Daily
Herald
the Brown
vol. cxlvi, no. 52
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Since 1891
Learning to lead: on the ground with ROTC By jake comer Senior Staff Writer
The cadets of Patriot Battalion dropped their rucksacks and Abags and milled around and talked. The A-bags — green, medium-sized duffel-looking things with sleeping
they come into contact with different drugs and chemicals. A chart included in the kit correlates colors to chemicals. But the test cannot show how much of any substance is included
continued on page 2
— Lindor Qunaj
Army ROTC
Brown students who wish to participate in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps can do so through Providence College’s Patriot battalion (above). Currently, there is one Brown cadet enrolled in the program.
consists of two companies, Alpha and Bravo. Alpha, with about 25 cadets, is composed of freshmen and sophomores — in ROTC parlance, MSIs and MSIIs, respectively. The roughly 10 Bravo cadets are juniors, or MSIIIs. The 10 MSIVs are assigned commanding positions in both companies. ROTC commanding officers
are non-commissioned military officers, meaning lower-ranking — mainly corporals and sergeants. These officers mentor and instruct the cadets, but it is up to the MSIVs to lead the bulk of classes and exercises. That afternoon, the commanding officers — the COs — arrived, and the cadets fell in line by company. The four COs and the
higher-ranking cadets, all MSIII’s and MSIV’s, oversaw an extensively thorough equipment inspection, making certain each cadet had packed everything he or she would need into their rucksack and A-bag for the weekend. The equipment included a hygiene kit, gloves, polycontinued on page 3
New provost 15 use SSDP kits to test Ecstasy purity tested contained MDMA, the ac- presence of a handful of substances, Schlissel P’15 tive ingredient in Ecstasy tablets. such as DXM — dextromethorphan, About 40 percent induced no reac- a drug sometimes used in cough About 15 students used a test kit protion from the testing agents, Moffat medicines and for pain relief — and to focus on vided by Students for Sensible Drug said, citing feedback SSDP received methamphetamines, in pills sold to assess the purity of Ecstasy from students who tested pills this as Ecstasy. It includes four liquid undergrads Policy pills in the days leading up to Spring year. Though no other substances reagents that change color when By Jake Comer Senior Staff Writer
Mark Schlissel P’15 will begin his five-year term as the University’s highest academic officer July 1 when he replaces current Provost David Kertzer ’69 P’95 P’98. Schlissel, dean of biological sciences and professor of immunology and pathogenesis at the University of California at Berkeley, will arrive on campus after 20 years working in the sciences at large research universities. But even as Schlissel plans to help faculty members make an impact with their research off College Hill, faculty, students and administrators are optimistic about his understanding of the University’s focus on undergraduate teaching. New initiatives
Though Schlissel will fine-tune his plans after meeting with administrators, students and faculty, he plans to provide “resources and structure” to improve faculty research, invest in
inside
continued on page 4
news....................2-4 Letters...................5 editorial...............6 Opinions................7
Weekend, according to Jared Moffat ’13, the group’s president. Of those, it is possible a few were supplying those drugs to multiple users and were testing a large quantity of pills. Seven or eight students requested the kit last Spring Weekend, he said. About 60 percent of the pills
were reported, the 40 percent of pills containing no MDMA may have included substances not detected by the chemicals of the test kit, Moffat said. The kit, which SSDP lent out free of charge to students for the third year in a row, can reveal the
After hit-and-run, campus questions pedestrian safety By Kyle McNamara Contributing Writer
Despite the University’s effort to increase pedestrian safety on campus over the past year, the April 9 hit-and-run accident that injured Amanda Chew ’14 and Juliana Unanue Banuchi ’14 has renewed concern across campus. A vehicle, allegedly driven by 30-year-old Jessica Paden of Providence, struck the students when it veered onto the sidewalk at the intersection of Hope and Charlesfield streets. According to the Providence
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Police Department’s report, Paden committed a slew of offenses related to the incident, including driving while intoxicated involving bodily injury, refusal to submit to a preliminary breath test, not carrying a license and failure to stop after an accident resulting in personal injury or death. Paden pleaded not guilty April 11 and was released on $10,000 personal recognizance. Department of Public Safety Sergeant John Heston said it could be up to six months before Paden’s case goes to trial.
Herald staff
continued on page 8
Two students were injured in a hit-and-run around 10:45 p.m. April 9 when a vehicle hopped the curb at the intersection of Hope and Charlesfield streets.
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By Ashley Aydin Senior Staff Writer
Sixth-year PhD funding announced today Fifth-year doctoral candidates who applied for sixth-year funding through the Graduate School will be notified of funding offers today. Eighty percent of those requesting funding will receive the full amount they asked for, and the remaining 20 percent will receive partial funding. This upcoming year, 58 percent of doctoral candidates will continue work on their dissertations for a sixth year, said Peter Weber P’12, dean of the Grad School. In past years, this figure ranged between 30 and 40 percent. The committee that reviewed applications consisted of faculty in the social sciences and humanities and administrators. Departments could rank students applying for funding — though this was not required and most departments choose not to respond, Weber said. The Grad School piloted a more concrete process for evaluating and administering funds for sixth-year doctoral candidates this semester. Additionally, the Grad School allocated a sum of money for sixth-year funding in advance, unlike in the past when the funding has been dependent on the size of the incoming doctoral class. Grad student funding is determined based on merit rather than need. Student funding requests vary and may include one or two semesters of support.
feature bags inside — sat in rows on the grass. The session wouldn’t start for another 15 minutes, but most of the cadets had arrived. I walked up to a group of four big guys and asked how much their equipment weighed, all in all. About 35 pounds, they told me. Not bad to haul across campus, but they regularly heft it several miles at training. Physical readiness training, or PRT — in the military, everything gets an abbreviation — occurs Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 a.m. On Wednesdays, cadets take classes from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. Patriot Battalion is currently the only option for Brown students who wish to participate in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. The Providence College ROTC program
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The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, April 20, 2011
SSDP aims for ‘harm reduction’ continued from page 1 in a pill. “It only tells you if there are certain chemicals present. It doesn’t tell you the ratio,” Moffat said. Roughly 20 students contacted SSDP via email to organize a time
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to meet. SSDP representatives explained how to use the kit and then lent it out for a short time. “We bought it, we’re lending it out free of charge, but we don’t actually handle any of the drugs,” Moffat said.
