Daily
Herald
the Brown
vol. cxlvi, no. 34
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Community reacts to closing of four elementary schools
Committee on ROTC updates community
By elizabeth carr and Rebecca ballhaus Staff Writer and City & State Editor
Delsa Marfeo answered the phone Monday night to unwelcome news. Her son’s school would likely close at the end of the year, a representative
By Shefali Luthra Senior Staff Writer
continued on page 3
city & state
Rebecca Ballhaus / Herald
Flynn Elementary (above) is one of four Providence public schools that would be closed as part of emergency budget cuts made in response to the city’s fiscal crisis.
To fundraise and to educate, U. looks East By Mark Raymond Senior Staff Writer
The University is looking to strengthen its relationship with China in an effort to expand its presence and appeal to a growing base of potential donors. In the past year, the University has actively increased its outreach efforts by developing its partnership with the Chinese University of Hong Kong and planning for the upcoming Year of China. “We have a growing number of Chinese alumni, non-Chinese alumni living in China and applicants from the country,” wrote President Ruth Simmons in an e-mail to The Herald. “In that regard, our presence in China will certainly grow, and demands from
our alumni to have meaningful programs and relationships in China will continue.” While fundraising is not the primary goal of partnering with China, it is a positive consequence of the University’s outreach, Simmons wrote. “A strong alumni presence in China will naturally mean that our alumni club activities and fundraising efforts there will increase,” she wrote. Professor of Physics ChungI Tan, who is leading the Year of China effort, said he hopes the Year of China engages both students and alums to a greater degree than previous yearlong efforts. He said past initiatives, such as the years of Africa, Latin America and India, failed to reach
By Katherine Sola Senior Staff Writer
In one continuous shot, the camera follows a car painted with the Palestinian flag blaring Arabic songs down the main thoroughfare. As
Arts & Culture
Freddy Lu / Herald
John Stein, senior lecturer in neuroscience, showed off a miracle berry — which enhances perceived sweetness — at a celebration yesterday evening for the Science Center’s one-year anniversary.
inside
a large portion of the student body. Tan also acknowledged the influence the Year of China will have on the ability to foster interest beyond Brown’s campus. “Next year we will be focusing on campus activities, but it will be a stepping stone for our future goals with China,” he said. “It will make Brown better known and will help us reach out to our alums.” “Alums and parents and the broader Brown community exist in that part of the world, and the more we can engage them, the greater the opportunity we will have to ask them to appreciate what Brown is doing and contribute to Brown,” he added.
Pre-nat’l
U. recruits pregnant women for national study
News, 8
the camera passes through the local cafe, the cafe’s owner pulls a child inside. She slams the door shut as military trucks and armed soldiers arrive, shots ringing out. The sudden descent from song — provocative but nonviolent nationalism — into gunfire is shocking. This scene is from Najwa Najjar’s “Pomegranates and Myrrh,” the opening film in this year’s Pal-
continued on page 4
Kennedy appointed visiting fellow By Aparna Bansal Senior Staff Writer
estinian Film Festival screened last night at the Avon Cinema. Yasmine Elmasri displays an impressive emotional range as Kamar, an independent Palestinian Christian dancer who marries a man named Zaid at the beginning of the film. Shortly after, Israeli soldiers arrive in the middle of the night to confiscate his olive farm, and Zaid is accused of punching a soldier during a confrontation. He is beaten and imprisoned, and Kamar faces a daunting legal struggle to free her husband and save the land. As Zaid falls into a depression, she turns to her dance troupe for solace and forms a bond with the handsome choreographer continued on page 3
continued on page 3
continued on page 2
LGBTQuestion
Tea Power
Marriage equality is not enough
Finding fascism in American politics
opinions, 7
Monday. Though their choices have not yet been approved by the Providence School Board, communities are already reacting to the news. Flynn Elementary School, Asa Messer Elementary School, Asa Messer Annex Elementary School and Windmill Elementary School were chosen for closure on the basis of physical quality of facilities, student performance, potential costs of school renovations and ease of transferring students. Parents were alerted in different ways to closings, some receiving direct notice from administrators and others hearing second-hand
Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, D-R.I., accepted a two-year appointment yesterday as a visiting fellow in the Brown Institute of Brain Science through 2013. He will have an office in the institute’s headquarters and will give two annual lectures, according to a University press release. Kennedy has had a long-standing relationship with the University and has “been a tremendous supporter” of its research in the neurosciences, said Edward Wing, dean of medicine and biological sciences. Kennedy “is committed to research and care for people with medical illnesses,” Wing said, adding that he is “very excited” about the appointment. “Millions of people live with disorders of the brain and central nervous system, and hundreds of thousands of American soldiers and veterans have suffered traumatic brain injuries,” Kennedy said in the press release. “Finding treatments and cures for their suffering is a national emergency with a scientific challenge akin to our efforts to go to the moon that galvanized the country half a century ago. I can imagine no better place to pursue this mission than from within the thriving community of
Palestinian film festival opens with dance, violence
Ta s t e t h e m ag i c
news...................2-3 CITY & State.....4-5 editorial..............6 Opinions...............7 SPORTS...................8
of the Providence School Department told her — and it remains to be seen where he will end up. Providence Mayor Angel Taveras and Public School District Superintendent Tom Brady announced their recommendations for the closings of four city elementary schools
Opinions, 7
weather
Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron presented on behalf of the committee examining the University’s policy on the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at yesterday’s Brown University Community Council meeting. Following her presentation, other representatives of the committee and various student groups discussed arguments for and against reinstating the program. Bergeron presented an update on the committee’s activity since early last month, when it was established by President Ruth Simmons. So far, the committee has discussed possible pros and cons of reestablishing an ROTC program at the University. “We have been educating ourselves,” Bergeron said. She noted that the University will not need to offer academic credit for ROTC classes. When the University initially eliminated the program in 1969, one of the main concerns was that ROTC classes could bypass the University accreditation process. If the University were to reinstate ROTC, it would probably be a Navy-specific program, Bergeron said. The University would maintain its current exchange program with Providence College, which offers an Army-specific program.
