Daily
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vol. cxlvi, no. 75
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Since 1891
Employees put off retirement to retain health care
Lagos urges higher taxes for Latin America By katherine Long Senior Staff Writer
Former Chilean president and Professor-at-Large Ricardo Lagos addressed a packed Joukowsky Forum last night about the “two epochal changes” facing Latin America — income distribution inequalities and a rapidly growing middle class — as it emerges relatively unscathed from the 2008 financial crisis. Lagos’ talk was given against a backdrop of unrest in Chile, where university students have taken to the streets protesting the country’s growing economic inequality and demanding changes in education, transportation and energy policy. Lagos, who held office from 2000 to 2006, was the first socialist president elected since 1973, when General Augusto Pinochet seized power from President Salvador Allende. The protests are symptomatic of an increasingly diverse middle class that, in the wake of Latin America’s economic growth over the last 20 years, has become accustomed to a great amount of social mobility, Lagos said. He described a need for new arenas of political expression to give voice to the interests of the expanding middle class, which is continued on page 2
By Jordan Hendricks Senior Staff Writer
Glenn Lutzky / Herald
College Hill has more tree cover than lower-income areas of Providence, according to a student study released in May.
With more trees, city looks to go greener By Natalie Villacorta Senior Staff Writer
Fall brings out the beauty of trees. But in many cities, including Providence, there is not enough foliage to compete with the concrete and asphalt. As a result, urban areas are much hotter than their surroundings areas — a phenomenon called the urban heat island effect. In a report released last May, the spring 2010 class ENVS 1920: “Analysis and Resolution of Environmental Problems and Case Studies,” found that areas of Providence with fewer trees are hotter than greener neighborhoods. Trees
are crucial to human health and happiness in a variety of ways — they remove pollutants from the air, provide shade and add beauty to their surroundings. Providence has been steadily warming, a foreshadowing of hotter summers that will tax residents’ health and the city’s infrastructure. By the close of this century, Providence could experience two to four weeks of temperatures over 100°F, according to the class’s research. ‘Essentially tree-less’
The environmental studies students used satellite data to find a correlation between vegetation cover and surface temperature in
Providence neighborhoods. Downtown Providence, Federal Hill, Upper South Providence and Lower Olneyville and Valley — the least vegetated areas of the city — had the highest summer surface temperatures. The students also found a clear correlation between tree coverage and asthma cases. Fewer trees “means more hospital trips as a result of asthma,” wrote Cecilia Springer ’11 in an email to The Herald. Springer contributed extensively to the class’s final report, “Trees and the Urban Heat Island Effect: A Case Study for Providence, continued on page 3
Simply Ruth: Campus reflects on losing an icon She has been compared to Jackie Robinson, Santa Claus and Morgan Freeman. She has been called a “badass.” She is remembered for her red power suit and the hugs prom-
Feature
inside
ised to first-years at Convocation. And while President Ruth Simmons is the leader of the University and a revered academic, to many she is known simply as Ruth. During her tenure at the University, Brown’s 18th president has developed a undeniably cult-like following, inspiring apparel and posters bearing her visage for sale
news....................2-5 editorial.............6 Opinions.............7
on the Main Green. The adoration is nothing new — “We love Ruth” T-shirts date back to her 2001 inauguration. When Simmons announced Sept. 15 that this would be her last year at the University’s helm, the community lamented the loss of its venerated leader. “She is an icon at Brown, and we will lose a mascot,” said Sarah Weingarten ’15. Painted as an icon
Simmons’ beloved status is reserved for few. “My friends at other schools don’t know their presidents,” said Michael Quinn ’13. But at Brown, those who do not continued on page 5
Landlines on Call The allure of room phones still rings true for students Campus News, 8
Rachel Kaplan / Herald
continued on page 4
Simmons’ upcoming departure has sparked diverse gestures of appreciation.
For Sale?