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SSDP does not condone the use of illegal drugs, Moffat said. The group’s mission is student education and protection. Brown students choose to buy and use drugs but are ignorant of the drugs’ origins, he said. SSDP tries to help manage the risks involved in such behavior. The test kit shows students what they might ingest other than MDMA. “That’s what we’re trying to get people to do, think about what they’re doing,” Moffat said. “My real interest in this is harm reduction,” agreed Rebecca Elizabeth McGoldrick ’12, an SSDP member. “I saw people do some really dumb things” with drugs, especially in high school, she said. Because MDMA on its own cannot hold together, it has to be combined with other substances, such as corn starch, in order to bind together as a tablet. But some makers dilute the recipe with other drugs to stretch the MDMA and sell more pills. Pill makers often choose drugs that mimic the effects of MDMA to fool users into thinking they have bought the real thing, Moffat said. “Ecstasy is supposed to give you energy and a loving feeling,” so pill makers might include amphetamine or caffeine to simulate an Ecstasy-induced energy rush, McGoldrick said. Other substances and drugs contained in a pill sold as Ecstasy can be more dangerous to the user than MDMA, especially if the user combines the pill with other substances such as alcohol. A female junior who used MDMA last Friday said she sent SSDP an email requesting use of the kit a few hours before that night’s concert, but the group did not get back to her until the next day. She said she cannot blame SSDP because it must have been a busy time, and the group emailed her back within 24 hours. “I think I should’ve given them at least a day warning,” she said. She spoke on the condition of anonymity because use of MDMA is illegal. Friday was her first time taking Ecstasy, she said, so she did not know exactly what to expect. But “there’s some suspicion” among her continued on page 8
Campus News 3
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, April 20, 2011
PC cadet calls ROTC program ‘the best decision’ continued from page 1 propylene underwear, notebooks, pens, ammunition pouches, flashlight, protective eyewear, protractor, wristwatch, elbow and knee pads, two canteens, a cloth-covered helmet and whatever else a cadet cared to pack that would fit. I tried a helmet on, and it could not have weighed less than five or six pounds. Ryan Grady, a PC senior and the MSIV responsible for the battalion’s civil affairs, introduced me to Master Sergeant and Senior Military Instructor David Bowman, who explained the goals for the day as the cadets continued with their checklist. The Wednesday classes focus on military skills, such as strategic thought and maneuvering, military history and leadership training. That afternoon session was a special sort of class called a Leadership Lab — an L-Lab. This L-Lab was designed to prepare the cadets for their threeday weekend field-training exercise in the forest near Camp Edwards in Massachusetts. Bowman explained the cadets would spend the weekend camping outdoors, running mock raids, repelling mock attacks, firing M16s loaded with blanks and eating meals ready to eat — MREs. My MRE included caffeine-loaded mints, vacuum-sealed ravioli and a tiny bottle of Tabasco sauce. The field training exercise is one of many opportunities for the cadets, especially the more senior ones, to develop their leadership skills and for the commanding officers to evaluate those skills, he said. After the equipment inspection, the MSIVs in charge sent the cadets jogging off to load their bags onto a truck, then sent them to the ROTC offices in the basement of PC’s Alumni Hall to receive MREs and begin classes for the day. Master Sergeant Bowman and I passed the line of cadets outside the supply room on our way to his office, where he told me about the mission and methodology of ROTC.
graduation. COs assess leadership the most closely and frequently in cadets. Informally, a CO might pull a cadet aside for a quick bit of advice or a reprimand. After one MSIV’s presentation on perimeter defense, Bowman called him over and gently scolded him for not showing his usual level of confidence. The cadet smiled. “I’ll go yell at the first person I see,” he replied. On a more formal level, cadets of every age group rotate each week through four positions of authority over squads and platoons within their company. Cadets assess themselves on leadership and receive feedback from their COs. “We do an after-action review on everything we touch,” Bowman said. COs counsel the cadets and fill out Leadership Assessment Reports. The report is a little blue card that asks for the CO’s observations of the cadet’s performance. It includes a space for strengths the cadet should “sustain” and one for areas in which he or she should improve. The other side of the card lists the 17 leadership criteria and a table of character traits prized by the military, including the practice of empathy and the seven army values — loyalty, duty, respect, selfless service, honor, integrity and personal courage. The card also states the Warrior Ethos: “I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never leave a fallen comrade.” True to military form, this side of the card is completely standardized. COs fill it out by checking the appropriate boxes. This assessment does not apply to cadets’ grasp of military theory or strategic skills. Bowman told me
that, especially for the first two years, their acquaintance with tactics and military knowledge serves mainly as “background” for cadets’ leadership training. Kristofer Seibt, a PC senior, testified as much at a class for MSIIIs on establishing an operating base. The tactic presented on the SmartBoard at the front of the room was used prior to the Cold War, he said — completely outdated, and of no use in, for instance, the deserts of Afghanistan. “We’re not looking at them to check the box on these tactics. We’re looking at them to adapt to these situations,” Seibt said, indicating an arrow on the board that represented an attack on the camp. He told me many of the situations the cadets would have to negotiate over the course of the weekend would be unexpected. It is important for cadets to learn to keep contingencies in mind at all times, he said, in case something goes wrong — a possibility the cadets are taught to expect. “If we have adaptable leaders who can adapt to situations, it doesn’t matter,” Seibt said. At a pause in the slide show, one of the MSIVs conducting the course held up a hand. “If you have gum in your mouth, stand up and go spit it out right now,” she said, sternly. Two uniformed cadets got up and ran to the next room to find a wastebasket. Seibt and I, whispering in a back corner of the room, fell silent. Motivations for joining
Despite all the focus on leadership in general, the cadets do have a good understanding of the specifics of the military and military life.
