THE
BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 13
since 1891
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014
In PW Downspace, a ‘Godot’ worth waiting for Corp. set
By EMMAJEAN HOLLEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The occupants of Samuel Beckett’s theater of the absurd — dithering and defunct — vacillate in and out of uncertainty. They search in vain for validation and reprieve. A new production of his juggernaut “Waiting for Godot,” directed by Patrick Madden ’15, opens tonight in the Production Workshop Downspace. Naturally, the play’s reputation precedes it. Since its 1953 premiere in an obscure French theater, “Waiting for Godot” has become a bedrock of post-war literature.
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M. BASKETBALL
Bruno hits the road in pursuit of top seed Win against Harvard would land Bears atop Ancient Eight, quelling talks of Crimson domination By ALEX WAINGER SENIOR STAFF WRITER
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Riding a three-game winning streak, the Bears enter their toughest weekend of conference play this season. Bruno will compete for first place in the Ivy League against Harvard Friday in the Lavietes Pavilion — where the Crimson hold a 19-game home winning streak, the nation’s 6th longest — before traveling to Hanover to take on Dartmouth Saturday. Harvard (17-3, Ivy 4-0) is no stranger to the top of the Ivy standings — the Crimson have reached 4-0 in league play for each of the last four seasons. Dartmouth (9-9, 2-2), a surprise contender this season, has already knocked off traditional powerhouses Penn and Princeton. “These are going to be really big games,” said Steven Spieth ’17. “Every game is a championship game in the Ivy League. We’re going to play good defense, knock down some shots, and I think we’ll have a good chance to beat both of these teams.” The Bears (11-7, 3-1) are coming off an impressive weekend, having toppled Cornell and Columbia on backto-back nights. Spieth accompanied » See BASKETBALL, page 5
Famously described by literary critic Vivian Mercier as “a play in which nothing happens, twice,” the show is currently running on Broadway in a production starring Sir Ian McKellan and Sir Patrick Stewart. For such a widely performed work, Madden’s interpretation feels distinctly fresh. Swinging from idealistic to cynical, arrogant to self-loathing, Vladimir, Estragon and friends supply more than sinister humor. They lend even the most pedantic exchanges a chilling accessibility. Audiences will experience the uncanny sensation that they’ve been here before. The entirety of the two-act play unfolds by a tree on the country roadside. Haunting and haunted, Sam KeamyMinor’s ’16 set design is one of the most compelling aspects of the production. The stage, an elongated platform » See GODOT, page 4
to discuss budget, strategic plan
Vote on annual budget, annual tuition rates and financial aid on the table for first 2014 meeting By KIKI BARNES AND MAXINE JOSELOW UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITORS
RYAN WALSH / HERALD
Skylar Fox ’15 plays Vladimir and Vincent Tomasino ’14 plays Estragon in PW’s production of Samuel Beckett’s classic “Waiting for Godot.”
Paxson picks provost search committee Committee includes eight faculty members, one graduate student and one undergraduate By JOSEPH ZAPPA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The search committee for Provost Mark Schlissel’s P’15 replacement will comprise two administrators, eight faculty members, a graduate student and an undergraduate, President Christina Paxson announced in an email to the Brown community yesterday. Paxson will chair the committee. The University reached out to faculty members and administrators in order to select people who would represent the diverse interests of the
Brown community, said committee member David Rand, professor of biology and chair of the department of ecology and evolutionary biology. The committee includes two faculty members representing each major academic discipline: the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and physical sciences. Crystal Ngo GS is a PhD candidate in American studies, and Daniel Pipkin ’14 is an international relations and Hispanic studies concentrator. Paxson selected Pipkin, who was one of three candidates recommended by the Undergraduate Council of Students. All undergraduates had the opportunity to apply to UCS for the position, and the Council received 10 applications last week. Multiple sources said the
committee will likely consider both internal and external candidates for the position, though an explicit policy has not been finalized. Both Rand and Jack Mustard PhD’90, professor of geological sciences and environmental studies, said they do not automatically prefer either external or internal candidates. “I think we’ll consider a lot of people, and usually it’s pretty clear who the best fit for Brown is at the current time,” Rand said. “I’m looking for someone who has a clear understanding of where they want to take the University,” Mustard said, adding that one cannot categorically eliminate candidates based on the type of university at which they previously worked. » See PROVOST, page 2
The Corporation will vote on approving the University’s annual budget, consider raising tuition and debate expanding financial aid at its meeting this weekend, said Russell Carey, executive vice president for planning and policy. The Corporation, the University’s highest governing body, will also discuss the implementation of President Christina Paxson’s strategic plan, Carey said. This is the first Corporation meeting since October, when the body approved the strategic plan — Paxson’s blueprint for the University’s next decade — and decided not to divest endowment assets from major coal companies. The Corporation will consult a report by the University Resources Committee that recommends whether and how much to increase tuition and financial aid, Carey said. Recognition of the current $4.3 million deficit “was infused in the discussion of the URC throughout the fall, and will be reflected in the report,” he said. “That’s something that the Corporation, just like the rest of the campus, grapples with all of the time.” Last year, the Corporation approved a 4 percent hike in undergraduate tuition » See CORP, page 2
Hipster haven Flatbread Company falls flat New restaurant has family-friendly service but signature namesake offering disappoints By SABRINA IMBLER FEATURES EDITOR
It’s easy to miss Flatbread Company — tucked away at the butt end of a large parking lot behind CVS — but the space is surprisingly roomy. The decor can best be described as a rustic, veganfriendly ski lodge, with large windows overlooking the monochromatic landscape of the parking lot. It’s easy to miss the Flatbread Company, but that may not be your loss. The atmosphere is undeniably » See FLATBREAD, page 4
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TOM SULLIVAN / HERALD
Flatbread Company offers a wide selection of flatbreads with colorful names, such as Jay’s Heart, left, and Mopsy’s Kalua Pork Pie, center.
