Monday, February 11, 2013

Daily

Herald

THE BROWN

vol. cxlviii, no. 14

INSIDE

Page 4

Tour-nados

Six students to lead tours at RISD Museum Page 7

Privilege point Black ’12 says privileged opinions should be ignored Page 8

Dream teams Club teams aspire for recognition for successes

TODAY

47 / 32

TOMORROW

43 / 25

since 1891

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

Winter Storm Nemo whips across campus In the flurry of student excitement over snow, U. staffers worked overtime and stayed on campus

By RACHEL MARGOLIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Winter Storm Nemo dwindled to a close Saturday afternoon after covering Providence in about a foot and a half of snow. The University weathered the storm, with staff members initating campus-wide recovery efforts.

The snow began around 9 a.m. Friday morning, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association.

The snow and fog thickened in the evening, causing power outages and winds reaching speeds as severe as 52 mph.

Service response coordinators were hard at work around the clock to keep the campus “safe and operational” over the weekend, said Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations. / / Nemo page 5

EMILY GILBERT / HERALD

As the winter storm hit campus, students enjoyed the time off from classes Friday through snowball fights, skiing, snowboarding and sledding on trays from the dining halls.

Divest Coal targets Corp., rallies on Main Green Snowfall Students gathered in the snow to urge Brown to divest from fossil fuel companies Friday

By KATHERINE CUSUMANO SENIOR STAFF WRITER

LYDIA YAMAGUCHI / HERALD

Despite weather conditions, around 90 students gathered on the Main Green to bring the Corporation’s attention to the Divest Coal campaign.

Members of Brown Divest Coal and the campus community took to the Main Green Friday morning to rally against the University’s alleged fossil fuel investments. The rally was planned to coincide with the Corporation meeting originally scheduled to take place that day, said Emily Kirkland ’13, one of the group’s student organizers.

As snow began to fall, the protesters chanted the slogans “Brown take action, stop extraction!” and “Look around, it’s sleeting, the Corpora-

tion’s meeting, the world is overheating — divest now!”

“We wanted (the Corporation members) to literally hear us,” said Nathan Bishop ’13, a member of Brown Divest Coal.

Speakers — including members of the campaign — discussed reasons for the University to divest from coal companies, which have appalling environmental and worker safety practices, Kirkland said.

The turnout was somewhat lower than anticipated, which Kirkland attributed to the early time, 10 a.m., and the impending blizzard. She said she was still impressed by the 80 to 90 students who attended the protest, which aimed to “demonstrate the depth of our students’ support.”

Visiting Assistant Professor in Environmental Studies Professor Dawn King / / Coal page 2

R.I. universities weather storm complications

Students at schools around the state navigated power outages and snowed-in roads

By ELIZABETH KOH FEATURES EDITOR

Except for occasional sledding injuries and brief power outages, many Brown students escaped unscathed from Winter Storm Nemo this weekend. But other universities in Rhode Island, especially those with large commuter populations, are still feeling the fallout from the storm.

FEATURE

Blast from the past These challenges are not new — though Winter Storm Nemo left about 20 inches of snow in its wake, the Blizzard of ’78 left more than 28 inches of

snow, 11,800 homes and business without power in Rhode Island and over 9,000 people in shelters.

“We never thought it was going to be as bad as it was,” said University of Rhode Island graduate Mark Petteruti, who was a sophomore living on the URI campus when the Blizzard of ’78 hit on a Monday and closed the campus for a week.

“The cafeterias started to get depleted on food because there was no way for trucks to get to campus,” he said.

Dining workers got creative and “made unusual kinds of dinners,” Petteruti said. “When it got really low, they were serving canned food.”

The National Guard even delivered food by helicopter to the roof of the cafeteria building, he said. “We thought that was unbelievable.”

But snowed-in URI students found ways to stay entertained, Petteruti said.

“They had all these events building snowmen and / / Storm page 3

EVAN THOMAS / HERALD

Winter Storm Nemo took its toll all across Providence, leaving about a foot and a half of snow and causing school closures across the state.

causes statewide disruption Transportation was suspended and over 176,000 R.I. residents were left without power

By EMILY BONEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Winter Storm Nemo blew through Rhode Island starting Friday morning and into Saturday, burying parts of the state in upwards of two feet of snow. The ‘blizzicane’ is the fifth worst winter storm New England has seen in a century.

Local medical provider Lifespan reported 282 hospitalizations related to the blizzard, stemming from causes such as shoveling and motor vehicle accidents, according to WPRI. Power outages affected 14.5 percent of the states’ population — nearly all homes and businesses in Newport and Bristol lost power — but most of the outages were in Providence county, according to the National Grid’s website. After more than 9,000 Providence homes lost power during the storm, only about 200 were still waiting for power to be restored as of yesterday evening, Mayor Angel Taveras tweeted, with over 176,000 outages statewide, according to Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 P’16.

Chafee declared a state of emergency in Rhode Island Friday. Shelters opened across the state Feb. 8 and 9, offering warmth to those without electricity. The most snowfall recorded during Nemo in the state was in West Glochester, which received 27.6 inches.

Travel was / / Snow page 4

2 university news C ALENDAR TODAY

FEBRUARY 11

5:30 P.M.

TOMORROW

/ / Coal page 1 FEBRUARY 12

2:30 P.M. Ethics Night

Poet Rosemarie Waldrop Reading

222 Richmond Street, Room 170

McCormack Family Theater

8 P.M.

7 P.M.

Discussion on Immigration Reform

“The People’s Crisis” Screening

Wilson Hall, Room 203

Smith-Bunoanno, Room G18

MENU SHARPE REFECTORY

VERNEY-WOOLLEY

LUNCH Chicken, Mushroom and Gouda Calzone, Broccoli, Veggie Gnocchi, White Chocolate Chip Cookies

French Bread Plain or Pepperoni Pizza, Curly Fries, Green Beans with Tomatoes, Mediterranean Bar

DINNER Tilapia with P r ove n c a l e, Mediterranean Couscous, Arabian Spinach, Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Grilled Boneless Porkchops, Toasted Ravioli with Italian Salsa, Peas Francaise, Spiced Pear Cupcakes

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

was also in attendance. She said she acts as an informal faculty adviser to Brown Divest Coal and joins rallies as a speaker and to support students, many of whom she has taught.

