Wednesday, January 25th, 2023

Nelson flexes revamped equipment, layout

BY ELIZABETH HIRSCHFELD STAFF WRITER

Over winter break, the Nelson Fitness Center underwent several changes, including the addition of a turf area, five squat racks and deadlift platforms.

Funded by the University’s Division of Athletics and Recreation, this project aimed to “elevate the experience” of students, wrote Amy Dean, Brown Recreation fitness and wellness manager, in an email to The Herald.

Dean added that Brown Recreation strove to open up space while still adding new equipment. “Some of the new equipment has multiple functions, so we were able to purchase one machine that does two things, which allowed for more open spaces,” she wrote.

According to Dean, the upgrades

Nelson opened in 2012 and includes a 10,000 square foot multipurpose fitness space with more than 85 exercise machines.

sought to “increase student engagement and eliminate barriers to fitness by providing diverse equipment in multiple areas throughout the Nelson.”

The Nelson opened in 2012 and “features a 10,000 square foot multi-purpose fitness loft with over 85 exercise machines for students, faculty and staff,” according to the

Men’s basketball outshines Columbia in 97-85 win

Brown Recreation website.

“The Nelson Fitness Center equipment had been heavily used over the past 10 years, and it was time for it to be replaced,” Dean wrote.

Dana Magana ’25, who learned about the upgrade to the Nelson from Brown Recreation’s Instagram page,

Refugee Dream Center aids in resettlement

“I had never heard of Rhode Island or Providence until one day before my arrival,” he said. “It was overwhelming. People give you so much information, and that was quite a struggle.”

BY ANIYAH NELSON SENIOR STAFF WRITER

For Omar Bah, community advocacy was a priority well before he arrived in the United States.

Formerly a journalist in The Gambia, Bah wrote a newspaper column focused on the work of major political figures in the nation, including former President Yahya Jammeh. However, after Bah began investigating Jammeh’s regime, Bah was tortured and ultimately forced to flee from his country to Senegal and Ghana.

Though Bah said he felt lucky to have been granted refugee status in the United States quickly, he recalled being at first unfamiliar with his new home in Providence when he arrived in 2007.

“I was traumatized and isolated,” he said. “I was already dealing with my own demons, and now I had to be confronted with new sources of stress.”

As a result of his experience as a recently resettled refugee, Bah began thinking about ways to empower refugees in the United States. Bah envisioned “refugees helping fellow refugees, like older refugees working with American allies to help build a volunteer base (to support refugees) from day one,” he said.

In 2015, Bah decided to make this model a reality, co-founding the Refugee Dream Center with his wife Teddi Jallow, who serves as the organization’s executive director. A nonprofit, post-resettlement agency, the RDC connects refugees with resources they may need after their arrival.

METRO

I-195 commission considers Fane redesign

BY ABE WYETT STAFF WRITER

On Saturday afternoon, the men’s basketball team (10-9, 3-3 Ivy) defeated Columbia (6-15, 1-5 Ivy) by a score of 97-85 in a high-scoring affair. The Bears’ offensive effort was spearheaded by Nana Owusu-Anane ’25, whose 27 points and 18 rebounds earned him Ivy League Player of the Week honors. Bruno dominated in the 148th meeting between Brown and Columbia, earning their 73rd all-time victory against the Lions.

“I thought we played the right way — guys took what the game gave them,” Head Coach Mike Martin ’04 said in a press conference following the game. “It gave Nana a lot of opportunities, and he was confident and aggressive, and his teammates were looking for him.”

Owusu-Anane, Aaron Cooley ’25, Kino Lilly Jr. ’25, Dan Friday ’24 and Paxson Wojcik ’23 started the game for Brown. After falling into a quick 6-1 hole, Bruno went on a 12-0 run to take an early lead. The run was sparked by Owusu-Anane finding a cutting Wojcik for a reverse layup and included a thunderous slam dunk from Friday.

After back-and-forth play, Bruno led Columbia 18-16 with 13:07 left in the first half. But consecutive buckets by Owusu-Anane and Landon Lewis ’26 propelled Brown to a 22-16 advantage. Owusu-Anane led the offense from the jump, scoring 15 of his 27 points in the first nine minutes of the contest.

“My teammates were really just looking for me … I had opportunities to get to the rim and shoot” three-pointers, Owusu-Anane said in the postgame press conference.

With one minute remaining in the first half, Brown held a narrow fourpoint lead. Owusu-Anane corralled his own miss and scored off a putback, and Wojcik forced a miss on the defensive end before making a reverse

BY RHEA RASQUNIHA METRO EDITOR

A new design for a 550-foot skyscraper known as the Fane Tower was brought before the I-195 Commission at a meeting Jan. 18.

The project originally proposed three skyscrapers in 2016, and has undergone multiple revisions since, with this latest rendition announced in December.

The Fane Organization’s original design received commission approval in October 2019, and in June, the Rhode Island Supreme Court upheld a zoning ordinance exception in favor of the 550foot tower.

But while the Fane Organization, led by President Jason Fane, had approval for the previous design, the new plan will go through the commission’s approval process again, said Marc Crisafulli, current chair of the I-195 commission, at the meeting.

The tower has been controversial since its initial proposal seven years

ago, with the most recent design garnering mixed reviews from community members.

New design presented at meeting

“In this economy, the previous design simply cannot be built,” wrote Jim Malachowski, a spokesperson for the Fane Organization, in an email to The Herald. “Inflation, supply chain issues, major increases in the cost of construction materials and higher interest rates have significantly raised construction costs.”

While the commission supported

the previous plan, it will now “work aggressively on this alternative design with all stakeholders,” Crisafulli said. “Our hope is that a partnership approach can improve the project.”