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2 Campus News calendar Today
March 16
12 P.m.
ToMORROW
March 17
11:45 A.M. Raunchy Bake Sale
Flash Rally for Marriage Equality
Main Green
J. Walter Wilson
8 p.m.
7:30 p.m. Palestinean Film Festival:
A Reading by Novelist Geoff Ryman
Series of Shorts
Granoff Center,
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menu SHARPE REFECTORY
VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH
Bruschetta Mozzarella, Vegetarian Cajun Pasta, Seasoned Fries, Sauteed Peppers
Beef Pot Pie, Vegan Chili, Parslied Rice, Hot and Spicy Vegetable Saute, Krinkle Cut Fries
DINNER Oven Roasted Tofu Triangles, Sustainable Seafood Cavatelli, Roasted Red Potatoes with Herbs
Tequila Lime Chicken, Vegan Ratatouille, Roasted Herb Potatoes, Frosted Brownies
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The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, March 16, 2011
U. grows presence in China continued from page 1 The University’s expanded relationship with the Chinese University of Hong Kong is another part of this greater effort to strengthen ties in the country. The university “is one of the top schools in greater China,” said Matthew Gutmann, vice president for international affairs. The collaboration began in 2006 and was bolstered by the signing of two memoranda of understanding in March 2009. Under the memoranda, a recent master’s program graduate from the Hong Kong school will come to Brown to help teach Mandarin each year,
Daily
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and Brown students will be provided new study abroad options. The University has received the help of one master’s program graduate — who serves as a teaching associate while at Brown — each of the past two years. “It helps Brown students to know more about not only China mainland, but also Hong Kong,” wrote Weisi Cai, the current teaching associate, in an e-mail to The Herald. “The relationship allows us to provide each other with opportunities to know more about Chinese and American cultures,” he added. Lung-Hua Hu, senior lecturer in East Asian studies, said the
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teaching associates have allowed for “increased student contact time” and that “they’ve been very good in helping us teach courses.” A revised memorandum of understanding for next year will allow the language program to continue, said Kerry Smith, chair of the Department of East Asian Studies. The University is extending an invitation to the school’s president, Joseph Sung, to visit and give a talk. Sung is “quite an impressive man,” Gutmann said. The partnership not only helps the University reach out to alums and potential donors, but it is also an opportunity for the University to learn more about China as it gears up for the upcoming Year of China, he said. “The Year of China is an opportunity for the campus to learn about the history of the country as well as about the many issues and opportunities facing China today,” Simmons wrote. “I don’t think you can be an educated person in China without knowing something about the language, culture and history of the United States,” Gutmann said. “And I don’t think you can be an educated person in the United States without knowing something about the language, culture and history of China.”
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Campus News 3
Opening film looks at BUCC plays host to ROTC discussion conflict in Palestine continued from page 1
continued from page 1 Kais, a Palestinian returned from Lebanon. Perhaps appropriately, the film ends without a clear resolution. But Najjar’s cinematography presents a compelling vision of the difficulties of everyday Palestinian life. After Zaid’s arrest, images of the concrete walls and barbed wire separating Israeli and Palestinian land feature prominently. During Kamar’s first drive to see her husband in prison, a scene of the wall segues into one of the prison walls. Kamar is separated from Zaid by a wire screen, its pattern imposed on their faces. One of the most touching moments is a kiss through the screen, which ends with an abrupt command of “Move back!” Also moving are the scenes of the family’s farm being taken over by Israeli settlers. They fence off the land and slowly establish signs of ownership — pitching a tent, planting a flag and threatening Kamar with guns. They break her windows and, later, invade and vandalize her home, smashing all of her belongings and graffitiing the Star of David on the walls. But the film is not wholly depressing. The oversexed, gossipy cafe proprietress, whose forceful
personality even intimidates the soldiers patrolling the Ramallah streets, provides comic relief. In this setting, the symbolic value of dance becomes clear. Scenes of imprisonment and checkpoints are contrasted with Kamar and her troupe’s free, expressive movements. Kamar cannot go to Jerusalem without a permit, go onto her own farmland or free her husband from jail. Through dance, she reasserts control over her movements and future. The Palestinian Film Festival is run by the student group Common Ground: Equality and Justice in Palestine/Israel. Group leader Henry Peck ’11 told The Herald it was the only student-run Palestinian film festival in the country. It emphasizes “film as a medium for looking at the conflict,” he added. “I’ve never watched a movie quite like this” said Nathan Elder ’13, an audience member. He said that although he found the plot difficult to follow, he appreciated the “subtleties of Palestinian culture” that appear in the film. Ahmed Nofao, a sophomore at St. Lawrence University, said the film resonated with his own experiences as a Ramallah native. He said it was “very rich” and showed how “the occupation is attacking people’s lives constantly in many ways.”
