Wednesday, April 5th, 2023

Police find bomb threat not credible

BY OWEN DAHLKAMP & EMMA GARDNER SENIOR STAFF WRITER & METRO EDITOR

A caller contacted the Providence Police Department threatening to bomb the Muslim Student Center in Champlin Hall around 2:30 a.m. Tuesday morning, according to a listserv email from the Brown Muslim Students Association, a community-wide email sent by the Department of Public Safety and a Providence Police incident report reviewed by The Herald.

A search of the building and nearby residence halls found “no evidence of a credible threat,” University spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald.

Upon receiving the call, PPD “alerted Brown’s Department of Public Safety,” Clark wrote.

Seven officers from DPS and the

UNIVERSITY NEWS

Providence Police Department responded at 2:27 a.m., according to the incident report. The suspect additionally expressed Islamophobic sentiment during the threat.

After meeting with University law enforcement at the intersection of Cushing and Thayer streets, city and University officials continued to Champlin Hall to “check on the surrounding area inside the Muslim Center as well as to check the well-being (of) any students who may be inside,” according to the report.

Budget requests $115 million more than expected revenue

to the $115 million gap between projected revenue for fiscal year 2024.

There were approximately six students in the center when law enforcement arrived, according to Semaya Robinson ’25, who was in the building at the time.

PPD and DPS informed the students that the suspect’s voice “sounded like a younger person,” according to Robinson. She and those in the building were not informed about the anti-Islamic sentiment expressed in the call.

Enforcement officials “did an

UNIVERSITY NEWS

BY RYAN DOHERTY & SOFIA BARNETT

SENIOR STAFF WRITER & UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

Funding requests in the 2024 fiscal year budget proposal exceeded the University’s projected revenue by $115 million, Interim Provost Larry Larson said at an April 4 faculty meeting.

The University Resources Committee will seek to reach a balanced budget with an operating margin of 0% — spending as much as it makes in operating revenue — Larson said. The proposed budget will be revised over the coming month and approved by the URC and the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, in May.

In February, budget proposals were collected from staff and faculty throughout University departments for the upcoming fiscal year, leading

However, Larson and University Chief Financial Officer Michael White were not worried about this request-revenue differential: At this time last year, the difference between budget requests and expected revenue was $68.9 million, according to Larson’s presentation at the faculty meeting. By May, the Corporation approved a balanced budget.

“We have done remarkably well in fundraising and investment returns,” White told The Herald after the meeting. “I’m not panicked about this. We’re going to bring in a balanced budget for the University.”

In the last five years, the University has posted an average operating margin of -0.6%, according to the slides. The average for peer institutions — Ivy League schools, Stanford and other top universities — was 4.8%, according to the presentation.

Both revenue and expenses have grown over the last six years. Tuition is the largest source of the University’s revenue, but Larson noted positive growth in revenue from the

RISD facilities staff begin indefinite strike

METRO Strike follows 24hour work stoppage in March, months of contract negotiations

BY ASHLEY CAI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Rhode Island School of Design custodians, groundskeepers and movers in the Teamsters Local 251 union began an indefinite labor strike Monday. The workers launched their strike in light of continued disagreements between the union and the school concerning wages in labor contract negotiations, Local 251 Business Agent Tony Suazo told The Herald.

The striking workers held a picket line protest on Monday in support of their demands for increased wages in the new contract. They were joined by student supporters and community members, who carried signs, banged pots and pans, chanted into megaphones and called upon passersby to

“skip class” and join in the protests. The union also parked a two-story-tall inflatable pig wearing a vest labeled “corporate greed” in front of 20 Washington Pl., which houses the office of RISD President Crystal Williams and the RISD Human Resources department.

Monday’s strike continued a process dating back to February 2022 — when workers initially voted to organize with the Teamsters. Negotiations began last June, and in November, the local authorized a strike. Workers first went on strike for 24 hours March 23, The Herald previously reported. The union’s bargaining team and RISD representatives have not met for negotiations since, Suazo said.

A vast majority of employees in the bargaining unit currently make an hourly wage of $15 to $18, Suazo said. Facilities staff are striking to demand a pay increase that they believe is not adequately addressed in RISD’s most recent contract offer, multiple striking workers told The Herald.

Faculty vote to change fall grade deadlines

BY SOFIA BARNETT UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR

Faculty will have to submit fall semester final grades within 72 hours of their courses’ final examinations after a motion to resolve conflicting deadlines passed at Tuesday’s faculty meeting. For classes without final exams, instructors must submit grades within 72 hours of the end of exam period.

45% of faculty voted in favor of the motion, 30% of faculty voted against and 25% of faculty abstained. The motion — which was postponed at the March faculty meeting, when it was first introduced — will be effective starting July 1, 2023 for subsequent fall semesters.

Previously, the University’s Faculty Rules and Regulations contained two conflicting deadlines for fall semester grade submissions: one within 72 hours of final exams, or 48 hours for courses with final exams on the last day of exam period, and one on

Jan. 6, or the preceding Friday when Jan. 6 falls on a weekend. The motion extends the 48-hour deadline to 72 hours and removes mention of the Jan. 6 deadline.

Kenneth Wong, professor of political science, public policy and urban studies, introduced the motion on behalf of the Faculty Executive Committee. Wong said that the change will allow the dean of the College to clarify the academic standing of hundreds of students at risk of “separation from the University” at

the end of the fall semester.

President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 then invited faculty members to engage in a discussion on the motion before the vote.

Ross Cheit, professor of political science and public policy, called the motion “mislabeled.”