Arts & Culture
Sports
‘Nebraska,’ now playing at the Avon, offers viewers a look into family life in small-town America
Alum’s collection of books and objects on magic is currently on display in Rock lobby
Blasberg ’16: Peyton Manning’s Super Bowl loss hurts his legacy
Cohan ’17: Playoff structures in pro sports too often include subpar teams in post-season play
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Inventive set design, strong performances energize Beckett’s oft-done post-war classic
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014
Trustee’s former employee convicted Professors reconsider Verdict against Mathew Martoma marks eighth indictment of SAC Capital employees By MICHAEL DUBIN UNIVERSITY NEWS EDITOR
Former SAC Capital Advisors L.P. portfolio manager Mathew Martoma was found guilty of insider trading Thursday, becoming the eighth employee of Corporation trustee Steven A. Cohen’s P’08 P’16 hedge fund who has pled guilty or been convicted on such charges, national news outlets reported. Thursday’s verdict against Martoma, reached after two days of deliberation, may mark the culmination of criminal cases brought against SAC employees by federal prosecutors in their decade-long investigation of Cohen’s hedge fund. The verdict also comes as SAC finalizes plans to change its name and corporate structure by mid-March, which the New York Times reported earlier this week. As part of the restructuring, SAC will cease managing outside money but will continue to invest approximately $9 billion of Cohen’s personal fortune. Though no criminal cases are pending or immediately forthcoming against
» PROVOST, from page 1 Upon Schlissel’s announcement last month, Professor of Computer Science John Savage wrote in an email to The Herald that the University should hire a physical scientist to maintain disciplinary balance among the University’s top three administrators. But Rand, Pipkin and Mustard said hiring a physical or natural scientist is not a priority. “One would evaluate the candidates on their own merits,” Rand said. “If there’s someone from humanities or social science who everyone feels has the right vision and leadership skills, then that would be fine.” “My job is to look for someone who loves Brown and who will love Brown — someone who loves undergrads and will build the University,” Pipkin said, adding that the candidate’s field of expertise was secondary to these and other characteristics. “It’s really about the person, right?” Mustard said. “If someone who happens to have a degree in economics came on the team and you could just see that this person got it, … I don’t think disciplinary balance should be a factor in our decisions.” Pipkin said the candidate must empathize with the Brown community and be able to communicate with various campus groups, including the faculty, UCS and the Graduate Student Council. He would prefer a candidate who “has the capacity to be forward-thinking and to be a consensus builder,” he said. Rand also emphasized the importance of a candidate who sees the big picture. “You want someone who understands Brown, where we’re trying to
any current or former SAC employees, prosecutors said they continue to probe insider trading allegations against SAC, the Times reported. But the legal deadline for filing criminal charges on trading at the heart of the investigation is approaching. Martoma, whose case began Jan. 6, is one of just two SAC employees indicted whose case proceeded to trial. The other, Michael Steinberg, was convicted in December. The indictment accused Martoma of trading using proprietary information he obtained about unsuccessful clinical trials for a new drug to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Following a phone call Martoma had with Cohen after learning of the failed trial, SAC sold nearly its entire stakes in Elan Corporation P.L.C. and Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, the two companies developing the drugs, bringing in $276 million for the hedge fund through losses avoided and profits made. The Manhattan federal court judge did not set a date for sentencing Thursday, but legal experts said they expect Martoma to serve seven to 10 years in prison, the Times reported. “We’re very disappointed and we plan to appeal,” said Martoma’s lawyer, Richard Strassberg, according to multiple news outlets. SAC has paid for
Martoma’s legal fees so far, but it was not clear Thursday whether the firm would continue to cover his legal costs should he proceed with an appeal. Sidney Gilman, a doctor who served as chairman of the safety committee for Elan during the clinical trials, was a key witness for the prosecution. Gilman testified last month that he supplied Martoma with confidential information about the trials on several occasions — most importantly in July 2008, when he told Martoma about problems with the drug trials. Martoma’s case was the first involving trades tied directly to Cohen. Though Cohen has avoided criminal charges, his hedge fund was indicted for multiple counts of fraud in July for what prosecutors deemed “systematic” insider trading and “institutional practices” that promoted a culture of improper trading. Under a record insider-trading settlement reached with federal prosecutors in early November, SAC agreed to plead guilty to five insider trading counts, pay a roughly $1.2 billion sum and stop managing clients’ funds. The Securities and Exchange Commission filed a civil suit against Cohen in July for “failing to supervise” employees accused of insider trading.
Provost search committee members: }} Wendy Edwards, visual art department chair }} Sharon Krause, political science department chair }} Charles Larmore, professor of philosophy }} Glenn Loury, professor of economics }} Kimberly Mowry, molecular biology, cell biology and biochemistry department chair }} Jack Mustard PhD’90, professor of geological sciences and environmental studies }} Crystal Ngo GS, doctoral student in American studies }} Daniel Pipkin ’14, undergraduate }} Kavita Ramanan, professor of applied mathematics }} David Rand, ecology and evolutionary biology department chair }} Staffed by Kimberly Roskiewicz, assistant to the president
modern genocide Moral Voices Initiative offers perspective on interpreting and preventing genocide By ALON GALOR CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“Genocide has become a term in the last decade for anything that people who you don’t like do. You don’t like colonialism? It’s genocide. You don’t like terrorism? It’s genocide,” Professor of History Omer Bartov said in a panel discussion on modern genocide and mass atrocities Thursday night. “That does not mean that the term is meaningless,” Bartov continued. “It means that the term is being abused. But that should not distract us from the importance of the terminology itself.” The event in Salomon 001, which was part of Brown/RISD Hillel’s Moral Voices Initiative, explored the origins, events and aftermath of genocide in an effort to better understand why society allows genocide to occur. In addition to Bartov, speakers included Keith Brown, professor of international studies, Stephen Kinzer, visiting fellow at the Watson Institute for International Studies, and Maud Mandel, associate professor of Judaic studies. Asked when and how intervention should occur, panelists outlined multiple points of guidance: First, intervention should be initiated if it can improve the situation. Second, panelists agreed that a focus on prevention is imperative. “The best thing to do is to support prevention. Though prevention is hard to do because it’s hard to prevent something that is not happening,” Bartov said. Emphasizing the need to look actively for precursors of genocide, he added that “when a state is talking about people as sub-human, it is a warning of genocide.” Bartov said governments need to ensure intervention is undertaken for the right reasons, which has not always been the case historically. “Countries largely act in their own best interest,” he said. “When
» CORP, from page 1 go, has vision and leadership skills, who everyone likes to work with,” he said. The next provost will likely be tasked with the implementation of Paxson’s strategic plan, which Schlissel played a large role in crafting. Operationalizing the strategic plan will require knowledge about growing the Graduate School and research infrastructure while maintaining the strong undergraduate teaching for which Brown is well known. Growing the Grad School and research programs should have benefits for both undergraduates and graduate students, Pipkin said, adding that the new provost must seek to “incorporate undergraduates (at) every step of research.” Grad School development “provides not only the scholarship but also
the partnership that graduate students have with undergrads,” Mustard said. “The learning that goes on with that experience is like nothing you would get with just an undergraduate program.” The other search committee members are Wendy Edwards, professor of visual art and the department’s chair; Sharon Krause, professor of political science and the department’s chair; Charles Larmore, professor of the humanities and philosophy; Glenn Loury, professor of the social sciences and economics; Kimberly Mowry, professor of biomedicine and biology and chair of the Department of Molecular Biology, Cell Biology and Biochemistry; and Kavita Ramanan, professor of applied mathematics. Assistant to the President Kimberly Roskiewicz will staff the committee.