Kennedy continues mental illness advocacy as fellow continued from page 1 brain science researchers and clinicians at Brown.” Kennedy retired from Congress last year after his eighth term in office. During his tenure, he was active in advocating for veterans with mental illnesses to receive the same health insurance coverage as veterans with other illnesses. After his retirement, he helped create the One Mind for Brain Research campaign. He is also organizing the Next Frontier Conference, which will bring together scientists, politicians, academics, philanthropists
and patients to discuss neurological disorders in Boston May 2325, on the 50th anniversary of his uncle John F. Kennedy’s “moonshot” address.
The University’s ROTC committee, which consists of Bergeron, seven faculty members, two undergraduates, one graduate student and one staff member, is charged with four tasks. It aims to review the initial resolutions that removed ROTC, gauge student interest in the program, examine what would need to be done to reinstate it and determine what specific steps the University would have to take to change its ROTC policy. The committee has discussed the possibility of reinstating ROTC with various student groups, including the Queer Alliance, Students for ROTC, the Coalition Against Special Privileges for ROTC and the Graduate Student Council. The committee will also present at tonight’s meeting of the Undergraduate Council of Students and at an April 13 faculty forum. UCS will host a lunch forum March 22 for students to discuss reinstating ROTC. Bergeron also discussed her attendance at the Ivy Plus conference — a consortium of universities, including members of the Ivy League as well as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago and Stanford — where deans from the universities discussed their respective plans to offer or not offer ROTC programs. Of those universities, MIT, Cornell, Dartmouth, Princeton and Penn already offer ROTC programs. Harvard announced its intention to reinstate its ROTC program earlier this month, and Bergeron said it looks likely that Columbia, Yale and Stanford will do the same. If this were the case, Brown would be the only Ivy League university not to have a ROTC program on campus. Bergeron also said she has been impressed with the “community engagement” in the University’s ROTC
discussion. Students can access information from the committee on ROTC on a campus-wide website using a tab on their Brown Gmail accounts. Gabriel Schwartz ’13, co-director of the Queer Political Action Committee, spoke after Bergeron’s presentation, calling the idea of reinstating ROTC “potentially very problematic.” Students are “insured protection by Brown’s anti-discrimination policy,” Schwartz said. He specifically cited military discrimination against transgenders as a reason to oppose bringing ROTC to the University. But Martin Bell ’11.5, who was discharged from the military under “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” recommended reinstating ROTC, though he questioned if there would be enough student interest in the program. “The leadership training they do offer you is relevant across the board,” he said. Students can currently participate in Officer Candidate School, a program that tracks students to join the Marines. But Bell said participation in ROTC has advantages over Officer Candidate School, like increasing opportunities to get advanced officer positions. Students from the Coalition Against Special Privileges for ROTC also spoke at the meeting, critiquing military discrimination against transgenders and potential lack of academic merit to ROTC classes.
Several arguments have been presented to the committee on ROTC in favor of reinstating the program, said Ken Miller ’70 P’02, professor of biology and a member of the committee. Specifically, ROTC creates an opportunity for students to pursue a military career, and prospective students might not consider Brown because of the lack of an ROTC program on campus, especially if more peer institutions reinstate the program. Some argue the University risks “insulating itself ” from military realities in America if there is no ROTC program, Miller said. He called attention to the financial scholarship associated with the program and the potential benefit the military could derive from Brown students’ involvement. The ROTC scholarship is not a “moot point” even in the context of need-blind admissions, Miller said. Such scholarships could give the Office of Financial Aid more flexibility. Bergeron will present an updated report at the April 26 BUCC meeting. The faculty is also scheduled to address the question of reinstating ROTC at its May 3 meeting, she said. The meeting also included a presentation on LGBTQ resources at the University. Students from the Queer Alliance spoke about trying to increase transgender resources, including trying to partner with the admissions office in reaching out to prospective and admitted LGBTQ students.
