Wednesday, January 29, 2020

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020

VOLUME CLV, ISSUE 6

UNIVERSITY NEWS

U. Professor asks NYT to correct 1619 project NYT Magazine declines to make changes despite joint letter from five history professors

TALIA MERMIN / HERALD

were aligned when they convened on the World Socialist Web Site, which first published each professor’s thoughts on the project separately.

The group of scholars then chose to collaborate in writing a letter to the editor, concerned that an institution with the scope of the New York Times

Goncalves ’13 MA ’15 runs for Ward 1 City Council

BY BEN GLICKMAN SENIOR STAFF WRITER John Goncalves’ ’13 MA’15 favorite lessons to teach to his fourth grade class at the Wheeler School are about civics and figures who have tried to make the world a better place — figures like Greta Thunberg, Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

In the interest of serving his community of 25 years, Goncalves is running for the Ward 1 City Council seat with a list of progressive policies focused on fixing public schools, environmental justice and equitable development. Ward 1 includes College Hill and parts of Fox Point, the Jewelry District and downtown

At Providence event, students rally for Sanders

BY OLIVIA GEORGE AND BEN POLLARD METRO EDITOR AND SENIOR STAFF WRITER

METRO

U. alum, teacher emphasizes educational reforms, environmental concerns

METRO

Rhode Island Students for Bernie brings guest speakers to Columbus Theatre

BY LIVIA GIMENES SENIOR STAFF WRITER Professor Emeritus of History Gordon Wood P’86 co-wrote a letter to the editor requesting a correction to the New York Times Magazine’s acclaimed 1619 Project with four other professors from different universities. In response, through a public letter, New York Times Magazine Editor-in-Chief Jake Silverstein defended the project’s reporting and declined to correct it.

The 1619 Project is an ongoing initiative that began last August with the purpose of reframing United States history by “placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of Black Americans at the very center of our national narrative,” according to the magazine. The project began as a special edition of the magazine comprising a series of 14 essays and a podcast, as well as a free curriculum package for middle and high schools.

Wood co-authored the letter with four other history professors from Texas State University, Princeton University and the City University of New York.

The professors realized their ideas

BROWNDAILYHERALD.COM

Providence.

A special election will be held on April 7 to fill the seat recently vacated by Seth Yurdin, representative of Ward 1 since 2006.

Goncalves is one of three Democrats who are running for the seat, along with Anthony Santurri and Nick Cicchitelli. No Republicans registered with the Providence Board of Canvassers by the Jan. 24 deadline, meaning the winner of the Democratic primary on March 3 will be the only candidate on the ballot in April.

Aside from teaching at the Wheeler School, Goncalves sits on the city council’s Special Committee for the Study of a Progressive Tiered Property Tax, tasked with researching property taxation in Providence.

Along with Santurri, Goncalves also co-founded the Providence Coalition of Neighborhood Associations, a union of over 20 neighborhood

SEE GONCALVES PAGE 3

was publishing a project the professors viewed as containing factual errors, according to Wood.

Wood said that if the project had included only the essays and podcast, the professors “wouldn’t have bothered”

SEE 1619 PAGE 2

Some students piled onto RIPTA buses; others braced the evening chill to walk or bike. More made the trip in cars from across southern Rhode Island or neighboring Massachusetts.

And yet, the large, diverse and passionate crowd that filed into the Columbus Theatre in downtown Providence Tuesday night for the Rhode Island Students for Bernie Kickoff Rally arrived driven by a similar message: This is not about one man — it is about a movement.

“When Bernie Sanders is in the White House,” said Linda Sarsour, one of the event’s guest speakers, drawing booming applause, “we are all in the White House.”

Sarsour, a political activist, author and Sanders surrogate offered impassioned words of support for Democratic candidate for president Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and his

decades-long career of fighting for the rights of marginalized people, while still insisting: “It’s not about me following Bernie Sanders, it’s about being a part of a political revolution.”

The event was organized by Rhode Island Students for Bernie, a volunteer-led, grassroots effort working to support Sen. Sanders’ presidential campaign.

Tuesday night’s crowd was a testament to Sanders’ ability to inspire and mobilize, said Jack Doughty ’22, a member of Brown Students for Bernie. “This is a symbol of what this movement means,” he said to the 200-person audience in the opening address of the night, “to our cities, our towns, our families, our country.”

Sanders has captured the support of young people and progressives in the Ocean State, receiving endorsements from the Sunrise Movement, the Democratic Socialists of America and a slew of current and former progressive politicians — among them Aaron Regunberg ’12, former state representative.