Grady taught me “the two things you need to know in the army.” One, “if you don’t have a basic knowledge of personnel and equipment management, you’ll fail.” And two, “when you’re in a commandment position, most of your problems will come from (personnel and equipment management).” That advice, and some of the cadets’ gripes about the infamously bureaucratic nature of the military, sometimes called to mind Joseph Heller’s portrait of the armed forces in “Catch-22”. When I talked to the cadets after their tactical exercises and class dismissal, they expressed a variety of motivations for joining the program. Like a number of the cadets I spoke with, Dillon Ingham ’14, currently the only Brown student in the Patriot Battalion, cited a long family history of military involvement as one of his reasons for joining ROTC. His grandfather and great-uncle fought in the army, and his father served for 20 years as a lieutenant colonel in the Air Force. Cadet Staff Sergeant and PC junior Zachary Roitz, an education major, also said his family’s military history sparked an interest in ROTC. He fell in love with the program and appreciates that it fosters strengths that will serve him well within and without the Army, he said. “I think it teaches discipline, it teaches time management and above all, it teaches leadership,” he said. Cadet Staff Sergeant and PC junior Ewen Finzer listed selfconfidence and self-knowledge among the qualities ROTC strives to further. “I tried it out for a little while, because you can do that in the basic course,” he said. “It gave me
something else to do, you know, my friends are out partying and I’m actually doing something that will get me somewhere.” “I chose to do ROTC specifically because I did not want to do the academy experience,” said Cadet Staff Sergeant and PC junior Amberly Glitz, one of only a handful of female students in the battalion. “I wanted to do some more normal activities in college to kind of have both worlds.” Glitz is majoring in French with a minor in writing.“Without a doubt, ROTC is the best decision I’ve made in my adult life,” she said. ROTC is prominent and wellrespected at PC, Finzer said. “People are sometimes surprised to see you in uniform, like ‘What are you doing here?’” he said. But Finzer and Glitz agreed that ROTC is accepted comfortably by the rest of the community and that the program strives to be “open” about its methods and its goals. But Bowman said it seems most of the public does not know much about how ROTC, or the rest of the military, actually functions. He used the film “Saving Private Ryan” as an example. “The public only knows what they saw in that movie,” he said. “I think a lot of people latch onto one aspect of (the military) they don’t like,” he said. ROTC is not immune to the damage to the military’s reputation from scandals such as the torture at Abu Ghraib, but “once people see what we do, there’s generally no more problem. The stigma of it disappears. We’re trying to build leaders, not killing machines,” he said. “We teach leadership. That’s it.”
Learning to lead
Instead of focusing on teaching technical skills like weapon proficiency, or even strategy and maneuvers, the ROTC program aims to show cadets how to lead. “Basic training is for privates. … What we build here is the people that develop their orders,” Bowman explained. “There are times when it’s rolling in the mud and shooting rifles, but it’s not really our focus,” he said. “Leaders are in charge of everything. … It’s much more important to lead.” Cadets learn to embrace the United States military’s 17 official leadership criteria, which include military bearing, interpersonal tact, leading by example and being confident, resilient and physically fit. Bowman explained the development of strong leadership skills is particularly important during the first two years of the program. Participation in ROTC for the first two years does not entail any military commitment. MSIIIs and MSIVs, however, are all contractually obligated to join the military after
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4 Campus News
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, April 20, 2011
New provost looks to help faculty ‘achieve their aspirations’ continued from page 1 teaching and update the University’s facilities. “I want to help the faculty achieve their aspirations,” he said. “My big job is the wise enabler.” Faculty teaching and research are complementary because “all that we’re involved with concerns the development, production and application of knowledge,” said Ann Dill, professor of sociology. Schlissel also intends to increase the influence of both undergraduates and faculty outside the Brown community by encouraging collaborative research. “Looking for areas where the strengths of members of Brown can have an impact on what’s out there in the world is important,” he said. “It would be wonderful to get students involved in research.” The University’s infrastructure, such as its residence halls, eateries and communal spaces, also needs more investment to provide a “more modernized, upgraded environment,” he said. Berkeley to Providence
Schlissel said there are obvious differences between Berkeley and Brown, including size and research focus. Berkeley enrolls about 25,000 undergraduates and 10,000 graduate and professional students, far more than Brown’s approximately 6,000
undergrads and 2,400 graduate and professional students. The California school also differs from Brown in that it boasts a law school, a journalism school and a business school. “It’s a large, complicated university. Brown is on a much more manageable scale,” he said. “Although undergraduate education at Berkeley is valued, it’s mainly focused on graduate studies.” Still, Schlissel said both institutions emphasize diversity and value research. Schlissel said he decided to assume the role of provost because it covers all academic disciplines and because “Brown is a great place.” Schlissel said his undergraduate alma mater, Princeton, is very much like Brown. “It’s small and focused on providing an excellent undergraduate education,” he said. “My years at Princeton were transformative.” Schlissel has been a faculty member at various universities for 20 years. He first taught molecular biology and genetics as well as medicine and oncology at Johns Hopkins University. He then moved to Berkeley, where he taught immunology and biochemistry for 12 years. After completing his term as provost, Schlissel said he hopes to stay on as a member of Brown’s faculty. “I would … reinvigorate my research and look forward to teaching undergrad and grad students,” he said. Schlissel is currently being consid-
