Daily
THE BROWN
vol. cxlviii, no. 48
INSIDE
Page 4
Rhyme time
Brown’s team earned sixth place and personal awards
Herald
since 1891
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
Students declare candidacy for UCS, UFB leadership Todd Harris ’14.5, Afia Kwakwa ’14 and Daniel Pipkin ’14 will run for the position of UCS President By MAXINE JOSELOW SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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EDC response The R.I. committee looks to settle with 38 Studios Page 8
Admit quit? Corvese ’15 says there’s no key to admission success today
tomorrow
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Todd Harris ’14.5, Afia Kwakwa ’14 and Daniel Pipkin ’14 will compete to be president of the Undergraduate Council of Students in this year’s election. Sam Gilman ’15 is running unopposed for UCS Vice President. Leila Veerasamy ’15 and Alexander Sherry ’15 will face off for Undergraduate Finance Board Chair. No one is running for the position of UFB Vice Chair. The executive candidates, along with those running for other UCS and UFB leadership positions, submitted their petitions to run and reviewed campaign regulations at the candidates’ meeting Monday night. Harris told The Herald he wants to improve the student advising system by “giving faculty (members) incentives for
Senate will vote on samesex marriage in April Teresa Paiva Weed, senate president, is ‘confident’ a vote will occur this month By MARIYA BASHKATOVA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Rhode Island Senate will vote on same-sex marriage legislation before the end of April, Senate President Teresa Paiva Weed, D-Newport and Jamestown, told the Providence Journal Monday. “I feel very confident that the issue will be fully debated on the floor of the Senate at some point in April,” she told the Journal, adding that it could be “as
soon as the week of April 21.” Though she is personally opposed to same-sex marriage legalization and has in the past attempted to block Senate review of similar legislation, Paiva Weed has said that she would not stop the Senate from voting on the issue. The bill in question would legalize same-sex marriage in Rhode Island while also instituting provisions that allow religiously affiliated individuals to abstain from solemnizing marriages on the basis of religious grounds. The bill was introduced in January and was reviewed by the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, the first time the committee has heard such legislation. / / Marriage page 3 T h e
COURTESY OF AFIA KWAKWA, DANIEL PIPKIN AND TODD HARRIS
From left, the candidates for the position of UCS President are Afia Kwakwa ’14, Daniel Pipkin ’14 and Todd Harris ’14.5. Sam Gilman ‘15 (not pictured) is running unopposed for UCS Vice President. being good advisors,” increase alumstudent partnerships and improve the Council’s relationship with students. “Increasing awareness is always important,” Harris said, adding he was surprised that a lot of students he asked to sign his petition to run did not know about UCS’s initiatives. Kwakwa also stressed the importance of student government’s transparency to the student body. “I’m a very big advocate of transparency. I think it’s very important that
UCS reaches out and gets feedback from students,” Kwakwa said. She said she also hopes to foster more interaction between UCS alums and current UCS members and ensure quality hydration facilities in dormitories. Pipkin identified specific goals he would work toward if elected, like moving the date for declaring a grade option one week later, ensuring the quality of dormitories and expanding the University’s need-blind admission policies. “I would be focusing not only on the
B E A R S L E AV E H I B E R N AT I O N
By MATHIAS HELLER UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR
Students looking for a brunch experience off College Hill would do well to consider the Classic Cafe, a small and personable eatery in West Providence with a menu as long as the line at the Blue Room any weekday around 4 p.m. A few blocks from Federal Hill at 865 Westminster St., the Classic Cafe evokes 1950s diner culture, with comfortable red leather booths and a collection of old photos and posters adorning the walls. Even at noon on Sunday, there was no
wait for a table. The cafe also offers counter seating for those interested in closer observation of the food preparation. Lunch options run from eight-ounce gourmet hamburgers to a host of sandwich varieties. Club house sandwiches as well as classic melts are available, and the menu also offers a range of large salads — across the board, serving sizes are somewhat overwhelming. But what really sets the Classic Cafe apart is breakfast, which is served all day. Some of the colorfully named omelet creations — including “Up yours chicken little” and “Kiss my hash” — are on the pricier side, but those interested in watching their waistlines and wallets can take comfort in the fact that the eatery permits half-portion orders for many dishes. All omelets come with a side of grits or potatoes and either sourdough, white, whole wheat or rye toast. From huevos rancheros to buildyour-own omelets, breakfast under $10 comes in / / Diner page 2
Family appeals to missing student The search for missing undergrad Sunil Tripathi continues nearly a month after his disappearance By ELIZABETH KOH FEATURES EDITOR
TOM SULLIVAN / HERALD
Students swarmed the Main Green yesterday afternoon, opting for sunshine over the library.
‘Classic’ diner delivers modern comfort food The Classic Cafe captures the feel of a retro hangout and serves up tastes for every palette
macro policy for need-blind but also the micro issues,” Pipkin said. Gilman said he will run for UCS Vice President unopposed on the platform of “connecting Brown” to both internal and external communities. “UCS has the power to be a nexus for different communities,” Gilman said, adding that he hopes to use his familiarity with the Swearer Center for Public Service through his role as a Starr Fellow to “centralize resources for students seek/ / UCS page 2
MATHIAS HELLER / HERALD
Classic Cafe, located in West Providence, features a number of creatively named dishes such as “Up yours chicken little” and “Kiss my hash.”