Cheit distinguished between the “conflicting deadlines” as “a preferred deadline and a final deadline,” and not-

Budget will still be balanced by May deadline, administrators say

BMSA cancels daily prayers, moves iftar due to safety concerns following threat

Instructors will be required to submit grades within 72 hours of final examination

DANA RICHIE / HERALD

Professor of Political Science Ross Cheit raised concerns that the rule would force professors to move essay deadlines earlier.

HERALD FILE PHOTO

DPS will add enhanced security in the coming days and throughout Ramadan, wrote Rodney Chatman, vice president for campus safety.

SCIENCE & RESEARCH

School of Public Health hosts annual Public Health Research Day conference

Students present research on music interventions, tuberculosis monitoring

BY MIRA WHITE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Recognizing the research accomplishments of University students and their research partners, the School of Public Health hosted its annual Public Health Research Day conference Tuesday. The event featured posters created by undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students that highlighted their projects.

The conference showcased 151 poster submissions, each one focusing on a niche area of personal and scientific interest.

Many projects started as an interest in a science or public health topic that led to greater research exploration, according to Jesse Yedinak, assistant dean of education at SPH and assistant professor of epidemiology.

“For so many students this is the culminating work of their degree,” Yedinak wrote in an email to The Herald. “These topics were carefully selected and students took a lot of time and energy to conduct the research.”

Kristopher Britton GS discussed his research on how trauma can affect child health. His poster focused on potential links between childhood psychological trauma and pediatric asthma.

“This area of study doesn’t have a lot of light shed on it because people are afraid to touch the topic,” Britton said. “I want to be a part of the space to understand more about these issues.”

Arielle Desir ’22 GS chose to dedicate her research to the study of health care among immigrant women in the United States. She analyzed the impacts of social determinants of health such as housing, income and employment on reproductive health in marginalized communities.

“Many people are barred from accessing health care, and that has major implications for their health and the health of generations overall,” she said.

Desir spoke about her dedication not just to the research but also to advocating for equitable health care access. “I don’t want to end at a publication,” she said. “I want to continue conversations on how to advance health care for all.”

The event also included submissions from undergraduate students.

Ryan Conard ’23 spoke about his research on music interventions for nursing home residents diagnosed with dementia.

His study analyzed musical interventions as alternatives to pharmacological ones — which can cause adverse behaviors in people with dementia — at 54 nursing homes across the U.S.

“We’re looking into these alternative interventions that help with these behaviors and improve the quality of life for these people,” Conard said.

Lucas Blackmore GS presented research concentrated on tuberculosis monitoring in East London, South Africa.

“I saw this as an opportunity to use technological surveillance for health or epidemiological purposes,” Blackmore said. “The opportunity to collaborate with international researchers and work in another country was really interesting.”

Blackmore’s research included conducting interviews evaluating the feasibility of utilizing GPS data on cell phones. This data would discern hotspot locations of tuberculosis and help map patterns of movement and transmission across local communities. With this technology, responses to infectious diseases could be more specific and rapid.

One submission each from undergraduate, master’s and doctoral students will be selected for prizes by a panel of judges.

Winners will be announced by the School of Public Health later this month.

outside sweep of the perimeter of the building” with one of the unit’s police dogs, and “results were negative,” according to the incident report. Providence Police also conducted an exterior search of nearby residence halls, Clark wrote.

Officers found “no suspicious evidence,” wrote Rodney Chatman, vice president for campus safety, Sylvia Carey Butler, vice president for institutional equity and diversity, and Eric Estes, vice president for campus life, in the community-wide email.

According to Robinson, officials on

the scene said that the threat was the only bomb threat in Providence during recent months that was “religious in nature.”

After conducting the search, “Brown DPS officers offered support to the students who were at the center, and investigation will continue,” Clark added.

One student on the scene who spoke to law enforcement after occupying the building for the past several hours with fellow members of the BMSA said she and her fellow students “had not heard anything or seen anyone unusual,” the incident report stated.

The threat came during the month

of Ramadan, Islam’s most sacred month, during which Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset. “We don’t want to see the beautiful month of Ramadan interrupted for students,” said Janet Cooper Nelson, chaplain of the University.

The BMSA canceled suhoor as well as the Fajr and Tahajjud prayers in the Student Center. Iftar, the evening meal during Ramadan, was hosted in an alternative location Thursday evening, according to Cooper Nelson.

Close to one hundred students gathered to break fast, a larger crowd than usual, according to Cooper Nelson. After meeting with the BMSA executive

board, Cooper Nelson said that they decided to host the meal in a central location “so everybody can get there easily.”

Leadership within BMSA and Amir Toft, associate chaplain of the University for the Muslim community, declined requests for comment.

DPS will add an “enhanced security presence” in the coming days and “throughout the month of Ramadan,” Chatman wrote. DPS has additionally requested extra patrols from Providence police.

“It is a grotesque affront to students to have their identities attacked,” Chat-

man said in an interview. “The safety and security of the entire campus is our utmost priority.”

“We want their observances to be unfettered with worry and fear,” Cooper Nelson added. “I said to the students tonight, we love you.”

“We’re definitely not gonna cower or back away,” Robinson said. “That is my home, and everyone in the Muslim Student Center and the larger Muslim community is my family.”

Students should reach out to DPS if they have information about the incident or any other helpful information, Chatman wrote.

MATHIEU GRECO / HERALD

Many projects originated from a personal interest in a field of science or public health, according to Jesse Yedinak, assistant dean of education at SPH and assistant professor of epidemoiology.

endowment and sponsored research. Financial aid and salaries have been the fastest growing expenditure over the last six years.

President Christina Paxson P’19 P’MD’20 offered a similar sentiment in the meeting: “We are in great shape compared to … 95% of the other universities and colleges out there,” she said.

The URC will undergo a process to consolidate budget requests throughout April for final approval on May 8. This consolidation will be guided by long-term financial goals and data-driven decision-making, according to Larson.