The rally attendees did not interact with the Corporation, though Provost Mark Schlissel P’15 made an appearance at the end of the meeting, Kirkland said.

Schlissel said he spoke briefly with two student members of the group, who handed him a letter outlining the group’s demands, including a call to the University to “commit to addressing the remaining fossil fuel investments it holds,” according to the letter.

“The goal is to hurt these companies,” King said, adding that amid national discussions about renewable energy, it is impossible to address questions of sustainability until society moves away from fossil fuels.

The Corporation meeting began at 7:30 a.m. and ended just before 9:30 a.m., Schlissel said. He said he first became aware of the rally while working in his office after the Corporation session ended, at which time most of its members had dispersed.

Students were screaming and yelling, “but also engaging people respectfully,” Schlissel said.

“We had a lot of volume,” said James Stomber ’15, who also attended last semester’s Divest Coal rally and added that “this (rally) felt a lot more serious.”

The University has never explicitly acknowledged any investments in coal companies, but interactions between Brown Divest Coal and President Christina Paxson have indicated that the University does have connections with these companies, Kirkland said.

The details of the University’s investments are not released to the general public, but Kirkland said the University has said it has an “energy portfolio.”

“Their lack of response is a very, very clear sign,” said Kristy Choi ’15, a student organizer.

At the beginning of November, the group presented to the Advisory

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

Committee on Corporate Responsibility in Investment Policies — a University organization that presents diverse campus recommendations about ethical investments of the endowment — asking them to recommend the University divest from the coal industry. This is the only method the University offers as a way to make campus voices heard by the Corporation, Bishop said.

Members of ACCRIP have demonstrated support for Divest Coal’s cause. The group expects ACCRIP to release a letter of recommendation within about a week, Choi said.

“The rally really hopes to put the pressure on ACCRIP and the Corporation more generally,” Kirkland said.

Schlissel said that did not recall a formal item about coal or ACCRIP on the Corporation meeting agenda, adding that the Corporation’s upcoming conference call will focus on more time-sensitive issues.

After ACCRIP provides its statement, Divest Coal plans to continue to encourage Paxson and the Corporation to carry out the recommendation, Choi said.

The University has previously agreed to divest in tobacco, Darfur and HEI Hotels following recommendations by ACCRIP, Kirkland said.

Brown Divest Coal has been collecting signatures for its online petition since its inception in September, Kirkland said, adding that the group held a “dorm storm” in Grad Center Thursday night to provide information to students about ways to guide the University toward cleaner investment practices.

“Most schools, like Brown, are not transparent about their endowment,” Kirkland said.

Brown Divest Coal is part of a larger national movement — involving over 230 campuses — which aims to pressure administrations to divest from fossil fuel companies. The organizations at two small schools, Sterling College and Unity College, have succeeding in convincing their institutions to divest, Choi said.

“It’s not healthy, it’s not safe, and it’s not an economically viable investment,” Choi said.

www.browndailyherald.com 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. Shefali Luthra, President Samuel Plotner, Treasurer Lucy Feldman, Vice President Julia Kuwahara, Secretary The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving 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.

POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906.

Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily.

Copyright 2013 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

EDITORIAL

(401) 351-3372 herald@browndailyherald.com

BUSINESS

(401) 351-3260 gm@browndailyherald.com

/ / Club page 8 Frisbee Brownian Motion, the men’s frisbee team, won national championships in 2000 and 2005, but over the past few years, has not been as successful. Austin Mertz ’14, who has been on the team since his first year at Brown, said the club is now “sort of in the rebuilding phase.”

The team, Mertz said, wants to find its way back to its earlier success, though it also has more moderate dreams.

“I think the goal is always to get back to nationals and reclaim our rightful place atop the college rankings,” Mertz said. “But I guess making it to sectionals and winning sectionals and doing well in regionals is a fairly consistent annual goal.”

Matt Barnes ’13, a member of Brownian Motion’s “A” squad, said although he feels the team is “fairly wellknown” on campus, he thinks it does not get the same recognition varsity teams do. Members of the “A” squad dedicate 15 to 20 hours to their sport each week over six days, in addition to extra time spent in the weight room, Barnes said.

He added that it would be a good thing for students to realize club athletes play at a high level. Just because club athletes do not have a varsity label “doesn’t make them any less of a team or any less of a sport, ” Barnes said.

Similar to the men’s squad, the women’s team — Disco Inferno — is not in the midst of its most successful season, said Aimie Kawai ’14, who has been on the squad for three years. But Kawai added that the University has increased the team’s funding in recent years. Though the team must still fundraise on its own — similar to other club sports at Brown — the University pays for most of its expenses, Kawai said.

This season, the team’s goals are to do well at regionals and to improve its “cohesiveness,” she said.

SPORTS

Sailing Brown has both a co-ed and a women’s sailing team, each of which is ranked in the top 10 nationally. The team had a successful season last year and competed in all three of the national championship events — women’s, team racing and fleet racing. Tommy Fink ’13, a former captain, said the team’s goal for this season is to qualify for all three nationals again. The team thinks it has a “good chance” to win at least one of the three events, Fink said.

Though sailing is a club sport, its funding, much of which comes from the University, is on par with other squads across the country, Fink said. “The teams that have more funding and more support tend to do better,” he added.

The team practices in Cranston four times a week for between three and four hours each day.

“We’re all really good friends,” Fink said. “Within our team, you have a microcosm of the University. And it’s really cool to see all those interests try to come together and compete as one unit.”

Similar to the other club athletes, Fink said he believes his team does not compete for recognition and while the team’s members would “be excited if more people knew about” their achievements, the sailing team is fine with the amount of attention it currently has.

“I don’t necessarily think we’re looking for more recognition from the student body,” Fink said. “We enjoy what we do and we think it’s really cool.”

features 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

/ / Storm page 1 huge sculptures.”

Flaking out Some universities around the state continue to address storm issues.

URI saw power outages in some of its buildings Saturday, including its fraternity houses. On Saturday night, URI issued a mandatory evacuation of all fraternity residents to the Ryan Center, URI’s main concert venue, which opened for all on-campus students without heat and power. The Greek buildings — located in a region of the URI campus called Fraternity Circle — are maintained by National Grid, an electrical company. Other buildings on campus are maintained by the university itself, according to URI’s website.