The cost of education could use some adjustments opinions, 7
A-Grade
A holistic approach to student evaluation opinions, 7
weather
By Alexandra macfarlane Staff Writer
As university health care costs around the nation continue to increase, Brown faces lower costs than some of its peers because it does not subsidize health care for retirees older than 65. But many faculty and staff see the lack of retiree health plans as a reason to delay retirement. The University has sought to “keep costs from rising too dramatically” without “diminishing the benefits” for employees, said Drew Murphy, director of benefits for human resources. Because the University has not subsidized over-65 retiree health care since 1994, it has not found itself as overwhelmed as other institutions that offer more extensive retirement health care plans. Harvard, for example, is facing a $812 million liability for retiree health benefits alone, according to a March Boston Globe article. But at the same time, the University’s lack of retiree health benefits poses “a huge obstacle to faculty and staff when they get into that age bracket,” said Dean of the Faculty Kevin McLaughlin P’12. Elizabeth Doherty, senior associate dean of the faculty, wrote in an email to The Herald that “virtually all (faculty members) express concern about the cost of health care coverage and wish that Brown provided this benefit to retirees.” Faculty and staff who retire after the age of 65 can choose between Medicare Advantage and Medicare Supplement plans, but they must pay premiums on their own, Murphy said. Neither plan is subsidized by the University. Employees who retire between the ages of 55 and 65 with at least 10 years of service to the University can receive an early retirement health care plan, which offers an $83-per-month subsidy with the rest of the premium paid by the retiree. Karen McAninch ’74, business agent for the United Service and Allied Workers, which represents University library and facilities staff, said the University contri-
t o d ay
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2 Campus News calendar Today
September 28
12 P.m.
ToMORROW
September 29
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Lagos: Raise taxes, support middle class continued from page 1
7 p.m. “The Politics of Reciprocity,”
“Gross Indecency: The Three Trials
Prospect House, Room 105
of Oscar Wilde,” Leeds Theatre
7 p.m.
8 p.m. “Capitalism Without Guilt,”
“Control Room,”
MacMillan 117
Sayles 205
menu SHARPE REFECTORY
VERNEy-WOOLLEY DINING HALL LUNCH
Vegetarian Cajun Pasta, Bruschetta Mozzarella, Pepperoni Calzone, Pumpkin and White Chip Cookies
Beef and Broccoli Szechwan, Sweet and Sour Tofu, Edamame Beans, Pumpkin and White Chip Cookies
DINNER Seafood Cavatelli, Vegetarian Cajun Pasta, Oven Roasted Tofu Triangles, Frosted Brownies
BBQ Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese with Avocado and Tomato, Vegan BBQ Baked Beans, Frosted Brownies
Sudoku
currently “asking for what they think they deserve,” he said. “And the government can’t keep up.” But the cornerstone of his argument revolved around what he called the “implicit paradigm” that directly correlates per capita income with life expectancy. Referencing statistics compiled by the International Monetary Fund, he contended that the correlation becomes irrelevant after per capita income rises above $20,000. At that point, Lagos argued, quality of living is linked more strongly to income distribution than gross per capita income. For example, countries like Japan and Sweden, where the in-
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come of the richest 20 percent of society is roughly four times that of the poorest 20 percent, show very high standards of living according to an index of health and social problems, Lagos said. Meanwhile, in two wealthy countries with relatively low standards of living according to the same index — the United States and Singapore — the richest 20 percent of citizens earn roughly eight to 10 times that of the poorest 20 percent. Lagos proposed that Latin American countries increase taxation to redistribute income rather than continue targeting government expenditures at specific lowincome groups. But Dietrich Rueschemeyer, professor emeritus of
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sociology, took issue with Lagos’s proposal during the question-andanswer portion of the talk. “This seems like a difficult policy to implement,” he said. “The wealthiest groups have, by this point, grown very skilled at evading taxation.” But most attendees of the talk, which brought a diverse crowd of over 60 students, professors and community members to the Watson Institute, were effusive in their praise of Lagos. Linda Miller, visiting fellow in international relations, said every time she has heard Lagos speak, he has “been outstanding in terms of his grasp of what both scholars and policymakers bring to the table.” This talk was no exception, she said. Lagos currently serves as president of the Foundation for Democracy and Development. He has held his position on the University’s faculty for four years. In his introduction to Lagos’ speech, Richard Snyder, professor of political science and director of the center for Latin American and Caribbean studies, praised the “landmark free trade agreements” and “innovative social policies” enacted under Lagos’ regime as, well as Lagos’ involvement in the University. “It’s been a unique pleasure to have President Lagos as a colleague,” he said.
