THE
BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 44
since 1891
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
Controversial Hillel lecture sparks protest
Israel Defense Forces sergeant says he opposes two-state solution to Israeli-Palestinian conflict By EMMA HARRIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
ZEIN KHLEIF / HERALD
A protest of a Hillel-sponsored lecture by Israel Defense Forces Sgt. Benjamin Anthony draws about 70 students Wednesday. The protesters spoke out against Anthony’s presence and the closed nature of the event.
As Sgt. Benjamin Anthony of the Israel Defense Forces prepared to speak to an audience of around 40 invited students at Brown/RISD Hillel Wednesday night, about 70 students outside protested both his presence on campus and the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The protesters organized in the days prior to the event, meeting with administrators and Hillel representatives Tuesday to discuss their concerns. “I am protesting his presence on » See ANTHONY, page 4
R.I. public schools test Mama Kim’s sold to NECAP replacement business employee By MOLLY SCHULSON SENIOR STAFF WRITER
About 7,000 Rhode Island students have participated in the Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers — a test slated to replace the New England Common Assessment Program evaluations as the official state assessment for grades three to 10 in Rhode Island next year — said Elliot Krieger, public information officer at the Rhode Island Department of Education. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia are participating in the field tests, which began March 24 and will last until April 11. As of April 1, over 55,000 students nationwide completed field tests, according to the PARCC’s website. “Nationally, problems have been few and far between,” Krieger said of the test administration. “There’s been small glitches, but nothing major.” The state plans to test 9,000 students by next Friday, Krieger said. Randomly selected schools with representation from each district and grade level will be tested, he added. Rhode Island high school juniors will continue to take NECAP evaluations next year, he added, but will transition to the PARCC in the 201516 school year. The PARCC is one of two national assessments that adhere to the Common Core State Standards, which have
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been voluntarily adopted by 44 states and the District of Columbia. The Common Core State Standards are academic expectations for each grade level that were created to equip students with the skills needed to succeed in college or a career upon graduation from high school. The Common Core will align different education standards so they are consistent across states, said Kenneth Wong, professor of education. “I’m glad Rhode Island is part of (the) PARCC instead of sitting outside the Common Core,” he added. The test is also designed to be a strong indicator of students’ college readiness, Wong said. Students are usually required to take the NECAP in late October. “It is actually a measure of students’ knowledge from the previous year, which is kind of odd,” Wong said. PARCC tests will be administered biannually, with the first round consisting of performance-based assessments in April, followed by end-ofyear assessments in May. End-of-year field testing will occur this year from May 5 to June 6. Though the Common Core State Standards are valuable, it may be difficult for the state to make the transition to the PARCC, said Lawrence Purtill, president of the National Education Association in Rhode Island. “I think we’re rushing it,” he said. On March 25, the association called for a delay on PARCC administration, but as of now, the plan to transition to the new test next year has not been changed. “If you are going to use (the PARCC) for evaluation, you have to make sure curriculum is in place, » See EXAM, page 3
Previous owner, Hyun Kim ’01, to advise on service development, menu expansion By BRITTANY NIEVES SENIOR STAFF WRITER
Students can look forward to latenight hours and a “secret menu” under Mama Kim’s Korean BBQ’s new leadership. Originally run and owned by Sook Kim P’01 and Hyun Kim ’01, the popular Thayer Street food truck was recently sold to the business’ sous chef, Don Fecher. The eatery caters events on and off College Hill and has served members
of the Brown community since 2011. Hyun Kim, who is currently working for the United Nations in Africa, decided to sell the business as he no longer has time to run it, he wrote in an email to The Herald. Kim graduated from Brown with a degree in international relations and economics. Following graduation, Kim worked for senior government officials and served in the military. Fecher has been in charge of “dayto-day operations” for the Mama Kim’s business for two years, Kim wrote. Under Fecher’s leadership but with Hyun Kim’s “close advisement,” Mama Kim’s will grow its services and menu, Kim wrote. » See MAMA KIM’S, page 1
Rick Ross emphasizes importance of positive role models, teaching children dangers of drug use By JOSEPH ZAPPA SENIOR STAFF WRITER
For a man who once commanded the second-most profitable drug empire in American history, “Freeway” Rick Ross is disarmingly humble in appearance and manner. His blue sweatshirt, loose black jeans, genuine smile and 5’6” stature belie his past as the self-described “dictator” of a trafficking circle that touched communities from coast to coast in the 1980s and eventually landed him a life sentence. The picture of Ross publicized for his Wednesday lecture hosted by the Political Theory Project and Students for Sensible Drug Policy better fits the stereotype of a man with such a resume — well-kept, thick beard, jaded but focused stare and pristine silver-gray suit that says he’s ready to do business. But Ross said he is not interested in the “shiny” things that attract most people, which is why the former millionaire currently drives an ’88 Honda Civic for which he paid $600. Frugality was the key to his success, Ross told The Herald, and it should be the key to success for America’s youth. “If somebody had taken the same time and worked at McDonald’s and … hardly spent any for themselves, then they would get rich,” Ross told » See RICK ROSS, page 2
UCS declares support for Brown Divest Coal
Council also considers proposal calling for undergrad representation on Corporation By CAROLINE KELLY SENIOR STAFF WRITER
The Undergraduate Council of Students passed a resolution in support of Brown Divest Coal, urging the University to divest its endowment from major coal and fossil fuel investments, at its general body meeting Wednesday. Divest Coal members originally presented the resolution to the Council before spring break. Council members voted to pass the resolution after debating the merits of modifying clauses about whether the resolution would offer the support of future Councils or include
University News
other environmental groups besides Divest Coal. Sam Rubinstein ’17, a UCS general body member, proposed altering the resolution to make it support other “student groups looking to reduce and offset Brown’s carbon footprint,” describing their efforts as “just as valuable” and “an opportunity to positively impact the undergrad community.” Cameron Jones ’17, another UCS general body member and a Divest Coal member, disagreed with Rubinstein, arguing that “UCS can take a stand” to support other environmental student initiatives but that the Divest Coal resolution was “not the right vehicle for that.” The resolution’s goal “has to be focused,” he said, adding that bringing other groups into consideration “distracts from the point of the resolution.” The Council ultimately did not
Commentary
Half of students believe their concentration choices will not hinder future job prospects
Student-run initiative pairs undergrads with Detroit organizations to revitalize city
Letter: Israeli sergeant’s talk does not foster intellectual dialogue
Winkler ’14: Softer voices on the Israel/Palestine conflict are unheard on campus
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weather
55,000 students nationwide, including 7,000 R.I. students, participate in trial run
Former drug kingpin reflects on motivations
approve Rubinstein’s proposed changes in its vote. The resolution’s application to future Councils also drove discussion. Walker Mills ’15, a UCS general body member and Herald opinions columnist, expressed concern that the resolution seemingly mandates future Councils to extend their support to Divest Coal, adding that he “wouldn’t feel comfortable with that.” The resolution will serve as “a strong recommendation that next year’s Council works to get a sense to see where the student body stands on this issue,” said UCS Vice President Sam Gilman ’15. The Council also listened to Jamelle Watson-Daniels ’15 present a second proposed resolution calling for the Council to help the student group Inertia be heard by the » See UCS, page 4 t o d ay
tomorrow
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2 university news
Job prospect concerns differ by discipline
Half of students feel unconcerned about effects of concentration on postgrad employment By ASHNA MUKHI STAFF WRITER
