Tuesday, September 30, 2014

THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD vol. cxlix, no. 78

since 1891

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

Sidney Frank legacy endures in scholarship Ten years in, scholars program funded by $100 million donation supports low-income students

By MARINA RENTON SENIOR STAFF WRITER

DAVE DECKEY / HERALD

At $13 million, a new grant will finance about 11 percent of the city’s streetcar project, slated to cost $117.7 million. “We’ve got a long way to go,” said Arthur Salisbury, president of the Jewelry District Association.

Streetcar project advances with grant Proposed streetcar system would connect downtown with upper South Providence

ment of Transportation, awarded Sept.

11, the city of Providence is taking more steps to support its proposed streetcar system. The long-term plan would help connect downtown to upper South Providence and the Jewelry District and will require the acquisition of more funding before moving forward.

The TIGER grant will benefit the Jewelry District, said Arthur

METRO

By ALEXANDER BLUM SENIOR STAFF WRITER

With a new $13 million Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery grant from the U.S. Depart-

Salisbury, president of the Jewelry District Association. But, he added, “we’ve got a long way to go” to try and minimize the funding disparity.

Despite the present lack of funding, the streetcar project remains a popular initiative among stakeholders from Providence — particularly those in the Jewelry District, which would benefit from being better connected to the rest of the city, Salisbury said. » See STREETCAR, page 3

“I write you with extraordinary news,” began a September 2004 email to the Brown community from then-President Ruth Simmons.

Sidney E. Frank ’42 had made a $100 million donation — the largest in University history — to establish the Sidney E. Frank Endowed Scholarship Fund. The fund provides scholarships to students from low-income families, allowing them to graduate without student loan debt.

The first group of Sidney Frank Scholars graduated in the class of 2009.

Now, there are approximately 130 scholars enrolled on campus in a given year, said Maitrayee Bhattacharyya, associate dean of the College for diversity programs, who manages programming for the Sidney Frank Scholars Program.

The program, 10 years old this month, has helped several classes of students, evolving to strengthen the scholar community and expand the resources available to its members.

‘One to be admired’ A Connecticut native, Frank was a member of the class of 1942, but financial difficulties forced him to leave Brown after his first year. He eventually found great success in the business world, marketing Jagermeister Liqueur and Grey Goose Vodka.

“I know from my own experience what a difference Brown can make in a young person’s life,” Frank was quoted as saying in Simmons’ email. “I’ve wanted to help more students find what I found — especially students who figured Brown was out of reach financially.”

“In spite of the fact he couldn’t attend for three more years, he wasn’t spiteful,” said Taran Raghuram ’14, a former Sidney Frank Scholars Association coordinator. “His story is really one to be admired.”

“Brown opened so many doors for me, and I was able to have so many opportunities that I couldn’t have even imagined were available,” said Jessica Feng ’12, also a former SFSA coordinator and now a medical student at the University of Massachusetts. “To be able to be part of (Frank’s) legacy is an extraordinary privilege.”

Frank died in 2006, but his legacy at Brown lives on through the scholarship fund and the Sidney Frank Hall for Life » See SFS, page 2

Karma violence spurs nightclub closures Spats to remain open, District nightclubs with management change Jewelry face scrutiny after recent

By CAMILLA BRANDFIELD-HARVEY SENIOR STAFF WRITER

inside

Despite recent reports of Spats’ impending closure, the restaurant’s doors will remain open, owner Andy Mitrelis confirmed to The Herald Monday night.

Though Mitrelis declined to provide specific information about management changes, a female employee at Spats, who declined to provide her name, said the business came under new management about two months ago.

Mitrelis said a switch will occur in the future. “There will be a change of management, that’s it.”

Mitrelis, who owns Spats, has sold the building — which houses the restaurant and upstairs apartments — but the business remains for sale, the employee said.

Asked to confirm or deny this, Mitrelis declined to comment. “We cannot discuss (the) business,” he said.

The employee described Spats’ current management as “chaotic.” Those in charge at Spats have been absent and disorganized, she said, adding that management has neglected to order liquor and restaurant supplies.

Sophia Sepulveda ’15, who created a Facebook event Sept. 8 and tanks with the phrase “We are the Spats generation” to draw community support for Spats, said she heard the news of Spats’ staying open when she called Monday evening to reconfirm its closing.

A member of the waitstaff told her that Spats would be open for an indeterminate amount of time, Sepulveda said.

Over the past few weeks, rumors spread across campus, with many saying that Spats would become a Chinese restaurant. But that speculation was always just “hearsay,” the female employee said. She added that the rumor could have began because of a prospective buyer, whom the employee described as an Asian man.

Various members of the community reacted strongly to the initial news of Spats closing.

“The tank was supposed to garner » See SPATS, page 3

string of violent gang activity

By ALIZA REISNER STAFF WRITER

Nightclubs in the Jewelry District have come under scrutiny and now must comply with ne w restr ictions following several violent incidents, including a gang shooting at the nightclub Karma that left two victims critically injured, the Providence Journal reported.

The events at Karma — which led to its forced closing in January — “made the board realize the extent of what can happen to people at nightclubs,” said Major David LaPatin, commanding officer of the Investigative Division at the Providence Police Department, adding that restrictions on nightclubs have increased this year.

Arthur Salisbury, president of the Jewelry District Association, said that while nightclubs are an important aspect of the “vibrant nightlife” of the Jewelry District, “we have had some very serious problems with the nightclubs that were here.” Only 16

METRO

Features

Commentary

Sexiled students have stories and strategies about coping with unexpected lockouts

Brown Pen Pals fosters anonymous friendships between students

Kenyon GS: Debate over Scottish secession did not end with the “no” vote

Grapengeter-Rudnick ’17: Mandated co-ed frats will not end rape culture

PAGE 4

PAGE 4

PAGE 7

PAGE 7

weather

Owner Andy Mitrelis confirms restaurant is not set to close, despite previous reports

of the 22 nightclubs that were open at the beginning of the year within a 900-foot radius of the Jewelry District have remained open following Karma’s closing, he added.

An additional application for a club on Richmond Street was rejected due to uncertainty about the owner’s qualifications, he said.

Salisbury said he is not opposed to existing nightclubs. “We like them and we like the activity on the street at nights, as long as it is good activity,” Salisbury said.

“We are looking for a vibrant and active nightlife and want good nightclubs and restaurants,” he added.

“The youth has to be entertained in a city of our size,” LaPatin said.

“However, it comes to a point where there is drinking, masses of people, and you’re always going to have arguments and fights.”

“If a club fails to control their patrons like they should, then there can be some injuries,” he added.

“I have been to nightclubs in Providence a handful of times for Brown events and for the most part have always felt safe,” said Hayley Flug ’17.

But she recounted one time last October when her friend was “caught in a scramble with other nightclub-goers and the security accidently tazed my friend’s head.”

DAVID BRAUN / HERALD

Jewelry District clubs have drawn criticism from community for recent violent behavior among patrons.

Problems often begin when gang members frequent the district’s nightclubs, Salisbury said.

While nightclubs do not necessarily promote gang violence, there are certain attributes of a club — like » See NIGHTCLUBS, page 3 t o d ay

tomorrow

68 / 58

62 / 57

2 university news

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

discovered that his financial aid award did not include a work-study program for the first year, he said, he realized that “this was something special, this was not normal.”