But the university-mandated evacuation was hasty and ill-timed for many Fraternity Circle residents, said Alyssa Jessers, a senior at URI and member of Beta Tau Alpha sorority.

“Around 10 p.m. last night (fraternity students) were told they had 10 minutes to get medicine and clothes because they were being evacuated,” she said. “Ten minutes isn’t really a lot of time when you have to pack for something like this.”

Frustrated students and parents turned to the URI Facebook page during the weekend, posting dozens of angry comments on the university’s status updates throughout the weekend.

The majority of URI upperclassmen live off campus, Jessers said, and many commute from home. Many of the angry comments came from those commuters, some of whom cited previ-

ous problems with emergency management when Hurricane Sandy hit last semester. Other comments were from students who complained they had no heat, power or food and worried they would still be expected to attend class Monday.

“My neighborhood hasn’t even been plowed,” one commenter wrote on Facebook. “I can’t even leave my powerless and heatless house. I couldn’t get to class if I tried.”

Jessers, who lives off campus in Narragansett, R.I., said she and her friends were forced to sleep over at a friend’s house Saturday night when her power and heat went out. She said she planned to spend Sunday night at a hotel to stay warm.

“It’s not very pleasant,” she said.

URI allowed students to return to their buildings Sunday night and canceled classes Monday, though students reported Sunday that Fraternity Circle had not regained power.

“I’m relieved that classes are canceled for tomorrow,” said Kathleen Orlando, a URI junior.

As a student living off campus, Orlando was stranded in her house without power or heat when she was snowed in, and her streets remained unplowed during her attempts to dig out her car, she said. Orlando’s parents eventually traveled from Concord, Mass. to pick her up from Narragansett.

“It’s definitely nice to know I have more time to get back there,” she said.

A flurry of problems Johnson and Wales University closed Friday through Monday for Winter Storm Nemo, canceling classes and labs

and shutting down most operations.

“We’ve just been kind of snowed in the whole time,” said Denise Spooner, a JWU senior.

Power went out in the first-year dorms on campus, prompting the university to open libraries and the culinary building for common use, Spooner said.

The university provided “complimentary breakfast in the culinary building, and they’ve been offering movies,” she added.

A student in the culinary school, Spooner said the closing also meant Sunday culinary labs were canceled, complicating exams for students. The university runs on a trimester system and finals begin Feb. 18.

“It’s our last week of classes,” Spooner said. “If we have to make (lab) up, we have to make it up next week.”

“It’s going to be more inconvenient than anything,” she added.

Juliana Granato, a sophomore at Providence College, said she took few extra precautions for the storm.

“We had a lot of food in my room already,” she said. During the blizzard, Granato said she spent the time “hanging out with my friends.”

PC, which resumes class today, saw power “flicker in a couple of dorms,” but Granato said she was not worried about long-term adverse effects of the blizzard.

Plowing through Though students at PC are resuming school, those at JWU and URI are using the additional day to get back on their feet.

“Students have to get their work done,” said Stephanie Cinque, a JWU senior, but she added that the adminis-

tration is updating students in a timely fashion.

“They do a really good job of letting us know what is going on,” she said.

Students at URI said they want more time to recover.

“We don’t have water for showers, we don’t have Internet to do homework, we don’t have heat to stay warm,” Jessers said. She expressed relief at classes being delayed. “No one’s really ready to go back.”

Though Orlando said she is not “too concerned about having to catch up on work,” she is concerned about missing class time. Still, she said the decision to cancel classes was “appropriate.”

“They let us know (about canceling classes) early enough,” she said. “It could have been worse.”

Top Providence Snowstorms, 1905-2012 1.

28.6” Feb. 6-7, 1978

2.

23.4” Jan. 22-23, 2005

3.

22.8” Jan. 7-8, 1996

4.

18.9” Feb. 14-16, 1962

5.

18.3” Feb. 4, 1996

6.

18.0” Mar. 31-Apr. 1, 1997

7.

17.7” Mar. 3-5, 1960

8.

17.0” Dec. 5-7, 2003

9.

16.0” Dec. 19-20, 2009 16.0” Jan. 27-29, 1943

10.

15.9” Feb. 24-27, 1969 Source: Right Weather.

GREG JORDAN-DETAMORE / HERALD

4 arts and culture

Six U. students join RISD museum tour program Brown students will join the Gallery Lecturers Program as tour guides next month

By SARAH SACHS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Next month, visitors to the Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design will be able to glean a unique insight into the world of art with specialized tours led by a new group of student tour guides.

Each year, the museum invites college students from Providence to join its Gallery Lecturers Program, which started in 2010. This semester, eight new students — six of whom are from Brown — will be joining the program, and tours will start March 4.

After they learn about the museum’s collection, program participants will lead 30-minute tours Thursday nights at 7 p.m. Students design tours based on their own interests and centered around three or four objects they choose from the collection.

“It’s a focused tour,” said Deborah Wilde, associate educator for academic programs at the museum, adding that the program is modeled after one at the Yale University Art Gallery.

After an extensive interview process, students undergo four months of training. During the training period, curators, guest lecturers and museum employees teach the students about topics including the process of making art and techniques for displaying it well. A favorite exercise among students involved “deep looking,” an activity in which trainees spent over an hour viewing a single abstract paint-

ing before discussing the intent behind each aspect of the piece, said Katie Bommarito ’15, a tour guide trainee.

To design their tours, students are given access to all of the museum’s curatorial files. Students perform intensive research and are expected to become experts on their chosen pieces.

“A lot of these objects have amazing backstories,” said Kathryn Howley GS, who is earning her PhD in Egyptology and has been part of the program for three years. By engaging in deeper research, students often discover interesting narratives about their objects which have been omitted from the displays.

“Display labels aren’t 15,000 words. I find people really like to hear these stories but would never read them,” Howley added.

Bommarito said her tour is centered on the Andy Warhol silkscreen “Race Riot.” The silkscreen depicts a white po-

liceman and his dog attacking a black man while members of the crowd around them look into the distance.

“We don’t know what they see,” Bommarito said. “But it begs the question of what could possibly be more interesting.”

Bommarito said she plans to use this image to segue into a discussion about the concept of cropping. “If you take a fragment of something and make it into a piece of art, how does that change how you perceive it?”