“As youth knowing that we are going to inherit a society, a political culture (and) a physical environment that is being decimated by corporate

SEE SANDERS PAGE 4

UNIVERSITY NEWS

OIED names new associate vice president Ryan J. Davis fills newly created position, hopes to uphold U. transparency

BY ROSE HOUGLET SENIOR STAFF WRITER Ryan J. Davis joined the University’s Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity in a newly-created position as associate vice president for institutional equity and diversity Jan. 13.

Davis’ new role at the University expands upon the previous responsibilities of the director of University inclusion programs, which is no longer listed as a staff position. Former Director of University Inclusion Programs Lynn Hernández left the University in August to pursue a position at the City University of New York School of Medicine as assistant dean for diversity and inclusion, wrote Vice President for Institutional Equity and Diversity Shontay Delalue in an email to The Herald.

COURTESY OF RYAN J. DAVIS

The Office of Institutional Equity and Diversity expands the purview of the Director of University Inclusion Programs position.

Davis “will bring his extensive knowledge of diversity and inclusion practices in higher education, his skills in conducting assessments, as well as

Metro

Commentary

News

State takes initiative in addressing opioid epidemic through video campaign Page 2

Schmidt ’21: U. clubs should be more mindful of privilege, inclusivity in selection process Page 6

National Labor Relations Board extends comment period for proposed grad unionization rule Back

a fresh set of eyes to assist OIED and Brown,” Delalue wrote.

SEE DAVIS PAGE 2

TODAY

TOMORROW

41 / 19

38 / 22

2

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020

METRO

DAVIS FROM PAGE 1

New video campaign aims to reduce youth opioid abuse Advertisements warn viewers that “opioid dependence can happen after just five days”

BY COREY GELB-BLICKNELL SENIOR STAFF WRITER In collaboration with the Rhode Island Department of Health, tobacco control organization Truth Initiative released an educational campaign aiming to inform young people of the severity of opioid addiction within the Ocean State.

The opioid epidemic, a national crisis, hits young people hard. One in five deaths of young adults were opioid-related in 2016, according to Truth Initiative’s CEO and President Robin Koval.

Brandon Marshall, associate professor of epidemiology at the University, noted that the opioid epidemic is particularly serious in Rhode Island. “(In 2013), we had one of the highest overdose fatality rates in the country,” Marshall said. He added that Rhode Island has since made progress, dropping to tenth highest in the nation in 2017.

The state collaboration with Truth Initiative aims to “present these typical examples that young people may find themselves in … and then let people know that if someone were to take opioids in that situation, they could get addicted in just five days. It’s that quick,” said Joseph Wendelken, the public information officer of the

1619 FROM PAGE 1 to write the letter. But Wood and the other four professors — cognizant of the great visibility of the New York Times — viewed their intention to distribute a curriculum based on the project in schools as “a mistake” because of its potential to misinform a wide audience, he explained.

“We are not opposed to the idea of teaching about slavery — that’s important,” Wood said. “But if you are going to have mistakes, major errors in the proposal, we would find that would be embarrassing for the Times.”

Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times Magazine reporter and architect of the project, said she was frustrated by the approach the professors took to criticize the project. She said that she was “not made aware” that their letter was being published, adding that it was sent to her bosses and not to Hannah-Jones directly. She said she felt “disappointed” that the professors “did not just reach out to us and ask for corrections” if they felt something was truly wrong with the project. Instead, by “circulating a letter and trying to get a lot of historians to sign on to it,” the professors were trying to do “something bigger” than correct mistakes, Hannah-Jones said.

In an interview with The Herald, Wood contended that there were three errors in Hannah-Jones’ first essay of the project, one of the essays that launched the project Aug. 14, 2019. First, he disagreed with Hannah-Jones’ claim that one of the primary reasons the colonists declared independence from Britian was “to

SUMMER ZHANG / HERALD

RIDOH. “Our hope is that we are empowering young people … (to) make decisions about what is best for them and their future,” he said.

Consisting of a four-part video series entitled “Best Day,” the campaign depicts fictional scenarios of what should be hopeful teenage milestones — but instead foreshadows the ways their lives will be affected by opioid addiction. In one advertisement, a young athlete speaks at his basketball team’s senior day. “Next year, I’m going to blow out my knee,” he says to his teammates and family in the video. “I’ll be prescribed opioid pain-

killers, and I’ll become addicted. In a few years, I’ll overdose from heroin.”

The campaign started running Jan. 15 in Rhode Island on television stations, as well as on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube, Koval said.

The series is part of Truth Initiative’s larger campaign, The Truth About Opioids, which has been active in Rhode Island since 2018.