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and fees — the largest rise in three years — and a nearly 6 percent increase in financial aid. Carey declined to predict the Corporation’s decision on tuition and fees this year. In the typical format for its February gathering, the Corporation split up for committee meetings yesterday and will convene for a “strategic discussion” meeting today, Carey said. A budget vote will occur at a formal business meeting Saturday, as will decisions on faculty tenure and hiring decisions. The strategic plan’s implementation will figure as a “major topic” throughout the weekend, Carey said. For instance, the plan’s proposal to increase internship opportunities for students who receive financial aid was likely to drive discussion at the Committee on Campus Life’s meeting yesterday and at the larger meeting today, Carey said earlier this week. “It’s still early in the strategic planning process,” Carey added, noting that only four months have passed since the plan was approved. The Corporation will also discuss the ongoing searches for a new provost and dean of the College, Carey said, though
the U.S. was preparing to fight Germany, they made a tremendous effort to tell the public they were not doing it to save the Jews, but were fighting to protect their own national interest.” Reaffirming the theme of using the term genocide appropriately, Brown cautioned: “We must be mindful in using the term genocide and act carefully to preserve its depth and the scope of its meaning.” Brown emphasized two central themes in his contributions to the panel: the importance of relativism and comparing genocides and the use of red lines in international politics — namely, whether society can describe something as genocide. “We have to encourage using the term correctly and in the right context. It is a crucial term in prevention,” Bartov said. “We must be careful not to undermine it because if we do, we undermine the power to intervene.” The term genocide was officially coined in 1944 by Raphael Lemkin. In 1948, the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. The Convention defines genocide in legal terms and “marks the first and only time in international law that states have agreed upon intervening with the affairs of another sovereign state,” Bartov said. The discussion highlighted two different approaches to the research of genocide. “Historians are specialists in particulars. We see oranges and apples. We don’t see fruit,” Mandel said in describing her research philosophy. In contrast, Bartov said, “historians weigh on specific events, and specific details of specific events. I don’t believe that any study can reach any level of understanding without comparison. The notion that we can study any genocide without an understanding of other genocides, or without historical context, is in fact ahistorical.” The Moral Voices Initiative continues April 4 with a screening of the film “Conviction.” the members will not discuss these processes “at the level of individual candidate” selections this weekend. Dean of the College Katherine Bergeron left to become president of Connecticut College Jan. 1, while Provost Mark Schlissel P’15 will assume the presidency of the University of Michigan July 1. The Corporation has an active stake in the searches to fill these two roles, Carey said, adding that the body will ultimately be tasked with final approval of the two appointed administrators once the search committees have chosen their candidates. Biannual meetings of the Corporation often coincide with ceremonies and special events, but Carey said no such plans have been made for this weekend’s gathering. Many Corporation members will attend the celebrations for the University’s 250th anniversary in March, he said, adding that funding for the anniversary events has already been established through financial savings. The Corporation will likely approve a number of gifts to the University, Carey said, but he declined to comment on the specifics or financial total of any donations.
arts & culture 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014
Master of lieder delivers with Schubert swan song Baritone Wolfgang Holzmair brings German masterpieces to the Granoff Center By KATHERINE CUSUMANO ARTS & CULTURE EDITOR
Schwanengesang: a swan song, a last performance before retirement, a final deed before dying. The swan song originates from the Greek mythological belief that a swan sings a unique farewell once in its life, just before its death. “Schwanengesang” is also the title of a cycle of 14 poems set to music by Franz Schubert. The collection — published after his death in 1828 — lacks interior cohesion, allowing the singer to take these vignettes of music and make them whole. Baritone Wolfgang Holzmair took to the stage at the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts to perform this posthumous collection with accompanist Russell Ryan Wednesday night. In an hour and a half — with one five-minute pause — Holzmair carried the audience through his extensive range, traversing entire octave leaps and varied emotions with apparent ease and flair. Holzmair and Ryan performed Schubert’s “Winterreise” together on the same stage two years ago, The Herald reported at the time. The strong rapport between the two musicians was evident from the
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outset — Holzmair consistently turned between the audience and the piano bench, and each vocal inflection flawlessly matched its accompaniment. As the piano became increasingly frenzied, Holzmair too became more agitated. His volume increased, to where he would almost lose control, before falling back again. But where the piano could have, in theory, held its own against the overwhelming power and control of Holzmair’s baritone, it retained the air of a mere accompaniment. Ryan stepped back where he could have pushed Holzmair further — and yet Holzmair’s voice was strong enough to carry the performance. Perhaps this was deliberate. The singer treated each word like a delicate piece of china. Even without speaking a word of German, the audience could catch the last word of “Kriegers Ahnung.” “Gute nacht,” he repeated twice, as his voice lowered to a whisper and faded away entirely. He found beauty in the ugliest sounds — his emphasis on “s” and “ch,” especially harsh consonants in German, added drama and energy to the darker tone of the song. Rolled “r” sounds were melodic rather than pretentious. In “Fruhlingssehnsucht,” Holzmair revealed an unprecedented, though still intentional, grittiness to his voice, leaving the audience in awe at his dynamic range. His vibrato cracked at one point, but it was an insignificant blip in an otherwise technically immaculate performance.
COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT VANTAGE
Vocalist Wolfgang Holzmair and accompanist Russell Ryan drew from previous collaboration for a rendition Wednesday of Schubert’s “Schwanengesang” at the Perry and Marty Granoff Center for the Creative Arts. After the brief interlude 50 min- Doppelganger,” he began standing rig- forward, his gaze tilted slightly uputes into the performance, Holzmair idly but seemed to melt away into the ward. He receded into himself as the launched back into his song, hollering music, returning to the same hunched music built — the performance was out sudden, sharp high notes. Later, posture and theatrical hand gestures. coming to an end. His eyes widened he ascended a controlled crescendo He spent much of the performance as the music stopped short, only to to an equal volume, but without the with his eyes squeezed shut. creep in again. For the first time, the same anger and harshness. His voice In addition to the 14 songs audience truly had the sensation of a always soared, never screeched. He traditionally performed in the swan song. “Schwanengesang D 744” took over the music, assuming it com- “Schwanengesang” cycle, Holzmair was reminiscent, hopeful and deliberpletely while maintaining Schubert’s added three additional pieces to his ate. But instead of coming to a concluRomantic spirit. oeuvre: “Die Taubenpost” and “Im sion, it faded away to silence. A few Holzmair’s performance could Freien D 880,” set to poems by Johann seconds, and someone began to clap. only be criticized on the level of his Gabriel Seidl, and “Schwanengesang The applause swelled, and the audience movements. He sang out both slow- D 744,” an appropriate addition with rose to its feet in waves. burning and more belligerent lines words by poet Johann Senn. It wasn’t a full house, but the rewith the same motions, his gaze often To close out the show, Holzmair sounding reception certainly sounded directed at the ground. During “Der began “Schwanengesang D 744” facing like one.
On an unlikely road trip, a dose of lyricism ‘Nebraska’ meanders poignantly through boundaries of family and self across Midwest By DREW WILLIAMS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Toto, we might be back in Kansas. Cornstalks? Check. Roads that stretch to the horizon? You got it. Days spent with beer and football? All there. While maybe not set in Kansas, “Nebraska” demonstrates director Alexander Payne’s familiarity with small-town America. The prospects of channelling this Midwestern ambiance into anything fast-paced drop severely if your name isn’t Coen or Capote. Luckily for audiences, Payne instead uses the locale as the setting for an elderly man searching for meaning late in life. Bruce Dern plays the “semi-coherent” protagonist Woody Grant, a retired Nebraskan living in Billings, Montana with his wife Kate, played by June Squibb. But his journey starts out as less an American Dream than a pipe dream. Woody falls for a scam — that he has won a million-dollar sweepstakes. Convinced of his newfound wealth, he travels to Lincoln, Nebraska to collect his winnings, a trek that breaks the cycle
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of his utterly mundane life. Ignoring the more realistic prognosis of his family, who warn him of the improbability of this windfall, Woody stubbornly sets out on a nearly 1,000mile walk. Enter David, Woody’s son. David, played by talented Saturday Night Live alum Will Forte, also lives in Billings, patiently working his job as an electronics salesman and wondering if he should have proposed to his ex. His father attempts to walk to Lincoln on three occasions before David caves and offers to drive, feeling sorry for him and realizing that Woody might not be around much longer. Along the way, he discovers he didn’t know as much about his crazy old man as he thought he did. Sound like audiences have been there before? They have. But they’ve never been there with Payne. And things are a little different in “Nebraska.” There’s a chance Payne made the whole film simply to showcase how beautifully he could depict the rural landscape — the sweeping shots earned “Nebraska” a Best Cinematography Oscar nod. The film has received additional acclaim, earning a total of six Oscar nominations. Dern and Squibb, as the matriarchal loose-cannon Kate, have been nominated for Best Actor and Best Supporting Actress respectively. Most likely, Payne couldn’t resist rewriting the rules to the cliche roadtrip-slash-father-son-bonding movie.