Family members and friends have begun directing appeals toward Sunil Tripathi in hopes of encouraging him to return home, mother Judy Tripathi said Monday. Since the former member of the class of 2012 disappeared three and a half weeks ago, family members, friends and law enforcement officers have been conducting foot searches in Providence and raising awareness of Tripathi’s disappearance all over New England. “One of the things we’ve been thinking about for some time was to talk to him directly,” Judy Tripathi said, adding that she hopes he will “see us all together three weeks later, still hopeful, still optimistic.” The family released a video on YouTube Monday encouraging Tripathi to contact them and let them know he is safe. “Sunil, the only thing missing is you,” read the description on the video, which depicts immediate and extended family members and friends coordinating search efforts and speaking to the camera. Family members have also posted photos and asked Tripathi to reach out to them through a Facebook page dedicated to the search. The family has corresponded with national missing persons or/ / Missing page 5
2 university news C ALENDAR TODAY
APRIL 9
4 P.M.
/ / UCS page 1
TOMORROW
APRIL 10
5 P.M.
Guns in America: Mental Health
Bollywood Movie Night
MacMillan 117
Wilson 101
5:30 P.M.
7 P.M. Religion in Ancient Egypt
Searching for Sugar Man Screening
Wilbour Hall
Granoff, Martinos Auditorium
MENU SHARPE REFECTORY
VERNEY-WOOLLEY
LUNCH Pasta E Fagioli, Krinkle Cut Fries, Cajun Corn And Tomatoes, Spicy Dahl, Cajun Turkey Cutlet
Chinese Chicken Wings, Noodle Soup, Vegan Lentil Soup, Curry Tofu and Coconut, Mandarin Blend Veggies
DINNER Asian Rice Salad, Seafood Cavatelli, Broccoli Rabe, Spicy Black Bean Veggie Patties, Assorted Pizzas
BBQ Chicken, Stir Fry Caribbean Chicken With Mint, Macaroni Salad, Corn Cobbettes, Potato Salad
ing to be entrepreneurs and changemakers” in the greater Providence community. Veerasamy and Sherry are both running for UFB Chair on platforms to increase training for UFB’s financial signatories and improve interactions between UFB representatives and student groups. Though they endorsed similar platforms, Veerasamy and Sherry said they differ in their specific ideas for improving the student group funding process. Veerasamy told The Herald she would “prioritize and promote groups that want to pursue ambitious projects,” while Sherry said he hopes to make UFB representatives meet earlier “from day one” with the student groups they represent. Maahika Srinivasan ’15 is the sole candidate running for Academics and
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
Administrative Affairs Chair, and Sazzy Gourley ’16 and Andrea Wistuba Behrens ’16 will compete for the position of Admission and Student Services Chair. Gregory Chatzinoff ’15, Malikah Williams ’16 and Ho Jun Yang ’16 will face off to be Campus Life Chair. Alex Dreschler ’15, a Herald opinions columnist, is running unopposed for the position of Student Activities Chair, and Alana Bhatla ’16 is running unopposed for the position of Treasurer. Candidates for UCS President, UCS Vice President and UFB Chair will face off in a formal debate sponsored by the UCS Elections Board and The Herald Thursday at 8 p.m. in Metcalf Auditorium. “There have been no surprises” in the elections process thus far, said Caleb Miller ’16, elections board chair and a senior staff writer for The Herald, adding that the elections board has not had to disqualify any candidates.
SUDOKU www.browndailyherald.com 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. Shefali Luthra, President Samuel Plotner, Treasurer Lucy Feldman, Vice President Julia Kuwahara, Secretary The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during Orientation by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. POSTMASTER please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906. Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily. Copyright 2013 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved. EDITORIAL
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RELEASE DATE– Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Los AngelesCROSSWORD Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
ACROSS 1 Send payment 6 Utter angrily, as insults 10 Cameron of “Knight and Day” 14 Compensate (for) 15 On the briny 16 Dope from a booth? 17 Grocery bag option 18 Narrow inlets 19 1944 invasion city 20 Patient’s therapeutic shriek 23 For free 26 Groundbreaking old Fords 27 Multivolume ref. 28 It’s right on a map 31 Mentalist’s alleged ability, briefly 32 Tiny data storage device 35 Old-timey word of woe 39 Cowgirl Dale 40 Forest feller 41 Garlicky spread 42 Thinker Descartes 43 Uprising at Leavenworth, e.g. 45 Old name for Tokyo 47 Sports pg. number 48 St. Louis-toChicago dir. 49 Open courtyards 53 Warnings from a ticked-off tabby 55 Comical sort, like the last word of 20-, 32- or 43Across 58 New Age pianist John 59 Tavern flier 60 “Nothing ventured, nothing gained,” for one 64 Aid in a caper 65 Trees with splitresistant wood 66 Himalayan land 67 Optimistic
68 Bacon buy 69 ’50s-’60s TV beatnik Maynard G. __
33 U-turn 34 Sit for a spell 36 Pork cuts 37 How most writers work 38 Webmaster’s creations 41 Designed to defeat a Panzer, say 43 Scented hair ointments 44 Waikiki’s island
46 “Like, no-brainer!” 49 Hitching post? 50 Martial arts-based workout 51 Slick tricks 52 Sweater size 54 Passover feast 56 “__ la Douce” 57 Govt. crash investigator 61 “Great” simian 62 Chatter 63 Golfer Ernie
DOWN 1 Jay-Z’s genre 2 LAX listing 3 Swiffer product 4 All thumbs 5 Scotty and Jack Russell 6 Do damage to 7 Old Voice of ANSWER TO PREVIOUS America org. 8 Kingdom 9 Caught at a rodeo 10 Tumbledown condition 11 What spies gather, for short 12 G sharp equivalent 13 Close-up lenses 21 Words to an old chap 22 Music store buys 23 Mayberry’s Pyle 24 Christopher who played Superman 25 Slogan writer 29 Melee memento xwordeditor@aol.com 30 Urban cruisers
By Gail Grabowski and Bruce Venzke (c)2013 Tribune Media Services, Inc.