Truth Initiative’s preliminary data on the larger campaign “showed it was actually working after just six months to start shifting young people’s attitudes significantly … (on) the risks of misusing opioids, as well as (the)

stigma” of reaching out to help people who are addicted, Koval said.

The partnership with Truth Initiative is just one part of Rhode Island’s plan to mitigate and eventually end the opioid crisis. Marshall, who focuses on substance use and abuse research, believes that Rhode Island is “not going to solve this problem with prevention alone or treatment alone,” he said. “It has to be part of a broader strategy that involves expanding access to treatment for people who are currently suffering from opioid addiction … (as well as implementing) harm reduction strategies.”

protect the institution of slavery.”

Wood said there was “no evidence whatsoever” in the essay to support this claim.

“I don’t know of any colonists who said they wanted independence in order to preserve their slaves,” Wood wrote in the letter to Silverstein.

Wood added that John Adams, whom he described as responsible for the Declaration of Independence, “hated slavery.”

Second, the letter stated that the project’s criticism of Abraham Lincoln’s views on slavery was “misleading.” The five professors wrote that the project “ignores (Lincoln’s) conviction that the Declaration of Independence proclaimed universal equality, for Blacks as well as whites” and ignores his agreement with Frederick Douglass that the Constitution was “a glorious liberty document.”

Third, Wood said that Hannah-Jones’ article fails to acknowledge the role that white abolitionists played in ending slavery.

“The whole abolition movement in the antebellum period was led by whites,” Wood said. “There needs to be some recognition of the white contribution to the movement which (Hannah-Jones) does not recognize.”

Hannah-Jones responded that this criticism by Wood and his colleagues amounted to disagreement with the project’s argument rather than a criticism of its factual accuracy. She said the professors were criticizing the project on the grounds that “we should have added more information or written something differently,” which she said differs from correcting

factual errors. “The third claim that I make in my essay is that Black people fought alone,” Hannah-Jones said, whereas the professors “want to point to the exception of white Americans who fought on behalf of Black civil rights, but that is not a factual claim.”

Hannah-Jones said the project was not meant to include every aspect of the history of slavery. Instead, it included the information relevant to the essay’s specific argument.

“Friedrick Douglass isn’t in this piece, Martin Luther King isn’t in this piece,” Hannah-Jones said. “It isn’t just white Americans and white contribution that isn’t in there; it was an essay stating four hundred years of history. I never intended it to be a comprehensive story of four hundred years of American history.”

Wood does not discredit the project and believes it should continue, but still regards the corrections noted in the letter as crucial.

Wood held that Hannah-Jones “should have consulted more people” in telling the project’s story.

Hannah-Jones said that she relied on the work of many scholars such as David Waldstreicher and Nicholas Guyatt to compile her claims.

“No historians have to agree with my interpretations, with the argument I am making,” Hannah-Jones said. To disagree with interpretation “is a normal part of historical debate, but I think the nature of (the professors’) effort is different” and more fundamental than a disagreement with argument, she added.

“When a historian writes ‘I wouldn’t have written that way,’ of

course, every person is going to write things in their own way, and I am a journalist, not a historian — and that is something quite different than accusing the project of basically making up facts.”

In a statement emailed to The Herald, several University History faculty applauded the project.

“Acknowledging slavery’s centrality in American history is an endeavor that has long been crucial to the History Department and to Brown University in general,” according to the statement by University professors, which included: Associate Professor of History and Director of Graduate Studies Linford Fisher; Associate Professor of History and Africana Studies Françoise Hamlin; Assistant Professor of History Emily Owens; Associate Professor of History Seth Rockman; Associate Professor of History Michael Vorenberg; and Professor of American History, Professor of History and Department Chair Robert Self.

“Historical interpretation has always been political, especially when it comes to who gets to tell the national story,” they wrote.

“This is an issue that ultimately comes back to access and inclusion in the university, in mass media and in public life. Some people have platforms to make their version of the past more ‘true’ than other people’s versions; some voices are marginalized. The 1619 Project is an effort to center the Black experience in the national past, and reflects the findings of several generations of deep, well-documented research in African American history.”

In his new position at the University, Davis hopes to uphold transparency by analyzing data from the recent campus climate survey and soliciting student feedback on the survey through town hall forums. Additionally, Davis plans to help host discussions about Phase II of the Pathways to Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan prior to its formal release later this spring.

Institutional diversity and inclusion work “operates best when it is … mission-driven, evidence-based, adaptable, scalable and collaborative,” Davis said, explaining his goals for his new role as associate vice president.