Larson outlined key next steps to creating a balanced budget. These include deferring budget requests for future fiscal years and finding alternative funding sources for requests, such as gifts or grants, when possible.

A long-term goal of the University is to bring in a positive surplus in fiscal years after FY24 — with a potential target of 2-3% that would allow the University to “improve housing and living conditions for students (and) offer more financial aid,” White said.

Paxson also discussed faculty comments on a proposal to establish a School of International and Public Affairs. Paxson commended the Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs as a “fabulous research institute … playing a very important role at Brown.”

Comments on the proposal highlighted the need to “better define …

the relationship between Watson and the disciplinary departments” regarding joint appointments and “more fully develop the vision for what professional graduate (Master of Public Affairs) education looks like at the University.”

Paxson additionally informed fac-

ulty that all three recommendations to the University’s gifts and grants policy that were made at March’s faculty meeting would move ahead.

The recommendations would amend the University’s Openness in Research policy, aligning grant and gift acceptance policy. Paxson “will

ask the vice president for research to amend the existing policy” effective July 1, 2023.

The other two recommendations included plans to establish a committee that reviews gifts and grants out of alignment with the University’s policies and to develop a policy

for anonymous gifts and grants, The Herald previously reported.

The meeting also included a moment of silence for the passing of Meenakshi Narain, professor of physics, and Carl Kaestle, professor emeritus of education, history and public policy.

GRADES FROM PAGE 1

ed that this practice has “worked well in this system, and I don’t see a reason to change it.”

“This motion isn’t to resolve conflicting deadlines,” he said. “This motion is to eliminate the grace period.”

“I teach the kind of courses where people write long papers,” he said. “If this rule goes through, … I’m going to make the deadlines earlier and the result is going to be that those students are going to be faced with December deadlines that make their lives harder.”

James Egan, professor of English,

said that the new requirement “is directly affecting the educational experience of every Brown student” that he will teach in the fall. “I will quite literally have to change the nature of my assignments and the nature of my courses,” he said.

Dean of the College Rashid Zia ’01 said that the earlier deadline will prevent “false positives” of students being unnecessarily notified of poor academic standing because their instructors did not submit their grades sooner. He added that dozens of his colleagues spend December and January individually meeting with students at risk of separation from the University, but

with the earlier deadline, they would not need to reach out to “at least 600” of these students.

“If we, as instructors, can work to submit our grades before the holidays, then there are hundreds of students who do not have to worry about potentially being separated,” he said. “Then the work of colleagues can focus on those 200 students that really are at risk.”

Dan Katz, senior lecturer in mathematics, said that he has been able to meet the early deadline for “classes where we have hundreds of students taking in-person exams which we then grade in detail with partial credit.”

“Rashid spoke on behalf of students who are waiting to see if they’re separated, which I agree is an extreme thing,” Katz added. “They deserve that information early rather than waiting for us to take the break to decide that information for them.”

Katz also advocated for the implementation of a formal process for requesting exceptions to this deadline for instructors with extenuating circumstances.

Nancy Khalek, associate professor of history and religious studies, spoke against the motion before the discussion was closed for voting.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence that

folks who teach humanities courses are averse to this change,” she said. “I worry a little bit about this (being) another example of the humanities’ concerns and feelings getting short shrift for the sake of convenience.”

“And I would note that unlike some of our colleagues, those of us in the humanities who are assigning 20 or 25-page papers do not have TAs who can help us grade that sort of thing,” Khalek added. “If we’re forced to do this as a uniform rule, incompletes will skyrocket which just compounds the work that we’re doing after the semester is over, which can also be really problematic.”

DANA RICHIE / HERALD

Budget proposals have been collected for the upcoming fiscal year. Such requests are currently $115 million above the expected revenue for FY24.

Looking at the status of recent Title IX lawsuits against Brown

Brown currently faces Title IX-related allegations in eight active lawsuits

BY NEIL MEHTA & JULIA VAZ UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR & METRO EDITOR

Since 2021, the University has faced three major lawsuits concerning its Title IX policies and procedures.

The first of these lawsuits, filed in August 2021, is now being heard across seven different cases. The second, filed in March 2022, was dismissed within three months. The most recent case, filed in September 2022, is continuing through court proceedings.

Below are historical timelines and recent developments regarding the three lawsuits.

Soenen et al. v. Brown

On Aug. 6, 2021, four Brown students — Chloe Burns ’19, Taja Hirata-Epstein ’20, Carter Woodruff ’22 and Katiana Soenen — filed a class action lawsuit against the University, The Herald previously reported. The four alleged that Brown both neglected to protect students from sexual harassment and abuse.

The lawsuit also claims the plaintiffs were discouraged or prevented by University employees from reporting sexual misconduct and that their filed complaints were neglected and poorly investigated.

In their initial complaint, the plaintiffs sought financial compensation for every female student attending the University from 2018 to 2021.

Three additional plaintiffs — an undergraduate and graduate student both using the pseudonym “Jane Doe” and Emma Dennis-Knieriem ’21 — joined the case in a January 2022 amended complaint, while Woodruff departed from the case that April, The Herald previously reported.

On Oct. 18, the University’s motion to dismiss the case was partially granted — the case could no longer result in monetary relief for all female students, and the court dismissed all of Burns’ claims. But the claims that Brown’s Title IX Office had mishandled the plaintiffs’

cases remained on the table, with the potential for an injunction requiring the University to change its harassment policies.

In January, Brown filed a motion to sever — calling for the court to break the joint lawsuit into individual cases. In their response to Brown’s motion, the plaintiffs claimed that the request indicated a “fundamental misunderstanding of plaintiffs’ allegations,” according to court filings. The plaintiffs pointed to court findings that the lawsuit was focused on the Title IX Office’s wider alleged failures, not the details of their individual cases.

