Daily
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the Brown
vol. cxlvi, no. 37
Initiatives to increase internship availability By margaret yi Staff Writer
Writing resumes, finding internships and interviewing for jobs can be additional burdens to an already stressful academic workload. But initiatives planned by the Career Development Center to improve the career advising and internship search experience will increase the number of internships available and help give students a competitive edge in the job market. One program that is garnering increasing attention is the Brown to Brown internship program, which will match students with paid internships at companies where alums work, said Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron. Unlike listings in the internship database, these programs will be available exclusively to Brown students. “Internships are a key priority of the Office (of the Dean of the College) this year and in the coming years. What we really want to do is expand what we make available to Brown students,” Bergeron said. The pilot program, coordinated continued on page 4
Monday, March 21, 2011
Since 1891
Relief concert hits fundraising goal By Kyle McNamara Contributing Writer
Shaky camera footage taken of the March 11 earthquake that hit Japan ignited Salomon 101 last night. In the recording — shot by a civilian during the 9.0 magnitude quake — the ground heaves up and down, wiping out an entire neighborhood. Observers at a higher elevation watch in horror. The footage then skipped to an aerial view of the resulting tsunami — waves carrying away cars and houses. Traditional Japanese torii gates stood alone on the landscape, surrounded by piles
of rubble. The scene opened last night’s “Pray For Japan: Earthquake Relief Concert” presented by the Japanese Cultural Association. The association held the fundraiser to raise awareness for the situation in Japan, said Kenji Morimoto ’11, co-president of the association. “We realized we wanted a culmination of students coming together for Japan,” he said. The association planned the event in four days with the support of administrators, students and the
Lydia Yamaguchi / Herald
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The Japanese drumming group Gendo Taiko performed at an earthquake relief concert last night. The concert raised $2000.
Form and function join ‘in spiritual union’ M. lax BY EMMA WOHL Senior Staff Writer
Students packed the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts Friday night to see an exhibition of contemporary art, much of it by students at Brown and the Rhode Island School of Design. But in this exhibit, the focus is not on the artists. It is on the curators. The exhibit, on display through April 5, showcases works by students in MCM 1700R: “The Art of Curating,” taught by Mark Tribe, associate professor of modern culture and media.
The opening served as an introduction to the Granoff Center for many viewers. Students’ exhibits were designed to bring out aspects of the building’s design, from its long entryway to the various nooks and crannies in its stairwell.
arts & culture Kathryn Sonnabend ’11 and Joanna Lee ’11 designed their exhibit, “Gaze Through Space,” in the building’s elevator and the windows at each landing. They wanted to “explore the elevator and the spaces that go unnoticed,” Sonnabend
said. The pieces they chose are so subtle that they may have escaped notice if attention were not drawn to them by the event. But, when examined closely, they reveal an amazing delicacy and attention to detail. Other students’ works are more immediately eye-catching. In “21st Century Changing Room,” student curator Zachary Smith ’11 set up a bizarre changing room — filled with wild costume pieces, brightly colored nail polish, animal print continued on page 4
Local apothocary supplies herbal remedies, legally A potpourri of delectable aromas assails the nose. An old wood stove in the center of the room warms hands frozen from the winter chill. Rows of jars displaying fresh herbs, seeds and powders line the shelves, drawing the eye in every
Feature
Katrina Phillips / Herald
inside
Mary Blue, who owns the modern-day apothecary Farmacy Herbs, points out one of her many herbal remedies.
news...................2-4 Sports..................5 editorial..............6 Opinions..............7 SPORTS..................8
Teeing off
Golf squads resume play after winter hibernation
sports, 5
direction. As Mary Blue, owner of modern-day apothecary Farmacy Herbs, welcomes customers with a kind greeting, their senses come alive. Only the tongue must wait its turn, but sooner or later, it is sure to be satisfied with sips from one of Blue’s herbal teas. The shop offers teas, tinctures, salves and other herbal remedies which are legally considered food products, Blue said. “Herbs do
not treat disease. They support health.” When neither Tylenol nor Health Services could do anything for my chronic headaches, I turned to Farmacy Herbs for help.
By ethan mccoy Assistant Sports Editor
In the opening game of Ivy League play, Bruno played neck-and-neck lacrosse with Harvard for three quarters. But a scoreless final 15 minutes caused Brown’s undoing in a 11-7 defeat Saturday at Meister-Kavan Field. Harvard (5-1, 1-0 Ivy League) was led by Dean Gibbons and Ryan Stevens, who each posted hat tricks. The Crimson played a consistent, mistake-free game to earn a key victory over the Bears (2-3, 0-1).
sports
After a 10-minute bus ride, I found the small, rustic shop on Cemetery Street, facing the North Burial Ground cemetery. There is a bench on the roof and a sign in the window reading “Health care is a human right.” Blue said she appreciates the expansive, quiet location and the beautiful plants abounding in it. Rather than treat my headaches, Blue offered me products that would prevent them before they start by promoting better overall health in my head. I
“Harvard’s a darn good team with really talented lacrosse players,” said Head Coach Lars Tiffany ’90. “For us to beat such a talented team, we have to play at a high level, and we didn’t play at a high level.” Tri-captain Peter Fallon ’11, a defenseman, cited mental lapses and sloppy play as contributing factors in the loss. “We kind of fell apart there at the end,” he said. “A couple mental mistakes, a couple dropped passes. They’re too good a team to give up second chances to, and they put us away.” Brown got off to a sluggish start in the first quarter. Harvard fired the first six shots of the game and scored the opening goal, courtesy of Gibbons. Attacker Johnny DePeters ’13
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Au naturel
Ad of truth? A look at both sides of the “Wall of Lies” opinions, 7
weather
By katrina phillips Staff Writer
loses first Ivy game to Harvard
t o d ay
tomorrow
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2 Campus News
Farmacy offers down-to-earth remedies
calendar Today
March 21
7 P.m.
ToMORROW
March 22
4 p.m. “VLAST (POWER)” Screening,
“How the West Was Lost” Screening,
Stephen Robert ’62 Campus Center
MacMillian 117
7 p.m.
8 p.m.