In 2010, Davis began his career in diversity and inclusion at the Gates Millennium Scholars Program — a scholarship and support program for minority students. During his time at the program, Davis collaborated with campus officials to support recipients and maintain a graduation rate of around 92 percent, he said.

After over three years with the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, Davis took a position as director of assessment and educational programs at Purdue University. In this role, Davis’ responsibilities included training academic departments, colleagues and administrative units on diversity and inclusion, he said.

Davis said that from his last two positions, he learned a lot about “the practical importance of institutional diversity and inclusion,” which he plans to implement in his work at Brown.

Davis’ past experience also includes teaching or co-teaching “undergraduate and graduate education courses” and leading “diversity and inclusion trainings and workshops for organizational leaders at leading universities and Fortune 100 companies,” according to a University press release.

Although Davis has almost six years of experience in higher education at Purdue, the University’s diversity and inclusion efforts differ from Purdue’s in organizational structure, accountability and transparency.

Structurally, Purdue’s Office of the Provost leads diversity and inclusion efforts, centering the work around academic life, Davis said. But at the University, this work occurs directly through the President’s leadership.

“This distinction is important because it enables more organic partnership lines across the entire cabinet, so every administrative and academic contour of the University administration is thinking and working with us,” Davis said.

The University is also particularly strong in accountability structures, partly due to its “breadth of boards, councils and committees,” Davis said.

He also praised the University for its transparency, noting that the University publishes demographic data on the OIED’s diversity dashboard. Departments also share their Departmental DIAPs with other academic and administrative units.

Davis called the University a “national frontrunner” in equity and diversity among colleges that are a part of the Association of American Universities, citing the University’s “comprehensive engagement” with departments, leadership from President Christina Paxson P’19 and an increase in faculty and graduate students from historically underrepresented groups.

He also lauded former President Ruth Simmons’ efforts to acknowledge the University’s connection to the Atlantic slave trade. “These efforts really set a precedent for many institutions to follow suit,” Davis said.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

3

COURTESY OF JOHN GONCALVES

Goncalves’ ’13 MA ’15 platform focuses on issues such as improving the Providence Public Schools, achieving environmental justice and practicing “smart development” of the city.

He also wants to create a new tax policy that shifts the financial burden off of average taxpayers and examines “the whole system in a deliberate and thoughtful way.”

GONCALVES FROM PAGE 1 groups around the city that focuses on solving common issues, like problems with snow removal and negligent landlords.

As a candidate, he emphasized addressing educational and environmental concerns.

Goncalves hopes to help the city’s most vulnerable residents by repairing Providence Public Schools. The state of Rhode Island took over PPS last year following a Johns Hopkins University report on poor conditions, The Herald previously reported.

But Goncalves believes that these issues are nothing new.

“We needed to fix this problem a long time ago,” he said. Goncalves says that it is most important to fix infrastructure so students feel “safe and secure,” and institute a “culturally competent” curriculum in schools, which would include greater representation of minorities.

In addition to elevating Providence Public Schools, Goncalves has made environmental justice one of his top

priorities. He committed to the Sunrise Movement’s Green New Deal pledge, a promise by public officials and candidates to support a federal Green New Deal.

Goncalves has emphasized the importance of environmental justice for residents of predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods in Providence.

He pointed out that Providence has the ninth highest rate of childhood asthma in the country, and that low-income residents and people of color are significantly more affected than their high-income and white counterparts.

While holding progressive educational and environmental views, Goncalves fought against a policy in June of last year that would have restructured the property tax system to shift more financial burden from the lower to the upper classes. Goncalves said the restructuring was too close to the release of Providence tax bills, which is also in June.

“Our fight was about process,” Goncalves said. “We knew that this was something that was well-intentioned, but when you try to change tax policy

literally a month before tax bills go out, you can have really dire consequences on the local economy.”

Goncalves also said that the policy placed a disproportionate tax burden on the East Side. He described the policy as “pitting neighborhoods against neighborhoods.”

“There are ways of helping the most vulnerable among us without further shifting the tax burden onto average taxpayers,” he said.

Instead, he said that new tax policy must examine “the whole system in a deliberate and thoughtful way.” Goncalves pointed out that the University and other colleges in Providence own huge amounts of property — over $1.1 billion in land, property and equipment, according to the University’s financial report for fiscal year 2018 — but are tax exempt. Although Goncalves does not propose a change to universities’ tax exemptions, he does believe that economists should examine all options for raising more tax revenue.

When considering policy, Goncalves says that it’s crucial to take into

account “systemic inequity” against people of color, and to be empathetic toward the city’s most vulnerable.