Like Sisemore, Floripa Olguin ’16 expressed appreciation for the resources available to Sidney Frank Scholars.

“Learning more about the program, learning more about what it means to be a Sidney Frank Scholar I think really helped in forming my own identity here at Brown,” she said.

component for the semester they are away will be covered by a University scholarship.

Creating community When Bhattacharyya fisrt began working with the program, she said, the only event programming was a reception for new scholars. After soliciting feedback from students, organizers crafted a more elaborate calendar of events, including a peer orientation program and a peer mentorship program called “Frank Buddies.”

Sisemore has been a mentor for the past two years. “I’ve met some great underclassmen through that arrangement and hopefully been able to help them navigate some of the things they’ve gone through,” he said.

Olguin was drawn to becoming an SFSA coordinator in part because of the positive mentorship experience she had as an underclassman. “I knew some upperclassmen who really helped develop my time at Brown and gave me lots of guidance I have been very thankful for,” she said.

Feng said she noticed tremendous growth in the program just during her four years at Brown. Now there are many

Opening doors Feng was initially “so excited” when she was admitted to Brown, she said, but the thrill was followed by “this anticipation of and almost fear of perhaps disappointment because so much of my ability to attend Brown would depend on” financial aid. Upon seeing her cost of attendance, Feng was “completely surprised in the most wonderful way.”

“I had never heard of the Sidney Frank Scholarship because it’s not something you apply for — it’s something the financial aid office decides,” she said.

“But I knew right away that ‘now I can go to Brown.’ That was a huge moment for me and for my family as well.”

Other scholarship recipients described being initially unsure of what it meant to be a Sidney Frank Scholar.

“When I … understood that it’s not just a named scholarship but a built-in support network that starts supporting you your first year at college, it was really meaningful,” said Destin Sisemore ’15.

Raghuram said he was already “overwhelmed” at finding out he had been accepted to Brown before he looked at his financial aid award. “I didn’t know what (being a Sidney Frank Scholar) meant at the time,” Raghuram said. When he

Sidney Frank Scholars are low-income college students who have overcome obstacles, said Erica Cummins, assistant director of financial aid.

RHEA STARK / HERALD

The Sidney E. Frank Hall for Life Sciences and the Sidney Frank Scholars program are parts of the legacy of Sidney Frank ’42, who donated over $100 million to the University before his death in 2006.

» SFS, from page 1 Sciences, a building for which Frank donated $20 million. He was awarded an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters in 2005.

The scholarship fund “assisted Brown in continuing its commitment to need-blind admissions,” said Jim Tilton, director of financial aid. Brown had commenced a need-blind domestic first-year admission policy prior to Frank’s donation,, “but $100 million helps,” he added.

When deciding which students will receive the Sidney Frank Scholarship, “we’re looking first at the low-income

parameter, but then we are expanding upon that,” said Erica Cummins, assistant director of financial aid and the financial aid liaison for Sidney Frank Scholars. “We really try to look for a student that has surpassed some difficult circumstances throughout their lifetime.”

“These are young people who have really done amazing things to get here,” Tilton said.

For their first year, Sidney Frank Scholars have a work scholarship, rather than a work-study component, Cummins said, which is a unique feature of the program. In addition, if scholars elect to study abroad, their work-study

more “opportunities for student leadership, for Sidney Frank Scholars to get involved, which I think is tremendous,” she said.

Sidney Frank Scholar events are sometimes held in partnership with the first-generation students initiative, the CareerLAB and the Science Center.

There are also occasional opportunities to meet members of the Frank family, which “always means a lot to scholars,” Feng said. Frank’s daughter Cathy Frank Halstead meets with the scholars yearly and will come to campus next month.

“Frank Chats” take place multiple times a year. The group discussions and social gatherings serve as an opportunity for scholars to have open conversations or take a study break. The chats focus on “connecting the scholars to resources on campus, raising awareness of opportunities available” and community-building, Bhattacharyya said.

With the program’s growth, scholars have developed “a real sense of community” as resources have expanded and the program has gained recognition around campus, Tilton said.

“There’s a strong core group of scholars who show up to most of the events,” Sisemore said. “Every time I walk into a Frank Chat, it’s like a safe space” as well as a social one, he added.

“Some of my closest friends at Brown I met at the Sidney Frank peer orientation, and some of the most valuable pieces of advice I’ve had at Brown were from Sidney Frank mentors,” Olguin said.

Some scholars also said there is a » See SFS, page 3

RHEA STARK / HERALD

university news 3

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

» STREETCAR, from page 1

» SFS, from page 2

Streetcar projects have a good reputation for attracting investment and development, since the routes are permanent once “the tracks are in the ground,” Salisbury said, adding that the routes cannot easily be canceled or removed. The longevity of the streetcar routes lends confidence to potential investors in LINK property — 40 acres of land in the Jewelry District formerly occupied by I-195 — because it affirms the city’s commitment to developing the area, Salisbury said. Developing a street car system is also an advantage over simply expanding bus routes, which can be re-routed or canceled.

“The LINK endorses the streetcar project,” said Dyana Koelsch, president of DK Communications and media contact for the LINK, adding that the proposed installation of a permanent transportation system “is something of interest to developers.”

But the $13 million TIGER grant represents only 11 percent of the project’s estimated $117.8 million cost and only one third of what the plan expected to receive from federal funding.

According to the project proposal, which outlines the project’s objectives and implementation strategies, the streetcar project is estimated to cost $117.8 million. Funding for the project will come from a combination of Tax Increment Financing bonds — a financing mechanism that earmarks property taxes to pay for community improvement projects — Rhode Island Public Transportation Authority’s Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program, Rhode Island Capital Plan funds and a Rhode Island Department of Transportation land transfer, according to the plan. The majority of funding is expected to come from city TIF bonds and the federal government, with those two categories representing 47 percent of the funding and 34 percent, respectively.

“It has a long way to go,” said Dan Baudouin, executive director of the Providence Foundation, adding that the grant award is a step in the right direction, but most money will have to come from state funds. “People have understood the connection between transit and economic development,” he said, adding that the streetcar system would help the city address other issues such as traffic and pollution.

But Baudouin said the Providence Foundation, which promotes the city’s economic development, has been focused on supporting question six on November’s bond referendum, rather than the streetcar project. The referendum question addresses “fund enhancements and renovations to mass transit hubs,” according to the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce’s website. Baudouin said that if passed, the bond referendum would place a special emphasis on improving public transit at the city’s Amtrak station.

greater sense of group identity now that there are multiple generations of Sidney Frank Scholars.

Last year, Sidney Frank Scholars had special stoles at commencement. The stoles were red and emblazoned with the Brown and Sidney Frank Scholars logos, Bhattacharyya said.

“The scholars take great pride in being scholars,” she said. “I saw a real excitement and enthusiasm at this past commencement.”

Raghuram said he was “absolutely stoked” to wear his stole at commencement. “We’re super grateful to this organization for what they’ve done for us, and we’re proud to show it.”

Last year, the first class of Sidney Frank Scholars celebrated its fifth reunion. Members were invited back to campus to celebrate with graduating seniors, and they received stoles as well, Bhattacharyya said.