ered for tenure. “The process is going on right now in one of the biology departments,” he said. A favorite pick
The search committee for a new provost reviewed about 100 applicants and nominees, wrote President Ruth Simmons in an email to The Herald. “It was hard work,” she said. The search committee was a “broadly representative committee,” Schlissel said, comprising students, faculty and administrators. Schlissel said he applied for the position and was interviewed by telephone by an administrator and faculty members. Schlissel then met with the full committee in Simmons’ home and was asked “about how I thought I felt about the lives of students, faculty and my own career,” he said. The next step involved meeting Simmons individually and getting to know other campus leaders. Schlissel finally came to campus a third time to “see how life is back here,” he said. The search committee was looking for “an outstanding scholar,” Simmons said. She added that the committee focused on finding an individual who had an understanding of Brown’s mission and selected Schlissel unanimously. “Does this person have an idea of what makes Brown special? Does this person know what’s going on at Brown? Can this person fit in at Brown? Does Brown have any weak-
nesses and can they deal with these weaknesses? Is this person a leader?” said Diane Mokoro ’11, search committee member and president of the Undergraduate Council of Students, of the questions committee members asked themselves. The committee worked very hard to “look for people who valued the liberal arts aspect, someone who enjoyed the process of being a part of an enterprise like this,” Simmons said. The committee looked for “someone with the same values in excellence of teaching and scholarship and research. Someone who had genuine commitment to the progression and tradition of the place, its unique history and the open curriculum,” she added. Schlissel was a good candidate because he “seemed to consider the undergraduate student experience,” Mokoro said. “When we talked about research opportunities or academics at Brown, he made sure to mention students in his answers.” This was the first time the search committee for a new provost included students, Simmons said. “The students felt very drawn to his statements about his values and his life story,” she said. “They felt drawn to the fact that he heavily identified with the kind of education Brown provides.” Kimberly Mowry, professor of biology and chair of molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry, said she is excited for Schlissel’s arrival. Department chairs meet with the provost monthly. “He’s a tremendous scientist. It’s clear,” she said. At Berkeley, Schlissel was “an excellent colleague,” George Breslauer, executive vice chancellor and provost of Berkeley, wrote in an email to The Herald. Breslauer praised Schlissel for possessing high academic standards, talent and organization. Schlissel is “able to cope with high levels of complexity across a wide range of issues,” he wrote. “He is also a visionary who thinks about how things might be done differently. All these will serve him well as provost.” Role of the provost
The provost ensures that highlevel decisions are made in the “context of our traditions and goals,” Simmons said, and oversees “individual officers facing individual questions.” As a major player in the administration, the provost “can make a big difference as far as the climate and culture of the institution,” Dill said. Since the provost serves as the chief academic officer of the University, he or she interacts with faculty members on a daily basis, particularly through serving on or chairing University committees. The provost also deals with an array of stakeholders and has to be “able to gain their respect,” Mokoro said. “They have to want to work with you, and you need to show them that you’re going to listen to their perspectives.” Simmons mentioned it is important for an individual serving as provost to go beyond the exact qualifications for the position. “Many people can do the technical aspects of the role. It’s a different matter to have the enthusiasm that
brown.edu
Mark Schlissel, currently dean of biological sciences at the University of California at Berkeley, will assume the post of provost July 1.
conveys how vital it is to you personally,” she said. “In this leadership role, it’s important to not just do the technical aspects of the job, but to be the spokesperson of the University and to convey the importance of that. I think the committee felt he would be a great spokesperson for Brown.” Moving forward
“We’ve had excellent provosts,” Simmons said. “Every provost has done something significant to advance Brown.” She said she hopes Schlissel will carry that a step further. The provost has to be a leader that will challenge students, faculty and departments to strengthen academic programs, she said. “I’m hoping he will not be hesitant to challenge what we’ve been doing,” she said. Though he comes from a large research university, Schlissel said he does not imagine an enormous change in the size of Brown’s Graduate School or how much attention it receives. “I want to enhance the resources and opportunities available to both undergraduate and graduate students,” he said. “Undergraduate education is a high priority under all disciplines at Brown. I assume that’s going to continue,” Mowry said. Still, Mowry does not think an increased focus on graduate education would be a problem. “I don’t see one suffering at the expense of the other. I don’t see why they can’t be complementary,” she said. The University is at a moment where it has to redefine itself, said Arthur Matuszewski ’11, former student representative for the University Resources Committee and former Post- editor-in-chief. This involves “focusing on what the role of the University is in society and how it can aspire to transform society itself.” Matuszewski mentioned that since former Provost Robert Zimmer stepped down in 2006, there have been questions about what makes Brown unique. “This makes the provost’s job really difficult,” he said. The provost preserves the undergraduate experience at Brown by “providing support and providing funding for student initiatives and the unique experience undergraduates have compared to other universities,” Matuszewski said. “The provost will have to balance a lot of issues.”