Development has been booming on the East Side in recent years, but development is not going to solve all of the city’s issues, Goncalves said. Instead, he said, it can create gentrification and hamper affordable housing.

Alternatively, Goncalves is in favor of what he calls “smart development,” which he defines as development that serves the entire community.

Goncalves says that his involvement in the community comes from his history in it. Along with attending Vartan Gregorian Elementary in Fox Point and the Wheeler School, he graduated with undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University.

“It’s a community that means the world to me,” Goncalves said. “We’re the campaign that really knows people in this community.”

People in Ward 1 know him, too.

Billy Rose has lived in Providence his entire life, and his wife Cindy moved here 38 years ago. They have known Goncalves all his life.

“He has always been an extraordinary child, and turned into an extraordinary adult,” Cindy Rose said.

“We always knew he was going somewhere,” Billy Rose said.

Shawn Andrews, a Fox Point resident, has known Goncalves since he was a child, and he believes Goncalves is the right person to represent the ward.

Some of Goncalves’ past causes have been popular with residents.

After the Gano Street exit off I-195 closed for construction in August 2018, Goncalves motivated a group of small businesses on the East Side to protest, arguing that the exit closure was hurting the local economy.

After the exit temporarily reopened in October of last year, his success garnered praise from residents.

Andrews, who thinks the exit should remain open indefinitely, likes that Goncalves fought for the East Side. So does Lauren Kelley, a nearly 20-year resident of Ward 1.

Kelley is happy to see new candidates vying for seats. “It’s so important that people run,” she said.

MEAL PLAN

changes

STEP ONE:

Choose a Meal Plan.

VIEW OPTIONS AT BROWN.EDU/FOOD

REMINDER:

T DAY THE LASEA L PLAN

TO MAKE M EDNESDAY, CHANGES IS W

FEB. 5!

• You can ADD a new Meal Plan at any time during the year • You can make one CHANGE per semester. The deadline for spring semester changes is Wednesday, Feb. 5 • Meal Plan CANCELLATIONS are not available during the spring

STEP TWO:

Let us help!

EMAIL DINING_SERVICES@BROWN.EDU OR CALL 863-3343 WITH QUESTIONS

• Changes may be made in person weekdays from 9:00AM to 4:00PM at the main Brown Dining office located at 144 Thayer Street (Sharpe Refectory).

4

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020

OLIVIA GEORGE / HERALD

The R.I. Students for Bernie kickoff rally attracted an audience of about 200 to the Columbus Theatre, where several guest speakers addressed supporters Tuesday night. Speakers included activist and author Linda Sarsour and President and Co-Executive Director of the Center for Popular Democracy Jennifer Epps-Addison.

SANDERS PAGE 4 greed,” Doughty told The Herald, “we have an obligation to fight against systems of oppression that are forcing us as a society into these corners.”

This was a theme that dominated the event: the importance of grassroots coalition-building in working toward a just and equitable society.

Jennifer Epps-Addison, another of the event’s guest speakers, is the president and co-executive director of the Center for Popular Democracy, an American advocacy group that promotes progressive politics. Her group endorsed Sanders early last month.

“There is a lot at stake,” Epps-Addison told the crowd. “But it is precisely because of the urgency of this moment that doing the hard work of movement-building becomes important.”

Epps-Addison spoke in lieu of Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, assistant professor of African American studies at Princeton, who was unable to attend the event due to illness.

“Real change is never going to come from within the halls of Congress,” said Ben Bienstock ’20, an organizer with Brown Students for Bernie.

“Bernie understands that the power should reside with working people,” he added, “and that real change can only happen when people join together in a mass movement and take inequality and aggression head on.”

Doughty emphasized the importance of involving students from universities across Rhode Island to achieve a network capable of winning an election. “We are using this event as an opportunity to build a network of student activists around the state to

elect Bernie Sanders president, and to deliver on leftist progressive policies,” said Doughty.

One of these policies that was brought up frequently during the event was “Medicare for All” which has become one of the key pillars of the Sanders campaign.

Ricky Zhong ’23, a member of Brown Students for Bernie, isolated Sanders’ health care policies like “Medicare for All” as one of the main sources of his support. “This is the third country I’ve lived in and I’ve seen a lot of things.

When I lived back in Canada we had universal health care. … The concept of medical bankruptcy is completely foreign to me.”

Tuesday’s event follows a kickoff rally for Sanders, also hosted at the Columbus Theatre, Jan. 11. The venue was provided free of charge. Admittance

was free but donations were collected to help offset the cost of the event.

The rally came less than a week before the Iowa caucuses, which will be held Feb. 3.