On Jan. 27, Brown’s motion to sever was granted by the court — ordering that all five remaining plaintiffs be assigned separate cases, which were all filed in February. The court decision allowed the two unnamed plaintiffs to also remain in a joint lawsuit, for a total of six cases.

Burns filed a new complaint against the University Feb. 28, making Brown a defendant in seven total cases branching from the initial complaint.

Lane v. Brown

On March 2, 2022, a student under the pseudonym Lois Lane filed a lawsuit

against the University and a pseudonymous defendant Jane Roe alleging anti-transgender discrimination and failure to follow Title IX procedures, The Herald previously reported.

The lawsuit charged the University with breaching contract, breaching good faith and fair dealing and creating a hostile education environment in violation of Title IX policies. It charged Roe with defamation, inflicting emotional distress and violating the right to privacy.

It also alleged that the University discriminated against Lane based on their transgender identity by assigning them to an all-male dorm, among other actions. The lawsuit also alleged that the University delayed a Title IX investigation and issued a one-way no-contact order against Lane.

The filings followed an informal complaint by Roe against Lane filed with the University in fall 2020 related to a sexual encounter. Lane claimed that the encounter was consensual. The complaint led to a mutual no-contact order, while the Title IX Office acknowledged to Lane that it was aware Lane believed the complaint was “part of ongoing harassment and transphobia by the reporting party,” which Lane

CALENDAR

reaffirmed in an email the next day, The Herald previously reported.

In September 2021, Roe filed a formal Title IX complaint that alleged Lane sexually assaulted them. On Sept. 23, 2021, the Title IX Office instituted a second no-contact order applying only to Lane.

In January 2022, Lane and Roe agreed to enter the University’s informal resolution process, which allows parties to mutually resolve a formal complaint. Roe’s informal resolution requested that Lane leave any organized student groups, withdraw their enrollment and not enter any University buildings until 2026, in addition to listening to a restorative justice victim impact statement by Roe in person. Lane withdrew from the informal process following Roe’s demands, The Herald previously reported.

The case was dismissed May 24, 2022, upon Lane and Roe’s agreement, and no costs or fees were awarded, according to court documents.

Smith v. Brown

On Sept. 9, 2022, a student-athlete using the pseudonym “David Smith” filed a lawsuit against the University claiming that he was unfairly suspend-

TODAY’S EVENTS

Consulting Prep Week - Mock Interviews

11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.

CareerLAB, 2nd floor lobby

Planetary Lunch Bunch: Sierra

Kaufman & Laura Lark

12:00 p.m.

Lincoln Field Building

TOMORROW’S EVENTS

Coffee Chat with MMID

10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

CareerLAB, 1st Floor Event Space

Biomedical Engineering Seminar: Jillian Beveridge, Brown U. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Barus and Holley 190

ed after an allegedly biased Title IX investigation of a sexual assault claim made against him in October 2021, The Herald previously reported.

Smith was issued a two-year suspension after a University investigation found him responsible for sexual assault. Smith’s appeal of the decision was denied on Sept. 7.

An emergency injunction filed on Sept. 19 allowed Smith to return to classes and athletic activities and stopped the University from moving forward with any further disciplinary actions.

Smith’s lawsuit claims both the University and the third-party investigator hired to oversee his case committed a series of violations, including breach of contract, discrimination, negligence and emotional distress.

Smith is seeking $75,000 in compensatory damages and a permanent injunction preventing any further investigations concerning the original sexual assault complaint, among others.

The case is still moving through court proceedings, and factual discovery is set to be completed by July 25, according to court documents, with expert discovery set to conclude by Oct. 25.

The Branch Petting Zoo

11:00 a.m.

Main Green

The Swedish Program Information Session

12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Page-Robinson Hall

Arts Walk: Picturing the Pandemic at Brown

10:30 a.m.

Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center

Langston Hughes, Translation, and Combatting Anti-Blackness

12:00 p.m.

Faculty Club, Landscape Room

KAIOLENA TACAZON / HERALD

In Soenen et al. v. Brown, plaintiffs initially sought financial compensation for every female student attending the University from 2018 to 2021.

Women’s lacrosse handed first loss of Ivy play in 18-6 defeat to Yale

shot minutes later.

BY DENNIS CAREY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

On a rainy Saturday afternoon in Providence, the women’s lacrosse team (5-5, 2-1 Ivy) was handed a resounding 18-6 defeat by No. 14 Yale (8-2, 3-0 Ivy), who are currently first in the Ivy League standings.

The Bears started the first quarter strong, scoring two of their six points, outshooting the Bulldogs nine to five and winning four of the five draw controls. After Mia Mascone ’24 received a yellow card, Yale scored its first goal of the game on a power play in the seventh minute. The Bears went on the attack, but lost the ball on a saved shot, leaving Yale to score its second goal of the game on a free-position

“Hopefully (the strike) won’t go for long, but (it will go) for as long as it takes” for the union’s demands to be met, said John Cabral, a RISD grounds caretaker.

Staff will continue to hold picket line protests throughout the strike, Suazo said.

Suazo added that he hopes the strike will encourage the school and the bargaining team to “come to some common ground” over wages in the contract negotiations, bringing forth a proposal that the union’s members would “find acceptable.”

“Wages have been neglected for so many years,” Cabral said. “We’re just trying to catch up.”

“In mid-February, after months of negotiations and several sessions with a federal mediator, RISD presented union leaders with a best and final offer that provides members with pay increases and a strong benefits package,” wrote Danielle Mancuso, a spokesperson for RISD, in an email to The Herald.

“We respect our workers’ right to strike, but it will not resolve this matter,” Mancuso wrote.