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Campus News 3
Students’ report points to city’s need to plant more trees continued from page 1 R.I.” The solution? Plant trees. Providence has about 25,000 street trees, which cover about 23 percent of the city. The goal of Trees 2020, a 2008 initiative to plant trees in Providence, is to increase that coverage to 30 percent by 2020 — an undertaking that would require 3,333 trees to be planted each year. But currently, only 1,100 trees are planted annually due to funding limitations. The class’s report recommends targeting low-income communities such as Federal Hill and Upper South Providence, which would benefit the most from increased tree planting. There is a “complicated social side to the issue of having trees equally available for cooling our cities,” said Timmons Roberts, professor of environmental studies, who taught the class. According to the report, “proximity to street trees and urban green spaces consistently favors homeowners to tenants and the wealthy to the poor” around the nation. “It’s easy to take the beautiful Brown campus and the East Side of Providence for granted,” Springer wrote. “But many areas of Providence, especially low-income neighborhoods, are paved over and essentially tree-less,” she wrote.
No trees grow in Elmwood
To understand the lack of canopy coverage in some neighborhoods, the class conducted a survey in May 2010 to assess residents’ perceptions of trees. The students surveyed the Elmwood district in southern Providence based on its low canopy cover of 16.3 percent. “There wasn’t a single tree on the street,” Roberts said. Kai Morrell ’11, outreach coordinator for the Department of Facilities Management, said she was surprised by how much people had to say about trees. “Trees are something that everyone sees,” Morrell said, “Even if they aren’t environmental scientists, their opinions are still important.” A handful of people did not want trees in the neighborhood, citing expensive damage caused by tree roots such as blocked sewage pipes and cracked sidewalks. But the class found that for every dollar spent on planting and maintaining trees, the city of Providence reaps $3.33 in benefits. Trees lower heating and cooling costs, reduce flooding and erosion and raise property value. Most survey responses revealed that residents appreciated the benefits of trees and were interested in planting more in the neighborhood. Despite this interest, less than a third had heard of the Providence Neighborhood Planting Program, which assists residents with tree-
planting at no cost. Roberts said he hopes the report, along with efforts by Providence City Forester Doug Still, will bring Rhode Island policymakers’ attention to the need for more resources for the state’s tree programs. The report identifies several funding opportunities that the state could take advantage of to increase planting. “There could be more money for this — not enough people know about it,” Roberts said, “The people who know about it are separate from the ones who most need the help.” Morrell said that surveying community members was an eyeopening experience that illustrated the connection between social and environmental issues. “Classes like these — where students get out into the community and talk to residents of Providence — are an important thing for Brown students to experience,” Morrell said. “We’re residents of Providence, and we should contribute and know something about that community.” Students can help mitigate the urban heat island effect by volunteering for one of the tree planting efforts, Roberts said. “College Hill is sort of an island, but College Hill will rise and fall with Providence,” he said. “We need to take care of this place and the people.”
State of Providence’s Urban Forest Report, April 2008
Neighborhoods with the lowest percentage of tree cover have the highest surface temperatures during the summer.
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4 Campus News
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Nanomaterials could slow cancer growth Retiree health benefits
amount to ‘pennies’
continued from page 8 and intrigued by the results, but he knew the tests needed to be run at least three more times to verify any findings. Zhang ran another trial and again found a lower density of cancer cells, but she also found something new — the nano-features inhibited the synthesis of a protein that aids in tumor growth. The tests had initially been conducted with lung cancer cells, but later tests used breast cancer and bone cancer cells. Both reacted in the same manner — the nano-features lowered the density of cancer cells and decreased the synthesis of the tumor growth protein. The next step is finding realworld applications, Webster said. “In order for any of this research to be useful, we need a company. We need to transition from the lab bench to a real product.” Webster said he hopes to apply their discovery to animal models and eventually human trials. “If all goes well, a product could appear in five years,” he said.
continued from page 1
Tom Sullivan / Herald
Thomas Webster, professor of engineering, said he hopes his research could lead to a product within five years.