With the redesign, the group worked to reduce construction costs and increase leasable space, explained Jeff Padwa, an attorney representing the Fane Organization, at the meeting.

“This project will create over 1,500 construction jobs,” Padwa said. He added that the completed project will gen-

Women’s basketball team falls to Columbia in thirdstraight loss 94-74.

“The Menu” encourages viewers to confront their fascination with the elite

SPORTS Bears improve to 10-9 off 27 points from player of the week Nana Owusu-Anane ’25

Facilities rearranged over break, students hope for more improvements

METRO Center stems from cofounder’s experiences as newly resettled refugee in Providence

New design reflects economic conditions, concerns remain over structure, parking

RHEA RASQUINHA / HERALD

COURTESY OF AMY DEAN VIA BROWN RECREATION

The

Women’s basketball loses in high-scoring affair against Columbia

BY LINUS LAWRENCE SPORTS EDITOR

The women’s basketball team (8-10, 1-5 Ivy League) fell to Columbia (163, 5-1) in New York on Saturday afternoon by a final score of 94-74. The Bears have now lost three straight games after earning their first win in Ivy play against Dartmouth earlier this month.

The Bears both scored and surrendered more points against the conference-leading Lions than in any of their previous Ivy matchups this year. Bruno’s offense was led by guard Kyla Jones ’24, the team’s top scorer who currently sits third in the conference in points per game. Jones filled up the stat sheet with 22 points, five assists and seven rebounds.

“Getting to the rim is something that has been working for me all season long and it continued to work for me on Saturday night,” Jones wrote in an email to The Herald through Brown Athletics. “As I started knocking down shots it caused the defense to collapse, making my teammates more open for easy kick outs and dump off passes.”

“Kyla has been excellent all season,” Monique LeBlanc, head coach of the women’s basketball team, wrote in an email to The Herald through Brown Athletics. “She’s a great finisher and has an attack mindset, and that really helps set the tone for our team.”

Jones is one of a few key Bears starters who have missed time amidst the team’s current losing streak — she was sidelined in previous matchups against Yale on Jan. 16 and Princeton on Jan. 14. Bruno was also without regulars Charlotte Jewell ’24 and Mackenzie Leahy ’26 for the second straight game on Saturday.

“With some of our rotational players injured there has been opportunity for others to step in and play more minutes,” LeBlanc wrote. “They’ve been ready for their number to be called, and they’ve done a very good job.”

Isabella Mauricio ’25, the team’s top three-point shooter, also had an impressive, though atypical, offensive showing. She racked up 15 points but went just 1-for-6 from behind the arc, missing her first five attempts.

“Columbia was really good at denying the easy pass on the perimeter and my shot wasn’t falling,” Mauricio wrote in an email to The Herald through Brown Athletics. “So I tried to back door a lot more and was able to get some success that way.”

Jones and Mauricio helped the Bears shoot 46% from the field, their highest

field goal percentage in Ivy play to date.

But Columbia’s offense — ranked first in the Ivy League in points per game, field goal percentage and three-point percentage — proved too powerful for Bruno. With the game tied at nine apiece after two and a half minutes of play, the Lions went on a 19-8 run to take a commanding lead which the Bears were unable to overcome.

Five different Lions posted double-digit scoring efforts, including Abbey Hsu — the Ivy League’s top scorer and second in three-pointers in the NCAA — who had 26 points, three assists and six rebounds, with seven buckets coming from behind the threepoint line. Hsu, who totaled 20 points in Columbia’s previous game against Cornell, was named player of the week

by the Ivy League on Monday and by the Metropolitan Basketball Writers Association on Tuesday.

“We definitely needed to do a better job at preventing (Hsu) from getting such open looks to keep that score lower and have a shot at winning,” Mauricio wrote.

The Bears were also outrebounded 49-26 by the Lions, who scored 26 points on second-chance attempts.

“What sticks out the most to me is the fact that we gave up 21 offensive rebounds,” Jones wrote. “When you play a team as talented as Columbia, we just can’t afford to give them so many extra possessions on offense.”

“We’ll need to do a better job limiting their three-point attempts and second-chance opportunities next time we play them,” LeBlanc wrote.

The Bears will look to snap out of their three-game slump in front of a home crowd against Cornell on Saturday afternoon. The matchup will mark the conclusion of the first half of Ivy play for Bruno.

“We are really focused on playing great basketball against Cornell on Saturday to get back in the win column,” LeBlanc wrote. “Our team is at our best when our defense is fueling our offense. We know that we have to be really strong on that end of the floor, including being a great rebounding team, on Saturday.”

Cornell is “a win we must have, and know we can get,” Mauricio wrote. “Hopefully once we get a win, we can carry that momentum into the second half of Ivy play.”

22-point performance from Kyla Jones ’24 not enough to overcome Lions’ offense

COURTESY OF BROWN ATHLETICS

While the Bears put up their most points in Ivy play this season, they also allowed more points than they had all season. The loss to Columbia, tied for first in the Ivy League, marked the team’s third in a row.

layup to give the Bears an eight-point lead. The Lions hit a late three to cut the margin to five points, making the score 51-46 entering halftime.

Owusu-Anane opened the scoring for Brown to begin the second half, hitting a layup to give Bruno a seven-point lead. Cooley soon ignited the Bears’ offense with a jumper and a steal, sending him flying into the stands, before an explosive 14-point run capped by Perry Cowan ’23 scoring a three that extended the lead to 71-50.

“Aaron Cooley gave us an unbelievable spark to start the half, (scoring) a bucket and then (diving) into the fifth row (to get) us a steal,” Martin said. “We need everyone to play with that confidence and that edge.”