Though the economy’s slow recovery is making it harder for students to land jobs, many sophomores rushing to declare their concentrations before Tuesday’s deadline were pursuing their passions without worrying about getting hired, according to the results of a Herald poll conducted March 3-4. Approximately half of undergraduates are not concerned their concentration choices will hinder their ability to find a job after graduation, the poll found. Of the students surveyed, around 38 percent said they were either somewhat or slightly concerned about their concentrations and future job prospects, while 9 percent said they were very concerned. Humanities concentrators indicated more concern about employment prospects than those studying the social sciences, life sciences or physical sciences. Around 12 percent of humanities concentrators said they were very concerned, compared to 6.1 percent of physical sciences concentrators. And approximately 27 percent of humanities concentrators said they were somewhat concerned, more than double the 11.7 percent of physical sciences concentrators who selected that answer choice. Department heads and administrators said they have found that while employment influences students’ concentration decisions, it is not the sole or determining factor. “Students who I have talked to have been attracted to the courses offered in the concentration,” said Thomas Doeppner, associate professor of computer science and vice chair of the department. “If your only justification was employment, you probably would not make it very far in the field.” Brendan McNally, associate director of the Business, Entrepreneurship and Organizations program, said while the concentration prepares students well for several different career paths, he has never heard any students say they “want to study something else but are doing BEO just for employment purposes.” “I don’t think students are thinking
How concerned are you that your choice of concentration will hinder your ability to find a job upon graduation? I do not intend to seek a job upon graduation: 2% Very concerned: 9%
Not concerned: 50%
Somewhat concerned: 20% Slightly concerned: 18% AVERY CRITS-CHRISTOPH / HERALD
about careers specifically when declaring a concentration,” said Andrew Simmons, director of the CareerLAB. “In my experience, what they have considered are their skills, abilities and interests.” Students across disciplines said academic interest was the main factor driving their concentration choices, though many also took future career prospects into consideration. “I know that mathematics keeps many job options open, but I did not really have that in mind when I picked it for my concentration,” said George Hauser ’16. “I was just interested in the subject.” Crystal Kim ’16, an English concentrator, said, “I want to be as prepared as possible for my future career while doing something that I love and found that English was a good medium for that.” Many students and faculty members were unsurprised by the survey results, which they said reflected their experiences in the classroom. Alex Rubin ’14, a computer science concentrator, said he thinks the majority of his peers are not concerned about finding employment after graduation. “We may not get to work for the company we want to, but at the end of the day, everyone gets a job.” Dakotah Rice ’16, who is pursuing an independent concentration in politics, philosophy and economics, said students who have completed finance or consulting internships that often lead into full-time offers may feel less pressure about employment. “As soon
as you get to Brown, you see all these options you have after graduation,” he said. “And when you see people following the path to pursue them, you find yourself doing the same.” McNally said he thinks recent graduates are realizing they should be less concerned about their concentrations when seeking employment. “Your concentration can be an excellent indicator of your academic interests, but it’s how you convey what you learn and can bring to the job that matters,” he said, adding that all Brown students learn research and critical thinking skills regardless of concentration. “What students learn at Brown allows them to navigate an economy where change is constant,” Simmons said, adding that students should start thinking about their careers early on. “You can have the most job-oriented concentration, but if you don’t start planning your career until your senior year, you are not going to get anything.” Some students said salary is not a high priority when it comes to employment and concentration decisions. Hauser said future income does not play a large role in determining his post-graduation plans. “I’ll take a job that will let me live,” he said. “I think a lot of students do what they are passionate about, and if it pays well, that’s for the better.” “Computer science jobs across the board pay everyone well enough, so that’s not an area of concern for me,” said Rubin, who added that he plans to prioritize factors like the type of job and its location.
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
» RICK ROSS, from page 1 a full crowd in List 120, which seats over 200 students, reflecting on the eight years he spent selling drugs and the subsequent 20 years he was incarcerated for it. Ross might also say the expectation that a former drug boss must be an imposing figure with a stern glare in a pricy suit is informed by an inaccurate stereotype. Drug kingpin is not synonymous with violent gangbanger, he said, and Ross only started to carry a gun after an attempted kidnapping. In fact, drugs were never more than a means to an end for Ross, who said he “hated the ghetto” and based his vision of the autonomous drug dealer on “Super Fly,” the 1972 Gordon Parks Jr. film in which a cocaine dealer “not only beat up on a white guy but also beat up the police.” By the time he was 19, seven years after “Super Fly” was released, Ross thought “fighting over colors was the stupidest thing in the world,” but childhood experiences with racial profiling conditioned him to distrust white authority figures. Even before he began selling drugs, the police were the enemy, Ross told The Herald. “They would pull me over and make me sit on the curb for no reason. Only because I was black.” During his childhood, gangs appealed to Ross for the same reason selling drugs did — both represented a possible route to empowerment for a kid with no clear path to success. While privileged kids often grow up trusting in authority and getting a good deal of attention to ensure they grow up as successful as the role models in their lives, Ross’ father was not around, the police seemed to be against him and it was hard to focus on school knowing that an empty dinner table awaited him at home, he said. “I never liked school,” he said. “I couldn’t understand what we were doing. We were talking about Jack and Jill, and we didn’t have milk in the house. I wasn’t really concerned about what we were talking about at school. I was more concerned about what we were going to do at home.” If there was a positive influence during his childhood, Ross said, it was Richard Williams, who taught Ross how to play tennis. Tennis “saved (his) life.” As a talented high school player, Ross traveled to wealthy neighborhoods, where he witnessed an affluent lifestyle previously unknown to him. Tennis gave him a concrete vision of a life to aspire to outside the disadvantaged neighborhood in which he grew up. But illiteracy ended Ross’ dream
of a tennis career, as he could not obtain a college scholarship without the ability to read. Teachers in overcrowded classrooms either failed to notice his inability or passed him along so he could keep playing tennis, Ross said. Positive influences and role models are essential to a child’s success, Ross said, adding that there could have been some positive influences other than Williams in his life, but he did not notice them at the time. “There was a black guy who owned a gas station, but I could never see myself owning a gas station. How could I see myself owning a gas station? Little old me? He never told me how he got a gas station.” These disadvantages impeded his studies in more lasting ways than an overcrowded classroom. “I didn’t know how valuable the library even was,” Ross said. “Nobody told me there was books in there that could help you get money.” But Ross would discover the potential of books eventually. He proudly asserted that he taught himself to read while in prison, poring through more than 300 books. The first books he read were law books that helped him pick up on a flaw in the prosecutor’s case that initially put him in jail for life. Though many attorneys were reluctant to believe his argument, Ross said, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed that his sentence was unfair and commuted it to 20 years. Since being released from jail in 2009, Ross has focused on giving back to the communities he damaged as a drug trafficker. He founded a literacy foundation and travels to high schools and colleges to discourage kids from using or dealing drugs by educating them about the dangers. Ross also speaks out against what he calls discriminatory drug policies that target people of color and poor communities. Crack and cocaine have similar effects on users, Ross said, noting that the only difference is baking soda. But the ratio for jail time served for those caught with crack compared to those caught with cocaine was 100 to one until 2010, when the the Fair Sentencing Act was passed. The disparity in punishments for crack and cocaine users has largely contributed to a higher incarceration rate for black Americans, Students for Sensible Drug Policy member Diego Arene-Morley ’16 told The Herald. He added that he believes the policy discrepancy is racially motivated. “We know that people of color are pulled over more and arrested more for drugs” that are used equally among different races, Arene-Morley said.