A CNN/SSRS poll released last week found Sanders leading former Vice President Joe Biden nationwide, 27 percent to 24 percent. Sanders won the 2016 Democratic primary in Rhode Island, garnering 54.7 percent of the vote and beating Hillary Clinton.

Regardless of Sanders’ recent gains in the polls, Sarsour believes it is still important for Bernie supporters to be fighting as hard as ever. “Winning is not enough,” said Sarsour. “We need a mandate.”

Despite the location of the event, the focus was not on the Rhode Island primary, at least not yet. Ocean State Democrats will head to the polls on

April 28 for the Rhode Island Democratic primary.

Before, during and after the event, organizers implored volunteers to sign up for canvassing in New Hampshire, which will hold its crucial Democratic primary election on Feb. 11. “We need people to get on buses,” Alex Gourevitch, assistant professor in the Department of Political Science, told the audience. “If not you,” he asked, “who?”

Some 100 people from the event signed up to knock on doors, Doughty told The Herald.

At the end of her address, Epps-Addison led the audience in a call and repeat chant which captured the vibrancy, conviction and urgency of many who spoke and attended: “We are unstoppable! Another world is possible!”

STAY UP-TO-DATE. FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK. FACEBOOK.COM/BROWNDAILYHERALD

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | TODAY

5

CA L E NDA R TODAY

JANUARY S

5

M

Tu

6

7

W

Th

F

S

1

2

3

4

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

S U D O KU

29

30

31

Navigating Change and Transition 9:00 A.M. South Street Landing

Swearer Center Summer Opportunities 12:00 P.M. CareerLab, 1st Floor

Common Good Internship & Job Fair 12:00 P.M. Sayles Hall

Midyear Activities Fair 6:00 P.M. Stephen Roberts ’62 Campus Center

TOMORROW Master of Public Affairs Information Session 12:00 P.M. Watson Institute

Brown Bag Series in Archaeology 12:00 P.M. Rhode Island Hall, 108

Peer Career Advising Open Hours 7:00 P.M. CareerLab, 3rd Floor

Meiklejohn Information Session 8:00 P.M. Salomon Center for Teaching, 203

Race, the Classics, and Democratic Theory - (POLS 1825G/CLAS 1825) Friday 3:00 5:30 Page-Robinson 402 Instructor: Ferris Lupino ferris_lupino@brown.edu - Counts for WRIT and DIAP credit

Why do so?

Many black political thinkers turn to ancient cultural narratives and concepts to arm contemporary struggles. Many of these very same concepts have been used to justify anti-black assumptions. To ponder this puzzle, this course will explore a series of black ‘classical receptions’ in which authors —including W.E.B. Du Bois, Ralph Ellison, and James Baldwin—take up key classical concepts and enrich and extend them in their critiques of the US racial order.

We will discuss this approach as well as the broader implications it has for democratic theory.

REGISTER NOW!!

Q U OTE OF TH E DAY

CR O S SWO R D

“There are ways of helping the most vulnerable among us without further shifting the tax burden onto average taxpayers.”

—John Goncalves SEE GONCALVES PAGE 1

S C O OP OF T H E DAY

TIFFANY DING / HERALD

Tired of swiping through dating apps like Tinder and Bumble? Make sure to check out Rhode Island Hall to find your little or big spoon this cuffing season.

6

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | COMMENTARY

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020

U. student organizations have room to be more inclusive RACHAEL SCHMIDT STAFF COLUMNIST

For people who have had plenty of success in high school, from college applications to scholarships, rejection from a student group can be a shock — especially in their first semesters at Brown. It might be surprising to learn that not all student groups at Brown are open to everyone.

Many clubs require an application process before becoming a member, after which some, but not all, make the cut. This is for a variety of reasons, including space and experience level.

Exclusivity in clubs at Brown is, in some cases, logistically unavoidable. Still, more effort should be funneled into including every person who is passionate about a student group. We should be mindful of why one person may be more qualified than another.

Some student-run organizations understandably need a vetting process based on the group’s objectives and missions. Clubs that interact directly with the Providence community or work with people of other identities and backgrounds need members who are culturally sensitive and care about more than stacking their resumes. In this instance, a screening process for applicants is a good use of selectivity in student organizations. Even so, awareness of power and privilege can be learned, and students can reapply and still later join the group once they have acquired this awareness through educating themselves.

Other types of student groups simply need caps, such as volunteer-based groups with a limited number of shifts that cannot accommodate as many members as there are applicants.