Owusu-Anane, displaying his command of the game, snagged two offensive rebounds and hit a layup over two defenders, giving the Bears a 17-point lead of 85-68 with 4:30 left in the contest.

“He’s a bull down there,” Martin said of Owusu-Anane’s aggressive play. “He’s tough and he’s got an unbelievable motor.”

Although the Lions shed a few points off their deficit, the Bears ultimately prevailed by a final score of 97-85.

All five starters for Brown, along with Lewis off the bench, scored in double figures in the Bears’ highest scoring output of the season. Owusu-Anane — with career highs in points and rebounds — helped carry Bruno to the victory, shooting a strong 11-23 from the field and 2-5 from three-point range. Lilly Jr. added 16 points, the second most on the team.

“There’s a lot we can improve upon, but we took care of the ball offensively (and) didn’t turn it over,” Martin said. “We shared the basketball really well, and we didn’t give up too many second chance points.”

Bruno shot 39-78 from the field and 6-17 from behind the arc. Notably, the

Bears converted on 13 of 16 free throw attempts, significantly outperforming their season average of 59.5% from the charity stripe. The Bears outrebounded the Lions 41 to 30 in addition to recording more assists, steals and blocks and fewer turnovers.

Throughout January, Brown played five other Ivy League opponents. They split the six games evenly, defeating Dartmouth, Princeton and Columbia, while losing to Penn, Harvard and Yale.

In a narrow upset against Princeton, the top team in the Ivy League, Lilly

Jr. scored 26 points and Owusu-Anane contributed in all facets, tallying eight points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks. With competitive play in December and January, Bruno has risen to fifth in the Ivy League rankings.

The Bears look to improve their record when they face off against Cornell Saturday, Jan. 28, at 2 p.m. on the road. The game will be available to stream on ESPN+.

erate $250 million in tax revenue over the next 40 years, along with over $86 million in construction wages.

“The project will bring energy and vitality to the city,” Malachowski wrote. “Six hundred eighteen residential units will house close to 900 people who will add to the mix and flavor of Providence. Local businesses will also benefit from their presence.”

At the meeting, Eric Zuena, managing principal of ZDS, the architecture firm that designed the tower, presented side-by-side views of the new design compared to the version issued for review in September 2019. He highlighted changes regarding planned floor use, construction materials and four requested zoning variances for the project.

Residential units jumped from 557 to 618 with the redesign, while parking spaces were reduced from 333 to 166. “We think that satisfies all our market needs for these 600-plus units,” Zuena said at the meeting.

Following the design presentation at the meeting, Tim Love from Utile, Inc. — a consultant for the commission — presented recommendations regarding the new design. Before the meeting, Utile sent a memo to the commission recommending that they not approve the project until Fane makes “significant design revisions.”

Love cited several conerns with the new design, including wind impacts and design changes impacting the building’s aesthetic and functional fit with the city.

The protruding balconies of the original design are considered best practice to mitigate wind impacts around the structure, but the smoother airfoil shape of the new design “can create adverse wind effects,” Love said at the meeting. Utile’s analysis showed that those effects would impact the adjacent Providence Innovation District Park, especially during winter months.

According to Malachowski, a wind study was previously conducted and another will be performed for the new design. With “other wind mitigation measures,” the Fane Organization does “do not anticipate wind from the tower being a problem.”

The Providence Preservation Society has concerns about the proposed tower’s location, compliance with zoning and the scope of rentals offered, Advocacy Manager Adriana Hazelton told The Herald. She also questioned the sustainability of a large structure on Parcel 42’s riverfront site, “especially in the face of climate change.”

“The building will be completely safe as it will be anchored to bedrock” similar to the anchoring pillars used for the Empire State Building in New York City, Malachowski wrote.

Economic impacts of the towers

Some community members highlighted the economic benefits of the project while others voiced concerns about the building’s scale and location as well as the lack of available information.

According to Greg Mancini, a representative for the trade organization BuildRI, the Fane Tower is the second-largest construction project in Providence’s history and would generate 1,500 direct and indirect jobs along with $250 million “much-needed property tax revenue” for the city.

“Market conditions have changed so much that just about every private sector project is drying up,” Mancini said, noting that the $300 million project could support private sector economic development.

Despite potential construction jobs, for Hazelton, concerns remain about community impact. “It creates construction jobs, but then it will end and then what’s next?” she said. “Will the construction jobs created be for Providence and Rhode Island construction workers?”

“Providence and Rhode Island construction workers will fill these jobs, but it is impossible to predict the residences of all of the construction workers,” Malachowski wrote.

At the meeting, Sharon Steele, president of Building Bridges Providence and

president of the Jewelry District Association, discussed concerns over a lack of publicly available data regarding market need for the new design, a vetted cost estimation and the structural engineering analysis by Odeh Engineering. She agreed with Utile’s recommendation that the commission not approve the new design.

The closing date on the sale of the parcel to the Fane Organization is set for March 2023 after multiple extensions from its original April 2020 date. The sale is contingent on Fane securing financing commitments and signing a construction contract, WPRI reported — something Fane will not do until the design is approved, Malachowski wrote.

At the meeting, Steele requested that any further extension of the deadline “be coupled with a completion guarantee from Fane, as there is a real-world risk that Fane will never be able to complete this project, irrespective of whether the commission approves this new design,” Steele said.

Following the meeting, the commission accepted additional public comment for one week, and when all parties are prepared, a second meeting will be scheduled for the revised design and a potential vote, Crisafulli said.

tower given that it uses “land that was taken by eminent domain and displaced tons of residents,” Hazelton added. But using the land that the government took for public benefit to build “ultra-luxury housing” is “very insensitive,” she added.

“These are very high-end units, and no one seems to know where exactly that market’s going to be in the Rhode Island or greater Providence and Boston market,” added Fox Point Neighborhood Association President Nick Cicchitelli.