bution to the early retirement health plan is “small in comparison” to premiums between $400 and $1400 per month, depending on the number of persons on the plan. “You would think they would do better than that,” said Suzan Gervais, senior library specialist. “It’s pennies. It’s like not offering any help at all.” In order to be able to afford health care when she retires around the age of 70, Gervais said she will have to increase deductions from her current pay checks, which means “less money to spend now.” Christmas Moore, senior library specialist for technical services, wrote in an email to The Herald that while she had hoped to retire at age 66, she now foresees herself working until she is 70. But health care costs are not the determining factor in that decision, she wrote — rather, she simply cannot live without her salary. “The cost of health care, on top of all the other negatives, was more just a nasty version of the icing on the cake,” she wrote. There are currently 72 retirees and 19 dependents on the early retiree health plan, Kim Almeida, benefits financial manager, wrote in an email to The Herald. The number of post-65 retirees on
the Medicare plans is not readily available because the University is not directly involved with the plan. The University offers an additional incentive for early retirement for non-faculty members. According to a November 2009 University press release, nonfaculty employees over the age of 60 can receive a lump-sum equivalent to one year’s salary and $15,000 to “support the transition to retirement.” The incentive is offered in addition to the $83-permonth health care subsidy and the option to remain on their current health care plans until age 65. But some staff members say that even the incentive is not enough to comfortably afford health care after retirement. “For me, it wouldn’t have worked out because it wasn’t enough,” said a library services worker approaching retirement, who asked that her name be withheld. “I’m not going to say it is the only reason I can’t retire yet, but for me, it just isn’t enough.” But on the faculty side, Doherty wrote that in her experience, no faculty member has delayed retirement solely because of health care. “The decision to retire is a complex and personal one, and a lot of factors shape it,” she wrote. — With additional reporting by Margaret Nickens
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Campus News 5
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 28, 2011
comics Cabernet Voltaire | Abe Pressman
Fraternity of Evil | Eshan Mitra, Brendan Hainline and Hector Ramirez
The Unicomic | Eva Chen and Dan Sack
Courtesy of Danny Sobor
Danny Sobor ’15 designed a poster, above, with this logo the day before President Ruth Simmons announced her resignation.
Students contemplate the loss of a ‘mascot’ continued from page 1 know Simmons are few and far between. Indeed, many students not only know her but also worship her. A 2009 Brown Noser article parodied her cult status with the fake headline “Lock of Simmons’ hair auctioned for 500 flex points, pony.” Though he has had minimal interaction with her, Todd Baker ’15 called Simmons an “untouchable legend.” Baker compared Simmons to a female Morgan Freeman. Some students take this cult worship to another level. On a whim, Danny Sobor ’15 designed a poster bearing a stern image of Simmons with the label “T(Ruth)” below the face. He made 15 copies of the original design and planned to sell them for $5 each. The next day, Simmons announced her resignation. When Sobor sold his posters on the Main Green, he quickly ran out. Sobor said he believes the University is “zealously in love with Ruth.” Up close and personal
Simmons has shared personal time and information with students. It is this “open and friendly nature” that makes her so loved, said Julia Stevens ’15. Simmons said in a 2006 interview with The Herald that she personally maintains her email address. “It comes directly to me. Nobody else reads it,” she said at the time. Sobor, who emailed Simmons
offering her one of his posters, said he got a personal response from her the next day. But Simmons also remains a distant figure to some. “She hasn’t touched me in any way,” Nick Catoni ’14 said. “There is no iconic image of her in my mind.” Time with Simmons is usually booked weeks in advance, though she said she likes “spontaneity when it comes to students,” according to a 2008 Herald article. She once went to a home-cooked meal at 111 Brown Street with students who invited her. “If I do it, it should be good for Brown,” Simmons said in 2008 about deciding what student events to attend. Next steps
When Simmons resigns her post June 30, 2012, she will leave big shoes for whoever comes next. “People will definitely find things to complain about” when the next president arrives, Quinn said. Gail McCarthy, a dining services worker in the Sharpe Refectory who has somewhat of a cult status of her own, said Simmons “has been truly wonderful and will be missed by all.” Many students hope the University’s new leader will carry on Simmons’ traditions, even if the new president does not garner the same adoration. Christopher DeCola ’12 said he is looking for someone like Simmons to take her place. “I would like someone who could be very Ruth,” he said.