Gone is anything objective. Instead, take a look at some family dynamics while an upbeat orchestral score accompanies therolling panoramas. Take from it what you will — except the neighbor’s compressor, as David learns the hard way in one of the few genuinely hilarious scenes. The movie may pass a little too slowly for some viewers, but at least it leaves plenty of time to think. When the trip does take a detour into Hawthorne, Nebraska, Woody’s birthplace and the home of his siblings, audiences get a somewhat depressing look at small-town life. Alcoholism, drug use and sexual assault are all referenced as serious, recurring problems. Payne plays up the cruelty of Hawthorne’s inhabitants for comedic effect. They all try to mooch off of Woody after learning of his supposed fortune, but Woody’s poor relationship with his hometown lingers in the background of each interaction. Payne’s only misstep may be his alienation of small-town America with his sometimes condescending portrayal. The story is ultimately about Woody, a man searching for respect from his community even as his grip on reality slowly fades. His life is flawed — his alcoholism precipitated both his poor business decisions and his neglectfulness as a father and husband. But as the layers of the soft-spoken, generous war veteran are peeled away, both David and the audience are able to give Woody the respect refused by his peers.
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COURTESY OF PARAMOUNT VANTAGE
Bruce Dern leads the cast of ‘Nebraska’ as Woody Grant, a man who convinces his son to drive him to Lincoln, Neb., for a sweepstakes prize.
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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014
Illusions, alchemy occupy Rock lobby in alum’s exhibit Collection donated by H. Adrian Smith ’30 shows off rare books on performance magic By RILEY DAVIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Aspiring wizards still reeling from not getting into Hogwarts would do well to pay a visit to the John D. Rockefeller Library this weekend. Selections from the H. Adrian Smith Collection of Conjuring and Magicana are currently on display in the Rock. The collection features books and objects associated with the practice and performance of magic that were collected by H. Adrian Smith ’30 during and after his time at Brown. Short on pocket change? You might consider performing magic on the side, as Smith did to partially fund his undergraduate career. “It’s kind of remarkable that somebody who started a book collection while he was a student became a major collector in the field,” said Holly Snyder, curator of the University’s
» FLATBREAD, from page 1 welcoming. Scuffed wooden booths circle a flickering communal hearth around which patrons are invited to warm themselves. A large, witchy cauldron full of crimson tomato sauce separates the kitchen and bar. The open kitchen lies behind the fireplace, where one can see his or her pizza evolve from dough to pie. But our server’s spiel explaining these surroundings made this hipster fantasy of interior design seem a little too contrived. Half of the servers wear plaid, and the other half sport an eclectic assortment of facial hair. The beret-capped host who seated us had both — a red flannel buttondown and a handlebar moustache. And while our booth was aesthetically woodsy and elegant, our butts suffered from the lack of cushioning. All of the menu covers feature crude crayon illustrations, including a couple in a Volkswagen bug and an
American historical collections. “A lot of our special collections are compiled by Brown alumni who want to give back to the library at the end of their collecting careers.” Organizers structured the exhibition to highlight the vibrant images displayed in the texts, Snyder said. The exhibit features several books detailing depictions of tricks like illusions, mind reading and sleight of hand. The titles themselves are entertaining to read, including “Scheidler’s Art of Conjuring Simplified” and “Endless Amusements: Or, the Art of Legerdemain Made Easy to Young Persons.” But the pieces on display are only a small part of the entire collection, which is permanently housed at the John Hay Library. “It’s one of the finest magic collections anywhere,” said Thomas Horrocks, director of special collections and the Hay Library. “It covers a wide range of things for a long period of time.” The magic collection was last put on display for a magicians’ convention, and security guards had to be hired to ensure that the visitors did not try any of their sleight-of-hand skills on pieces in the collection, Snyder added. assortment of lumpy dolphins with spiked teeth. In a cursory look, these campy menus look like the scribbles of children, but they are actually all drawn by past patrons of all ages, according to our server. “Draw us something good,” he said with a wink, handing us four crisp sheets of printer paper and a cup of crayons. “And we’ll see if you make it on a menu.” The descriptions of each menu item sprawl into paragraph territory — literally every ingredient in every dish is prefixed with either “homemade” or “organic.” The sentiment is nice, but we got it after the third “all-natural.” The flatbreads’ names varied from self-explanatory, Cheese & Herb, to beyond explanation, Punctuated Equilibrium. The dishes ooze wholesome, earthy vibes with ingredients “free” of things I never knew to avoid, like nitrate-free sausage or sulfatefree tomatoes.
ASHWINI NATARAJAN / HERALD
Books and objects associated with magic, including a book, above, by G. Gyngell, an 18th- and 19th-century English performer, are on display in the lobby of the Rockefeller Library until March 26. Other items not featured in the display include 3-D objects like gag pieces and card sets as well as several other volumes and larger items that could not fit into the display cases. The Smith trove is not the only special collection at the Hay. Though the library is currently undergoing renovations and accessibility to special collections is limited, the building’s holdings
are eclectic and extensive. The Anne S. K. Brown Military Collection features 6,000 lead toy soldiers, according to the Hay website. Resources also include papers and manuscripts of various authors from Dante to Thoreau. The Snell Mycology Collection boasts over 300 monographs and serials on mushrooms. Horrocks’ personal favorite is the McLellan-Lincoln Collection,
he said, which includes thousands of documents and manuscripts either written or signed by Abraham Lincoln himself. The H. Adrian Smith Collection of Conjuring and Magicana will be on display in the lobby of the Rock until March 26. Students can email requests to Snyder if they would like to view a part of the special collection up close.
Upon asking our server what size pizza would best feed two people, he inhaled for a moment, pursing his lips before laughing. “We don’t really use that term here,” he said, half-joking. “It’s flatbread.” Easy there, hipster. Our meal began auspiciously. The organic salad teemed with watery crunch, though some of the sweet leaves sported wilted brown outlines. The celery and carrots — though not exceptional on their own — offered a crisp, complementary texture to the gummy Maine sea kelp, which added a refreshing saltiness to the dish. The orange-tamari dressing crowned the salad well, delectably thicker and less salty than traditional soy sauces. A small scoop of Vermont goat cheese accompanying the dish provided a creamy base for the salt and crunch, but the dairy was rich and tart enough to be savored on its own. I licked tine by tine off of my fork. But rather worr yingly, the
flatbread of the Flatbread Company disappointed. Picture everything you love about pizza. Now forget that. Instead, imagine a dry crust too hard for comfort, congealing cheese and no tomato sauce. The homemade sausage flatbread was served warm, but cooled too rapidly to a tepid lukewarm before we had finished our first slices. The bread itself managed to straddle the intersection of hostilely crunchy crusts and a drooping, limp center. Listed as whole milk mozzarella and Parmesan, the cheeses proved indistinguishable from anything other than dense rubber. The undercooked mushrooms squeaked in our teeth, and the thick-cut onions, though juicy, were too saccharine and easily overwhelmed the bland sausage. Granted, we did order a sauceless flatbread. Perhaps the saucy flatbreads do the restaurant justice, but it is hard to imagine someone ordering the homemade sausage flatbread twice. On a Wednesday night, the restaurant was not bustling, but a good number of tables were filled — particularly considering the frigid “ice pellet” forecast for that day. The Flatbread Company has certainly earned its family-friendly reputation, with around half of its patrons under the legal driving age. But the restaurant did not lack an older, more venerable crowd. Seated directly to our left was none other than President Christina Paxson and Provost Mark Schlissel P’15. The two paired their flatbread with a glass of red wine and a beer on draft, respectively. Though the service sparkles and the pricing and proximity may be reasonable for Pembrokians, there are countless better pizza places you pass on your slog to Thayer and Cushing. You would do well to save yourself the walk by staying warm and greasy in Nice Slice instead.