“We do need residents downtown,” Cicchitelli said. “We don’t want a ghost building.”

Malachowski, explained that there is demand for all types of housing and pointed to Fane’s 50-plus years in residential development, which have “given him confidence to invest a substantial amount of money in this project to date with millions more to come.”

“If this was a private developer on private land, it’s one thing, but if this interrupts the 195 Development District vision, then you absolutely need to incorporate community concerns,” he said.

Cicchitelli also discussed concerns about market need for the building and lack of transparency, and he disputed Zuena’s claim that the proposed parking is enough. He said the new design disregards those who have repeatedly called for more parking on the parcel.

“We feel unheard,” Cicchitelli said.

COURTESY OF EMMA C. MARION VIA BROWN ATHLETICS

With one minute remaining in the first half, Nana Owusu-Anane ’25 scored a putback off his own miss, while Paxson Wojcik ’23 forced a miss and then scored a reverse layup to take an eight-point lead. Brown is now fifth in the men’s Ivy League basketball standings.

“We feel unheard”: housing and community concerns PPS also has concerns about the

‘The Menu’ offers compelling, comedic class commentary

BY RYA VALLABHANENI A&C SECTION EDITOR

“The Menu” is a film obsessed with class. From its first to final scenes, the movie covers one of the most exclusive and extravagant dinners ever made with some of America’s wealthiest citizens in attendance. At first, the film appears to largely focus on aesthetics, focusing on the food, the restaurant and the private island where the dinner takes place. But as the movie progresses and more is revealed about the night’s once-in-a-lifetime menu, horror sets in. The chef, as well as the guests, make a series of disturbing decisions, and satire of the darkest kind soon becomes the film’s main goal.

The film follows the outline of a multi-course meal served at Chef Julian Slowik’s (Ralph Fiennes) Michelin-star-worthy restaurant Hawthorn. The film’s central protagonist is Margot Mills (Anya Taylor-Joy), a paid escort who has been hired by Tyler (Nicholas Hoult) to attend this lavish meal. Since Hawthorn can only be reached by water, the film begins with Margot and Tyler stepping aboard a boat. But “The Menu” soon expands to chart the stories of the rest of the guests, all of whom have one thing in common: They are some of the most grossly wealthy people America has to offer.

When first stepping into Hawthorn, Margot picks up on an acute class divide. The guests are all entitled, absurdly self-obsessed and either rich or famous. The workers are dressed identically, speaking only when spoken to and all participating in vaguely cult-like behavior. Margot doesn’t quite fit into either category, which is perhaps why she is the first guest to sense when the meal has gone wrong.

About halfway into the dinner, it is revealed that every guest except Margot has been invited for a

very specific purpose that night: Slowik plans for them all to die. To him, the guests — people who live lavishly without ever stopping to appreciate life’s genuine moments — represent everything that is wrong with his craft and the food industry. With their constant consumption and failure to ever give back, they have sucked almost all of the passion out of his work. Along with taking the lives of his guests, Slowik intends to kill the restaurant’s entire staff, himself included.

Inevitably, the news of their imminent deaths causes panic among Hawthorn’s guests. Most attempts to escape prove comical and futile as Margot seems to be the only guest who possesses any sort of resourcefulness. Everyone else’s comparable helplessness underscores the vanity of their social positions. Their money — no

matter the amount — will not be able to save them.

Despite its gruesome premise, “The Menu” is actually a very funny film. The dialogue is quick and clever, with characters often saying things so disturbing that viewers are left with no choice but to laugh aloud. During dinner, the camera pans successively to each table, featuring one absurd party after the next. There is a movie star dating a woman a quarter of his age, followed by a trio of young business giants who have more money than they know what to do with. One food critic is so pretentious it makes a viewer want to throw her out a window, and then there is Tyler, whose devotion to Slowik is equally cringeworthy.

Part of the reason the film’s writing seems so clever is its delivery. From the chef to the guests (including characters played by Janet McT-

eer and Judith Light) to Hawthorn’s unforgettable hostess (Hong Chau), “The Menu” features an absolutely star-studded cast. Everybody is somebody, even if it might take a second to deduce where the viewer knows them from. Fiennes is perfect per usual, and Taylor-Joy delivers a genuinely successful performance.

Chau is able to make her character into one of the funniest of the entire cast, and Hoult, despite his boyish affect, somehow comes across as one of the most disturbed. Though the big voices of an ensemble cast can often crowd each other out, they instead complement each other in “The Menu,” thus working in the film’s favor.

There is no question that “The Menu” is meant to satirize the lives of people from the upper echelon of society. Yet there is no denying how the film feeds into our own fascina -

tion with the elite. We may laugh at the utter absurdity of such firstworld problems, but this doesn’t stop us from intently watching how each guest eats, acts and speaks. Even Margot, who is technically working while on her “date,” is able to dress and act the part. The aesthetics of the film additionally help bolster the intrigue of the upper class rather than bring it down. The restaurant is gorgeous, the island pristine and the meal a work of art (even if it may not look like something you’re meant to eat). Scenes gain their beauty precisely because they are focused on such extravagant images. There is, in this sense, an inevitable irony to “The Menu’s” main mission: The film might actually be obsessing over the very people it is trying to condemn.