Read Post- Magazine Thursdays in The Herald
6 Editorial Editorial
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Editorial comic
by sam rosenfeld
Still out of shape Last year, we expressed our concern for the condition of campus gyms (“A little out of shape,” Oct. 26, 2010) and called on the University to repair equipment and improve satellite gym facilities. Unfortunately, the Department of Athletics failed to adequately plan and secure funding for equipment acquisition. As a result, it recently removed aging and broken equipment from the Bears Lair before purchasing replacements (“Bears Lair bare without machines,” Sept. 26). This downgrade has had a noticeably negative impact on student life. It is regrettable that the Department of Athletics removed the equipment before a workable plan for replacements had been approved. Though we realize that the department must remove potentially dangerous machines, we are skeptical that so much of the equipment reached a state of disrepair at the same time. These machines have been deteriorating for some time, and a staggered replacement approach could have prevented the current shortage of available equipment. As The Herald reported, students have been seriously inconvenienced by the equipment removal. The shortage has led to lengthy wait times and forced many to skip workouts altogether. This is unfortunate, as exercise is important for both physical and mental health. The current situation must be remedied as soon as possible. We are further concerned by the suggestion made by Matthew Tsimikas, assistant director of athletics and physical education, that machines in the Emery and Bigelow fitness centers might also need to be replaced. We urge administrators to go about replacing equipment in such a way that gyms are still functional and able to support student need. Of course, new equipment does not come cheap. Though funds are tight — especially for athletics — the purchase of machines that will be heavily used by non-varsity athletes ought to be prioritized. This is particularly true in light of the $64 recreation activities fee charged to each student. This fee should go, first and foremost, to the maintenance of the athletic facilities that serve the most students. Satellite gyms, designed primarily to be convenient enough to encourage student fitness, should be a top priority. Much is asked of the Department of Athletics — we recognize competing demands are placed upon its very limited resources. That is why ensuring that adequate fitness facilities are available should also be the concern of the Office of Campus Life and Student Services and other top University administrators. Exercise and fitness can have a significant effect on academic success and general well-being. As such, the resolution of the current situation at the Bears Lair should be addressed immediately. Though thorough planning and budgeting is certainly required for the future, we urge the University to allocate funds for new equipment without delay.
quote of the day
“It’s pennies. It’s like not offering any help at all.” — Suzan Gervais, senior library specialist See Benefits on page 1.
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Opinions 7
The Brown Daily Herald Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Calculus and pirates By Jan Cao Opinions Columnist
One of my friends is taking her first college math class. Being a humanities student, she just bought her most expensive textbook yet — a 2011 edition of James Stewart’s “Calculus” for $180. The past editions cost no more than $30. Some can even be downloaded online for free. It is almost impossible for the authors to find additional material for the new editions. They simply change figures in homework problems so that students with the old versions cannot do homework. When we normally think of textbooks, we think of hard covers, artistic dust jackets and beautifully printed acid-free paper. But is it really the case that a calculus problem is better when it’s in color? I have long been bothered by the fact that economist N. Gregory Mankiw and Stewart are valued more than Karl Marx and philosopher Gottfried Leibniz in terms of price. A copy of “Philosophical Writings of Leibniz” costs $4. My used 2,700-page “The Norton Anthology of Theory and Criticism,” which contains selections from Aristotle, Immanuel Kant and Michel Foucault, costs only one-third the price of my friend’s calculus book. The funny thing is that Mankiw and Stewart
did not figure out the principles of economics or rules of calculus. Though I admit that they are great professors who write impressive textbooks, I feel like they use copyright policies to steal money from poor college students. Yes, they sell important knowledge and ideas, and yes, their intellectual property should be protected. But what about our right to gain knowledge? These ridiculous “new versions” of textbooks, which cost hundreds of dollars,
When I told her the tuition for Brown is almost $40,000 per year — the same as many other elite universities — she looked at me as if I were joking and asked, “Are American colleges that good?” Honestly, I do not know. I also did not tell her that the price for a college degree is still increasing every year — faster than inflation — and that some people even claim college tuition is a bubble about to burst. They could be right, but I choose not to believe it.