All student tours are free and open to the public. “It’s a chance for our public to understand how students use and view the museum — it’s part of their intellectual process,” Wilde said. Several participants said engaging with museum-goers is their favorite part of the program.

Anna Gasha ’15 said she plans to focus her tour on how two-dimensional artwork depicts three-dimensional architecture. “People see art as a very bourgeois thing,” Gasha said. “But I like the idea of making it more approachable.”

Rebecca Szantyr GS said she still gets excited after every tour. “It’s a little bit of a high that I get after people had a great experience,” she added. “I’m always touched that they decided to come and enjoy it and were willing to learn.”

People often think “museums just put the art there,” said Tanya Olson ’14. “But there’s so much thought put into how to educate people. And I get to do that.”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

/ / Snow page 1 at a standstill in Massachusetts and Rhode Island for most of Friday and Saturday. Those caught driving during the storm would have faced fines of up to $500 and a year in prison. Airports shut down across the Northeast, including T. F. Green and Boston’s Logan Airport. Amtrak stations across the Northeast cancelled service for a majority of the weekend but are beginning to open up limited service as the tracks are cleared. The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority offered limited service yesterday and is expected to return to full service today, though with “significant delays,” according to the organization’s website.

The Rhode Island Public Transit Authority will resume service today, though at least 20 lines will be rerouted and riders should expect delays, according to the organization’s website.

Chafee spent six hours touring the state and assessing damage Saturday, visiting shelters and the National Grid headquarters, the Providence Journal reported.

“We’re hoping to get the city fully operational by Monday morning,” Taveras said in an interview with the Providence Journal, adding that all of the city’s power should be back on by today. Chafee lifted the travel ban Saturday afternoon. / / Snow page 5 Trash col-

CITY & STATE

university news 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

EVAN THOMAS / HERALD

LYDIA YAMAGUCHI / HERALD

Winter Storm Nemo blanketed campus this weekend, requiring extensive cleanup from University staff members to clear the snow.

Students took advantage of the heavy snowfall to go sledding on the Main Green using Sharpe Refectory trays.

/ / Nemo page 1

“A lot of people have been above and beyond in terms of trying to do the best they can under difficult circumstances,” said Executive Vice President for Planning and Policy Russell Carey ’91 MA ’06, noting that many staff members had to deal with the storm “personally as well as professionally.”

The storm was especially difficult to manage because “there was a lot of accumulation (of snow) in a short amount of time, particularly combined with the wind,” he said. The volume of snow was so great that tractors and trucks had to be employed to cart it away, he added.

As of about noon Sunday, Quinn said, the ground crew had completed

Twenty Facilities Management grounds staff members “worked tirelessly” to clear the snow from 3:30 p.m. Friday until midnight, when whiteout conditions set in, Quinn said. After a few hours of sleep in University housing, they resumed their work from 4:30 a.m. to Saturday afternoon. Meanwhile, custodial staff members cleared off stairways and entryways.

Dining Services employees also worked through the hazardous conditions. The Sharpe Refectory opened its doors to all students Saturday night, including those off meal plan. While the Ratty serves 1,500 students on a normal Saturday, Quinn said, it accommodated double that number the night after the storm — and all with a reduced staff.

Students showed their gratitude to staff members by presenting them with cards and posters signed with messages of thanks.

“They’re buoyed in their spirit because they’re so appreciated,” Quinn said.

While most businesses on Thayer Street closed over the weekend, a few venues remained open through the storm, including Antonio’s Pizza.

“I knew you kids would be hungry, so it was kind of an easy decision,” said Ed Ramos, the restaurant’s manager.

After closing Friday night, he returned in the morning with a “skeleton” workforce of four employees — hardly enough for the rush of grateful customers, he said.

“I did expect business, but nothing like that. I did not anticipate the kind of rush we saw yesterday,” he said. “My cooks were constantly making pizzas for seven hours straight.”

Despite the intensity of the experience, Ramos — who said he likes to keep himself busy — described it as “a lot of fun.”

Many students seized the opportunity to enjoy the snow. On the Main Green and elsewhere on campus, they threw snowballs, built snowmen, climbed snowbanks and searched for inclines to sled or ski down.

“It is my understanding that a number of trays are missing from the dining hall,” Quinn said.

Ed Backlund ’13, emerging from a hollowed-out snowbank on the Main Green, said he spent two and a half hours helping to build one of the nearby snow forts, adding that his education as a civil engineer was of limited use in the endeavor.

“We didn’t learn about igloos in engineering,” he said.

Other students were less enthusiastic about the weather. Shubh Agrawal ’15, a co-director of student dance team Badmaash, said the group’s only competition of the year was canceled due to the storm.

Though the team was “pretty disappointed,” they managed to enjoy the snow, Agrawal said.

The opening night of the Production Workshop’s “Equus” was also canceled Friday.

“It’s hard because a lot of people aren’t coming out because of the snow,”

GREG JORDAN-DETAMORE / HERALD

Eighteen inches of snow blanketed campus, foiling transportation efforts but creating a wintry playground for Brown students to enjoy.

/ / Snow page 4 lection was also affected and garbage will not be picked up today in Providence due to poor road conditions, according to a press release from city trash collection officials. A city-wide

parking ban will remain in effect today.

The Providence Public School District will also remain closed today.

The most snow that ever fell on Rhode Island in a 24 hour period was in 1978, when it snowed 30 inches in Woonsocket.

said Brette Ragland ’13, the show’s production manager. “But the people who are coming to see it really like it.”

Despite the setback, Ragland said the impact on morale has been positive, if anything. “It’s like in football when they play in the snow,” she said.

“It’s much harder, but it makes everyone more excited and more pumped to be there.”

Several students involved in the show, including Ragland, Ben Freeman ’13 and Alex Ostroff ’14, were also part of “Company,” a PW show that endured cancellations because of Hurricane Sandy.

“We can’t figure out who’s the cursed one,” Ragland said.

COMICS A & B | MJ Esquivel

Join the Club | Simon Henriques

90 percent of the interior walkways on campus, 90 percent of the parking lots and 50 percent of the surrounding city sidewalks. She added that “a small number” of buildings on campus did lose electricity but all had regained it

by Sunday morning.

“Everybody was in great spirits, and everyone was very cooperative throughout,” she said. “Overall, the University fared relatively well, given the severity of the storm.”