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/ / Diner page 1 all forms here. Well-priced side orders include plainer choices like traditional English muffins as well as corned beef hash, sauteed spinach and eggs served any style. The classic breakfast sandwich, featuring bacon, egg and American cheese, delivered a hefty serving to anyone seeking fresher eggs than those offered on meal plan. Some of the cafe’s choicest breakfast options can be found in the “on the smaller side” section of the menu, including a satisfying tasting plate of French toast, bacon and a fried egg for just $4. The bacon was not as lean as it could have been — a string of disconcerting fat ran through all three pieces — but the French toast was spot-on, with complimentary maple syrup, melt in your mouth sweetness and a dollop of brown sugar. The combination plates in the “on the smaller side” section still provide respectable portions and are easier to stomach than the otherwise massive servings. Customers should also consider ordering a single pancake, which is about twice the size of a Verney-Woolley Dining Hall waffle and much more authentic. Adding blueberries costs an exra 69 cents is worth it for the experience of forking away a thick slice infused with fresh berries and a drizzle of butter and syrup. Students rebounding from a late night will appreciate the cafe’s free coffee refills. The wait was moderate in the crowded restaurant, but service was efficient. Classic Cafe is open 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
university news 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
/ / Sweep page 8
/ / Baseball page 8
/ / Marriage page 1
reset for us to really just take off and finish that game by doing the little things and staying together ’til the end.” The Bears made a comeback within five minutes of the timeout with a fourgoal streak, which was kicked off by cocaptain Lindsay Minges ’13. Bruno went on to win the match 15-9 for its second Ivy League win. “We don’t play for the blowout games,” Minges said. “We play for the one-goal games, so for us that moment was exciting.” Minges led the team in points with four goals, followed by co-captain Bre Hudgins ’14 with three goals and Janie Gion ’15 with two goals and an assist. “Harvard was a huge game in reassuring our team’s confidence for the season,” Van Horne said. “Especially coming off of the close loss to Dartmouth, we really wanted to put them away and not just win but outperform.” The Bears returned Sunday to Stevenson Field to defeat the Bulldogs 12-9. Five players contributed multiple goals and co-captain Tara Rooke ’13 added four assists for the win. Though Bryant (6-6) earned the first goal of the match two minutes into the game, Hudgins ignited a four-goal streak 18 seconds after the Bulldog’s score. The Bears ended the first half leading 8-5. After a scoreless 10-minute interval to start the second half, Bryant netted two goals to make it a one-goal game. Grace Healy ’14 found the back of the net to return Bruno to a two-goal lead, which Bryant then cut again to one. Healy went on to score her final goal of the game, which started a three-goal scoring streak for Brown. Healy played an important role in the victory with three goals, an assist and eight successful draw controls. The Bears put on a solid defensive performance with keeper Kellie Roddy ’15 saving five goals. The squad will continue Ivy play Friday, traveling to Cornell for its fifth conference match of the season.
Kevin Carlow ’13 allowed only two runs in seven innings, while Columbia’s Tim Giel threw a complete game shutout. Carlow allowed a run in the first and third innings, but he then settled in and allowed only two hits in the final four innings of the game. While the teams earned the same number of hits, Columbia was able to capitalize on key plays and score two runs. “In close games, you will only get one or two opportunities to score,” Drabinski said. “We didn’t score on these opportunities during the couple of games we lost this weekend.” The second game of the doubleheader was a tug-of-war, with the teams constantly battling for the lead until the sixth inning. The Lions scored the first run of the game in the first inning, but Bruno quickly responded with two runs in the second. Kerr drove in Massey and Van Boom with a two-run double, giving the Bears a 2-1 lead. But the Lions responded in the following inning with an RBI triple, evening the score, 2-2. Columbia tacked on another run in the top of the fifth with an RBI double, but Bruno responded in the bottom half of the inning as Marcal drove in John Sheridan ’13 with an RBI double to tie the score, 3-3. The Lions then scored 10 runs over the following three innings, while the Bears only scored one. Columbia finished the game 13-4, earning the victory with a late offensive surge. “The bullpen wasn’t as sharp this past week as it has been in the past,” Drabinski said. “But we’ll keep working on it.” The Bears continue play at home tomorrow against Connecticut at 3:30 p.m. Ivy League play will continue this weekend in Hanover with a pair of doubleheaders against Dartmouth.
hearing consisted of 12 hours of emotional testimony in support of and against same-sex marriage, The Herald previously reported. Many of the arguments against same-sex marriage were religious, while those in favor of
/ / Crew page 8 look forward to that, and I know everyone on the team looks forward to it,” Traynor said. “They are perennially one of the fastest — if not the fastest — program in the country.” Though the men’s team lost each of its four battles, the women’s squad was able to capture three out of four victories against Harvard’s women’s crew team, which still races under the name Radcliffe — a historic holdover from the 1976 merger between the athletic departments of Harvard and Radcliffe College. The women’s crew squad at Radcliffe was the only athletic team that voted not to adopt the Harvard name and colors, instead opting to maintain its Radcliffe black and white. In the marquee matchup, Brown’s first varsity eight defeated Radcliffe’s varsity eight by under two seconds. The third varsity eight boat also defeated its Radcliffe counterpart. But Brown’s second varsity eight fell to Radcliffe’s second squad. In the varsity four race, which featured A and B boats each from Brown and Radcliffe, Bruno again proved victorious, with its A boat beating both Harvard’s A and B boats. Brown’s B boat brought up the rear. The women’s team will face off against University of Rhode Island at home on the Seekonk River April 13, while the men’s team will travel to the Charles River to race against the Harvard Crimson.