university news 3
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
» EXAM, from page 1
KATHLEEN SAMUELSON / HERALD
Former sous chef Don Fecher is the new owner of Mama Kim’s. The truck will extend its hours on College Hill until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
» MAMA KIM’S, from page 1 “For the company to expand on its vision further, we thought someone who is passionate about it and knows the business and the customers well should be leading it,” Kim wrote. “As I have not been able to give the business the attention it deserves, I thought it would be best for a loyal and committed employee to take charge.” Kim added that he thinks Mama Kim’s has the “potential to be a commercial success beyond Providence.” Fecher said expanding the catering and mobile aspect of the business are his two major priorities at this time. Rhode Island School of Design students are currently working to design a new, more functional menu, he said. Mama Kim’s will also be extending its “late-night” hours, which will run Friday and Saturday nights from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Sook Kim’s recipes will remain unchanged under the new leadership,
Fecher said. “There’s a way she taught me to do it, and I’m going to adhere to that as I follow in succession,” he said. Long-term goals for the business include getting Mama Kim’s sauces and marinades into a retail setting, Fecher said. He also plans to someday provide a “secret” menu. “A few of our customers know a few of the options that we offer off the menu,” Fecher said. “We will be offering more specialty items, and code words will be introduced, like ‘word of the week’ on Sundays, where we’ll give you a half-price rice set.” Having been part of Mama Kim’s for three years, Fecher said the change in position will not dramatically alter his relationship with the business. “I don’t want to think much has changed,” Fecher said. “As far as owning it goes, I tend to not think that I own it. It’s the inverse, really. The business owns me and I’m okay with that. I let it take me in many directions and I enjoy it.”
teachers and students have had time to adapt to it and the resources are there,” Purtill said. The implementation of the PARCC is happening “ridiculously quick,” said Maribeth Calabro, president of the Providence Teachers Union. Before Rhode Island starts to evaluate teachers based on how students perform on the PARCC assessment, it needs to be sure “beyond a reasonable doubt that this is the best assessment we could have come up with,” she added. Over the past four years, Rhode Island has invested $12 million from Race to the Top funds in preparing teachers for the transition to the Common Core State Standards, Krieger said. “I think our schools are ready for the transition to the Common Core,” he added, noting that the usage of the PARCC as a tool for evaluating teachers will come gradually. Some student field-test takers said PARCC questions were harder than those on the NECAP, Krieger said. “This may be true. Standards may be a little higher,” he added. “Common Core learning objectives are geared toward critical, analytical skills,” Wong said. “Developing the literacy understanding and reading comprehension is more critical now because that’s part of college readiness.” Unlike the NECAP, which is a multiple choice assessment, PARCC assessments require short- and longresponse answers. Proficiency levels may drop with the new test, but Wong said schools
should not be held “accountable for the pilot year” since students will be adjusting to the test format. “I think the teacher will have to play a different role, almost as coaches, rather than just lecturing the students,” Wong said. The “PARCC poses a cultural shift in the way teachers perform their task in the classroom, and this is not easy.” The change in test will not alter one of the most controversial aspects of state assessment policy — the use of a standardized test as a graduation requirement. Beginning with the high school class of 2017, students will need to pass the PARCC to graduate. “I’m not in favor of one assessment being a determining factor into whether or not a child can graduate from a school,” Calabro said. Unlike the NECAP, PARCC exams are computer-based and will be administered on laptops. The transition to computer testing means teachers will get student results more quickly, and will likely know the testing outcomes before the school year is finished, Krieger said. Schools can provide a paper-andpencil version to students if they are not technologically ready, Calabro said. “I don’t think we have the technology, and I know we don’t have the money,” she added. “In two or three years, they will phase out the pen-and-pencil” exam, Wong said. “This is creating a necessary incentive for schools and teachers and students to start paying attention to digital tools.” Purtill said he is concerned about schools having the necessary
resources to administer computerized tests, especially in urban areas where there are older buildings. “This implementation might create some disparity between rural and urban, and haves and have-nots,” Wong said. Many classrooms have wireless connectivity issues, Calabro said. The Rhode Island General Assembly will provide $20 million for schools to obtain wireless service in preparation for the PARCC, the Providence Journal reported. Krieger said so far there has not been a major Internet problem during Rhode Island field tests. Some are concerned that too much class time is being taken up by testing. “We are spending too much time worrying about the test,” Purtill said, as opposed to worrying about instruction. Krieger said assessment goes “hand in hand with instruction” and always will. State assessments take up less than 1 percent of classroom time during the year, he added. But after reviewing the district assessment calendar and hearing teacher testimonials, Calabro concluded that in elementary schools, 70 days of the academic year are at least partially dedicated to state- and districtmandated assessments. “Saying kids are being over-assessed would be a gross understatement,” Calabro said. Calabro noted that the administration dates of current PARCC field tests are coinciding with various other assessments, including end-of-quarter pilot exams and spring NECAP exams.