Letters 5
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Diddy a sign of hip-hop’s demise To the Editor: On Saturday night, many Brown students witnessed murder in Meehan Auditorium. Diddy, one of the last living members of that early coalition of hip-hop revolutionaries, gave us all proof that the lyrical power, rebellious spirit and undefinable buzz of hip-hop has been finally lost to the “industry of cool,” as the great Lester Bangs once wrote. Let me give you some background to what I’m talking about. In the 1970s, rock ‘n’ roll underwent an enormous transformation that commercialized much of the raw, underground sound that had finally triumphed in the cultural revolutions of the late 1950s and 1960s. This process was showcased in Cameron Crowe’s film “Almost Famous,” where the fictional band Stillwater struggles with an industry streamlining itself to maximize profits and not poetry. Much of the elation, the joy and the raw power of rock slipped away. Then, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, hip-hop emerged as the new musical medium that broke the rules, freaked out
old people and made people thump their hands on their knees all over America. The concert on Saturday was proof that hip-hop seems to have succumbed to that same sad, draining process that consumed the original greats of rock ‘n’ roll. The show was all flash, lights and bass — no art was showcased other than that of the sound and light engineers, who did their jobs well under the circumstances. That white rapper who preceded Diddy — and who took off his shirt during his stage dive — possessed more heart than Diddy ever showed us. The very last of the best of hip-hop has officially sold out to glitzy, faux panache and entered the realm of absurdist mediocrity. Diddy, drunk and blustering around the stage, managed only to elevate the legacies of his dead comrades in arms, Notorious B.I.G. and Tupac. One only hopes that when a new musical medium appears, it will never descend into the living lyrical hell that is this concert. Michael Tackeff ’12
ROTC broadens students’ career options To the Editor: While reading Luke Lattanzi-Silveus’ ’14 column (“Changing the debate on ROTC — a socialist’s perspective,” April 14), I have to say I was truly disheartened by his message. The facts that he has loosely stitched together based on his biased conspiracy theory are misleading. To say that the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps was expelled due to its “lack of accountability and role in the prosecution of the Vietnam War” does not make sense. ROTC is a military officer training program. ROTC’s role is not to promote an agenda or play a role in politics of any sort. By having ROTC on campus, we are simply broadening the resources
and career options available to Brown students. If the University decides to bring back ROTC, no one is going to be forced to join. Therefore, if you are against the military, fine, don’t join. However, for those brave men and women who decide that a military career is right for them, Brown is simply allowing them to choose that path while also choosing to have a great Brown education. Therefore, if we are truly a university that prides itself on being tolerant and allowing students to craft their own education, then there should be no reason to not see the return of ROTC. Lynn Della Grotta ’13
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6 Editorial & Letter Editorial
Facilitating summer storage It’s nearing that time of the school year again — the end, that is. A quarter of us are leaving for good, but most of us will be back in the fall — and those of us who aren’t from the area will need somewhere to store our stuff over the summer. In previous years, the University has contracted with a company to bring storage boxes to streets on campus. For students without cars, this service was helpful, but of course, it didn’t come without a cost. What’s worse, these companies often don’t take the best care of students’ belongings. We have heard anecdotally of students returning from their break to find items lost, broken or even covered in mildew. This isn’t the University’s fault, and Brown has helped out in recent years by providing storage subsidies through a lottery. But, we think, even given current budget constraints, it could do more. And in the past, it has. Before 2004, the University offered cost-free, on-campus storage to students. Clearly there is a lot of extra room on campus during the summer. While the program was in effect, for example, residence hall basements and other University facilities were used. Given that the space would go unused during the summer anyway, this practice made eminently good sense. Unfortunately, The Herald reported shortly afterwards, the program was canceled due to “liability and quality control issues.” Apparently, students would store valuable, fragile items like laptops, and the University could neither insure their safety nor afford the inevitable costs associated with any damage or theft, the result being that all students must now either pay significant amounts or go through a big hassle — or both — to store their things. We understand the difficulties these liabilities put the University through. But surely it could condition use of its free storage on a waiver of liability and on a refusal to accept expensive items. And even if the costs were still too high to justify providing this service for free, Brownprovided storage facilities would undoubtedly be cheaper and more convenient than those of the current private companies we use. Brown could also help students out during this stressful time by hiring students looking for on-campus jobs to help others with the move-out. Given the lack of elevators in many residence halls and the age or unavailability of many students’ families, the process can be difficult. Other universities have such programs, and we hope the University looks into the possibility of instituting them here as well. As always, the University needs to prioritize the use of its funds. It can’t provide every little convenience to students. But we think these two changes would be relatively inexpensive and make moving out for the summer a much easier and less stressful experience. At the least, we encourage the University to take these ideas as a starting point when considering ways to improve summer storage. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
quote of the day
“I’m hoping he will not be hesitant to challenge what we’ve been doing.”
— President Simmons on new provost Mark Schlissel
See schlissel on page 1.
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The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Editorial comic
by sam rosenfeld
letter to the editor Coverage skews success of Spring Weekend To the Editor: Recovering from the fun-filled respite of Spring Weekend and returning to our normal lives, it’s fun to recap stories from Spring Weekend and read coverage in The Herald. However, it appears that this year the tone in The Herald has been quite different. Rather than covering the highlights, of which there were many — perhaps the most notable being the surprise appearance by Wyclef Jean — The Herald’s Spring Weekend coverage every step of the way gave undue attention to the minority of students who were disappointed rather than to the vast majority who were excited and happy. Are we really the bunch of unappreciative, spoiled, entitled kids these articles make us out to be? I don’t buy it. We’re the happiest students in the country and know how to enjoy ourselves, support one another and adapt to the circumstances — despite any obstacles or pitfalls that may come our way. Not only does coverage like this paint an inaccurate picture of campus sentiment, it also creates a negative climate for both those involved in planning these events and their many attendees. Why let a handful of complainers dictate our experience? They didn’t dictate the experience of the numerous people who could be overheard talking to friends during and after the shows saying how much fun they were having. Each year presents its own set of challenges when planning an event of this size, and this year was no different. Quite frankly, it is no exaggeration to compare the planning of an event like this to a hurdler running a race — in addition to the eventual excitement and success, it is often a series of unforeseen and uncontrol-
lable obstacles that come your way and that one must clear. I am proud of how our organization handled and overcame each of these hurdles, and, along with other student groups, ultimately produced a successful and fun-filled weekend for Brown. However, it is clear that for whatever reason, a decision was made this year to highlight and overemphasize what did not go right rather than the many things that did. Looking back, one can notice the write-up about the 2008 concert — one that was also held indoors and faced its own share of noise and venue challenges. Rather than dwelling on these issues, the 2008 Herald made the responsible choice to focus on the experience as a whole — one that its many attendees enjoyed just as students did this year. By choosing to ignore, or misrepresent, the fact that many of the challenges — such as lousy weather, artist delays, ticketing hackers and Rhode Island fire code changes — were out of the control of the event planners, it makes it easy for others to vilify their fellow students who have been working tirelessly, and often thanklessly, to create a great experience for their peers. In closing, this letter is not intended to be a plea or call for compliments, thank yous or pats on the back for the Brown Concert Agency or other student groups. Rather it is a call for us to return to being the student body that we know we are: enthusiastic, supportive, fun-loving, adaptive and creative problem-solvers. Keep your chins up, guys! Though I suspect they already are. Abby Schreiber ’11 BCA Booking Chair
Correction An article in yesterday’s Herald (“Women’s crew team makes a splash in California,” April 19) incorrectly stated the time by which the men’s freshman boat lost its race. In fact, it lost by three seconds. The Herald regrets the error. C O R R E C T I O N S P olic y The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication. C ommentar y P O L I C Y The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only. L etters to the E ditor P olic y Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed. advertising P olic y The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.