TODAY’S EVENTS

Exhibit: Reflections | Ancient Objects/Modern Issues

9:00 am - 4:30 pm

Rhode Island Hall

Student Exhibition “The Witching Hour” All day

Granoff Center for Creative Arts

Planetary Lunch Bunch: Town Hall 12:00 pm

Lincoln Field Building

Welcome Back Dinner 4:00 pm

Sharpe Refectory

TOMORROW’S EVENTS

Lunar New Year Dinner 4:00 pm

Andrews Dining Hall

IPP: Solar Stewards InfoSession 5:30 pm

Watson Center for Information Technology

Rare Diseases: Challenges and Opportunities 4:00 pm Sidney Frank Hall

Brown Environmental Leadership Lab - Information Session 7:00-7:30 pm Virtual

Film oscillates between satirizing, obsessing over American elite with star-studded cast

COURTESY OF SEARCHLIGHT PICTURES

The film offers a plate of upper class satire served with dark humor. Starring Ralph Fiennes and Anya Taylor-Joy, “The Menu” explores the themes such as the brutality of class division through culinary comedy, but may fall victim to the very critique it tries to levy.

Resources offered by the RDC include food and cleaning supplies, preventative health courses, English lessons and assistance with paying bills.

Bah explained that these resources are critical given the diverse nature of the refugee community in Providence. He cited significant refugee populations arriving from five nations in particular: the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Afghanistan, Syria, Haiti and Somalia.

For Amin Faqiry, a refugee from Afghanistan, the idea of leaving his country behind had never crossed his mind.

But while working as a combat interpreter in Afghanistan for the American military, Faqiry witnessed the overthrow of the government by the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist group.

“There was no space in my own country … for me to live anymore because I was part of a government who fought against the (Taliban) terrorist organization,” Faqiry said.

Ultimately, he and his family made the difficult decision to flee Afghanistan. After staying in temporary housing in Qatar, Faqiry, his wife and their five children arrived in Providence in October 2021. Upon arriving at T.F. Green Airport, the family was greeted by Jallow and Bah.

Faqiry, who now owns and operates the Afghan Super Store located on Elm-

wood Street, described the support that the RDC offered him when he arrived in Providence. After Faqiry arrived, Jallow made a connection for Faqiry that led to a job at a law firm.

“I called Teddi and told her I (got) the job,” Faqiry said. “That was my first job in America.”

Bah emphasized that volunteers have been a critical lifeline for the center, especially when it lost most of its funding during the initial outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Initially, we did not know what to do,” he said. “Most of our grants were for in-person services, so we did not get additional funding (or) resources. At some point, we only had two staff (members) because everyone was laid off and we couldn’t keep up with the work.”

To ensure that those in need could still access the center’s resources, the center pivoted to a hybrid model and began offering many of their instructional courses via Zoom.

Rochelle Lee, one of the center’s adult volunteers, emphasized the importance of having college students and younger voices at the RDC.

“Brown students have helped put fundraisers together, done outreach and family services, written grants (and helped) educate other students in the Brown community by putting on forums and informational events,” Lee said.

Ruth Belay ’24, a student worker at the RDC, is one of the center’s English tutors. She learned English as a second language, so she “can understand how language can be a huge barrier.” She “wanted to help out in any way that (she) could.”

Moving forward, Bah hopes to create a refugee clinic to improve access to medical services and reduce the stig-

ma associated with refugees accessing mental health care and dental services.

“The clinic will entail a mental health counseling center where people will have clinical counseling for trauma treatment like PTSD,” Bah said. “It will really be phenomenal because wellness is more holistic.”

Lee added that she hopes that the work of the center will create a more

informed public perspective about the refugee community.

“It’s important that people see (refugees) as human beings to understand their circumstances,” she said. “Because we try to engineer all kinds of policies without seeing the people that (they) will affect.”

has heard “mixed reviews.”

“It’s a good change, especially because of the added squat racks,” Magana said. According to Magana, a lack of enough machines to meet student demand had caused long wait times in past semesters.

“It’s definitely a step in the right direction,” Batisse Manhardt ’26 said. “More equipment means more people can go.”

Rayna Simons ’24 said that the upgrade was needed. “It was usually fairly crowded to the point where sometimes I would say it was, at best, a hindrance to a good workout,” Simons said. She added that some

benches were “kind of falling apart.”

According to Magana, having a bigger fitness center would resolve overcrowding in gym facilities. “The gym is a good way to de-stress, and it’s important that Brown prioritizes that and the facilities that are available to students,” she said.

Manhardt said that a solution to overcrowding in the free weight section of the Nelson could be moving the cardio section to a separate area.

“We plan to continuously evaluate the equipment and spaces as time progresses,” Dean wrote. “We have a lot of plans to continue to improve the spaces and programming with Brown Recreation, and we appreciate the support as we continue to grow.”

NELSON FROM PAGE 1

COURTESY OF AMY DEAN VIA BROWN

COURTESY OF REFUGEE DREAM CENTER

The Refugee Dream Center connects Rhode Island’s diverse refugee community with resources, including food and cleaning supplies, preventative health courses, English lessons and assistance with paying bills.

Brown admits 13% of ED applicants to class of 2027, setting record low

applicant

depth of academic talent in this applicant pool, as well as the breadth of lived experiences,” Powell wrote. “This amazing group of students will make a positive impact at Brown and on the world.”

BY JACK TAJMAJER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The University accepted 879 students to the class of 2027 from a pool of 6,770 early decision applicants on Dec. 20, wrote Logan Powell, associate provost for enrollment, in an email to The Herald.

Accepting approximately 13% of early applicants, the University set its lowest-ever acceptance rate in the early decision program for the fifth year in a row. Roughly 1,286 students — 19% of early decision applicants — were deferred, and will receive decisions from the University along with regular decision applicants on March 30. The remaining 68% of applicants were rejected.

This was the largest pool of students to apply early decision to Brown on record, with a 10.2% increase from last year’s number.

“We remain deeply humbled by the

METRO

Last year, the University accepted 14.6% of early decision applicants — 896 total — from a pool of 6,146 applicants, setting records across those categories at the time, The Herald previously reported. Those statistics were surpassed with this year’s early decision process.

