Friday, March 7, 2014

THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 31

since 1891

FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

Int’l. survey ‘Medea’ brings ancient feud to Brown Cahn ’15 examines U. Celeste reinterprets classic tragedy in PW reputation Greek Downspace this weekend in academia

Slavery and Justice Center relocates to Waterman

New poll expands audience to determine awareness, hopes to spread U. message

Move from Alumnae Hall will bolster center, though broader funding questions remain

By EMMAJEAN HOLLEY

STAFF WRITER

inside

The University will distribute a survey in the coming months to assess Brown’s reputation with scholars, students and others both abroad and within the United States.

The survey is meant to provide a “full and complete baseline assessment of the awareness and perceptions of Brown among various constituencies,” said Marisa Quinn, vice president for public affairs and University relations.

Though the University has previously conducted polls of Brown community members, according to the Office of Institutional Research website, the new survey will collect opinions from a wider audience by soliciting input from people outside the community, including in foreign countries.

Quinn said she hopes the survey will provide an indication of how well the University “is recognized for its distinctive approach to teaching and research,” adding that she expects a proposal for the survey’s specifics to be in place by the end of the academic year.

Though the details are currently uncertain, the University will likely hire a firm specializing in higher education survey research, Quinn said.

Results from a number of previous reputational surveys are available on the OIR website, Quinn added. These surveys present data on the opinions and perceptions of first-years, seniors, enrolled students, parents and alums.

The newest survey aims to supplement the information gained from these existing tools, Quinn said. She added that one of the main goals of the project is to get a better sense of how aware the general public is of Brown.

“We want to see if there are gaps in knowledge of Brown geographically,” Quinn said. “As we are trying to attract the most promising scholars to Brown, we want to make sure people are aware of this institution and the commitment to financial aid we have.”

In interviews, some students said there was minimal knowledge of Brown within their families, high schools and communities. » See SURVEY, page 3

From the lofty parapet of Mount Olympus to the tortured currents of the River Styx, the gods have no fury like a woman scorned.

None, at least, like the woman in “Medea,” directed by Celeste Cahn ’15 and opening tonight in the PW Downspace.

The play was translated and freely adapted by Robinson Jeffers from Euripides’ classical Greek tragedy of betrayal and revenge.

Audiences familiar with “Othello” will recognize basic structural similarities with the Shakespearean play. The exotic Medea, played by Alejandra Rivera Flavia ’14, is both the Desdemona and the Othello of her own story. She has left her home country to marry Jason, played by Emma Johnson ’14 — the show has a primarily female cast, reversing the traditionally all-male casting of Greek theater. But after Jason leaves her for the daughter of the king of Corinth, Medea mirrors Iago’s thirst for bloody retribution.

A chorus of women, played by Natalie McDonald ’15, Rihana President ’17 and Haley Schwartz ’17, allegorizes the collective values of Greek society. Through their dialogue with Medea and gossip with one another,

By KATYA BARRETT CONTRIBUTING WRITER

REVIEW

RYAN WALSH / HERALD

Alejandra Rivera Flavía ’14, center, takes the stage in PW as the vengeful Medea, joined by Rihana President ’17, left, and Haley Schwartz ’17, right. the women reveal their suspicion toward Medea’s ethnicity and her practices with drugs and herbs.

Flavia is an enchantress, immersing herself in the enigmatic and irreducible tensions of her character.

Her large, expressive eyes convey a volatile mental state, quivering like a cornered animal for a moment before resuming a dark glitter of malice and contempt. Even as she collapses and wails in despair, her mind visibly whirs with the ornate machinations of her deadly scheme. And while she

argues her case with clarity, her expression hints at churning interior entropy barely kept in check by her outward composure.

Johnson’s icy, detached performance sharply juxtaposes against Medea’s heated passion, and she executes Jason’s obnoxious snobbery with wit and precision. But her acting would be strong enough to communicate this derision without her anachronistic British accent — a performance aspect that undermines the foreignness » See MEDEA, page 3

The Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice will move into a new home in August when it leaves its current location in Alumnae Hall for 94 Waterman St., said Anthony Bogues, director of the center.

“The new space is great,” Bogues said.

“We are working with the relevant entities at Brown to make it a space that will be special.”

The Center for Computation and Visualization’s administrative and system offices are currently housed at 94 Waterman but will move to 180 George St. in May, said Shana Weinberg, manager of the center.

Bogues said gaining a permanent location on campus is an exciting step for the center, which was created in the fall of 2012. “We are only a year old. We are putting down roots but staying consistent with the goals from our founding.”

The center, established based on recommendations in a report by the Steering Committee on Slavery and Justice initiated by then-President Ruth » See RELOCATION, page 2

M. HOCKEY

Bruno travels to N.Y. for ECAC first round After losing home-ice advantage, Bears will face St. Lawrence without injured forward Matt Lorito ’15

By ANDREW FLAX SENIOR STAFF WRITER

The men’s hockey team begins its conference tournament journey on the road this weekend, starting its best-of-three series against St. Lawrence tonight.

Bruno was in position to host this matchup all the way until the final game of the regular season, when the Bears (11-15-3, 8-13-1 ECAC) lost to No. 3 Union and the Saints defeated Princeton to deny them home ice.

These results allowed St. Lawrence (13-17-4, 7-11-4) to vault into the eighth seed and push Brown back to ninth.

In fact, the Bears would be hosting the matchup if they had managed a single point from their homestand last weekend, but they fell well short, failing to score even a single goal.

KATIE LIEBOWITZ / HERALD

Defenseman Jake Goldberg ’14 looks for an open teammate. Goldberg will have his hands full this weekend against a St. Lawrence offense that has scored 3.29 goals per game — the third-best mark in the ECAC. The players were obviously frustrated with their lack of offensive production.

“It’s not good enough to play well.

You’ve got to execute,” said captain Dennis Robertson ’14.

Sports

In order to overcome what held them back last weekend, the Bears intend to follow the advice of Head Coach Brendan Whittet ’94 not to “overcomplicate things” in the attacking zone, Mark Naclerio ’16 said.

Commentary

Cohan ’17: In spite of their lack of name-brand players, the Phoenix Suns are simply fun to watch

Blasberg ’16: Red Sox have made a number of off-season moves to maintain title hopes

Feldman ’15: Online courses cheat students of a full college experience

Sundlee ’16: Increased oversight is needed to prevent the costs of unregulated globalization

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By ASHNA MUKHI

SENIOR STAFF WRITER

“When teams keep it simple, they usually don’t beat themselves,” Naclerio said.

As if the offense weren’t challenged enough already, the Bears suffered a » See M. HOCKEY, page S3 t o d ay

tomorrow

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

Jim Yong Kim ’82: ‘What’s the nature of our responsibility?’

World Bank president reflects on his undergrad life, leadership training, development priorities

By EMILY WOOLDRIDGE SENIOR STAFF WRITER

There was a time when Jim Yong Kim ’82, president of the World Bank since 2012, in his first year at Brown, was questioning the nature of his responsibility to the world.

Passionate political activism didn’t exist in the small Iowa town where Kim grew up. But at Brown, “I found my people,” Kim said. “People who were nerdy but really cared about the world.”

Born in Seoul, Kim has taken on many roles throughout his life. After earning an M.D. and a PhD in anthropology from Harvard, he co-founded Partners in Health, a nonprofit that uses community-based primary care to fight disease in developing countries.

Kim and co-founder Paul Farmer gave the organization a “Robin Hood attitude,” often obtaining drugs for free with their charm and determination, Tracy Kidder wrote in his book “Mountains Beyond Mountains.”

Partners in Health serves poor communities on four continents, according to the World Bank website. The organization’s success prompted the World Health Organization to embrace some of the nonprofit’s models, Kidder wrote.

Kim became director of the World Health Organization’s HIV/AIDS department, where he launched an initiative that treated 3 million HIV/AIDS patients in developing countries with antiretroviral drugs over four years, according to the World Bank’s website.

In 2009, Kim became the first AsianAmerican president of an Ivy League institution when he took the helm at Dartmouth.

His hip-hop performance with the Dartmouth Gospel Choir — a remix of the Black Eyed Peas song “Dirty Bit” — may be more well-known online than his speeches, but Kim said, “I think after that one experience, it’s now written into my contract that I do not have to sing and dance anymore.”

Before ringing in Brown’s 250th anniversary celebration with his opening lecture tonight, Kim spoke with The Herald about identity, leadership and the importance of inclusive growth in the global economy.

How did your time at Brown impact your decision to pursue public health and public service?

» RELOCATION, from page 1 Simmons, was formed to examine the legacy of Brown’s role in the slave trade and issues related to the American experience with slavery.

But the center is still working to build a stronger awareness of its role on campus, several sources said.

Though the center “hosts a number of events for the Brown community, I don’t believe awareness of the center amongst Brown students is very strong, or rather, it can be much stronger,” said Meiling Jabbaar ’15, a member of the center’s student advisory committee.

“This issue is what the student advisory committee has been trying to tackle and work towards in thinking about ways we

I came to Brown with an interest in public service, there’s no question. I was very involved in campus political issues around financial aid. Brown still had need-dependent admission back then.

I grew up in Iowa, in the late ’60s and ’70s. I went for a year and a half at the University of Iowa. I expected it would be an experience where I wouldn’t only be a student but I would get a sense for what engaged young people cared about.

It was more concerned with basketball, drinking and fraternities.

I transferred to Brown. My first semester, I still remember it. Through the Third World Center I met AfricanAmerican students who had grown up in Bed-Stuy, in the toughest neighborhoods, and taught me what it was like to live on food stamps in a single-parent home. To be in a room with the Third World Center — it used to be called Rites and Reason Theater. Just sitting in that basement with these absolutely brilliant young people, African-American, Latino, Asian-American, talking about what’s happening in the world.

I mean, what should we do? What is our responsibility? Here we are at Brown University. We’re going to get degrees in engineering and in math and go on to medical school. What’s the nature of our responsibility to the people back in these communities that we left?

I still keep in touch with people who transferred into Brown with me. They come from all over the place, and they’re not necessarily the Third World (Center) students. But across the board, just the brilliance and the sophistication of their thinking — I don’t want to sound trite, but it completely changed my life.

Coming from that background, being an international student and also coming from this very small town, do you have any advice for students who have a similar background?

The one piece of advice I would give is you, all the students, please think hard about just how fortunate you are to be at Brown University, and make sure that you have as broad a set of experiences as you can possibly have.

When you’re 18 to 22, identity is a big deal. Who am I? What community do I belong to? What do I want to do in my life? All these questions are really, really important.