4 university news » UCS, from page 1 administration. Inertia works to support “scientists of color, including students and faculty,” by “hiring more black faculty” and reassessing the Alpert Medical School’s recruitment methods, Watson-Daniels said. The group also hopes to introduce preorientation and mentoring programs for black undergraduates studying the sciences. Kevin Carty ’15, a UCS general body member, also solicited UCS support for the group of students working to add an undergraduate
» MARSTON, from page 8 original 1920s grandeur. “Marston Hall is a child of the 1892 Columbian Exposition and the so-called classically inspired American Renaissance,” which “could easily be mistaken for a small fine arts museum,” according to Raymond Rhinehart’s ’62 “Brown University: The Campus Guide.” The building’s completion was delayed because it required extensive fundraising efforts. In President William Faunce’s 1919 report to the Corporation, he wrote that the construction of the new “home for modern languages has been delayed both by the abnormal cost of building operations and by the uncertainty regarding location.” In the early 1920s, what is now Sciences Park was a residential area, giving Marston Hall “distinction,” according to Rhinehart’s book. The space is situated on Manning Street, which was still a working road at the time, lending “a real urban presence” to the building. The entire block was absorbed by the University and converted to Manning Walk at some point between the late 1970s and early 1980s, Emlen said, adding that it was a “big deal” to build east of Thayer Street at the time. The French, German, Hispanic and Italian studies departments
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
representative to the Corporation, the University’s highest governing body. The group has been focusing on boosting its publicity by creating a website and a Facebook event, and it intends to reach out to graduate and medical students about their representation to garner additional support. Group members have shown an unwavering commitment to their aims with the belief that “coming out strong is a worthy thing,” Carty said. The Council is set to vote on the two resolutions at its general body meeting next week.
moved out and into their own buildings — French and Hispanic studies housed in the Rochambeau House and Italian and German at 190 Hope St. Not only have the Slavic languages and comparative literature departments occupied Marston, but part of the Department of Chemistry has also moved in. Slavic languages occupies the western side of the building, comparative literature lies on the eastern side and chemistry occupies the basement. The current architecture of Sciences Park — characterized by the brutalist-style Sciences Library and the “fortress”-like Center for Information Technology — wasn’t conceived until nearly 60 years later, in 1971 and 1988, respectively, according to Rhinehart’s book. But many years before these campus mainstays were completed, Faunce believed different types of spaces should house the humanities and the sciences. “The study of languages and literature has never been equipped as has the study of science,” he said in 1919, according to the preservation report. He went on to compare the nature of humanities and sciences studies, concluding that providing appropriate atmospheres for studies of the modern languages “is so simple that it is strange indeed we have not provided it long ago.”
Advancing Health & Social Justice in Malawi A conversation with
Samson Njolomole
Saturday, April 5th 3pm Kassar House Foxboro Aud.
Cosponsored by the Community Health DUG, The Watson Institute, Brown School of Public Health, the Office of the Dean of the College, and the Office of the President
COURTESY OF LAUREN CASSELBERRY
Sgt. Benjamin Anthony of the Israel Defense Forces gives a lecture at Brown/RISD Hillel Wednesday to a selected audience of about 40 students on his involvement with Israeli forces occupying the West Bank.
» ANTHONY, from page 1 campus because of the propagandistic nature of his speech,” said Josette Souza ’14, an organizer of the protest, adding that Hillel’s invitation of “student leaders” is not meant to stimulate dialogue, but rather to influence those who will go on to make domestic and international policy. “That is insidious,” she said. Hillel purposefully did not advertise the event, hoping to encourage an “intimate” discussion of important issues, said Marshall Einhorn, executive director of Hillel. Hillel invited student leaders “from the libertarians to the socialists, the (American Civil Liberties Union), Amnesty International and in between,” said Ross Lerner ’14, who helped invite students to the event. Some students who were invited to attend the lecture chose to protest it instead. Protesters objected to the event’s private nature and potential lack of a question-and-answer session. “I’m appalled this is happening,” said Reva Dhingra ’14, who was invited to the event. She added that she questioned whether the “insular nature of the event” would limit its effectiveness in starting a dialogue about the IsraeliPalestinian conflict on campus, which Hillel leaders stated as their goal. “I know from first-hand experience that many of the means that Israel has of defending herself are a consequence of a very solid relationship that has been built across generations between
the United States of America and the state of Israel,” Anthony said in an interview with The Herald after his talk. “I’m very alarmed that that’s changing on university campuses.” Despite concerns that Anthony would not take questions from attendees, he answered audience questions for over an hour immediately following his talk, doubling his budgeted time. Audience members pressed him on whether he supports a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and whether he thinks of himself as an “occupier” while on duty in the West Bank. Anthony said he opposed a twostate solution on the grounds that it is currently unrealistic. It is impossible to link the West Bank and the Gaza Strip without compromising Israeli security, he said. Anthony added that he would support an Israeli annexation of the occupied territories, since doing so would not jeopardize the Jewish majority in Israel as many claim. Anthony also addressed the issue of Israeli use of white phosphorous gas, a military tactic called out by the protesters as an example of the IDF’s willingness to violate international law. He said he supported both past and future use of the gas, citing his own experience using the gas on the front lines, adding that the gas is not illegal under international law, and Israel is not the only country using it. Before the lecture, student protesters marched in a circle outside Hillel, chanting with signs, reading a solidarity statement and waving Palestinian flags. After being barred from using
sound-amplifying technologies by the Providence police due to city ordinance, protesters moved across the street to the elevated patio outside J. Walter Wilson, where they read poems and named their reasons for protesting. “I see it as justifying the continued human rights abuses of the IDF in Israel and Palestine,” said Kenneth Lusk ’16. Some protesters cited personal experiences with the IDF. “As a Palestinian who actually experienced physical harm from IDF soldiers before, I am protesting because this person is representing a system of oppression,” said Ma’an Odeh ’16. Anthony said he speaks to “humanize soldiers” and probe conversations to delve deeper than “the confines of a headline.” “Anything in which I’m engaged militarily is done as a consequence of a deep, deep love for my own people and has nothing to do with negative feelings or emotions to another people,” Anthony told The Herald. “If we are not for ourselves, nobody will be,” he said of the Israeli people. Anthony told The Herald he speaks to university students because of their potential to become world leaders. It is a “great privilege” to be able to speak with them, he said. Anthony has spoken at over 300 college campuses, including all eight Ivy league schools, with his organization Our Soldiers Speak. He told The Herald he welcomes protesters and does not consider himself “politically aligned” despite coming under fire for his politics.