Applicants are not required to submit a standardized test score during this year’s application cycle, though the University has not announced its policy for next year.

Fifty-one percent of admitted students identify as female, and 49% identify as male. The University reports gender on a binary scale per federal requirements. There were 62 applicants accepted through the QuestBridge program for low-income and first-generation students, surpassing 54 students admitted early last year.

Just 3% of those who applied early to the University’s Program in Liberal Medical Education program were accepted.

Sixty-two percent of those accepted early applied for need-based financial aid, a jump from 57% last year, while 15% of those admitted identify as first-generation, a decrease of 2% from last year’s cohort of students accepted early decision.

A slight majority of students ad-

mitted attend public schools, with 53% attending public high schools and 47% attending independent and parochial schools — though students from all types of schools applied for financial aid, Powell wrote.

Admitted students from the early decision applicant pool represent 50

nations, 44 U.S. states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. The countries most represented outside of the United States are Canada, China, the United Kingdom, Brazil, South Korea, Turkey and Ukraine. Among geographic regions in the United States, the largest group of admitted students hails from the South.

Zinneken’s waffles bring ‘new life’ to Providence restaurant scene

Angell Street cafe hosted grand opening Dec. 9, offers variety of flavors and toppings

BY MAHIN ASHFAQ CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The smell of freshly made waffles engulfed Angell Street on Friday, Dec. 9 as Providence community members waited in line for the 11 a.m. grand opening of Zinneken’s Belgian Waffles and Café. Residents hoped to be

among the new franchise location’s first 25 customers, earning a free Belgian waffle in exchange.

194 Angell St. is the third Zinneken’s storefront in existence, with the company originally opening in Harvard Square and later adding a second location in Glastonbury, Connecticut, The Herald previously reported. The cafe invited guests for a soft opening Thursday, Dec. 8. The next day, Zinneken’s kicked off its tenure of bringing fresh Belgian waffles to the Providence community with a three-day long grand opening spanning the weekend.

“We hope to become a destination in Providence,” said store owner Rachel Nguyen, who co-manages the Providence location with her husband Rex Tran.

Zinneken’s offers signature liège waffles, soft and chewy waffles encrusted with pearl sugar imported from Belgium, as well as the Brussels waffle, a light, crispy and savory option for customers. The cafe also offers a variety of toppings, including berries, banana, chocolate and the signature speculoos

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The cafe adds another sweet option to the Thayer Street area.

Early

pool largest on record, financial aid up admitted students

New all-women weightlifting club builds confidence, muscle

group and Schorr’s assigned workout buddy. Friedlander added that she has “found an incredibly supportive and inclusive community at Girl Gains.”

BY CHINMAYI RAJARAM CONTRIBUTING WRITER

After Katie McCallum ’25 came across a TikTok video of Girl Gains in February, she began looking into how she could start a women’s weightlifting club on Brown’s campus. McCallum successfully formed the Girl Gains Lifting Club at Brown last semester, and the group has been active since.

Girl Gains aims to empower women at Brown, whether “you’re a dedicated gym goer or you’re looking for some guidance to jumpstart your fitness journey,” according to an Instagram post from the group.

The group falls under the national Girl Gains organization, founded in 2020 at San Diego State University, which aims “to promote female weight lifting and empower women to feel strong and beautiful in a judgment-free community,” according to the organization’s website.

For Angelina Schorr ’24, vice president and marketing director of Girl Gains, the group’s main objective is to “break down … ‘gymtimidation,’”

explaining that many women don’t feel confident going to the gym because there is a lack of female presence.

“Going to the gym as a woman is so scary and intimidating,” McCallum said. “You feel like you want to be smaller and not take up as much space.”

Girl Gains has made it possible for women to be able to “go to the gym and almost always see another woman (they) know there,” said Kennedy Compton ’24, the group’s marketing director.

In its first semester, Girl Gains hosted gym training sessions and events aimed at informing students about a variety of topics, including Olympic weightlifting and bodybuilding, according to McCallum.

location in Providence.

For one informational session, Girl Gains invited Dan Wenikoff, owner and sports nutritionist at Champion Athletes, to speak with the group. He led a discussion about the importance of nutrition and “fueling your body” with members, according to the group’s Instagram. The club has also partnered with other organizations on campus such as the Women’s Health Advocacy Group, where they discussed proper form and the benefits of weightlifting, Schorr said.

Both Schorr and Compton said that their favorite event last semester was the free, professional session in functional training provided to group members by F45 Training.

For Schorr, who was a varsity athlete throughout high school, coming to Brown without such a built-in community was scary, but Girl Gains has allowed her to find a close group on campus. “I’ve met some of my closest friends on the (group’s) e-board,” she said.

The group also implemented a buddy-pairing system further to further build community among its participants, McCallum said. Within this buddy system, a group member with more gym-going experience is paired with a workout buddy with less experience.

“I’m beyond thankful for (Schorr’s) support and lifting suggestions,” said Alana Friedlander ’26, a member of the

For Friedlander, the group is particularly unique because it strives to build confidence for women in the weight room, which has traditionally deterred women due to a lack of female presence.

“Girl Gains helps address this issue by creating an empowering community that helps women feel safe and comfortable in a traditionally male space,” she said.

The group is also hoping to secure “women-only time” at the Nelson Fitness Center, McCallum said, adding that this program would ideally have the Nelson open one hour earlier every week exclusively so women have the chance to workout without intimidation or discomfort.

McCallum said that hosting a women-only hour at the gym is important because seeing only other women at the gym can be empowering.

About 20 people showed up at Girl Gains’ first meeting, but the club’s membership has since grown to over 120 members, McCallum said. Support for the club is coming not only from the current student body but also from University alumni who have reached out to the club’s Instagram page.