As the alum community grows, “to whatever extent the scholars and alums want to be a part of a network, (I want to) facilitate that,” Bhattacharyya said.

“I get a sense from current scholars that they appreciate connecting with alums.”

Looking forward Both Olguin and Raghuram said they see room for improvement in several areas of the scholarship program, but the weaker features align with issues the University as a whole could address, they indicated.

“Having more discussion surrounding class and how social mobility affects students would probably be a great addition to the program,” Olguin said.

“That was what I gained from a lot of informal discussions with older mentors,

» SPATS, from page 1 support from the community, and I think it achieved that,” Sepulveda said.

In addition to widespread interest from students, professors and staff members have emailed Sepulveda requesting shirt orders and inquiring about the shirts’ delivery, she said.

but it hasn’t been a formal part of the program.”

It “reflects Brown University as a whole in terms of the need to discuss class more,” she added.

“While all the supports from the Sidney Frank Association are really amazing, I think reinforced academic support would be extremely helpful to the organization,” Raghuram said, as “there’s always the initial shock of your first course in college. … This isn’t really a question about Sidney Frank, it’s a question about Brown in general.”

Still, the program was “more than I expected,” Raghuram said.

Sisemore said he would like to see more career advising through the Sidney Frank Scholars program. Already “there is some career preparation involved” in programming during the year, but the transition from being a college student to thinking about success beyond college is significant, he said.

“There’s a lot less conversation about what a first-generation student and students from low-income backgrounds do after they graduate,” he said, adding that he is working to strengthen the connection between the Sidney Frank Scholars Program and the CareerLAB. “Not because we don’t have resources in place for that, but just because I think that transition requires a lot more resources.”

Mutual benefit The Sidney Frank Scholars Program logo is a multicolored rising sun. The sun represents “a bold people,” and is reminiscent of the “infinite possibilities we carry with us into Brown and beyond,” Paul Tran ’14 wrote in the designer notes.

Several scholars expressed gratitude for the scholarship and the “I did show some of the wait staff the tanks. They knew what was going on, so perhaps the management fully realized that we didn’t want it to close,” Sepulveda said.

Some students around campus expressed delight at the news that Spats would remain open. “My heart ripped out of my chest, because I live three

accompanying resources, and administrators lauded the benefit of the increased diversity the scholarship facilitates.

“The Sidney Frank Scholarship has helped Brown with its commitment to diversity on campus, both ethnic diversity and socioeconomic diversity,” Tilton said.

When he first arrived at Brown, Raghuram said, he felt “immense gratitude” for the scholarship. “On top of (the financial assistance), you have this network, this organization, Dean Bhattacharyya, all these resources on top of what Brown’s already given you to help with the transition.”

“Pride is definitely a prominent feeling now having spent four years in the program,” he said.

“We are all here as Sidney Frank Scholars, and whatever diverse backgrounds we come from, there’s some common threads.”

The scholarship has “enabled my time at Brown,” Sisemore said. “It’s been an empowering experience for me and one that can only get stronger.”

“We as a community really benefit from the amazing young people who come to Brown, who are able to come to Brown as a result of the scholarship,” Bhattacharyya said.

When scholars leave Brown, they enter into a variety of fields and make a far-reaching impact on the world, Feng said. “One man’s generosity is affecting so many lives,” she added. “Not only ours by giving us the opportunity to attend this fantastic school and receive a great education, but also what we’re going to do with our Brown education.”

“Sidney Frank will have a hand in so many people’s lives, both directly and indirectly,” she said. doors down from Spats, so we were all very excited to spend our senior year (there),” said Lily Sykes ’15.

“Spats is a Brown legend,” said Ian Callender ’15. “It deserves to stick around.”

-With additional reporting by Kiki Barnes and Emma Jerzyk

» NIGHTCLUBS, from page 1 genre of music played or locations of club advertisements — that might attract gang members, Salisbury said.

Some of the new restrictions imposed by the JDA on nightclubs include interviews and background checks of potential club owners, Salisbury said.

The JDA is committed to “promoting and supporting the good clubs,” he added.

JDA’s most recent monthly meeting focused on nightlife problems extending into Federal Hill, Salisbury said.

The JDA has been working with community leaders in Federal Hill since early August to deal with a handful of restaurants that are not legally nightclubs but are running as such, Salisbury said. These restaurants — like the $3 Bar, which had its license suspended in July after a violent incident — are “hurting the economic development of Federal Hill,” he said.

Members of the City Council and Mayor Angel Taveras expressed concerns about these businesses that mirror nightclubs, suggesting they do not belong on Federal Hill, the Providence Journal reported.

Some students acknowledge that nightclubs are a growing part of college social life.

“The social scene on College Hill has transformed into a social scene all over downtown Providence,” said Oliver Swig ’17. But he said the nightclubs he has been to in Providence are “not as energetic” as those in other metropolitan areas and “are lacking in ambiance and general customer support.”

While Swig said he thinks there should be a greater sense of security at nightclubs in Providence given recent violent incidents, he does not think systems currently in place, such as metal detectors at club entrances, will solve the problem. “I would not like to see more nightclubs in Providence,” he said.

4 features

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

Letters unsigned, but Putting up the ‘do not disturb’ sign forces some sealed and delivered Sexiling students to lead a As Pen Pals, anonymous students foster new friendships through oldfashioned letter writing

By NATALIE FONDRIEST CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Some may say the art of a handwritten letter has been lost in a modern age saturated with Snapchats and Emojis. But the Brown Pen Pals are dedicated to keeping this fleeting art of letter writing alive.

Through the club, student pairs exchange handwritten letters to form anonymous, yet surprisingly intimate, relationships.

“It’s kind of romantic,” said Wenjie Zheng ’17, current coordinator of the group, adding that one past pen pal pair became a married couple. Though about 75 percent of pen pal pairs choose never to meet in person, the friendships the letters foster are deep and lasting, Zheng said.

“You don’t know their face — it doesn’t mean that you don’t know them,” said Mandana Ali ’16.5, a current Brown pen pal. Anonymity provides the “opportunity to be 100 percent unfiltered.”

Signed Meia Geddes ’14 and her friend Nestor Noyola ’14 co-founded the group during the fall of 2012. As coordinators, Geddes and Noyola played matchmakers for pen pal pairs using applicants’ preference forms for semester level, gender, letter topics and, above all, writing frequency.

Originally, the coordinators matched pairs randomly, using cut strips of paper with students’ names on them to maintain the physicality of Pen Pals behind the scenes.

As a new coordinator, Zheng plans to require a writing sample from applicants “to ensure they’re dedicated to writing letters.” Though coordinators can reassign pairs at any time during the semester if a pen pal is unresponsive, a pen pal relationship can last as long as each pair wants, and “people can choose to reveal themselves at any time,” Geddes said.

Once matched, pairs are free to determine the nature of their relationship as pen pals, including letter length, frequency and content. Ali said she exchanges letters of varying lengths once a month with her pen pal. The longest letter was five pages, the shortest was just one page, and the “first letters were both extremely long,” she said.

Another pen pal, who preferred to remain anonymous for the sake of her pen pal relationship, said she exchanges a letter with her pen pal every two to three weeks. And the pair does not just exchange letters — this writer sent her favorite novella to her pen pal.