But the one question that I think that Brown students ask in a more pointed way than any other group of students I’ve ever dealt with, certainly back in those days, was, what’s the nature of my responsibility to the rest of the world?

Now, I’ve known great groups of students. I loved the students at Dartmouth

can increase our presence on campus.”

“I have seen the posters for the center in Alumnae Hall, but I haven’t heard of any events,” said Nathan Money ’16.

“It sounds like it does interesting work, but maybe there needs to be more advertising.”

The center’s student advisory committee is working to build awareness of the center through increased collaboration with other organizations on campus, Jabbaar said, including an upcoming potluck in conjunction with the Swearer Center for Public Service, the Third World Center and the Center for the Study of Race and Ethnicity.

“I don’t think that many students have noticed the impact the center has on campus, but from events I have

when I was there. I thought the Dartmouth students were great.

But I think there is a difference in the sense that you walk into Brown and all around you people are asking that question.

So that’s two pieces of advice. And maybe I’m running out of options, but one is really drink in the enormous diversity of Brown, and make it a point to get to know people from many, many different backgrounds and points of view. And, along with the entire Brown community, ask yourself that question: Given that I’m now receiving this hyperhyper-super-elite education, what’s the nature of my responsibility to the world?

And I can think of very few places where the asking of that question is supported and encouraged as much as at Brown.

Looking at the global economy, what worries you the most, and how would you like the World Bank to address these problems?

Well, our governors (have) given us some clear targets.

The first is to end extreme poverty by 2030, and that’s people who live on less than $1.25 a day. And that seems like a very low bar, but there are more than a billion people, still, who live on less than $1.25 a day.

The second goal that the governors gave us was to boost shared prosperity.

We know that economic growth is critical in order to lift people out of poverty. But there are many countries that have experienced growth in their gross domestic product, but the bottom 40 percent have not been included. So it’s been a very non-inclusive form of GDP growth.

And there are lots of countries that went through that experience and, to a great extent, the reason the Arab Spring happened the way it did was because those countries had growth in GDP, but young people had very few options, and women, of course, had very few options.

And so we’re going to measure every year the extent to which the incomes of the bottom 40 percent are growing along with GDP. (We) should think hard about putting into place policies and programs that grow your economy but that are inclusive of young people, of women, of people who have been, for one reason or another, excluded from getting good jobs.

So those are the official things we work on, and that’s what I worry about every single day.

COURTESY OF BROWN UNIVERSITY

Jim Yong Kim ’82, current World Bank president, is speaking on campus today as part of the University’s 250th Anniversary celebrations.

Our generation, we’re inheriting a world that has all these problems.

What qualities do you think upcoming

leaders should have?

Well, I’ve thought a lot about leadership. I’ve been in leadership programs.

I’ve had three different leadership coaches.

My current leadership coach is someone who has worked with me for the last four or five years. And I think the one lesson that I’ve learned out of all this, and the lesson that he continues to pound into my head every time I talk with him, is humility.

As a leader, you have to do those things that nobody else wants to do, that (are) extremely distasteful at times to do, but you have to have the humility to make yourself do those things that you know are for the good of the organization.

You have to understand how you’re coming off to other people, how people are responding to you, how people are hearing you. And when my coach does it for me, it’s brutal. I mean, you think that you’re doing a good job, but there’s just, without question, always room for improvement.

So the fundamental aspect, for me, of a great leader is to really think hard about how it is that you’re interacting

with others. Really think hard about whether you’re doing those things that are critical to make a project or an organization move forward.

Leaders have to be willing to go 100 percent of the way to make something work. That’s really hard to do. It doesn’t seem fair. It seems like everyone else should be doing their share. But leadership means you’re willing to do whatever it takes to meet the goals of the organization.

And I’m in a situation now where the goals of the organization are to end poverty in the world. And, boy, if you can’t find motivation to wake up every day to try to end poverty in the world, then if you’re in the World Bank, you probably need to go somewhere else to work. But I find the motivation every day.

But also, every single day I am faced with the enormity of trying to run this organization of some 15,000 people in 140 countries, all of us trying to think of how we can lift these billion people, or work with countries to help them lift a billion people, out of poverty.

attended in the last year, I have seen the center have the kinds of conversations about race that sorely need to be had,” said Josette Souza ’14, a member of the student advisory committee and an administrative assistant at the center.

The center has held several lectures and events this year, including a Feb. 27 “community conversation” on white privilege, featuring faculty members and local community leaders.

The center has excelled in building relationships with communities in Providence, Souza said. Community outreach efforts by the center are “about how we can work with these different stakeholders in our community to build something that benefits us all,” she said.

Despite occupying a temporary

space, the center has seen large turnout at its events so far this year, Bogues said.

“Community events have been well attended, as have been the lectures and discussions,” he said, adding that he expects the center’s March 10-11 screening of “12 Years A Slave” to attract a large audience.

The center will host a wide range of events over the rest of the semester, including speakers, symposiums and art exhibitions, Bogues said.

Organizing featured exhibits could attract a wider audience than the center would by simply holding lectures, some students said.

“I would be most attracted to the center’s museum-type exhibits, where you can just walk in and browse, as opposed to the scheduled events that there

are so many of on campus,” said Evan Gross ’17.

The center is also working on a larger project with the Annenberg Institute for School Reform, an organization located on campus that advocates reforming America’s educational system, in honor of the University’s 250th anniversary, Bogues said. The collaboration will focus on education in Providence and will include a series of workshops as well as a larger conference sometime in the next year, he added.

One struggle the center still faces is finding permanent funding, Bogues said, adding that financial resources are the center’s primary area of concern, and solving the issue will entail a process that “just takes time.”

This interview has been condensed for clarity and length.

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

‘Her’ examines romantic Lecture presents black history through art expectation and reality Academy Award winner for Best Original Screenplay opens today at Avon Cinema

By DREW WILLIAMS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Like many films, “Her” spends most of its time espousing views on human existence. But to its credit, Spike Jonze’s new film is to the Encyclopedia Britannica what the average movie is to a pamphlet. In fact, it rewrites the Encyclopedia Britannica.

Set in a glimmering near-future Los Angeles, “Her” presents us with Theodore — a spectacled, mustached Joaquin Phoenix channelling goofy uncle and English professor. Theodore is a writer, and when he first appears, he reads from a letter he has written, waxing poetic about love being an adventure capable of rescuing one from darkness. But it’s not that type of movie.

Jonze allows boredom for approximately 10 seconds before forcing viewers on a whirlwind tour of every human emotion imaginable. Theodore gets paid to write letters for other people using details about their relationships, he wavers on whether or not to sign his own divorce papers and his best friend Amy’s marriage is faltering. These developments set the stage as Theodore falls madly in love with his artificially intelligent operating system. The film is sci-fi too, by the way.

This mile-a-minute plot would be preposterous were it not produced by such capable hands. Phoenix subtly anchors the film with his depiction of an insecure adult on a quest to get everything right. Amy Adams’s wistful glances and bright dreams both add to the melancholy and hopefulness of the movie.

But the knock-out performance belongs to Scarlett Johansson as Samantha, the disembodied voice that steals Theodore’s heart. The perfect antithesis to science fiction’s robotic standard bearer HAL 9000, Johansson manages a tone simultaneously soothing and alluring as she chats with Theodore and questions her own reality. It’s a far cry from Siri: The Movie.

But Jonze is undoubtedly the glue that holds together this movie, best defined as romantic science fiction. Under his direction, Los Angeles is transported into an entirely plausible future, where

REVIEW

» SURVEY, from page 1 While Brown had a strong reputation among students in the high school of Nevada native Danielle Peterson ’17, her relatives, who live in the Philippines, did not know about the University, she said.

“Only a few people in my school knew about Brown. They knew about it being an Ivy League school, but nothing else,” said Yacine Sow ’16, who is from Atlanta, Ga. But the University has a good reputation among professionals, nationally as well as internationally, said Nicolas Ledru ’16, adding that most of the physicians at a hospital he worked at in Korea knew of Brown and described it as an impressive

modern architecture abounds and passengers are glued to their technology on the metro. Amidst the sparsely furnished rooms and aesthetic obsession with squares, Jonze paints a pastel world that lulls the audience into a bland comfort — a lull that makes the raw emotion throughout the movie all the more jarring.

“Her” is not a love story. It is the ultimate story about love. In the screenplay — which recently won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay — every situation gets its due time, whether youthful romance, awkward blind dates or falling for a best friend. Love blooms and withers in a universe where the signature on a divorce paper is as devastating as a carefree date at a carnival is exhilarating. Jonze’s palette spans the spectrum of romantic experience, validating each possibility in love and life.

Which is where the problem with Samantha sets in. It is difficult to remember that she has no body. So natural is her banter with Theodore that she might as well be a long-distance girlfriend. As their romance follows the cinematic arc of a relationship — ­ sex scenes and all — the danger of humans receding into a lonely virtual world seeps into Jonze’s story.

Samantha seems perfectly matched with Theodore — she has been tailormade by the operating system to suit his personality. As he spends increasing amounts of time with her, it becomes difficult to discern whether she eases or exacerbates his loneliness. Theodore may toy with the idea that his non-physical love is more evolved than a corporeal relationship, but in the end Samantha’s higher existence and superior intelligence is beyond his grasp. It’s a not-so-subtle hint that technology resides on a different plane of existence from humanity.

In this world of shifting emotions and metaphysics, the only option is to live in the moment. The past, as Amy tells us, is only a story we tell ourselves.

Each fleeting moment is the sole reality, and the only sensible thing to do is enjoy the present, as the future holds no guarantees. The virtual world can distort this reality, but in the moments that Theodore and Samantha are truly happy together, no one is able to prove that their feelings are any less valid.

“Her” challenges Theodore’s preconceptions of relationships, forcing him to confront his romantic expectations.

Viewers are left to determine whether this is a reflection or a revolution.

university.

The survey results will be one of many indicators that are used over time to assess the progress of President Christina Paxson’s strategic plan, Quinn said. Administrators currently use the level of web traffic on University sites and social media platforms as criteria to assess Brown’s external reputation, she added.

Quinn said she hopes the results of the survey reflect the University’s efforts to increase awareness of Brown around the world. The University devotes resources toward sending professors to international conferences and boosting its social media presence to ensure that the “profile of Brown is advanced locally, nationally and internationally,” she said.

ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD

Deborah Willis, chair of the department of photography and imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University, signs copies of her recently published book prior to Tuesday evening’s lecture.

Project uses photography to study slavery, emancipation beyond written history

By EMMAJEAN HOLLEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

Deborah Willis, chair of the department of photography and imaging at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University presented the 2014 Debra L. Lee Lecture on Slavery and Justice to a half-filled Smith-Buonano 106, entitled “Visualizing Freedom: Photography and Emancipation.”