“This club has become more than I could have ever imagined in such a short time,” she said.

cookie butter, as well as drinks such as coffee, teas imported from Paris, freshly squeezed orange juice, smoothies and matcha.

Nguyen and Tran — or, as they like to be called, “Brussels” and “Liège” respectively — began their journey with Zinneken’s in Connecticut, when they were invited to the soft opening of the Glastonbury location.

They recalled marveling at how different the restaurant’s waffles were from other cafes across the country and quickly began discussing opening another location with the franchise owner.

Knowing that Zinneken’s Harvard Square location was frequented by R.I. customers, Nguyen and Tran decided to bring the specialty waffles directly to the Ocean State. Thayer Street, in particular, “has a lot of foot traffic,” Nguyen said, explaining the choice of

The process of opening the Providence cafe took over a year for Nguyen and Tran, who cited problems with their permit as one of the reasons for the delay.

But prospective customers have been eagerly anticipating the store’s opening. “We’ve been following it since August,” said Melissa Esteban, a student at Providence College.

“I’ve been seeing the process of it being built,” said Isabella Steidley ’23 as she looked at the cafe’s sleek finished exterior.

The small restaurant has a black and white checkered theme, with small wooden tables and a staircase leading down to the main seating area. Opening morning, the cafe buzzed with excitement as families and friends huddled together, dining on waffles.

“I’m definitely excited about the restaurant. I live very close by,” Steidley said, adding that Zinneken’s is a rare

sweet alternative to the many savory food options available in the area.

For Steidley, the cafe also seems like an optimal spot for studying.

Clara Lee Molina ’25 had previously visited the Zinneken’s in Harvard Square and, after hearing about the Angell St. opening, she decided to accompany her friends to the new R.I. location. “I had a liège waffle with Nutella, and it was incredible,” Lee Molina said.

Restaurant-goers like Esteban were already planning on returning to the establishment, adding that they would bring more friends during future visits.

For Tran, Providence’s lively community was one of the biggest motivators when it came to choosing the newest Zinneken’s location.

“Moving to Rhode Island is one of the things that excited me the most,” Tran said. “New people, new life, new business.”

EDITORS’ NOTE

Saying hello and looking ahead

Today’s paper marks the first issue of The Herald for the 2023 calendar year and our first as the 133rd Editorial Board.

Winter break came and went quickly — and it’s been both exciting and nerve-wracking to prepare the office at 88 Benevolent St. for the year ahead. We’re ready for the countless hours to come working with our staff and cannot wait to see what this new chapter brings for The Herald, but most of all, we’re excited to serve you, our readers.

2023 promises major changes at Brown, in Providence and well beyond College Hill. On campus, teaching assistants in the computer science department will continue their unionization efforts while the University completes construction on two landmark projects, the Lindemann Performing Arts Center and the Brook Street Residence Halls.

In the meantime, Brown will continue to navigate its complex and evolving relationship with the city of Providence — renegotiating its Payment in Lieu of Taxes agreements — as the world of higher education awaits the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action this summer.

We can’t wait to see how our talented reporters, editors and multimedia staff engage with these stories and find ways to add insight and depth to the news, as our business staff continues to ensure we can do the work. We want to get better at meeting our readers where they are — not just in print, but in their inboxes and on our website. We’re excited to produce engaging data and multimedia projects and tell rich stories with the help of our podcast team.

We also hope to write stories that serve the public good, produce reporting that holds power to account and cover the news at the pace that it breaks. We’ve introduced Breaking@Brown — a newsletter that sends critical news to subscribers as it breaks — and we’re working on plenty of other stories and projects that we can’t wait to share with our readers soon.

We will also remain committed to ensuring that 88 Benevolent is an inclusive and comfortable environment for all our staff. In our engagement with the rest of campus, we hope to responsibly foster a meaningful discourse — while equitably and accurately covering our community.

Most importantly, we’re looking forward to working with our kind, relentlessly impressive and exceptionally talented staff, who will do the work that powers The Herald through this 132nd year. The work that lies ahead will not be easy, but it is a challenge that we look forward to facing.

Sincerely, The 133rd Editorial Board

Editors’ notes are written by The Herald’s 133rd Editorial Board: Will Kubzansky ’24, Katy Pickens ’24, Alex Nadirashvili ’24, Augustus Bayard ’24, Caleb Lazar ’24, Peter Swope ’24 and Kaitlyn Torres ’24.

Girl Gains provides welcoming space for women interested in weightlifting, training

COURTESY OF KATIE MACALLUM

Girl Gains uses a buddy system, pairing more experienced members with new gym-goers to create a welcoming and inclusive environment for women to work out, Katie MaCallum ’25 explained.

Heart, humor, horror: Top ten films in strong year for movie industry

Films from 2022 showcase intricate storytelling, emotional complexity

BY FINN KIRKPATRICK ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR

The year 2022 saw a strong lineup of films released. As award season comes and goes, it’s important to look back on the year and consider what great works made a lasting impact. Some new voices were brought front and center, and some old voices proved their continued relevance. Genres were bent, with stories about the complications of family particularly exceeding expectations. From a master swordsman who happens to be a talking cat to a depressed father trying to make the most out of his relationship with his daughter, these are the ten best films of 2022.

Honorable mentions go to “RRR,” “Triangle of Sadness” and “Nope” who, in a weaker year of movies, would easily slide into the top 10.

10. “Decision to Leave” (Park Chanwook)

A twisted romance between a detective and the suspect he’s investigating for a murder staged as a rock-climbing accident. Like most of director Park Chan-wook’s previous films, a perverse beauty lurks just below the surface of an atypical crime story. In this film, that beauty mostly comes from what might be the most stunning cinematography of the past year, which effortlessly conveys the distorted perspectives of the main characters of the film.