legalization argued the bill would grant important equal rights. The House version of the bill passed Jan. 24 by a vote of 51 to 19. Fifty House Democrats and one House Republican voted in favor of the bill. Gov. Lincoln Chafee ’75 P’14 has previously said he would sign the bill into law if it passes
both the House and the Senate. Over 60 percent of Rhode Islanders support the legalization of samesex marriage, according to a February Taubman Center poll, and 91 percent of Brown students strongly or somewhat favor legalization of same-sex marriage, according to The Herald’s spring poll.
4 arts & culture
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
Poets perform creations, earning sixth place in nation
Two members of Brown’s team earned perfect scores in a national poetry slam invitational semifinal round By MOLLY SCHULSON SENIOR STAFF WRITER
For the second time in history, Brown made it to the semifinals of the 13th annual College Unions Poetry Slam Invitational. “I often think of CUPSI as the March Madness of poetry,” Jesse Gumbiner ’15 said. “Anything can happen, and it’s the best of the best performing.” The team of five students — Paul Tran ’14, Hans Gao ’14, Sydney Peak ’15, Kelsey Kawana ’16 and Gumbiner — along with its coach, Rhode Island School of Design student Jess Chen — traveled to Barnard College in New York City last week to compete against 58 college teams. The team earned sixth place in the nation with a semifinals score of 110.6, losing to New York University, the team that eventually captured the first place title. “I could not be more proud of my team and the poetry we put out there,” Kawana wrote in an email to The Herald. Though she was the only freshman on the team, she said everyone “collaborated equally.” Each school has about four to five competing poets who go through two preliminary bouts against three other schools, Tran said. Brown was one of three schools to win first place in both of its preliminary bouts, he said. “When we got first place the
first night, we were really surprised,” Gumbiner said. “We had accidentally miscounted the total score and thought we got third place.” When the emcee announced Brown as the first place winner, “we all freaked out,” he said. “We didn’t come in the competition with high expectations to win. We just wanted to have fun,” said Tran, the only member of the group who had previously competed in CUPSI. A former competitor from Barnard told the team she had heard of its reputation, Gumbiner said. “We got really excited. She said that everyone was talking about how we have really good writing. We we were really happy to hear that we were being recognized.” Only the top 15 schools advance to the semifinals. “Our main goal was to make semifinals. We didn’t really care much about winning the entire thing. It was more about getting to the final stage, where a lot of people are listening,” Gumbiner said, adding that about 500 people sat in the audience on semifinals night. In February, the student spoken word group WORD! hosted a poetry slam open to RISD and Brown students. Out of 13 competitors, five poets were chosen to form a team that would compete in CUPSI, Tran said. The group then nominated Chen to be its coach. “I never thought that I would ever end up in a position of leadership in
COURTESY OF JESS CHEN
The student group WORD! held a poetry slam for Brown and RISD students to select the five competitors who would compete at the annual College Unions Poetry Slam in New York City held last week. the poetry community,” Chen wrote in was one reason why they performed bet- about performance.” an email to The Herald. “It was with my ter than last year’s team, he said. Tran’s solo semifinal performance involvement with WORD! and the ProviAt CUPSI, judges are selected from was a “persona piece” about his incardence poetry slam community since my the audience, where they rank solo or cerated father whom he has not spoken sophomore year that I developed my group performances from zero to 10, to in 14 years. voice as a spoken word poet.” “with a 10 being the poem that if you “I did it in his point of view, in his Once the group formed, it held prac- were reincarnated, you would want to voice,” Tran said. “I was really trying to tices at least twice a week, Tran said. come back to that moment to hear the understand what exists behind the evil Chen took charge during the meetings poem again,” Tran said. and torture that I have tried so much of and Chahney Hinds ’12 acted as assistant Brown’s team earned two perfect my life to forget.” coach, though he was unable to attend scores during the semifinals round — Other performed pieces focused the competition. one to Gao and one to Tran. on a variety of topics, from the west“This year, we were all kind of meet“(Gao’s) really impassioned and se- ward expansion and its relationship to a ing each other for the first time, but we rious performance resonated with the woman’s body to Vietnamese women in grew to trust (each other) and build audience. ... They were chanting ‘10’ after nail salons. One poem, addressing suifriendships,” Tran said. The team’s bond it,” Tran said. “It was the most tweeted cide of LGBTQ / / Poetry page 5
city & state 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
EDC responds to 38 Studios dismissal motion Defendants refuted the claim that they misrepresented the company financially By SOPHIE YAN STAFF WRITER
The Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation responded last week to motions filed by defendants including Curt Schilling, former CEO of defunct video game company 38 Studios, to dismiss charges in an ongoing lawsuit. The EDC’s representation, led by attorney Max Wistow, issued a 200-page motion in response to the defendants’ original request for dismissal. The lawsuit — initially filed in November 2012 — claimed the defendants were aware 38 Studios was destined to fail when the EDC approved a $75 million loan for the company. The loan was approved in 2010 as part of the General Assembly’s Job Creation Guarantee Program — legislation intended to increase economic growth and bring jobs to Rhode Island. As a stipulation of the deal, 38 Studios relocated from Massachusetts and created hundreds of new jobs in Rhode Island. But in May 2012 the company officially laid off all employees and closed its offices. Five months later, in November, the EDC sued Schilling and several former employees of both the agency and 38 Studios, claiming they engaged in fraud, misrepresentation and conspiracy during the loan negotiations. Last month, the defendants filed motions to dismiss these charges, claiming they were factually incorrect and 38 studios had repeatedly informed the EDC of its financial situation before the loan was approved. “If the EDC wins the lawsuit, aside from paying the lawyers and other expenses, (the money) would be used to