“10 Days in Israel” Photo Exhibit,
Jazz Combos Concert,
Brown-RISD Hillel
Grant Recital Hall
menu SHARPE REFECTORY
VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH
Vegetarian Submarine Sandwich, Gyro Sandwich, Popcorn Chicken
Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich, Baked Macaroni and Cheese, Green Beans
DINNER Macaroni and Cheese, Brazed Beef, Caribbean Jerk Chicken, S’mores Bars
The Brown Daily Herald Monday, March 21, 2011
Italian Meatballs with Pasta, Saigon Beef and Ham with Veggies, Stuffed Tomatoes
Sudoku
Crossword
continued from page 1 bought a feverfew tincture, “Unwind Your Mind” tea and lavender essential oil. My friends were skeptical of the homemade potions with mistyped labels bought on the outskirts of a cemetery. In the week or so I spent replacing painkillers with herbal remedies, my headaches did not disappear. But they did decrease in frequency and intensity. As directed, I now take a dropper or two of tincture daily — more on stressful days — with a glass of water to dilute the foul taste. The tincture — an alcoholic extract — opens the capillaries in the brain to prevent the onset of headaches, Blue had told me. The uniquely strong smell is hard to take, but leaves no aftertaste — more tolerable, certainly, than shots of Karkov. The greater challenge to students going herbal might be the recommendations that go along with the products. For greatest efficacy, Blue suggested cutting sugar, coffee and alcohol from my diet. Though I did not take the recommendations to heart, I still found a marked improvement. Along with the tincture, Blue suggested drinking the tea — a combination of catnip, chamomile and lemon balm — in the evenings for relaxation and, as the package claims, to “reduce occasional stress and frustration.” As a last resort, I rubbed lavender oil on my temples once the headaches set in. I found the practice so pleasing, it has become a part of my daily routine, even without headaches. Stocking up
Blue grows the over 70 varieties of plants used in her products in the garden and greenhouse surrounding her apothecary. There are teas to promote nail growth and female health, as well as tinctures meant to support well-being in cancer patients. Blue’s two mugwort tea compounds are particularly intriguing. The Smoker’s Blend, with mullein and sage, can be used as a “cigarette replacer” to help smokers quit, she said. The Dream Blend combines mugwort with passion flower and chamomile to “help bring on lucid dreams.”
Daily
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“I don’t know what part of the brain that works on,” she said, adding that the blend works well if used sparingly. Fraser Evans ’11, a teaching assistant for BIOL 0190E: “Botanical Roots of Modern Medicine,” said the product can be “quite effective” if you’re open to the experience. The shop also sells a unique first aid kit. Herbal anti-parasite pills, three tinctures, lavender oil, tea, Band-Aids and salve fill the travel-ready compact container. Blue said some of the shop’s products can be used by students “to enhance the brain during studying time.” If none of the pre-made products suffice, Blue also keeps a stock of raw herbs ready to be mixed. I watched a regular customer enter the shop and describe her latest ailments. Blue, clearly familiar with the woman’s medical history, asked a few questions before confidently pulling several jars from the shelves. She spoke quickly about the recommended preparation and dosage while combining the herbs in a stainless steel bowl. The combination was based partly on the customer’s favorite herbs and partly on Blue’s familiarity with similar conditions. If the customer likes the blend, Blue said, it will be added to her “recipe box” for later use. For any of the shop’s products, “she’ll tell you why they’re good for you, which is really nice,” Evans said. With about 15 years of herbalism experience under her belt, Blue does not keep her wealth of knowledge to herself. She has been teaching herbalism in Providence for a decade in hospitals, schools, garden clubs and nursing homes. Three years ago, she opened the Farmacy Herbs shop. Blue herself studied at the feet of an established herbalist. But she emphasized the fact that herbalism is an informal field. “If someone says they’re a certified herbalist, it doesn’t mean anything,” she said. Today, Farmacy Herbs has about 20 staffers, mostly apprentices and interns. “Because people want to learn so much about herbs, I don’t have to pay anyone,” Blue said. The shop grew from a charitable fund from Jessica Gill, a friend of Blue’s. Before Gill died of cancer in 2006, she requested
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donations to Farmacy Herbs in lieu of flowers. This dying wish allowed Blue to open the store and was the inspiration for the shop’s “Care about Cancer” program, which provides cancer patients with free herbs and referrals to holistic doctors. Brunonian herb-lovers
When Blue was not curing Brown students’ ailments, she was putting one up in her home. Bochay Drum ’10, a resumed undergraduate education student, lived for two months with Blue at her house, adjacent to the future site of the shop. He discovered Blue by chance, he said, and the two realized they had a number of mutual friends through his herbalist father, but he said he was not involved with Blue’s vision of opening an herbal shop. Since then, several students have frequented the shop for remedies and teas. “I usually just go to see everything. It’s so beautiful,” Evans said. In the past, she has bought kelp powder and dandelion roots. Evans introduced Farmacy Herbs to her teacher, Fred Jackson, the director of the Plant Environmental Center. Jackson has been teaching the botanical medicine class since 2003 while running the University greenhouse. This year, he chose to visit Farmacy Herbs on a field trip. The class is a very “hands-on course,” Jackson said, and Farmacy Herbs fits in perfectly with its goals. Students in the class will visit the shop in April when they will get a firsthand look at alternative practices. Jackson said a lot of his students plan to be doctors and he likes to “give them a different perspective.” The U.S. “is lagging behind in the use of these medicines,” Jackson said. While these remedies are used regularly in many South American countries, people in the U.S. still rely mostly on pharmaceuticals. The lack of Federal Drug Administration approval can be problematic and lead to confusion over dosages, Jackson said. Blue’s products are labeled with loose dosage recommendations. The herbs are “really safe and gentle” and are no more dangerous than food, she said. I’m willing to take her word for it. The herbs haven’t killed me yet.