“RISD’s last offer is still on the table,” wrote Liz Rainone, director of employment and employee development at RISD, in a March 31 email to students and faculty. “The burden has been and remains on the union to engage in reasonable discussions about wages and benefits.”

According to RISD’s human resources website, the school’s most recent offer would trigger “an immediate increase of wages by more than 10%” in the first year, including “an average of 6% (in) market adjustments and a 4% general wage increase.”

Suazo, though, said the proposed increase was insufficient. “For someone making $15 an hour, a 10% raise is $1.50,” Suazo said.

“Just give us $20 an hour so we can live,” said Vera Correia, a RISD custodian, while standing on the picket line. “We don’t ask for much. We don’t want anything else. Keep everything the way it is, but just give us more money so we can survive. ”

Correia also cited other institutions that offer higher wages for custodial workers, including Brown. The University pays newly hired custodial staff $19.40 an hour, according to their collective bargaining agreement with the

The Bears responded quickly, with an impressive behind-the-back shot, assisted by Mascone, by Annie Burton ’25, marking her 21st goal of the season. Bruno then defended the Yale attack, clearing the ball and winning a free position shot. Brown converted the attempt, making it a tie game at 2-2 with 1:14 left in the opening quarter.

The second quarter began similarly to the first, with back-to-back Yale goals in the first three minutes of play. Leah Caputo ’24.5 fired back quickly to make the game 4-3, but this was the only sign of life from the Bears’ offense this quarter.

Caputo’s score was then followed by a slew of Yale goals, with the Bulldogs forcing seven turnovers and outshooting Bruno 12-2. The Bulldogs rained down goal after goal on the Bears, bringing the score to 9-3 by the end of the second quarter. Brown’s only other shot of the quarter came from a last-minute attempt by Greta Criqui ’25.

Within the first minute of the third

United Service and Allied Workers of Rhode Island, the union that represents employees in the Department of Facilities Management.

In a March 24 email to RISD students and faculty, Williams wrote that the union’s response to RISD’s most recent offer “included excessive demands for wages and benefits.”

“While we are committed to reaching an agreement with these valued employees that fairly compensates them for the services they perform, as a nonprofit we must steward our resources responsibly and in accord with our compensation and benefits philosophy for all staff members,” Williams wrote in the email.

“The fact that they haven’t moved (on wages) is because they’ve chosen not to move,” Suazo said. “This is just a very rich school saying that they’re not rich.”

In the 2022 fiscal year, RISD’s projected budget surplus was $1.75 million, according to the school’s financial reports.

“We haven’t been treated right,” said Claudia Hernandez, a RISD custodian on the picket line.

Hernandez added that she feels that she and her coworkers are under constant surveillance from managers to ensure they are working: “We cannot even drink water. We have to wait for our break,” she said, while on the picket line.

RISD did not respond directly to these claims, instead referring The Herald to a previous statement sent by the school that also did not address these claims or discuss workplace issues.

Students who joined the picket line in support of the striking staff told The Herald that they believed the school had an obligation to meet the workers’ demands.

“I care about and I think it is imperative that a caring institution provides livable wages to … those important people that keep facilities running and are the faces that RISD folk see our most immediate community,” wrote Mara Gemeda-Breka, a student at RISD who attended the picket line protest, in an email to The Herald.

“You see on a day-to-day (basis) your tuition dollars being spent” elsewhere, said Ella Babb, another RISD student on the picket line. “It’s hard not to think about how all of that money could be going towards helping the peo-

quarter, Caputo scored her second goal of the day to bring the game within five, but Yale responded with three successive goals to bring the score to 12-4.

Caputo was the only Bear to score more than once during the game, while Mascone was the only other player with two points — both assists.

Midfielder Maddie Joyce ’24.5 was able to score once more for Bruno, assisted by Claire Jeschke ’23, but the Bulldogs quickly tacked on two more goals, closing the third quarter with the Bears in a 14-5 deficit.

In the fourth quarter, Brown’s only goal came on a free position attempt scored by Marley Wright ’26, her second goal of the season. The Bulldogs continued their domination, scoring four times to finalize their victory over the Bears. Bruno’s loss was their first in Ivy play after previously defeating Harvard and Columbia.

The Bears will look to get back in the win column Wednesday night at Dartmouth. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.

ple that actually help run this school.”

Cabral added that he hoped continued pressure on the RISD administration would bring them “back to the table.”

“The only way that anything is actually going to get done is when campus activities are actually disrupted,” Babb

said. “Like students actually showing up here, choosing not to come to class.”

Striking RISD staff shared that they have received support from students, faculty, other non-faculty staff members and from the broader community — but they say they have not received the same support from the RISD ad-

ministration.

“I just want (RISD administrators) to realize we are essential workers,” Correia said. “We work hard. We clean. They work in the office. I’m not complaining about my job, but we work hard, and I just think we deserve better.”

Pair of goals from Leah Caputo ’24.5 not enough to save Bears from blowout

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

The Bears started the first quarter strong, when they scored two of their six points, but then lost momentum.

DANA RICHIE / HERALD

The union authorized a strike in November and went on a 24-hour strike in March prior to the current strike.

DANA RICHIE / HERALD

Striking workers picketed throughout the day in support of demands for higher wages in the new contract.

Professors weigh in on reasons for gender pay gap, potential solutions

tors, wrote Professor of American History Robert Self in an email to The Herald.

BY REBEKAH REST

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The gender pay gap between men and women in the United States has barely changed in the last 20 years. According to a recent study from the Pew Research Center, American women earned an average of 82% of what men earned in 2022.

The gender pay gap also varies across women of different races. Black women earn 70% of white men’s earnings and Hispanic women earn 65%, while Asian women are closer to parity at 93%.

The Herald talked to five professors to understand the implications behind this data.