Opinions 7
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Untangling your mind By Hector Najera Opinions Columnist I want to explicate what many Brown students already know — that the classroom does not have to be composed of four walls. The stories students and faculty bring to Brown are one example. From traveling in South America to working in the community, it is clear that growth emerges everywhere. This is because the essence of the classroom is a student’s individual interest and capacity to learn. If that is there, he can make anything his teacher. In this way, inanimate and animate objects become teachers. The challenge, as I see it, is maintaining this individual interest and capacity everywhere one goes. This is very difficult. There is a particular type of classroom which I want to address — that which nurtures reflection. I suspect these are responsible for keeping the inquisitive mind alive. It is through reflection that we untangle our thinking and generate the first draft of ideas. But what is a classroom that nurtures reflection? To understand it, I think of solitude and the outside. For example, sometimes I need to sit in a coffee shop and watch people pass by as I mull over a thought. These are times when I want to be alone among others — I want to hear and see their energy in order to call forth the energy in myself. At other times, I want to be at India Point, gazing over the water. At others still, I want to be in a forest among trees. I’ll say these are classrooms of reflection — where the
world can quiet down to a murmur so that you can hear yourself think. The classroom that will nurture reflection for you might be different than mine, but I think two things are required for its effectiveness. The first is that suggestion by the poet Jimmy Santiago Baca — that you love your solitude. Not loneliness, solitude. This is the time when you are in company with yourself. When I began college, this is something I dreaded. Being alone was scary for many reasons. Overcoming the fear was difficult — like throwing myself into the
cent study by Diederik Stapel and Siegwart Lindenberg concludes that disorder triggers stereotypical views. People exposed to dirty train stations, disorganized geometrical shapes or a picture of a messy bookcase reported a higher rate of stereotyped views. The reasoning appears to be that when faced with disorder, we seek order in whatever way we can. Stereotyping is one of those ways. Although it is a leap to say that environment alone influences one’s perspective on things like stereotypes or, to go further, rac-
I love seeing artists’ studios. With sculptures in the making and sketches taped to the walls, the creative process is visually accessible. At their best, classrooms for reflection allow a similar clarity. water unsure if I would swim. Of course, solitude is only temporary. Soon enough, we step into that stage of life where we continue our social exchanges. But for its duration, loving solitude is ultimately about cherishing the contemplation of your own mind. The second element of an effective classroom for reflection is environment. To refine this concept, I want to stress the importance of environment. Environments can heal or hurt you, inspire or oppress you, bring forth your best self or your worst self. What is more, an environment is an aggregate of discrete elements which themselves need consideration. One example — a re-
ism, it is nonetheless undeniable that our surroundings do affect us. The objective is to increase positive effects while minimizing negative ones. Colors, organization, natural elements, synthetic elements, people — they all affect me and you. Finding out in what ways will help us locate that classroom for reflection. In my example of the coffee shop above, I need the energy the presence of others has without the direct verbal interaction. The openness of the space, the lighting, the colors — these kinds of things that design students can explain better than I could. But let me offer an example that does not invite reflection — my own high school
classroom. It was a room with four white walls, no windows and tired fluorescent lighting. When I first saw it, I desperately wanted to bring in a plant or a fish — anything that would lessen the artificial feel of it all. Sadly, I got caught up in other things and ceased to notice the bleakness. As I think about it again, though, the space is uninviting to reflection. And whatever reflection takes place in there will be colored, I think, by the space. This past week, I took a trip to Vermont. I was on a hiking trail, loving my solitude, when I decided to cut through a field that would take me back. As the leaves and twigs crackled under my feet, I saw a herd of deer run from one side of the field to the other, their white tails and ears standing in attention. Slowly, I made my way around them, noticing that a few were very young. For that moment, the deer were reading me, and I was reading the deer. Their elegance was captivating. As I thought about my teaching and my work, these deer pushed me to think about carpe diem — what if that moment in the forest was enough? It is not a stretch to say that they, along with the trees and the green field, were my teachers. I love seeing artists’ studios. With sculptures in the making and sketches taped to the walls, the creative process is visually accessible. At their best, classrooms for reflection allow a similar, albeit mental, clarity. So I hope you always seek classrooms for reflection, and once you find them, you go to them often. Hector Najera GS is a graduate student focusing in education.
Reefer madness By Jared moffat Guest Columnist On the evening of Sept. 7, 2010, a crowd of at least 50 Brown students huddled in Wayland Arch, all raising their hands in unison. After an hour-long debate, they were answering the question posed by the Janus Forum, “Should marijuana be legalized?” The affirmative response was nearly unanimous. The audience judged the arguments for prohibition as hopelessly untenable. If I did not know any better, I might recommend that the Janus Forum choose more controversial issues. But according to an October 2010 Gallup poll, Americans are split nearly 50-50 on the issue of marijuana legalization. So what gives? Why is there such a discrepancy between the opinions here versus those throughout the country as a whole? My theory is simple. Brown students are more politically motivated by rational debate than blind fear, hence they are particularly able at understand the fundamental irrationality of the war on marijuana. You can test my hypothesis for yourself. In the past decade, over seven million Americans were arrested for nothing more than simple possession of marijuana, and hundreds of thousands of college students were denied federal financial aid because of marijuana arrests. In the past decade, the American government spent $150 billion fighting the War on Drugs, alongside the $250 billion spent by state governments.
