed excused absence procedures and gained approval from an academic dean to take a makeup exam during the next semester, Mandel said. If a student missed the exam in December, they would make it up in January. If they missed an exam in
May, they would have to wait until September for the makeup. Unlike a medical emergency, a religious conflict would easily allow a student to make up the test in subsequent days or weeks. “We have evidence that if you wait several months to take a final exam, … you actually do worse on the exam,” Mandel said. Now that her motion has passed, students with religious exemptions will take their makeup exam in the same semester. This exam can be proctored by the Dean of the College. “I’m really thrilled to see this” change, said Susan Harvey, professor of history and religion. This semester, Harvey is teaching a class called Sacred Stories, which employs materials from the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths to discuss religious identity. The registrar’s computer system scheduled the date of her exam on a Saturday at the end of the semester, and she does not believe students who have religious conflicts should be required to wait until September to take her exam, Harvey said. President Christina Paxson P’19 took a turn at the podium to discuss her concerns that Care New England’s
intention to merge with Partners HealthCare would weaken the medical school, among other concerns, as The Herald previously reported. She proposed a “plan B … local alternative” to the University’s current partnership with CNE, which would involve working with Prospect Medical Holdings. Paxson also spoke about the current fundraising success of Brown Promise, the University’s initiative to “eliminate loans from the financial aid packages of all Brown undergraduates.” The University has been losing ground in admissions against peer institutions with established no-loan packages, Paxson said, adding that she hopes students will no longer choose other institutions over the University for financial reasons. In addition, Professor Melinda Rabb of the Faculty Executive Committee announced efforts to create a new standing faculty committee responsible for staffing the University’s Title IX panel. The University is working in partnership with Title IX Program Coordinator Rene Davis to ensure that members of this committee would not be overburdened by the workload, Rabb added. These efforts
will be discussed further in the next faculty meeting, she said. Provost Richard Locke P’18 also provided an update on the University’s stance on Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. “We’ve provided all … DACA students with legal advice, financial support … (and) additional counseling,” Locke said. “This is very active and fluid work. … This means something real to people on this campus, and we’re trying to do everything we can to be there and support those students.” At the meeting, faculty members passed a motion to rename the Program in Science and Technology Studies to the Program in Science, Technology and Society. They also passed a motion to amend the rules of the Committee on Grievances, which investigates some violations of the rights of community members. Gretchen Schultz, co-chair and professor of French studies, memorialized Beverly S. Ridgely, professor emeritus of French studies, who passed away in October 2017. Ridgely was a “kind, generous man who was devoted to teaching and to Brown, and had a passion for nature,” Schultz said.
TODAY
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018 • PAGE 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
rise up (tiger)
menu SATELLITE DINING ANDREWS COMMONS
Pizza: Spicy Sausage and Garlic, Miss Maple, Mushroom’s Revenge Grinder JOSIAH’S
BLUE ROOM
Chicken Wing Bar Quesadillas
Hearty Country Vegetable Soup Build Your Own Burrito Bowl
DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH
DINNER
Braised Beef Kababs, Rice Pilaf, Roasted Red Beets, Romano Dijon Crusted Chicken
Braised Chicken Pesto Pasta, Quinoa, Roasted Broccoli, Tomato Alfredo Pasta
VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH
DINNER
Turkey Pot Pie, Ratatouille, Cauliflower Florets, Split Pea Soup with Ham
Pudding Macaroni, Steak Fries, Batter Fried Zucchini, Autumn Bisque, Bourbon BBQ Chicken
sudoku
JASMINE RUIZ / HERALD
Minsoo Thigpin ’18 depicted the tiger — a symbol of nationalism and a mascot in Korea as well as a cultural symbol of a protector used in folk art to ward off evil spirits and bad fortune.
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
crossword
“We want to have fun and we want to be substancefree.” —Alexandre Davis ’20, co-founder of SoBear
See sobear on page 3. CORRECTIONS A previous version of the article “List features 20th century Mexican artists” stated that the exhibition featured wood engravings by Leopoldine Mendez. In fact, the exhibition featured wood engravings by Leopoldo Méndez. The article has also updated to include quotes around “new” post-revolutionary Mexico. The Herald regrets the errors.