offset the possible debt incurred (by the loan),” said attorney Len O’Brien, University on-campus legal aid. After the company filed bankruptcy, 38 Studios defaulted on its loan from the state, which it owed over $100 million —a burden that many have speculated will fall on Rhode Island taxpayers. The EDC’s motion refers to the defendants’ filing as a “red herring” and states that the defendants “seek to get out from under the crushing evidence of their concealment of 38 Studios’ deficient finances.” The motion was a formal response to the points introduced in the defendants’ dismissal request, Wistow said, adding that a judge will rule on the case in court May 22. “We feel that we’ve addressed all the arguments,” said Wistow, who declined to comment further on the filing. “Based on my general understanding of what is taking place right now, it is highly unlikely the court will throw out any major portion of the case,” O’Brien said. The purpose of the defendants’ dismissal filing was most likely to narrow down the scope of the lawsuit, as well as to make the objection in case the suit is subsequently reviewed by a higher court, he added. O’Brien said Schilling may be able to discharge the penalties he incurs if he is found guilty of negligence by going through bankruptcy court. But if he is found liable of intentional charges — such as fraud — he will not be able to have them dispelled and will be obligated to pay the full amount. “It’s really early to assess this case. It is really a very complex whirling cloud of dust right now that needs to settle down to principal areas of focus,” O’Brien said, adding that the next phases of the suit, including discovery, depositions and court hearings, will take a very long time.
/ / Missing page 1 ganizations like the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System and LostNMissing, which also encouraged addressing Tripathi directly, Judy Tripathi said. “As police and FBI agents probe surveillance videos, the family and friends of missing Brown University student Sunil Tripathi remain positive about his return,” according to a statement from the family released Monday. Law enforcement officers are continuing to follow the case, Judy Tripathi said. “We are all bolstered by the fact this case is still very much alive,” she added. Since surveillance footage possibly depicting Tripathi was revealed March 29, family members have continued securing surveillance tapes from Providence businesses.
/ / Poetry page 4 individuals, was written on the bus ride to New York by Tran and Peak the night before they performed it. Though students are not allowed to use props during their performance, they may use their bodies and their positions on stage to complement their words. “When we’re doing persona pieces, we’re very much into these characters,” Tran said, noting the performer’s focus on voice, body postures and hand gestures. Despite not making it to the final round, the team still managed to take home two awards. One of them, the “Pushing the Art Forward” award, was created specifically for the Brown team
Though no new footage of Tripathi has surfaced, the tapes are “eliminating the streets we’ve looked at” as possible routes he might have taken, Judy Tripathi said. University officials — including University Chaplain Janet Cooper Nelson, a first-year adviser of sister Sangeeta Tripathi ’04 and family friend — have continued to assist the family and are “constantly in touch,” Judy Tripathi said. Administrators have offered resources to the family, including bedding and clothing. “(President Christina Paxson) had us for dinner one night at her house,” she added. “She’s been absolutely supportive and in communication with us.” The University has also provided temporary housing in Gardner House for the family to use as a base for their search effort, she said. The Office of the President, the Of-
fice of Campus Life and Student Services, the Office of the Chaplains and Religious Life and the Department of Public Safety have all been involved in assisting the family, wrote Vice President for Public Affairs and University Relations Marisa Quinn in an email to The Herald. “In terms of additional campus involvement and communications, we will continue to follow the guidance of law enforcement on ways that we can help advance search efforts,” Quinn wrote. Family members plan to relocate from Gardner House to an apartment near campus to continue the search, Judy Tripathi said. The family will sublet the apartment one month at a time, she said. “The minute Sunil is found, we will have a reason to pack up and go home,” Judy Tripathi said. “Until then, we will have some presence here.”
that competed in 2010, Tran said. The award is given to teams who are “pushing the boundaries and ... setting the bar higher,” Tran said. This was the third time Brown has won the award. “People are listening. As a team, we are very excited to be a part of this small ripple that is changing the slam scene and breaking down the boundaries between slam and theater,” Chen wrote in an email to The Herald. While some students write poetry simply to “score well” in the competition, the Brown team members write their poems “for the sake of performing,” Gumbiner said. Coaches from each participating university deliberate and nominate schools
or individuals to receive awards, Tran said. “Our coach said that ... as soon as Brown’s name came up, most of the room raised their hand — they didn’t even keep naming nominations,” Gumbiner said. The second award was an individual award for Tran, who became one of three students to receive the Best Poet award. “To be one of the first Asian American poets to win this recognition and to be the second person from Brown to win, it was really special to me,” Tran said. Though he won an individual award, he said he “thinks of it as a team award.” “I owe so much of who I am as a writer to this entire team and to each person for pushing me,” he added.