Campus News 3
The Brown Daily Herald Monday, March 21, 2011
Students raise roof, Repository to ease reaccreditation funds for disaster relief By Sarah Foster Contributing Writer
continued from page 1 local community. The event raised $2,000, a sum President Ruth Simmons agreed to match. Numerous College Hill eateries provided gift baskets or other items for a silent auction. Concert performances included those that reflected on Japan and more general pieces, though most performances embodied a spirit of love and respect. Performers were not instructed to follow a specific theme, Morimoto said. Two student masters of ceremonies transitioned between the 15 performances, each sharing a few words of concern for family members in Japan. Three a cappella groups sang songs loosely tied to messages of hope, love and perseverance, including the Higher Keys’ Queen medley of “Somebody to Love” and “We Are the Champions” and Chattertocks’ rendition of “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.” The break dance and hip-hop group Special Browniez Crew began its performance with a direct message to the audience. “If you like what you see, show us some love. And, if you see something you don’t like, keep showing us love,” a group member said. The group brought the audience to a roar, encouraging people to clap along in support of individual performances. In the middle of the event, another video clip was shown. This time, a mother and a father look for their son in the rubble near a post office. The son was one of over 12,000 people missing in Japan after the earthquake. The video ended with a somber message — over 8,000 have been found dead from the earthquake, but experts say the number of deaths could easily reach 20,000. The Japanese drumming group Gendo Taiko also made an appearance, giving a quick introductory speech. “A lot of our members have friends and family in
Japan,” a group member said. The benefit concert also featured poetry readings by Herald cartoonist Franny Choi ’11, Jason Beckman ’11 and a group performance by Zainab Syed ’14 and Paul Tran ’14. Choi dedicated her piece to the people of Japan. In it, the speaker discusses the negative sentiments her family held for Japan due to its Korean ancestry. “When I first heard the reports … all I could think about was torched earth… Japanese memories carried war,” she read. But the poem also demonstrated the love for Japan the author now holds. Beckman’s poem discussed the idea of “finding out the world was ending the morning after it happened.” Viewing the tragedy only as a digital reality leaves the “body unmoving, senses disengaged,” he said. The evening closed with readings of reflections written by members of the Brown community who were in the area of the earthquake March 11. The earthquake was the fourth largest in recorded history, according to the introductory video. Aerial footage from before and after presented a striking view — nearly all buildings were leveled, and the coastline had shifted after the tsunami waves. Morimoto and co-president Rie Yamamoto ’11 serve on the University’s recently formed “think tank” committee on the situation in Japan, he said, adding that the University may form more open committees to address the issue. A panel of four professors will discuss the current situation in Japan at a teach-in in MacMillan 115 tomorrow. The Japanese Cultural Association will continue its donation drive this week in J. Walter Wilson and plans to do more after spring break, Morimoto said. The group intends to make a long-term effort as the effects of the earthquake will continue for years, he said.
To increase access to documents important for the University’s reaccreditation process, the library will incorporate an assessment archive into the Brown Digital Repository, a database created in 2009 to centralize academic documents. The archive — which administrators project will be ready by 2013 — will facilitate data collection for external and internal evaluation processes, such as departmental reviews. This timing corresponds with the University’s next accreditation assessment. The University prepares a large number of documents to meet reaccreditation standards every 10
years. In its last evaluation, the New England Association of Schools and Colleges recommended an increased emphasis on “learning outcomes,” or what students gain from undergraduate concentrations. The University regularly reviews both concentrations and departments, resulting in large quantities of data. The assessment archive will serve as “a way of keeping track of all this very good material that departments generate,” said Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron. Bergeron said this tool will be useful not only for external assessments but also for assessments within the University. For example, a new head of a department will be able to use information collected in the archive to track past progress
toward departmental goals. “Assessment is about awareness,” Bergeron said, adding that awareness of strengths and weaknesses is important both institutionally and educationally. The archive will also track improvements in student writing. The class of 2013 — which will graduate the same year the archive is projected for completion — is the first class with an enforced writing proficiency requirement. The archive is one part of the larger digital repository, which “serves as a digital store for institutional memory,” said Andrew Ashton, director of digital technologies. The repository is a “powerful engine for getting our content out there.”
Bears fall at home to Crimson 11-7 continued from page 1 tied the score five minutes later, but a second goal by Gibbons put the Crimson up 2-1 after one quarter. In a wild second quarter, Harvard extended its lead to 4-1 on quick goals from Jeff Cohen and Terry White while the Bears continued to play sloppily. But in a span of 6:43 in the middle of the quarter, Bruno snapped out of its funk and went on a 4-0 run to take its first lead of the game. Tri-captain Andrew Feinberg ’11 added to his team-leading 13 goals with a masterful finish as he fought his way from around the back of the cage before beating Harvard goalie Harry Krieger from a tight angle. Less than a minute later, midfielder Sam Hurster ’14 fired home a wellplaced shot from long range. Fellow midfielder Teddy Daiber ’11 tied the game on a hard-nosed goal from close range before Feinberg’s second score of the day gave Brown a 5-4 lead with 2:14 left in the half. But only 41 seconds later, Harvard got one back, and the teams went into halftime knotted at five. In the third quarter, Stevens scored three goals for Harvard, but Brown refused to relent. Midfielder David Hawley ’11 scored an extra-man goal, and with only seven
seconds left in the quarter, attacker Rob Schlesinger ’12 came up big to bring the score to 8-7. The junior created space to get off a shot, which clipped the crossbar on its way in for his fourth tally of the season. But the momentum created by the goal was short-lived, as Harvard owned the fourth period to close out the game. The Crimson scored three times on unassisted goals from Gibbons, White and Daniel Eipp to clinch an 11-7 win. At the other end of the field, Brown pressed but could not beat Krieger, who made five saves in the final quarter. “We played some good lacrosse today,” Tiffany said. “But overall, just too many unforced turnovers and mental mistakes that, against a good team, is going to cost you.” The early-season conference loss is a tough blow to the Bears’ Ivy League championship hopes, as league standings are perennially tight. “I think we have to play with more of a sense of urgency,” Fallon said.
“Last year, 4-2 got in the Ivy League playoffs, but this year, you never really know. We’re already a step behind everyone else, so we’re going to need to make it back somehow. We don’t really have any more room for error.” Tiffany said the loss hurts, but the team “has to put it on the back burner” moving forward and concentrate on fixing the mistakes that have plagued them in the early going this year. “Being 0-1 in the league now, we’ve created a big hurdle for us,” Tiffany said. “We just have to keep getting better. We’re just not playing great lacrosse now, and we continue to make mistakes. We’ll keep working harder. … We just have to keep refining it and refining it and get sharper.” Next up for Bruno is the University of Vermont (4-3) at home Saturday. Following that game, the Bears will hit the road for two challenging contests against defending national champion Duke (6-2) and No. 11 Princeton (1-4, 0-1).