A previous version of the article “Elorza talks education” stated that the mayor’s office plans to invest $400 million in schooling. In fact, the mayor’s office plans to invest up to $400 million in school infrastructure. In addition, the article also stated that the administration spent $75,000 on school culture coordinators. In fact, the administration has allocated $750,000 for school culture coordinators. The Herald regrets the errors.
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Back at Brown with OIP and the Swearer Center 12:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson, 440
How to Effectively Use Google Calendar 12:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson, 203
St. Petersburg, Russia Summer Info Session 4:00 P.M. J. Walter Wilson, 440
Schmooze and Propose to Spring@PW! 11:15 P.M. 7 Young Orchard Ave
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How Many Ways Can You Plagiarize? Workshop 12:00 P.M. Rockefeller Library, Floor 1
Everything is Material Lecture 5:30 P.M. List Art Center, 120
Advocate for Peace and Justice in Congress 5:30 P.M. 58 Keene Street
Wrestling Match 6:30 P.M. Providence Performing Arts Center
COMMENTARY PAGE 6 • WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Don’t write off the UEL just yet EMMA ILLICKFRANK AND AUSTEN SHARPE op-ed contributors If distinction is the rubble of five historic buildings, then by all means Brown is building on distinction. The University plans to break ground on a new performing arts center in a location currently occupied by the Urban Environmental Lab — the epicenter of undergraduate environmentalism at Brown — in addition to a community garden and four other historic buildings. One of the buildings will be relocated, but the rest, including the UEL, will be destroyed. Though cognizant of Brown’s desire to provide the performing arts community with a space that suits its needs, we respectfully yet adamantly oppose the current plan. Not only is this location strategically inappropriate for the theater, but the departmental damage and historic loss inflicted by its erection would be devastating to the Providence community. Since its inception, the UEL has prioritized the community and its relationship to the space; students helped with the design of the building as well as the physical renovations. At its completion in 1982, the retrofitted building was on the forefront of sustainable design for its pioneering self-sufficiency and use of passive solar energy. When news of the UEL’s planned demolition reached students, the change seemed inevitable. When we, as environmental studies concentrators, began to mobilize to avert its destruction or integrate sustainable design elements into the performing arts center, we were told to direct our attention the renovation of Arnold Lab, the glorified hallway where the environmental studies program was to re-
locate. The time to intervene, we were told, was three years ago. Not until recently did Brown’s duplicity become clear. Just days before winter break, we caught wind of a Providence City Plan Commission hearing Dec. 19 that was slated to review Brown’s most recent developmental initiatives — including the performing arts center. After receiving testimony from the public, the Commission was to approve or reject the plan. Contrary to our impression, Brown had not received official permission to execute the project, despite already hiring an architect, according to President Paxson’s P’19 Corporation recap from spring 2017.
cerns had been adequately addressed. However, they explained their reasoning with conflicting and misleading claims. When asked about the problem of parking in and around the new theater, the representatives from Brown responded by explaining that the University’s current theaters have a similar capacity to the proposed performing arts center and that these existing theaters haven’t struggled with parking in the past. Despite what they said at the meeting, Brown does not have a theater with similar capacity to the proposed performing arts center. The new center will seat 500 individuals, while Brown’s largest performing arts space
There is more at stake than the redundancy of the construction or the services provided by the UEL. The entire character of College Hill is in jeopardy.