Though I admit that they are great professors who write impressive textbooks, I feel like they use copyright policies to steal money from poor college students.
make college even more expensive — especially for students in science, math and economics. I once talked with a student from Japan who went to college in Germany about university tuition in different countries. Humboldt University in Berlin charges students around $341, which is similar to most universities in Germany. She said universities in Japan cost between $6,000 to $15,000 per year. In China, the cost is between $800 and $1,600 per year.
Is knowledge an asset sold on the market that benefits only concentrated interests, or is it a gift for the whole of mankind? The Germans seem to favor the latter. Last weekend, for the first time ever, the Pirate Party of Germany won seats in the state government in Berlin. Founded by a group of computer programmers and scientists, the Pirates have not spent much time on foreign or economic policies, which are issues that people with enough
power and money care more about. Instead, the Pirates campaign on Internet freedom, open source governance and civil liberties, particularly in education, copyright law and genetic patents. They just won 8.9 percent of the vote and now have 15 seats in the state parliament of Berlin. The Pirate Party, just like the Green Party 30 years ago, attracts young voters with funny mottoes and campaign methods that other parties cannot even think of. They wear jeans and sneakers to official television debates and write slogans like “privatize religion” on campaign posters. While across the world, people are still forced to pay big bucks to the “evil intellectual monopoly” for their right to knowledge — or are refused the right to watch YouTube, communicate on Twitter or even log into their Gmail account — the Europeans enjoy greater civil rights and liberties. I will not go so far as to suggest that we should all download free economics textbooks and Harry Potter movies from the Internet without feeling guilty. But there should be a balance between the right to knowledge and education and the protection of intellectual property. And by the way, Leibniz is greater than Stewart. Jan Cao ’13 is a comparative literature and German studies concentrator from Nanjing, China. She can be reached at jieran_cao@brown.edu.
Evaluating grades By Reuben Henriques Opinions Columnist
At some point in your college career, you’ve encountered them — the person who, upon learning that you go to Brown, quizzically says, “Isn’t that the school without any grades or something?” You gently correct them, laughing at their naivete. But while they may be misinformed, they ought to be right: Having already thrown out the pluses and minuses, the D’s and F’s, it’s time for the University to consider doing away with grades altogether. It’s not surprising that outsiders often find our grading system inscrutable. We have A’s, B’s, C’s and F’s, but F’s are “No Credit” and don’t show up on your transcript. Less than 5 percent of grades each year are C’s. The bottom line? The Brown transcript is all but exclusively populated with A’s and B’s — and, of course, those much-beloved S’s. Our school seems to be the university equivalent of Lake Wobegon — a place where everyone is above average. But as a result, grades are less effective at doing what they are fundamentally supposed to do: provide information about how well students perform in a class. This is a logical result of having so few categories into which a student’s performance can fall. Take a student who got a B — you have no way of knowing if they were one of the worst students in the class or if they were one exam question away from an A. At another school, that same per-
son might have a B-, B or B+, allowing you to know much more about how they did. The latter system allows not only for more fine-grained comparisons across students, but also across the courses on an individual student’s transcript. Looking at a typical Brunonian’s long list of A’s, B’s and S’s — and the 1.31 percent C’s — it’s impossible to know in which classes they excelled, did the bare amount of work necessary or did just average. All you know is that in some, they did really well, and in others, they did pretty well.