4 Campus News
The Brown Daily Herald Monday, March 21, 2011
Student turns art of break dancing on its head CDC taps continued from page 8 had more experience and practice and, as a result, were better overall. On the other hand, the socioeconomic and cultural differences between Brown students and Providence dancers made him nervous. “Even though we’ve kind of got them to merge, there’s still that hesitance where Brown break dancers are a little bit intimidated by these guys. Because they’ve been practicing way longer, they have certain norms that they’re used to,” Frye said. But he said he is impressed by the Providence-based street performers. Frye points to one move in particular — the master swipe — that involves twirling the legs while flipping the arms. Though Frye can perform it, the other dancers have perfected it. Collaborating with the local dancers allows Frye and other Special Browniez Crew members to experiment with moves they have not mastered, he said. Other art forms like martial arts also contribute to the expansion of Frye’s moves. Back home, he learned capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that originated from slaves who disguised
their practice as dancing. Head strong
It was a Rhode Island School of Design cultural show, and Frye had agreed to dance and show off his flips. Standing outside the List Art Center as the sky darkened, he was preparing for the move he calls his “coup d’etat” — a round-off followed by a 360-degree backflip. The sun was setting. As the light faded, Frye couldn’t see his feet as clearly. It was one of the most dangerous situations for a break dancer who performs flips. Frye performed the move — and came crashing down onto his head. Head injuries are rare for Frye. Once he learned how to do a flip properly, it took an effort to mess up, he said. Though most break dancers get badly injured at some point in their careers, Frye said he very rarely gets hurt. Even in this instance, when he failed the round-off and backflip, he walked away unscathed — mostly. “I was so embarrassed, and I did not do that move for a really long time because the embarrassment didn’t hurt me physically — it just
made me not able to psychologically do it anymore,” Frye said. “That’s probably going to be a block for me for a long time. I still do it sometimes, but I really have to psych myself up.” It is important for break dancers to try a move again immediately after botching it to alleviate embarrassment, but Frye was unable to do so in the moment, he said. Embarrassment is a “really destructive force” for Frye and other break dancers. One of the biggest challenges is overcoming the instinct to check himself when performing in public, Frye said. Even outside of failed flips, break dancing in front of others can make dancers feel foolish or arrogant, he said. But Frye does not hesitate to give a demonstration. He throws out a master swipe or sticks an arrowback — a flip that transitions into a handstand, held for a number of seconds — in the middle of the Sciences Library lobby to illustrate his moves. Break dancers occasionally hold a “study break” in front of the library, where they play music and show off moves. One of Frye’s signature moves involves freezing — holding posi-
tion — in the air. He threads his feet under and over each other, weaving them through the air — the move resembles a sideways mid-air split. During group performances, Frye generally solos for 20 to 30 seconds. The adrenaline rush of dancing often causes him and other dancers to get lost in the moment. Some dancers attempt moves they have never before tried or completed, he said. For the most part, it takes more than a few practices to transition from novice to skilled break dancer. Frye is currently working on the flare, a power move — flashy and circular — that involves spinning on the arms and throwing the legs helicopter-like around the air, then repeating for many revolutions. Frye can only make about one revolution. He is also working to improve his freezes and the invert, a move like the arrowback but that calls for holding the legs together instead of spreading them apart. The key, Frye said, is to enjoy practice as much as performance. For him, this is not a problem. Break dancing has an “addictive” quality, he said. “I have this need to do it all the time.”
At new Granoff exhibition, curators on display continued from page 1 rugs and a leather whip — at the top of a staircase. The work’s brochure claims that it uses a variety of media, including “the relational aesthetic of the Perry and Marty Granoff Center itself,” to create an all-embracing artwork. But it is difficult to see how this exhibit has any aesthetic similarity to the Granoff Center — rather, the way in which it sticks out so completely from its surroundings gives it a curious dynamism. The brightly colored, cluttered exhibit
contrasts with the Granoff Center’s sterile and futuristic design. All of the students in the class have an interest in art, art history or curatorial studies, Sonnabend said. Though the University has art and art history tracks, “there’s this whole third area of curatorial studies,” which students are not often given the opportunity to explore, Tribe said. His course, which is being offered for the second time this semester, began as a Group Independent Study Project in the spring of 2007. In the class, students study the history and institutional cri-
tiques of museums, Tribe said. “Nowadays, when you walk into a gallery the whole space is kind of one piece of art,” said Taiyang Chen ’11, one of the student curators. She and her co-curator, Julian Jimarez Howard ’11, tried to find a cohesive set of works, she added. Their exhibit, “Function Flows Free,” focuses on the intersection of art and architecture, Jimarez Howard said. It revisits the relationship between form and function. Threedimensional sculptures fill the middle of a small room the cura-
tors themselves constructed using black electrical tape. These objects, though aesthetically pleasing, have no discernible use. “Form and function should be one, joined in spiritual union,” reads a quote from Frank Lloyd Wright Jr. on the exhibit’s wall. This is a fitting conclusion to draw not just for the exhibit but for the building that houses it.
An excellent way to experience the Granoff Center for the first time.
alums for new programs continued from page 1 under the leadership of Tiffany Burke, the internships manager, is expected to begin this summer in Boston. The CDC has started reaching out to alums in the Boston area and is waiting to hear back from them before proceeding further with the program, said Andrew Simmons, director of the CDC. “Brown alumni are a great resource, and we’re trying to tap into that resource … in creating opportunities, specifically for Brown students,” Simmons said. There will hopefully be a “very robust number of Brown to Brown internships” in the near future, when the program expands to other cities where there is a strong concentration of alums, he added. The CDC also plans to offer the January Career Lab, an intensive career advising workshop that will bring more alums and students together, Bergeron said. Participants will work on their resumes while networking and receiving first-hand advice from alums. The lab will most likely take place the week before the start of the spring semester when students are usually anxious to return to school, Bergeron said. The idea for the lab came from Lauren Kolodny ’08, the Corporation’s first young alum trustee, who presented the idea late last fall. The lab is still in its early stages, and coordinators have much logistical planning ahead of them, Simmons said. “There have been many different versions of alumni-centered career events on this campus over the decades,” Bergeron said, “but I think the January Career Lab could put a new spin on it.” Both projects will involve a strong collaboration between the CDC, the Office of the Dean of the College and the Office of Alumni Relations, Simmons said. Other departments will probably become involved as the projects come to fruition. “The Brown to Brown internship program and the January Career Lab are great ideas and each a giant step in the right direction for career advising at Brown,” Diane Mokoro ’11, president of the Undergraduate Council of Students, wrote in an email to The Herald. “I hope and expect that these are only the first of many major initiatives from the CDC and the Office of the Dean of the College that move toward improving this aspect of the Brown student experience that has traditionally been somewhat weak.” “I am thrilled that there has been so much activity and so much new energy in the career center,” Bergeron said. “I think Brown students are going to see a big change in the coming year.”