4 City & State
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, March 16, 2011
School closures baffle community continued from page 1 through media outlets or by wordof-mouth. Marfeo’s son Anthony attends Asa Messer Elementary. “I really didn’t think that this one was going to be one of them,” she said yesterday afternoon, as she waited to pick up her son outside the red brick school building. The school department will hold meetings for parents to decide where the students will be transferred, she said. Bridgham Middle School — which, according to the city’s recommen-
dations, would be converted to an elementary school — would be a convenient option, she added, because of its proximity to Asa Messer. Marfeo said she worries about how the changes would affect Anthony’s relationships with his teachers and administrators. “When I told him last night, he was really upset,” she said. The first thing he asked was, “Am I going to get to see Ms. Calabro again?” Some parents, like Karen Diaz, did not find out about the announcement until yesterday. “They just told me now,” she said, after
picking up her son from Asa Messer. “I was just surprised,” said Terri Wright, who has two children enrolled at Flynn Elementary and also received no notification. Wright said one of her sons, a fourth grader, would have graduated from the school next year. “It’s just hard,” she said. “All this hard work he’s put in at this school is going to waste. Now he’s going somewhere totally different.” Wright added she hoped her children would be sent to the same school. If they were separated, she said, “I don’t know what we would do.” “It will be hard to leave,” said Yahaira Veoez, the parent of a student at Asa Messer Annex. “I love this school. My daughter has been here since kindergarten.” As school let out around 3 p.m. yesterday, Dan — the husband of a teacher at Flynn Elementary — sat quietly in his car, waiting for his wife to emerge from school. Teachers “aren’t happy” about the school closings, he said, because most are not eligible for retirement. Though he learned of the school closings on Channel 10 News, he said he believed the school sent a letter to parents following the announcement. He did not want his last name published because he did not want his comments to be identified with his wife. A school department official visited Flynn Elementary Monday and told a “teacher in charge” — the principal was not present — that the school would be closed, Dan said. Both he and his wife remain hopeful, he said. “If they get enough people retiring over the summer, maybe they’ll rehire. … The teachers here do a good job.” He said he was confused as to why the school — which, with 600 students, is the biggest on the city’s
Morgan Johnson / Herald
As a consequence of the four school closings, some bus drivers’ routes may change.
list — had been chosen. He said that while the building is old and needs a new heating system, he saw no reason to target it over others, he said. “We’re totally devastated,” said Mary-Ann Cullen, a teacher at Flynn Elementary. “We’re more than just a school. We’re a community.” She added that the school’s students are “extremely upset” by the announcement. Cullen said she is unsure how the closure will affect her job, since the city has already fired all teachers in the district. Administrators at Flynn Elementary said teachers had been instructed not to comment on the situation. Norma Thomas, a crossing guard at Flynn Elementary for over 20 years, learned about the announcement on the news. “I don’t like it at all because it means I’ll have to be transferred,” she said. “But I don’t know where.” Nicole Soares, who works at the Allen Berry Health Center, a community health center next to Flynn Elementary, said many of the
school’s students come to the center as patients. The closure would “affect the whole neighborhood,” she said. Yesterday afternoon, Jo-Ann Martin — fondly known as “Jo-Jo” by community members — was guiding students as usual across the parking lot behind Flynn Elementary. As a security official for the Rhode Island Bureau of Investigation, she talks to parents as they pick up their children every day. “They’re very nervous, they’re full of worries and concerns,” she said. “They don’t know what the next step is going to be.” Martin called the situation “unfortunate.” Flynn Elementary is “so convenient,” she said. “The capacity is always full. All the schools are full. Where are they going to put the kids? How is that going to affect (their) education?” “Right now the quality of learning is below average,” she said, citing the low test scores in several Providence public schools. “What’s continued on page 5
City & State 5
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, March 16, 2011
comics BB & Z | Cole Pruitt, Andrew Seiden, Valerie Hsiung and Dan Ricker
Cloud Buddies! | David Emanuel
Rebecca Ballhaus / Herald
Jo-Ann Martin (above), a security official for the Rhode Island Bureau of Investigation, said she does not know where she will work next year.
continued from page 4 going to happen when you have more kids?” She added that the adjustment period — as students adapt to their new schools after they are transferred — will be a difficult process. Brown’s Swearer Center for Public Service runs several programs in the four schools recommended for closing. Because the recommendations have not yet been finalized, the “specific implications will take a little time to discern,” said Roger Nozaki MAT’89, the center’s director. He said the center will continue to focus on “supporting the students
and families” involved in its programs. Hannah Miles ’13, coordinator of the Swearer Classroom Program — which works in both Asa Messer and William D’Abate elementary schools — said the volunteer tutors “form really close relationships with the teachers.” She said the changes would definitely have an impact on the program’s work. “We’ve put so much energy into these schools,” she said. “It’s like we’re going to have to start from scratch at a new school.” — With additional reporting by Amy Rasmussen and Morgan Johnson
Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline
6 Editorial & Letter Editorial
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Editorial comic
by sam rosenfeld
Class conscious Last February, the ad hoc Organizational Review Committee released its recommendations for how Brown could reduce its budget by $14 million. The committee’s charge implied a commitment to cutting out excesses, rather than eliminating services important to students’ needs. Last week’s Herald article about the newly centralized events planning process described an excellent example of the implementation of the committee’s recommendations. The Office of University Event and Conference Services, which opened last summer, consolidates the University Events Office, the Conference Services Office and the University Event Support Office and reports directly to the Department of Facilities Management. The reorganization resulted in the elimination of several staff positions, but it will ultimately facilitate event planning for students, faculty and staff. Considering the mindset guiding the reorganization of event planning — which prioritizes the improvement of the University’s operations — we were disappointed to hear the Corporation’s reasons for increasing next year’s incoming transfer class by 50 students, another of the ORC’s recommendations. We do not oppose opening the Van Wickle Gates to more transfer students. The