Willis has been named a Guggenheim Fellow, Fletcher Fellow and MacArthur Fellow — also known as the ‘Genius grant’ — as well as one of the most important persons in photography

by American Photography Magazine.

“She is one of the foremost African American scholars in this country working in the field of photography and the occupation of space,” Anthony Bogues, director of the Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice, told The Herald. “Not many scholars will do work she does.”

Prior to the lecture, Willis signed copies of her recently published book, “Envisioning Emancipation: Black Americans and the End of Slavery,” which she co-wrote with historian Barbara Krauthamer. The book features over 150 photographs dating from between the 1850s and the 1930s, many of which were previously unpublished, and commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.

The goal of the project was to

» MEDEA, from page 1 central to Medea’s character, as Rivera Flavia and the rest of the cast put on no such accent.

Because of her character’s duplicity, audiences are forced to continually reassess whether Medea is the protagonist or antagonist, rational or insane — and whether the source of her downfall can be attributed to a flawed society or just her own internal pathology. As she spins an intricate web of vengeance around herself and the Corinthian court, these categories become increasingly fluid to

present a more comprehensive history of slavery and emancipation than textual analysis alone can provide, Willis told The Herald. “I wanted to work with a historian to mold and blend the two stories together.”

Though the signing took place just prior to the presentation, the book sold out well before attendees filed into the lecture hall.

In his introduction to the lecture, Bogues said the book “presents series of images that challenge our perceptions about slavery and ... our perceptions about freedom.”

Willis’s slideshow, which accompanied her talk, primarily showcased images taken in the United States and Brazil in the years leading up to and following the Emancipation Proclamation.

Some photographs portrayed subjugation, while many others conveyed the reaffirmation of dignity in the years during and after the Civil War. This time period was both a significant turning point in American history and a time of progress for photographic documentation, Willis said, citing technological advancements and the expansion of portraiture beyond the sphere of the wealthy and powerful.

Willis’s analysis of each photograph in her slideshow expressed how subtle visual elements represent historical clues, illustrating how photography “introduced an idea of humanity” for those who had long been dehumanized. During the pivotal era surrounding emancipation, family photo albums grew thick with the documentation of slave women cradling their white charges.

But abolitionist images, such as those of Frederick Douglass and Sojourner

Truth, also began to circulate in wider and more public arenas, Willis said.

She also focused on an image of an unidentified washerwoman who worked in the Union Army, commenting on the woman’s confident posture, direct gaze and United States brass button pinned to her chest.

“We see her not as a servant girl, but as a woman who proudly worked with the Union army. We see her image of her own emancipation and how she envisions it,” Willis said, adding that these intersections between “freedom and patriotism” also portray an expansion of female identity.

Jasmine Johnson GS, who attended the event, praised Willis’ interdisciplinary approach of wearing her “historian’s hat” as well as her “artistic hat.”

“She’s able to analyze the work through both angles, which is not something we usually think about when we’re talking about slavery and emancipation.”

Andre Bradley, a graduate student at the Rhode Island School of Design, also spoke of the discussions these images can generate.

“From a historical standpoint, (the lecture) was really powerful and poignant and timely,” he said. “It’s all about learning how to use images to start a different dialogue or redirect a certain historical notion to a place that’s more productive for you as a person, and for society.”

“The cultural significance of her work is that it brings to the floor a set of photographs and archives that discuss the ways in which African Americans attempted and achieved emancipation,” Bogues told The Herald.

the point of dissolution.

The chorus members also serve as bodily instruments, conveying the dynamics between Medea and society. The chorus circles her ominously, like vultures around a fresh carcass, during the moments when she is overtaken by grief. But as she conspires to rebuild her shattered dignity, the tables turn: Instead, it is she who prowls slowly around the cluster of chorus members, sliding into the spaces they leave unguarded and dismantling their formation.

When the lifespan of a play

outlasts the civilization it mimics, it doesn’t so much hold a mirror up to its audience but rather a lens into an extinct world. Do not assume that millennia of history have infused “Medea” with the sanctity of a relic: The lifeblood of desecration coursing through the play’s ancient vena cava is as turgid and potent today as it was in its 431 BC debut.

“Medea” runs tonight at 8 p.m., tomorrow at 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. and Sunday and Monday at 8 p.m. in the PW Downspace.

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THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

‘Sign guy’ says goodbye to R.I. following eight years of service Pastor’s promotion of inclusivity has attracted college students, young couples to First Baptist

By CAMILLA BRANDFIELD-HARVEY CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Pastor Dan Ivins grew up as the boy who lived. After he survived a mysterious explosion in his youth, residents of Ivins’ small Tennessee town claimed that God had specific plans for him.

A four-year-old Danny was with his grandfather Burkett Ivins when his car exploded in the garage. Burkett Ivins had a record of “eight justifiable killings” as a U.S. prohibition officer and county sheriff, reported the Pittsburgh Press in October 1947. He was on trial for fatally shooting a political opponent’s young relative when he died from the explosion.

The young Danny survived with shock and numerous stitches. “I shouldn’t have lived. I wasn’t supposed to live,” he recalled this week.

Ivins recognized his survival as a miracle but did not consider it his calling until 20 years later. He left his job at a South Carolina paper mill at 25 and returned to school. Ivins has since preached across the country, from Washington to Birmingham, Ala., Portland, Ore., to Providence.

Ivins arrived at the First Baptist Church in America on North Main Street — ­ the church established by Roger Williams in 1638 — in February

2006 and preached there for eight years before recently retiring to Knoxville, Tenn.

After he served six months as the interim preacher at First Baptist, committee members asked Ivins to preach full-time. Ivins said he appreciated this gradual process and believed it helped establish a healthy union between him and the church. He likened it to romance. “If you marry someone without dating them, you end up firing them,” he said.

At First Baptist, Ivins became known as “the sign guy.” He realized the church sign’s creative potential soon after his arrival and began to use it to promote the church. His signs have included borrowed quotes as well as original, pithy comments on religion and human nature that have attracted college students and news outlets alike.

“I knew that people came by. (The sign) got great visibility. But not many came inside,” Ivins said. He then began to create his signs, which now number 124, as a way to make contact with passersby who never entered the church.

Some of his signs made the church visible across the country. One sign that read, “God has no faves but the sign guy does, go Broncos!” garnered 1,254 likes on the church Facebook page and 1,983 shares.

Ivins said former professional baseball player Yogi Berra largely inspired his quips. He noted Berra’s line “When you come to a fork in the road,

take it” as the type of witty one-liner he aspired to write. Otherwise, his creative process was simple. “I (would) get a bee in my bonnet,” Ivins said. He then would work to fit his idea to the given space.

Ivins said composing the sign’s message was like writing a tweet.

“You’re kind of limited. You can’t just say anything.”

At one point, Ivins proposed replacing the traditional sign with an electronic one, but other church committee members refused it.

The sign’s messages have played a prominent role in conveying the church’s mission of accessibility and acceptance. Ivins has strived to welcome people of all races, sexual orientations and religions and created the church’s enduring motto: “We reserve the right to accept everybody.” Reminiscent of signs on restaurants and shops that once read, “We reserve the right to refuse service to anyone,” the motto was inspired by the pervasive segregation in the Deep South, Ivins said.

Ivins preached at the Baptist Church of the Covenant in Birmingham for eight years beginning in the early 1980s, a little more than a decade after the church formed in response to racism at the city’s First Baptist Church. In 1970, Birmingham’s First Baptist had voted to refuse membership to Winifred Bryant, a black woman, and her daughter Twila Fortune.

As Bryant left, 250 members followed and founded a biracial church.

ANGELIA WANG / HERALD

Influenced by his experience in Birmingham, Ivins said the First Baptist Church in America now welcomes everyone. Ivins said one of his best signs read, “Still a haven for those who have been banished.” He considers himself among the banished for being too radical and hoped to provide a home for other unsettled believers, he added.

Before moving to Providence, Ivins preached at a church in Portland. After six months, Ivins said he knew he had made a mistake. “Portland tried to make me into something I’m not, and I can’t do that,” he said.

Ivins took action, found the opening at First Baptist in Providence and fled the West Coast. “Providence is as far as you can get from Portland and still be on dry land,” he said. “Rhode Island is a funky place, and I think that’s why I fit in.”

Ivins said he wishes more people took advantage of First Baptist’s unique tolerance.

“There’s always someone getting kicked out — Jesus, Roger Williams and me. If they can tolerate me, they can tolerate anybody. I’m the test.”

The church has evolved greatly in the last decade, due in part to Ivins’ efforts. “It’s a much stronger place than it was,” said the church’s historian, J. Stanley Lemons, professor emeritus of history at Rhode Island College and a member of the church since 1967.

Lemons wrote a new history of the First Baptist Church in 1988 for the 350th anniversary of the church’s founding and published an updated version in 2001, in addition to the numerous books he has written on black history, women’s history and the history of Rhode Island.

When Lemons arrived in 1967, Providence was experiencing a decline that affected many of its churches. The city lost 40 percent of its population after World War II, a decline second only to Detroit’s, Lemons said. He attributes the population plunge to the interstate highway that opened around 1955.

“Like pulling the stopper out of the bottle, people flowed out to the suburbs,” he said.

Many Baptist and Catholic churches closed during this recession. The First Baptist Church in America has only begun to stabilize in the past decade, Lemons said. After recently adding eight new members, the church membership is at around 120.

The church has attracted many more young people since Ivins’ arrival.

Ivins said many students and couples in their late 20s arrived around 2008.

He has met students from Brown, the Rhode Island School of Design and Johnson and Wales University.

But Lemons laughed and said most “don’t get up in time. They don’t even come when we offer breakfast to them!

They’ll come to lunch.”

Ivins said students come because the church is “spontaneous and genuine.” He allowed some students to compose new signs, and others have used the church as an exhibition space.

“We let them display their artwork as long as it isn’t too risque,” Lemons said. “We try to be a good friend and neighbor to the colleges around us.”

One particular student-composed sign, which read “Earth without Art is ‘Eh,’” was a favorite among RISD students.

Following Ivins’ retirement, church committee members are now searching for a new full-time preacher. An interim minister will assume many of Ivins’ responsibilities until they locate their permanent pastor.

“I’m leaving something I love,” Ivins said. “How do you just walk away from something you love?”

Many of the committee members and churchgoers were saddened but supportive of Ivins’ decision to retire, he said.

“It isn’t about age. Age is just a number. I think it’s time for a new voice, new growth,” Ivins said.

Ivins’ final sign read, “Looky here.