» GODOT, from page 1
TOM SULLIVAN / HERALD
A Flatbread Company employee stokes the fire in the stone oven at the restaurant’s new branch, located on Cushing Street.
Flatbread Company. 161 Cushing St. Monday through Thursday and Sunday 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. – 11 p.m. Reservations accepted.
covered with sand, adds an element of materiality to the set. The sand itself functions as something of a prop, rising in acrid dust clouds in moments of commotion and trickling out from sleeves and pockets as if part of an hourglass. In one corner, the leafless and skeletal tree leans a bit off-kilter, warped. The haphazard cinderblock pile in the opposite corner, a manmade replacement for the “low mound” in Beckett’s script, evokes an unfinished construction project, the remnants of progress. Sound designer Ursula Raasted ’14 amplifies this tension by weaving in tuneless ambient music at key moments. The noises are ancestral, primordial: the beating of a tribal drum, a keening like an ancient whale song. Fortunately, the actors’ lively interpretation of their roles energizes even the bleakest moments. Samuel Lanier ’15.5 provides a well-timed dose of comic relief as Pozzo, swaggering onstage with the glib egomania of a political fat cat. Even Benjamin Silver’s ’17 supporting role as Boy feels more three-dimensional than the enigmatic role would suggest. But perhaps the climactic moment of the play is Fletcher Bell’s ’16 volcanic recitation of Lucky’s monologue. His delivery is animated and maniacal, unraveling exponentially toward some asymptotic finale. The rapport between Estragon and Vladimir, played respectively by Vincent Tomasino ’14 and Skylar Fox ’15, seems unlikely at first, even awkward. But as their purgatorial world unfolds, the audience will begin to access the symbiosis between Estragon’s scruffy indolence and Vladimir’s erudite neurosis. Like an old married couple, they prattle nonsensically about vague nothings, cycle through vaudeville routines and elaborate handshakes. All of this while they wait and wait and wait. They transition from jesters to theorists with startling versatility and control. Nothing happens, but it will definitely pass the time. ‘Waiting for Godot’ runs tonight at 8 p.m., tomorrow at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., Sunday at 8 p.m. and Monday at 8 p.m in the PW Downspace.
sports friday 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014
Manning’s statistical marvels eclipsed by Super Sunday flop BY JACK BLASBERG sports columnist
The season ended with his name once again chiseled into the record books, but Peyton Manning’s statistical feats were overshadowed by the 43-8 drubbing his Denver Broncos suffered at the hands of the Seattle Seahawks last weekend in the Super Bowl. Over the course of the game, Manning completed 34 passes, the most ever on the NFL’s most watched Sunday but also threw two interceptions and was at the center of a miscommunication that led to a botched snap and safety on his opening play. Entering the championship game, it seemed like an opportunity with no downside for Manning: a second ring would further pad an already iron-clad Hall of Fame resume, while a loss would not greatly affect the way he is remembered by posterity. But the Seahawks’ complete and utter dismantling of the Broncos contradicts this latter assumption because such a glaring blemish will steer attention away from Manning’s spectacular regular season. During the 2013 regular season, 37-year-old Manning turned in his best campaign as a pro, throwing for 5,477 yards and 55 touchdowns with a passer rating of 115.1. His yardage and touchdown totals set league records, and his team raced to a 13-3 record and the top seed in the AFC. After falling to the Baltimore Ravens in the final moments of last year’s AFC divisional playoff game, Denver did not seem content with simply another trip to the postseason. The organizational expectations for this season called for a trip to the Super Bowl and a ring as a parting gift. Unfortunately for Manning, each game in the NFL is an independent entity upon which prior success has no influence. As longtime rival Tom Brady knows, no matter how brilliant your statistics, at the end of the day a quarterback is judged on whether or not he won the last game of the season. Six years ago, Brady had just completed what was, at the time, arguably the best statistical season for a quarterback in NFL history. He led the league, throwing for 4,806 yards and 50 touchdowns — an all-time record at the time — to accompany his 117.2 passer rating. The 2007 Patriots even secured the AFC’s top seed after going undefeated in regular season play. New England won two more games en route to the Super Bowl before ultimately losing to the New York Giants, 17-14. Brady did not set any records for completions in that game, but he did put up a more than respectable statistical line of 266 yards and one touchdown, even leading a drive to give his team the lead with under three minutes remaining in the contest. Despite this performance, the
» HOCKEY, from page 8 misconception people have about women’s hockey? Some people think it’s cool, but other people think we’re not as feminine. Compared to men’s hockey, people think it’s boring or not as physical and definitely not as exciting. It can be as physical as if we were allowed to hit. What is the rest of the team like? We’re very close. We hang out most of the time, even when we have
main storyline after the game concerned the Patriots quarterback’s inability to rise to the occasion in the big game and put the finishing touches on the perfect season. Brady had a great season, but it was ultimately for naught as he failed to bring home another ring. Manning’s failure on the biggest stage will similarly detract from the historical view of his season. Sometimes a blowout loss can be attributed to lackluster tackling on defense, shoddy special teams play or poor receiver and running back ball security. Significant errors in each of these areas contributed to the final outcome, but Manning, who was named Most Valuable Player in the league this past year, was at the center of the problem. In addition to his early miscue, the Denver quarterback threw a pair of interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown. His passer rating of 73.5 was the lowest in a Super Bowl since the immortal Rex Grossman posted a 68.3 in the 2006 season finale — ironically, falling to Manning’s Colts. Manning’s record-setting completions disguise a fact that was evident to anyone watching on Super Bowl Sunday: Manning looked old and ineffective. Even when trailing by 36 points late in the third quarter and in desperate need of a comeback, Manning continued to execute the same short, slant passes he had been attempting all game. These plays did not take on new effectiveness in the later stage of the contest, and a comeback was never in the cards. Denver’s inability to put the finishing touches on the record-breaking campaign is all the more glaring when considering the assets at Manning’s disposal. In addition to talented wideout Eric Decker and running back Knowshon Moreno, Denver’s receiving corps featured reception-machine Wes Welker as well as pro-bowlers Demaryius Thomas and Julius Thomas. When facing the Seahawks, the NFL’s top defense, these weapons fell silently below the radar. All season long, Manning had racked up points by exploiting his opposition’s inability to account for all his receiving threats. When he finally came up against a capable adversary, he had no answer. Ultimately, this one loss will not greatly affect the manner in which Manning’s overall resume is considered. He remains among the top-five men to have ever played the position and a first-ballot hall of famer. The loss does carry weight insofar as this individual season is concerned. Not only does it call into question to what degree his statistics were inflated by his ace team of receivers, but his inability to win the big game means that the season was ultimately a failure. Records are all eventually broken. Championship rings are the only source of permanent and untarnished glory.