relatively large transfer student population at Brown means that our community includes undergraduates who have already experienced life at community colleges, single-sex institutions and public universities, for example — in short, places dramatically different from Brown. They are active members of our dance companies, political organizations, a cappella groups and student publications. Brown is planning to increase the undergraduate student body to 6,000. Increasing the number of incoming transfers instead of first-year students achieves this without putting more pressure on resources for first-year students, Provost David Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98 said. Kertzer’s comment is telling. The University places a significant emphasis on the first-year experience — on first-year seminars, first-year advising and first-year residential counseling. But we attend Brown for four years, not one, and we make important decisions about what to concentrate in, how to spend our summers and what career paths to embark on well after our first year. Spots in first-year seminars and beds in first-year housing are limited. But sophomores and upperclassmen also struggle to get into advanced courses with limited enrollment, and some live in converted kitchens and lounges. Some see preferential treatment when officials seem to ignore upperclassmen’s limited resources while simultaneously seeking to ease the burdens first-years face. We understand the importance of first-yearspecific resources in appealing to prospective students and acclimating new students to college, and we commend the University for its dedication to the first-year experience. But we remind Brown that college is not a year-long “experience.” It is multiple years of growth and learning. What’s more, the University’s decision is necessarily related to the revenue that transfer students bring in. Admissions for transfer students is “need-aware, not need-blind,” and the financial aid budget for transfer students will not increase next year, said James Tilton, director of financial aid. The University’s commitment to socioeconomic diversity in the student body seems secondary to the importance of revenue, another demonstration of where the University’s priorities lie. If Brown plans to enroll more transfers, it should do so in a way that is fair to those it accepts — by offering a quality academic and residential experience and by ensuring that no applicant’s financial situation bars him or her from being able to attend Brown. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
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letter to the editor More reaction to full-page advertisement To the Editor: I sit here in shock upon reading the full-page advertisement that you allowed to be displayed in your newspaper. It is one of the most opinionated, slanderous things I have ever read, and I was incredibly disappointed in The Herald for allowing something like that to see the light of day. I will open my comments by saying that I am certainly more pro-Palestinian then pro-Israel in my thoughts about the issue. However, even if this was an advertisement talking about how great Palestinians are, I would not want it to be featured in what is supposed to be an objective news source and I would be just as angry. Do you think that publishing something with the tiny word “Advertisement” above it removes any liability that you have towards the content that the page says? Apparently not. I am now under the belief that if I wanted to — and had enough disposable income lying around to pay for a full page ad — I could publish an article about how I think abortions are great, healthy and benefit society. I could even finish this ad with
instructions on how to give yourself an abortion and an attempt to convince you that anyone who does not get abortions is ignorant of how amazing they are. What I just said is far from what I believe. However, I use it to illustrate the severity of what you allow to make it to print. If you guys really need the money so badly, then you should just ask the school for it. If you think that this advertisement was just an expression of free speech, or if you are going to read this letter and say that you did no wrong because you have every legal right to do so, then you would be foolish. There is a huge difference between the ability to say whatever you want, and the carrying through of this power. The difference is that everyone understands that newspapers can say whatever they want. However, since news sources say things that are intended to be objective, people trust them. What you have lost is trust. And this is something that you will not be gaining back from me anytime soon. Good work losing another dedicated reader. Lucas Husted ’13
quote of the day
“We’re totally devastated.”
— Mary-Ann Cullen, a teacher at Flynn Elementary School See community on page 1.
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Opinions 7
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, March 16, 2011
The United States is on the brink of fascism By Chris Norris-LeBlanc Opinions Columnist I would like to look at two famous scholars’ definitions of fascism and examine them in the context of current events in the United States. First, a quote by Robert Paxton, an emeritus professor of history at Columbia. “Fascism may be defined as a form of political behavior marked by obsessive preoccupation with community decline, humiliation or victimhood and by compensatory cults of unity, energy and purity, in which a massed-based party of committed nationalist militants, working in uneasy but effective collaboration with traditional elites, abandons democratic liberties and pursues with redemptive violence and without ethical or legal restraints goals of internal cleansing and external expansion.” In the context of this formulation of fascism, let us examine Tea Party and more generally right-wing treatment of American Muslims and Hispanics. Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, there has been a great deal of hysteria about radicalism among Muslims. Up until recently, this attitude has taken a strong but anecdotal place in the United States. Muslims are more often pulled out of lines in airports and subject to suspicion by the general American population. In addition, a strong culture of intolerance and hate for American Muslims has been proven by numerous videos, avail-
able for viewing on YouTube, which depict crowds protesting outside Muslim gatherings. But this pervasive discrimination has now become structural. Rep. Peter King, R-New York, has called for a congressional hearing to determine whether or not Muslims in America have become radicalized. This call was answered, and this hearing is currently underway. Hispanic people as well have been singled out as being a threat to America on the basis of race. But their situation is different — the discriminatory attitudes against them
ally supported, as evidenced by discriminatory policies about Hispanic immigration and the recent push to governmentally support the persecution of Muslim people — in short, the pursuit of internal cleansing without ethical or legal restraint. Second, Noam Chomsky, professor of linguistics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, said that a fascist system “has tight control at the top and strict obedience has to be established at every level — there’s little bargaining, a little give and take, but the line of authority is perfectly straightforward.”