The sign guy’s outa here. It’s been a trip! God bless all y’all!” His associate has followed up with a sign that reads, “Sign guy retired leaves us sad but inspired,” on which RISD students have posted their own messages, “RISD will miss u” and “Please don’t go.”

Ivins still has plenty of energy.

Church members gave him a Harley Davidson helmet labeled FBCIA #36 — Ivins was the church’s 36th pastor — to wear on his red Honda motorcycle. “They really know how to do a number on somebody, literally,” Ivins said.

Ivins said he’ll never be able to replace the community he found at First Baptist.“This is the best church in the world,” he said. “I love my place.

I love my people. I’m proud of them and hope good things come, and I’ll do what I can to enhance that.”

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS BULLETIN

FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

BASEBALL

First-years, seniors look to revive Bears after rough 2013

Bears lose five seniors, return many top contributors with hopes of climbing out of Ivy basement

By ANDREW FLAX SENIOR STAFF WRITER

After a disappointing 7-33 record and last-place finish in the Ivy League in 2013, the men’s baseball team is hoping to rebound this year with help from a strong freshman class and vocal senior leaders.

Last season was difficult for the Bears in many ways. The team struggled with injuries and lost 10 of its first 11 games, going 3-27 before finishing its last 10 games 4-6. Bruno was just 3-17 in Ivy League play and performed poorly in many areas of the game.

“Offensively we really, really struggled,” said Head Coach Marek Drabinski, entering his 18th year in the position. “We had some injuries, which didn’t help.”

“We’ve been disappointed with our previous three seasons,” said infielder Nate Kukowski ’14, speaking for all the seniors.

The team last won the Ivy League title in 2007.

Despite the past, the players and coach were united in their optimism for 2014, citing stronger leadership and hard work.

“Our team’s worked harder this offseason and preseason than I’ve seen any team work in my four years,” Kukowski said.

“I see leadership among our senior class,” said pitcher Anthony Galan ’14.

But most of all, and perhaps as a result of greater effort and more assertive seniors, Drabinski and his players noted a new environment around the team.

“It’s been a different feel and different atmosphere,” Drabinski said.

“I think what’s changed a lot is just the culture of the team,” Galan said.

“This team has just congealed way better than it has in the past.”

Another cause for hope was a strong first-year class, who have been impressive so far in practices and scrimmages.

Specifically, they singled out the efforts of pitcher Christian Taugner ’17, who Drabinski said “has an opportunity to be in the conference rotation,” which would be quite an achievement for a first-year.

“I think the whole freshman class has proven a lot,” said infielder J.J. Franco ’14.

“I love the work ethic of the freshmen,” Galan said, adding that the team’s newest members have shown more maturity than his class did when they were first-years. “They feel like upperclassmen.”

With all these factors in mind, the team has its sights set high for the upcoming season.

Both Franco and Drabinski said they

at least hope to be “competitive” in the Ivy League, but nobody is counting out an Ivy title.

“I really think we’re going to win the Ivy League,” Galan said.

“It’s open every year,” added Kukowski, referring to the contested conference title. He said he would be “extremely disappointed and frustrated if we don’t have a good showing in the Ivy League.”

The long road begins this weekend with a huge test in Columbia, S.C., where the Bears take on No. 3 South Carolina (10-0), winner of two of the last five national championships. Bruno also has two baseball national championships in its pocket — in 1896 and 1907.

To their credit, the Bears do not seem rattled by their opponents. They have faced tough competition in season openers before. Last year, they traveled to top-ten Louisiana State, and in 2011, the team opened against national powers Vanderbilt and Texas, even defeating the Longhorns.

“We’re going to prepare the same way whether we’re playing the No. 3 team in the country or Dartmouth,” Drabinski said.

He also downplayed the importance of the trip, saying, “If you have a great weekend, you’re not necessarily going to have a great year and vice versa.” Drabinski also said he told his team, “Let’s just worry about us.”

Kukowski echoed his coach’s sentiment. “We can only control our

KATIE LIEBOWITZ / HERALD

Utility man Jack Levine ’16 at the plate last season. Levine led the team in on-base percentage as a first-year. preparation,” he said.

Though the Gamecocks present a formidable foe, the Bears expressed enthusiasm about the challenge.

“It’s an awesome opportunity,” Franco said. “You can compete with anyone if you bring your best. I’m expecting this weekend for us to be competitive with South Carolina.”

Galan said there would be “definitely a lot of jitters,” but simply because this game is the season opener. “It’s really no

different. It’s more for the memories.”

“It’s going to be something they’ll never forget,” Drabinski said.

After that opening hurdle, the Bears have a long season ahead of them. But if hard work and promising leadership pay off, it might be even longer since the Ivy champions get a trip to NCAA. “We’ll play as hard as we can,” Drabinski said. “If we do that, I think we’ll be a lot better than the last three years.”

Bruno’s first game is Friday at 7 p.m.

M. BASKETBALL

Bruno strives to solidify top-four finish in conference McGonagill ’14 finishes impressive career with two games in Pizzitola Center this weekend

By ALEX WAINGER SENIOR STAFF WRITER

KATIE LIEBOWITZ / HERALD

Sean McGonagill ’14, the most prolific three-point shooter in Brown history, will don the #22 jersey for the last time this Saturday against Harvard.

Barring an unlikely bid to a postseason tournament, the men’s basketball team will play its final two games of the season this weekend. The Bears will square off with Dartmouth Friday before taking on Ivy leader Harvard on Bruno’s senior night Saturday.

If Bruno manages to win at least one game this weekend, it will finish in the top half of the conference for the second year in a row. The last time the Bears completed the season with a better record than four other teams in back-toback years, Head Coach Mike Martin ’04 was their starting point guard.

Brown (15-11, 7-5 Ivy) has a great chance to solidify its position in the top of the standings against the Big Green (10-16, 3-9), a team that has struggled after losing star center Gabas Maldunas to a season-ending knee injury. Before Dartmouth’s win over Cornell (2-24, 1-11) — which is on its way to its worst season in over a decade — the Big Green had lost seven straight games.

If the Bears fail to capitalize on their Friday game, a much tougher opponent will stand between them and the top-half of the standings. The Crimson (24-4, 111) have already clinched a share of the Ivy League title and need just one win this weekend to win the league outright.

If a shot at revenge against the best

team in the conference is not enough motivation for the Bears, Saturday is also senior night. Josh Biber ’14 and Sean McGonagill ’14 will don their uniforms for the last time at the Pizzitola Center.

The game notably marks the end of the McGonagill era, as the senior’s recordsetting four-years as a starter come to a close.

The matchup against Harvard “is big for the entire team, but especially for Sean,” said forward Dockery Walker ’15.

“Sean has been a huge piece of our success this season, and it would be great if we could get him a win in his last game on our home court.”

Friday: Dartmouth vs. Brown Last season, Alex Mitola exploded into the Ivy League, starting all 28 games for Dartmouth as a first-year. Mitola averaged over 11 points per game and knocked down nearly 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.

Mitola is experiencing similar success this season, averaging exactly 11 points and drilling an even higher percentage of three-pointers. Last weekend, he posted a career-high 33 points — the highest total tallied by a Dartmouth player in over 13 seasons — in the Big Green’s win over the Big Red. But overall the team has missed the production of Maldunas. Since the junior from Lithuania went down with a torn ACL in January, Dartmouth has won just three of its last 11 games after starting the season 7-8.

Bruno boasts a high-caliber sophomore of its own in Cedric Kuakumensah ’16, who has been on a tear recently. Over his last five games, Kuakumensah has

averaged 19 points, nine rebounds and five blocks. Against Cornell, he totaled 14 boards and posted career-bests in points and blocks with 30 and 7, respectively.

“He’s been having amazing allaround games for us,” Walker said. “He’s scoring points, grabbing rebounds and blocking shots. It’s big for us to get offensive and defensive production from him.”

Kuakumensah and his teammates should be able to handle Mitola and the struggling Big Green. The Bears are 8-3 at home this season, while Dartmouth has gone just 2-9 on the road. The stands should be packed with fans for Bruno’s duel with Dartmouth this weekend, since the game coincides with the University’s 250th anniversary.

With Rafael Maia ’15 likely back at full strength, Leland King ’17 becoming a regular contributor and McGonagill fueled by desire to finish his career on a high note, Bruno could very well clinch a top-four finish Friday.

Saturday: Harvard vs. Brown The last time Bruno clashed with the Crimson — a Feb. 7 meeting at Lavietes Pavillion in Cambridge — the teams managed to net only 97 points combined, just 24 more than Harvard’s season average. Cold shooting and staunch defense from both sides led the Bears’ and Crimson’s offensive squads to a combined 29 percent from the field.

Last weekend, the Bears shut down Penn forwards Darien Nelson-Henry and Fran Dougherty, a duo with size and strength that usually dominates opponents.

Harvard’s starting front line » See BASKETBALL, page S3

S2 sports commentary

SPORTS BULLETIN THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

Big, bright surprise shocks NBA Young blood, savvy vets

BY JAMES COHAN sports columnist

I’ve been watching a lot of Suns basketball lately. Why the Suns? Thanks to the Internet, I pretty much have my pick of any game. (Even if many of the best games are technically blacked out on an NBA League Pass, hypothetical websites may or may not exist to illegally stream even these elite games). So when I choose a game, it’s because it has some sort of hook.

Sometimes, that hook is obvious.

I’m a Wizards fan, so whenever they’re playing, that’s the game I choose. They could be facing the 18-43 Orlando Magic on a Tuesday night in a week that I had three midterms, and I’d probably still watch. (By probably, I mean this happened last Tuesday.)

Other times, I watch games because I want to see a certain player. If the Pelicans are playing, I might watch to see how Anthony Davis is coming along.

If a team is playing that’s close to the Wizards in the standings, I’ll watch to root against them. As a result, I’ve been forced to watch the Bulls (one spot ahead of the Wizards in the standings) win ugly games against way more talented teams night after night. At this point, I’m convinced Tom Thibodeau, the Bulls’ coach, could take my middle school B team to the playoffs as long as he still had Joakim Noah. The only way Thibs doesn’t drag that roster to a 6-8 seed finish is if my old friend Pablo (aka the Brandon Jennings of pickup basketball) decides he’s better than Noah and needs to get his 37 shots per game.

When there’s a marquee matchup, I’ll watch to see two of the best NBA teams face off. Any game between the Heat, Pacers, Thunder, Spurs, Clippers or Rockets falls into this category.

So where do the Suns find themselves in all this? The answer is nowhere. This team has no real stars, it’s not a member of the league’s elite and its games have no implications for the Wizards. On paper, there’s really nothing all that interesting about them.