Mail Services accommodates the anonymity of Pen Pals within the University: Students exchange box numbers under pseudonyms or simply label the letters “Pen Pals” rather than using names. Letter sending is free within the University, but external growth adds costs to the group.

The group currently reimburses its four pairs of international pen pals, Zheng said.

Sealed Pen Pals fosters relationships of depth more than breadth. Geddes said the coordinators originally tried to plan events at which pen pal pairs could meet one another, but these events proved unpopular in the group’s formative years. Zheng said he’s toyed around with the idea of hosting

events that maintain anonymity, such as a masquerade.

The medium of the anonymous letter makes the pen pal relationship more personal, Zheng said, adding that “the person’s handwriting looks like the person himself or herself,” he added. Zheng emphasized the different mode of thought in writing by hand and the self reflection required to describe “who we are” to an anonymous stranger. He smiled to call it “the adventure of finding your true self.”

The young club is growing fast.

More than 300 students signed up for Pen Pals this year, compared to around 150 last year, according to Zheng. Moving forward, Zheng plans to launch new programs to expand Pen Pals to studentfaculty pairs and to work with the Department of Literary Arts in forming handwriting and letter writing workshops.

Delivered Though Pen Pals formally advertises only at Brown, some Rhode Island School of Design students and Brown alums participate, and “we are still looking for more alums,” Zheng added.

Though the club did not exist during their time at Brown, Jessica Pan ’07 and Rachel Kapelke-Dale ’07 have long used the traditional means of communication. The pair chose to publish their correspondence as a book this past May.­ The nonfiction collection of letters, titled “Graduates in Wonderland,” was the result of a pact made between the two the night before their graduation. They promised each other to write handwritten letters, even when they lived on opposite sides of the globe. The book gained attention from “Gilmore Girls” creator Amy ShermanPalladino. The book’s co-authors and Sherman-Palladino have since discussed potential film and television adaptations.

At a “Graduates in Wonderland” book signing held at the Brown Bookstore, Pan, one of the book’s authors, met Pen Pal founder Geddes and expressed her support for the on-campus group.

I’m yours The human connection forged in letter writing keeps pen pals writing back.

Pan noted the catharsis and grounding she feels from writing letters.

Letter writers “don’t get bogged down with the details,” she said.

“I found that when you have to relay the situation to someone else who’s not (there), you sort of see everything,” she explained.

Pan also said she cherishes honest, removed feedback from her former pen pal. Kapelke-Dale was the first to notice Pan’s true love for China and for the man who is now her husband, Pan said, adding that Kapelke-Dale identified these feelings in Pan before she realized them herself.

Pan and Kapelke-Dale now live five blocks apart in London, so they spend more time editing each other’s work than writing letters, Pan said. Today the occasional letter sometimes comes with a caveat, “You’re not allowed to publish this.”

Pan described her personal letter writing style to include dialogue, humor, reflection and “a sense of present tense.”

But most important, according to Pan, is “total honesty even if it’s completely embarrassing.”

“Be honest and personal and revealing because you’ll get rewarded, and it’s just nice to be known and to feel like you know someone else,” she said.

nomadic and couchhopping lifestyle

By CAROLYNN CONG STAFF WRITER

At 3 a.m. during reading period last semester, Ben, a junior, was about to head back to his dorm when he received a text from his roommate.

“Don’t come back to the room,” it read.

Ben, whose name — like those of several students interviewed for this article — has been changed to maintain confidentiality, spent the night in the Littlefield lounge, just one night of many that he had to find a place to crash while his roommate and his “live-in girlfriend” occupied the room.

“One week I was sexiled at least four times,” he said. “It was just a really frequent disruption of my life,” affecting not only his sleeping patterns but also his health and his grades, he added.

‘I’m sexiled’ Most students define sexiling as the phenomenon of being “exiled” from their own living quarters by a roommate who is hooking up with someone.

Gwyneth, a senior, said during her first year, she walked in on her roommate in the act and was subsequently relegated to the dorm hallway.

“I didn’t really have anything to do, so I just sat outside,” she said. Passersby asked her what she was doing, she recalled, to which she responded, “I’m sexiled!”

On the nights when he was sexiled, Ben said, he would try to “kill time by hanging out at a friend’s place.”

“I would be sexiled at the most inopportune times,” Ben said. Most of the time, the only notice he received was a text telling him not to return to the room for a while, he added.

Patience is a virtue Despite the wide spectrum of experiences, many students said they have remained patient with their roommates when it came to being sexiled.

Macy, a sophomore, was once

forewarned prior to being sexiled during her first year. She said her roommate had asked to have the room to herself for a weekend because her boyfriend was visiting from out of town.

“I didn’t like the idea of sleeping anywhere other than my own bed, but it turned out to be totally okay,” she said. Still, she added, she was “a little bit frustrated” and probably would not have tolerated it again.

Patrick, a junior, was at the opposite end of the spectrum.

During his first year, Patrick’s roommate once asked if his girlfriend could spend the night, but told Patrick he didn’t have to leave when Patrick offered. Then, when “they thought I was asleep,” they had sex, he said.

“It was the longest night ever,” he said.

The next time she stayed late, “I just walked out of the room and didn’t come back until the morning,” Patrick said.

Laying down ground rules Many students emphasized the importance of communication about using the room, including being notified well before being sexiled.

“I’d be cool with being sexiled if I knew about it in advance,” Patrick said.

“It was only a big deal when it was sprung on me and I didn’t have much notice,” said Emily Schell ’16. After a couple of instances, she added, she and her roommate had a conversation in which they agreed on specific parameters to maintain.

Gwyneth said she would draw the sexiling line at no more than twice a week, and also noted the importance of advance notice. “I was annoyed that I wasn’t aware it was going to happen.”

Schell said communication and cohesive dialogue are key. “Sexiling in particular is an awkward topic to breach.”

Though Ben raised the issue with his roommate several times, and his roommate had made promises to change and to “try making it less obtrusive,” Ben recalled, “it never really happened.”

Patrick also reached a vague agreement with his roommate, which resulted in a “mutual understanding” between the pair, he said. “I just took it in stride and brushed it off.

“If I could go back, I would’ve been more upfront and more direct about the whole thing much earlier on.”

ResLife Once the sexiling began to affect Ben’s health and schoolwork, he considered requesting the Office of Residential Life for a roommate change, he said. He was ultimately deterred because the school year was nearing its end.

“By the time I would’ve gone through the system it would’ve been the end of the year,” he said.

Schell, who was a Women Peer Counselor last semester, said though residential peer leaders are trained to help students with issues such as sexiling, she is unsure how many students feel comfortable coming forth about it.

Isabelle Thenor-Louis ’16, a Residential Counselor and Herald staff writer, said especially in first-year halls, “students might have a tendency to keep it to themselves more because they don’t want to seem like a bother to their roommate.”

Natalie Basil, director of residential experience for ResLife, said the office has encountered roommate conflicts that involve sexiling, but it is often “one of several (issues) that come as a package.”

When a student does come forward with a complaint about a roommate, ResLife follows standard procedures.