Americans spent an untaxed $360 billion out of their own pockets in the last 10 years to buy marijuana from illegal sources, generating profits for criminal gangs and violent cartels. And all of this for what? Because, in the past decade, illicit drug use rates have not significantly changed — 81 to 90 percent of high school seniors said in 2009 it was easy to obtain marijuana. Drug cartels that are estimated to make anywhere from 15 to 60 percent of their profits from marijuana have become powerful enough to threaten the
maintained a marijuana lifetime-usage rate of 22 percent among adolescents and adults, nearly half that of the United States, which has a usage rate of 41 percent. In fact, one Dutch official is quoted as saying, “We succeeded in making pot boring.” Secondly, the continued decline in tobacco use among Americans is proof that sensible regulations, coupled with honest and empirically based public education, can be effective in lowering and preventing the use of substances. So will more people use marijuana if it is legalized? It is hard to say, since
Brown students are more politically motivated by rational debate than blind fear, hence they are particularly able at understand the fundamental irrationality of the war on marijuana. national sovereignty of our Latin American neighbors. Somehow, the prohibitionists want to convince us that all of these costs are outweighed and justified by the risk of increasing usage rates if marijuana were legalized. This is generally the locus of controversy, but let us recognize the two distinct issues conflated in this anti-legalization tactic. The first premise asserted here is that prohibition policies actually achieve lower usage rates than legal regulation. Empirical evidence casts serious doubt on this claim. First, the Netherlands — where cannabis has been practically legal for 30 years — has
usage rates do not seem to have much to do with whether the drug is legal or illegal. The second even more dubious premise is that using marijuana is morally wrong and socially destructive, thus worth the inherent costs of prohibition. Let us be clear — driving under the influence of anything is dangerous, and individuals must be held accountable for their actions. But by what authority does the government of a so-called liberal democracy have the right to punish citizens for using a relatively benign psychoactive drug, when its use creates little harm to the citizens themselves and no harm to others?
Let’s be honest — the real reason there is such staunch opposition to the legalization of marijuana is not because it is a danger to society, but because it is perceived as a threat to the dominant discourse of power. Marijuana is a mild psychedelic — a drug that expands one’s consciousness — that has been repeatedly associated with the counterculture movement, alternative lifestyles and creativity. Hence, marijuana is associated with deviance. This association is used as a pretext for the government’s fear-mongering television commercials and politicians’ “tough on crime” campaigns — attempts to justify the mass incarceration of non-violent marijuana users. But even more disturbing is the fact that the war on marijuana disproportionately harms minority communities. According to a 2010 study, researchers found blacks were two to four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than whites in California’s 25 largest counties. And after the initial arrest, things get much bleaker. In Rhode Island, for example, a black person arrested for marijuana is eight times more likely to serve prison time than his white counterpart. As much as you might dislike marijuana itself, the prohibition of marijuana is another thing entirely. The question you should ask yourself today, as you look out across the Main Green at 4:20 p.m. is, “Do I really feel threatened by these people?” Jared Moffat ’13 supports H5591, H5031 and S270 and can be contacted at jared_moffat@brown.edu.
Daily Herald Campus News the Brown
Higher ed news roundup
by aparna bansal senior staff writer
Feds investigate anti-Semitism at UC Santa Cruz The University of California at Santa Cruz is under investigation by the United States Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights after a professor accused the university of anti-Semitism. In a letter addressed to the office, Tammi Rossman-Benjamin, a lecturer in Hebrew, wrote, “Professors, academic departments and residential colleges at UC (Santa Cruz) promote and encourage anti-Israel, anti-Zionist and anti-Jewish views and behavior.” She added that “rhetoric heard in UC (Santa Cruz) classrooms and at numerous events sponsored and funded by academic and administrative units on campus goes beyond legitimate criticism of Israel.” According to the Chronicle of Higher Education, this is the first time the office has conducted a major investigation of anti-Semitism at a university. Carole Rossi, UC Santa Cruz’s chief campus counsel, said while the university would “fully cooperate” with the office, the “office’s decision to review an individual’s allegations in no way implies that the agency has determined that the allegations have merit.”
Bucking trend, Canada ups higher ed spending While other countries cut higher education budgets, the Canadian government has proposed a spending increase on higher education and research for the coming fiscal year. The proposal includes tens of millions of dollars toward brain research, student financial aid and study abroad, according to the website for the Canadian Department of Finance. “Canada’s research universities play an integral role in advancing our economy and improving the social and economic well-being of all Canadians,” said Stephen Toope, president of the University of British Columbia, according to the university’s website.
Couple accused of theft from Vassar A former construction project manager at Vassar College and his wife allegedly stole $1.9 million from the college. Arthur Fisher and his wife were accused of creating a fictitious company and depositing money from the college’s capital construction account into the company’s bank account, according to the Poughkeepsie Journal. The couple was arrested by Poughkeepsie police and charged with the felony of grand larceny. Jeff Kosmacher, Vassar’s spokesman, said the college asked the police to investigate after noticing “financial irregularities” in a construction project.
Yale to open campus in Singapore Yale recently announced the official launch of its new campus in Singapore. The college will be jointly run by Yale and the National University of Singapore, according to the Yale Daily News. It will be the first liberal arts college in Singapore and will consist of three residential colleges with 330 students each, according to the press release from the universities. “We also believe the new college can have a profound impact on the advances now being made in higher education throughout Asia,” said Yale President Richard Levin, according to the press release. The campus will be located adjacent to the Singapore university’s present location and is expected to open in 2013. Designs for the campus represent the architectural styles of both universities, according to the YDN.
Colleges halt payments to cities Stonehill College and Bridgewater State University, both located south of Boston, have stopped making the annual payments they were giving in lieu of taxes to the cities they call home, according to the Boston Globe. The relationships between the institutions and the local municipalities have been on edge due to the high cost of services demanded by the universities. Easton, Mass., also charged Stonehill $55,000 for beginning a major construction project without a building permit. The college aims to reclaim this money through litigation.