Because the Commission meeting fell in late December, most Brown students were either home or studying for finals. Many concerned students were unable to attend — though the two of us managed to go. In addition, the meeting was attended by dozens of community members, all of whom opposed construction of a performing arts center at the Angell Street location. They argued that the development would result in a lack of parking, needless erasure of history and a brutal attack on the character of College Hill. Representatives from Brown assured those present that their con-
holds just 240. Brown may well benefit from a larger performing arts center, but considering Brown’s plans to build a wellness center in the place of the largest parking lot in the vicinity, Brown’s lack of transparency and misdirection around the issue of parking betray an indifference to the quality of life of College Hill residents. As students, it strikes us as illthought out and absurd that a new performance venue is to be built within a stone’s throw of four other theaters on campus: The Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts, Leeds Theatre, Stuart Theatre and Alumnae Hall are all within a tenth
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Providence. As a university, Brown is bound by Providence zoning ordinances to preserve “neighborhood character, historic resources and consistency with the City’s Comprehensive Plan and adopted land use policies.” The loss of the UEL and its surroundings marks not just a disregard for that ordinance, but a continuation of a trend that has cost College Hill far too many historic buildings. The UEL has played a substantial role in the history of College Hill. Built in 1885 as a carriage house, the building called Johnstone and later the Lucian Sharpe Carriage House underwent many changes before be-
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of a mile from the proposed construction location. To be clear, we’re not opposed to the expansion of performing arts at Brown and would support opportunities to realize this project elsewhere. However, there is more at stake than the redundancy of the construction or the services provided by the UEL. The entire character of College Hill is in jeopardy. This disrespect for the community goes even further. Regardless of the need for a theater or the impracticality of building atop a bus tunnel and within feet of four other theaters, the eradication of historic buildings undermines an important contract that Brown has with the City of
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coming what it is today. Originally the space served as a stable for the hotel across the street before the University bought it for storage and transformed it into the hub it is today. The UEL and the four surrounding buildings are essential to the neighborhood character of College Hill, as evidenced by their position on the Providence Preservation Society’s list of most endangered properties. Since its conception, Brown has successfully repurposed numerous extant buildings; however, it has demolished at least a hundred more to make way for modern infrastructural expansions. As one resident made clear at the hearing, Brown may not remove all the historic buildings at once, but when a few are left in isolation they lose context and become vulnerable to future demolition. We’ve seen this with the original urban studies building, destroyed to facilitate expansion of the School of Engineering building in 2015. The University seems to take for granted just how important these historic spaces are to past, current and prospective students, but, most of all, to the residents of College Hill. Luckily, it’s not too late to save the UEL and the four historic buildings in its vicinity. But time is running out to ensure that an important piece of Providence history is not lost forever, and, with it, a vital connection to our neighbors on College Hill.
If you want to learn more about our efforts to save the UEL, Emma Illick-Frank ’18 and Austen Sharpe ’18 can be reached at emma_illick-frank@brown. edu and austen_sharpe@brown. edu respectively. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.
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COMMENTARY WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018 • PAGE 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD
Why is Brown greenwashing tear gas and rubber bullets? KLARA ZIMMERMAN, SOPHIE DUNCAN, TREVOR CULHANE AND CAMILA BUSTOS op-ed contributors
Among the scientists, environmentalists and investors on the advisory council of the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society sits Warren Kanders ’79. Kanders is the chairman of The Safariland Group, described in his profile on IBES’ website as “manufacturers of safety, survivability and other products for the law enforcement and military markets.” Kanders has played a consistent and prominent role in developing the supply of and market for crowd-control weapons globally. The Safariland Group emerged from a conglomeration of body armor companies. As chairman and chief executive of Armor Holdings, Inc., Kanders laid the foundation for The Safariland Group by overseeing the acquisition of American Body Armor and Safariland in the late 1990s. In the intervening years, BAE Systems bought Armor Holdings and ultimately sold it back to an affiliate of Kanders & Company in 2012, at which point the company name became The Safariland Group. Kanders’ company supplies many crowdcontrol weapons used by law enforcement and military agencies around the world. Safariland’s catalogs, including its 2018 product catalog, have a section offering “less lethal” impact munitions, smoke bombs and riot control grenades. From Egypt to the occupied Palestinian territories, Ferguson to Standing Rock, the weapons sold and promoted by The Safariland Group have been used to suppress protests, maim or kill activists and intimidate social movements. Less lethal weapons and crowd-control weapons are designed to inflict pain and temporarily impair movement without penetrating the body or causing serious injury. According to a 2014 American Civil Liberties Union report, law enforcement agencies worldwide increasingly rely on crowd-control weapons