While Carey expects the remainder of the cleanup to be “a little bit messy for a while,” he said everyone is “very cooperative and supportive” and operations should be back to normal in a few days.

6 editorial & letter Praise for storm services Winter Storm Nemo made a forceful appearance Friday, blanketing more than 13 states from Wisconsin to Maine with knee-height snow. While much of the student body greeted the blizzard with joy by engaging in snowball fights on the Main Green and sledding down College Hill on Sharpe Refectory trays, other key players in the Brown community were engaged in more serious, logistical manners. Through its apt precautions and efficient response to Nemo’s tour of the city, the University prioritized the safety and well-being of its students and faculty over limiting cost and inconvenience. For that, the Editorial Page Board commends the University, along with its entire staff, for its active commitment to protecting the community.

As we walked down Thayer Street this weekend, we came face-toface with an apocalyptic vision. The street was bereft of cars other than those left by their owners to be buried in the storm. Restaurants and stores — except for, notably, Antonio’s Pizza, Kabob and Curry and Au Bon Pain — closed up shop for the weekend. But students were welcomed to flock to the warmth and comfort of the Ratty, where a smiling worker welcomed those both on and off meal plan. The dining hall also extended its hours until 9 p.m. Friday, a tremendous and stressful sacrifice made by all its workers. For this, we want to thank the Brown Dining Services staff for its service and steadfastness in the face of adversity.

In addition to ensuring students did not go hungry, the University also deserves recognition for its response to the power outage that affected the north end of campus. According to a community-wide email sent by Russell Carey ’91 MA’06, executive vice president for planning and policy, the University opened up Andrews Dining Hall for temporary residency to serve those whose homes lost power. While not all of those without power chose to exercise this option, it is laudable that the University took the initiative to provide shelter for the students affected.

According to Carey’s email, the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Medical Services were also available for 24-hours, despite roads posing clear risks to those who dared the travail. Although the Department of Facilities Management has done a tremendous job in its attempts to clear the roads, many still reported having difficulty distinguishing roads from sidewalks. In that light, we credit not only DPS, but also students, for exercising the highest degrees of prudence and caution this weekend. The University’s efforts this weekend in maintaining campus safety and students’ conscious efforts to conduct themselves safely created a successful relationship that deserves recognition.

We must remember the services the University offered this weekend shouldn’t be seen as an essential right students have, regardless of conditions. Rather, we are thankful for the privilege provided by the University for us to remain well-fed, warm and safe. As the University returns to its normal schedule this week, it should also be aware that there are many students and faculty who are greatly appreciative of its efforts. Even though the events of the weekend will eventually become memories of the past, we are fortunate to be able to reminisce not in sorrow, fear or frustration — but in gratitude and mirth.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editor, Dan Jeon, and its members, Mintaka Angell, Samuel Choi, Nicholas Morley and Rachel Occhiogrosso. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.

t h e b row n da i ly h e r a l d EDITORS-­IN-­CHIEF Lucy Feldman Shefali Luthra

MANAGING EDITORS Elizabeth Carr Jordan Hendricks

EDITORIAL Greg Jordan-Detamore Strategic Director SECTIONS Arts & Culture Editor Hannah Abelow Arts & Culture Editor Maddie Berg City & State Editor Sona Mkrttchian City & State Editor Adam Toobin Features Editor Elizabeth Koh Features Editor Alison Silver Science & Research Editor Sahil Luthra Science & Research Editor Kate Nussenbaum Sports Editor James Blum Sports Editor Connor Grealy University News Editor Mathias Heller University News Editor Alexandra Macfarlane University News Editor Eli Okun Editorial Page Editor Dan Jeon Opinions Editor Matt Brundage Opinions Editor Lucas Husted Opinions Editor Maggie Tennis MULTIMEDIA Emily Gilbert Photo Editor Sam Kase Photo Editor Sydney Mondry Photo Editor Tom Sullivan Photo Editor Danny Garfield Video Editor Angelia Wang Ilustrations Editor PRODUCTION Sara Palasits Copy Desk Chief Brisa Bodell Design Editor Einat Brenner Design Editor Kyle McNamara Design Editor Sandra Yan Assistant Design Editor Joseph Stein Web Producer Neal Poole Assistant Web Producer

SENIOR EDITORS Aparna Bansal Alexa Pugh

BUSINESS GENERAL MANAGERS OFFICE MANAGER Julia Kuwahara Shawn Reilly Samuel Plotner DIRECTORS Eliza Coogan Sales Luka Ursic Finance Emily Chu Alumni Relations Angel Lee Business Strategy Justin Lee Business Development MANAGERS Jacqueline Chang Regional Sales Leslie Chen Regional Sales Anisa Holmes Regional Sales Wenli Shao Regional Sales Carolyn Stichnoth Regional Sales Chae Suh Regional Sales William Barkeley Collections Nicole Shimer Collections Josh Ezickson Operations Alison Pruzan Alumni Engagement Melody Cao Human Resources Owen Millard Research & Development POST- MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief Zoë Hoffman Editor-in-Chief Claire Luchette BLOG DAILY HERALD Meredith Bilski Editor-in-Chief William Janover Managing Editor Connor McGuigan Deputy Managing Editor Cara Newlon Deputy Managing Editor Georgia Tollin Deputy Managing Editor Jason Hu Creative Director

EDITORIAL CARTOON B Y A A N C H A L S A R A F Generated by CamScanner from intsig.com

EDITORIAL

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

LE T TER TO THE EDITOR

Marijuana should be regulated, not prohibited To the Editor: The Coalition for Marijuana Regulation held a press conference Wednesday announcing the introduction of Bill H5274 into the Rhode Island legislature, a bill that would regulate and tax marijuana at the state level (“Bill would legalize marijuana in R.I.,” Feb. 7). The bill will be carried by Rep. Edith Ajello, D-Providence, and State Sen. Donna Nesselbush ’84, D-Pawtucket, will be carrying a similar bill in the Senate.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy, a student group at Brown, is working with the coalition to advocate for the regulation of marijuana in order to make our communities safer while also taking steps to right the many injustices associated with the so-called “war on drugs.”