This limit may be further compounded when these clubs are related to the most popular concentrations at Brown, including Economics, Computer Science and Public Health. As stu-

“We can also do better to include students coming from all sorts of backgrounds and skill levels that want to be part of a community at Brown.”

dents apply in droves to bolster their resumes and gain experience in their fields, there will always be more qualified applicants than there are positions.

This competitive process is inevitable, but it provides a professional advantage for students that manage to get involved with a club earlier in the year, while rejected applicants may have to wait for the next recruiting season. A potential solution to this could be to accept all qualified applicants and have them serve in terms: half could have active roles in the fall semester and the other half could participate in the

SINCE 1891

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD Editorial Leadership Editor-in-Chief Colleen Cronin Managing Editors Sophie Culpepper Allie Reed Senior Editors Elise Ryan Alex Smolar post-magazine Editor-in-Chief Amanda Ngo

Sections Arts & Culture Editors Katherine Ok Emily Teng

Special Projects Coordinators Jacob Lockwood Melanie Pincus

Metro Editors Henry Dawson Olivia George Isabel Inadomi Maia Rosenfeld

Commentary Opinions Editors Jordan Allums James Flynn Krista Stapleford

News Editors Olivia Burdette Daniel Goldberg Li Goldstein Kayla Guo Kamran King Spencer Schultz

Editorial Page Board Amanda Brynn Riley Pestorius Vicky Phan Krista Stapleford Dylan Tian

Science & Research Editors Emilija Sagaityte Cate Ryan Sports Editor Ryan Handel

spring. The alternative of rejecting motivated students may discourage them from reapplying the following semester or year.

This does not have to be the only solution.

There are groups that need specific prospective members to apply because what they do requires some previous experience or demonstrated passion, like the Brown Debating Union

Multimedia/Production Design Editors Bilal Ismail Ahmed Keelin Lyons Head Photo Editors Rebecca Ho Victoria Yin

Copy Desk Chief Vicky Phan Illustrations Editor Summer Zhang Graphics Editor Usha Bhalla Immersive Editor Michael Bass Business General Managers Nicholas Fabrizio Mariel Jackson Office Manager Diane Silvia Directors Rey Blandon Shreya Das Arman Lateef Michael Wang

@the_herald

facebook.com/browndailyherald

@browndailyherald

youtube.com/browndailyherald

195 Angell St., Providence, RI (401) 351-3372 www.browndailyherald.com Editorial: herald@browndailyherald.com Advertising: advertising@browndailyherald.com

or the University’s many a capella groups. An application or audition process makes sense, as these organizations are nationally competitive and need some of the best among Brown’s student body to advance their rankings and prestige. However, we must recognize that having experience in some of these activities can be based on privilege and access to resources in high school. Some Brown students may not have had the chance to hone these skills previously. Even with the strongest enthusiasm, an applicant may not be considered based on lack of experience alone. Some consideration should

be given to eagerness to learn.

On the other hand, it is true that for many students at Brown who had great success in their high school careers and earlier endeavors, not getting into clubs can be a rewarding experience. It can prepare people for the inevitable rejection that comes with applying to summer opportunities, jobs, post-baccalaureate education and beyond. Rejection from internships and job opportunities, and even student-run organizations on campus, should be normalized in a competitive environment like Brown where imposter syndrome can make simple “no’s” feel like the end of the world. But we can also do better to include students coming from all sorts of backgrounds and skill levels that want to be part of a community at Brown. There should be a comprehensive list of fulfilling groups on campus that are looking to take students from all years and degrees of experience. An organized list of the most accessible University groups would be a fantastic first point of reference for all students seeking an inclusive space, especially for first-year students. Groups that take people with no experience are doing great work in turning the culture of exclusivity into one of inclusivity. Still, there is more work to be done in making sure everyone has a place at Brown and feels like a part of a community on campus.

Rachael Schmidt ’21 can be reached at rachael_schmidt@brown.edu. Please send responses to this opinion to letters@browndailyherald.com and op-eds to opinions@ browndailyherald.com.

Submissions: The Brown Daily Herald publishes submissions in the form of op-eds and letters to the editor. Op-eds are typically between 750 and 1000 words, though we will consider submissions between 500 and 1200 words. Letters to the editor should be around 250 words. While letters to the editor respond to an article or column that has appeared in The Herald, op-eds usually prompt new discussions on campus or frame new arguments about current discourse.

All submissions to The Herald cannot have been previously published elsewhere (in print or online — including personal blogs and social media), and they must be exclusive to The Herald.