today 5
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
f u r , f u n a n d fa i r w e at h e r
menu SHARPE REFECTORY
VERNEY-WOOLLEY
LUNCH Hot Corned Beef on Rye, Falafel Bar, Red Potatoes with Chive Sauce, Tortilla Soup, Frosted Eclairs
Saturday Night Jambalaya, Vegetable Stuffed Red Peppers, Baseball Burrito Bar, Vegan Navy Bean Casserole
DINNER Vegetarian Sweet and Sour Tofu, Szechuan Beef and Broccoli, Brownie a la Mode with Hot Fudge
Roast Turkey, Fried Rice Bowl with Ham, Vegan Roasted Veggie Stew, Stuffing, Italian Bread, Spaghetti
JOSIAH’S
THREE BURNERS
QUESADILLA OR GRILLED CHEESE
Gnocchi Bar
Make-Your-Own Quesadillas
BLUE ROOM
SOUPS
DINNER ENTREES
Corn Chowder, Hearty Country Vegetable, Turkey Chili
Tomato Chicken with Vegetables and Potatoes, Peas, Zucchini Masala
sudoku
DAVID BRAUN / HERALD
Smiles abound as students interact with faculty members’ pets during a Heavy Petting event Wednesday hosted by Health Services.
comics Bacterial Culture | Dana Schwartz ’15 RELEASE DATE– Thursday, April 3, 2014
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle c rNorris o s sandwJoyce o rNichols d Lewis Edited by Rich ACROSS 1 Lab has lots of them 7 Many a chalet 13 Nielsen of “Airplane!” 14 Purple Label designer 15 Open, as a fern frond 16 Relieving 17 Olfactory detection 18 Rumor starter 22 Spanish pronoun 23 Vintage auto 24 Ballerina’s asset 26 Dress nattily, with “up” 27 Wrinkle-resistant synthetic 29 Alternative to gravel, perhaps 30 Humiliate 32 With 37-Across, what the circled words (shown in the appropriate direction) are capable of doing 35 Poker variety 36 Golfer Isao 37 See 32-Across 39 Part of a process 42 “Bartender, make __ double!” 43 Tie the knot on the sly 47 LBJ’s antipoverty agcy. 48 Sierra __ 51 “Papa-__-MowMow”: 1962 novelty hit 52 Suffix with school 54 Former “The View” co-host 55 Conglomeration 56 ’30s-’50s British Labour Party leader 58 25-Down div. 60 One on a ladder, to a kitten up a tree 61 Property recipient, in law 62 Join up 63 Garden sides DOWN 1 Prefix with scope
2 Shark, maybe 3 Comparable to a cucumber 4 Hurtful remark 5 Cocktail with cassis 6 Baseball commissioner under whom interleague play became a reality 7 Wake-up call, say 8 Pilot-licensing org. 9 Red herring 10 __ Nashville: country record label 11 “Stay Fresh” candy 12 Mesh, as gears 19 Tee off 20 Joie de vivre 21 Carrier with a Maple Leaf Lounge 24 “Here’s what happened next ...” 25 Ones getting lots of Bronx cheers 28 Hops driers 31 Speakeasy employee
33 Saturn SUV 34 Physics class topic 38 Bryce Canyon state 39 Cider press leftovers 40 Patricia of “Everybody Loves Raymond” 41 Of a blood line 44 “Va-va-voom!” 45 Self-assured
46 Gushes on a set 49 His last blog post ended, “I’ll see you at the movies” 50 Most Iraqis 53 Mid-11th century year 55 Eye, at the Louvre 57 Some RPI alums 59 Mike Trout’s team, on scoreboards
Class Notes | Philip Trammell ’15
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
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TODAY
APRIL 3
7:30 P.M. UCS-UFB DEBATE
The candidates for Undergraduate Council of Students president, UCS vice president, Undergraduate Finance Board chair and UFB vice chair will discuss their visions and campaign platforms. Metcalf Auditorium 9 P.M. SEX AND CHOCOLATE IN THE DARK!
Students for Choice and sexperts will conduct an anonymous open forum delving into questions and experiences related to sex. Chocolate and baked goods will be provided. Petteruti Lounge
TOMORROW
APRIL 4
11:30 A.M. MOVE FOR RESPECT — SEXUAL ASSAULT PEER EDUCATION EVENT
The Sexual Assault Peer Education Team will combine physical activity, strength and consent to foster body empowerment in events such as Lunges for Love, Yoga for “Yes” and Crunches for Consent. Participants will receive free sweatbands. Main Green 6 P.M. RELAY FOR LIFE By Don Gagliardo and C.C. Burnikel (c)2014 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
04/03/14
Various performances and activities will celebrate the efforts of those who have battled cancer through Relay for Life fundraising efforts on campus. Olney-Margolies Athletic Center
6 commentary
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
EDITORIAL
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Move away from sophomore Meiklejohns
Why I protested
The Herald reported Wednesday that acceptance to the Meiklejohn Peer Advising Program was more competitive this year, due in part to earlier online outreach (“Meiklejohn program amps up recruiting,” April 2). We are excited to see a more competitive process, since it implies improvement in advising, but we believe the program could be improved even more with a greater emphasis on hiring students with more time spent, and thus more experience, as undergraduates. The Meiklejohn program can be traced back to a century ago and has become an integral part of the undergraduate experience at Brown. Advisers serve the dual function of working with faculty members and students to facilitate better dialogue and giving a student perspective to first-years on issues including course selection, the housing lottery and social conflicts. While we believe the program already adds a great deal to the Brown experience, we believe it could be improved by accepting more experienced advisers in the application process. In light of a new round of Meiklejohn peer advisers accepted for the 2014-2015 academic year, we suggest a movement away from the model of accepting so many sophomore Meiklejohns. As the application process currently stands, rising sophomores, juniors and seniors have the opportunity to apply to be Meiklejohns. Rising juniors and seniors at the time of the application deadline have gone through multiple rounds of the housing lottery and at least four rounds of course registration, and they have likely navigated a great deal of social conflict. Rising sophomores, on the other hand, have been at Brown for about half of a calendar year and have not yet experienced much of what makes a Meiklejohn a useful resource to firstyears.Perhaps most importantly, rising sophomores have not gone through the process of declaring a concentration, which sheds light on ways to approach the first-year course selection process and overall academic experience. Certainly there are exceptions — some rising sophomores are exceptionally well-adjusted and capable of advising. For this reason, we do not recommend a full abandonment of sophomores as advisers. Rather, we support a movement toward valuing the experience of rising juniors and seniors over what decisionmakers in the acceptance process are perhaps regarding as sophomores’ perceived ability to be relatable to first-years. Sophomore advisers simply do not have the hindsight that juniors and seniors do when it comes to course selection. After exploring different departments over at least four semesters, juniors and seniors are frankly more knowledgeable and more likely to have experience-based answers to certain questions, namely those concerning fulfilling requirements versus exploring new departments, taking seminars versus lectures and applying for internships and research grants. It is not an issue of whether sophomore advisers would be capable of providing reasonable advice, but rather of whether they know little more than their first-year advisees from firsthand experience. Rising sophomores should not necessarily feel discouraged from applying to the program, but rising seniors in particular ought to seriously consider entering as rookie applicants as a means of providing service to a university that has served them well. Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: its editors, Matt Brundage ’15 and Rachel Occhiogrosso ’14, and its members, Hannah Loewentheil ’14 and Thomas Nath ’16. Send comments to editorials@browndailyherald.com.