employers but it would be at odds with the University’s academic philosophy. Currently, the philosophy promotes the notion that students put time and effort into their classes in pursuit of knowledge, rather than in pursuit of an A. But if what we hold dear about Brown is its lack of emphasis on grades, then why bother having them at all? If we reject grades as anathema to the spirit of the New Curriculum, let’s stand by that belief wholeheartedly. Let’s find a more holistic evaluation system —
Let’s find a more holistic evaluation system — one that encourages cooperation, rather than competition. One that aligns professors and students as collaborators, rather than pitting them against each other as judge and judged. One that fosters reflection and engagement, rather than strategic GPA-gaming. By having such a wide variety of meanings, letter grades end up with almost no meaning at all. One obvious solution is to bring back pluses and minuses. In fact, such a move was proposed in 2006, in part for the reasons already discussed. Yet ultimately, I believe the successful critics of that proposal were correct in arguing that a more traditional grading system would be undesirable because it would increase student focus on, and competitiveness over, grades. A greater variety of letter grades might provide more information for students, graduate schools and
one that encourages cooperation rather than competition. One that aligns professors and students as collaborators rather than pitting them against each other as judge and judged. One that fosters reflection and engagement rather than strategic GPA-gaming. In fact, we already have such a system — course performance reports. These reports, which can be requested in any class, are a written form that can be attached to a student’s transcript on which both students and professors provide a narrative evaluation of the student’s progress over the semester. Surely, this process is more suited than let-
ter grades are for a school in which everything from our classes to our concentration must be carefully considered and justified. So rather than relegating course performance reports to the sidelines as a voluntary additional piece of paperwork, let’s make them the centerpiece of our evaluation system. Make every class S/NC, and at the end of the semester, in every class, both student and instructor would share comments saying much more about a student’s performance than an A or B ever could. But wait, you say — not all graduate schools and employers are quite this forward-thinking. What will happen when we can no longer impress them with our highly inflated, if technically nonexistent, GPA’s? Happily, we can have the best of both worlds. The University could continue awarding letter grades while still requiring a performance report in every class, similar to what’s done at Reed College. Yes, we would still be stuck with those vague letters, but along with each one, we’d also have a nuanced evaluation — explaining our strengths and weaknesses, our successes and challenges, what we learned and how we grew — available to support, qualify or expand upon that letter. Making student evaluations fundamentally narrativecentered would engage students even more deeply in the reflection and dialogue that ought to characterize our education, while making our transcripts far less arbitrary and far more meaningful. Reuben Henriques ’12 is pleased with this column but wants to hear your holistic, narrative assessment of it, too. He can be reached at reuben_henriques@brown.edu.
Daily Herald Campus News the Brown
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Landline users not ready to be put on hold
f e at s i n c l e at s
By Kate Nussenbaum Contributing Writer
Emily Gilbert / Herald
The Bears suffered a disappointing 2-0 loss to 13th-ranked Boston College at home yesterday, as the Eagles scored two goals in the second half to grab the victory. The Bears begin Ivy League play on Saturday when they travel to Columbia.
With downturn, some reconsider law By Aparna bansal Senior Staff Writer
Graduating from college and getting into law school used to be a sure path to a lucrative job. But with thousands of law school graduates entering a shrinking labor market each year, job prospects are growing dimmer. Kathy Do ’12, co-president of the Pre-Law Society, said the job security associated with a law degree is “very shaky right now.” “Everyone is kind of reconsidering,” she said. After reading about the difficulties of getting jobs in law, she decided to consider other options and now plans to work for a few years before entering law school, she added. Ross Cheit, associate professor of political science, said the oversupply of lawyers and the tough job market are a larger concern for students who attend less promi-
nent law schools, whereas most Brown students attend first-tier schools. “The demand for Yale Law School graduates doesn’t really change with the economy,” he said. “It’s generally true that it’s not as lucrative as it used to be,” said George Vassilev, director of preprofessional advising. “But it’s important to put everything in its proper context.” The demand for lawyers is lower now than in previous years because of the business cycle, but earning a legal degree is “still one of the better options out there,” he said. Data collected by the Office of the Dean of the College show that the dimming market for lawyers does not significantly perturb Brown students. The number of students and alums applying to law school only slightly decreased from 306 in 2009 to 264 in 2010.
There have also been no significant fluctuations in the numbers of students and alums admitted to law schools, Vassilev said. In 2010, 85 percent of applicants from Brown were accepted into law school, compared to the national average of 69 percent. Though the current job climate should not dissuade students from considering law, it should encourage them to “think through their options” even more carefully, Vassilev said. Pursuing a law degree “can be quite costly and doesn’t promise you the moon,” he said. When students meet with preprofessional advisers, they are also asked to consider a Plan B, he said. Ultimately, jobs are declining not only in the legal field, but in the economy as a whole. “It’s no secret that the job market isn’t ideal right now,” said Anna Samel ’12. “I’m as concerned as any other graduating senior.”