While there are multiple factors that affect the wage gap, the largest reasons are having children — also known the “child penalty” — and the gendered division of labor, according to several University professors.

Current research shows that the gender wage gap starts to emerge after the birth of a woman’s first child, according to Anna Aizer, professor of economics.

“After children, you see women either reducing their hours, leaving the labor force or moving into occupations and industries that are more ‘child friendly,’” Aizer wrote in an email to The Herald. As a result, women trade earnings for more flexibility through “better hours, less travel (and) no weekend work,” she added.

Examining the gendered division of labor can explain the drop in earnings, said Senior Lecturer in Economics Kellie Forrester.

“If you think about a married man and a married woman, they each

SINCE 1891

have their 24 hours in a day to divide between doing fun things … things around the household … and then working in the market,” Forrester said.

Research shows that women are more likely to take on household and childcare responsibilities, while men spend more hours in the market, according to Forrester. “Most of the gender wage gap now exists because of this division of time between the household and the market,” she explained.

There is not necessarily a linear relationship between hours and earnings, as firms often pay higher wages for working longer hours, Forrester added.

This makes for a decline in “the ratio of female earnings to male earnings” during the first decade of a woman’s working life, Forrester said. Increased compensation for working longer hours also explains why the gender wage gap is larger in certain occupations. For instance, in business

or law, firms offer greater compensation to people who can work outside of business hours and on weekends, according to Forrester. Women with childcare responsibilities who are unable to work such hours are paid significantly less.

The child penalty also accounts for a “large share of the variation in gender income gaps across places,” Chair of the Economics Department John Friedman wrote in an email to The Herald.

Causes of the gender wage gap have changed over time. “Historically, there have been differences in educational attainment by gender and that played a role in explaining the gap,” Aizer wrote. “But that is no longer the case as more women are graduating from college than men.”

The disparities in education and experiences between men and women have shrunk significantly over the last 50 years. Forrester attributes this change to technological

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improvements that make completing household tasks a more efficient process. Better maternal healthcare resources and advanced contraceptives have allowed women to delay pregnancy or have fewer children, Forrester said. These factors have narrowed the gap by allowing more women to pursue education and enter the labor market outside of the domestic realm.

Still, the time flexibility required for childcare can limit a woman’s ability to increase her earnings, according to Assistant Professor of Economics Lorenzo Lagos.

“It’s hard to get rid of it because (the systemic aspect) is something that is very pervasive,” he said. Workplace structure, social norms around interactions and harassment in the workplace provide additional barriers to the gap’s convergence, Lagos added.

Disparities in the gender gap between women of different races have additional contributing fac -

The gap has historical roots in “the legacies of slavery and Jim Crow, which explains why Black women’s labor is undervalued,” Self wrote. Additionally, the gap is impacted by the “‘dual labor market’ that developed in the 19th century, in which white labor was priced at one level and the labor of people of color” at a lower one.

Professors generally did not expect the gap to narrow anytime soon, although several offered ways to address it. It “has not closed recently, so it’s not clear that it will in the future,” Aizer wrote. “Remote work might help — though it’s not clear — and of course more funding for child care would also likely help, as well as greater flexibility in work schedules.”

According to Forrester, men taking on more childcare responsibilities could help close the gap. To encourage this, firms would have to accommodate flexible hours by restructuring business relationships and resetting expectations for professional meeting hours, she explained.

While gender differences across occupations do not account for the largest part of the gap, “thinking more intentionally about how to encourage women to enter higher paying occupations” could also decrease the gap, Forrester added.

“I’d like to be hopeful, but I think it’s very hard to address the factors that are driving this,” Lagos said. He pointed to his research on labor unions in Brazil that prioritized female-centric policies in bargaining and were able to improve workplace conditions for women, suggesting that similar efforts could drive change in the US.

With regards to cultural shifts, “if young people are interested in these issues … then maybe some of these things will change,” Lagos concluded.

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Researchers point to ‘child penalty,’ rigid business hours for wage discrepancy

EMILY SUONG / HERALD

Slusarewicz ’23: Empathy doesn’t mean what we think it means

One of the six values that Brown lists in its mission statement is “empathy.” The University specifies empathy to mean, “We create a culture of care for our students and colleagues by seeking to understand their perspectives, needs and experiences and acting with generosity and compassion.” While this definition of empathy is worth striving for, this use of the word “empathy” is imprecise.

Empathy is a psychological concept and considered an innate capacity. Unlike concepts like accountability and collaboration, empathy is individual and emotional. It does not require compassion or necessitate action. In fact, research indicates that empathy does not necessarily conform to conventional moral values like those listed in Brown’s mission statement. It is a multidimensional trait which can enhance our relationships, but should not be the determinant of our actions. Empathy should not be considered a moral principle, but instead a tool that can help us act morally.

Empathy can be split into three different components — emotional empathy, cognitive empathy and empathetic concern. Only the last component refers to compassion. Emotional empathy is the unconscious adoption of another’s emotional state, while cognitive empathy allows us to understand other perspectives. Empathy can manifest as a combi -

nation of these components, but they don’t all have to be present for one to be considered empathic.

For example, dark empaths are people with high empathy who also score high for narcissism, psychopathy or Machiavellianism. Individuals with these characteristics tend to use cognitive empathy to manipulate others to reach their own ends, but often lack compassion for other people. This phenomenon shows that empathy is not the opposite of self-interest, and should not be treated as such.

Another example of how empathy can commonly be used for self-gain is propaganda. Propaganda often manipulates emotion to disseminate messages. To do this, propagan-

dists must understand their audience’s emotions, but this ability to cognitively empathize doesn’t always lead them to care for the needs of all people. Instead, they often use empathy to spread negative and hateful ideas.

empathy has been shown to contribute to ingroup out-group bias. For example, high levels of empathetic concern are correlated with strong partisan bias.