when confronting popular protests. However, the terms “less lethal” and “non-lethal” do not mean that protesters walk away unscathed. A 2016 study by the International Network of Civil Liberties Organizations and Physicians for Human Rights reported the widespread and devastating physical — and, at times, fatal — impact of crowd-control weapons. The impact of The Safariland Group’s weapons has been documented across the world. War Resisters League, the “oldest secular pacifist organization in the United States” according to its website, alleges that tear gas canisters manufactured by a Safariland Group subsidiary were used against protesters in Cairo in 2011. B’Tselem, an Israeli human rights nonprofit, released a report co-sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme on the use
Safariland Group subsidiary. In 2016, law enforcement used water cannons, tear gas and other crowd-control weapons against hundreds of unarmed water protectors opposing the Dakota Access Pipeline in Standing Rock, which resulted in 26 hospitalizations and around 300 injuries. Images posted by the nonprofit media organization Unicorn Riot allege that The Safariland Group’s weapons were used at the site; multiple reports have confirmed that crowd-control weapons were used at Standing Rock, though they do not make specific mention of The Safariland Group. A Navajo woman, Vanessa Dundon, lost sight in her right eye after she was shot in the face with a tear gas canister. That same night, a concussion grenade hit a 21-year-old woman bringing water to others at the camp and blew the bone
By aligning himself with the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society, Warren Kanders ’79 can greenwash his career in the crowd-control weapons industry — covering up his culpability in human rights violations by appearing to support environmentallyprogressive causes. of tear gas in the West Bank — Palestinian territory occupied by Israeli forces — that clearly mentions that Israeli forces utilize weapons manufactured by a Safariland Group subsidiary as well. According to its catalog, The Safariland Group’s rubber bullets are widely used by law enforcement for crowd maintenance or “single subject compliance.” In the United States, protests in Ferguson, Missouri and other police confrontations with the Black Lives Matter movement included “indiscriminate use of tear gas, disorientation devices, acoustic devices, beanbag rounds and rubber bullets,” according to the ACLU. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch and a Guardian journalist both identified weapons used against Ferguson protesters as those of a
out of her arm. The use of crowd-control weapons harms the people fighting for the future of human rights, the environment and our society. It is shocking that IBES disregarded Kanders’ connections to the suppression of social justice movements and that his role in the company did not prevent his selection as part of the advisory council. According to the President’s office website, the selection of the members of advisory councils is based on a member’s “expertise or experience” that can offer “valued perspectives on the areas of interest.” Given the social and environmental record of The Safariland Group, we have to ask: Were IBES — an organization dedicated to researching environment and society — and the Presi-
dent’s office not aware of the company’s business? What sort of expertise does Kanders bring that contributes to the Institute’s stated commitment to preparing “future leaders to envision and build a just and sustainable world”? We cannot pretend that the decision to place someone in a position of power exists in a vacuum. Through our actions, we demonstrate our beliefs and we reinforce, or, as in this case, contradict our ambitious rhetoric. IBES and the President’s office’s decision indicates their tacit support of the increased militarization of U.S. law enforcement. In addition, the less lethal weapons market continues to expand despite incidents of death and injury related to the use of tear gas and other less lethal weapons. The Safariland Group, created under years of guidance and leadership by Kanders, sells weapons used against people challenging the status quo and prevents physical demonstrations. By aligning himself with IBES, Kanders can greenwash his career in the crowd-control weapons industry — covering up his culpability in human rights violations by appearing to support environmentally progressive causes. IBES, by inviting Kanders to sit on its advisory council, effectively condones Kanders’ attempts to reframe The Safariland Group’s work as being in the public’s interest. Someone who owns a company that is directly involved in suppressing movements — many of which are actively combating the environmental and social issues that IBES exists to address — should not have an advisory role or any other role at Brown. As alums, we are proud to have attended an institution that prides itself on critical engagement and scholarship. Having Kanders on the IBES council reflects neither.
Klara Zimmerman ’15, Sophie Duncan ’16, Trevor Culhane ’15 and Camila Bustos ’16 can be reached at klara.a.zimmerman@gmail.com, sophiesduncan@gmail.com, trevorculhane@ gmail.com and camilabustos93@gmail. com respectively. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
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A CONVERSATION WITH U.S. SUPREME COURT JUSTICE
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2018 • 12 P.M. Pizzitola Sports Center 235 Hope Street, Providence, Rhode Island For more information and tickets, please visit soniasotomayor.eventbrite.com. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. and close at 11:45 a.m. Brown or government-issued photo ID required. No backpacks, large bags or laptops allowed. Sponsored by the Office of the President in conjunction with the Dean of the College’s First Readings program. Photo: Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States