9. “Fresh” (Mimi Cave)

While far from the most polished film from the past year, “Fresh,” a horror-comedy starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Sebastian Stan, is one of the most entertaining. A rom-com setup goes awry when it turns out that the charming man’s true intentions are to kidnap the women he woos and use them for meat to send off to cannibals. The film shines in its ability to turn such a dark and twisted concept into a wildly fun and often hilarious ride that never takes itself too seriously, but always knows exactly what it’s doing.

8. “The Northman” (Robert Eggers)

All that needs to be said in order to really sell “The Northman” is that it’s a mystical viking rendition of Hamlet.

But underneath this flashy high-concept shell is an enthralling and beautifully shot narrative that displays the brutality of war in a manner equally awesome and horrifying. Though its high-octane thrills are relentless, they’re never so excessive that the movie becomes bland.

“The Northman” is a wild adventure that you would never want to be on, but absolutely love to watch.

7. “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” (Joel Crawford)

“Top Gun: Maverick” might have been the most lauded film about an aging hero coming to terms with the fact that their best days are behind them (while having to confront the most important mission of their career). But “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish,” also fits that description and is more impactful. Unlike the “Maverick” which relied far too heavily on worn-out tropes, this new adventure of the sword-wielding feline first seen in “Shrek 2” brings an enriching breath of fresh air into a franchise that so desperately needs it. The beautiful, hyper-stylized animation brings life to a children’s story that’s not afraid to ask big questions about life and death.

“Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is a surprisingly heartwarming film that is also just incredibly fun to watch.

6.

“TÁR” (Todd Field)

This eponymous film chronicles the fall of Lydia Tár, a fictional composer revered as the first female conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic. The film never leaves Tár’s sight, and the relationship the audience develops with her is strange. The film will initially leave you in awe of her musical brilliance, but from the very beginning there is a sense of darkness underneath — a darkness that slowly creeps into the main stage of the film and then completely envelops it. Behind it all is the captivating performance of Cate Blanchett, who fully embodies the gravitas that comes with a character like Lydia Tár. It’s often hard to be sucked into a movie entirely about a character that you hate, but “TÁR” gradually eases the viewer into the twisted world of this savant composer in such a way that it is impossible not to be entranced.

5. “Barbarian” (Zach Cregger)

A horror film for the ages that keeps the audience guessing at every moment and never disappoints with its resolutions, “Barbarian” is not necessarily unique in what it does but is

groundbreaking in the way that it does it. You’ll think you know exactly what this film is going to be in the first 30 minutes or so — and then comes a cut that changes absolutely everything. It’s after this moment that “Barbarian” finds its stride, blending jump scares with surrealist humor. The film isn’t so much a horror-comedy hybrid as it is simultaneously a horror movie and a comedy that, like an optical illusion, can flip back and forth with nothing more than a change of perspective.

4. “Broker” (Hirokazu Kore-eda)

Hirokazu Kore-eda, the Japanese master of family dramas, makes his first foray into the ever popular world of Korean cinema and just nails it. The story follows baby brokers — black market adoption agents who sell babies that have been abandoned — who get wrapped up in another crime that is just as serious as the one they are already committing. But leave it to Kore-eda to find a way to make this story about child abduction and murder an emotionally resonant and heartwarming tale about breaking free of familial traumas and learning to start anew. Powerhouse performances from leads Song Kang-ho and Lee Ji-eun are at the heart of the film and anchor it to something deeply human and powerful.

3. “Everything Everywhere All at Once” (Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert)

There’s nothing much about “Everything Everywhere All at Once” that hasn’t already been said, but it isn’t a bad thing to keep singing its praises. A film about laundry, taxes and kung fu has never hit on such a deep, emotional level before. As the title may suggest, a whole lot happens in this movie, and it’s happening in multiple vastly different dimensions — yet all the chaos is centered around a singular relationship between a mother and daughter. Everything from butt plugs, rocks and hot dogs for fingers are crammed into this movie, but miraculously, it all kind of makes sense and is all the better for it.

2. “The Banshees of Inisherin” (Martin McDonagh)

“The Banshees of Inisherin” is based around one very simple idea: What if two best friends break up because one of them decides he just no longer likes the other? In the strange, off-kiltered, semi-fictional Ireland that writer-director Martin McDonagh constructs, this idea is fleshed out to its fullest potential with a cast of characters that range from loveable to despicable. The film is the funniest of the year but is far more than just a comedy. It contains the best ensemble cast of the year with particular

ASHLEY CHOI / HERALD

standouts from Barry Keoghan and Kerry Condon, who effortlessly convey humor, hopelessness and everything in between. All of this, supported by some delectable Irish fiddle playing and a loveable donkey named Jenny, makes “The Banshees of Inisherin” come just shy of being the best movie of 2022.

1.

“Aftersun” (Charlotte Wells)

A film as much about what isn’t said as what is, “Aftersun” — the stunning debut from director Charlotte Wells — is a transcendent cinematic experience that sticks with you long after the credits roll. It’s far from a straightforward narrative, with the story of a father on vacation with his daughter told through fractured memories and salvaged home video footage. The film places you in the perspective of 11-year-old Sophie, played masterfully by newcomer Frankie Corrio, as she can’t quite make sense of the inner turmoil afflicting her father Calum, in a near-equally phenomenal performance from Paul Mescal. There’s not a shred of insincerity plaguing this film, with every emotional moment being painfully natural and every character seemingly snatched straight out of the real world. It’s the littlest moments, from an awkward karaoke performance to a game of pool, that all come together to form an emotionally haunting film that is far more than meets the eye.