Sports Monday 5
The Brown Daily Herald Monday, March 21, 2011
Golf teams teed up for spring season after five-month break By Sam Rubinroit Sports Staff Writer
Even though the men’s and women’s golf teams play the same sport, they still somehow find a way to be polar opposites. Both squads resume their seasons in the upcoming weeks after a five-month furlough between their spring and fall campaigns, but they will be looking at them very differently. “I look at it as we are in the middle of our season, not that the fall season has ended,” said women’s Head Coach Danielle Griffiths before the break. “With women’s college golf, everything counts, so our spring is just as important as our fall.” But for the men’s squad, winning its Ivy League tournament — held April 22-24 for both men and women — is essentially the only means of entry into the NCAA Championship. As a result, the championship and the tournaments leading up to it take on an increased significance. “Definitely the spring is much more important,” said men’s golfer J.D. Ardell ’13. “When you go through the fall season and then you have this big break, it’s almost like you’re starting all over again. You go from fall season where you’re riding the momentum guys have from playing all summer long, and there’s really no weight in those tournaments. The Ivies is like it is in basketball — you basically have to win your conference to get to the NCAAs.” “Certainly, we want to be competitive in the fall,” said men’s Head Coach Micahel Hughes, “but the only route that we have to get to the NCAAs, which obviously is the ultimate goal, would be for us to win the Ivy League championship.” The two squads also concluded the fall season with vastly different results. The men struggled in the fall, failing to finish better than 10th in
any of their five tournaments. The women cracked the top 10 in every tournament, including a firstplace finish at the Northern Illinois Open in October, where they set a school record for one-day low score. “We had a great fall, and hopefully we can build upon that,” said Megan Tuohy ’12. “I think it motivates us, and we come back out really wanting to play.” Both teams suffered a setback over the break when their normal practice facility, the Eagle Quest Golf Dome in West Warwick, collapsed due to snow accumulation. It remains closed. “It’s difficult not having an indoor facility like some schools, especially like some Big Ten schools or other Ivies,” Ardell said. “For us, we kind of need to wait for everything to thaw out to go to the range and then even longer for it to dry to be able to get out onto the course.” As a result of this year’s harsh weather in the northeast, both squads begin their season in warmer locales. The women first travel to South Carolina March 20-21 and then to Seaside, Calif. March 28-29. The men open their spring season in Santa Barbara, Calif. March 28-29 and then travel to Arizona April 2. “We’re the last team that has spring break in the Ivy League, so consequently, we’re the last team to play in warm weather before we start our schedule here in the northeast,” Hughes said. “A lot of teams are playing in warm weather now and are going to have to come back to the cold weather. I think it’s a huge advantage for us to have spring break so late because when we come back, hopefully the weather should be good.” As the teams gear up for the Ivy championships, the men’s and women’s rosters look very different. The women have a wealth of experience, featuring a majority of upperclass-
men. The Ivy League Championship is being held this year at Atlantic City Country Club, the same location where it was played two years ago when many of the Bears were beginning their Brown careers. “I think our experience will definitely work in our favor,” Tuohy said. “My freshman year, we played at Atlantic City, so I think every one of us has seen the course before and played it. I think that having been there a couple of times will help put it all into perspective, and we will enter it with a little more confidence.” The men’s squad has much less experience, with only one senior and one junior at the helm. Their Ivy championship is being held at Galloway National Golf Course in New Jersey, a location with which none of the players are familiar.
“We’re a very, very young team,” Hughes said. “We’re playing with the majority of kids as freshmen and sophomores, and none of us have ever played at the Galloway Club before. We have our hands full. Some of the Ivy teams have played there with some of their older players three or four times.” Hughes has high expectations for his team, but he said he finds it hard to predict how they are going to perform. “My prognostication skills are so bad,” he said. “Every time I think we are going to play great, we don’t, and whenever I have a bad feeling, we play good. I think if we finish in the upper echelon, which would be fourth or better, it would be a great showing by this team.” But Griffiths has a systematic way
of predicting her team’s performance. “Every semester since I’ve been here, we’ve gotten one place better,” she said. “We’re definitely trying to climb the ladder. We started at sixth (in 2009), and this past season we were fifth, so we want to climb another spot again.” For the players, the Ivy championship is a momentous tournament, but for Ardell, the most important thing is keeping it in context. “Will it be tough for a freshman the first day just because it feels like this is the one tournament that really matters? It could be,” he said. “I’d be lying if I didn’t say there were some nerves involved last year for me. It’s the big show. It’s the one that matters for us, but at the same time, in the end, a golf tournament is a golf tournament.”
comics BB & Z | Cole Pruitt, Andrew Seiden, Valerie Hsiung and Dan Ricker
Dot Comic | Eshan Mitra and Brendan Hainline
Gelotology | Guillaume Riesen
6 Editorial & Letter Editorial
The Brown Daily Herald Monday, March 21, 2011
Editorial comic
by julia streuli
Fostering community Earlier this month, The Herald reported that the Office of Residential Life is considering a reorganization of on-campus housing that would concentrate first-year dorms and dining around either Keeney or Pembroke campus. Though these plans are only in the preliminary phase, we applaud this effort to foster a more communal first-year experience. Current complaints about an unequal and segmented living experience for incoming students are warranted, and furthermore, re-allocating housing spaces on campus will likely benefit all classes. Keeney and Pembroke each boast advantages to being the locus for first-year living. Keeney is conveniently close to the Sharpe Refectory and the Main Green, easing the first few weeks of difficult navigating for those new to campus at the beginning of each year. Having first-years in proximity to main campus and one another may also diminish the safety risks posed by students walking late at night, frequently alone and across long distances between their dorms and their academic and social activities. But Keeney lacks the lounge space necessary to accommodate an entire first-year class, and its layout is not likely to foster the same kind of bonding that smaller, quieter dorms do. On the other hand, Pembroke, as a cluster of separate buildings, provides more opportunities for units to coalesce. Though further from campus, a more removed first-year living space may aid in forming connections in a quieter, less formal setting. It is worth pointing out, of course, that whichever area is not used for first-year housing would become sophomore and upperclass dorms, and Pembroke may offer more diverse options for those entering the housing lottery after their first year. Either location would require structural renovation as well as a reorganization of community resources like units and residential peer leaders before becoming the potential home to all first-years, and we are happy to note that ResLife is taking these needs into consideration. Though some have raised concerns that removing upperclassmen from first-year dorms would reduce inter-class friendships, we have found that there are plenty of other — and perhaps more effective — ways of making friends in other classes through student activities. Additionally, if more University housing is made available for older students, more social activities will take place on-campus, increasing the sense of community among all undergraduates. At the very least, the proposed renovations to the dining halls would be a boon to all students, whether or not on-campus housing is restructured in the near future. Updating and expanding the Ratty and the Verney-Woolley Dining Hall might draw more students from other crowded eateries like the Blue Room, and will certainly be necessary if enrollment is increased as planned. We are pleased to see that ResLife and the Corporation are brainstorming ways to make the first-year living experience more cohesive. Presenting a well-constructed first-year community is likely to serve as one more reason for prospective students to look forward to attending 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 In support of gamete cells’ right to life To the Editor: I wish to commend Sarah Gassel ’12 for her recent opinions column (“The case for infant rights,” March 18). I’m pleased to see that Gassel and others are standing up for the rights of fetuses even before they can exist as independent organisms outside of the mother’s womb. But sadly absent in Gassel’s column was support for the rights of gamete cells — specifically, the millions of ova and billions upon billions of sperm cells that are heartlessly murdered each year as a result of “C/M/A”: contraception, masturbation and sexual abstinence. If fetuses are voiceless, then gametes are doubly so, because there are two of them for every embryo produced. Can we simply stand by as these countless potential lives fail to be created?