Marijuana prohibition does not eliminate use or production and does not decrease availability. For decades, four out of five

high school seniors have consistently reported marijuana is easy to obtain. Prohibition simply steers profits to criminals in the illegal market who might sell other, harder drugs. Right now those who buy marijuana are crossing a legal boundary.

Once that boundary is crossed, the line between marijuana and harder drugs becomes blurred.

The marijuana decriminalization bill that was signed into Rhode Island law last summer will reduce marijuana arrests.

However, because decriminalization doesn’t impact the illegal market, it will do little to make our communities safer. If we’re serious about gaining control over the marijuana market, regulation is the only way to go. It’s time we take a sensible approach to marijuana policy.

Natalie Van Houten ’14 President, Students for Sensible Drug Policy

CORREC TIONS

An article in Wednesday’s Herald (“Prof. named Leopold Leadership fellow,” Feb. 6) incorrectly stated that during their training in Wisconsin, fellows will learn how to speak to the media, congressional representatives and federal agencies.

In fact, fellows will travel to Wisconsin this summer for an intensive week of leadership and communications training.

Recent fellows have used their training to engage with media, congressional representatives, federal agencies, local and global non-governmental organizations and small businesses. The Herald regrets the error.

An article in Friday’s Herald (“‘Equus’ draws audience into intimate world of teen and psychotherapist,” Feb. 8) incorrectly stated the puppets were designed by Sarah Gage ’15 and Becca Wolinsky ’14. In fact, the puppets were designed by Liz Oakley ’16. The Herald regrets the error.

CL ARIFIC ATION

An article in Tuesday’s paper (“Urban farms sprout under community care,” Feb. 5) incorrectly stated that farmers recommended five-year leases for the Lots of Hope program. In fact, they recommended five-year rolling leases, to be renewed at the start of each growing season.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

“It’s my understanding that a number of trays are missing from the dining hall.”

— Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations See NEMO on page 1. facebook.com/browndailyherald

@the_herald

browndailyherald.com

CORRECTIONS POLICY 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.

C O M M E N TA R Y P O L I C Y 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.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR POLICY Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed.

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

opinions 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

How we work together

BY DANNY DELANEY OPINIONS COLUMNIST How do we work together? That seems to me to be the question for this new year.

We’ve certainly spent more than enough time learning how to disagree.

Just ask the United States Congress how much they know about that. I’ve learned a lot from them about disagreement and not working with others. U.S. history teaches us this country was built on compromise, a system of give-andtake and, above all, an underlying mutual respect for the person sitting next to you.

The idea was that if our representatives worked together, the country would work better.

But you know what’s a great example of our country’s compromising values?

The $1.3 billion that lawmakers cost the U.S. government while they were holding the debt ceiling hostage in 2011. The threat of a potential debt downgrade nearly blasted another hole in our already-precarious economic system. The $1.3 billion was the minimum loss estimate. But what’s ironic is they did it all over again on the fiscal cliff.

A message to Congress: The next time there’s another chance to have an incredibly vacuous argument about whether or not to move the country forward, please remember how much money it costs to bicker.

But Congress certainly wasn’t the only

one teaching class in recent years. My man Mitt Romney sure gave his fair share of classroom lectures. I learned from Romney that changing your opinions to please people is a good way to try to get ahead in the world. I learned that if you work towards avoiding peoples’ concerns, rich folks will give you lots of money to keep doing it. But most importantly, I learned that caring 47 percent about anything gets you nowhere — sorry Mitt.

I mock what I watched this November, but it’s not with pleasure that I do so. I love this country and I find it disheart-

It’s sad that we live in a time in which people are so uninformed and uninterested in working towards a common good and that politics is now a form of entertainment — or blood sport — instead of the respected form of civil service that produced great men and women in our history. How can it be that we claim to be the descendants of the “Greatest Generation,” a group of people whose great strength lay in their understanding that, at times, individual sacrifice and compromise are necessary in order for everyone to be better off?

We need discussion. That’s how we will begin to make a difference.

ening that the 2012 presidential election reminded me more of a censored Jerry Springer episode than a contest between great men of great intent and aspiration.

President Obama lost the first debate not because Romney had any content to his argument, but because Obama underestimated Romney’s capacity for obfuscation and his determination to reposition himself — yet again — to suit the mood of the general electorate.

Two months ago, a gunman in Connecticut mowed down 27 people: 20 small children, six teachers and his mother.

This happened three days after a gunman shot up a mall in Oregon and in the same year as fatal mass shootings in Minneapolis, Tulsa, a Sikh temple, the midnight showing of a movie, a coffee bar in Seattle and a Halloween party on a college campus. Twenty-seven, two, six, three, six, 12, six, two. That’s a body count of

64. It’s time to ask again: How do we work together?

It’s time that our political system answer that question and learn to live within the times — not expect the times to live with them.

Our age is being reshaped by mass communication and mass communication is where change will begin. I loved that after every presidential debate, Facebook turned into a political forum for ideas and opinions on the candidates’ performances. That shows me there is hope, that people are interested. All of you who put up statuses that told me to keep my politics to myself can get lost.

We need discussion.

That’s how we will begin to make a difference.

Next time you read about something you think ought to be recognized and changed, I want to hear about it. My friend at Northwestern University wants to hear about it. The Herald wants to hear about it. Chances are, people you never would expect to care want to hear about it.

In the end, it’s simple. Whether or not we solve the issues of our time will be the ultimate reflection of whether or not we can learn to work together — you, me, our congressmen, our professors, the deans, our new president — we is all of us.

Danny Delaney ’15 enjoys buying cartons of orange juice at the Campus Market. He encourages you to reach him at daniel_delaney@brown.edu.

Dismissing, defended

BY DAVID BLACK GUEST COLUMNIST

In Kevin Carty’s ’15 recent column (“Identity politics is counter-productive,” Feb. 7), he argues that dismissing a person’s opinion as the product of privilege is detrimental. His argument consists of three claims.

First, dismissing the opinion doesn’t win the argument. Second, it discourages allies from supporting the cause. Finally, it is antithetical to social justice.

None of this is true.

Note that almost all dismissals are of opinions that actually do come from a place of privilege. Members of oppressed groups are better at spotting privilege than the privileged are, so dismissal is good evidence that the opinion was privileged to begin with. As I argued in the past (“Isms and an epistemic dilemma,” Nov. 13, 2011), misfires of privilege detection are rare.