Jack Blasberg ’16 can be reached at john_blasberg@brown.edu. off-days, especially this year. It’s like having a second family. Are you involved in any other activities on campus? I’m a part of Athletes in Action. I like to stay involved — especially during off-seasons. What is your least favorite type of music? Country music, but our team listens to so much of it. It drives me nuts! Some of it is okay, but for the most part I don’t like it very much.
» BASKETBALL, from page 1 a career-high 18 points against Cornell with a leading role on the team’s defense, which helped last weekend’s opponents to 20 percent from beyond the arc. “(Spieth) is playing a ton of minutes,” said Head Coach Mike Martin ’04. “We ask him to guard the other team’s best player most nights. He’s really versatile, and he does a lot of things to help us win.” Spieth, the reigning Ivy Rookie of the Week, will have his hands full, as he matches up with Harvard’s Wesley Saunders, a contender for Ivy Player of the Year. Saunders nets 15.2 per game — the 5th best average in the conference — and shoots a stellar 79 percent from the free throw line. He also contributes 5.2 boards, 3.9 assists and a league-leading 2.2 steals per game. Last weekend against Princeton, Saunders notched 24 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals, leading the team in all four categories. No Harvard player had accomplished that feat since NBA-star Jeremy Lin did so over five years ago. “He’s a lock for first team all-conference,” said Spieth. “I have a tough task, but I’m feeling up to it and hopefully I can try to shut him down.” In addition to trying to keep Saunders and other scoring threats in check, Bruno will be tested on the boards. Harvard and Dartmouth rank second
and third in offensive rebounding, while the Bears have pulled down a league-leading 40.4 total rebounds per game — good for 15th in the nation. Dartmouth relies on their center Gabas Maldunas — who is tied with Rafael Maia ’15 for the most rebounds in the conference at 8.5 per game — to create second chance opportunities. Harvard employs a rebounding-bycommittee style, with three players averaging over five boards per game. “These games are going to be decided by rebounding this weekend,” Spieth said. “(Harvard and Dartmouth) are really strong offensive rebounders, so we have to box out. We have to limit them to one shot per possession.” Spieth echoed Martin’s philosophy of contesting every shot on defense but noted that even the best defensive possession is a waste of effort if the team doesn’t box out and allows second-chance points. Spieth added that winning the rebounding battle is a goal for the team in every game they play. The Bears have successfully outrebounded opponents in 12 of their 18 games this season. By consistently winning the battle on the boards, the Bears have been able to limit teams to single shot attempts on most possessions. This edge allows Bruno to pull away from opponents early and sit on the lead for the majority of the game. Of the squad’s 11 wins this season, just three have come by less than ten points. The Bears would like to
continue to avoid down-to-the-wire games in which free-throw shooting becomes essential to victory. Brown has earned the worst free-throw shooting percentage in the league — about 64 percent — while Harvard excels from the charity stripe, hitting nearly 75 percent of their shots. “We certainly work on (free throws) every day,” Martin said. “We do have a few guys that we would feel very confidently about shooting late game pressure free throws. … It’s our job as a coaching staff to make sure those guys have the ball in the their hands late in the game.” Martin is referencing co-captains Cedric Kuakumensah ’16 and Sean McGonagill ’14, the team’s two best free-throw shooters. If the games this weekend are decided by a few points, look for McGonagill and Kuakumensah to touch the ball frequently in the closing minutes. Despite poor free-throw shooting, the Bears have one of the better offenses in the league, averaging the third-most points per game and featuring a dominant inside attack that contributes 52 percent of the team’s points from the field in league play. “We have the best offensive game inside the paint in the Ivy League,” Spieth said. “We’re going to play unselfish and try to impose ourselves in the post. We’ll get the ball down low, play inside-out, free-up shooters and knock down some shots on the outside. … It’s going to be a fun weekend.”
DAVID BRAUN / HERALD
Lelend King ’17 will come off the bench and provide an infusion of scoring on the offensive end, as well as interior toughness on the defensive side of the ball against Harvard and Dartmouth this weekend.
» PLAYOFFS, from page 8 divisions and conferences, so it isn’t even the teams with the best records making the playoffs. That’s how you get head-scratching situations like the 22-28 Charlotte Bobcats currently holding a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bobcats have the 19th best record of 30 teams in the NBA. If the season were to end today, they would play the 38-10 Indiana Pacers in a seven-game series. The first team to four wins advances. Still think “last goal wins!” is just for little kids? Why do we accept this? Imagine the Thunder are blowing out the Heat in the fourth quarter of Game 7 of the NBA Finals. The crowd in Oklahoma City is going wild, knowing they are about win their first NBA title. All of a sudden, Adam Silver steps onto the court, and
asks the crowd to quiet down. “Excuse me, if I can just have your attention for a moment. Whichever team scores more in the last two minutes wins. That’s all.” What would happen? Best-case scenario, you’re looking at a routine soccer riot. Now imagine this. The NBA declares that the team with the best regular season record automatically wins the championship. (Wait, they actually do this in Europe? No wonder their fans are always hitting each other with chairs. I’d be mad too.) Immediately every team in the Eastern Conference besides the Heat and Pacers would have nothing to play for. I would have to accept the fact that my Wizards have zero chance of achieving anything for the next decade. How much longer would I keep watching?
So on one side of the spectrum we have “last goal wins!” and on the other we have European soccer. Obviously, neither is a good option. Somewhere in the middle, balancing excitement and fairness, we have our current playoff systems. Could they be improved? Maybe. But an effort to make the system fairer — possibly by eliminating conferences in the NBA — would be less exciting. And a move to be more exciting — by expanding the NFL playoff field by two teams — would be less fair. I don’t think any proposal would be “better” or “worse,” just different. It all comes down to what you value.
James Cohan ’17 is still bitter about that 8-2 loss. Remind him at james_cohan@brown.edu.
6 today
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014
menu SHARPE REFECTORY
after the storm VERNEY-WOOLLEY
LUNCH Tuna Noodle Casserole, Hot Roast Beef on French Bread, Bruschetta Bar, Assorted Frosted Cupcakes
Manhattan Clam Chowder, Breaded Chicken Fingers, Zucchini, Carrot and Garlic Medley, Vegan Spicy Dahl
DINNER Mexican Cornbread Casserole, Filet of Sole Lemon Roll, Corn Mexicane, Lemon Rice, Apple Streusel Pie
Vegetarian Chili and Cheese Soup, Kareem’s Catfish, Feta & Tomato Quiche, California Blend Vegetables
JOSIAH’S
THREE BURNERS
QUESADILLA OR GRILLED CHEESE
Gnocchi
Make-Your-Own Quesadilla
RYAN WALSH / HERALD
After a heavy snowstorm Wednesday, sunshine melts excessive snow and revitalizes the campus.