Only 200 students have activated their free voicemail boxes this year, though around 4,000 are eligible to do so, said Kathy D’Aguanno, director of finance and administration for Computing and Information Services. Individual voicemail accounts are provided to each student living on campus through their residence halls. The number of incoming and outgoing phone calls on student landlines is still significant, D’Aguanno said. In March, 19,407 calls were either dialed or received, up from 16,000 in March 2010. D’Aguanno predicts these numbers will remain consistent over the next few years, despite the growing popularity of cellphone and internet communication. Four years ago, all students living on campus were automatically provided a voicemail box. Because students had to activate the accounts to allow people to leave messages, a large percentage of students never set theirs up. And some students who did activate theirs were unhappy because they received unwanted messages. Telecommunications Services, a department within CIS, switched to an opt-in system for voicemail boxes in fall 2008. “It was a lot of additional work for us to set up mailboxes for each student,” D’Aguanno said. Now to activate their free voicemail accounts, students must visit the telecommunications website and fill out a request form. Sophia Liang ’15 said she uses a landline in her room because she likes the decorative flair of her phone, which looks like a CocaCola can. Though Liang has not set up the voicemail feature, she said having the landline has come in handy — when someone who did
not have Liang’s cell phone number accidentally left keys in her room, she called Liang’s room number to get them back. Scottie Thompson ’13.5 said she brought a phone to school because her mother had read that radiation from extended cell phone use may be linked to negative health consequences. “I use a landline for my longer phone calls,” Thompson said, adding that she uses Skype, too, but finds her phone more convenient. Though she has activated her mailbox, she said she “very rarely” receives voicemails. D’Aguanno said she thinks many of the students who bring landlines to school are international. But the telecommunications department cannot be sure how many international calls are made on student landlines because students often use calling cards rather than calling international numbers directly. To communicate with his family in South Korea, Henry Kim ’15 said he uses his iPhone instead of a plug-in phone. He said that if he used a calling card on a landline, the rate would only be 9 cents per minute — compared to the 15 cents per minute that he pays on his iPhone plan — but the simplicity of only carrying a cell phone makes paying the higher rate worthwhile. Kappi Patterson ’15 uses Skype and Blackberry messaging, both of which are free, to talk to her family in Botswana. With Skype, Patterson also gets the chance to see her parents’ faces, she said. Despite the low popularity of Brown’s free voicemail service, D’Aguanno said she does not foresee a time when the University will cease to offer it, because it remains an important service for faculty and staff. As long as the University has a voicemail service, there is “not really a cost savings to dropping the number of mailboxes,” she said.
Nanomaterials studies advance cancer research By Hannah Kerman Contributing Writer
Behind the purple doors of a sixth-floor Barus and Holley Lab, Thomas Webster, associate professor of engineering, works small but thinks big. His work with nanomaterials, tiny devices implanted into the human body, has led to a potential breakthrough in cancer research. Webster, director of the University’s Nanomedicine Laboratory, has been studying and developing nanotech implants for the past 11 years. His team had created rough implants covered in tiny “nano-features” — microscopic bumps — to “mimic the natural roughness of healthy skin,” he said. “Current orthopedic implants are flat and smooth, but healthy skin and bone have
bumps.” Two years ago, Lijuan Zhang GS approached Webster with a radical idea — exploring how nano-features would interact with cancer cells. “Being the adventurous person I am, I said, ‘Let’s try it,’” Webster said. It was completely new territory for Webster, but he said he was excited to see what would happen. Within a year of research, a blink of an eye in lab time, Zhang approached Webster with results they both found fascinating. The addition of 23nm nano-features to a petri dish with both cancerous and healthy cells caused a significantly lower density of cancer cells over time. Webster said he was pleased continued on page 4
Tom Sullivan / Herald
Lijuan Zhang GS and Thomas Webster, associate professor of engineering, applied nanomaterials to cancer treatment.