Submissions must include no more than two individual authors. If there are more than two original authors, The Herald can acknowledge the authors in a statement at the end of the letter or op-ed, but the byline can only include up to two names. The Herald will not publish submissions authored by groups. The Herald does not publish anonymous submissions. If you feel your circumstances prevent you from submitting an op-ed or letter with your name, please email herald@browndailyherald.com to explain your situation.

You can submit op-eds to opinions@browndailyherald.com and letters to letters@browndailyherald. com. When you email your submission, please include (1) your full name, (2) an evening or mobile phone number in case your submission is chosen for publication and (3) any affiliation with Brown University or any institution or organization relevant to the content of your submission.

Please send in submissions at least 24 hours in advance of your desired publication date. The Herald only publishes submissions while it is in print. The Herald reserves the right to edit all submissions.

If your piece is considered for publication, an editor will contact you to discuss potential changes to your submission.

Commentary: The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only.

Corrections: The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Postmaster: Please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906.

Advertising: The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. is a financially independent, nonprofit media organization bringing you The Brown Daily Herald, BlogDailyHerald and Post- Magazine. The Brown Daily Herald has served the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during Orientation by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. Subscription prices: $200 one year daily, $100 one semester daily.

Copyright 2019 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

7

8

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD | NEWS

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2020

UNIVERSITY NEWS

NLRB extends deadline on proposed graduate student unionization rule Collective bargaining negotiations between University, SUGSE, AFT, ongoing, uncertain

have been ongoing.

According to a pre-election agreement signed June 2018 by the University, SUGSE and its union affiliate — the American Federation of Teachers — the University would have “no further obligations to the union” if

the University ultimately met with SUGSE representatives on Jan. 9.

Ramamurthy said the University cited the fact that the head of its bargaining team was taking parental leave, among other obligations that prevented University bargaining team

Rachael Schmidt

gaining position.

Ramamurthy said members of SUGSE’s bargaining team “do this for free” and attend meetings “interchangeably all the time.”

University Spokesperson Brian Clark wrote in an email to The Herald

(them) some security” with respect to the potential NLRB ruling against unionization, but the University has not done so, Ramamurthy said.

Clark did not indicate whether the University would continue negotiations with SUGSE should the NLRB

BY KAMRAN KING UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR Tuesday, the National Labor Relations Board extended the deadline to submit comments on a proposed rule which would prevent graduate students from being classified as workers. By reclassifying the relationship between universities and graduate students as primarily academic, rather than primarily business-related, the proposed rule would remove the obligation of private universities to recognize graduate student unions.

This is the third in a series of such extensions the NLRB has allowed since it first proposed the rule on Sept. 20, 2019. The NLRB has extended the time for public comments by one month, to Feb. 28, 2020, though future extensions are still possible. The NLRB must reply to all comments before it can decide whether or not to institute the proposed rule.

The rule should “obtain maximum input on this issue from the public, and then … bring stability to this important area of federal labor law,” according to the NLRB press release on the initial ruling.

The NLRB’s stance on graduate students’ classification as workers has flipped three times since it first ruled on the matter in 2000. The NLRB board tends to vary with the Commander-in-Chief’s political leanings, since the President of the United States appoints NLRB members to five-year terms on a rolling basis.

Against the backdrop of continued review by the NLRB, contract negotiations between Stand Up for Graduate Student Employees and the University

CAROLINE DAI / HERALD

the rule were to take force before the University and the union reached a collective bargaining agreement, The Herald previously reported. But the University would not be prevented from recognizing a graduate student union, should it still choose to do so.

Rithika Ramamurthy GS, one of SUGSE’s bargaining committee cochairs, said that following a meeting Dec. 3, the University informed SUGSE it could not come to the table for further meetings until late January. But

members from meeting earlier. “It’s a little ironic that one person’s labor rights are being invoked to suspend the contractual fate of (2,584) graduate students … We’re hearing that these reasons are enough to suspend proceedings for what we think is too long of a time, and obviously the reason for that pressure is the NLRB ruling.”

The looming NLRB ruling could incentivize SUGSE to reach an agreement quickly, weakening their bar-

that “our sessions have been highly productive — to date, we’ve reached tentative agreements on a number of significant provisions important both to graduate students and to the University.”

Ramamurthy said that SUGSE requested confirmation from the University that it would continue to bargain in good faith even if the NLRB ruling allowed the University to cease negotiations. The bargaining committee hoped the University would “give

ruling exempt them from their obligation to do so.

“The University remains committed to bargaining in good faith and will continue to do so while the NLRB’s ongoing rule-making process remains underway,” Clark wrote.

“Between semesters, the Brown and SUGSE/AFT teams continued to meet for negotiations in January. Additional sessions are taking place this week, and a number are scheduled for February.”