6 editorial EDITORIAL
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
EDITORIAL CARTOON b y v i t to d i va i o
The next (flawed) generation An April 4 New York Times article, titled “Essay-Grading Software Offers Professors a Break,” examined a futuristic and troubling initiative in the world of higher education: essay-grading software. The software, released last month for all institutions of learning, was developed edX, a nonprofit organization whose main mission is to push into the new territory of Massive Open Online Courses. EdX “expects its software to be adopted widely by schools and universities,” “freeing professors for other tasks,” according to the article. But the software has garnered criticism from professors, and for good reason. What edX is pushing focuses on making sure an essay is on-topic and makes an assertion — it is not even close to replicating the experience of another human being reading and evaluating a student’s use of language, logic and reasoning to construct an essay. We urge universities not to adopt this program. At least for now, the software cannot be used to effectively educate. Language is not a checklist that can be easily parsed by a series of computer algorithms, however complex and self-teaching they may be. One of the most vocal critics of this machine grading, Les Perelman, a former director of writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has drawn attention to the deficits of the software by composing bogus essays that fooled it into giving good marks. That the software can be fooled by a mere rearrangement of key words and phrases is disturbing and points to a fundamental flaw in its evaluative capabilities. Trying to compress essay writing from an act of intellectual expression into little more than a rote procedure goes against ideals that make up the foundation of higher education itself. In addition, an evaluation of an essay by a professor is just as important, if not more, to a student’s scholarship and writing. The ability to sit down and discuss the particularities of an essay with another well-informed and logical human is an essential part of the essay writing experience. Many classes with writing assignments require meeting with professors or teaching assistants to discuss essays before or after their completion. This connection is lost when software becomes the intermediary. Since the point of edX’s software is “freeing professors for other tasks,” we must ask what, beyond teaching classes and being open to students, are the tasks of faculty members, according to edX? We worry it is another way of saying professors can focus more on their own research and projects. These, while beneficial to the professors’ careers and their universities’ prestige, must be balanced with teaching responsibilities and student engagement. This connection is just as important for the educators as it is for the students. The implicit objective of turning professors away from grading and confronting student arguments and toward serving themselves and their employers does a disservice to the main objective of those institutions: teaching students. Only when artificial intelligence can hold a conversation and understand the logic of an intellectual argument should the world of higher education consider placing the responsibility of engaging with student essays in the hands of technology. Until then, essay-grading software does a disservice to students, professors and the ideals of our universities, and it should not be considered an appropriate substitute for essay evaluation in its current form. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editor, Dan Jeon, and its members, Mintaka Angell, Samuel Choi, Nicholas Morley and Rachel Occhiogrosso. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“I often think of CUSPI as the March Madness of poetry.” — Jesse Gumbiner ’15, Brown poetry slam team member See poetry on page 4 facebook.com/browndailyherald
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opinions 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
Who wins the admissions game? GABRIELLA CORVESE Opinions Columnist “To (All) The Colleges That Rejected Me,” a March 29 Wall Street Journal op-ed by Pittsburgh high school senior Suzy Lee Weiss is swiftly making the rounds and gaining great notoriety. “Colleges tell you, ‘Just be yourself,’” she proclaims. “That is great advice, as long as yourself has nine extracurriculars, six leadership positions, three varsity sports, killer SAT scores and two moms.” Suzy gained fans, enemies, faithful retweets and web commenters asking, “Is she serious?” Whether satire or a legitimate rant, her piece addresses an important point: There are flaws in the often arbitrary decisions made by college admission committees. But these flaws are not for the reasons Weiss claims. Though college admission is largely a game, it is not one with an instant ticket to success, as Weiss seems to believe. Her ignorance of diversity and the experiences of minorities is alarming. Weiss regrets not having “worn a headdress” to school, as if doing so would serve as a golden ticket to higher education. Colleges do not admit minority students because they have a free pass — they do so to increase diversity and to provide equal opportunities to all, especially to historically marginalized groups. Furthermore,
they do so within the context of the opportunities afforded to them. There are plenty of other problems in the admissions process that Suzy pays no mind to, such as legacy admission, excessive reliance on standardized tests and even students who pay professionals to write their college essays for them. Factors like these make college admissions much more like a game than like affirmative action. The system does not have the capaci-
stand out a little more to admissions officers. But that does not mean all college hopefuls are on a quest to beat the system with artificial activities. Weiss may chastise colleges for demanding students “just be themselves,” but some students do so anyway. Unlike Weiss, “being themselves” for some students means working diligently, being creative, engaging with their communities and pursuing what interests them. Colleges want applicants to be as true to
Though college admission is largely a game, it is not one with an instant ticket to success, as Weiss seems to believe. ty to do away with problems of this kind overnight, which is why it is important that programs like affirmative action are instituted to help balance the process. These programs are certainly not perfect, but they are important for college hopefuls around the country — even if Weiss thinks otherwise. Weiss’ cynicism and lack of faith in her peers is concerning as well. There is no doubt that excessive resume padding happens in the college admissions process, with students joining more clubs than they can handle and scraping together hours of community service just to
themselves as possible while still showing success. Some students are experts at the admissions game — but in a way that does not involve sacrificing their integrity or their passions. Unfortunately, Weiss does not seem to have that passion. At the end of her article, she hushes her critics — “The Real Housewives is on!” Even here at Brown, where independent concentrations let students study whatever they want, I think she would have a difficult time getting approval to concentrate in “The Real Housewives Of New Jersey.” Even after meeting the criteria, is each
and every passionate and motivated student going to get into his or her dream school? No. That is the consequence of the admissions game. The most decorated resume might get a student accepted to one prestigious school but rejected from another for no apparent reason. Valedictorians, sports captains and charity founders may get rejected for different reasons. And minority students get denied from colleges, too. There are ways to make one more qualified, but in the end, there is often no rhyme or reason to a college’s final call. I commend Weiss for recognizing that there are problems in the college admissions system, but change is best achieved by mobilizing ideas, not complaining about them in the Journal. She must also realize it is important for the college admissions system to turn away from needless nepotism and keep heading in its current direction of helping American students who, in years past, might not have been in college at all. Perhaps I am a cynic for buckling down and taking my standardized tests rather than seeking a different path as Weiss has. In that case, she can happily advertise publishing a rant in the Journal on her resume. Other than that, though, her CV looks pretty sparse. Gabriella Corvese ’15 got rejected from some elite colleges, too and can be reached at gabriella_corvese@brown.edu.