In their first game after the All-Star Break, the Suns played the Nuggets in

Denver. This was the first time I had seen them play all year. I wasn’t sure what to expect. What I saw was a team that looked really, really different from the other 29 teams in the NBA. For starters, none of the players on the court seem to fit the NBA mold.

You’ve got Goran Dragic, a Slovenian point guard drafted in the second round with the 45th pick; Channing Frye, a seven-footer who shoots threes like a guard; Ish Smith, a six-foot point guard whose go-to shot is an awkwardly high floater off the glass that never looks like it has a chance of going in and the Morris twins (Twins! Playing together on a professional basketball team!) as well as a collection of other cast-offs and odd balls.

In general, NBA players often refer to themselves as cast-offs. “Nobody wanted us” is something players say to provide chips on their shoulders in the absence of real ones. It’s a motivator, but it’s usually not true. When it comes to the Suns, it’s not just a cliche.

The player on their team drafted highest overall is Emeka Okafor, who has yet to play a game due to injury.

The next highest pick is Alex Len, drafted fifth overall by the Suns in the 2013 draft. Len is averaging 2.0 points per game. Against the Jazz Feb. 26th, Len got the ball near the top of the key virtually unguarded. After looking around for a second in confusion, he attempted to dribble toward the hoop and fell over. So he’s not exactly a key cog. Frye was drafted eighth overall in 2005, but he’s been a role player his whole career.

No other player on the Suns was picked in the lottery, and nobody has ever been an All Star (though Dragic should have been this year).

The over/under for the Suns win total before the season was 21. People thought this would be one of the worst teams in the NBA. And why wouldn’t they? The Suns had all the markings of a team in the hunt for the number one overall draft pick.

But despite these predictions, it took the Suns just two months to win 21 games. They currently have a 35-25 record and are the seventh seed in a very strong Western Conference. And they’ve pulled this off despite being without Eric Bledsoe, their second best

player, following his December meniscus injury against the Clippers. Nobody saw this coming.

Somehow Jeff Hornacek, the Sun’s rookie head coach, has been able to turn this roster into a really good team.

Every player has made a leap from the previous season. Except for Slava Kravtsov, every non-rookie is averaging more points per game than last season.

If the Suns were bad, this wouldn’t mean much. Bad players getting more minutes on bad teams are going to score more points. But this is a playoff team. The fact that 11 out of 12 players on a playoff roster are averaging more points than they did the previous year is kind of amazing.

The individual stories that make up this stat are no less remarkable. Goran Dragic has gone from a foreigner whose name I wasn’t sure how to pronounce to a candidate for the PersonNot-Named-Lebron-or-Durant MVP Award. Gerald Green disappointed last year as part of the Pacers’ awful bench.

Now he’s starting for the Suns, averaging more than twice as many points per game, shooting 43.9 percent from the field (last year he shot 36.6 percent) and mean mugging after at least three baskets a game. Ish Smith’s minutes have increased from 10.5 per game last season on the last place Magic to 14.9 per game this year on the (hopefully) playoff-bound Suns, and his field-goal percentage has jumped from 33 percent to 40 percent. Against the Jazz, Smith sped down the court on a fast break, inspiring the Suns’ play-by-play announcer to shout, “Here comes Smith, the human dart!” Awesome nickname. Then there’s Dionte Christmas. After spending four years playing professional basketball in Israel, the Czech Republic, Greece and Russia, he’s finally getting a chance in the NBA. Whenever he gets to step on the court, the 27-year-old rookie is flying around like a maniac.

Seeing all of these players’ transformations, it’s impossible not to get invested in them.

At 82 games, the NBA season can drag on with teams passively walking through the motions. It’s hard to blame them: the season is a marathon.

And like marathons, it can be boring to watch.

The Suns aren’t like that. You can tell how excited everybody is to be getting a chance. On a play near the end of the Nuggets game, the Suns forced a turnover. Hornacek immediately called a timeout. The players ran over to their coach, jumping up and down angrily. “Why didn’t you let us run?!” Seeing supposedly jaded professionals get mad because their coach didn’t let them run? That was cool.

Hornacek clearly felt the same way, smiling at his players’ enthusiasm. You see a lot of little interactions like this with the Suns. The closest I’ve gotten to them is sitting in my dorm staring at a laptop, but to me, it looks like a family.

I hope this team makes the playoffs. It’s fun to see such a weird collection of guys play so hard and get such unexpected results. Sure, they’ll just get blown out by the Thunder in the first round. Then again, we were sure this was a 21-win team.

James Cohan ’17 needs a nickname as good as “the Human Dart.” Send him suggestions at james_cohan@brown.edu.

and title aspirations

BY JACK BLASBERG sports columnist

The Boston Red Sox enter the 2014 Major League Baseball season as reigning World Series champions and winners of three pennants in the last 10 years.

Long gone is the Curse of the Bambino, and the team’s recent championships effectively exorcised any remaining demons from the club’s chicken and beer fiasco. Free of such weighty baggage, the Sox are currently navigating spring training with the same goal as every other franchise: field a winning ball club. Will they be able to repeat this year as champions? The answer to that question will depend greatly upon the ability of young players and new additions to replace departed faces at centerfield, catcher and shortstop.

The Pink Hose will be relying on a duo of highly talented young players to replace successful veterans at two key positions. Homegrown former all-star centerfielder Jacoby Ellsbury departed in the offseason after inking a sevenyear, $153 million deal with the New York Yankees, while incumbent shortstop Steven Drew was left unsigned by Boston after his original one-year pact ran out following the World Series.

Slotted to take their places are Jackie Bradley Jr. and Xander Bogaerts, respectively.

Bradley broke into last year’s spring camp with the big club after lighting up the Grapefruit League but failed to hit above .200 in the majors. Ellsbury, the man he will be replacing, had a career .297 average over his seven seasons with the Red Sox, in addition to his blistering speed that helped him set the franchise record for stolen bases with 70 in 2009. Even after discounting Ellsbury’s 32 home runs in 2011 as an exception from his usual performance, it is unlikely that Bradley will immediately step in and match his predecessor’s production. On the positive side, he presents a long-term option that will come at a significantly lower price, providing General Manager Ben Cherington financial flexibility as he fills out the rest of the roster.

Bogaerts, on the other hand, is more than a cost-effective piece and has the potential to outstrip his predecessor Drew. Last year, Drew hit a paltry .253 with 13 home runs and 67 RBI’s, offering most of his value with his glove.

Meanwhile, the player charged with replacing him is the consensus secondbest prospect in the MLB. After a brief stint in the Bigs at the end of last season and into the postseason, the youngster from Aruba showed poise befitting a veteran and contributed on baseball’s greatest stage en route to earning a World Series ring. Following that display, one can see why the Sox feel con-

fident in naming him their starting shortstop, for this season and far beyond. On balance, these changes — an upgrade at shortstop and the possibility for growth and development in center — appear to hold these positions at roughly the same level where they ended this past season.

Despite starting pitcher Ryan Dempster’s decision to sit out this coming season — and leave $13.25 million on the table — the team’s starting rotation is still strong. Jon Lester, John Lackey, Clay Bucholz and Jake Peavy cruised through the postseason, and such performances portend positive outcomes for this coming year. But they will be throwing to a different backstop.

After three and a half seasons, the Sox decided to move on from 28-year-old catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia in favor of 37-year-old A.J. Pierzynski. Since the players posted comparable 2013 campaigns — .273 BA, 14 HR and 65 RBI for Saltalamacchia versus .272 BA, 17 HR and 70 RBI for Pierzynski — the move seems questionable on the surface, given that Pierzynski is nine years older than Saltalamacchia. While the latter had been improving in each of his seasons in Boston, the former has been slowly declining with age.

Pierzynski, known as one of the most hated men in baseball, is assuredly not the catcher of the future for this franchise, with top catching prospect and defensive wiz Christian Vazquez appearing to be on the fast track to the majors. Management must hope that Pierzynski can replicate Salty’s numbers over the course of his one-year contract while Vazquez develops his offensive skill set. Expect a slight drop-off offensively at catcher as the Red Sox appear to be using a stopgap at this position until the future arrives.

Several additional factors remain to determine the ultimate fate of this newest edition of the Red Sox. Will last year’s walk-off kids return, or will regression to normal luck bring their late game heroics back to earth? Young third baseman Will Middlebrooks will be entrusted with the hot corner and must provide more consistent offensive production than his boom or bust bat has yielded to date. Overall the team looks as if it will return to start this coming season as strong as it finished the last.

New players will have to keep their end of the bargain, but there is no reason a deep playoff run is not in the cards. Though Opening Day is still 24 days away, I predict that the Red Sox will repeat as AL East champions and advance as far as the American League Championship Series.

Jack Blasberg ’16 has never left $13.25 million on the table. Give him the opportunity at john_blasberg@brown.edu.

schedule S3

SPORTS BULLETIN THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

» M. HOCKEY, from page 1 huge blow when an X-ray on Matt Lorito’s ’15 leg revealed that he had a broken bone and would miss the rest of the season, according to a tweet by the Providence Journal’s Mark Divver.

Lorito suffered the injury while blocking a shot early in the game against Union Saturday, though he played the rest of that match. Lorito is tied for the Bears’ lead in assists this season with 19 and trails only two teammates in scoring with 29 points.

Though it may be missing one of its top playmakers, the Bears’ offense can still find its way against the Saints.

St. Lawrence is 11th in the ECAC in goals against average, giving up 3.38 per game. The Saints are also dead last in save percentage — by a healthy margin — with their .871 trailing 11th-place Princeton by .021 and Bruno by .045. That massive gap means the Saints allow 1.125 more goals per 25 shot attempts than Bruno does. The Saints are also last in the conference with a penalty kill that stops opponents just 72.9 percent of the time, offering the Bears an opportunity to kickstart their struggling power play.

But St. Lawrence excels at preventing shots, allowing the third-fewest in the conference, possibly the only

thing keeping it from the conference basement in goals against average. The Bears’ ability to shoot will be key in this matchup, as part of their new offensive mantra includes “taking open shots,” Naclerio said.

Offense is the crux of the Saints’ game. Their attack produces 3.29 goals per game, third-most in the ECAC and a full 0.84 more than the Bears’ 2.45. Senior Greg Carey leads the way for St. Lawrence, as his 53 points and 38 assists are each 13 more than any other player in the conference. His brother and linemate, first-year Matt Carey, is sixth in the conference with 34 points, tied with Naclerio.

In the first meeting between Brown and St. Lawrence, which took place Nov. 2 at Meehan Auditorium, both Careys scored as part of a threegoal first period for the Saints. Bruno tied it up in the second, but the game remained scoreless from there, ending in a tie. The Bears outshot St. Lawrence 36-30, but goalie Matt Weninger made 33 saves, an exception to his mediocre .874 season save percentage.