Students are first encouraged to be proactive and to have the conversation on their own, Basil said. Most students attempt to manage the situation internally, she added. If this fails, the next step is for the students to speak to their RPLs. If this conversation does not resolve the conflict, the roommates are then referred to one of six community directors on campus. These mediators facilitate a final conversation, offer resources and ultimately facilitate a roommate swap as a last resort, she said.

Macy said if the sexiling had continued to happen, she “wouldn’t have tolerated it.” In that sort of situation, “I think it’s very reasonable to ask for a roommate switch.”

If more people acknowledged sexiling as an issue, students might come forth to their RPLs more willingly, Schell said.

JUSTINA LEE / HERALD

When sexually active students take full custody of their dorm rooms, their roommates seek refuge in dorm hallways, lounges and friends’ rooms, a retreat that can affect both their health and schoolwork.

today 5

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

menu

s at u r d ay n i g h t l i g h t s

SATELLITE DINING JOSIAH’S Steamed Dumplings with Dipping Sauces BLUE ROOM Chicken Saag, Avial Vegetable Coconut Curry, Organic Butternut Squash, Turkey Sausage and Kale, Three Bean Chili ANDREWS COMMONS Italian Beef Sandwiches

DINING HALLS SHARPE REFECTORY LUNCH DINNER Hot Roast Beef on French Eggplant Parmesan, Meatloaf Bread, Baked Potato Bar, Vegan with Mushroom Sauce, Marble Roasted Veggie Stew Cake with Chocolate Frosting

VERNEY-WOOLLEY LUNCH DINNER Vegan Beet and Kale Patties, Pork Roast Jour Ouvert, Roasted Bacon Ranch Chicken Sandwich, Beets with Rosemary, Macaroni Chicken Gumbo Soup and Cheese, Baked Potatoes

sudoku

SADIE HOPE-GUND / HERALD

The Bears lost to the Harvard Crimson by eight points in Saturday’s football game during the 250th anniversary celebration weekend.

comics Cat Ears | Najatee’ McNeil ’17

crossword

calendar TODAY

TOMORROW

4:30 P.M. LOCAL AUTHOR RACHAEL MCINTOSH READS

12 P.M. ‘WAITING FOR SOMETHING BIG: INSIDE

FROM ‘LITTLE YELLOW STICKIES’

TODAY’S IRAN’

Rachael McIntosh, an author and a former employee of a U.S. defense contractor, will read from “Little Yellow Stickies,” the first novel of her trilogy entitled “Security Through Absurdity.” Brown Bookstore

Iranian-American journalist Hooman Majd discusses barriers that ther new Iranian president Hassan Rouhani will likely face during his tenure. Watson Institute, Joukowsky Forum 6 P.M. EMPLOYMENT, MARGINALITY AND FREEDOM

5:30 P.M. NUDITY IN THE UPSPACE: NUDE YOGA

The Nudity in the Upsace workshop will hold an openlevel, 90-minute yoga class as part of its weeklong series of events dedicated to celebrating the nude form. T.F. Green,

ON THE BORDERS OF A BRAZILIAN FAVELA

Production Workshop

Brandeis University Anthropology Lecturer Moises Lino e Silva will discuss the social and economic implications of employment in Brazilian slums. Watson Institute, Joukowsky Forum

7 P.M. ARGENTINE TANGO PERFORMANCE

7 P.M. PUBLIC SCREENING OF ‘THE JUDGE’

CAMBAtango, a Buenos Aires group sponsored by the Argentine and Japanese embassies, will give a performance.

Watson Institute, Second Foor North Common Room

“The Judge,” a film set to be released in October featuring Robert Downey Jr. and Robert Duvall, will be projected.

Granoff Center, Martinos Auditorium

6 commentary

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

EDITORIAL

Expanding study abroad options Yesterday the Office of International Programs hosted a fair on Ruth Simmons Quadrangle to introduce students to study abroad opportunities for the upcoming year. With more than 300 pre-approved programs and more than 150 locations from which to choose, about 600 Brown students each year — the equivalent of approximately one-third of the junior class — spend a summer, semester or year in the country of their choice. With a seamless process that allows students to easily apply and transfer credits back to Brown, studying abroad can be an unmatched opportunity as a college student to enrich one’s college experience academically-speaking and to enhance one’s personal development in new and unexpected ways.

Because of language barriers and the mandatory Satisfactory/No Credit policy, Brown students are unlikely to receive the same quality of academic education abroad as they get here. This is not to say that the University should not support language immersion or change the grading policy, but it should also encourage students to explore “non-traditional” study abroad programs.

Certainly the conventional, if not stereotypical, experience of studying abroad in Western Europe is still valuable to students, particularly to those who have studied relevant languages, histories or arts. But the case can be made that more weight should be placed — by the University, students and employers — on alternative means of global engagement, namely through non-academic activities such as working, volunteering, interning abroad or participating in a Global Independent Study Project. To be sure, the University does offer preapproved programs that incorporate these values, such as a program on ecology and wildlife in Tanzania, and the onus may be on students to choose the less conventional path. But encouraging students to consider a broader set of values expands the opportunities beyond elite universities and opens the conversation to experiences most people will not have after college.

Unconventional study abroad programs, however, exacerbate a pre-existing concern of science students regarding degree requirements. In March 2012, Kendall Brostuen, director of international programs and associate dean of the College, reported that over the previous two years only 9 percent of students studying abroad were concentrating in the sciences. This disparity is due in part to language limitations, a greater number of requirements for science concentrations, stricter course credit policies and concerns about being unprepared for higher-level courses. Science departments and the Office of International Programs must clarify transfer policies and pre-approve courses to ease stress among students and help them understand that a semester away will not stop them from completing their degree. A solution might even include more interaction between students abroad and their Brown professors to supplement any gaps in the curriculum that could hold them back in their concentration programs.

While Brown’s open curriculum provides a unique educational scheme, it can be of great benefit to students to gain a global understanding through an immersive period abroad. Studying — or working, volunteering and interning — abroad gives students a new perspective regarding their academic experiences at Brown. Upon returning to College Hill, students are able to reassess how they wish to spend their remaining undergraduate years, a decision likely influenced by time spent in a foreign country. There are a number of reasons students choose not to study abroad: participation in sports and clubs or the fact that an international student may already be abroad in Providence. But encouraging students to study abroad and expand the options for those who wish to go abroad should be an objective of the University.

A N G E L IA WA N G

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

“I saw the bunnies, and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I need to touch them right now.’”

— Audrey Davis ’14

See HEAVY PETTING on page 8.

Editorials are written by The Herald’s editorial page board: Natasha Bluth ’15, Alexander Kaplan ’15 and James Rattner ’15. Send comments to editorials@ browndailyherald.com.