Venezuelans deserve more respect from U.S. JARED MOFFAT Opinions Columnist I’ve never claimed to be anything of an expert on Venezuela or Latin America. But lately I have been fascinated by the polarized reaction to the death of former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez. His critics have characterized his legacy as one of authoritarianism, corruption and rebelliousness. But his supporters, outpouring with grief over their recent loss, remember him as a champion of the poor and one of the greatest Latin American leaders that ever lived. The truth is probably somewhere in between these two extremes, but as a leftist myself, it’s hard to overlook Chavez’s many accomplishments in alleviating poverty and empowering the lower class in Venezuela. Poverty levels were cut in half during his presidency, and extreme poverty declined by 72 percent. In his first term, he led the creation of a new Venezuelan constitution that expanded political and civil rights for women and indigenous peoples. And during his 14 years as president, he increased access to health care for millions, made higher education more affordable and made Venezuela the most equitable country in Latin America measured by the Gini coefficient. On the other hand, some criticize Chavez for wasting his country’s vast amount of oil reserves and achieving sub-par economic development. Despite the fact that Chavez was voted into office in fair, democratic elections on four separate occasions by at least a margin
of 10 percent every time, media in the United States consistently refer to him as “a dictator.” The justification for this comes from a laundry list of accusations from organizations like Human Rights Watch about Chavez’s attempts to consolidate power and silence political opponents. Perhaps most recently and controversially, the United Nations and human rights groups criticized Chavez for creating a climate of fear with the 2009 arrest and imprisonment of Judge Maria Lourdes Afiuni. Unfortunately, this ubiquitous characterization of Chavez as an autocrat during his life
I do not want to defend Chavez as a flawless leader — he certainly was not. Rather, I want to condemn the arrogance and hypocrisy with which many in the United States sneer at Chavez’s life and legacy at the time of his death. In a country where our president has unconstitutionally granted himself the power to murder American citizens without due process or oversight, the media should pause before referring to Hugo Chavez as a tyrannical dictator. Those who would quickly jump on the anti-Chavez bandwagon should be aware that the U.S. government has long had an inter-
In a country where our president has unconstitutionally granted himself the power to murder American citizens without due process or oversight, the media should pause before referring to Hugo Chavez as a tyrannical dictator. and presidency has apparently given the US media license to simplify and make a mockery of Chavez’s death. Less than a week after Chavez died, Justin Timberlake performed a crude version of Elton John’s “Candle In the Wind” on Saturday Night Live with lyrics that ridiculed Chavez as a baffoon who believed that “capitalism killed Mars.” Even National Public Radio noted that Chavez has been labeled “a dictator” and a “tyrant” just days after his death, while millions of Venezuelan citizens wept bitterly over their loss.
est in sullying Chavez’s reputation. Just days ago, Wikileaks published a 2006 cable written by former US ambassador to Venezuela, William Brownfield, in which he wrote that the embassy’s core objectives in the country were to undermine the Chavez regime and his political base. The reason? “(To protect) vital US business.” In coordination with USAID and the Office of Transition Initiatives, Brownfield said the “majority” of the agencies’ activities were directed at “penetrating Chavez’ political base,” “dividing Chavismo” and “iso-
lating Chavez internationally.” The United States, which many have called the world’s “policeman” and “beacon of democracy,” has been caught red-handed — again — interfering with another sovereign nations’ democratic process. And sadly, the U.S. media continues to loyally serve as Washington’s handmaiden in the promulgation of propaganda to undermine U.S. politicians’ political enemies. Right now, as the pundits impugn Chavez and lampoon his life, it may be difficult for the average American to understand the historical significance of his presidency and his death. But I think in time we will look back at Chavez the same way we look back at Salvador Allende, the charismatic socialist leader of Chile during the early 1970s. Like Chavez, Allende was seen as a political enemy because he threatened U.S. business interests and Washington’s neoliberal agenda in the region. Both men are examples of democratically elected leaders that the United States discredited and undermined for purely self-interested reasons. But both men will continue to be revered in their respective countries for years to come for their attempts to alleviate poverty and empower the lower class. With our own nation’s disturbing history of corruption, military dominance and propaganda campaigns, it’s more than hypocritical for the U.S. media to continue to hurl insults at Chavez while Venezuelans still mourn their leader’s death — it’s utterly disrespectful. My advice to Americans: Don’t throw stones in a glass house. Jared Moffat ’13 can be contacted at jared_moffat@brown.edu.