Carty’s first claim is that dismissal doesn’t win arguments. As he has it, dismissing someone won’t change his or her mind, and that’s how arguments are won.

This standard is too high — I can provide a mathematical proof of something, but this isn’t going to convince the Time Cube guy.

Still, I’ve won the argument. Someone wins an argument when he presents enough evidence to justify his claim, whether the other person listens to reason or not.

For example, Sanika claims that women never deserve to be raped. Larry claims that

some women wear provocative clothes, so they’re asking for it. Sanika dismisses Larry, saying, “You just believe that because you are privileged.” Larry seems to have presented a piece of evidence for his claim, so he wins the argument.

However, what Sanika’s done is to show that Larry’s claim is not evidence at all. Sanika’s evidence is the only evidence, so she wins. If somebody says he saw a pink elephant on Spring Weekend, we can dismiss his claim by pointing out that he was on LSD. His experience was not evidence at all.

When we say, “You just believe that because you’re privileged,” we’re saying that

the worth of social justice goals requires recognizing our current society as unjust.

For those not suffering oppression — or those not motivated to end their own oppression — getting motivated towards these goals requires sympathy for the oppressed.

If a person recognizes societal injustice, dismissing his opinion cannot harm his motivation. Real sympathy is not so fragile as that. This is especially true if people know the facts about how privilege influences opinion. For people who don’t know about societal injustice, a dismissal is a good lead-in to a first lesson.

This discussion allows us to address a

When a person offers a privileged opinion, he or she is not acting as an autonomous individual. the belief came from a bad source — the oppressive structure that led to it. Thus, your evidence has been pulled out from under you. Philosophers call this phenomenon an “undercutting defeater.” Visit David Christensen, professor of philosophy, and Joshua Schechter, associate professor of philosophy, to learn more.

Larry probably won’t give up his opinion, even though he should. We’ll return to this shortly.

For now, consider Carty’s second criticism: Dismissing opinions discourages would-be supporters and sends the message that they are not welcome in the conversation. It is unlikely privileged people would support social justice if their opinions hadn’t been dismissed. Recognizing

point running through Carty’s column.

Even if dismissal doesn’t turn away supporters, it doesn’t help get them. By itself, dismissal doesn’t inform, inculcate sympathy or remove bad ideas from public discourse. Surely, these should be among our goals. In this way, dismissal might be counter-productive.

We cannot abstain from problem solving until enough information is laid out so any passer-by can understand what the problem is, why it deserves solving and why certain comments are unhelpful.

Moreover, information on social justice is widely available and disseminated by activists. There is a time for forging ahead and a time for educating beginners. We should not demand that these be done simultane-

ously.

Furthermore, inculcating sympathy in someone is a long and difficult project. It cannot be done over the space of a Facebook post or single conversation. It is absurd to expect a person to set aside righteous indignation to teach another about sympathy every time an occasion presents itself.

Carty’s final point is that dismissal is antithetical to social justice ideals. We want people to be seen as individuals, not as members of groups. But when we dismiss someone’s opinion, we are treating him or her as a group member. As Carty writes, “It is not reflective of the countless differences and nuances that reside within each one of us.”

Here, Carty misunderstands the nature of an opinion coming from privilege.

When someone offers one, it reflects no difference, contains no nuance — the privileged opinion is the one we’ve been hearing all our lives. An opinion inherited from an oppressive social structure isn’t one’s own in the same way that a desire developed through brainwashing isn’t one’s own.

This example illustrates the power of the dismissal. When a person offers a privileged opinion, he or she is not acting as an autonomous individual but as an agent of this social structure. “You just believe that because…” is an occasion to reflect, realize this fact and become one’s own person.

David Black ’12 appreciates the occasion for some applied epistemology. He can be reached at david.black@rutgers.edu.

daily herald sports monday THE BROWN

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

M. BASKETBALL

Bears’ shooting goes cold in Ivy League matchups McGonagill ’14 is the 25th player in Brown basketball history to reach 1,000 points

By SAM WICKHAM SPORTS STAFF WRITER

The men’s basketball team traveled to Princeton and Penn this weekend despite blizzard conditions, but dropped both of their Ivy League matchups.

The Bears (8-12, 2-4 Ivy) could not keep pace with the Tigers’ (11-8, 4-1) high-powered offense, and foul trouble for Brown’s big Princeton 63 men proved Brown 46 costly against the Quakers Penn 71 (5-17, 2-3).

Co-captain Brown 48 Sean McGonagill ’14 became the 25th player in the program’s history to score 1,000 career points in Saturday’s game against Penn, though the Bears now sit in seventh place in the Ivy League standings with eight games left to play.

Princeton 63, Brown 46 Rafael Maia ’15 scored 19 points, but Bruno’s offense struggled to keep pace with a high-octane Princeton team that had three starters in

double digits.

The Bears managed only 38 percent from the field on 19-50 field goal shooting and made only one threepointer in 12 attempts from beyond the arc — limiting a major part of the Bears’ offense.

“I thought (Princeton) played very well,” said Head Coach Mike Martin ’04. “We got some pretty good looks that didn’t go down, but they were better than us that night as far as executing what they needed to offensively and defensively.”

Bruno kept it close at the start of the first half thanks to inside scoring from Maia, McGonagill and cocaptain Matt Sullivan ’13. But the Tigers closed out the half on a 17-5 run, leaving the Bears playing catch up for the rest of the game.

“We don’t want to live and die by the three-point shot, no matter who we’re playing,” Martin said. “I think we have some guys we can get the ball to down low, and I think (Maia) can be our feature guy down there.”

Princeton jumped out to a 55-33 lead — its largest of the game — with seven minutes remaining, thanks to a flurry of threes from Denton Koon.

Bruno’s only three-pointer of the game came as a consolation trey from Tucker Halpern ’13.5 with 30 seconds left as the Bears fell 63-46.

Penn 71, Brown 48 McGonagill earned a place in Brown basketball history on an otherwise difficult night for the Bears, who again struggled to find their rhythm on the offensive end. The Bears controlled the paint offensively, but again struggled from three-point range, going just 2-18. Foul trouble for big men Maia, Halpern and Cedric Kuakumensah ’16 made it difficult for the Bears to stay within striking distance.