Editorial Leadership

Sections

Visuals & Production

Business

Editor-in-Chief Eli Okun

Arts & Culture Editor EmmaJean Holley

Managing Editors Mathias Heller Sona Mkrttchian

Features Editors Phoebe Draper Sabrina Imbler

Design Editors Brisa Bodell Einat Brenner Mie Morikubo Assistant: Carlie Peters

General Managers Jennifer Aitken Nicole Shimer

Senior Editors Maddie Berg Katherine Cusumano Kate Nussenbaum

Metro Editors Mariya Bashkatova Kate Kiernan Molly Schulson

BLOG DAILY HERALD Editor-in-Chief Georgia Tollin Managing Editors Charlotte Bilski David Oyer POST- MAGAZINE Editor-in-Chief Adam Asher COMMENTARY Editorial Page Editors Alexander Kaplan James Rattner Opinions Editors Gabriella Corvese Robyn Sundlee Maggie Tennis

Science & Research Editors Isobel Heck Sarah Perelman Sports Editors Caleb Miller Dante O’Connell University News Editors Kiki Barnes Michael Dubin Maxine Joselow Tonya Riley

Photo Editors Head: David Deckey Brittany Comunale Samuel Kase Sydney Mondry Arjun Narayen Tom Sullivan Video Editor Henry Chaisson Graphics Editor Avery Crits-Christoph Web Producers Harsha Yeddanapudy Abdullah Yousufi Copy Desk Chief Claire Postman Assistant: Madeline DiGiovanni Illustrations Editor Angelia Wang

Directors Sales: Winnie Shao Finance: Sarah Levine Finance: Sameer Sarkar Alumni Relations: Alison Pruzan Business Dev.: Melody Cao

facebook.com/browndailyherald

Location: 195 Angell St., Providence, R.I. www.browndailyherald.com

@the_herald

Editorial contact: 401-351-3372 herald@browndailyherald.com

browndailyherald.com

Business contact: 401-351-3260 gm@browndailyherald.com

Office Manager Shawn Reilly

Corrections: The Brown Daily Herald is committed to providing the Brown University community with the most accurate information possible. Corrections may be submitted up to seven calendar days after publication.

Sales Managers Regional: Edward Clifford Regional: Sarah Pariser Regional: Ananya Shukla Regional: Jessica Urrutia Student Group: Moniyka Sachar

Commentary: The editorial is the majority opinion of the editorial page board of The Brown Daily Herald. The editorial viewpoint does not necessarily reflect the views of The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Columns, letters and comics reflect the opinions of their authors only.

Finance Managers Collections: Jacqueline Finkelsztein Collections: Joshua Tartell Operations: Jessica O’Dell Alumni Relations Manager Engagement: Sarah Park Business Dev. Manager Project Leader: Kaden Lee

Letters to the Editor: Send letters to letters@browndailyherald.com. Include a telephone number with all letters. The Herald reserves the right to edit all letters for length and clarity and cannot assure the publication of any letter. Please limit letters to 250 words. Under special circumstances writers may request anonymity, but no letter will be printed if the author’s identity is unknown to the editors. Announcements of events will not be printed.

Advertising: The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. reserves the right to accept or decline any advertisement at its discretion.

The Brown Daily Herald (USPS 067.740) is an independent newspaper serving the Brown University community daily since 1891. It is published Monday through Friday during the academic year, excluding vacations, once during Commencement and once during Orientation by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. Single copy free for each member of the community. Subscription prices: $280 one year daily, $140 one semester daily.

Copyright 2014 by The Brown Daily Herald, Inc. All rights reserved.

Periodicals postage paid at Providence, R.I. Postmaster: Please send corrections to P.O. Box 2538, Providence, RI 02906.

commentary 7

THE BROWN DAILY HERALD TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

The secession scare IAN KENYON opinions columnist

Now that the votes have been tallied and the world relieved of the Scottish suspense of Sept. 18, the wait begins for the results of that “secession scare.” While the “yes” camp sits in disappointment, questioning its fruitless campaign, those in the “no” camp must now work to ensure that the promises they obtained from Westminster come to fruition.

Indeed, Scottish secession would have generated immediate repercussions for the would-be Scottish state and the larger global community, but the failed attempt at secession may equally provide new direction and opportunity for those in Edinburgh who are fighting for increased autonomy. Ultimately, a common lesson to be remembered from these events is that the threat of secession certainly does not conclude without benefits.

A more local example serves as a template for deeper understanding of secession.

The summer of 1984 may have been hot, but Rhode Island politics were even hotter. A May 30 article in the New York Times introduced Americans to a secession campaign

that was gaining traction within the smallest state of the union. Fostered by the tumultuous debate over to what degree a municipality could regulate the use of mopeds, the mere 620 residents of Block Island quickly found their local government at odds with the State Supreme Court in Providence.

Like the Scottish struggle of 2014, the struggle on Block Island similarly revolved around the desire for greater ability to self-govern. The 620 residents of Block Island found

claimed the life of a mother’s seven-month-old fetus. For the limited Block Island emergency response team, this data clearly indicated a trend calling for policy change. Accidents aside, residents also argued that the increased moped presence altered the calm environment of the island — for the worse.

As the People article pointed out, media from Manhattan to Tokyo picked up coverage of the conflict hovering over Rhode Island, stirring heated conversation. Governors Mi-

idence, where a 1981 State Supreme Court ruling had struck down initial attempts to regulate the usage of mopeds on the island, citing such ordinances as “unduly oppressive.” In the years to follow, vacationers to Block Island enjoyed the ability to traverse the island on two wheels — causing many accidents — and moped dealers continued to take heat from the locals.

Inevitably, the moped debate hit the statehouse, where the legislature passed a bill during a special session

As in the Block Island case, the Scottish debate over secession was a bargaining chip to expand self-governance negotiations – and ensure the success thereof.

their island in disarray with a regular weekly influx of around 15,000 mainlanders during the height of summer, many making use of the aforementioned controversial mopeds. Residents had reason to pressure Providence for greater ability to regulate as well: As People magazine reported in July 1984, 78 moped accidents occurred on Block Island in 1983, up from 42 accidents in 1982.

In 1983, one moped accident even

chael Dukakis of Massachusetts and William O’Neill of Connecticut each reached out to the residents of Block Island, promising that annexation by those states would allow for the protection of substantial self-governance on the island. A residents’ town hall meeting on the island quickly resulted in bursts of protest for votes on secession.

Tension on the island increased and the citizens rallied against Prov-

in June 1984 that granted Block Island the ability to self-regulate moped use within its jurisdiction, beginning in the spring of 1985. While rescinding the Rhode Island Department of Transportation’s control of moped regulation, newly introduced state regulatory language was presented as a strong model for future Block Island ordinances.

The elected officials of Block Island assembled a commission to fur-

ther determine the extent of regulations of mopeds on the island, as the debate dwindled from one that was statewide to one that was merely island-wide. Nevertheless, they had learned their lesson: The scare of secession succeeded in granting the residents of Block Island a greater role in island governance.

Like the citizens of Block Island, some 30 years later the citizens of Scotland await the promise of change in governance from Westminster. In a show of impressive democratic practice and solidarity, the Scottish public demonstrated above all that they possess the will and potential for self-governance. The question remains whether the Scots truly desire full independence or just the benefit of the doubt that their government is indeed able to steer the direction of the Scottish people without fail.

As in the Block Island case, the Scottish debate over secession was a bargaining chip to expand selfgovernance negotiations — and ensure the success thereof. While the verdict on Scottish independence is still fresh, it represents the hope that, with time, the “no” campaign will bear the fruits of victory, like the win on Block Island three decades ago.

Ian Kenyon GS can be reached at ian_kenyon@brown.edu.