This is not a masturbatory case study or lofty philosophizing — it is the imminent, terrifying and real introduction of fascist policies into the United States government. are older, more pervasive and already very entrenched in American law. One is able to see, between these two manifestations of discrimination, the realization of the full definition of fascism offered by Paxton. The energetic and cult-like Tea Party, largely defined by middle-class anger over deteriorating standards of living, has lashed out at ethnic groups and blamed them for the downfall of American society. The Tea Party, although a working-class movement, has strong advocates among right-wing elites. This alliance has manifested itself by allowing these discriminations to be structur-
This definition is relevant in terms of the labor struggles currently occurring across the United States. In New Jersey, Wisconsin, Michigan, Rhode Island, Ohio and others, middle-class government workers have been singled out as public enemy number one. Although several weeks ago the governors of these states were still arguing that these cuts were simply about balancing their respective budgets, Gov. Scott Walker and his Republican harem blew the lid off of that justification with their move this week. While Wisconsin Democrats fled to the hills to avoid a vote on Walker’s budget, the Re-
publicans carefully edited out all language in the bill pertaining to funding. In doing so, by Wisconsin state law, the entire state senate did not need to be present for the vote, and the Republican representatives voted it in before Democrats could rush back in to block it. In doing so, Wisconsin Republicans inarguably revealed their true intention — the consolidation of power. Furthermore, with the way they subverted democracy to pass Walker’s budget, Wisconsin Republicans exercised oligarchical power. With the passing of this bill, they have ensured their ability to retain tight, top-down control over middle-class workers. They have also, with the removal of unions’ collective bargaining rights, created a system where a little give and take is the most Wisconsin workers can hope for. This is not a masturbatory case study or lofty philosophizing — it is the imminent, terrifying and real introduction of fascist policies into the United States government. I would like to finish with one more quote from Chomsky — “I’m just old enough to have heard a number of Hitler’s speeches on the radio,” he said, “and I have a memory of the texture and the tone of the cheering mobs, and I have the dread sense of the dark clouds of fascism gathering.” Keep your ears and eyes open for ways to show solidarity, and do not let this historical moment pass by without a fight. Chris Norris-LeBlanc ’13 is from Rhode Island. He can be contacted at chris.norris.leblanc@gmail.com
Skepticism of marriage equality By Tanya Nguyen Guest Columnist Same-sex marriage is one of the most prominent, defining issues in mainstream LGBTQ politics today. To oppose it is often seen as being homophobic, and there are indeed many bigoted viewpoints. But it is possible to remain skeptical of marriage equality while fully supporting queer rights. Marriage equality raises the question of “equality to what?” This framing attempts to set LGBTQ people as equal to straight people, thus accepting straight standards. Those committed to monogamy — and therefore supposedly of higher moral and social standing — are rewarded with special legal rights and unique benefits. Fighting for inclusion does not question why this type of relationship should be valued over others. Often, in response to reactionaries who make alarmist claims about the gays’ so-called destructive infiltration into traditional marriage, pro-same-sex marriage groups argue that allowing two men or two women to tie the knot will not change marriage at all, preserving it as sacred. But challenging and transforming an institution whose roots come from the concept of a nuclear family with normalized gender roles is in fact something to be celebrated. I am not calling marriage equality efforts assimilationist. I surely have no authority to say that, and I am sure most who fight for it do not actually aim to ape heterosexual
culture and to quash radicals. But the primacy of the marriage agenda might have the unintended consequence of limiting the scope of changing the status quo. Consider the case of two elderly sisters who live together, share resources and look after each other — is their caregiving relationship not as valid? People live in different family structures, such as singleparent households and extended kinship, for which marriage might not be an option. But these people are just as deserving of state and federal benefits. Marriage
olence that cannot be solved through marriage equality. For same-sex couples to be told they cannot marry must be frustrating because it has the effect of delegitimizing their love and relegating them to second-class citizenship. But the reality is that many LGBTQ citizens and immigrants face social and economic injustice due to systemic discrimination unrelated to marriage. Classism and racism negatively affect LGBTQ people at the lower end of the income spectrum. If a gay man — or anyone else — is mired in poverty because HIV/
Marriage equality as a policy issue runs the risk of losing sight of and diverting resources from the plight of many for whom marriage is not a concern or solution.