Just as with Gassel’s touching story of adoption, everyone reading these words would not be alive today had the gametes storing their genes been destroyed through “C/M/A.” It is truly horrifying that organizations like Planned Parenthood support this wholesale baby slaughter through their promotion of contraception, family planning and sexual health. Millions of future American lives are at stake, and I would argue that in terms of sheer quantity, this is a far more pressing issue than abortion, though less widely publicized. While I agree with the opinions expressed in Gassel’s column, I believe we pro-life advocates need to direct our attention first to solving the “C/M/A” issue before tackling the comparatively minor issue of abortion. Nicholas Gaya ’14
CorrectionS An article in Friday’s Herald (“Protesters hold flash rally for gay marriage,” March 18) incorrectly referred to Jeremy Feigenbaum ’11 as the president of the Brown Democrats. Feigenbaum is the president of the College Democrats of Rhode Island. The Herald regrets the error. An article in Friday’s Herald (“Audience steals show at Janus debate,” March 18) incorrectly attributed a quote to Steve Larrick ’11. A student sitting near Larrick was the actual speaker. The Herald regrets the error.
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A photograph in Friday’s Herald accompanying an article about men’s squash player Adrian Leanza ’11.5 (“Self-taught squash star makes professional playing debut,” March 18) should have been attributed to David Silverman. The Herald regrets the error.
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Opinions 7
The Brown Daily Herald Monday, March 21, 2011
Wall of truth Ethan Tobias Opinions Columnist A March 14 advertisement in The Herald, “Palestinian Wall of Lies,” sparked a surge of letters to the editor decrying its deplorable language and lambasting The Herald for choosing to publish it. The advertisement’s content was inflammatory and rightfully condemned by many members of the Brown community. Let me be unequivocal — I do not agree with all the content of that advertisement and certainly not with the choice to present shadowy images of men with guns and Qurans, nor shall I comment on The Herald’s wisdom in choosing to run the advertisement other than to assert that selling advertising space does not amount to an endorsement of a product. But it is unfortunate that during the kneejerk rush to condemn, the chance to analyze the advertisement’s key points with the nuance that they deserve was missed. Brown students deserve a wall of truths to help them understand the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To that end, it is important to study the history of the conflict itself. Israel was founded in 1948 following a resolution by the United Nations partitioning the British Mandate of Palestine into a Jewish state and a Palestinian state. It was only after the Six-Day War in 1967 that Israel occupied the West Bank and Gaza, though it has since withdrawn from the Gaza Strip. The first lie that the advertisement brought
up was the claim that pro-Palestinian groups assert that Israel occupies all of Palestine. While it is true that Hamas has maintained that position, the Palestinian Authority currently accepts Israel’s pre-1967 borders. It is important to make a distinction between the claim that Israel is a legitimate state that is currently occupying the West Bank and the claim that Israel has been an illegitimate state since its founding. This distinction is crucial because it means the difference between student groups
self-determination within part of their historic homeland. Distinctions matter — something the ad glosses over when it states, “The Arabs rejected peace and a state on the West Bank first in 1948 when it was offered to them by the U.N. and then in 2000 when it was offered by Presidents Clinton and Barak.” It is true that the Palestinian leaders in 1948 and 2000 rejected partition plans that would have granted them some form of a state, although to be fair, Prime Minister
Brown students deserve a wall of truths to help them understand the complex Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
who advocate divesting from companies that do business in the settlements and divesting from companies that do business in Israel proper. By advocating divestment from companies that support the occupation, students can show their disapproval of Israel’s settlement policy. By advocating divestment from all Israeli companies, students are promoting the destruction of a nation-state and showing their willingness to strip the Jewish people of their right to self-determination. At Brown, we can disagree on Israeli policy without being disagreeable. Brown Students for Justice in Palestine and Brown Students for Israel can push their relative agendas, yet at the same time recognize the Jewish and Palestinian peoples’ rights to national
Barak’s partition plan in 2000 would still have annexed up to 10 percent of the West Bank and East Jerusalem to Israel. Yet, to say that “the Arabs” rejected such a plan is to equate all Palestinians with all Arabs, an unfair generalization and one that backfires if one considers the Arab peace initiative, a proposal adopted by the Arab League that offers Israel peace and completely normalized diplomatic relations if Israel withdraws from all territory occupied since June 1967. It is Israel — or more precisely, Israel’s political leaders — that have rejected this peace initiative. While the “Wall of Lies” ad made these clearly false generalizations, there is some salvageable material. A fair student of his-
tory should consider that while hundreds of thousands of Palestinians fled Israel during the 1948 War of Independence, hundreds of thousands of Jews fled Arab countries. Why and when these people fled is a matter of debate. What is fact is that Israel has absorbed and granted full rights to every Jew who arrived fleeing Arab countries, while the status of Palestinian refugees in Arab countries has remained unresolved. Another important point made by the ad is that Israel attempts to minimize civilian casualties. This is a complicated topic, mostly because it is very difficult to distinguish between terrorists and civilians when combating non-state actors. These fighters do not wear uniforms and both sides calculate different civilian-to-combatant casualty ratios. Complicating the calculation is the fact that Israel routinely warns civilians of an impending attack, even dialing homes to alert residences. Though the death of any civilian is tragic, the claim that Israel has a policy of committing war crimes or genocide is ridiculous and ought to be refuted. The “Wall of Lies” advertisement contained problematic content and presented its information in a polarizing and inflammatory way while it should have afforded this complex topic the nuance and distinctions that it deserves. Though it was rightly condemned by many members of the Brown community, it is important to recognize that there are important truths that can yet be learned.