Introducing frat-sororities MEGAN GRAPENGETERRUDNICK opinions columnist

Why join a fraternity?

To identify with one’s masculinity. To display this manliness to others. To take part in a brotherhood. To network. To live in a house with dozens of other men. To throw parties in that house. To throw parties and get drunk in that house. To throw parties and get drunk and … sexually assault the female guests?

The last item is not typically on the average college guy’s list of reasons for pledging a frat, because not all 20-year-old men are misogynistic predators. Adding young women to offset the brotherhood would not necessarily solve the problem of sexual assault on college campuses, because lack of female socialization is not the problem.

Encouraging frat brothers to interact with women in a setting free from the party vibe would not change the way alcohol affects their decisions in the party atmosphere and would not stop them from craving close communities of men.

On Monday, Wesleyan University ordered in a mandate called Resolution B that its fraternities become co-ed. This means the frats have to completely reform to admit and represent both males and females, and swallow the ramifications in the process.

Incidents of sexual assault and rape, along with other indicators of rowdiness, prompted the university to demand that the frats be co-ed. One student wrote in a Wesleyan Argus opinions column that the fraternities were accused of “perpetuating rape culture, harassment, alcohol and drug abuse, and excessive partying.”

Earlier this semester, a student fell out of

the third-floor window of the Beta Theta Pi house during a party. The university has previously had to deal with multiple rape cases at this same house that ended in expulsions of the offending men.

So the university found a correlation between excessive drinking and dangerous behavior — what a revelation! Welcome to an issue that colleges nationwide have been grappling with for ages, something that is to be blamed not exclusively on fraternities but rather on young college kids doing young college kid things.

The brothers are irked at the school’s distrust.

Their attitude toward women should not automatically be assumed as the reason for sexual assault, but it is being treated that way.

What effect will an imposed gender balance have on a fraternity?

Perhaps the fraternity atmosphere kindles the tight-knit hierarchy that is the brotherhood — one where boys are competing against other boys to emanate masculinity. This constant presence of overwhelming amounts of testosterone may lead to the reckless behavior with which many colleges struggle. Does add-

There will not be that dramatic of a difference between how college men view their female peers now and how they view them as cohabitants.

I doubt the addition of women into this mix will magically inspire the frat brothers to stop playing the young college kid role at parties. It isn’t as if they are misogynists who take advantage of nearby women and will be cured by having females in their daily interactions.

There will not be a dramatic difference between how college men view their female peers now and how they view them as cohabitants.

Incidents of sexual assault usually are a result of inebriation and a raunchy party ambience, which won’t change even with women balancing the fratty component.

When explaining the decisions, the Wesleyan administration used the terms “equity” and “inclusion” as the basis for their decision.

ing females into the equation really combat these issues?

Men will still seek channels through which they can be men. Interacting with women in a setting that is not a rowdy party will not change the fact that they will still party. They will still get drunk. They will still do relatively dumb things they would not do if they were sober. They will still make mistakes. I don’t believe giving women a place in the house will necessarily solve the issue.

One Wesleyan student proposed a possible solution: Several students — both males and females — could be designated to stay sober and act as overseers. They would monitor the scene for situations that look unpromising or

like they might lead to sexual assault. The student who suggested this idea also discussed small payment as an incentive for students to volunteer for this position. While there may be room to flesh out this proposition, I agree with the student that it would be more effective than making fraternities co-ed.

One of the posited positive outcomes of this process would be the development of young men to be amenable ­­and receptive, particularly on the subject of women. But rather than encouraging the frat brothers to be openminded, the inclusion of women may make them even more eager to identify separately as a brotherhood. This is one of the main attractions of fraternities. It can’t just be taken off the table.

Aside from losing the treasured quality of brotherhood and the cohesiveness of a 150-year-old tradition, the three Wesleyan frats are also losing their houses. Seeing as “there are no nationally recognized coed chapters of either fraternity,” as the Argus column put it, they will lose their on-campus houses and will be rendered vagabonds. This will be an inconvenience, but more importantly, students are saying it will encourage the frats to seek out new homes that are out of the administration’s controlling reach — “more underground and possibly more dangerous,” the Argus columnist wrote.

According to a New York Times article about the topic, one of the displeased Wesleyan fraternity members said, “How is making the frats co-ed going to solve anything? We’re doing all the right things, yet we’re not trusted.

And bringing girls in here to live, that’s going to fix it?”

Megan Grapengeter-Rudnick ’17 can be reached at megan_grapengeter-rudnick@brown.edu.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2014

THE

BROWN DAILY HERALD arts & culture Heavy Petting brings stress relief, and a farm, to campus CCB event featuring dogs, rabbits and pot-bellied piglet continues to soothe student anxieties

By SOPHIE YAN STAFF WRITER

Students and alums gathered around three wire cages on the Main Green Sunday afternoon to enjoy yet another installment of the Class Coordinating Board-sponsored event, “Super Duper Heavy Petting.”

This event, begun by the 2015 CCB in spring 2013, has quickly become tradition, according to Class of 2015 Co-President Samuel Kase ’15, who is also a Herald photographer. The event developed from Health Services’ original Heavy Petting, during which faculty brought their dogs to the Main Green for students who miss their own furry companions, Kase said.

CCB had long considered bringing in a petting zoo but ran into obstacles of expense and concerns about animal cruelty, he said. Eventually one of Kase’s friends from Boston College directed him to Farm Visits, a program run out of Massachusetts that brings baby farm animals to a variety of events.

Farm Visits has been operational for five years now, said Dawn Cordeiro, the owner of the company, adding that the concept originated from friends’ suggestions. She and her husband opened the business and since then, the initiative has taken off.

“I’ve always had a farm, and my husband and I have raised a lot of farm-type animals,” she said, adding her friends often would request she bring rabbits to their children’s birthday parties.

CCB usually tries to plan Heavy Petting to coincide with times when students are particularly stressed, offering a “manageable break,” said Aaron Rosenthal ’16,

a member of CCB. Leading up to the event, “a lot of people are really hyped,” he said, adding that immediately afterwards, students across campus update their Facebook profile pictures to showcase the baby animals.

But not all students think the benefits of Heavy Petting outweigh the possible animal rights concerns.

“As cute and cuddly as they are, we’re compromising the safety and health of these poor bunnies and chicks just for the sake of our own enjoyment,” said Grace Sun ’16. “I can’t help but worry for the health and well being of these animals. We carry diseases that chicks and bunnies do not have the immune system to fend off, and with the hoards of students caressing and passing around the bunnies, I’m afraid they will catch something.”

“We can’t just handle them and possibly present them with chaos and discomfort and then leave them and expect them to be okay,” said Ria Vaidya ’16.

“These baby animals are not objects that are supposed to induce happiness in us.”

But this weekend’s edition was not advertised as a stress break — instead, it was part of the festivities on the Main Green in honor of Brown’s 250th anniversary.

For this edition of “Super Duper Heavy Petting,” Cordeiro brought several baby rabbits, chicks, ducklings, a kid goat and a pot-bellied piglet to campus.

Shanav Mehta ’18, Vidita Nevatia ’18 and Sohum Chokshi ’18 were sitting with a baby rabbit under the shade of a tree on the Main Green during the event.