Bruno led for most of the first half, establishing a 20-16 lead after a jumper from Kuakumensah with six minutes to go in the period. But foul trouble kept Maia and Kuakumensah on the bench for the rest of the period as Penn took the lead to close out the half, 28-25.

“Offensively in the first half we got a lot of good looks and scored a lot of buckets inside, off post-play,” Martin said. “As the game went on, I thought (Penn’s) speed and quickness and pressure continued to bother us.”

McGonagill scored his 1,000th point one minute into the second half off a jumper. He now has 1,006 points after his 12-point performance, making him the 25th highest scorer in Brown’s history.

“This shows Sean has contributed to this program quite a bit in his two

TOM SULLIVAN / HERALD

Matt Sullivan ‘13 looks for a pass at Princeton this weekend during a game in which the Bears struggled to keep up with the Tigers’ offense. and a half years here, and we expect remaining. Any chance of a Bruno him to continue that for the remain- comeback was stifled, and the game der of this season and into next sea- ended 71-48 in Penn’s favor. son,” Martin said.

Bruno finally returns home to the The Quakers kept up their scoring Pizzitola Center to host Columbia in the second half thanks to success (10-10, 2-4) on Friday and Cornell from three-point land, going 6-8 in (11-12, 3-3) on Saturday after five the half. Miles Cartwright — who straight road games. scored 28 points in the game — led “Being back home will be nice, the Penn offense in the second period. but it doesn’t mean anything if we His fifth trey of the game gave his don’t play with passion or the energy team a 61-43 lead with six minutes necessary to win,” Martin said.

Club teams set goals for seasons Slavery Center presents

first film of spring series

Club rugby and sailing teams rank in national top 10, while frisbee team looks to rebuild

The center hopes to initiate campus dialogue about slavery in the past and present

By NIKHIL PARASHER SPORTS STAFF WRITER

Participating in collegiate athletics is a large time commitment, with studentathletes devoting many hours each week to practice, competitions at home and travel. But it is not just varsity athletes who make this commitment — students who compete at the club level also devote significant time to their sports.

Though many of Brown’s club teams are among the school’s most successful athletic organizations — some are even among the best in the country — many said they feel their profiles on campus do not measure up to their achievements.

Vanessa Flores-Maldonado ’14, a flanker on the women’s rugby team, said her squad considers this lack of awareness unfortunate, but she added that the players participate out of love for the game.

“We still recognize each other and the hard work that we put in,” FloresMaldonado said. “Sometime at the end of the day, that’s good enough for us.”

Rugby The men’s rugby squad is currently ranked tenth in the country, the best ranking it has held in years, said Daniel Tonderys ’14. Tonderys added that only two years ago, the squad lost 105-7 to Dartmouth, a loss he said was the low point of his collegiate rugby experience.

But the team has bounced back, he said.

The team has grown from the roughly 20 members it had when he was a first-

By WILL FESPERMAN STAFF WRITER

EMILY GILBERT / HERALD

Brown’s club frisbee team, Brownian Motion, aims to raise its ranking through dedication and intensive practice sessions this semester. year to the nearly 50 it has now, and the players are more committed and skilled, he said.

“My grade has a lot of experienced guys on the team,” Tonderys said. “And definitely better leadership and better accountability for coming out to practice.

And, honestly, the recruiting has gotten so much better.”

The squad mostly plays other Ivy League schools and teams from Massachusetts and Rhode Island. But over spring break, it will travel to the Bahamas to compete.

Tonderys said the team’s goal for the year is to make it to the national championship starting Jun. 1 in Philadelphia and to continue acquiring talented players.

The women’s rugby team has been consistently successful for a number of

years — winning the Ivy League title for seven years running and appearing in national semifinal games in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Currently, the team is ranked third in the nation.

The women’s team has unsuccessfully been seeking varsity status for several years, The Herald previously reported. Gaining this status would limit the team’s reliance on alumni donations and other fundraising efforts. Most college women’s rugby teams are clubdesignated, though a few are varsity, including Harvard’s, which was granted this standing last year.

In the fall, women’s rugby only lost one match. The squad’s goal is to break past the Final Four and win the Ivy League championship for the eighth consecutive year, Flores-Maldonado said. / / Club page 2

The Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice kicked off its spring event series — “Ships of Bondage, Freedom and the Knowledges of the Enslaved” — Wednesday with a screening of the documentary “Traces of the Trade.”

In addition to a film screening ever y Wednesday in February, the center will host a lecture, a musical performance, an exhibit, a symposium and teach-ins on the experiences of slaves.

“Traces of the Trade” depicts 10 living descendants of the DeWolf family, members of Bristol’s wealthy elite, as they come to terms with their family’s lucrative involvement in the slave trade. The 10 relatives travel to Bristol, R.I., Ghana and Cuba, three hubs of the triangular trade which included sugar, rum and slaves.

The film’s connection to Rhode Island history made it especially relevant.

“I think it’s really important that it was shown in Providence,” said Josette Souza ’14, one of 36 people who attended. “I’d like to know what people in Providence and Bristol would have to say about it.”

Anani Dzidzienyo, associate professor of Africana studies, led a discussion after the film. As a native Ghanaian,

ARTS & CULTURE

Dzidzienyo said he “wanted something more from a Ghanaian perspective.” In particular, he said he wished the film makers had asked Ghanaians how they felt about the complicity of African kings in the slave trade.

He added that the DeWolf descendants’ racial privilege was not “dealt with in a satisfying way.”

Wednesday’s film was the first screening in the Ships of Bondage and Rebellion Film Festival. The series will show three more films this month and Quentin Tarantino’s “Django Unchained” in April.

The film screenings and related lectures, teach-ins and symposium are the first events of the recently formed center, which was created last summer as a result of the University’s 2006 report on Brown’s involvement in the slave trade.

Anthony Bogues, director of the center and professor of Africana studies, said he hopes the event series will introduce the center to students and community members. “Given the 5-year gap between the ... recommendations and the 2012 creation, we needed to find a way to reconnect with the community,” he said.

The center’s student advisory committee, which includes both undergraduate and graduate students, planned the upcoming teach-ins to “reintroduce the report to campus,” said Michael Becker ’13, a committee member. Souza, also a member of the committee, said the teach-ins will bring together community members, students and faculty members to discuss the report, contemporary forms of slavery and the prison system.