While Brown’s aspirational definition of empathy is well-intentioned, choosing that specific word shifts focus from concrete actions to better society to a character trait which naturally varies between different people. The capacity for empathy is not moral in and of itself. The key to fostering an accepting community is to apply empathy in the right ways.

One must actively choose to use and develop their empathy, as well as pursue the opportunities they are given to be empathetic. As Brown students, we have exceptional opportunities to learn about different cultures and interact with countless new people every day.

In addition, while empathy is traditionally believed to improve understanding between diverse groups of people, it can just as easily exacerbate division. Humans’ ability to absorb others’ emotions probably developed to encourage cooperation between individuals within social groups, while those outside of those groups wouldn’t have been offered the same courtesy. Once people take a side in a conflict, they view their opponents through the perspective of that side. In a modern context,

Being open to the perspectives and ideas of people different from you is a conscious decision which can guide empathy in a positive direction. With this in mind, maybe “openness” would be an apt replacement for “empathy.”

Megan Slusarewicz ’23 can be reached at megan_slusarewicz@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@ browndailyherald.com and other op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com.

“The capacity for empathy is not moral in and of itself. The key to fostering an accepting community is to apply empathy in the right ways.”

boygenius provides rollercoaster of emotions throughout ‘the record’

Trio flaunts powerful friendship, songwriting talent in transcendent new album

BY DAPHNE DLUZNIEWSKI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Indie-rock group boygenius, made up of artists Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus, released their long-awaited album “the record” March 31. The LP is the band’s first project together since the release of their 2018 self-titled EP. The album was accompanied by the release of “the film,” a music video combining the first four tracks of “the record,” directed by actress Kristen Stewart.

The secret to boygenius’ charm is best exemplified by the literal titles of their album and short film, which demonstrate their ability to tell things as they are — packing their lyrics with a powerful emotional punch. “the record” invites listeners to embrace their true feelings without holding back.

The trio opens with “Without You Without Them,” an a cappella track reflecting on the people and experiences that have transformed the band members into who they are today. It is a touching opening to the album, as they invite listeners to immerse themselves in the project and take part in shaping boygenius’ story.

The next three songs are “$20,” “Emily I’m Sorry” and “True Blue,”

ARTS & CULTURE

which were released as singles Jan. 18. They are followed by “Cool About It,” a folky guitar track that serves as an excellent testament to the success of boygenius’ collaborative style. Each member takes on their own verse and puts a personalized spin on the chorus, yet all of the different parts come together to form one cohesive, moving piece.

“Not Strong Enough,” which was released as a single March 1, brightens the mood with its upbeat sound. But, if there’s one thing the trio does best, it is deceiving listeners by hiding despondent lyrics underneath cheerful melodies. Ironically, “Not Strong Enough” is one of the strongest songs on the album. It is not only incredibly catchy, but it is also where Baker’s, Bridgers’ and Dacus’ vocals shine through most powerfully and equally.

The album slows down again with “Revolution 0.” Bridgers takes the lead as Baker and Dacus harmonize in the chorus. The song gently crescendoes until the outro, where their voices are joined by a symphony of strings to create an ethereal ending.

Dacus spearheads the next song “Leonard Cohen,” which offers a short and sweet reflection on the band’s friendship. She sings about an anecdote that the group shared in an interview with Rolling Stone: Bridgers was driving with her bandmates when she asked them to listen to “Trapeze Swinger” by Iron & Wine, and she became so immersed in the song that she missed their exit, adding an hour to their drive.

The song is named after folk artist Leonard Cohen, and the group references him in the line “Leonard Cohen once said / ‘There’s a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.’” The line suggests that mistakes, like missing an exit, can lead to unexpected happy moments that strengthen their music and friendship. The song showcases the band’s remarkable lyrical talent, as they transform a single moment into a meaningful song.

“Satanist” immediately quashes this heartfelt message with its themes of destruction. The lyrical and musical qualities of the song are similar to “$20,” but whereas “$20” is centered on the theme of self-destruction, “Satanist” summons others to join in on the car-

nage. Baker’s verse asks listeners to be a Satanist, Bridgers’ verse asks listeners to be an anarchist and Dacus’ verse asks listeners to be a nihilist.

One of the most interesting parts of the song is the production of its outro. As the three sing about seismic drift tugging on the listener “until it drags you under,” they repeat “you under” until their voices begin to sound muffled and distant, making the listener feel like they were actually being dragged below the ground.

Listeners resurface with “We’re In Love,” whose title is less of a statement than it is an insistence. Here, Dacus is convincing her partner that they are in love. She vows that if the couple were to cross paths in another life, she

would remind them of the love they once shared, even if her partner doesn’t remember their connection.

Baker speeds things up again with “Anti-Curse.” She sings that she is “Writing the words / To the worst love song you’ve ever heard,” but “Anti-Curse” is not that — instead, it offers an honest reckoning with one’s flaws and presents a refreshing self-reflection.

“Letter To An Old Poet” closes out “the record” with an element of nostalgia that wraps up the album perfectly. The song, led by Bridgers, is a follow-up to “Me & My Dog,” a track from their first EP. The 2018 song starts off as a happy love story but eventually devolves as the unhealthy relationship leaves the narrator wanting to escape.

The trio sings, “I want to be emaciated / I wanna hear one song without thinking of you / I wish I was on a spaceship / Just me and my dog and an impossible view.” In “Letter To An Old Poet,” boygenius hints that the subject is finally ready to face their pain headon and not run away. The parallel lyric becomes “I wanna be happy / I’m ready to walk into my room without lookin’ for you / I’ll go up to the top of our building / And remember my dog when I see the full moon.” The track ends the album on a pleasantly hopeful note.