“I am super happy,” Chokshi said. “I haven’t stopped smiling this whole entire time since I got here.”

“We have an emotional connection now,” Mehta said, referring to the baby rabbit he was holding, which was wrapped in a blanket.

Recent alums Beth Mottel ’14 and Audrey Davis ’14 had come back to campus for the 250th celebration and were

attending Super Duper Heavy Petting for the first time.

“I feel like I always had something when Heavy Petting was going on, or I had too much work,” Mottel said. She could see how the event would be an effective stress reliever for students — “if you could get them there.” Davis agreed, saying that the event should always be held in an area where students could just pass by, like the Main Green.

“Before finals, I bet this kind of thing would help a lot,” Chokshi said.

“Stress is a somewhat complex thing,” said Kevin Bath, assistant professor of cognitive, linguistic and psychological sciences, whose research focuses on the effects of early-life stress. A small amount of stress can be helpful and invigorating to the system, he said, while too much stress or chronic stress can cause shrinkage of different brain areas and lead to memory problems.

“Students always talk about (Super Duper Heavy Petting) in a positive way,” said Sherri Nelson, director of Counseling and Psychological Services. She described the event as a “good stress reliever” and possibly beneficial for students who might be missing a pet from home.

Davis said the main draw for her were the rabbits. “I used to have a rabbit, so just now I saw the bunnies and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I need to touch them right now,’” she said.

Interactions with pets have been shown to have physical and mental benefits, said Lisa Frappier, a psychiatrist at CAPS. They offer a “non-judgmental connection” and can stimulate the release of oxytocin, a pair-bonding hormone that is also released when hugging. Dopamine and serotonin levels may also rise with these interactions, she added, noting that both chemicals act as antidepressants.

Animals have been employed for soothing purposes in other health programs. Frappier cited research suggesting

LAUREN GALVAN / HERALD

Puppy dog eyes can offer tense undergrads a “non-judgmental connection” and cause the release of oxytocin, said Lisa Frappier, a psychiatrist at CAPS. that watching a fish tank can lower an individual’s blood pressure, while Nelson discussed a program in which schools use dogs to help children with difficulty reading. Dogs induce less anxiety as listeners, lowering the pressure on children learning to read.

Bath also cited research from McGill University exploring the significance of early tactile contact in young animals with their mothers. Socialization and

companionship can tend to decrease stress, and in the case of Heavy Petting it is also the animals that are receiving the direct contact, making it mutually beneficial for the students and the animals, he said.

Cordeiro said she could often see the stress melt away from the students after they spent time with the animals.

“Everybody always says, ‘Now I can take my test, I feel great!’” she said.

Urban Carnevale celebrates 10th anniversary of FirstWorks Serving 4,300 students over the last 10 years, FirstWorks engages the performing arts in Providence

By KATE TALERICO CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Musicians of both local and global acclaim took the stage at the Providence Rink and Kennedy Plaza Sept. 20 for the Urban Carnevale, which celebrated the 10th anniversary of FirstWorks. FirstWorks, a nonprofit created to engage the performing arts in Providence, collaborated with the City of Providence to host musical world debuts while also inspiring new ideas in the community.

Police estimated that close to 7,000 people attended the event during the afternoon and evening, said Kathleen Pletcher, founder and executive artistic director of FirstWorks. The demographic shifted over the course of the event, she observed, with a crowd of mainly older people and families during the afternoon and evening, transforming to a younger and more energized one late at night.

Featured artists included Ribab Fusion, a Moroccan funk group making its U.S. debut, Sidy Maiga, a drummer and Mali native who calls Providence home, and Australia’s Strange Fruit, whose

performers emerged from illuminated spheres, “swaying like living sculptures,” Pletcher said. “It was a beautiful, quiet moment of awe.”

“Carnevale is something we wanted to do for our 10th year anniversary.

We’re an organization that is really interested in the idea of festivals as a means to gather different kinds of audiences together to break down barriers to the arts and create a more participatory event,” Pletcher said.

The Urban Carnevale overlapped with last weekend’s Better World by Design conference and Design Week R.I., and FirstWorks seized the opportunity to collaborate with these events. “We see that we’re in the center of a city with a lot going on, and we try to coordinate and share information. Our audiences do cross over,” Pletcher said.

FirstWorks emerged from the nowdefunct First Night, a one-night festival held in cities across the country. At the time, Pletcher was artistic director of the Providence chapter.

“During the millenium, First Nights everywhere struggled with their relevancy,” Pletcher said, adding that a

partnership with the City of Providence allowed her to continue the festivities through FirstWorks.

In 2012, FirstWorks received a $200,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts as a part of the Our Town program, which encourages cities to enhance the artistic presence in their communities, Pletcher said. That year, FirstWorks used part of its endowment to create the FirstWorks Festival: On the Plaza, which drew in audiences of over 40,000.

Pletcher said she aims to create partnerships with local organizations to “(show) off Providence as the ‘creative capital,’” adding that she hopes to establish the Festival as an “ongoing signature event.” A second grant from the NEA allowed FirstWorks to kick off this season with the Urban Carnevale.

In addition to these celebrations, FirstWorks aims to promote art education throughout the community.

“Every artist we bring in to FirstWorks is involved with schools and underserved communities in Rhode Island,” Pletcher said.

In last year’s season, FirstWorks served nine schools and 930 students through workshops and performances, said Joe Meisel, deputy provost and

FirstWorks trustee, who is in charge of educational programming. “Over the last 10 years, 4,300 students have been served.”

“The educational mission of FirstWorks was not a part of its original mission but has sprung up over time,” Meisel said. “Providence and Central Falls are under-resourced, and FirstWorks is a way to bring top artists to a place where the arts department is usually the first to go.”

Meisel said he tries his best to attend the performances to which students have been invited. Seeing their intense excitement is “such a tremendous reward,” he said. “It’s an important experience in developing an appreciation for the arts, and that’s the first time they’re identifying art in a personal way.”

“In this year, we’re considering more structured kinds of opportunities that we can create in the education sphere,” Meisel said. “We’re thinking about how FirstWorks should evolve in the future, and how it can be prominent on a national scene.”

In addition to school workshops, audiences — including students — may also engage with the performers through dinners, jam sessions and artist panels.

The 10th anniversary season of

FirstWorks revolves around the theme “Artistic Legends and Local Luminaries,” Pletcher said.

Under this motif, FirstWorks will bring in violinist Regina Carter to play at the Rhode Island School of Design Auditorium Oct. 18. Pletcher first saw Carter perform at the Birdland jazz club in New York, where she said she was intrigued by Carter’s music and “the sort of journey she goes on, the performance, the research, personal history.”

Carter will arrive early in the week of her performance to speak with students in high school and middle school, Pletcher said. “Connecting these kids with artists is more about pathways to the future and role models.”

FirstWorks will bring composer Philip Glass to Providence in February 2015. Glass will deliver a keynote address, perform alongside violinist Tim Fain and introduce a concert performed by the Brown University Orchestra, which is slated to play one of Glass’s pieces the night after his performance.

FirstWorks’ upcoming schedule of events represents “a continuation of what we’ve been doing since the very beginning” by nurturing ties between artists and community, Pletcher said.

“That really feeds into who we are.”