daily herald sports tuesday THE BROWN
TUESDAY, APRIL 9, 2013
BASEBALL
Bears open up Ivy League play at home Bruno dropped four games but grabbed its first conference win with a pitching shutout By GEORGE SANCHEZ
Bruno completes weekend sweep
The team jumped into the top half of the Ivy League standings with the two wins
SPORTS STAFF WRITER
The baseball team captured its first Ivy League win in a five-game homestand over the weekend, which included a pair of doubleheaders against Penn and Columbia. The Bears won their first game of the weekend 9-0 over the Quakers but lost the second 9-5, and were swept by the Lions 2-0 and 13-4. In the first home game of the season against Bryant University Thursday, the Bears (3-19, Ivy 1-7) were in contention most of the game but ended up losing 11-4. Bryant started the game off with three runs in the top of the first, but Bruno answered shortly after. Wes Van Boom ’14 hit a two-out double to drive in Will Marcal ’15 and Cody Slaughter ’13, cutting the lead to 3-2. In the bottom of the second, Daniel Massey ’14 hit a two-run home run, helping the Bears take the lead, 4-3. The squad held this lead until the sixth inning, when the Bulldogs scored a run to tie it up at 4-4. The following inning, Bryant blew the game open with six more runs on five hits. Bryant added another run in the ninth to finish the game 11-4.
W. LACROSSE
By HALEY ALVAREZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
KATIE LEBOWITZ / HERALD
Daniel Massey ’14, pictured above sliding into third base, hit a two-run home run in the team’s home opener for the season, but his output was not enough to overcome Bryant University, resulting in an 11-4 loss. On Saturday, Bruno took on the Quakers (18-11, 5-3) in a doubleheader, splitting the series to achieve its first Ivy victory of the season. Starting pitcher Anthony Galan ’14 threw a complete game shutout, allowing only four hits and leading the Bears to a 9-0 win. “He can throw four pitches for strikes — his slider on Saturday was the best I’ve seen it all year,” said Head Coach Marek Drabinski. “He can pitch in and out, so hitters have to worry about the whole plate.” The Bears first scored in the third
inning, when Marcal hit a two-run jack to drive in J.J. Franco ’14 and helped the team get off to a 2-0 lead. In the bottom of the fifth, Franco hit a solo homer to push the lead to 3-0. Bruno scored six more runs in the sixth, sealing the victory and finishing the game 9-0. In the second game of the doubleheader, the Quakers scored early and led 6-1 after three innings of play. Bruno responded in the sixth inning, scoring three runs to cut the lead to two. Dan Kerr ’15 and Massey hit back-to-back RBI singles, then Van
Boom drove in the third run on a ground out. The Quakers bounced back with three runs in the seventh, taking command of the game and evened the series. Bruno put another run on the scoreboard in the ninth, but the Quakers held on to their 9-4 lead. On Sunday, the Bears played the Lions (13-15, 6-2) in a doubleheader, dropping both games. The first game of the day featured a pitching duel, with both starting pitchers stifling any offensive output. / / Baseball page 3
The Bears defeated Bryant University and Harvard in two home games this weekend at Stevenson Field. The two wins raise Bruno’s record to 9-2 overall and 2-2 in the Ivy League — the most successful record for the women’s lacrosse team since 1999, when it went 7-7 for the season. The squad faced Harvard (2-7, Ivy 1-3) Saturday, and though the Crimson scored the first point of the match, Bruno ended the half up 6-4. The second half started with three Harvard goals early in the period, which forced Brown’s Head Coach Keely McDonald ’00 to call a strategic timeout so the team could regroup. “Keely brought us in for that timeout to really remind us what we’re capable of and that we were playing pretty tense and sitting back when we really needed to attack,” said Abbey Van Horne ’14. “It was a great / / Sweep page 3
CREW
Teams race on national stage against top opponents The men’s squad fell to national champion UW as the women’s squad raced ahead of Radcliffe By NIKHIL PARASHER SPORTS STAFF WRITER
The men’s and women’s crew teams each had dual road races over the weekend against highly-ranked competitors. The No. 2 men’s team traveled to Seattle to face No. 1 University of Washington, which won each of the four races between the squads. The No. 12 women’s team faced No. 11 Harvard on the Charles River, with Brown coming away with victories in three of the four races. On Saturday, amidst strong winds and choppy waters, the men’s first freshman eight boat was swept off the course early in the 2000-meter sprint and finished with a time of 6:25.63, over 28 seconds behind the time of Washington’s first freshman eight boat. Co-captain Owen Traynor ’13 called the conditions particularly difficult for the freshmen. “The freshmen had to deal with the worst conditions,” Traynor said. “In the first 500 meters, they said that their boat nearly swamped, and they had a hard time recovering from that.” After observing the effect of the conditions in the freshman matchup, race officials decided to shorten the varsity races to 1750 meters, a distance Traynor said he had never raced before. In the race between the first varsity eight boats,
Bruno fell to Washington by just over three seconds. In a separate race, Brown’s second varsity eight boat lost to Washington’s second and third varsity eight boats. In the final match of the day, the freshmen were allowed to redo their earlier race, though the Bears still fell to the Huskies by over 14 seconds. The men’s varsity boats had been undefeated this season before the losses to the Huskies — it was not the first time Washington had beaten a highly-seeded Brown squad. At last year’s national championships, Washington bested Brown in two events before becoming the national champion, relegating the Bears to silver medal status. “I definitely think that there is a rivalry budding,” Traynor said. Head Coach Paul Cooke and Washington Head Coach Michael Callahan “hope that this turns out into a nice rivalry,” Traynor said. Despite going winless on the day, Traynor said the team still feels it can compete against Washington at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championships next month. Though at last year’s dual race Washington’s first varsity boat bested Brown’s by “something closer to seven seconds,” Brown finished only narrowly behind at the national championships, he said. The head-to-head difference from this year was 3.29 seconds. Traynor added that the squad is excited about the prospect of facing Washington again at the IRA National Championships. / / Crew page 3 “I definitely