To the Editor: This is a letter to everyone comparing the protest against Brown/RISD Hillel hosting an invite-only talk with Israel Defense Forces Sgt. Benjamin Anthony to the incident with Ray Kelly. This is a letter for anyone whose reaction upon hearing of the protest was: “We’re at an Ivy League institution, guys. Get with the free speech and intellectual dialogue already.” This is a letter for you. This is not a letter to tell you about the war crimes committed by Anthony or the relatives of mine who have been killed by the IDF’s tactics, but a letter to paint you a picture of intellectual dialogue and spell out propaganda and hope that you understand the difference. Here’s what ‘intellectual’ dialogue looks like: inviting a speaker who possibly theoretically believes in the use of white phosphorous against Palestinian civilians to engage with a group of people who may or may not agree. Real intellectual dialogue could perhaps be inviting a former Israeli solider who left the army after having trouble sleeping at night to ask about what he or she saw. Or even asking Amira Hass, an Israeli journalist for Haaretz who wrote a compelling letter to the soldier who killed a 14-year-old boy last month, what her take on the IDF is. Intellectual dialogue stimulates all to think about what they believe in and, more importantly, why they believe in something. Intellectual dialogue does not encompass a stage for a war criminal to tell you — or not even you, but only ‘political leaders who will be the future’ — why he kills children. Intellectual dialogue involves
talking with another person, not being talked at. Which leads me to the definition of propaganda: inviting a former Israeli sergeant and oppressor to speak to — almost secretly and definitely selectively — a group of ‘impressionable’ leaders in an attempt to influence their attitudes on why and how oppressing and ethnically cleansing a people is justifiable. Propaganda is free speech, correct, but you, reader, need to understand that this dinner was a political agenda that is trying, and succeeding, to be fulfilled. It is another method of persuading the world that the ethnic cleansing that is occurring is right and for a cause. I, and many other students, did not attend the protest to revolt against free speech. I did not attend it because I am half-Palestinian and patriotic and biased. I did not attend it to show Brown University that controversy should not be allowed onto campus. I protested because I want the campus to discuss who and what the IDF is and why Hillel thought to bring him of all speakers. I protested not to hear many dismiss it as Brown kids taking liberalism the wrong way, but to see students feel a little bit out of place when some angry Palestinian student explains to them what birthright really is and what it means. I protested because I want Brown students to wake up from this cowardly coma that inhibits them from discussing what is really going on when “that Palestine-Israel thing” is mentioned. I protested because I do not believe in giving the power of a platform for oppression to explain itself. Sara Al-Salem ’17
Q U O T E O F T H E D AY
“I’ll take a job that will let me live.” — George Hauser ’16
See job prospects on page 2. CORRECTIONS An article in Monday’s Herald (“Woods ’14 leads women’s water polo to eight wins in California,” March 31) incorrectly stated that the women’s water polo team defeated the University of California at San Bernardino over spring break. In fact, no such school exists; Brown played against California State University at San Bernardino. The Herald regrets the error. An article in Wednesday’s Herald (“Controversial Paxil paper still under fire 13 years later,” April 2) incorrectly stated that George Stewart wrote that the leadership of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry “muzzled” the organization’s ethics committee. In fact, he was referring to the academy’s leadership. The Herald regrets the error.
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commentary 7
THE BROWN DAILY HERALD THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
Israel/Palestine: The fine line NAVA WINKLER guest columnist
I wasn’t going to say anything, as I have been in the habit of doing for the past four years whenever this particular topic comes up and the brawl ensues — in its usual brief and violent sort of flare-up. But this time, the pang in my chest was a little more assertive. Maybe it’s because I’m graduating, or maybe because I finally trust that I have something worthwhile to say. Politics isn’t something I get too involved with. For better or worse, I am often more preoccupied with my own inner life. College has been one long, arduous trek up my own mountain of fear and confusion about issues important to who I am and what I believe in. I’m sure there are many on this campus, or any campus, who can relate. Even during my army service, I remained impartial about politics. In fact, this paradox I just stated is what I wrote about in my application to Brown. I titled it “The Impartial Soldier,” and I wrote it while I was still called a “madasnikit” six days of the week — short for “combat fitness trainer” in modern Hebrew. The essay was about living contradictions — the living contradiction that I was by volunteering for the Israel Defense Forces while also claiming to be neutral, as well as the other living contradictions I encountered during my two years on five different army bases in locations ranging from Mount Hermon on the northern border with Syria to Gaza in the south. Every now and then, I met an Israeli or Palestinian/ Israeli Arab who also seemed to embody contradictions: inner conflicts of place, of identity, of political opinion, ideology, religion and what have you. We were able to connect on this
level, and in this humble space we were able to share conflicting narratives and learn from each other’s personal life experiences without feeling threatened or disrespected. It didn’t take me long to understand that Israel itself was a living contradiction, and we were more than just our own individual conflicted selves. We were honest reflections of our environment. We were admitting the difficult truth that few on either “side” want to admit: that this piece of land doesn’t have one identity, one history, one rightful owner. As much as Palestinians or Israelis of a certain mindset — often those who speak the loudest — feud over royal-
perspectives that demonstrate complexity, not simple truths, and are therefore often excluded. One of the reasons why I always keep my mouth shut when conversations about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict arise, particularly those on a larger scale — campus-wide debates that always seem to escalate into an unconstructive, emotional, hateful mess full of exclamation marks — is because of this expectation that you have something to contribute to the conversation only if you have an opinion, an angry one. And not just that, but a manner of speaking that is supposed to prove you know more history and statistics than anyone else you’re arguing with.