Ethan Tobias ’12 has succeeded in generalizing about the contents of the “Wall of Lies” advertisement. He can be reached at Ethan_Tobias@brown.edu.
Scientific outreach and tenure at Brown By Eric Van Arsdale Guest Columnist Last Wednesday, Nancy Baron delivered a lecture on the idea that “being a good communicator makes you a better scientist.” As the science outreach director for the Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea, Baron has helped the world’s foremost scientific experts communicate their research to society. Baron’s statement may seem counterintuitive until we realize what good communication requires. Scientific outreach involves communicating research to society, often in the form of news articles, blogs or even public lectures. Effective communication requires scientists to reduce their research to the bare necessities and explain why it matters. These activities make scientists hold up their research to even more scrutiny than normal and often result in stronger science with implications that reach across academic disciplines. Despite these benefits, Brown’s tenure policy gives professors incentives not to engage in such activities. With the University currently reviewing specific tenure issues, now is the time to reexamine the overall policy. As it stands, Brown and other universities do not consider outreach when a professor comes up for tenure. Instead, publishing research constitutes the majority of tenure credentials. With tenure aspirations engulfing a professor’s first few years on the job, scientific communication is ignored at the very moment when a professor is molding his or her academic identity. To remedy this, Brown
should incorporate scientific communication into its tenure considerations. Unchanged, the current policy simply perpetuates our single-minded focus on research publication and reinforces the gap between science and society. This gap exists because scientists communicate through peer-reviewed journals, while much of society gets its news from the Internet and Jon Stewart. Policy makers frequently lack scientific literacy as well. When science is not at the table, our national policies lack a fundamental empirical foundation. And declining science coverage in the media
professions most trusted by the American public. Many scientists avoid communicating science to the overall society for fear of being “sagan-ized,” referring to the famous astronomer Carl Sagan who was denied membership in the National Academy of Sciences, allegedly because he developed a popular television show on astronomy called Cosmos. The time of “sagan-izing” must come to an end. We must put to rest the myth that a good scientist cannot also be a good communicator. The late Stephen Schneider’s work on climate change attests to this. Schneider
Staying out of the fray is not taking the high ground but is just passing the buck.
has increased this gap as well. With politicians stuck in nation-wide fisticuffs, the burden falls on citizens to raise the alarm about overlooked issues. In this uncertain time, scientists must take active roles in engaging society. Communication involves not only relating findings and technical information, but also providing ways to frame research. Framing helps communicate why specific issues are important and what the possible courses of action are. Framing also brings up an issue of concern — objectivity. Scientific objectivity is important and has played a part in science’s public image, currently second only to the military among
walked the line of scientific advocacy by stating where his research ended and his opinions began. As one of the world’s foremost experts on climate change, Schneider walked this line because he believed that “staying out of the fray is not taking the high ground but is just passing the buck.” The buck has already been passed. The weight of unresolved environmental and social challenges now lies on the shoulders of our generation. Rising to these challenges will require future scientists who can bring their research into the fray, and these young scientists have support. Three past presidents of the American Association for the Advancement of Science — America’s larg-
est scientific organization — have all either called for increased scientific communication or led by example. The atmosphere of change is apparent, but Brown’s tenure policies are holding us back. Our current tenure scheme discourages professors — and thus students — from engaging society. Worse, the University’s avoidance of the issue allows for the stigmatization of scientific communication to continue. I am not calling for all scientists to take up the banner of scientific communication and begin bombarding the New York Times with opinion articles. The choice to communicate is ultimately a personal decision. Practicing science for science’s sake is important and should continue, but professors wishing to engage in scientific outreach should be encouraged and rewarded. I am also not saying that communicating results should be more important than research. President Ruth Simmons is correct in saying that research is the “life blood” of Brown. But we are so focused on this lifeline that we are missing the larger systemic picture. Failure to acknowledge scientific communication inhibits our professor’s activities, limits scientific education and perpetuates the gap between science and society. With increasing calls for scientific communication, many of the University’s future scientists will benefit from knowing how to communicate their research to society at large. Be bold, Brown. Eric Van Arsdale ’11 is an environmental science concentrator from Naples, Fla. He can be reached at eric_van_arsdale@brown.edu.
Daily Herald the Brown
c i r q u e d u s ay l e s
Artist spotlight: Reed Frye ’11 BY CAITLIN TRUJILLO Senior Staff Writer
Clapping mixes with blaring music, filling Alumnae Hall as a dozen dancers in street clothes line the stage. Audience members at the imPulse Dance Company’s annual spring show clap to the beat as the freestyling begins. Dancers start with top rock then progress into spins and flips and handstands. They take turns as they perform, throwing out dizzying head spins and movements. Legs fly around bodies like blades of a helicopter. Reed Frye ’11 stands back on the right side of the stage before breaking into a run. He jumps into a handstand, kicks his legs in the air and somersaults forward before landing on his feet. The crowd goes wild. At the end of the freestyle, Frye and fellow members of Brown’s break dancing team, Special Browniez Crew, take a bow and exit the stage for the show’s next act. It is one of many on-campus performances that allow Frye — who has been a break dancer since he was a kid — to feed what he calls an addiction to dance. Skyrocket
Frye was introduced to break dancing when he was 11 at a summer camp run by the Center for Talented Youth — unusual both in location and group makeup. Break dancing has its origins in the black and Puerto Rican communities, Frye said, but the friends and instructors he met at camp were largely Chinese- and KoreanAmerican. Many of them hailed from Los Angeles, far from the part of California where Frye grew up. “I’m from Santa Cruz, California. Nobody break dances there,” he said. From an early age, he was interested in acrobatics, so his mother signed him up for gymnastics class-
es. “And they would turn out to just be like, ‘Now a cartwheel!’ Or ‘Now a somersault!’ So I just started teaching myself stuff,” Frye said. Gymnastics did not satisfy Frye, who felt he was not made for that art form alone. He wanted to learn how to string more flips together. Once he picked up break dancing at camp, his “learning curve skyrocketed” since he had already been teaching himself other acrobatic moves, he said. He later turned to taekwondo, which “bleeds over more than you would think” with break dancing. But the sport still lacked the flips he was looking for. One day, his taekwondo teacher saw Frye performing flips and recommended incorporating them into his routines for creative martial arts forms at tournaments where artists choreograph a set of up to 25 unique moves, he said. Frye performed at talent shows but did break dance competitively until coming to Brown. Once in Providence, he joined Special Browniez Crew, participating in “jams” in the area as well as in shows and competitions at other schools, he said. Frye served as the group’s president his sophomore year. A community art
AS220 — a community arts venue downtown — was one of the biggest influences on Frye’s break dancing. Frye started attending break dancing performances and practices about two years ago, hoping to fuse the Brown and Providence break dancing communities while learning new skills. But this goal was initially intimidating, Frye said, because of the stark differences between Brown’s student body and the residents of the local Providence area. On one hand, he said, he felt local dancers continued on page 4
Monday, March 21, 2011
Anna Gaissert / Herald
Students crowded the Main Green Friday afternoon to take a study break, juggle and enjoy temperatures in the 60s.