From lyrics to melody and beat, boygenius knows how to sway their listeners’ deepest emotions. The album is vulnerable and heartbreaking, but above all, cathartic, leaving listeners feeling lighter as they walk away.

Lana Del Rey skillfully traverses melancholia in ‘Ocean Blvd’

Artist’s ninth studio album delivers powerful lyricism, unexpected creative choices

BY DAPHNE DLUZNIEWSKI SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Lana Del Rey first garnered attention in the 2010s with music that evoked images of Americana grandeur. But in her more recent albums, Del Rey has ventured into slower, more somber territory. Her newest album “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd,” released March 24, strays perhaps too far into this territory. Filled with mournful ballads and melancholic lyrics, the album occasionally risks becoming too dense with sad anthems. But one of Del Rey’s strongest musical qualities is her unpredictability, and she fills her latest release with unexpected creative twists that rejuvenate an otherwise monotonous tracklist.

The album begins with “The Grants,” first released as a single March 14. Through angelic vocals, Del Rey, whose real name is Elizabeth Grant, reflects on family memories she will take with her when she dies. The sentimental nature of the song makes it feel like a goodbye, creating a strange yet powerful introduction to the rest of the album.

The album’s next song, and namesake, was released as a single Dec. 7. In “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd,” Del Rey references the Jergins Tunnel, which was used as a pedestrian passageway to Long Beach, California in the mid-20th century be-

fore being sealed off in 1967. Begging listeners repeatedly, “Don’t forget me / like the tunnel under Ocean Boulevard,” Del Rey uses the forgotten tunnel as a metaphor for being discarded after the peak of her fame has passed. But while the meaning behind the song offers creative insight into Del Rey’s insecurities, its slow pace struggles to keep listeners engaged.

“Sweet,” the album’s third track, only builds on this boredom. While it conveys a meaningful narrative of the singer waiting for a lover while simultaneously refusing to change herself to appease them, “Sweet” does little to keep listeners enthralled.

The record’s dreadful lethargy is finally broken with “A&W,” the tracklist’s strangest song both lyrically and musically. “A&W” opens with a

heart-wrenching tale about being unlovable and throwing one’s life away. But halfway through, the song pivots, adding energy to an initially dull album. On top of an electronic beat, Del Rey repeatedly declares, “Jimmy only love me when he wanna get high.” The song’s redirection into a more upbeat and chaotic tone symbolizes the narrator’s belief that she can only abandon her sorrows under the influence of drugs.

This high is cut off with “Judah Smith Interlude,” which features a sermon from celebrity megachurch pastor Judah Smith preaching against abandoning traditional family values and succumbing to lust. Smith’s feature on the album sparked controversy among Del Rey’s fans due to his past homophobic comments. In the back-

ground of the sermon, Del Rey can be heard laughing, though it is unclear whether she is laughing in mockery of or in agreement with Smith’s message. The interlude adds a compelling dimension to the album, which focuses heavily on “immoral” themes that run counter to Smith’s conservative values. Still, the decision to boldly print Smith’s name on the album’s cover feels dangerously out of touch.

The interlude is followed by “Candy Necklace,” which features Grammy Award-winning artist Jon Batiste on piano and backing vocals. The wistful song blends into “Jon Batiste Interlude,” which gives Batiste yet another opportunity to let his piano skills shine.

Moody piano defines tracks “Kintsugi” and “Fingertips.” In both songs, Del Rey reflects on grieving the deaths of her family members. The album’s momentum quickens slightly in “Paris, Texas” featuring SYML, where Del Rey’s delicate vocals and the fast-paced piano melody contrast the song’s heavier theme of growing sick of one’s current life and leaving home.

Del Rey continues exploring familial themes in “Grandfather please stand on the shoulders of my father while he’s deep-sea fishing,” which features RIOPY. Typical for the album, the song starts slow but builds after the second verse. Despite its odd title, the song proves to be an enthralling and bittersweet illustration of the way Del Rey’s background has influenced her as a person.

In one of the most beautiful songs on the album, “Let The Light In,” Del Rey abandons the piano for a guitar and harmonizes masterfully with Fa-

ther John Misty. The song provides an authentic narration of the ups and downs of being in love. The next song, “Margaret,” is written about music producer Jack Antonoff’s romance with his fiance Margaret Qualley. Antonoff, whose band Bleachers is featured on the track, has worked with Del Rey on her previous albums “Norman F*cking Rockwell!” (2019) and “Chemtrails Over the Country Club” (2021).

“Fishtail,” a haunting track about an unhealthy relationship, features a standout beat drop that helps set it apart from the album’s otherwise dreary tone. “Peppers,” featuring Tommy Genesis, continues this mood shift with a sample of Genesis’s hip-hop track “Angelina.” Del Rey does an excellent job of complimenting Genesis’s verse with her own unique vocal style. The song’s suggestiveness and quirky lyrics are welcomed diversions from the rest of the album, revealing that the record would have benefited from incorporating more of Del Rey’s funky personality.

The album closes with “Taco Truck x VB,” where the second half of the song transitions into a remix of “Venice B*tch,” a track from “Norman F*cking Rockwell!” Del Rey’s decision to close out an album of self-reflection with her previous discography is effective and poignant.

Though melodically tiresome at times, “Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd” is one of Del Rey’s most emotionally compelling pieces of work. Her talents as a songwriter come to light in an album that proves simultaneously subtler and more gripping than past records.

COURTESY OF BRIAN GALLAGHER

The secret to boygenius’ charm is best exemplified by the literal titles of their album — ‘the record’ — and short film — ‘the film.’

COURTESY OF HARMONY GERBER

Though many of the songs are indistinguishable at first listen, Del Rey’s unpredictability adds an interesting dimension to the somber album.