The Bears took down the Saints in their second meeting in Canton, N.Y., Jan. 17. Lorito, Naclerio and Robertson all scored in the first, and Robertson added another goal early in the second to build a 4-0 lead. St. Lawrence scored twice in the second

— along with another Bruno goal — and once more in the third to bring the game to its 5-3 final, but the Careys were largely neutralized. The only point either registered was an assist by Greg, the elder Carey, on a goal with 48 seconds left.

The Bears have beaten St. Lawrence before, so the Saints and their poor goaltending are a good matchup for fledgling Bruno. Nevertheless, Brown’s performance of late will not cut it, while Lorito’s absence will make things that much harder. But no matter what, the Bears say they are prepared for this weekend.

“We know it’s do or die,” Naclerio said. “We want to take it as seriously as we can.”

“Every shift is more important. …

There’s a lot on the line,” Robertson added.

Both players know the importance of sticking with what has worked for them all season.

“I’m not doing anything out of the norm,” Robertson said.

Added Naclerio, “I’m going to treat it the same as I have all year.”

“We know we can beat them if we play our game,” Naclerio said. “We’re pretty excited for it.”

The Bears will play at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with a final matchup Sunday at the same time if necessary.

» BASKETBALL, from page S1 comprises Steve Moundou-Missi and Kyle Casey, both of whom are undersized for their position at just 6-foot-7. Casey and Moundou-Missi are a completely different breed from the Nelson-Henry and Dougherty types — they are athletic, run the floor well, contest every shot in the paint and dunk the ball in transition.

Casey and Moundou-Missi are nearly identical players statistically. They both average 10 points and five and a half rebounds per game. Both players rank in the league’s top five for blocks, collecting over one rejection per game.

Casey occasionally steps back and hits a three, while Moundou-Missi spends most of his time near the rim.

But the Bears will not treat Harvard’s athletic big men any differently than they do a pair of traditional big men, Walker said.

“Our defensive principles will always be the same, no matter who we’re facing,” Walker said. “We want to stay solid in the post and not let the team make any easy entry passes.”

Regardless of the outcome of Bruno’s games against Harvard and Dartmouth, Martin will end his second season as head coach with at least a .500 winning percentage. Martin has created a core of young players who all possess maturity and abilities that belie their age, Walker said.

As McGonagill is the only senior who sees significant playing time, the team should continue to find success for years to come.

“The team that I’m playing on right now is way above the teams that I’ve been a part of in the past,” Walker said.

“I’m really enjoying playing under Coach Martin and being a part of a winning tradition.”

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Men’s Hockey vs. St. Lawrence

Previous Matchup Brown 52, Harvard 45

(11-15-3, 8-13-1 ECAC) || (13-17-4, 7-11-4) ECAC First Round Series - Game 1 Previous Matchup Brown 3, St. Lawrence 3 (Nov. 2)

(11-15-3, 8-13-1 ECAC) || (13-17-4, 7-11-4) ECAC First Round Series - Game 2 Previous Matchup Brown 5, St. Lawrence 3 (Dec. 17)

Phildelphia - Saturday-Sunday

Stevenson - Saturday 1 p.m.

Dartmouth - Friday 7 p.m.

Harvard - Saturday 6 p.m.

Wrestling @ EIWA Championships

W. Lacrosse vs. No.16 Princeton

W. Basketball vs. Dartmouth

W. Basketball vs. Harvard

Last Year Brown 11th

Previous Matchup Brown 11, Columbia 18 (2013)

Previous Matchup Brown 71, Dartmouth 55

Previous Matchup Brown 71, Harvard 91

Pizzitola - Saturday 10 a.m.

Pizzitola - Saturday 2 p.m.

South Carolina - Friday 7 p.m.

Hempstead, NY - Saturday 4 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs.

Buffalo

Men’s Tennis vs.

Boston University

Baseball vs. No. 3 South Carolina

Men’s Lacrosse vs. Hobart

Previous Matchup Brown 7, Buffalo 0 (2013)

Previous Matchup Brown 7, Boston 0 (2013)

Season Opener

Programs’ First Meeting

(15-11, 7-5 Ivy) || (10-16, 3-9 Ivy)

(15-11, 7-5 Ivy) || (24-4, 11-1 Ivy)

St. Lawrence - Friday 7 p.m.

(3-0, 1-0 Ivy) || (1-2, 0-0 Ivy)

(9-17, 3-9 Ivy) || (5-21, 2-10 Ivy)

(0-0, 0-0 Ivy) || (12-0, 0-0 SEC)

(9-17, 3-9 Ivy) || (19-7, 9-3 Ivy)

(2-1, 0-0 Ivy) || (0-4, 0-0 NEC)

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD

SPORTS BULLETIN

FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

men’s lacrosse

Bears oust Clarke ’14 lights up senior night, downs Tigers Hartford in On senior night, Clarke logs 24 points, including mid-week six treys, to help Bruno upset Tigers contest ATHLETE OF THE WEEK

By BRUNO ZUCCOLO SPORTS STAFF WRITER

Hailing from Colts Neck, N.J., Lauren Clarke ’14 has played basketball most of her life. The current co-captain of the women’s basketball team and last season’s MVP for the Bears is coming to the end of her record-breaking career at Brown.

She has been an integral part of the team, starting all but two games over her four years. This season she has led the team’s scoring with 420 points, hitting double digits in all but three games.

In her last home game with the Bears last Saturday, Clarke led them to victory against Princeton, the current conference leader and four-time defending Ivy League champion. For scoring 24 points in the 61-58 win that ended a 16-game Brown losing streak against the Tigers, Clarke is The Herald’s Athlete of the Week.

Herald: What do you like best about home games, and what do you like best about away ones?

Clarke: Home games are always fun because I usually have at least some of my family there, and some other girls’ families (are) there, so it’s just nice to have them there supporting you, hang out for a little bit after. And just playing on the Pizz(itola), it’s home court, it’s where we practice, it’s comfortable.

Road trips are pretty fun. You spend a lot of time with the team, you go out to eat. If it’s a tournament, sometimes we’ll do activities. It’s cool to see all the different Ivy schools and to spend time with all the girls.

What’s the feeling of beating

Princeton, ending an eight-year losing streak against them?

Not only that, but obviously we haven’t been having the best season — not getting the results we wanted. So just being able to ruin their season — they were almost definitely in first, and now they’re probably going to have to play Penn for it. So not only that, but for our own sakes it was awesome to go out like that, and have our last home game and beat them. All week our coach was saying we can beat Princeton, anybody can beat them, if we just work hard and focus.

You’ve started all games for Brown for the past two seasons. What do you do to keep such a high fitness level, with no injuries?

We condition in the preseason, we have a great strength and conditioning coach. Over the summer I was in Spain, so I kind of had to make up my own things to try to stay in shape. In practice we just do a lot of game-like stuff, like scrimmaging and different drills that simulate games.

You’re currently the eighth top scorer in Brown history, with 1,279 career points, and the all-time leader in career three-pointers, with 201.

How does it feel to leave such marks in Brown history?

Yeah, it’s awesome. I didn’t really come in with any type of that expectation, I just wanted to come in and do my best. To have something left behind like that is just a great feeling. It’s kind of cool to have something physically left behind, other than just my efforts.

What was your favorite game for Brown?

Currently it’s definitely (last week’s game against Princeton). That win was just an all-around team win, we just played so well together. It was almost like the stars were aligned for us, and

Hurster ’14, Molloy ’17, Bellistri ’16 buoy Bruno over Hawks in nonconference victory

By CALEB MILLER SPORTS EDITOR

DAVID DECKEY / HERALD

Lauren Clarke ’14 will play her final game as a Bear Saturday. Clarke’s name will remain with the program, as she is the all-time leader in treys. we just took advantage and played one of our best games we’ve ever played together. But before that I might have to say it was either freshman year (2010) when we beat the Florida Gators — it was a similar game, it was a huge upset — or when we beat Harvard by one (in 2011).

Is there anything you would like to say to yourself four years ago?

Just to always stay positive and no matter what happens to always keep your head up and look at the possibilities that can happen. No matter how bad things are going there’s always something good that can come out of it. And just to cherish the time, because it goes by quickly.

What are you looking forward to

after graduating?

I’m definitely looking forward to having a little bit more of a flexible schedule, not having such a time commitment. It will definitely be weird not seeing everyone. I’m friends with all the girls, but we kind of have a set time every day where we see each other, so that will be different.

It will be cool to have some flexibility with my time and explore different things.

What are you going to miss the most about Brown?

I think just living with my friends and having everybody in walking distance, hanging out with them and being with them basically every single day.

And kind of just having the freedom we do now while avoiding these future responsibilities.

The men’s lacrosse team rebounded from a tough loss to nationally ranked University of Massachusetts at Amherst last weekend with a 12-7 home victory Wednesday over Hartford.

“I think we all as a team felt a little added pressure to win after the debacle last Saturday,” said Dan Mellynchuk ’14.

“It was a much-needed confidence boost and helped us get back on track.”

Gusty wind, flurries of snow and frigid temperatures challenged the offenses, but two individual performances powered scoring for Bruno (2-1). Sam Hurster ’14 posted a rare double hat trick while Dylan Molloy ’17 continued to turn heads in his first season, posting four goals and an assist. Bruno scored first and never trailed, eventually pulling away in the second half.

Brown gained the early advantage on an impressive play by Kylor Bellistri ’16. Deep in Hawks territory, Bellistri deflected and intercepted a pass attempt from Hartford goalie Frank Piechota.

The unexpected change of possession left Hartford unprepared to defend against Bellistri, who fired a long shot into the net before Piechota could get back in front of the cage. Hartford got on the board late in the first quarter, and the teams traded goals for the rest of the half.

With Bruno leading 4-3 entering the third period, Hurster took over. The senior sidearmed a goal early in the third, but Hartford answered quickly to keep the margin to one. The game’s next two goals were nearly identical tallies by Hurster.

Both shots were mid-range, overhand missiles from the right of the goal, and Hurster’s third-quarter hat trick helped Bruno gain an 8-5 lead entering the final quarter.

“Sam is extremely important to our offense, as you can tell by his performance and status as a captain,” Mellynchuk said.

The fourth quarter brought more of the same for the Bears. Molloy, Bellistri and Hurster each added to their goal totals to push the lead to five by the final horn.

Offensive efficiency keyed Bruno’s second-half advantage, as the Bears scored eight goals on just 12 shots. On the other end, Hartford fired off 23 shots in the final half, but only 11 attempts were on target and goalie Jack Kelly ’16 corralled seven of them. The trigger-happy Hawks finished with 18 more shot attempts than the home squad but only three more shots on goal.