can be a positive choice for couples for religious, cultural and personal reasons. But no one should have to marry for economic reasons. Marriage is a private affair that should not involve the state — being sexual or romantic with one person should not be linked to entitlement to medical, insurance, inheritance or other benefits. Family laws that value all families, including nonmarital relationships, already exist in some areas and can be spread through reforms. Moreover, there are other pressing issues such as employment discrimination, housing discrimination and protection from vi-
AIDS stigmatization prevents him from securing a job, gaining the ability to wed his partner will not be of much help. What good does marriage equality do if an individual cannot get health care benefits in the first place, much less extend them to a spouse? In addition, entrenched cultural attitudes that have hurt LGBTQ youth are not likely to be changed by same-sex couples’ giving each other rings. Bullying and violence need to be dealt with more directly. We can hope that the fight for and winning of same-sex marriage will have ripple
effects that lead to broader social and legal acceptance of queer people. Granting the right to same-sex marriage might open national discourse and give hope and confidence to gays and lesbians. But that is not enough. Advocating for legislation such as the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would prohibit discrimination against employees on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity would be a more efficient and effective way to address these problems. Queer issues are myriad and interrelated. They should not be pitted against each other. But marriage equality as a policy issue runs the risk of losing sight of and diverting resources from the plight of many for whom marriage is not a concern or solution. I support measures such as the pending bill to legalize same-sex marriage in Rhode Island because I strongly oppose discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, and recognition of same-sex marriage can indeed pave the way for a pluralistic society free of a hierarchy of relationships and more accepting of diverse family forms. But instead of focusing on extending heterosexual privilege to another small part of the population, we should examine why it exists in the first place. We should look beyond formal marriage equality and into issues of substantive equality in all areas affecting quality of life for LGBTQ people and other marginalized minorities. Tanya Nguyen ’13 is by no means an expert on family law or queer activism. She can be contacted at tanya_nguyen@brown.edu.
Daily Herald Sports Wednesday the Brown
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
baseball
Bruno takes down No. 5 Longhorns By Ilan Isaacs Contributing Writer
For the first time in school history, the baseball team defeated a topfive team, beating the University of Texas 7-3 Saturday in the third game of a four-game series in Austin. At the time, Texas (11-5) was ranked fifth in the nation. Pitcher Anthony Galan ’14 replaced starter Mark Gormley ’11.5 in the third inning and kept the powerful Longhorn bats silent, inducing 12 groundouts in six innings of one-run pitching. Galan earned Ivy co-rookie and co-pitcher of the week honors for his performance. In the third inning, Ryan Zrenda ’11 hit a two-run home run and first-year standout Wes Van Boom ’14 scored to give the Bears a 3-1 lead. Though the Longhorns scored one run in the third and the fifth, the Bears (2-6) responded with an offensive onslaught in the top half of the seventh. Mike DiBiase ’12, who showed a rare combination of patience and power all through the weekend on his way to Ivy League player of the week honors, started off the inning with a single. Graham Tyler ’12 and
Pete Greskoff ’11 also had hits as the Bears scored three runs in the frame. In the eighth, co-captain Matt Colantonio ’11 doubled and came home to score. Josh Feit ’11 came on in the ninth and struck out the side, ensuring a historic victory for the Bears. The Bears dropped the other three matchups against the Longhorns 8-0, 4-3 and 11-1. In the series opener, Texas ace Taylor Jungman stifled Brown hitters through eight innings of scoreless work to bring his record at the Longhorns’ home stadium in Austin to a perfect 13-0. After facing Vanderbilt pitcher Sonny Gray last week, Matt Kimball ’11 was again matched up against an elite MLB pitching prospect. Kimball gave up six runs, three of which were earned, over six innings. The Longhorns, a notoriously good bunting team, used three straight first inning bunts to take a 4-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning. Texas added four more insurance runs to bring the final score to 8-0. The following day, Zrenda and Greskoff scored in the first inning to give the Bears an early 2-0 lead. But
despite multiple chances to increase their lead, the Bears left the door open for a Longhorns comeback. In the fifth inning, Texas freshman Erich Weiss provided the firepower for that comeback with a grand slam. Though Brown pitcher Kevin Carlow ’13 pitched well throughout the game, one crucial mistake — a fastball down the middle — earned him the loss, as the Longhorns took the game 4-3. After Bruno’s Saturday breakthrough, the team was unable to repeat its performance Sunday. Bruno pitchers struggled all day, and the Longhorns, on the strength of three hits each from Jacob Felts and Cohl Walla, cruised to a comfortable 11-1 victory. The Bears returned to New England Tuesday, defeating Northeastern University 6-4. Conor Burke ’11 pitched five innings and gave up three runs against the Huskies (2-11), and the Bears’ offense was powered by home runs from Van Boom, DiBiase and Tyler. Brown continues its 18-game road trip to open the season with a four-game series at Santa Clara University (7-9) beginning March 26.