Harvard under scrutiny for links to Gadhafi A Harvard professor called on the president of the university to express “shame” on behalf of the institution for the financial relations between a senior faculty member and Colonel Moammar Gadhafi. Harry Lewis, a computer science professor, said at the arts and sciences faculty meeting that students should not get the impression that ethical conduct can be compromised for financial gain. The university has also come under recent scrutiny for a public relations firm started by Harvard professors and used by Gadhafi to improve the image of the Libyan government.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Prof’s massless theory in need of proof By Emily Rosen Staff Writer
The fact that particles have mass is something most people take for granted. But what actually gives particles mass? Professor of Physics Gerry Guralnik thinks he knows the answer, but researchers are still working to find the proof. Guralnik’s contributions to the field of particle physics — a branch of physics which involves the study of the formation of the universe after the Big Bang — earned him the prestigious J. J. Sakurai Prize last year. He was one of six recipients of the prize, awarded annually by the American Physical Society. In the 1960s, Guralnik found that equations making up important theories in particle physics have unexpected solutions. Mathematical symmetry is a common element of physical theories, but Guralnik’s work indicated that certain equations have nonsymmetrical solutions. These solutions may indicate
the existence of massless particles. Guralnik then formulated a model based on this idea. The model involved a boson, which is a “massive particle with no spin,” he said. The boson is popularly known as the Higgs boson, but members of the Department of Physics say it could be called Guralnik’s boson as well. To date, it has not been found. The discovery of the boson would unify the Standard Model, which seeks to explain how electromagnetic, weak and strong forces act on particles. “If (scientists) find this particle, everything comes together. All particle physics of the second half of the 20th century will be unified,” Guralnik said. “We developed a unified way to describe why particles have mass,” he said. In 2009, Guralnik wrote a paper bringing together his work with the theories of Richard Hagen and Tom Kibble, two other key contributors to the field of particle physics. While Guralnik is a purely theo-
retical physicist, Physics Professor Meenakshi Narain is an experimentalist. She is part of the international collaboration that is searching for the Higgs boson. Narain regularly travels to Switzerland to take part in experiments involving the Large Hadron Collider. This enormous particle accelerator is used to study extremely small particles, and scientists are trying to use this sophisticated apparatus to find the Higgs boson. This is “cutting edge research in terms of physics and technology,” Narain said, adding that the advanced technology of the particle accelerators and detectors used in the search for the Higgs boson can be useful in other fields, such as medicine and engineering. “The technologies we use are benefiting humanity,” she said. Guralnik proposed the idea that particles obtain mass through interactions with the Higgs boson. “People have been looking for the Higgs boson for a long time,” Narain said.
Students, admins evaluate pedestrian safety continued from page 1 The officer who pulled Paden over was conducting a DWI checkpoint on Brook Street south of the accident’s site, Heston said. The area sees more than its fair share of intoxicated drivers, he added. According to the PPD report, Paden was pulled over after speeding down Brook Street and failing to stop at the Power Street intersection. When PPD Patrolman Noel Field noticed the smell of alcohol, he asked for Paden’s license, which she was unable to provide because she claimed it was stolen. Field then received word of the hit-and-run incident. Witnesses at the scene of the accident identified the vehicle as an Audi, a description that matched Paden’s vehicle. Further examination of the crime scene produced a fragment of the vehicle that aligned with a piece from the suspect’s car. Field asked Paden to submit to a standardized field sobriety test, to which she complied. But upon failure to finish the test, the report states Paden refused to submit to a breath test. In February 2010, Avi Schaefer ’13 was struck and killed by a vehicle while walking at the corner of Hope and Thayer streets, prompting the
University to create a committee that would provide recommendations to increase pedestrian safety on campus. In response to concerns over student safety in the wake of this month’s hit-and-run, Margaret Klawunn, vice president for campus life and student services, wrote in an email to The Herald that the University has implemented a number of the committee’s recommendations, including the creation of highly visible crosswalks at 40 campus intersections. “Our (Division of Campus Life and Student Services), in collaboration with the Department of Public Safety, has undertaken a broad array of education and awareness efforts, including urging students to be aware that drivers may not always be paying attention or may be impaired,” she wrote. Despite these efforts, some students still expressed concern over pedestrian safety on campus. But Brown has an open campus, and University Hall has limited control over events on adjacent streets. Gladys Ndagire ’13 said paying attention is not always enough. “I always take so much precaution” said Ndagire. Still, Ndagire was struck by a car just last week as she stepped from the street to the sidewalk, she said. “People in Providence drive
Students use SSDP’s free Ecstasy test kit continued from page 2 friends about the composition of the pills they took, she said. Coming down from her high left her anxious Saturday, she said. But she and a friend experienced another bout of anxiety on Sunday, she said, which made her question the purity of the pills.
“It’s unclear what was just the MDMA, and what was something else,” she said, adding that she now feels fine. “It was really fun,” she said of her experience. “It was pretty gentle, in terms of the high.” “I’m glad I had the experience,” she said, but “I probably wouldn’t do it again.”
way too fast,” she said. She said she sustained no injuries from the incident. Phoebe Min ’13 said she does not feel as much of a need for precaution, adding she will sometimes cross without looking “because drivers know to be careful around a college campus.” “I’ve noticed drivers on the phone and texting” said Audrey Chang ’13. Though she has jaywalked before, she said the habits of drivers near campus are also responsible for her close encounters with vehicles. Encounters like these have made Ismail Khan ’14 more careful around campus, he said. “At night, I usually wait for signals,” Khan said, adding that he is more cautious because of the recent accidents and because he said he feels that “downtown Providence cars are crazy.” But Alex Stuth ’14 said students do not always have the option to wait to cross the street legally. “It’s hard to wait for signals when going between classes,” Stuth said. He said he has also come close to getting hit and has noticed times at night where drivers do not have lights on. But he acknowledged that not all driving around campus is dangerous. “I’ve had some people who have let me cross the street,” he said, “but also some jerks who have almost hit me.”