We like to flaunt a self-image of a student body that is liberal, humanist and intellectually honest, but then we fail, over and over again, at the opportunity to exercise these life skills in real-world situations, including in discussions about Israel/Palestine. ties, the reality remains that it’s not that simple. As an amateur by choice in this kind of debate, I’m just going to state two facts that I trust: Arabs and Jews have always been living in that piece of land, whatever name you give it, and Arabs and Jews still do. Oh, and a third: They will likely both continue to live there no matter what any politician, terrorist, religious leader or Ivy League student thinks. Both peoples will remain. From all the facts and figures screamed to me in either ear over the years, these two, THREE, facts always bring the discussion back to earth. The people who accept them do not have an agenda to sway my opinions or disposition. All they demand of me is to listen to a narrative that isn’t already my own. Doing this lets me hear quiet voices with experiences and
Huh … so, what are we fighting about again? Ever find yourself asking that question when arguing about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict? Well, I can guarantee that the exhausted spectators are. In other words, that which should be the focus — truth and respectful dialogue — becomes about satisfying an overfed ego, or, for those who have more of an emotional investment in it, about confirming a likely inherited worldview and sticking to it. Wishful thinking. A destructive wish. A couple years ago, I met another person on campus who felt this way. Similar to me, he had a perspective based on real-life experience, not theoretical castles-in-the-air passing for opinions. He, too, didn’t find a common space to express his own personal narrative, which didn’t
necessarily conclude in any unidimensional convictions or self-righteous, finger-pointing statements. He shared with me his experiences in the West Bank and his intimate familiarity with being Palestinian, and I shared my experiences in the IDF, and what being half-Israeli means to me. Both perspectives were respected. Both identities were accepted. And all the complexities that inevitably came into view as a result of hearing out both narratives, and the contradictions that we subsequently embodied just by listening to one another without judgment, we confronted and lived with. I am remembering Avi Schaefer ’13, of blessed memory, whose aim was to create an atmosphere on campus that encouraged the exercise of genuine humanism when talking about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. A space of sharing stories and of accepting every identity, Palestinian and Israeli, as legitimate and equally worthy of our support and attention. I hope that the angry voices will stop drowning out the soft and that the future of dialogue on this campus about this conflict, or any conflict for that matter, will be done with humility and true respect for a spectrum of perspectives. We like to flaunt a self-image of a student body that is liberal, humanist and intellectually honest, but then we fail, over and over again, at the opportunity to exercise these life skills in realworld situations, including in discussions about Israel/Palestine. Why? I assume that we all share the hope that they will find peace and understanding over there, so let’s localize that hope and make the tedious, uncomfortable, paradigm-shattering effort to bring peace and understanding over here.
Nava Winkler ’14 can be contacted at nava_winkler@brown.edu. She is flawed, but tries her best. No hate mail, please.
Students deserve better from ResLife DANIEL DELANEY opinions columnist
When I came back to Brown for the start of the new semester, I saw many faces I hadn’t seen in almost a year. Junior fall is a time for many students to travel abroad, and my friends were newly returning to life at Brown. At the start of the semester, I also found that I no longer had a kitchen in Vartan Gregorian Quad B. As it turns out, the kitchen was turned into housing for returning study abroad students as a result of housing shortages on campus. During the first week, I ventured up to the third floor to see if any friends were cooking upstairs. However, the third floor, like the second, also didn’t have a kitchen. Unfortunately for the 148 students who live in New Dorm B, there is only one functional kitchen, located on the fourth floor of the building. I don’t usually cook, but I know that the people living down the hall from me are off meal plan, as are several other residents on my floor. No longer having a kitchen makes things difficult for them. This is not only inconvenient, but it points out two serious problems
with housing at Brown. First, and somewhat less important, is the simple fact that many students go off meal plan but remain in dorms, expecting to have a kitchen available each day. New Dorm, in which all students are either juniors or seniors, offers an example of this popular lifestyle. By using the kitchens as rooms for overflow housing, Brown restricts
for student use. Converting these areas is detrimental not only to the students forced to live there, but also to those normally accustomed to having them available. Second and more important is the fact that this situation points out a blatant shortage of housing for students. This results in massive inconveniences for students and a clear reduction in the quality of liv-
unknown roommates. It is not only returning students that find themselves in this situation. Summer assignment is all too common for rising sophomores and often results in the same scenario. Friends of mine were put into summer assignment after their first year, split up individually, put back together, split into two doubles and finally reunited in a makeshift com-
It does not make sense that so many students are denied offcampus permission when, year after year, Brown is forced to convert community living spaces — mostly kitchens and common rooms — into makeshift dormitories to accommodate an excess. the ability of students who make the choice to go off meal plan to make their own meals. This is simply unacceptable. Unacceptable too is the lack of common space available for students to work and study as a result of the housing dilemma. Many students use common rooms to work, get together and escape from their rooms for a bit. Regardless of whether students frequently use a kitchen, a common space or a study room, it should be understood that spaces like these must be available
ing for many. This has been a problem in the past — a problem that many have tried to bring to the attention of the administration — but nothing has changed. Many students are put in overflow housing after studying abroad because the University has not worked out the numbers in terms of available rooms and the quantity of students it needs to accommodate. Sadly, it has become commonplace to visit dorms that no longer have kitchens or common spaces available and meet people that live with
mon room for the duration of their sophomore year. It is not fair for Brown students to find themselves in these types of situations, especially considering the number of students who are unable to live off campus each year. It does not make sense that so many students are denied off-campus permission when, year after year, Brown is forced to convert community living spaces — mostly kitchens and common rooms — into makeshift dormitories to accommodate an excess.
As I wrote in a column last semester (“Really, ResLife?” Sept. 23), students’ quality of living is important, and the choice of where they will live for the year is an important part of their college experience. As such, the University should make more of an effort to accommodate all students in a comfortable manner, as well as in a manner that does not inconvenience the remainder of the undergraduate population. One simple way to resolve this problem would be to increase off-campus permission for juniors. Or better yet, to eliminate the three-year oncampus housing requirement altogether. Housing is too critical a part of college life to be run by a system that is disorganized and detrimental. There are simple solutions that could be put into effect immediately and would greatly improve students’ living experiences. So please, Office of Residential Life, help my friends get their kitchen back, and let my friends living in the kitchen find the adequate living space they deserve for the $11,994 in room and board fees they paid this year.
Daniel Delaney ’15 can be reached for comment at daniel_delaney@brown.edu.
THURSDAY, APRIL 3, 2014
THE
BROWN DAILY HERALD
features
Spotlight on the Statehouse BY KATE KIERNAN, METRO EDITOR One week after the election of Nicholas Mattiello, D-Providence, as the new speaker of the House and the subsequent changes in leadership in the General Assembly, legislators proposed and considered bills on health insurance coverage for opiate addiction, the expansion of access to higher education and the use of electronic devices.