for the nation and probably across the world,” Phipps said. Providence County is one of the 30 study hubs nationwide involved in the pilot phase of the project. The pilot program will test the feasibility of various recruitment methods before implementing them on a national scale. The study will eventually be conducted at 105 locations and involve 100,000 women and their children. Brown is recruiting through prenatal care providers, obstetricians and gynecologists, and so far the team has seen an “extremely positive response,” Phipps said. “All the prenatal care providers in Providence County are willing to work with us,” she said. Recruitment in Providence County started Nov. 30. As of March 1, the team had recruited 35 women to the study, reported that day’s Providence Journal. The ultimate goal is to recruit 1,000 women. Drnach said her current role is to “work with community leaders to bring awareness to all communities across Providence County about the study. We want (women) to be aware of (the study)and think of us when they become pregnant.” John Logan, professor of sociology and an investigator for the study, said, “I think it’s good for Brown to be recognized as a useful partner in a national project. It builds up the research capacity of the people here.” Logan said his role in the research is to determine how to draw a sample of new mothers in Providence County “in a way that would really allow us eventually to understand the effects of neighborhood conditions on child development.” For a study this large, Phipps said she is looking into opportunities for students to help with research so
that they can have “the best experience.” Logan clarified that those involved will be graduate students, not undergraduates, due to the training and long-term commitment required. “It will be hard for undergrads to participate, but a lot of the issues that we learn about will make their way into the classroom,” Logan said. Due to the length of the project, the investigators said they were concerned that families moving or dropping out would affect successful data collection. “Really making this something that the communities want to sustain is going to be critical,” Drnach said. Logan said the goal is for families to take pride in contributing to the study. “The spirit of the project helps to keep people from dropping out,” he said. Buka and Phipps, the principal investigators, applied to the study in 2007 when the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development called for proposals. The partnership was awarded a five-year, $14.1 million contract in 2007, and the University pledged an additional $1 million. Women and Infants pledged $500,000 to the project. In October of 2008, the insitute awarded Brown another $12 million contract to expand the study. While both Buka and Phipps had previous long-term research experience, Phipps said this study was “definitely a big undertaking.” Logan said Buka deserves a “great deal of credit” for organizing the project and involving Brown professors in so many facets of the research. He added, “What we all like is to do the science, but in order to do the science you have to do the project building.”
Pa r t y at t h e d i s c - o
Emily Gilbert / Herald
Matt Barnes ’13 looks to throw around an opponent on Sunday as Brownian Motion hosted MIT, Northeastern and URI in a round robbin-style tournament, winning all three games.
w. basketball
At season’s end, Bear U. recruits for 21-year children’s study pair grabs Ivy honors By Kim Clifton Contributing Writer
The University, in collaboration with Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, is successfully recruiting pregnant women for the Providence County chapter of the National Children’s Study, the broadest longitudinal study on child development ever conducted in the U.S.
campus news Melody Drnach, senior community engagement and outreach coordinator, called the collaboration an “amazing opportunity for Brown University to again be a leader in the country in terms of conducting a longitudinal study that improves the health and well-being of Rhode Islanders.” The study at Brown is led by Professor of Community Health Stephen Buka, Associate Professor of Obstetrics/Gynecology and Community Health Maureen Phipps and Associate Professor of Community Health Melissa Clark. Other doctors and scientists in the state sit on the Providence chapter’s advisory board. “Our research team is truly integrated,” Phipps said. “It’s terrific.” The study will follow children from before birth until age 21, collecting data on the children’s physical environment, family dynamics, neighborhood and genetics to “improve the health and well-being of children and contribute to understanding the role various factors have on health and disease,” according to the study’s website. “Information we gain will have local relevance, but data we learn will help inform children’s health
By Madeleine Wenstrup Sports Staff Writer
The women’s basketball team wrapped up the season on an upswing, winning its last three conference games to catapult into the top half of the Ivy League. And the good news did not stop there. Last week, Ivy League coaches voted Sheila Dixon ’13 onto the Second Team All-Ivy and Lauren Clarke ’14 to a spot on the all-conference rookie team. Dixon, a native of Schenectady, N.Y., exploded onto the scene this year after a difficult freshman season. As a first-year, she netted only 100 points all season, averaging 3.6 points per game. “I struggled last season,” Dixon said. “I had to relearn how Division I basketball works. It was a humbling experience.” But Dixon put in the time and effort between seasons to improve her game. Dixon used her disappointing rookie campaign “to work toward getting better,” she said. “I worked out a lot over the summer,” Dixon said. Her efforts paid off. In the 20102011 season, she led the team in scoring as well as rebounding, averaging 11 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Previous to the All-Ivy award, Dixon also earned Ivy League Player of the Week honors in the last week of the season. She was recognized after leading the Bears to a one-point win over Dartmouth Feb. 26. That night, she walked away with her fourth double-double of the season and a career high in both points and rebounds, with 22 and 14, respectively.
Clarke, a rookie point guard from Colts Neck, N.J., jumped into college basketball seamlessly, starting every game with the exception of two she missed due to injury. As the starting point guard, she led the squad in playing time, averaging 32.5 minutes per game. She also ranked third on the team in scoring, racking up 9.3 points per game. “It was great coming into this season,” she said. “The team had great chemistry, and my coaches and teammates helped me make it a smooth transition.” The Bears missed Clarke during her two-game absence. In Bruno’s second league game against Yale, Clarke dove for a loose ball and tore a ligament in her left shoulder. Brown was swept at home by Princeton and Penn during Clarke’s time on the bench. Like Dixon, Clarke was recognized by the Ivy League during the season. After scoring a career-high 24 points against the University of Rhode Island, she was named the Ivy League rookie of the week. During the state rivalry game, Clarke made her way into the Brown record books. She netted 18 points on six-of-eight shooting from beyond the arc, the second-highest number of points from three-point range in Bruno history. Both Dixon and Clarke emphasized the entire team’s integral role in their successes. “You have to have a great team to be able to improve and to get this honor,” Dixon said. Clarke expressed a similar sentiment. “I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates,” she said. “I could not have accomplished this without them.”