The mid-week win is critical for the Bears with Ivy League play just around the corner. Bruno will take on Hobart College in Hempstead, N.Y., Saturday in its last non-conference matchup before Harvard March 15.

“We still have much to improve on,” Mellynchuck said. “I think we are making big strides towards taking our game to the next level.”

today 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

menu SHARPE REFECTORY

l e t t h e m e at c a k e VERNEY-WOOLLEY

LUNCH Cajun Pasta with Chicken, Hot Roast Beef on French Bread, Chocolate Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

German Sausage Chowder, Breaded Chicken Fingers, Mashed Potato Bar, Banana Chocolate Cupcakes

DINNER Garden-Style Baked Hake, Cavatelli Primavera, Pound Cake with Strawberries and Whip Cream

Herb Crusted Salmon, Cheese Tortellini with Alfredo Sauce, Rainbow Chard, Stir Fry Asian Beef

JOSIAH’S

THREE BURNERS

QUESADILLA OR GRILLED CHEESE

Banh Mi

Make-Your-Own Quesadilla

BLUE ROOM

SOUPS

DINNER ENTREES

Clam Chowder, Minestrone, Beef with Bean Chili

ARJUN NARAYEN / HERALD

In celebration of Brown’s 250th Anniversary, a cake in the shape of University Hall will be served to thousands of students, faculty members, alums and members of the local community this evening.

Naked Burritos

comic Bacterial Culture | Dana Schwartz ’15

sudoku

calendar TODAY

MARCH 7

5 P.M. ACTIVISM, ACTION AND ADVOCACY: FORTY YEARS AT THE SARAH DOYLE WOMEN’S CENTER

The Sarah Doyle Women’s Center celebrates forty years of “activism, action and advocacy,” with its exhibition of archival objects and oral history narratives. Refreshments will be served. Sarah Doyle Women’s Center 8 P.M. 250TH ANNIVERSARY WIND SYMPHONY CONCERT

RELEASE DATE– Friday, March 7, 2014

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c rNorris o s sandwJoyce o rNichols d Lewis Edited by Rich ACROSS 1 Small amount 4 WWII MIA location 11 NFL captains 14 __ Jima 15 High-class tobacco products 16 Samovar 17 GPS finding 18 Good chap 19 Nonpro sports org.

20 Plot 22 Providing with a transcript, possibly 24 __-tzu 25 Climbing aids 29 Arm support 31 Viral chorus?

32 Turkic Russian 33 Histrionic display 37 Roast, in a Baja dish 38 Stuck 39 __ mining 40 “Argo” actor 43 NBA coach Thomas 44 Historic town in Lazio 45 Santa __ winds 46 Innocuous sorts 50 Way to find out what you know 52 3-D graph part 53 “It’s just __ thought ...”

54 “South Pacific” song 60 Highway or city stat 61 “Illmatic” rap star 62 Mythical symbol of purity 63 Fitting 64 Room with hoops 65 What this grid’s big symbol is, Across and Down 66 Albany is its cap.

DOWN 1 Dump 2 Man __ 3 Autocratic approach 4 Book with shots 5 Poison __ 6 Morgantown’s st.

7 Low island 8 Afr. country 9 If said again, group in a 1950s African uprising 10 Studying on a couch?

11 Draw back with alarm 12 Stock mark 13 Curls up 21 Books about Toronto and Ottawa, say 23 Country abutting Nicaragua 25 Put away 26 Not down: Abbr.

27 FDR loan org.

28 Papa John’s rival 29 GDR spy group 30 Holds up

34 Annoy 35 __ bono: “Who stands to gain?” in law 36 B&O stop 40 Org. for Nadal and Djokovic 41 Lucy of “Kill Bill” 42 Colorado NHL club, to fans 47 Band guitarist, in slang

48 Lacking stability 49 Army squad NCOs 50 Sharp tooth 51 Words from Watson 55 Buy from Sajak 56 Paris lily 57 Suffix with tact 58 __ polloi 59 Valiant’s son

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

The event features alumni composers and student musicians honoring the University’s 250th anniversary through original works created for the event. Salomon Center

TOMORROW

MARCH 8

11:15 A.M. 250TH ANNIVERSARY OPENING CELEBRATION KEYNOTE ADDRESS

Thomas Perez ’83, United States secretary of labor, will deliver the opening celebration’s keynote address. Salomon Center, Room 101 1 P.M. BROWN DEMOCRATS PRESENT: GOVERNOR MAGGIE HASSAN ’80

The Brown Democrats present New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan ’80 P’15 with the annual John F. Kennedy Jr. Award for Inspiring Youth in Public Service. Wilson Hall 102

SUNDAY

MARCH 9

1 P.M. EXHIBITION: 250TH ANNIVERSARY ALUMNI EXHIBITION PART I

The David Winton Bell Gallery and the Department of Visual Art is holding a series of exhibitions of work by distinguished alumni. The event features Dawn Clements ’86, Paul Ramirez Jonas ’87 and Kerry Tribe ’97. List Art Building

xwordeditor@aol.com

By Bruce Haight (c)2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC

03/07/14

03/07/14

6 diamonds & coal

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

DIAMONDS & COAL A diamond to Katherine Gordon, managing director of the Technology Ventures Office, who said, “I kind of view the process as the planting seeds for the future.” That’s why we froze our eggs.

Coal to Michael Fine, director of the R.I. Department of Health, who said, “I’d love to see students agitating to make Brown a smoke-free campus.” Someone keep him away from the Rockefeller Library steps.

A diamond to Associate Professor of Chemistry Sarah Delaney, who said potatoes “are not all the same.” Way to stand up for the rights of America’s favorite root vegetable.

A diamond to Philip Tate, a senior lecturer at Boston University, who pointed out that there is a “difference between finding something that seems to work in mice and actually testing it on mice, and then actually testing it on people.” Remind us not to participate in his drug trials.

Coal to the student who said, “Working makes it easier to get schoolwork done because I don’t have free time to procrastinate.” Is that the kind of logic you employ in your schoolwork?

I VA N A L C A N TA R A

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A diamond to the Faculty Executive Committee, which proposed adopting the title “professor of the practice.” Somehow, claiming we were “students of the practice” didn’t fly on our first midterms.

Coal to the students of CHEM 0080F: “Kitchen Chemistry” who burned their cookies. At least they didn’t let them play with real chemistry sets.

Cubic zirconia to the student who said, “I have a lot less time to be a student and a person.” Just like everybody in CHEM 0350: “Organic Chemistry.”

Cubic zirconia to the men’s hockey captain who said, “I’m not doing anything out of the norm.” That didn’t work out when we were caught sneaking a cookie out of the Blue Room yesterday.

Coal to First Baptist Church of America Historian J. Stanley Lemons, who said of Rhode Island School of Design and other students, “We let them display their artwork as long as it isn’t too risque.” So we’re guessing that means Scrotie won’t be making an appearance?

Brown will continue pursuing online ed To the Editor: The article in Thursday’s Herald about the State of Brown (“U.’s next decade surveyed in State of Brown,” March 6) does not accurately capture the University’s plans in the area of online education. In fact, online educational technology will play a large role in Brown’s future. During the strategic planning process, two committees — the Committee on Educational Innovation and the Committee on Online Teaching and Learning — considered how online learning could strengthen and extend Brown’s educational programs.

The ideas that emerged from these committees are reflected in the strategic plan, Building on Distinction.

Our approach to online education will build on Brown’s strengths. We are a member of Coursera and have produced a number of very successful massive open online courses.

However, MOOCs will not be the centerpiece of Brown’s online strategy. We will focus on integrating online learning into courses and programs that also include face-to-face interactions. Already, we have created courses that rely on

“flipped classroom” methods, and we offer several master’s programs that blend in-person and online teaching. The IE Brown Executive M.B.A. uses a blended learning model to educate talented mid-career professionals from around the world. This year, we introduced a new Executive Master of Healthcare Leadership that also uses a blended learning model.

We are preparing to launch a new Laboratory for Educational Innovation, which will be part of the Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning. The laboratory will be dedicated to the exploration, experimentation and creative application of digital, online and new media technologies for the enhancement of teaching and learning at Brown. I am excited about the potential of the laboratory to engage students in the creation of digital and online content and to conduct rigorous evaluations of the efficacy of the new courses and programs that are developed.

Christina H. Paxson President

CORRECTION An article in Thursday’s Herald (“Students seek additional Psych Services support,” March 6) misstated the title of a Minority Peer Counselor Resource Workshop about mental health. It was “Open Minds,” not “Active Minds.” The Herald regrets the error.

Q U O T E O F T H E D AY

“When you’re 18 to 22, identity is a big deal.”

— Jim Yong Kim ’82

See kim on page 2.

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commentary 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

Online courses are off target ANDREW FELDMAN opinions columnist

Education is a gift and a blessing regardless of the medium through which it is received. Some people benefit from college educations, while others do better with education in technical institutions or outside the realm of universities, in particular through careers or professions. But the common trait among all these forms of education is that they are experiential and involve first-person communication. A relatively recent development in college courses, offering courses online, takes away many of the benefits of learning and is detrimental to students’ education.

Taking online courses is an entirely different way to earn a college degree. Using these courses to obtain an online degree can be very useful for nontraditional students. Someone who has a full-time job or provides for a family but needs a college degree wouldn’t be able to attend a four-year university. Online degrees give nontraditional students a more flexible and affordable alternative to obtaining a degree. If online courses are the only option for an individual, then taking those courses is far preferable to taking none at all. But online courses are not nearly as effective for learning, and they should not be offered as part of a full-time student’s semester courseload.

Online courses can save univer-

sities money. Not having to provide a facility, transportation and staff members, all while being able to offer the course to more students, effectively cuts down on expenditure.

In 2008, the University of Florida found that in a survey of 20 online schools, the average full-time online public student cost about $4,300 annually, while the national average cost for traditional public school students in 2006 was about $9,100 annually. However, this mass production comes at the expense of quality.

Online resources may be useful for supplementing one’s education, but they are not sufficient to replace actual courses on campuses.

students and professors. Rather than sitting in front of a computer screen and glancing through avatar pictures of virtual classmates, having class with other students allows for a more diverse, well-rounded education. By interacting with people from different backgrounds, students learn to understand different perspectives on issues, which end up either strengthening or changing their prior beliefs.

College wouldn’t be such a formative experience if it didn’t involve meeting and interacting with other students.