Fellowship links science to business By Alex Greene Contributing Writer
Five Brown students and three University of Rhode Island students are getting a firsthand look into the world of entrepreneurship in the life sciences through a fellowship program run by the Rhode Islandbased Slater Technology Fund. The Entrepreneurial Fellows Program, now in its third year, offers stipends to students who are studying life sciences, bioengineering or entrepreneurship at Rhode Island universities to investigate the technology transfer between Rhode Island colleges and technology companies. The program also aims to increase the likelihood that students will remain in the state after graduation. “The goal is to try and retain the students who come here in Rhode Island,” said Richard Horan, senior managing director of the fund. The fellows are responsible for compiling a report on the ease of technology transfer — the process of commercializing research discoveries — from the universities in Rhode Island to in-state start-ups. They then send their reports, which
they hope to finish by May, to the Rhode Island Science and Technology Advisory Council, where the reports will be used to aid with policy decisions. “(The Science and Technology Advisory Council) was set up a couple years back to advise the governor and general assembly with respect to the emerging sector of technologybased entrepreneurship,” Horan said. The program will form the basis of conclusions and recommendations for how the state can strengthen its technology transfer. The fellows acknowledged that technology transfer within the state is not as efficient as possible. “The big picture is that Rhode Island is not very competitive for entrepreneurs,” said Jason Chan MD’14, adding that Rhode Island universities need to improve translating their research into businesses. The program, which kicked off in early February, aims to help eliminate some of the friction associated with technology transfer in Rhode Island. The program was initially funded by part of a $6.75 million grant awarded to URI from the National
Science Foundation’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research. The university received another $20 million to continue the program in the past six months. From this additional money, the Slater Fund will receive $201,000 to provide stipends and continue the fellows program for another five years. The fund expects to accept eight students per year into the program in each of the next five years. “If adequate funding were available, we would expand (the program) to a larger number of fellowships that would be full-year and eventually full-time,” Horan said. “The goal is to get it to a full-time appointment.” Much of the program is focused on teaching the fellows. “The first two weeks is learning about tech transfer,” said Kenneth Estrellas GS, a master’s student in artificial organs, bio-materials and cellular technology. “Once we’ve gotten familiar with the process of tech transfer and venture funding, we begin our report.” The program has changed since its inception. “This is the first year that the fellows will engage in something policy-related,” Horan said.
Revelry, deception and arias intoxicate opera audience BY APARNA BANSAL Senior Staff Writer
“Die Fledermaus” or “The Revenge of the Bat,” Brown Opera Production’s spring show directed by Audrey Chait ’11, is a whimsical, fantastical take on Johann Strauss II’s operetta about a wild night of revelry. The opera begins with the chambermaid Adele (Rebecca Lichtin ’14) singing about a ball she longs to attend. She feigns her aunt is sick so she can get the night off. Meanwhile, Dr. Falke (Zal Shroff ’14) tries to convince Gabriel von Eisenstein (Nathan Margolin ’11) to attend a party before he spends eight days in jail for a petty crime. He promises him “beautiful food, women and wine” — four words that perfectly encapsulate the opera itself.
As Dr. Falke and Eisenstein escape to the ball, Alfredo (Andrew Wong ’11) — who pines for Eisenstein’s wife Rosalinde (Juliana Friend ’11) — comes to visit her just as the prison director (Nathan Weinberger ’13) enters. Alfredo pretends to be Eisenstein and is taken to jail in his place. At the ball, Adele, Rosalinde, Eisenstein, the prison director and a prince (Ivy Alphonse-Leja ’14) all encounter each other in disguise as Dr. Falke stirs up confusion in revenge for a prank Eisenstein played on him. A night of intoxication, infidelity and comic exchange ensues. Because the story itself was “trite,” Chait said she decided to “play up the fantastical aspect” and “frame the second act as fantasy.” There are also anachronistic elements in the opera — in one scene when Eisenstein reveals that Adele
has been lying about her aunt being sick, she mutters “shit” under her breath with a guilty smile. “It’s not contemporary, but removed from historical context,” Chait said. The stage opens displaying large red sofas, several lamps in the background and a table with a bottle of whisky and two glasses. But the most striking element of the set is the large clock, which initially displays eight o’clock. Its hands are then moved around by the actors to show the progression of time at the party. At the end of the night, several numbers are missing, stripped away by the drunken guests. Colorful costumes add to the mirth of the party scene. Shroff, Lichtin and Friend sang with complete control, but the voices of other actors were sometimes lost as a result. The song sung by
Lichtin, Friend and Margolin at the end of Act One is masterfully performed as Friend’s Rosalinde feigns sorrow at the departure of Margolin’s Eisenstein but is secretly rejoicing. She wins over the audience with her charm, declaring “two can play this game tonight” when she sees the flirtatious ways of her husband in Act Two. Throughout the show, the actors project the words of the songs to the audience, but the timing is sometimes off. The actors also have a strong stage presence. In one scene, Dr. Falke stands calmly to the side, holding his cane and glass of champagne as the guests become increasingly intoxicated. At the end of Act Two, he stands triumphantly in the center of the stage, under the spotlight and in front of the clock. The orchestra, directed by Jacob Klapholz ’13, seamlessly moves
from fast-paced whimsical songs to slower, more emotional tunes. While Act Three is a little dull and slow-paced compared to the two preceding acts, the actors still give committed performances. Chait said the opera was “big and fun” — very different from the production she directed last year, “The Turn of the Screw” by Benjamin Britten. “Audrey is a really good director. She nourished us to find our niche,” Alphonse-Leja said. “I’d never been to an opera before and I was impressed and educated,” said Zintis Inde ’12. Tom Lutken ’14 summed up the power of “Die Fledermaus” —“Everyone looked like they were having such a good time.” The actors brought energy and enthusiasm to the stage as if it were indeed a dance floor.