Covering opioid addiction treatment
A bill introduced March 25 by Sen. Paul Jabour, D-Providence, proposes making health insurance plans cover opioid addiction treatment, according to a General Assembly press release. Medication that would be covered if the bill were adopted includes drugs used in the event of opioid overdose and those used to treat people abusing opioid substances, according to the bill. The drugs would have to be covered like other medications used to treat mental illnesses. The bill also proposes requiring Rhode Island health care facilities to submit plans for discharging patients undergoing treatment for opioid addiction to the director of the Department of Health. These discharge plans would include mechanisms for helping patients transition out of facilities, schedule follow-up appointments and remain connected to “inpatient and outpatient services,” according to the bill.
College cred
Rep. Joseph McNamara, D-Warwick and Cranston, introduced a bill to create a three-year pilot program to help Rhode Island adults complete college degrees. The bill attempts to “address the skills gap in Rhode Island” between employers and potential employees, according to a General Assembly press release. The program would be run through a partnership with Charter Oak State College — a Connecticut public online college — and College Unboard, a Providence-based degree completion program. One thousand adults who have earned nine hours of college course credit would be served at a facility in Rhode Island run by Charter Oak, “where instruction, student services and education program administration are provided, and educational credentials are granted,” according to the release. The program would be overseen by the Rhode Island Partnership Project, a branch of the Department of Education’s office of higher education. The legislation will come before the House Committee on Health, Education and Welfare, which McNamara chairs.
Tech-savvy
The House Judiciary Committee heard several pieces of legislation at its Tuesday meeting that proposed placing restrictions on the use of electronic devices for individuals and institutions, according to a General Assembly press release. A bill introduced by Rep. Charline Lima, D-Cranston and Providence, proposes prohibiting Rhode Islanders from using cellphones while driving “a commercial motor vehicle” in accordance with federal regulations. Another bill, introduced by Rep. Raymond Gallison Jr., D-Bristol and Portsmouth, would prohibit using “a computer, phone, smartphone, tablet or any like device” to defame or threaten students at Rhode Island schools and colleges.
BRITTANY COMUNALE / HERALD
With a limestone facade and one of only four rotundas on campus, Marston Hall stands as a classic example of American Renaissance architecture.
Marston endures at center of Science Park Creaky stairs and original fountains create unique home for comparative literature, Slavic studies By EMMA HARRIS SENIOR STAFF WRITER
One in an occasional series of articles spotlighting the architectural and social history of spaces at Brown. Amid Brown’s hub of brick and concrete science buildings lies an odd gem. Marston Hall, the current home to the departments of comparative literature and Slavic languages, sits in the center of Sciences Park as a throwback to an earlier time. Commissioned in 1918 and dedicated in 1926, what was at the time the “Marston Hall of Modern Languages” was gifted to the University by Edgar Lewis Marston, a member
of Brown’s Board of Fellows, and sits on land acquired by the University in 1854. Marston donated $150,000, and the additional $64,000 used in construction came from “gifts of other friends of the University,” according to Encyclopedia Brunoniana. The cost of the building came to $214,000. At its inception, the building housed the departments of French, German, Hispanic and Italian studies, which have all relocated since they “outgrew the nexus of shared space,” said Robert Emlen, senior lecturer of American studies. Built of Indiana limestone, the white hall’s entrance is visually striking. The two-floor foyer is naturally lit by a stained-glass cupola overhead and is anchored by a central fireplace. Four arched wooden alcoves surround the space, and a grand table fills out its center. This is one of only four “‘rotunda’ spaces at Brown,” according to a 2006
preservation report by R.M. Kliment and Frances Halsband Architects. The others are in Robinson Hall, University Hall and the Cabinet Building, home to the University’s Population Studies and Training Center. Marston was designed by William Welles Bosworth, the architect of the Morgan Library and Museum in New York City and a “close acquaintance” of John D. Rockefeller Jr. 1897, according to Brown Facades, a mobile app created by students and faculty members that was released last year. On the outside of the building, the University’s original seal engraves the walls of the upper-left entryway. Brown’s current seal sits on the entrance’s right side. Today, complete with creaky wooden doors, the Slavic languages department library and original — but out-of-commission — water fountains, Marston still has its » See MARSTON, page 4
Motor City Exchange invests in Detroit’s revitalization Student-run initiative hopes to rejuvenate city known for its 20th-century deindustrialization By ALEKSANDRA LIFSHITS CONTRIBUTING WRITER
While most Brown students scramble to find summer internships on the East or West Coast, a few are venturing to a city where job prospects seem slim: Detroit. “The amount one student can do within a summer is really significant,” said Ben Gellman ’14, co-founder of Motor City Exchange. In January, Gellman partnered with two University of Chicago students to found Motor City Exchange, a pilot program that links college students with different community development organizations in Detroit for 10-week summer internships. The exchange connects students with organizations that are typically understaffed, Gellman said. Gellman, a Detroit native, was inspired by his work with two community development agencies on opposite ends of the city during high school.
“Through my job, I became affiliated with this network of people who were embedded in the work they were doing in their local neighborhoods,” he said. “That motivated my interest in a career that helped advance economic development in cities like the one I came from.” The program is unique in its design because it provides a support network for interns working in Detroit, said Naomi Varnis ’16, MCX outreach director. The project targets Detroit because of its legacy of deindustrialization, which caused rapid population and economic decline in the city in the decades following World War II, Gellman said. With MCX, Gellman saw an opportunity to help revitalize a once-vibrant city. “People think there is New York, San Francisco and maybe Chicago,” he said. “But the way people are envisioning
Detroit’s future is unheard of.” The city is full of opportunities and creativity but “needs help, since it does not have the resources that other big cities have,” said Alissa Rhee ’16, MCX communication director. For this upcoming summer, MCX has formed partnerships with four community-based organizations: Builders of Promise, Focus: HOPE, Michigan Urban Farming Initiative and Hostel Detroit. The partnerships will allow participants “to leverage the experiences of undergraduates to help drive capacities
within organizations that need it,” Gellman said. Motor City Exchange recently fielded its first summer application process and received a diverse array of applicants and student interests. “Many of our applicants were from places outside of Detroit, and many of them were not even from cities but from rural areas,” Rhee said. Of these applicants, many were firstyears and sophomores at Brown, Varnis said, adding that younger applicants are particularly attractive because they can “become invested in the program
and help the program grow over their time at Brown.” Depending on funding, Motor City Exchange will send three to five Brown students to Detroit this summer. The program is currently relying on the University’s Linking Internships and Knowledge (LINK) Award to fund Brown student internships but hopes to get more consistent funding as the program grows, Gellman said. Since MCX is in its pilot phase, the program’s direction and long-term goals will be decided after this first summer of operation, Gellman said.
COURTESY OF BEN GELLMAN
Motor City Exchange pairs undergraduates with understaffed, community-based organizations for development efforts in Detroit.