BLUE ROOM
SOUPS
icy icicles
DINNER ENTREES
Clam Chowder, Minestrone and Beef with Bean Chili
Naked Burritos
sudoku
TOM SULLIVAN / HERALD
The winter storms earlier this week dumped several inches of snow on campus, causing slippery roads and icy conditions, including icicles on the sides of student rooms in Wayland.
comic A & B | MJ Esquivel
crossword
calendar TODAY
FEBRUARY 7
2:30 P.M. BROWN-INDIA SEMINAR: CASTE, DEMOCRACY AND THE POSTCOLONIAL STATE
Interested in democracy in postcolonial India? Jeffrey Wistoe will discuss the politics of India’s caste system. Come to learn more about the world’s second-largest population. Watson Institute, Joukowsky Forum 8 P.M. WRITING IS LIVE: MAGIC HOUR
Laura Colella GS and artist Aaron Jungels direct an insider’s view into the personalities, egos, hierarchies and relationships in a film’s cast and crew. Lyman Hall, Leeds Theater
TOMORROW
FEBRUARY 8
4 P.M. WRITING IS LIVE: O-K
Join Katie Pearl GS in her creative theatrical constellation, which weaves together her insights into Oklahoma, TV shows and relationships. Lyman Hall, Leeds Theater 6 P.M. CSSA YEAR OF THE HORSE SPRING GALA, 2014
The Chinese Student and Scholar Association hosts a celebration of the year of the Horse during its Spring Gala. Salomon 101 SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 9
1 P.M. BROWN UNIVERSITY BEARD APPRECIATION SOCIETY MEETING
Come to discuss President Lincoln’s beard, the recent Boston Beard fest and an article entitled “The Racially Fraught History of the American Beard” with your fellows in the Beard Appreciation Society. Salomon 202 10:30 P.M. IMPROVIDENCE: RETURN OF THE JEDI
IMPROVidence, the Brown-Rhode Island School of Design improv comedy group, is bringing the force to Brown. MacMillan 117
commentary 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014
COLUMN
DIAMONDS & COAL
More international diversity, please
A diamond to men’s basketball head coach Mike Martin, who “thought the zone was a good change of pace, but our bread and butter is our manto-man defense.” Coach, is butter a carb?
other applicants are less likely to be accepted to Brown. This policy is unfair, because their acceptance depends on something out of their control — their parents’ financial resources. Increasing financial aid for international students would allow for a needblind admission policy that would reward students for their academic skill rather than their financial ability. Considering that American students are evaluated under a need-blind policy, this would create a more even playing field for all Brown applicants.
SAMANTHA ISMAN opinions columnist
As an international student, I can count on one hand the number of times I can go home during the year. Due to the long distance and flight, I’m not able to go home during weekends or even shorter breaks. Of course, the cost of travel fare home is well above average for students at Brown who normally take a train ride or a crosscountry flight within the United States to get home. Diversity should be dictated both by what country and what socioeconomic background a student comes from. Within each of our countries there is a great deal of diversity, but the Brown community is only privy to one kind of international student — the wealthy one. Though the University has increased its financial support for international students in the past couple of years, changes have not been significant enough to allow for international students of all socioeconomic backgrounds to attend Brown. This issue has been on Brown’s agenda for quite some time, and though the cost of increasing financial aid for international students would be large, it would also benefit the Brown community. Currently, international students are admitted under a need-aware admission policy, meaning “that their financial need will be a factor in the admission decision,” according to Brown’s admission website. International students with fewer financial resources and the same academic credentials as
ture financial struggle. Students whose families can no longer comfortably afford to pay for Brown are thus put in a situation in which they must choose education over economic well-being. In recent years, Brown has increased spending on international students and has allowed for more undergraduates to receive need-based scholarships. Such increases facilitate a more diverse international population and allow those students that do make it to Brown to focus on academics without worrying so much about money. However, these changes falls short of what they could be. Though about 14 percent of undergrads are international students, less than 10 percent of those receiving financial aid are international students. In total, only about 25 percent of international students are receiving financial aid. Also, only a small minority of students at universities from around the world can study abroad at Brown regardless of their financial resources. Brown’s international students understand that there is a great deal of diversity in each of our hometowns, but most of us don’t see this translated into the international student community at Brown. With few exceptions, international students come from similar socioeconomic backgrounds. The current financial aid and admission policies for international students ensure that Brown remains an institution for only a small segment of the vast social and economic spectrums of students from foreign nations. As long as our policies remain the same, this inequality will continue to hold true.
Diversity should be dictated both by what country and what socioeconomic background a student comes from. International students often have to look to scholarship programs outside their universities — like the NAACP or PEO International. International students with fewer financial resources face additional stress when applying for these programs, because they have to compete with many highly academically qualified students who are equally worthy of financial aid. But the problem extends further than Brown’s admission policy for international students. International students who do not apply for or receive aid upon their admission “are not eligible for aid in subsequent years,” according to Brown’s webpage for international student resources, meaning that if students’ financial abilities change after admission, they will not be able to receive aid. As such, international students must plan for the possibility of fu-
Cubic zirconia to Provost Mark Schlissel P’15, who said of the Sciences Library that it is unnecessary to “fill a 14-floor building with books.” We hope you fill the buildings at the University of Michigan with candy. Like a pinata. A diamond to the student who said she likes to come home to “plantains frying.” Maybe the Office of Residential Life should start converting the Sharpe Refectory into rooms for students who were studying abroad last semester. Cubic zirconia to the graduate student who said the ADEP molecule turns ClpP into a “garbage disposal run amok.” Now we know what to call the growing biohazard in Andrews Commons. Coal to the professor who asked, “Wild and crazy stuff can be very appealing, but will it get us what we want?” Have you been to Spring Weekend? A diamond to PW for putting on “Waiting for Godot” this weekend in the downspace. We can’t wait for Brown Divest Coal’s upcoming interpretation, “Waiting for the Corporation.” Cubic zirconia to President Christina Paxson, who was spotted at the Flatbread Company Wednesday evening sipping wine and munching on pizza. Girl’s gotta eat (and drink). A diamond to H. Adrian Smith ’30, whose collection of conjuring and magicana is on display at the Rockefeller Library until March. Based on his ID card flipping maneuvers, we nominate Jose at the Ratty as heir apparent. Cubic zirconia to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Kilmartin,who helped draft legislation designed to protect children online. Step one: deleting Justin Bieber’s Instagram. Coal to the American Progressive Bag Alliance, which supports prolonging the use of the plastic bag through recycling measures. Do you ever feel like a plastic bag, drifting through the wind, wanting to start again? A diamond to CVS Caremark for ceasing sales of tobacco products throughout the country. Members of the College Hill Independent revolt.
Sami Isman ’15 can be reached at samantha_isman@brown.edu.
q u o t e o f t h e d ay
“My job is to look for someone who loves Brown and who will love Brown.”