It’s also important to realize that these relationships don’t suddenly expire upon graduation. They can

career or a colleague who might be able to employ them instead. These relationships don’t just happen over email, though. They are strengthened by repeated interactions, like at office hours, and are the result of professors putting a face to just a name on the roster.

The professor-student interaction remains an essential component of learning. Regardless of the class size, there are opportunities to get to know an expert in the field, giving students the ability to glean greater value from what they are learning.

The professor can also alter lesson plans to accommodate the level of students’ understanding and spend

Online courses lose sight of the actual purpose of a college education.

Online courses lose sight of the actual purpose of a college education. Students don’t pay enormous tuition rates so they can attend college, buy a bunch of expensive textbooks and become autodidacts. One of the biggest benefits of a college education is learning how to communicate through courses. Students listen to lectures, watch other students ask questions about the material and potentially ask their own questions.

Essentially, attending class requires an individual to engage with a basic premise of society — simple communication skills.

Just as important is the use of those skills in creating meaningful, long-term relationships with other

be maintained for as long as one wants. So when students have multiple classes together in a specific area, they are essentially networking for future careers. Classmates aren’t just meant to stand next to each other at graduation — they enter the workplace together and can help each other find opportunities to succeed.

It’s much easier to develop lasting friendships and relationships in person than it is online.

The other essential relationship established through class is between the student and professor. Getting to know a professor is essential for future letters of recommendation.

Close relationships can also lead a professor to set students up with a

more time teaching in areas that students might find confusing.

Without a professor’s presence, regardless of a university’s academic code, some form of cheating will always occur. While cheating will inevitably happen through any medium, online courses are practically designed to give students an opportunity to test the boundaries of cheating. These courses lack any semblance of oversight and allow students to work together on exams and assignments. For nontraditional students, some of this problem is alleviated because their peers may not be in the same online course. But taking an online course at a university gives students access to the rest

of the class to work on assignments together. What kind of learning can a course that allows students access to each other, their notes and the endless resources on the Internet really test?

Brown currently provides a form of online education with its three Massive Open Online Courses, which are free and accessible to anyone. These courses do not count for course credit but serve as a way to enrich education, offering classes in such areas as archaeology and engineering. MOOCs exemplify both the benefits and the disadvantages of online courses. While these courses offer unlimited enrollment, some Brown students feel they lack individual attention because the professors distribute their energy over such a large number of students, as The Herald reported last month (“Faculty, students offer mixed opinions on Coursera,” Feb. 23). Offering MOOCs is useful because they are only meant to supplement one’s education, not replace traditional coursework. College education should be based on courses offered at an actual university whenever possible, rather than being diluted through an online medium.

Andrew Feldman’s ’15 opinion on this topic has largely been shaped by his lack of success at learning from “How To” videos online. He can be reached at andrew_feldman@brown.edu with suggestions on how to better learn from these films.

Offshoring casualties ROBYN SUNDLEE opinions columnist

Smuggling. Labor abuses. Environmental degradation. Money hoarding. These words bring to mind images of the struggling nation. But in reality, these terms perfectly describe the situation in places outside of national borders — international space, the final bastion of lawlessness.

There is a widespread notion that globalization and the free flow of capital and goods around the globe should mean positive gains for everyone. In fact, fewer restrictions may be contributing to increased inequality and decreased well-being around the globe. Unforeseen consequences to loosening border restrictions have turned the international space into something resembling the wild west. Rather than fostering greater clarity among nations, ease of movement between borders has spawned a murky shadow world that thrives on human trafficking, polluting, illegal trawling, sickening labor conditions, smuggling and tax evasion. It is a true example of a tragedy of the commons, out of sight and unscrutinized.

International spaces offer a veil for everything our society deems unacceptable. But why should we care about international space and the consequences of the increased flow of capital around the world? All of this occurs in a no man’s land that few of us will ever actually encounter. If for purely dispassionate reasons, we should care because it hits us hard in the pocketbook. This aspect of globalization has been a growing problem for decades and

has managed to remain mostly out of sight and mind. Over 10 percent of America’s largest companies store all their money in offshore havens and pay a zero percent tax rate. It is estimated that there is between $8 and $32 trillion in private global wealth that is squirreled away offshore where it hides untaxed in places spattered throughout the oceans.

Some of these money transfers are legal.

American citizens are allowed to move their money overseas as long as they report their account information to the Internal Revenue Service. However, many transfers are not reported, depriving governments of billions of

report funds going abroad and pay taxes on a portion. Granted, this only recovers money lawfully transferred, but the gains are still substantial. The states who have taken this action expect an uptick of over $18 million in revenue this year alone. Rhode Island is not among the states that have closed these loopholes. Our state should follow suit and implement laws to stop corporations from bleeding it of its rightful tax dollars.

Beyond this, individuals suspected of abusing legal offshoring practices should be aggressively pursued by the Justice Department.

Recent Senate investigations have found that

Beyond borders, the wealthy and powerful drift in an anarchic paradise devoid of government regulation while everyone and everything else is left derelict. dollars worldwide. Shrouded in secrecy and opacity, the system offers wealth protection and beachfront destinations to the super rich while starving the rest of society. It is now rare for large corporations like Verizon Communications, News Corp and Apple Inc. not to move their money offshore, leaving the little people on land to pay taxes. This trend of offshoring not only hurts governments, it also makes it tough for small- and medium-sized companies to be competitive in the global market.

In spite of massive popular opposition to these practices, little has been done to remedy the problem. Recently, individual states have been taking measures into their own hands, implementing laws that require companies to

the US government has failed to do just that with many Swiss bank accounts — the values of which total $12 billion. Using all manner of illicit methods, American individuals have managed to spirit their treasure across the sea to vaults that let them avoid contributing their share to their community. We must demand better from our government. This much money cannot be allowed to slip through the cracks, and the affluent cannot get away with this sort of greed.

According to James Henry, the author of a recent study on tax transparency, the increased phenomenon of offshoring has not been the result of tax hikes onshore. In fact, the offshoring industry has been exploding in

a period when taxes have been cut. This means the shadow world of offshore tax havens and ungoverned international space is a symptom of increased global movement. It reflects problems that will become more dire as we become more interconnected. It will be up to our generation to confront the negative consequences of globalization — financial, humanitarian and environmental.

Global integration is a new theater for class warfare, and it is a war the ultra-rich are winning through offshoring and corruption. Because so much capital is hidden away from scrutiny, there is no way to truly say how great the wealth disparity has grown. But there is hope for civilizing the high seas and the transoceanic flow of capital. The Global Oceans Commission is currently engaging in talks with Interpol about the deployment of a global ocean police force to ensure transcontinental vessels are conforming to international laws.

The Justice Department has received a proper scolding from Congress for its ineptitude in prosecuting tax evaders.

Beyond borders the wealthy and powerful drift in an anarchic paradise devoid of government and regulation, while everyone else is left derelict. Increasing regulation, along with tightening tax loopholes and pursuing criminal offshoring can help ensure that our international spaces are healthy and licit for the future. Pay attention to the ongoings in these nowhere lands. Urge your government leaders to take action against those who seek to harm our communities.

Robyn Sundlee ‘16 can be reached at robyn_sundlee@brown.edu.

FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2014

THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD arts & culture STEAM lecture examines connection between math, arts

Lecturer recommends that students incorporate visual arts in study of math and science

By RILEY DAVIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER

When people picture a “rhombic dodecahedron,” they might see a 12-faced geometric object, or maybe multiple long, mathematical-sounding words strung together. George Hart sees a sculpture.

Hart, a research professor at Stony Brook University, works as a freelance mathematical sculptor and designer.

His goal, he said in a lecture Wednesday in Barus and Holley 168, is to use art to make mathematical concepts accessible to everyone.

Brown STEAM, a student group that works to bridge the gap between the arts and sciences, invited Hart to speak because of the prevailing stereotype “that math and appliedmath people can’t think visually,” said STEAM Project Leader Lukas Winklerprins ’15. “Hart is a good person who can do that and who will push people to think visually.”

Hart said he has been representing mathematical principles through sculpture his entire life. Though his creations began as toothpicks glued together, they have grown in size, scale and complexity over the years.

True to the tune of making

mathematical art accessible to a universal audience, Hart commenced his lecture by inviting attendees to examine and handle nylon mathematical model sculptures, created with the help of a 3-D printer.

Hart then gave an overview of his typical works — pieces that range from a few inches to several feet in diameter and that vary in material from pencils to cardboard to aluminum. According to his website, his research and sculptures focus on “novel polyhedral structures” — three-dimensional solids that have flat faces and straight edges.

The artist chooses concepts based on whether he finds an established mathematical idea to be visually appealing. “If I think it’s really worthy of existing, then it’s my job to make it exist,” he said. “Otherwise no one else will ever see it in the same way.”

Hart has extended the scope of his passion for synthesizing math with the creative arts. He co-founded the National Museum of Mathematics in New York, a museum dedicated to displaying mathematical concepts for easy public consumption. He also creates YouTube videos in which he explains mathematical concepts using everyday objects. In the video “Mathematically Correct Breakfast,” Hart discusses how to cut a bagel so that it forms two continuous linked halves.

Hart’s sculptures will not magically clarify terms like hyperbolic

tessellation. But everyone can take something away from his pieces regardless of mathematical background, he said. “There’s no cut-off level,” he added. “I try to make things everyone can appreciate at some level.”

Still, fluency with the complex ideas behind such artwork can help viewers understand Hart’s pieces.

“The more math you know, the deeper you can see into a subject,” he said.

Hart also holds workshops called “sculpture barn raisings.” Participants in his lectures or others intrigued by the intersection of math and art can provide hands-on help in the construction of one of his pieces, using pre-prepared materials that Hart brings to these workshops. He held one such creative session Thursday to construct a sculpture that will be installed in Barus and Holley in the coming weeks.

The Division of Applied Mathematics plans on reaching out to lecturers like Hart because “bringing artists and scientists to Brown who bridge the gap between math and the creative arts is a great way to show that these fields have much in common,” Bjorn Sandstede, professor of applied mathematics and chair of the division, wrote in an email to The Herald.

“As demonstrated by George Hart, geometric structures and patterns, for instance, are a natural link between the arts and math,” Sandstede wrote. “Showcasing this link is a

EMILY GILBERT / HERALD

George Hart, a professor at Stony Brook University, demonstrates how geometric structures can link the arts and sciences. powerful reminder that even seemingly disjoint(ed) fields often share deep and exciting connections.”

An increasing number of universities are emphasizing visual thinking within science and technology fields, Hart said. “Just the ways of

approaching a problem that artists have often looks at a broader set of possibilities than in a math class,” he said. “More and more people are realizing that, to really use your math or technology or engineering knowledge, you really have to be creative.”