— Daniel Pipkin ’14
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FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2014
THE
BROWN DAILY HERALD sports friday M. ICE HOCKEY
Bears face off with two high-octane offenses in ECAC action Bruno faces its fifth straight nationally-ranked team in No. 4 Union College before heading to RPI
After splitting last weekend’s homestand against Colgate and Cornell, the men’s hockey team will attempt to climb further up the ECAC standings this weekend as it heads to No. 4 Union and Rensselaer. For a successful road trip, the Bears (9-9-3, 6-7-1 ECAC) will have to lean on recently crowned ECAC Player of the Month Mark Naclerio ’16. He tallied eight goals and six assists over eight January games, including three goals and an assist last weekend. Naclerio’s performance gave him the conference lead in points, goals and points per game for the month. Bruno will also get a lift as defenseman Brandon Pfeil ’16 returns to play after an injury. Just like last weekend, the Bears only have a shot at moving ahead of Yale if the Elis lose at least one game and the Bears win at least one. Yale also faces both Union and RPI on the road this weekend.
lost two of their first four home games to Lake Superior State University. Additionally, Union is just 1-2 in its last three games after losses to RPI and St. Lawrence, both of whom trail Brown in the conference standings. Much of the Dutchmen’s success this season has been predicated on their offense, which is second in the conference with 3.46 goals per game. Senior forward Daniel Carr leads the team with 12 goals and 26 points, while fellow senior defenseman Mat Bodie has 20 assists and 23 points. The anchor of Union’s defense is junior blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere, who was a third-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft. Junior goalie Colin Stevens has also been crucial to the Dutchmen’s defense, starting 21 games and ranking second in the ECAC with a 2.09 goalsagainst average. The Bears and Dutchmen have not played yet, giving Bruno no experience to draw from in preparation of the faceoff. But the Bears are assured a challenge against the top-five team. On the other hand, Union has looked somewhat shaky with recent losses, giving the Bears a potential opening for a huge road win.
Friday: Brown at No. 4 Union Heading to the home rink of a topfive team is never easy, and the Dutchmen (17-6-3, 11-4-0) are certainly no exception. They have won six straight at home, including victories over No. 3 Quinnipiac and No. 9 Cornell, but
Saturday: Brown at RPI The Engineers’ record of 3-5 in their last eight games might indicate they are struggling, but the results are reasonable given their difficult schedule. They faced four top-five teams in that stretch of the season, going 1-3, and played just one of
By ANDREW FLAX SENIOR STAFF WRITER
DAVID DECKEY / HERALD
Mark Naclerio ’16 earned ECAC Player of the Month after a stellar January. The sophomore leads Bruno into Union and RPI this weekend with a chance to knock off a top-five team and jump Yale in ECAC standings. those eight games at home. All season long, the Engineers have won and lost according to expectations, going 3-83 against teams ahead of them in the ECAC or national standings, and 8-3-1 against teams behind them or that are nationally unranked. This weekend will show which group the Bears belong to. RPI (11-11-4, 5-6-3) has the same number of points as Brown, but the Bears have more conference wins, giving them a leg up in the standings on a tiebreaker. RPI finds itself in the middle of the pack in most statistical categories,
hanging fifth in the conference with 3.04 goals per game and sixth with a 2.68 goals-against average. Its offense features one of the conference’s premier players in junior forward Ryan Haggerty, who has the second-most goals in the country and most in the conference with 21. No other ECAC player has more than 16. The Engineers’ goalie, junior Scott Diebold, has played in all but one game, registering a solid .910 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average. RPI’s lone NHL draftee is sophomore goalie Jason Kasdorf. The Winnipeg
Jets’ sixth-rounder has only started two games, posting a shutout in RPI’s first game before allowing six goals and suffering a season-ending injury in the second. He was the 2012-2013 ECAC Rookie of the Year, with a .935 save percentage and 1.62 goals against average. The Bears and Engineers seem evenly matched based on their work this season, but RPI has cooled off while Brown has heated up. Whether momentum holds is anyone’s guess, but if Naclerio continues his stellar play, Bruno will be in a great position.
Coming to terms with the ATHLETE OF THE WEEK Moore ’14 enters game, Big Red go ice cold American playoff system After watching from the JAMES COHAN sports columnist
When I was a little kid, there was no phrase I despised more than “Last goal wins!” “Are you kidding me? We’re winning 8-1. How the hell does two beat eight? You’re telling me I kicked that kid in the shin to stop him from scoring for nothing?” In the interest of space, I’ll leave it at that, but my speech generally went on until either my team won (ball don’t lie) or the other team won, in which case I never got over it. The thing I couldn’t wrap my brain around was how a system in which only the last goal mattered could possibly be fair. All kids are obsessed with fairness. Eventually, we wise up and realize not everything is fair. Part of this recognition comes from grimly accepting the imperfect world we live in. But we also realize that fairness is not the be-allend-all. Other things matter, too. “Last goal wins!” is obviously not as fair as allowing a game to end in a blowout. So why would the sage 16-year-old camp counselor throw the score out the window and award victory to whichever team scored last? Because it didn’t matter how badly one team had dominated up to that point. It was a blank slate — anybody’s game. How much more exciting was it to watch a bunch of hypercompetitive kids scramble to score that last all-important goal than
to watch the eight-year-old version of myself taunt my best friend until he threw dirt at me? You might think we would never allow this type of thing to happen at the professional level. It’s one thing to tell a bunch of infants that you’re changing the rules at the last second; it’s another thing when the players are grown men significantly larger than the average human being — and when billions of dollars and the hopes of millions of fans are at stake. But we still do it. We just make it less obvious. Allow me to explain. In Major League Baseball from 1903 to 1969, the team with the best record in the American League and the team with the best record in the National League faced off in the World Series. That was it. One round. In 1969, the MLB expanded the playoffs to include four teams. In 1994, the playoffs were enlarged, yet again, to eight teams. And just two years ago, two more teams were added to the mix. To be fair, the larger playoff field was accompanied by a general expansion in teams from the original 16 to the 30 we have today. Still, that’s 14 more teams and eight additional playoff spots — the difference between a roughly 13 percent chance of making the playoffs and a 33 percent chance. All four major sports have this system. Twelve of 32 teams make the playoffs in the NFL. And in the NBA and NHL, an absurd 16 out of 30 teams make the playoffs — more than half. On top of that, we split our sports into » See PLAYOFFS, page 5
bench for two periods, Moore steps in and garners 2,000th save By JESSICA ZAMBRANO CONTRIBUTING WRITER
Aubree Moore ’14, co-captain and goalie of the women’s ice hockey team, has been a top contributor for Bruno since the very beginning. Her first year, Moore started seven of 11 games she played. Last season, Moore was ranked sixth in the ECAC in save percentage. Once again, Moore seems to be leading Bruno this season. During last Saturday’s game against Cornell, she stopped 14 shots in the final 17 minutes, shutting Cornell out and earning her 2,000th career save in the process. How did you first get started in hockey? I’m from Maryland. I grew up playing sports, and I tried everything. My mom is from Wisconsin, so skating was a family activity. One day when we were done skating, I saw hockey players coming, and I wanted to stay to watch them play. I decided I wanted to give hockey a try, and I begged for two years to play. Finally, when I was seven, my mom let me learn basic hockey skills. I signed up for a recreational league and then a travel team. When did you first play goalie?
DAVID DECKEY / HERALD
Aubree Moore ’14 first tried goaltending as a child when a teammate was ill. Today, Moore leads Bruno in the net as a decorated veteran. My first year of hockey, I played forward. One game, our goalie was sick, and I volunteered to be goalie for that game. My second year I became the permanent goalie. The summer before my second year, I would put on my gear and have my dad and sister shoot tennis balls at me to practice for goalie. What do you view as your greatest accomplishment in hockey? That’s a hard question. I would say my greatest accomplishment was
making the under-18 national team in 2010. It was amazing to represent the entire country, not just one region. It was an experience that I wouldn’t trade for the world. Do you have any pregame rituals? I’m usually one of the first people there. I put on my gear, and I play with a ball that I have. I like to spend time thinking things over alone. What is a common » See HOCKEY, page 5